Prepared by:
Dr. Latifa Bilali / Morocco / Cadi Ayyad University
Dr. Nisreen Barakat / Jordan
Objectives and Competencies
1. Understand the causes of poverty around the globe.
2. Identify national and global policies regarding poverty and have they might affect poverty levels.
3. Examine the effect of poverty on human development in terms of equity, health, education and human rights.
4. Research and suggest possible tools to improve world living conditions with specific focus on the potential role of science students to influence positive changes in human development around the world and suggest possible means to sustain development efforts for a better future.
Guiding Questions
1. What is poverty and how does it affect human lives?
2. Why are the chances of one person in one country better than the chances of another in another country?
3. Why do people risk their lives to cross borders to get into European countries?
4. What role can a science student play in reducing global poverty?
5. Should the development of all countries be measured on the same scale?
6. How can we sustain human development gains?
7. Why are people in Arab countries still suffering despite the improvement in their countries’ ranks in the Human Development report?
8. Why does the rate of violence increase proportionally with the rate of poverty?
9. Where do you see possible breakthroughs in human development in the Arab countries?
Opinion Forum
1. Poverty varies between continents, countries and regions.. Urban areas tend to have a higher number of poor, yet rural areas have a higher poverty rate as a percentage of their population. How does poverty and human development differ from one place to another. What determines poverty rates and human development levels?
Debate
1. Some would argue that poverty has been always in existence and will never disappear completely from our world, so why should people worry about other poor countries? Each country should focus on its own people and work to improve their lives and should not allow immigration from other nations. However, others argue that a nation cannot sustain its economic and social developments without considering human needs not only inside its borders but also outside. No country in this world lives in isolation so many countries will always be threatened by the less advantaged nations. It is not enough to become a better country; you need the other countries to become as good in order to have a peaceful world. People cannot live without interaction; this is how they exchange knowledge and learn from each other “انا خلقناكم شعويا وقبائل لتعارفوا”. Form two groups and defend both of these arguments citing examples when possible.
2. Some would argue that poverty is a purely social and economic issue; it has nothing to do with scientists. Yet, others believe that scientists have a great role in improving the well- being of people. They are the foundation for the development of any nation and reflect the development of one nation over the other. Without good health, education and justice systems in place, people will not be able to innovate or excel in their respective fields of work. Do you agree with this? Form two groups and debate this point regarding the different roles of scientists, economists, socialists and other professions in human development.
Assessment Questions
1. Define poverty.
2. What does sustainable human development mean to you?
3. In your view, what would be the main responsibilities of each country towards its people and others to combat poverty?
4. Do you think all countries should be equal in income?
5. Some countries have resources that enable them to provide a good welfare to their people; others are able to improve their citizens’ wellbeing despite their scarce resources. What resources does the Arab world have and can these resources be utilized to improve our contribution to the world in various fields of art, science, literature, etc.?
6. Should we protect our vulnerable groups of people, such as elderly, children, and handicapped? Why and how?
7. Differentiate between equality and equity.
8. Where do you see our world in 50 years from now? Do you think we will witness any breakthroughs in human development? What kinds?
Resources
Reading
1. Human Development Report 2014: http://hdr.undp.org/en/2014-report
2. Arab Human Development Report 2011: http://www.arab-hdr.org/
3. ESCWA Arab Integration Report: http://www.escwa.un.org/main/ai14/index.html
4. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative: http://www.ophi.org.uk/resources/briefing-documents/
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishigouro and Respect by Richard Sennett.
6. The Millennium Development Goals are one tool the world has, and has been involved closely with their evolution.
7. The End of Poverty, by Jeffrey Sachs
8. Global Crises, Global Solutions, edited by Bjorn Lomborg
9. The Choice, by Russell Roberts
10. Inside Job (2010) by Charles Ferguson’s documentary provides a compelling depiction of the 2008 financial crisis, its causes, and its global ramifications. Discussed together, The Choice and Inside Job are sure to ignite a fruitful debate.
Videos
1. LSE Lecture: The Age of Sustainable Development, the Age of sustainable development, Jeffry Sachs
