Antioch University, January 2005 Rights, Responsibilities and the Root Causes of Poverty Holistic...

Antioch University, January 2005

Rights, Responsibilities and the Root Causes of Poverty

Holistic Approaches to Sustainable Development


Development Background

1940’s: Emergency response to WWII victims

1948: Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948– economic development does not bring about peace and respect for human rights.

1950’s: Disaster relief and “needs” programs

1960’s: “Modernize” so-called backward economies. It is possible, necessary and duty of the world to make that happen.


Development & Human Rights

1970’s: Basic needs, multi-sector programs

1980’s: Infrastructures, structural adjustments, e.g. micro enterprise developments

1990’s: Human resource development

• New human rights instruments (e.g. Convention of the Child)

• Development-related international conferences (women in Beijing, nutrition in Rome)


Search for root causes of poverty

ZaireRwandan refugee camps


Development

vs. and/or

Human rights


Eurocentric Development

Some say development and human rights discourse is Western-created and imbued with Western superiorityDevelopment way is wrong and those doing the defining and funding are privileged, male, Western outsiders.Mismatch with what local people are doing with their lives


Human Rights debates“Negative rights”–states to protect certain rights that violate human dignity

Examples: Freedom from torture, degrading treatment and arbitrary detention; freedom of speech, association and religion

“Positive rights”– states to promote certain social outcomes.

Examples: Rights to education, adequate standards of living, highest obtainable standard of health.


Debates

Presumed Western origin of human rightsQuestions about the meaning and even existence of rights, e.g. rights or aspirations?Issue of direct application of human rights standards to non-state actors e.g. corporationsAre human rights universal or is the entire development and human rights ideology Eurocentric?


Which comes first – removing poverty and misery or

guaranteeing political liberty and civil rights?

--Amartya Sen


Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi,the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity…people of my country want two freedoms that spell security: freedom from want and freedom from war”


Rights-based approach (RBA)

People are poor not only, because they lack assets and skills, but because they suffer

from social exclusion, marginalization and

discrimination.


Hierarchy of Causes of Poverty:

Immediate Causes

These are causes that are directly related to life and survival and include:

•Disease,

•Famine,

•Environmental disasters,

•Conflict


Intermediate Causes

These causes affect people’s well-being and opportunities for development and livelihood

security, where the majority of current development efforts are targeted.

• Low livelihood (agric or income) productivity;

• Limited livelihood opportunities;

• Lack of skills;

• Inadequate access to food;

• Inadequate care for women and children;

• Lack of basic services, e.g., health, education, water and sanitation, education


Underlying Causes:

Underlying Causes of Poverty are related to the systemic and structural underpinnings of under-

development.

Underlying Causes operate at the societal and higher levels, e.g. regional, global


Underlying Causes are most often the result of a combination of:

Political

Economic

Social

(&/or)

Environmental Factors


Levels of Cause in Relation to Response

Immediate – Emergency Relief

Intermediate – Development Assistance & Needs Focus

Underlying – Needs & Rights Focus


Interrelated Outcomes

Poverty Eradication& Social Justice

Slightly modified diagram developed by CARE Somalia staff2004








Social positions = rights, gender, discrimination

Human conditions = needs

Enabling Environment = governance, partnership, institutional context


RBA Poverty eradication and social justice by:

Improving the human condition, e.g. basic needs, livelihood securityImproving social positions, e.g. control of their lives, end inequality discriminationCreating a sound enabling environment, e.g. responsive public, private, civic and social institutions, inclusive of constituents


World Bank, 2000

“Poverty as multidimensional poverty, beyond low income, encompassing lack of access to

health and education as well as vulnerability, voicelessness and

powerlessness.”


Three considerations of basic rights:

1. Direct importance to human living2. Instrumental importance to ensure people

are heard and supported3. Constructive in conceptualization of

“needs”


Rights-based approach

Focuses on claims and duties and mechanisms that can promote respect and adjudicate the violation of rights, end states vs. programs.Those served are rights-holders, not simply beneficiaries or participantsMoves from charity toward structural change, from needs-based to rights-based, e.g. nutrition storyIncludes duty-holders such as iNGO’s, corporations, individuals, NGO’s


Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

(Improving Governance)

HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)

Access to Resources& Services

Accumulationof Capital& Assets

Productivity,Livelihoods,

& Income

Human Capabilities

SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social

Equity)

DistributionCapital

& Assets

SocialInclusion

Rights,Responsibilities,

& Dignity

GenderEquity

Civil Society

ParticipationGovernance for Equity & Opportunity

Private Sector

Accountability

EnvironmentalStewardship

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena












& Income

Human Capabilities


Equity)


Equity)

DistributionCapital

& Assets

SocialInclusion


& Dignity

GenderEquity

Civil Society


Private Sector

Accountability


InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena


What does it mean for development?

• Process as important as actual products

• Facilitation and advocacy integrated with direct service delivery and capacity-building

• Respect and dignity in cultures

• Focus on end states

• Importance of working on both Needs & Rights









& Income

Human Capabilities

SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social Equity)

DistributionCapital

& Assets

SocialInclusion


& Dignity

GenderEquity

Civil Society


Private Sector

Accountability


InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

FailingGovernance

Systems

4 Key Underlying Causes of Poverty

Unmet Rights to Access to Resources& Services

GenderInequity

SocialExclusion







Productivity,Livelihoods,& Income

Human Capabilities

SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social Equity)

DistributionCapital

& Assets

SocialInclusion


& Dignity

GenderEquity

Civil Society


Private Sector

Accountability


InternationalArena

InternationalArena

InternationalArena

FailingGovernance

Systems

4 Key Underlying Causes of Poverty


GenderInequity

SocialExclusion


Warning!

These are NOT meant to be prescriptive!

• Include these in contextual analysis to determine if they are key leverage points. If not, identify the key leverage UCP in your

context


Four Categories for Underlying Cause Learning


GenderInequity

Social Exclusion

FailingGovernance

Systems


How does a holistic focus change development work?

•How we work on immediate and intermediate levels will likely change

•Increasingly move to facilitation role

•Increase our use of advocacy

•Target multiple levels (micro-macro)

•Also: add our voice to theirs, access legitimacy from eyes of marginalized populations,facilitator not doer or neutral, downward accountability to stakeholders, clarity and openness.


How Does a RBA Focus Change CARE’s Work?

1. We will continue to work at the Immediate and Intermediate levels –

• How we conduct this work will likely change

2. We will increasingly move to a facilitation role

3. Increased use of advocacy

4. Need to target multiple levels (micro-macro)


What will we need to address RBA?

1. Need advanced research skills

2. Need dedicated resources for capacity building in analysis, design, m&e, and reflective practice

3. Need to develop true collaborative relationships with southern research institutions, southern NGOs, and other legitimate social change partnerships


Moving Forward…

Is the RBA focus on human rights and development truly a second order fundamental change or in

a systems view, is it a short-term fix, diversion, that

ultimately results in homeostatis?

(Show systems loop.)


References

Peter Uvin, “Human rights and development”, 2004Cathy McCaston, Unifying Framework, CARE USA 2004Microsoft CorporationAmartya Sen

Antioch University, January 2005 Rights, Responsibilities and the Root Causes of Poverty Holistic...

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