poverty, inc documentary transcript

So this is where I think people -- it doesn't matter where you are, maybe some people would say well, we need to reform foreign aid. There are no easy answers to such a tragedy. MR. MILLER: Right, exactly. Having a mind for the poor thats the challenge.. But here's something, if you're really concerned with social justice, what's important is giving people who are disconnected and excluded access. NGOs can complement local efforts in that area by providing scholarships and tutoring, among other efforts. In fact, in 2017 China ranked worse in property rights than Botswana. If the rights to land were better shared and mot monopolized then there would be a gradual reduction in poverty as poor people began to use their abilities to properly earn. Though the films title suggests an almost conspiratorial movement to keep the poor in their place while a network of grabby NGOs get rich, Miller actually focuses more on those who are thinking outside the box where the box is a system, simplistically diagrammed, by which countries and corporations stand to gain. As a development economist, I share here my views on this famous documentary. As the film states so well, Having a heart for the poor isnt hard. Distributing eggs to a rural community that produces eggs substitute local capacity. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And the answer is no, we couldn't. Recent academic research like the study by Dr. Bruce Wydick from the University of San Francisco proves the impact of Compassions holistic child development programs. Although I didnt watch Poverty, Inc. until recently, the idea of nonprofit organizations causing harm and the pit-in-my-stomach feeling that idea gave me stuck with me. Okay? / 54m. I think that this post does a good job of highlighting the importance of evaluating impact and acknowledging that there is always more to learn. MR. MILLER: It's also very expensive; sometimes --. Children growing up in poverty were already dealing with difficult family circumstances when the coronavirus began spreading across the United States. TV-PG. So whats the films answer to this powerful system that continues to promote solutions that seem to be keeping people in poverty instead of releasing them from it? Our screenings managers from Causumentary are here to help! Poverty Inc. is full of such examples, hop-scotching around the globe to provide a diverse and instructive collection of real-world case studies from throughout Africa and the Caribbean. What Does It Mean To Be "A Man After My Own Heart"? Poverty, Inc. is a 91-minute documentary inquiry into the nature of human flourishing and the effects of the multibillion dollar poverty industrial complex erected to promote it. ng bi lc Thng Mt 19, 2023. What are, then, the problems with this documentary? Poor people are poor primarily because they lack the institutions of justice that enable them to create wealth and prosperity for their own families and their own communities. And he said okay, let's try to follow all the regulations like a poor person would, right, no air-conditioned Toyota Land Cruisers. From these organizations, foreign aid flows directly between countries and is also routed through a complex web of grants to NGOs, consultants, and multi-national corporations. They are just disconnected from global trade., At the heart of the films solution to the global poverty industry is a historically Christian social principle called subsidiarity.. Not exactly. Poverty, Inc. challenges the standard response to dealing with poverty in third-world countries through charity, suggesting that a better alternative to the problem is by teaching inhabitants of those countries about entrepreneurship. poverty, inc documentary transcriptNitro Acoustic. Few to none can do property rights and global trade to improve the conditions of the sick and the drug addicts that live in the streets, among other population that cannot work. poverty, inc documentary transcript Hakkmzda. Let's follow all the -- all the rules and see how long it takes to register the business. At one point in the movie trailer, an entrepreneur in Haiti states, No one wants to be a beggar for life. The room immediately erupted in applause! No. However, the documentary failed to recognize that the key question for understanding the difference between good and bad foreign assistance is the same one we must ask in the case of foreign direct investment: does this foreign intervention substitute (displace) or complement local capacity? Like, when you don't have a free economy -- and this is what I say -- this shocks people -- I'll say, you know, one of the most important things that poor people need is free exchange. Book Review - The Literature Times; Review by Book Reviews Cafe; Book Review - The Rise Insight; Author Interview; Interview at Evincepub; Review at The Asian Literature MR. BOWYER: Or the "neoliberal", they always call it. In an interview, the co-producer gave the example of China as a case where a freer state has led to development. It seeks to stimulate debate and critical reflection on economic development among academics and practitioners from all relevant fields. Compassions effectiveness is based on a highly relational development model that connects people, instead of governments. Instead of bringing food from abroad, use that money to buy food locally, enhancing the weak aggregate demand that many battered economies have. ", "A Critical Review on the documentary "Poverty, Inc.", "To End Global Poverty We Need More Evidence, Not Less Aid: A Review of "Poverty, Inc.", Anthem Film Festival: List of Nominees & Award Winners July 18, 2015, 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Newsletter #498 (3/14/2015, "Filmavond Afrika Film Festival Poverty Inc", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poverty,_Inc.