|
This is
Bill White with the VOA Special English Development
Report. |
The
World Bank has
published a new report about poor people. The
report represents
a ten-year study of the
causes and
effects of
poverty around the world. The
researchers
spoke to
more than 60,000 poor people from 60 countries. The report
was published in a book called Voices of the Poor. |
The
report argues
that poverty is not just a
lack of
money. It says people are
emotionally
damaged by
poverty. It makes them feel
powerless,
guilty and
dependent.
The researchers say poor people are almost always hungry.
They usually do not have clean water,
waste systems
or roads. And, Voices of the Poor says sickness is
a major fear
among the poor because of high
medical costs
and the need to work. |
The
researchers also found that governments are not
correctly
intervening
in the problems of the poor. Poor people say they often
are treated
badly by government
representatives.
These include police,
health officials,
educators and
social workers. The report says this
leads poor
people to distrust
governments. |
The
researchers found that being poor also causes
serious problems
in family relationships. Men are
considered
the heads of families in many cultures. They are expected
to be the
providers. The researchers found that poor men
often become
dependent on alcohol as a result of their
inability
to financially
support their families. The researchers also say some men
physically
mistreat their wives. |
The
main writer of Voices of the Poor argues that poor
people need to be
involved in changing their living conditions. Deepa
Narayan says there must be changes in systems of
government from the
local
level to the international level. Ms. Narayan says the
poor must be given the power
to negotiate
directly with governments, non-governmental organizations
and international agencies. |
Ms.
Narayan praises
new efforts by the World Bank to support small
community
projects. She believes people in communities know their
own needs better than anyone else. And, she believes they
can best decide
how to meet those needs. Voices of the Poor
argues that giving poor people more
control over
their lives
will help fight poverty around the world. |
This VOA
Special English Development Report was written by Caty
Weaver. This is Bill White. |
GLOSSARY
published: publicado; represents: representa;
causes:
causas; effects: efectos; researchers:
investigadores; spoke to: se dirigieron a;
argues: argumenta, discute; lack: falta;
emotionally damaged: dañados emocionalmente;
powerless: sin poder, impotentes; guilty:
culpables; dependent: poco independientes; waste
systems: eliminación de desechos; fear: temor;
medical costs: costos sanitarios; correctly
intervening: mediando correctamente; treated badly:
tratados indignamente; representatives:
representantes, diputados; health officials:
funcionarios de la salud; social workers:
trabajadores sociales; leads: lleva a; to
distrust: a desconfiar de; serious problems:
serios problemas; considered: considerados;
providers: abastecedores; become dependent on
alcohol: se vuelven alcohólicos; inability:
incapacidad; financially: financieramente;
physically mistreat: maltratan físicamente, castigan;
be involved in: ser estimulados a; to negotiate:
para negociar; praises: elogia; community:
comunitarios; how to meet those needs: cómo
satisfacer esas necesidades; control over: control
sobre; lives: vidas. |