Antioch University, January 2005
Rights, Responsibilities and the Root Causes of Poverty
Holistic Approaches to Sustainable Development
Antioch University, January 2005
Development Background
1940’s: Emergency response to WWII victims
1948: Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948– economic development does not bring about peace and respect for human rights.
1950’s: Disaster relief and “needs” programs
1960’s: “Modernize” so-called backward economies. It is possible, necessary and duty of the world to make that happen.
Antioch University, January 2005
Development & Human Rights
1970’s: Basic needs, multi-sector programs
1980’s: Infrastructures, structural adjustments, e.g. micro enterprise developments
1990’s: Human resource development
• New human rights instruments (e.g. Convention of the Child)
• Development-related international conferences (women in Beijing, nutrition in Rome)
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Eurocentric Development
Some say development and human rights discourse is Western-created and imbued with Western superiorityDevelopment way is wrong and those doing the defining and funding are privileged, male, Western outsiders.Mismatch with what local people are doing with their lives
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Human Rights debates“Negative rights”–states to protect certain rights that violate human dignity
Examples: Freedom from torture, degrading treatment and arbitrary detention; freedom of speech, association and religion
“Positive rights”– states to promote certain social outcomes.
Examples: Rights to education, adequate standards of living, highest obtainable standard of health.
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Debates
Presumed Western origin of human rightsQuestions about the meaning and even existence of rights, e.g. rights or aspirations?Issue of direct application of human rights standards to non-state actors e.g. corporationsAre human rights universal or is the entire development and human rights ideology Eurocentric?
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Which comes first – removing poverty and misery or
guaranteeing political liberty and civil rights?
--Amartya Sen
Antioch University, January 2005
Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi,the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity…people of my country want two freedoms that spell security: freedom from want and freedom from war”
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Rights-based approach (RBA)
People are poor not only, because they lack assets and skills, but because they suffer
from social exclusion, marginalization and
discrimination.
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Hierarchy of Causes of Poverty:
Immediate Causes
These are causes that are directly related to life and survival and include:
•Disease,
•Famine,
•Environmental disasters,
•Conflict
Antioch University, January 2005
Intermediate Causes
These causes affect people’s well-being and opportunities for development and livelihood
security, where the majority of current development efforts are targeted.
• Low livelihood (agric or income) productivity;
• Limited livelihood opportunities;
• Lack of skills;
• Inadequate access to food;
• Inadequate care for women and children;
• Lack of basic services, e.g., health, education, water and sanitation, education
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Underlying Causes:
Underlying Causes of Poverty are related to the systemic and structural underpinnings of under-
development.
Underlying Causes operate at the societal and higher levels, e.g. regional, global
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Underlying Causes are most often the result of a combination of:
Political
Economic
Social
(&/or)
Environmental Factors
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Levels of Cause in Relation to Response
Immediate – Emergency Relief
Intermediate – Development Assistance & Needs Focus
Underlying – Needs & Rights Focus
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Interrelated Outcomes
Poverty Eradication& Social Justice
Slightly modified diagram developed by CARE Somalia staff2004
Poverty Eradication& Social Justice
Slightly modified diagram developed by CARE Somalia staff2004
Poverty Eradication& Social Justice
Slightly modified diagram developed by CARE Somalia staff2004
Poverty Eradication& Social Justice
Poverty Eradication& Social Justice
Slightly modified diagram developed by CARE Somalia staff2004
Social positions = rights, gender, discrimination
Human conditions = needs
Enabling Environment = governance, partnership, institutional context
Antioch University, January 2005
RBA Poverty eradication and social justice by:
Improving the human condition, e.g. basic needs, livelihood securityImproving social positions, e.g. control of their lives, end inequality discriminationCreating a sound enabling environment, e.g. responsive public, private, civic and social institutions, inclusive of constituents
Antioch University, January 2005
World Bank, 2000
“Poverty as multidimensional poverty, beyond low income, encompassing lack of access to
health and education as well as vulnerability, voicelessness and
powerlessness.”