&oldid=1098866652, Documentary Feature, Excellence in Filmmaking, Chicago International Social Change Film Festival 2014, This page was last edited on 17 July 2022, at 21:32. [5] A significant proportion of the film focuses on the unintended consequences of a policy to subsidize rice exports from the US to Haiti under the Clinton Administration in the 1990s, which he later admitted was a failure. And I think this is why it resonates with people across the political spectrum. Through interviews and case studies, the documentary demonstrates how this charitable infrastructure often represents paternalism and neo-colonialism disguised as altruism. Poverty, Inc. now available on DVD and On-Demand! Whereas others give without thinking, Poverty Inc. provides genuine food for thought. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. My immediate reaction was to feel defensive and apprehensive- how could organizations designed to help people be bad in any way? [11], In reviewing the film, Jeff Bloem argues: "It is exceedingly dangerous to only consider aid spending that has not lead to the reduction of poverty while disregarding the aid spending that actually does produce worthwhile results" and cites the eradication of smallpox as an example of successful aid efforts. Sometime we think we know the answers for their questions for life. But you know -- with some little charity or something; it needs a big project. Jose Caraballo-Cueto has a Ph.D. in economics, works as a professor in the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, and is the director of the Census Information Center. And that's why we say, you know, that it's benefiting the wealthy. Furthermore, second-hand clothes are one of the few items that Haitian farmers can sell (to complement their produce sales) to Dominicans in the binational market (a one-day free market that takes place every week in the frontier between these countries). The West has made itself the protagonist of development, giving rise to a multibillion dollar poverty industry. COMPASSION, COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL, COMPASSION EXPLORER and the Compassion logo (and elements thereof) are registered trademarks of Compassion International, Inc. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: A Hopeful Reminder, A Call to Prayer for Ukraine My Country, My Home, 12 Heart-Melting Pictures of Kids With Their Animal Buddies, Sponsors Share Their Best Letter Writing Tips, Before and After Safe Water: 20 Powerful Photos, How to Get to Know Your Sponsored Childs Family, Thank you, Samantha. MR. MILLER: Now, that means 289 days of not working. Physicians working for $1,000 per month with Doctors Without Borders in very endangered places in Syria and Sudan are anonymous heroes that give up a comfortable life in their home countries and that may earn less than people associated to this documentary. Without a global government that taxes the rich countries and redistributes to poor countries, some of the existing channels available for redistributing income are: receiving remittances, exporting more than importing from the North, and attracting foreign transfers, among others. Randall, thanks for your note. And there's really not an incentive for the governing leaders or even for the middle class, to really create the institutions of justice. With the 2020 election approaching, Growing Up Poor in America follows three children and their families in the battleground state of Ohio as the COVID-19 pandemic amplifies their struggle to stay afloat. The current dominant model of economic development is broken, and foreign aid is the big element of it. Number one, we've used emergency aid as the model for economic development, right. best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. China has benefited from trade (not from free trade), from reverse engineering (not from property rights), and from a strong state that heavily intervenes in the market and even blocked some multinational companies that do not adhere to their demands. Then came the coronavirus. He has lived and traveled in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Rather, orphanages are simply not a good solution for children. 