How we choose to define poverty and the causes of poverty will
directly impact how we conceptualize development and solutions to
poverty. It also defines the reasons why we choose to be involved
in poverty alleviation efforts. If poverty is seen as only a lack
of material things then the answer is providing material goods. If
poverty is the result of poor personal choices then the answer is
changed behaviors. If poverty is the result of societal oppression
then the answer is changing societal structures.
Slide 4
What is your personal view of poverty? What is your personal
view of the nature and purpose of development?
Slide 5
A focus on international development first began after WWI.
Early perspectives focused on poverty as the lack of material
goods. Heavy emphasis on a modern worldview and that development is
them (the materially poor and the global South) becoming like us
(the materially non-poor and the West). There followed a
development in theory and practice from simply a lack of material
basic needs to a lack of knowledge, information and skills. Then a
further development to the concept that the basis of poverty is a
lack of access economic, political, social and environmental
access. The poor lack access to credit, natural resources, markets,
political voice, etc. With these shifts there was also a shift in
theory and practice from large scale, macro-economic reformations
toward small scale, people-centered and community-based
programs.
Slide 6
Physical Causes Lack of basic needs such as food, water and
shelter Poor health and education Lack of basic assets such as
money, land and livestock Social Causes Unjust social structures
and malfunctioning social institutions Powerlessness Lack of access
to social and political capital Unjust worldviews and cultural
institutions Unjust actions by the non-poor Mental Causes Lack of
knowledge and technical information Limited ability to learn
Poverty of being a self-defeating and minimalizing self-view
Slide 7
According to Bryant Myers, poverty is primarily the result of
broken relationships broken relationships with God, with self, with
others and with the earth which are themselves a result of sin.
Poverty is when peoples relationships do not work toward their well
being. Therefore, at its deepest level, the cause of poverty is
spiritual.
Slide 8
The poor are those who possess a marred identity. A poverty of
being. The poor are those who have forgotten or been denied their
true vocation. A poverty of purpose. The poor are those whose
relationships work against their well being. A poverty of
relationships.
Slide 9
Poverty of Being the materially poor often possess a marred
identity in which their self and communal image is a reflection of
the negative stereotypes propagated and maintained by the non-poor.
They believe in a false and negative myth of who they are and what
they can be, instead of seeing themselves as being created in the
image of God. Poverty of Purpose the materially poor often possess
a poverty of purpose in which they understand that they are the
servants of others and have nothing substantial to offer. Poverty
of Relationships the materially poor often have relationships that
do not benefit them and lack the opportunities, knowledge and
abilities to develop relationships that could benefit their well
being.
Slide 10
Poverty of Being the materially non-poor also possess a marred
identity a god-complex in which they believe they have a right to
benefit at the expense of others and that they know what is best.
Poverty of Purpose the materially non-poor often have forgotten the
purpose for work set by God, which is to care for His creation and
for others. Instead work is viewed as a means for self-gain.
Because of this, they diminish who they can be and who God desires
for them to be. Poverty of Relationships The materially non-poor
often do not have relationships with those who are materially poor.
By doing so, they blind themselves to the struggles going on in the
lives of millions of people worlwide.
Slide 11
From this perspective, both the materially poor and the
materially non-poor are both in a state of poverty, only in
different ways. This is not to minimize the poverty of the
materially poor, but instead to indicate that the poverty of the
materially poor cannot be addressed without addressing the poverty
of the non-poor. For both, there is the need for redemption and
healing in their relationships with God, with self, with others and
with the rest of creation.
Slide 12
In looking at the poor and non-poor, marred identity and
god-complexes it is important to remember that these are not static
terms. A person or group can possess both a marred identity and
god-complexes, seeing themselves as less than some but better than
others. This can occur between groups, within communities and
within families. A materially poor man may suffer from a marred
identity in regards to his relationship with his wealthy employer
but a god-complex in regards to his relationship with his wife and
children. In addition, people may fluctuate in the degree to which
they suffer from a marred identity and/or god- complexes.