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Three considerations of basic rights:
1. Direct importance to human living2. Instrumental importance to ensure people
are heard and supported3. Constructive in conceptualization of
“needs”
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Rights-based approach
Focuses on claims and duties and mechanisms that can promote respect and adjudicate the violation of rights, end states vs. programs.Those served are rights-holders, not simply beneficiaries or participantsMoves from charity toward structural change, from needs-based to rights-based, e.g. nutrition storyIncludes duty-holders such as iNGO’s, corporations, individuals, NGO’s
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Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
(Improving Governance)
HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)
Access to Resources& Services
Accumulationof Capital& Assets
Productivity,Livelihoods,
& Income
Human Capabilities
SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social
Equity)
DistributionCapital
& Assets
SocialInclusion
Rights,Responsibilities,
& Dignity
GenderEquity
Civil Society
ParticipationGovernance for Equity & Opportunity
Private Sector
Accountability
EnvironmentalStewardship
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice
Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
(Improving Governance)
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
(Improving Governance)
HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)
HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)
Access to Resources& Services
Accumulationof Capital& Assets
Productivity,Livelihoods,
& Income
Human Capabilities
SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social
Equity)
SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social
Equity)
DistributionCapital
& Assets
SocialInclusion
Rights,Responsibilities,
& Dignity
GenderEquity
Civil Society
ParticipationGovernance for Equity & Opportunity
Private Sector
Accountability
EnvironmentalStewardship
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
Antioch University, January 2005
What does it mean for development?
• Process as important as actual products
• Facilitation and advocacy integrated with direct service delivery and capacity-building
• Respect and dignity in cultures
• Focus on end states
• Importance of working on both Needs & Rights
Antioch University, January 2005
Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
(Improving Governance)
HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)
Access to Resources& Services
Accumulationof Capital& Assets
Productivity,Livelihoods,
& Income
Human Capabilities
SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social Equity)
DistributionCapital
& Assets
SocialInclusion
Rights,Responsibilities,
& Dignity
GenderEquity
Civil Society
ParticipationGovernance for Equity & Opportunity
Private Sector
Accountability
EnvironmentalStewardship
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
FailingGovernance
Systems
4 Key Underlying Causes of Poverty
Unmet Rights to Access to Resources& Services
GenderInequity
SocialExclusion
Unifying Framework for Poverty Eradication & Social Justice
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
(Improving Governance)
HUMAN CONDITIONS(Increasing Opportunity)
Access to Resources& Services
Accumulationof Capital& Assets
Productivity,Livelihoods,& Income
Human Capabilities
SOCIAL POSITIONS(Improving Social Equity)
DistributionCapital
& Assets
SocialInclusion
Rights,Responsibilities,
& Dignity
GenderEquity
Civil Society
ParticipationGovernance for Equity & Opportunity
Private Sector
Accountability
EnvironmentalStewardship
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
InternationalArena
FailingGovernance
Systems
4 Key Underlying Causes of Poverty
Unmet Rights to Access to Resources& Services
GenderInequity
SocialExclusion
Antioch University, January 2005
Warning!
These are NOT meant to be prescriptive!
• Include these in contextual analysis to determine if they are key leverage points. If not, identify the key leverage UCP in your
context
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Four Categories for Underlying Cause Learning
Unmet Rights to Access to Resources& Services
GenderInequity
Social Exclusion
FailingGovernance
Systems
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How does a holistic focus change development work?
•How we work on immediate and intermediate levels will likely change
•Increasingly move to facilitation role
•Increase our use of advocacy
•Target multiple levels (micro-macro)
•Also: add our voice to theirs, access legitimacy from eyes of marginalized populations,facilitator not doer or neutral, downward accountability to stakeholders, clarity and openness.
Antioch University, January 2005
How Does a RBA Focus Change CARE’s Work?
1. We will continue to work at the Immediate and Intermediate levels –
• How we conduct this work will likely change
2. We will increasingly move to a facilitation role
3. Increased use of advocacy
4. Need to target multiple levels (micro-macro)
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What will we need to address RBA?
1. Need advanced research skills
2. Need dedicated resources for capacity building in analysis, design, m&e, and reflective practice
3. Need to develop true collaborative relationships with southern research institutions, southern NGOs, and other legitimate social change partnerships
Antioch University, January 2005
Moving Forward…
Is the RBA focus on human rights and development truly a second order fundamental change or in
a systems view, is it a short-term fix, diversion, that
ultimately results in homeostatis?
(Show systems loop.)