In a nutshell

"In addition to the importance of an economic dialogue in itself, it is obvious that the European sponsor has new and profound ideas as well. These ideas that have been abandoned by the economic reformers in Lebanon. Although the Lebanese government have had presented social and development dimensions included in their paper in Paris III, it was dominated by one issue, which is the deteriorating public monetary position.

the European dialogue has passed new horizons towards reform. It tackled "an entire vision for economic and social development" that equally concentrates on economic development, social justice and regional development. On the contrary of the reform program that stressed on development not taking into consideration the limitations of this development to areas and to a lucky segment of citizens.

This also submits us to a political rather than an economic problem, linking between short term and long term worries of the state. This is not what the Europeans need because anyway they were the ones who accepted and supported the current Lebanese cabinet with its political policy, and the economic on e as well. Europe was the main supporter to the cabinet's program that was presented in Paris III. So could the wisdom of the head of the European Union find a way out from this contradiction?"

Bad translation of an article in al hayat by economist Ghassan al Ayyash. In a nutshell:

1. The lebanese government(s) through the ages couldn't have cared less about social equity.
2. The current siniora government epitomizes this trend.
3. The european union wants to teach the lebanese how to care for the poor.
4. But the EU also wants to support the current siniora government.
5. So they will fail- Amen

Honni soit qui Mali pense

"The reason? Mali has refused to privatize its cotton industry, which is integral to the country’s social and economic well-being. $72 million worth of aid is being withheld from the country (in which 90% of people live in poverty) for this reason. In 2004, the Bank withheld $50 million because of the Malian government’s refusal to end price support systems for cotton farmers, designed to mitigate the impacts of price decline fueled in no small part by rich country subsidies of their own industries (see below). When Bamako finally caved in and agreed to expose its poor farmers to the unjust international system, prices immediately dropped by 20% and poverty increased by 4.6%.(15)"

Extensive, well researched article.

Promoting a healthy diet among the poor

"California no longer issues paper food stamps. Eligible recipients of food assistance in California are now issued a debit card called a "Golden State Advantage" card (known also as an "EBT card" or a "food stamp card"), and access their food benefits electronically by swiping their card when they buy food at the grocery store. California Farmers' Markets, and other outdoor food markets and produce stands, do not usually have the electricity and phone lines needed for all eligible food vendors to deal with electronic benefit transfers. Therefore, many such markets allow all eligible food vendors to sell eligible food products to EBT cardholders by setting up a Central Point of Sale (POS) Device to sell market scrip to customers, who can then shop in the market with the scrip. This system requires the market management to become authorized to accept EBT food benefits and to organize and promote the use of EBT cards at the market."

My friend Annie who sent me this link adds:

"Food stamps for low-income persons and families were issued as paper coupons in the past. In 2004, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) replaced the traditional paper issues. It functions like a debit card/account for people to use. The Ecology Center, Berkeley coordinated efforts with several state, county, public, and community organizations to enabled certified organic farmers' markets to accept the EBT cards ( the California Farmers' Market Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Implementation and Promotion Project) Basically, allowing recipients of food stamp benefits to have access to local organic markets. Which is a great way of promoting healthy diets among the poor, as well as sustainable living."

Facilitating access of the poor to healthy, nutritious food is often neglected. During the Israeli war on lebanon of July-August 2006, relief agencies were distributing tons of dry food to the refugees from the South and the Southern suburbs. The aim was to cover the need in calories without addressing nutrition needs. Healthy Basket, a company working in the marketing of organic produce started distributing fresh fruits and vegetables. The success was immediate, as people were starved for fresh produce.

In the current Nahr el Bared crisis, the Nahr el Bared relief Campaign started by purchasing and distributing dry food (powdered milk, tinned food). As other, more established relief outfits started moving in, the NBRC started distributing vouchers for the value of LBP5,000 ($3.3), which can be exchanged for fresh fruits and vegetables in some of the shops of the refugee camps. This is proving to be very popular and very successful, as people do not have access to cash and cannot spend on essential fresh produce.

Can it get more callous than this?

"Being a human guinea pig may be work that westerners no longer want to do, but that doesn't rule it out as a good deal for the poor, who benefit from the best care and get paid for it. If factories can be relocated to take advantage of lower salaries or less rigorous environmental constraints, why not clinical trials? "They said [I was] taking advantage," complained an industry researcher criticised for conducting trials in poor countries. "But without that trial, those children would be dead." "I think it is usually good for people to be in clinical trials," said FDA medical director Robert Temple. "Half of the people [get an active drug] and better care. The other half...[get] better care."" (thanks Kirsten)

Aid is good for poverty: it maintains it

"Foreign aid has sometimes been a very good thing. It has been rightly credited with solid contributions, such as in boosting post-war recovery in Western Europe, Taiwan and South Korea; rolling back somenasty tropical diseases; and (arguably) helping usher in majority rule in South Africa. Without foreign aid and the geostrategic interests driving it, such outcomes would probably not have been reached as rapidly or as smoothly."

But on the huge canvas of late-20th century history, it's hard to detect many more cases of sustained success, certainly on the poverty front. Indeed for over the past couple of decades, a major problem has been dogging foreign aid: where its leading institutions hold sway, poverty tends to get worse, not better...."

Aid appears to be no better at improving governance than tackling poverty. Indeed a number of studies indicate that the greater the intensity of aid, the worse the quality of public institutions and democratic politics. Aid revenues can undermine public politics just as oil revenues do. They enable elites to survive and prosper thanks to closed-door relationships with powerful institutions abroad; at the same time they help political classes avoid the headaches of managing political contracts of reciprocity with citizens at home." (Thanks Aiman)

How true. How very very true.

Food and class

"The key question about food in poverty: Did you have enough? In the middle class: Did you like it? In wealth: Was it presented well?"