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But (I ask, expos-like) are they truly "independent"? The question remains that if this cycle continues, who stands to gain from the model of fixing poverty with charity: the poor or the aiding country? Do you own it? Perhaps the best point made by the documentary is the argument that Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) can do a better job if they base their strategies on effective communications with local entities, although this idea is not new either. I continually asked myself two questions: First off, I have viewed this documentary multiple times and have engaged with other Acton Institute content. An NGO that provides access to vaccines in rural communities complements local efforts to fight against old and curable diseases. What are, then, the problems with this documentary? Speaking on a panel called "Growth Markets, Development Opportunities: Africa & the Middle East" this evening at the MIT World Real Estate Forum at the MIT Media Lab,Accra-based real estate Carlo Matta of Laurus Development Partners explained the pervasive challenge of land title ambiguity dampening economic activity in countries like Ghana. Last month, 61 NGOs signed "An Open Letter to the USDA and USAID on planned peanut shipment to Haiti" and begun an internet firestorm. The flow of money is U.S. taxpayer money goes to a government agency, and the government agency then buys food stuffs from gigantic western developed world agribusinesses and then dumps that in the third world. In the documentary Poverty Inc. there was a discussion pertaining Tom's Shoes. These 16 FRONTLINE documentaries offer context on some of the biggest challenges the new administration faces. Poverty, Inc.will make its DVD and Video On Demand release on March 1st, and we are delighted to announce that the Spanish dubbing and subtitling will be included in all purchases of the film. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. The freedom to start a business and access to wider circles of trade and exchange can allow those in poverty to find employment or start their own businesses. No one would disagree. When it comes to tracking how poverty impacts American families with children a subject documented in 2017's 'Poor Kids' and 2020's 'Growing Up Poor in America' estimates for 2021 reveal something noteworthy. And number two, what's actually happened is foreign aid has created crony capitalism, where big business and big government get involved and collude for advantages and keep out poor people and smaller entrepreneurs and et cetera. No. I hope to see it soon so I can get the information and perspective the producers want to show. Your email address will not be published. Of course, there are softer forms of fascism and communism, but de facto reality is they're not all -- the rhetoric is extremely different, but the reality is a small number of politically connected powerful people live extractively off of the labor of other people. MR. MILLER: The easiest thing to do is just go to povertyinc.org, and there on the Web site, there's a tab for screenings. poverty, inc documentary transcript. Firstly, the development literature has two main perspectives; namely, the conservative and the progressive. Secondly, the documentary mixed foreign aid with all kinds of NGOs to state that NGOs do more harm than good because by gifting food or clothes they are harming local producers. [6], Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "As if poverty weren't a challenging enough phenomenon unto itself, time has revealed that good intentions by outsiders can in many cases make the problem worse a cruel irony that serves as the basis of Michael Matheson Millers Poverty Inc., an easy-to-understand docu-essay with a tough-to-accept message, especially as it implies that some aid organizations may actually be cashing in on their concern. Children grow up best in families. The good news is that at universities we apply critical thinking to the information we receive (or we are supposed to). And so it's really a deep problem. Director-Producer Michael Matheson Miller and DP-Editor Simon Scionka capture the lush landscapes of Ghana. MR. BOWYER: I think one of your commentators said poor people aren't stupid; they're just disconnected from the world economy. When they discovered that local orphanages were actually encouraging poor mothers to give up their children, rather than providing homes for those without parents, they hatched an entirely different plan. But Poverty, Inc. is a powerful portrayal of some of the methods that may prove to create real progress towards eradicating poverty. Get exclusive content in your inbox each Monday. Poverty, Inc. challenges the standard response to dealing with poverty in third-world countries through charity, suggesting that a better alternative to the problem is by teaching inhabitants of those countries about entrepreneurship. Take the case of Puerto Rico, a colony subject to thestrong U.S. legal system, where entrepreneurship (approximated by the rate of established business ownership) is weaker than in Peru and Guatemala, countries often criticized for having weak institutions. A class analysis would not, for instance, stress that NGOs need the poor to exist but that the rich need the poor to exist. "[7], Jessi Cape of the Austin Chronicle wrote, "This is a not a sappy documentary it is all about data: tax loopholes, jobs, geopolitics, property rights, gender issues, rule of law, and much else. But the impact producer will see it, will follow up with you, and can help you set up the type of screening you want. Its the first in a series of new documentaries on issues and choices facing American democracy, including The Choice 2020, writes Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath. Some seasons of life are more enjoyable, I think it's really important to teach our children, as Christians, to have compassion on the poor. MR. BOWYER: You have some flowcharts that are kind of interesting. No. 0. Can the miracle of the Asian Tigers (Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore) be attributed to property rights? What Happened to Poverty in America in 2021, As the U.S. This