Technology and Poverty

Poverty is a multidimensional concept, which is intricately linked with a lot of other factors. This paper analyses some of the causes of poverty and its manifestation in various forms. It tries to then look at some sector specific cases wherein the interventions have made some difference to the lives of the people. Some of the successful cases from India have been discussed in the area of agriculture, water, health and shelter. The lessons derived from these cases have been discussed in terms of technology application, sustainability, participation and empowerment of people. The conclusions touch upon the importance of indigenous knowledge, transparency, participation of people and simultaneous interventions from a number of quarters.

It is a paradoxical world. On one hand, we have spectacular advancements in the area of science and technology and on the other hand, we have millions of people who have no access to food and basic essentials to survive. Today’s globalized economy has led to a sixteen-fold increase in world trade since World War II, worth over US$ 4 trillion per year (some 15 to 20 per cent of measured global GDP). The global economy of flows in these markets is increasingly abstract and divorced from national policy makers and local affairs, grassroots lives and livelihoods as well as natural ecosystem (Henderson, 1999). Technology as a tool on one hand has led to improvement of plight of large number of people and on the other hand it has led to marginalisation of large segments of society. Almost the entire continent of Africa (except for South Africa) has been bypassed by the flows of the global economy as described by Yash Tandon (Economist, 1999). According to the Human Development Report (HDR) (1997, pp2), although poverty has been dramatically reduced in many parts of the world, a quarter of the world’s people remain in severe poverty. In a global economy of $25 trillion, this is a scandal - reflecting shameful inequalities and inexcusable failures of national and international policies. The same report also mentions that in some industrial countries, such as the United Kingdom and the US, poverty has risen considerably (HDR, 1997, pp.5). So technology has the strength to make a difference to this world. The problem is not the tool but the direction in which it can be utilized. There is a need to evolve a new paradigm in which technology not only produces increases in manufacturing productivity but also touches the lives of down trodden and those living in the abyss of poverty.
DEFINITION OF POVERTY

The World Development Report 2000/2001 states that poverty is a pronounced deprivation in well-being. The voices of poor people bear eloquent testimony to its meaning. To be poor is to be hungry, to lack shelter and clothing, to be sick and not to be cared for, to be illiterate and not schooled. The report accepts the now traditional view of poverty as encompassing not only material deprivation (measured by an appropriate concept of income or consumption) but also low achievements in education and health. The report also broadens the notion of poverty to include vulnerability and exposure to risk – and – voiceless ness and powerlessness. All these forms of deprivation severely restrict what Amartya Sen. calls the capabilities that a person has, that is, the substantive freedom he or she enjoys to lead the kind of life he or she values. This broader approach to deprivation, by giving a better characterization of the experience of poverty, increases understanding of its causes. This deeper understanding brings to the fore more areas of action and policy on the poverty reduction agenda.

WHY SHOULD POVERTY BE A UNIVERSAL CONCERN?

Poverty cannot be a concern for only the government. It is an issue, which deserves attention of the entire society at large. Poverty needs to be a universal concern on account of the following considerations:
If the disparity between the haves and have-nots exceeds a minimum level, it could create a social unrest. There is evidence in history to this effect.

The Human Development Report (1997) states,

“The progress in human development and in eradicating poverty has often been won through uprisings and rebellions against states that have advanced the interests of the economically powerful while tolerating rigid class divisions, unbearable economic conditions and human suffering and poverty. History is marked by uprisings and rebellions sparked by poverty. English peasants revolted against an impoverishing poll tax in 1381. German peasants rose up against their feudal overlords in opposition to the serfdom. In 1524. Among developing countries, India has a long tradition of peasants movement. As far back as the 17th and 18th centuries, when the British East India Company ruled India, peasants rose up against their British landlords. Full-scale revolutions have their roots in people’s reaction to poverty and economic injustice. Spontaneous uprisings instigated the French revolution in 1789, the revolutionary movements throughout Europe in 1848 and the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.The wars of independence in Africa and Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries were not only an expression of nationalism- they were also a struggle against economic and social injustice. The civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960’s too was a struggle for economic and social emancipation - at times resulting in violence despite the pacifist philosophy of its leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Some strides in reducing poverty since 1960, have been gradual and peaceful as with the formation of welfare states in industrial countries and the reduction of infant mortality, the increase in life expectancy and other achievements in developing countries.” History provides evidence enough to deduce that any society should not be stretched beyond limits that it reaches a point where only a revolution could bring about a change. Such a stage is accompanied by violence, turbulence and lot of social unrest. If the entire social fabric decays, then what good are the scientific achievements and material wealth if the very survival of life becomes questionable?


To promote social progress and raise the standard of living within the wider concept of freedom, international human rights law- as enshrined in the UN charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other treaties and declarations, recognizes economic and social rights, with the aim of attacking poverty and its consequences. Among these rights are an adequate standard of living, food, housing, education, health, work, social security and a share in the benefits of social progress



Technology



Technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. Most people, however, think of technology in terms of its artifacts: computers and software, aircraft, pesticides, water-treatment plants, birth-control pills, and microwave ovens, to name a few. But technology is more than these tangible products.

Technology includes all of the infrastructure necessary for the design, manufacture, operation, and repair of technological artifacts, from corporate headquarters and engineering schools to manufacturing plants and maintenance facilities. The knowledge and processes used to create and to operate technological artifacts -- engineering know-how, manufacturing expertise, and various technical skills -- are equally important part of technology.

Technology is a product of engineering and science, the study of the natural world. Science has two parts: (1) a body of knowledge that has been accumulated over time and (2) a process-scientific inquiry-that generates knowledge about the natural world. Engineering, too, consists of a body of knowledge-in this case knowledge of the design and creation of human-made products-and a process for solving problems. Science aims to understand the "why" and "how" of nature, engineering seeks to shape the natural world to meet human needs and wants. Engineering, therefore, could be called "design under constraint," with science-the laws of nature-being one of a number of limiting factors engineers must take into account. Other constraints include cost, reliability, safety, environmental impact, ease of use, available human and material resources, manufacturability, government regulations, laws, and even politics. In short, technology necessarily involves science and engineering.



So...what makes Technology and Poverty Influence each other?? As you can see some technology required a huge amount of budget (aka money) so to acquire a great technology isn't easy.......though now...a mass technology such as computer, laptop, etc. are easy to get. still, there's many people in this world cant use technology because poverty.

But, no worries.....coz now, human will try to use technology to reduse poverty. well, not its a bad thing right?? I always think that someday........all human in earth will able to use all technology without need to buy or anything........

well, thats all from me^^ see you in my next post....