RS Unit 3 - World Poverty

Characterists of LEDC:

- South of Equator

-Rapidly growing populations

-Climate issues 

-In areas prone to natural disasters

-Have be or are ravaged by civil war

-Massive national debt 

-Exploited through world trade by richer nations 

Poverty - having too little of the basic needs of life 

LEDC - Less Economically Developed Country

Natural Disasters - earthquakes, volcanoes etc causing devastation 

War - two or more nations in armed conflict; may be factions within a country 

Debt - money owed by a country to other countries

World Trade -trade between nations in the world

Global interdependence - the idea that countries all over the world depend on each other for trade, support, etc. and cannot act completely independent.

Food - die without it. Need balanced diet 

Water - die without it. Must be clean or disease will spread

Education - allows progress and access to more money. Could be life skills or  academic in nature

Health Care - Prevents illness and death. People can cope more easily with other problems if they have good health.

Shelter - place thats safe + warm from weath +  danger 

Employment - necessary to provide for our families and buy what we need to live. 

Climate

- Lie in challenging climates, meaning low levels of rainful and unpredictable rainful, or no rain, causing droughts or sudden intense downpours leading to floods. 

- Environmental issues - global warming and climate change. Areas often hardest hit by impacts of climate change - even more unpredictable rainful - floods more intense

Natural Disasters

- At risk of worst disasters like flood and famine but no resources to limit damage

-Nature can't be controlled

-Unexpected disasters like indian ocean tsnunami, sever floods in China etc.

-Countries rely on foreign aid to cope and rebuild lives- until next one

War

- Unstable govenrments which aren't elected + keep themselves in power by possesion and use of weapons 

-Challenges to these governments can cause civil wars  and too much money spent on weapons by all sides 

-Ordinary people have lives torn apart- villages ransacked, women *****, men taken away to fight, children kidnapped and made to become soldiers.

-Money not spent on hospitals and schools

-People often become refugees - fleeing war by crossing borders to safer countries

Debt

-Borrow money to start development but charged high interest. Interest higher then what they earn for exports so national debt increases. Offers to reduce debt only for democratic countries. Prevents money going to corrupt regimes 

Corruption- government cheating own people out of money so people poor whilst gov rich

Governents often not democratically elected by people. Power gained through civil war so no sense of duty to people. 

Money stolen from country and foreign aid to keep brutal regimes in power.

People live in extreme poverty whilst gov elite have luxary 

Opposition shut down. Many disappear without trace

Local leaders often corrupt and only care for themselves

Unfair Trade - trade between countries which exploit poorer people and Exploitation- someone abuses their power over someone for their own benefit and to that person detriment. e.g. paying minal amount of money for good as seller has no other options

Rich countries buy crops cheap and workers get paid low wages and poor working conditions whilst rich countries profit lots.

Emergency - immediate help after a disaster e.g. during 1st -10 days

-Immediate concerns for saving lives, dispensing food and water + treating injured 

-Rescuse teams search for living 

-Teams also collect and identify dead

Short term aid - aid that is given immediately, or for a short period usually because of a crisis which has severely affected a country.

Carries on when emergency teams have gone 

Provides food + water through charity money + foreign gov donations 

Builds shelter or tented accomations for victims

Health care to prevent spread of disease 

Reunite families and look after orphans 

Help in burying dead

Aid relies on charities that are already working such countries. Many are hostile areas and difficult to work in.

Charity  help given to another from a sense of duty or compassion

Long term aid - money, equipment or training that lasts for a long period to develop a country's resources and ability to support itself.

- rebuilds lives, recovery from damage and rebuilding destroyed homes

-The idea is to get lives back to some kind of normality e.g. children going back to school

-This extends to projects that are trying to make people self-sufficient - school building, education programmes that train teachers as well, medical projects like vaccinations of children and well building for villages 

-Charities work on projects all year round.

Sustainable development - aid that is intended to keep itself going e.g. trained teachers so country can educate its own people.

-Local ecosystem should be able to support industry without damage from pollution and waste

-Natural resources should be used carefully and not overused

-Industry should use energy efficiently 

-Local people should be involved in making local development decisions 

e.g. when local community build handpump well. Well, well built using local material and local people know how to use and how to repair. Well sealed, protected from pollution by waster. People have better health and instead of having to walk miles they can work and go to school.

Rainforest Alliance 

- Converation organisatioon ensures forestry, farming and tourism protect the environment bringing benefits to local familes and communities 

-Farms + forests that meet the standards see increased effieciency to reduce waste, ensure workers + families access to school + medical care.

-Aim to have responsibly produced goods sold globally. Some rich countries want products produced like this even thought the prices they pay are more expensive. 

Village Volunteers

- Aim to improve villages and lives of people living there with sustainable livilhood, economic growth, health care, womens rights and community development.

-Work partnership with locals to renew areas affected by poverty and disease, support goals for the good of people + environement 

Community - group of people share interest 

Religious Ideas 

-Pray 

-Read holy texts to find teachings to inspire action

-Organise a fundraising event at place of worship

-Raise awareness through religious school assemblies

Non religious ideas 

- Take part in events to raise money 

-Give time to voluntary organisations

-Give money to collections

-Buy products that help developing countries and boycott those that don't 

Justice - making things fair - e.g. fair trade

Compassion - loving kindess; a desire to help because it is the right thing to do 

Stewardship - religious concept of looking after something, like the poor in the world.

-Media 

-Sense of justice + compassion when others are suffering

-Some people want things to be fair so people are treated rightly and corruption and injustice in some LEDC's make people want to act and reduce/prevent it.

-God gave this sense of stewardship to his people as a duty

-The duty is to look after God's world + people

-Duty fulfilled believers will be rewarded

-Following example of founders and leaders past and present 

Christianty - Cafod (1962)

-Catholic organisation began as disaster relief but now compaigns for fairer society and does much educational work worldwide 

Recent project - funding watter pipes in Brazilian shanty town to give access to clean water. Helped with health probelsm directly + gave people belief they could change their lives.

Buddhism - Tibet Foundation (1985)

-Creates greater awareness of aspects of Tibetan Buddhism and needs of Tibetan people.

-Some activities religious, some community based. 

Recent project - After Bihar floods more than 2000 lives lost, many people remained sans food, drinking water +basic needs. But aid limited because of access to village. Provided money + resources for emergency relief effort.

Christainty 

'love our neighbour' - Jesus

Treat others as you wish to be treated - New Testament 

Jesus told rich man to 'go sell all you have, give it to the poor then you will have treasures in heaven'

If anyone has possessions and sees his brother in need how can he love God? - New Testament

Parable of Sheep and Goats tells us that those who help others are the people who will be rewarded in Heaven - Jesus  

Buddhism 

Karma- belief actions affect rebirth andAthimsa - Idea nothing should suffer 

'If you wish to be happy then care for others' - Dalai Lama

Hindus accept suffering as bad actions in previous life but should still help poor 

Christainty 

'love our neighbour' - Jesus

Treat others as you wish to be treated - New Testament 

Jesus told rich man to 'go sell all you have, give it to the poor then you will have treasures in heaven'

If anyone has possessions and sees his brother in need how can he love God? - New Testament

Parable of Sheep and Goats tells us that those who help others are the people who will be rewarded in Heaven - Jesus  

Buddhism 

Karma- belief actions affect rebirth andAthimsa - Idea nothing should suffer 

'If you wish to be happy then care for others' - Dalai Lama

Hindus accept suffering as bad actions in previous life but should still help poor