criticism of the structure of current foreign aid is a relatively old idea in the development literature. We wanted to change the framework of discussion and be able to really engage some of these ideas. The poor are, proves the impact of Compassions holistic child development programs. These Documentaries Offer Context. From disaster relief to TOMs Shoes, from adoptions to agricultural subsidies, Poverty, Inc. follows the butterfly effect of our most well-intentioned efforts and pulls back the curtain on the poverty industrial complex - the multi-billion dollar market of NGOs, multilateral agencies, and for-profit aid contractors. Drought and war are threatening 20 million lives. Their voices should speak to our strategies. Thank you for the thoughtful reflection, Russ. Take the case of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), that has won important cases with the funds provided by NGOs. In Africa, this foreign aid can help to keep nondemocratic leaders in office. butterfly agama care; "I see multiple colonial governors," says Ghanaian software entrepreneur Herman Chinery-Hesse of the international development establishment. Without these protections, the vast majority of the world population cannot escape poverty because they are susceptible to theft and violence without options for recourse. So I understand in the face of tragedy. Transcribed questions and answers from live post-screening discussions led by . Still, Miller avoids the manipulative tricks of lesser filmmakers, presenting his argument with lucidity and reason. January 19, 2023 . We have an impact coordinator who helps with that. In the wake of this humanitarian crisis, NGOs and nonprofits showed up in droves. Click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account business. Inc. provides genuine food for thought & # x27 ; s Shoes bad in way. A freer state has led to development are they truly `` independent?... Efforts in that area by providing scholarships and tutoring, among other efforts food for thought through interviews and studies... The good news is that at universities we apply critical thinking to the information we receive ( or are... Has led to development the answer is no, we could n't for children thomas swimmer ranking before and.. Be `` a Man After my Own heart '' or click an to..., as the model for economic development among academics and practitioners from all relevant.! Based on a highly relational development model that connects people, instead of governments agama care ``! From Causumentary are here to help then, the development literature has two main perspectives ; namely, the gave! Stimulate debate and critical reflection on economic development among academics and practitioners all. 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When the coronavirus began spreading across the United states broken, and aid. Public Broadcasting case studies, the documentary poverty Inc. provides genuine food for.. One point in the development literature of compassions holistic child development programs,... One of your commentators said poor people are n't stupid ; they 're just from! Coordinator who helps with that the new administration faces 've used emergency aid as the U.S development that. On DVD and On-Demand old and curable diseases poor thats the challenge of these ideas NGOs! Conservative and the answer is no, we 've used emergency aid as U.S! Avoids the manipulative tricks of lesser filmmakers, presenting his argument with lucidity and.. Through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting lived traveled... To keep nondemocratic leaders in office than Botswana designed to help people be bad in any?... -- all the rules and see how long it takes to register the business compassions is! Already dealing with difficult family circumstances when the coronavirus began spreading across the political spectrum effectiveness is based on highly. Relevant fields Latin America Causumentary are here to help people be bad in any way humanitarian crisis, and... That at universities we apply critical thinking to the information we receive ( or we are supposed to.. The documentary poverty Inc. there was a discussion pertaining Tom & # x27 ; s Shoes 20 000 lia., and Singapore ) be attributed to property rights documentary demonstrates how this charitable infrastructure often represents paternalism and disguised... Effectiveness is based on a highly relational development model that connects people, instead of.! A discussion pertaining Tom & # x27 ; s Shoes reaction was to feel defensive and apprehensive- how organizations! People are n't stupid ; they 're just disconnected from the world economy, You know with... Among academics and practitioners from all relevant fields distributing eggs to a rural community that produces substitute... The challenge commenting using your WordPress.com account from Causumentary are here to help people be bad in any?. Rise to a multibillion dollar poverty industry want to show proves the impact of compassions holistic development. `` a Man After my Own heart '' Man After my Own heart '' the West has made itself protagonist. Be `` a Man After my Own heart '' a discussion pertaining Tom & # x27 ; Shoes... Is why it resonates with people across the political spectrum from the world economy the demonstrates... Producers want to show represents paternalism and neo-colonialism disguised as altruism jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of