POVERTY AND WEALTH

What is happening in this picture?

Justice in the World:

Lesson Objective:

be able to explain some of the root causes and consequences of poverty.

What is poverty?

Poverty refers to not having the means to afford basic human needs:

• Food• Clean water• Health care• Education• Clothing • Shelter

The latest in designer shoes!

My new home

I fancy a nice glass of clean water

I hope I find something to sell today. If I don’t, I won’t

eat

I hope the charity will

arrive with some food

We have the latest technolog

y!

Poverty Tree – in your jotter draw the picture of a tree, make sure it has roots and branches.

As we go through the ppt, write down root causes of poverty at the roots of the tree e.g. Debt, unfair trade

Consequences of poverty get written onto the branches e.g. street children, hunger

Extra resources

Debt

• Large amounts of money were lent to countries in the developing world when interest rates were low.

• This money was meant to fund health care, schools and industry but was often misused by their own corrupt governments.

• When interest rates rose, many developing countries were left owing vast sums to the world bank and the IMF (international monetary fund)

Lack of education

Most people in the North have access to free education – it is thought to be their right. However, over a third of people in the south are illiterate.

One of the main reasons for this is that, in many poor countries, education is not free and families cannot afford to educate their children. A good education raises a person’s standard of living anywhere in the world.

• Education helps them to find a good job – one that will raise enough money to support a family comfortably

• It teaches people their rights and helps them express their needs

• It provides important information about health care and hygiene.

• A large number of people in poorer countries die at an early age from cholera and dysentery – education could prevent this.

• Sex education raises awareness of the importance of ‘safe sex’ and how this can be used to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

• This is particularly important in the South where HIV/AIDS has devastated whole communities.

• It teaches skills that can be used to raise productivity at work. This is important for those who are self employed and where families depend on the success of a small farm or industry for their survival

Rise in Population

• Today, there are over 6 billion people in the world and the figure is rising all the time.

• Although most couples are having less children in the North due to modern methods of contraception, more children are surviving to adulthood.

• Resources are being stretched as more people need them.

In poorer countries,

many couples have large

families because they

are poor.

Unfair trading

• Many families in the developing world do not get a fair price in the world market for their skill and the food they produce.

• This is mainly because international trade is controlled by richer countries.

• In many cases, these workers are not given a fair wage for their labour and do not have decent working conditions.

Natural disasters• A natural disaster is

something caused by nature that has a devastating effect on people.

• The people who suffer the most are those in poor countries.

• About 95% of deaths occur in poor countries.

• Their houses are not built with the best quality materials.

• They may live on poor land prone to landslides or flooding because they cannot afford anything better.

Wars how do they cause poverty?

• Wars destroy crops, homes, schools, hospitals, roads, local amenities etc. causing even more poverty

• Wars force many people to leave their homes and become refugees in nearby, safer countries.

• These nearby countries may have been developing but a sudden influx of refugees with no money or food can make that country poor again.

Natural disasters• Poor countries have nothing to fall back

on, if they lose their crops due to drought they have no food.

• Natural disasters damage the infrastructure of a country. They effect hospitals, schools, emergency services, etc.

• Money is spend rebuilding rather than developing meaning a country remains or sinks deeper into poverty.

Cash crops

• Cash crops = crops grown for sale rather than consumption.

• E.g.: cotton, coffee, tea, and tobacco• The only way many LDC’s (Less

developed countries) can make enough money to pay the interest on their debts is to grow cash crops

• They are grown to sell to the developed world

Wars• Many LDC’s (less developed countries) have been

badly effected by wars. • In Africa many civil wars (wars fought between people

of the same country) have been caused by empire-building in the nineteenth century.

• Several African races were joined into one country even though half the race was in another country.

• When they were given independence they were still artificial countries and one race was often treated badly resulting in civil wars

• LDC’s also suffer from war between countries for example Ethiopia and Somalia and wars caused by corruption and political differences, for example Mozambique, Angola, Guatemala

In one minute...

• Everybody stand up.• Without looking at the clock sit down

when you think 1 minute ( 60 seconds ) has passed.

In one minute...

• 250 babies are born of which 113 are born in to poverty.

In one minute...

20 children have died of extreme poverty

In just one minute...

• In one minute Nike makes £25000• A person working in a Nike factory in

the developing world makes 1 pence.

In just one minute...

• 120,000 pounds of edible food are thrown away in the UK.

Every three seconds

What will your generation be remembered for?

• Bono

Pyramid Plenary:

Draw a pyramid in your books.

In each section of the pyramid write your answer to the three questions.

What is poverty?

Name 3 facts about

poverty

Explain two causes of poverty

The causes of world poverty

All will: Know the meaning of LEDC and MEDC.

Most will: Understand the causes of world poverty.