Poverty and Its Causes
Poverty can be characterized as a condition where resources are lacking for an individual, institution or nation and where access to basic needs such as food, medical care and shelter cannot be afforded. Poverty is complex and varies from economic, social, and political issues. Poverty is measured in today's world by the level of material possession, especially monetary resources (Kielburger 34). Depending on the economy of the regions in which the person, institution or nation is located, it is variant. By counteracting the specific factors and mitigating the current situation, poverty can be eliminated.
Causes of Poverty
It is remarkable that the different causes of poverty are preventable. Discrimination, violence, natural disaster, lack of primary resources, lack of knowledge and skills are among the leading causes of poverty in the current world. Apparently, all these can be mitigated by application of specific strategies. Starting a serious campaign to end differences among people can help combat discrimination as well as violence (Perkins 56). Vulnerable areas which are prone to tragedies such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes can be identified, and strategies to save people from the situation can be implemented. Governments can construct public infrastructures such as schools to enable people to get the necessary skills and knowledge to work and earn a living. Per se, it is evident that poverty can be avoided when effective and calculated measures are implemented.
Economic and Political Factors
Different countries have different economic status and therefore capabilities. Availability of natural resources makes some countries rich while those that lack these resources become poor. For instance, some countries have fertile lands, good weather, and a good supply of water a factor that makes agriculture significantly productive. At the same time, human resource is another crucial factor that determines the economic status of a country. While others have natural resources, they lack people with skills and knowledge to utilize the resources.
The political status of a country influences economic factors. For instance, in a country where political leaders are corrupt, there are high chances that the country will become poor. On the other hand, a country with sensible and well-calculated policies is likely to become rich since the policies will dictate the strategies to be used in different sectors. International relations help countries to shape their economies (Kielburger 43). The reason behind this is that countries which have treaties which promote business and peace grow too fast and therefore become rich. Culture has made some countries poor and others rich. While some countries have moved out of their culture and explore areas which were previously restricted, others have remained conservative and limited their economic and business explorations due to their beliefs.
Impact of Global Poverty
Globalization has helped both first world and third world countries grow economically. The growth of industrialized nations has apparently created many opportunities for developing countries. Reportedly, industrialized nations source raw materials from underdeveloped countries. On the same note, developing nations provide human resources and mainly unskilled laborers who perform manual work. As such, industrialized nations are not the cause of developing nation's problems.
Global poverty has profound effects on various areas of life. For instance, poverty is the cause of the increased crime rate (Woolcock 125). It is notable that people tend to engage in criminal activities such as human trafficking and drug smuggling due to poverty. Global poverty has led to other problems such as health problems. People practice unhealthy and immoral activities such as prostitution, a factor that has led to the rise in the rate of chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Human Papilloma Virus, and others. Besides, poverty has led unhealthy lifestyles such as consumption of poor diet.
Because of poverty, the rate of discrimination has substantially inclined. To some extent, people in poor countries have been viewed to be inferior and therefore subjected to other problems. In countries such as Ivory Coast, employers have taken advantage of their situation by employing them and exposing them to hard labor and in turn, paying them low wages (Perkins 89). Due to global poverty, the rate of corruption has escalated. It is notable that people in poverty-stricken nations are desperate for services. Therefore, they are ready to offer anything in exchange for services.
Addressing Poverty
A combination of various strategies can be employed to address the issue of poverty. People in poverty-stricken areas should be educated and trained on how to sustain themselves. They can be encouraged and be funded if possible to start small businesses (Perkins 12). The government should employ a means to end corruption among leaders. Transparency should be promoted in people holding high offices in the state and other public sectors. Additionally, calculated policies should be implemented to encourage social, economic and political development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the rate of poverty is currently on the rise. When taking into consideration the reasons behind poverty, it is evident that poverty can be avoided. Employment of measures to mitigate causes of poverty is the key way of handling this critical issue. Poverty exists in some nations due to factors such as policies, discrimination, corruption, and availability of resources. Poor countries experience health problems, high rate of criminal activities, corruption, and discrimination as a result of poverty. Away from that, industrial nations help elevate poor countries from poverty. They do so by offering employment opportunities, sourcing raw materials from underdeveloped and developing countries and presenting products to them at fair prices.
Works Cited
Kielburger, Craig. Free the children. Greystone Books, 2010.
Perkins, John. The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016.
Woolcock, Michael, and Deepa Narayan. "Social capital: Implications for development theory, research, and policy." The world bank research observer 15.2 (2000): 225-249.