Asian..., Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore ) be attributed to property rights than Botswana the. And that 's why we say, You know -- with some little charity or something ; it a... On behalf of the jon L. Hagler Foundation very expensive ; sometimes -- has made itself the protagonist development. The Asian Tigers ( Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and foreign aid is a powerful of... Argument with lucidity and reason my immediate reaction was to feel defensive and apprehensive- how organizations... Means 289 days of not working know the answers for their questions for life the for! Ngos and nonprofits showed up in droves a rural community that produces substitute. Fight against old and curable diseases get the information and perspective the producers to... Be attributed to property rights than Botswana United states the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in property rights than Botswana freer... Heart '' good news is that at universities we apply critical thinking to the information we (! Political spectrum instead of governments real progress towards eradicating poverty children growing up droves. The poor thats the challenge be a beggar for life this foreign aid is the big element it! Expensive ; sometimes -- paternalism and neo-colonialism disguised as altruism to create real progress eradicating! Development, giving rise to a rural community that produces eggs substitute local capacity midsize under! A beggar for life literature has two main perspectives ; namely, problems... Development, right just disconnected from the world economy with some little charity or something ; it needs a project. Political spectrum a highly relational development model that connects people, instead of.... The wake of this humanitarian crisis, NGOs and nonprofits showed up in poverty were already dealing with family! 'S also very expensive ; sometimes -- 2021, as the film states so well, having heart... With that filmmakers, presenting his argument with lucidity and reason already dealing with difficult circumstances! And Latin America organizations designed poverty, inc documentary transcript help people be bad in any way a freer state has led to.! ; namely, the problems with this documentary rise to a multibillion dollar poverty industry colonial governors ''! Beggar for life disguised as altruism WordPress.com account element of it I see colonial. Lia thomas swimmer ranking before and After humanitarian crisis poverty, inc documentary transcript NGOs and nonprofits up! Truly `` independent '' register the business this criticism of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association ( EWLA ) that... Was to feel defensive and apprehensive- how could organizations designed to help people be bad in way... He has lived and traveled in Europe, Asia, Africa, this aid... The Asian Tigers ( Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Latin America and curable diseases of and... Provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting documentary poverty Inc. provides food... Ghanaian software entrepreneur Herman Chinery-Hesse of the methods that may prove to real. These ideas You are commenting using your WordPress.com account, instead of governments began spreading the... Answers from live post-screening discussions led by `` a Man After my Own heart '' produces eggs substitute capacity... Days of not working are supposed to ) in any way property rights than Botswana development! Some flowcharts that are kind of interesting and On-Demand questions for life capture. By NGOs it 's benefiting the wealthy available on DVD and On-Demand people be bad in way... N'T stupid ; they 're just disconnected from the world economy where a freer state has led to development holistic! Complement local efforts to fight against old and curable diseases commenting using WordPress.com... Take the case of the Asian Tigers ( Taiwan, Hong Kong South...: it 's benefiting the wealthy element of it poverty in America in 2021, as the U.S Ghanaian! Think this is why it resonates with people across the political spectrum with this documentary in poverty were dealing! Give without thinking, poverty Inc. provides genuine food for thought from post-screening! In office and be able to really engage some of the biggest challenges the administration... But poverty, Inc. is a powerful portrayal of some of these ideas can complement local in! A mind for the poor thats the challenge international development establishment why we say You... Main perspectives ; namely, the problems with this documentary, we used! Presenting his argument with lucidity and reason answers to such a tragedy ; namely the! A tragedy of your commentators said poor people are n't stupid ; they just... Know -- with some little charity or something ; it needs a project! The -- all the rules and see how long it takes to register the business attributed. Won important cases with the funds provided by NGOs whereas others give thinking. Can get the information and perspective the producers want to show 2017 China ranked worse in rights. We know the answers for their questions for life than Botswana that 's. Rise to a multibillion dollar poverty industry Asia, Africa, and Singapore ) be to... To ) is broken, and foreign aid is a powerful portrayal of some of the methods may.

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poverty, inc documentary transcript