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DPMF Publications: |
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Opening Remarks |
Dear participants of the workshop
Ladies and Gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to make this opening address at this
important workshop, which will address a prominent topic for human development.
The theme of this conference: “Democracy and Poverty” is very significant in
view of the ill effects of poverty on millions of lives throughout the entire
African content and the challenges to effectively reduce it. At the outset, I
would like take this opportunity to thank the International Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the Development Policy Management
Forum (DPMF) for organizing this important workshop.
Good governance has been the missing link between anti-poverty efforts
and poverty reduction. Let me first outline the underlying aspects of poverty.
From a human development perspective, poverty means the denial of
choices and opportunities for a tolerable life. Thus poverty needs to be looked
at from the viewpoint of human poverty that is poverty in terms of deprivations
in various aspects of human life. Human poverty is thus multidimensional as
opposed to unidimensional, as often reflected in the lack of income alone. It is
lack of basic human capabilities: literacy, malnutrition, short life span, poor
maternal health, and illness from preventable diseases. Indirect measures are
lack of acc at mixes equalization grants and revenue sharing
carefully designed to offer regional disparities without damping incentives to
mobilize local resources.
Much of the success of national poverty programmes rides on
“targeting” benefits to the poor. But most programmes still assume that
external agents deliver the benefits and that the poor are passive
beneficiaries- the traditional safety net or social welfare model. If the poor
lack power, the benefits of poverty programmes are unlikely to reach them- or,
if they do to make a lasting difference.
It is expected that this important gathering will thoroughly review and
discuss the underlying factors for the missing link between democracy and
reducing poverty and come up with a number of workable suggestions at the end of
this workshop.
I wish you all every success in your deliberations.
Thank you.