I think there is another question here apart from how much can you buy with
$2 - which is how long did they have to work to get that $2?
In Vietnam a worker making shoes for major brands earns about £1.10 a day.
In Vietnam that worker would have to work for
*6 hours to buy 1lb of meat
*5 and a half hours to buy a cinema ticket
*1 and a half hours to buy a can of coke
finbarr
At 11:03 19/10/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>Duncan
>
>Thanks for your contribution. Are there anymore subscribers that can add to
>the reality of living on $2 a day? There are books full of data on this
>field but its hard to communicate to students - because it is so far beyond
>their experience. The Economists Big Mac Index is always interesting but a
>McDonalds burger is not always a useful yardstick.
>
>It would be great to have some comparative break-downs of what $2 will buy
>in different parts of the world.
>
>There is so much emotive stuff that is not backed up with any firm facts or
>data. I fear that Citizenship may exacerbate the problem as many
>non-experts will be dealing with these issues.
>
>Jenny
>
>
>At 11:15 19/10/01 +0500, you wrote:
>>Richard, hope you don't mind me keeping this on line for this one.
>>
>>I'd like to suggest that you start with a debate on the meaning of
>>poverty. Please read the following very carefully as it is meant to
>>spark off a constructive debate rather than being an anti Western
>>diatribe.
>>
>>Having lived in developing countries since 1988 now I have to say that
>>one of the problems with development assistance is that we in the
>>developed world usually begin our efforts by imposing our own thoughts
>>and values on the rest of the planet. What this means is that
>>development policy often starts by feeling sorry for someone because
>>they live on less than $2 a day. (From Richard's Wood Green site: a
>>quote from WRD 2000 Attacking Poverty).
>>
>>Whilst $2 a day is not a lot of money, how many of us know what $2 a day
>>here in Tbilisi, Georgia can buy? How sorry should we be for someone
>>living on $2 a day? Does this amount of money signify abject poverty,
>>poverty, enough to get by on ... ?
>>
>>The problem is that *we* simply could not live on $2 a day and cannot
>>conceive of anyone else doing so either. In the case of Georgia where
>>living quarters are still essentially free of charge for the vast
>>majority, for Georgians there are no mortgages and there is no rent so
>>at the simplest level, living costs comprise food, heat and light,
>>clothing.
>>
>>However, if we follow through development policies, they include such
>>things as corporate governance and the internationalisation of
>>accounting standards ... yet electricity and water shortages abound, the
>>roads are often in a parlous state, smuggling of many, many goods is
>>rife and this impacts on tax/customs duties and jobs for Georgians,
>>corruption flourishes at all levels of society. Let me tell you that
>>since perestroika, the US government alone has donated $1 billion to
>>Georgia and still there is a huge amount more to do.
>>
>>My thesis is that international aid starts at the top and works its way
>>down yet the needs of the majority start at the bottom and work their
>>way up. If we take the contents page of Eliminating "World Poverty:
>>Making Globalisation Work for the Poor" a White Paper on International
>>Development (link on Richard's site) as indicative of the order in which
>>the UK government intends to implement its development policies, you
>>will see what I mean. This White Paper contains many laudable ideals and
>>targets but I wonder about the political will to achieve those targets,
>>especially now as the US and UK foreign policy machines, among others,
>>have suddenly changed direction following the horrors of the destruction
>>of the World Trade Centre in September.
>>
>>You could start by getting your students to find out what it means to
>>live on $2 a day in various parts of the world; then find out what the
>>World Bank, the IMF, the DFID, USAID and so on have done and are doing
>>to help countries to help themselves ... I'll be happy to help if you
>>need info on Georgia!
>>
>>As a matter of interest, if I were to spend $2 a day on fruit, veg,
>>bread, cereals, milk and tea, for example, and consume it all, I would
>>be absolutely bloated by now.
>>
>>
>>
>>Duncan Williamson
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Richard Young [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>Sent: Friday, 19 m10 2001 9:26
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Economic Development
>>
>>
>>I find the Economics of Development module the hardest to teach
>>
>>In particular:
>>
>>* Strategies for encouraging students to think critically and
>>evaluatively
>>about theory and policy
>>* Finding good case studies. I love the Biz/ed Virtual Development
>>* Knowing how much detail to teach on theories
>>
>>So anyone out there in a similar situation let's chat OFFLINE?
>>
>>Finally have you seen the free ebook on Development from the World Bank.
>>See
>>http://www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk/economics/ec_develop.htm for a link
>>
>>
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Richard Young
>>Business Studies, Economics & ICT Teacher
>>Wood Green School
>>Woodstock Road
>>Witney OX28 1DX
>>
>>Tel 01993 702355
>>Fax 01993 708662
>>
>>www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk
>>BECTa/Guardian Secondary School Web Site of the Year 2001
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>Jenny Wales
>Co-Director
>Nuffield Economics and Business Project
>
>
Finbarr Carter / Stephen Fairbrass ([log in to unmask])
'Just Business'
Norfolk Education and Action for Development
38 Exchange Street, Norwich, NR2 1AX
Tel: 01603 610993
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Registered Charity: 1010853
Registered company: 2237 424
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