The discourse of aid is a very
powerful narrative.
It's convinced us all that rich
countries have nothing to do
with the impoverishment of poor
countries that
we're basically in a position
of benevolence reaching out
generously
across the divide to give our
surplus.
You turn that on its head.
When in fact the opposite is true.
And this is not an ideological
perspective.
This is
rooted in data that that's very
clear.
And I trace this data up until even
the most recent figures we had last
year
showing this reverse flow of wealth
around the world.
So I think that's a really important
antidote to the
dominant narrative of charity
and aid of development that we're
served in the media.
What's been the reaction to that
work
that you've done that research?
What has the broad
reaction been because it is thinking
very differently.
I think that actually people have
been excited
about it in fact.
We see a kind of a shift in people's
consciousness
since 2008
with the financial crisis.
People realize that
poverty and inequality in their own
countries
are not a natural phenomenon.
They're being generated by policies
introduced by bankers,
politicians, etc.
And so they're looking for the
political determinants
of their suffering.
Right. And so when people hear that
the same thing applies to the global
stage that
global poverty in poor countries is
a direct consequence of intentional
policies.
That's not surprising to them
anymore.
Right. There really is kind of an
awakening to the fact
that this is the case. I mostly
interactive
with students at the LSC where
I teach
and giving talks around.
And I feel that this message really
does
resonate and even among people
who might not normally expect
that kind of response from them.
So I'm very hopeful about that.
I think that there's a lot of
passion
in our in our communities in our
country
for trying to make the world a
better place.
That passion right now
and the money that is behind it is
misguided.
It's been demoted and channelled
into charity
which is not solving the problems.
That is patently true.
So it's time for us to start
addressing the deeper
structural causes of the problems
that we care so
much about.
And once we do that then it's going
to change
the game.