Slide 13
Friedmann sees development as the mobilization of disempowered
familys social power into political power in order to bring about
political change to improve their quality of life. Friedmann
focuses on not the indivdiual, but the family as the basic social
unit. Sees households as being empowered in three ways: socially,
politically and psychologically
Slide 14
Slide 15
Twin goals of biblical transformation: Changing People:
Recovering true identity and true vocation Restoring Shalom: Just
and Peaceful Relationships with God, self, others and creation
Slide 16
IdentityVocation Poor Believing that they are made in the image
of God and therefore have inherent worth Believing that they have
gifts to contribute and they are called to be productive stewards
Non-Poor Laying down their god- complexes, believing they are made
in Gods image and are not God themselves Believing that their gifts
are for sharing, not control, and that they are to lead as
servants, not masters.
Slide 17
The purpose of transformational development is not only
increasing resources, building capacity or access or creating
choices. These are important aspects of development only when they
help the poor to recover a sense of who they are and what their
purpose is. In this, transformational development is about creating
relationships that are just for both the poor and non-poor and that
create prosperity through peace.
Slide 18
According to Myers the foundation of development lies in the
redemption of relationships relationships with God, with others,
with ones self, and with the rest of creation. For those with a
marred identity the idea is that they begin to see themselves as
someone of worth capable of improving their own lives For those
with god complexes the idea is that they begin to realize that such
complexes lessen who they are and that development for them
involves a humbling of self.
Slide 19
Serving those who are materially poor without causing more harm
is an important issue that every person seeking to engage in
poverty alleviation must continually examine.
Slide 20
The Modern Worldview The Traditional Worldview SPIRITUAL WORLD
God Allah Christian Witness Personal Religion PHYSICAL WORLD Hear,
see, feel & touch Science and technology Development HIGH
RELIGION Creator High God Formal religion LOW RELIGION Shamans and
magic Ancestors and spirits Curses and blessings Folk religion SEEN
WORLD Hear, see, feel & touch Relationships, community &
family Folk science THE EXCLUDED MIDDLE
Slide 21
A majority of Western approaches to development, including that
of the Church, is focused almost exclusively on the physical world.
If people are sick it is because of poor nutrition, dirty water,
polluted environment, etc. If peoples crops fail it is back of
environmental factors. For many people who are extremely poor
materially, especially in the global South, the answer is
spiritual. If people are sick it is because of a curse. If their
crops fail it is because they have angered the spirits. For
Christians it is an act of God or the influence of demons. The
middle plays a very important role in the well-being of life. Story
about malaria and mosquitoes who sent the mosquitoes? It is not
uncommon for people to seek answers in all three levels at once. If
they are sick they go to the doctor for Western medicine, to the
church for prayer and to the traditional healer for traditional
medicines. This is not seen as contradictory, but rather a
practical approach to cover all of ones bases.
Slide 22
Participatory Action Research is based on the ideas that the
materially poor and disempowered have inherent strengths and
capabilities to bring change to their lives and that development
workers and researchers are to be co-learners and actors with these
communities. We do not do it for them and they are not wholly
responsible for bringing change to their lives. Instead, there is
to be a partnership in which both sides use their strengths to
bring about social change. In PAR community participants play a
central role in every aspect of the development project, from
planning and design, to implementation, to evaluation and
adjustments. An emphasis in PAR is not only in ensuring the
completion of the project but also seeking to help community
members learn how to critically assess their situation, resources
and strengths, to plan and work together to achieve a common goal,
and to access need resources and assistance.
Slide 23
Gods story Communitys story Program A shared story Communitys
new story Our new story Our story
Slide 24
It is important to remember that we are not bringing God. He
has always been there and will always be there seeking to bring
about change. It is also important to remember that the people we
serve have a story which will continue long after we leave. This
means that their perspectives and views must always be respected
and often take precedence over our own. It also means that any
development must be owned by them. They must want it, they must be
intimately involved in all aspects of the project and they must be
able to continue it after we leave. If these criteria are not
present then true development cannot occur.
Slide 25
Chambers, Robert. 2005. Ideas for Development. Sterling, VA:
Earthscan. Christian, Jayakumar. 1999. God of the Empty- Handed:
Poverty, Power, and the Kingdom of God. Monrovia, CA: MARC.
Corbett, Steve. 2009. When Helping Hurts. Chicago: IL: Moody
Publishers. Friedmann, Thomas. 1992. Empowerment: The Politics of
Alternative Development. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Myers, Bryant.
2011. Walking with the Poor. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. Sen,
Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.
