poverty

On the latest series of the TV reality show, Survivor, they're conducting another social experiment. One team or 'tribe' has been given everything they need -- furniture, food, shelter and fire. The other has nothing. And guess what -- the tribe with all the advantages has been winning all of the challenges, week after week. And each time they win, they get more food, and more luxuries. The 'have-nots' go home each time with nothing. It's an interesting parallel of real life.

Last week I wondered how much money one person needs -- when you have 10 or 20 or 25 million US dollars, why would you need more? How many meals can you eat, or beds can you sleep in, however luxurious? Well, this week I found the answer to that question. It came in the form of an article about the world's most expensive cup of coffee.

The Sunday TImes in SA reports that the number of South Africans worth over 1 million US dollars has increased by 14% in the past year. In Africa as a whole, there are 10% more dollar millionaires than there were last year. Africa is second only to South America in the rate of increase in the numbers of ultra-rich. Those worth over $30-million. At the same time, we know that Africa is the only continent where poverty is on the increase. Over 121-million Africans try to get by on less than 50 US cents a day. What's wrong with this picture? 

It's a long weekend in South Africa, and the annual Cape Town book fair is on again. I attended two very interesting sessions, one on Saturday and one today (Monday). Today's session was a full day, looking at information for social change, and the possibilities and constraints of new technology. I'll write more about that in a couple of days. What I want to write about now is Saturday's session -- a panel discussion on social grants, and whether they are causing dependency.

You may not have noticed, as it has not been high on the media radar, but there's an important process underway across the continent, that has huge potential to reduce poverty and transform the lives of millions of Africans. The first step in this process took place in Kampala this week.

The alarming increases in food prices are devastating to societies’ most vulnerable populations. United Nations (UN) Secretary General-Ban Ki-moon recently noted, "This steeply rising price of food - it has developed into a real global crisis.” The World Bank estimates that food prices have risen by 83 percent in just three years.

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) is conducting a two-week discussion on the role of ICTs in reducing poverty. The theme of the discussion is 'ICTs: Is your wealth a click away'. The questions so far are: - ICTs are seen as tools for social economic development. But, is this more of a theory than reality? How is ICT being used to reduce poverty? What more can be done?

The Experience of Social Watch Benin: "Watching over the Development Process". Interview with Executive Secretary of Social Watch Benin, Dieudonné Houinsou