A Meeting With Professor Henry Nau on Poverty

On April 7th, four members of the Understanding Globalization LLC meet with Professor Henry Nau to discuss the problems and challenges that poverty presents in a globalized world. Previously, the LLC had watched and discussed Zana Briski's "Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids" as an examination of just how pervasively  poverty can be interwoven into society. 

Most astounding to the LLC was the poor technological resources that social workers in India used to keep tabs on these children. The systems were neither digitalized nor organized; the result was a wall of rotting papers and an overworked office. 

When we approached Professor Nau with our opinions, he pushed us to the next level: was the real problem a lack of resources, or was it corruption in the bureaucracy supervising such offices? Furthermore, would more technological resources truly aide the societal ills that allowed the red light district in Calcutta to flourish? The human trafficking in the region along with widespread poverty were identified as two such factors. The professor pointed out that, in order to most effectively address the problem, there would be a need to examine all these variables and choose the best solution. 

Professor Nau also  emphasized a need in development to reconcile the macro with the micro, politically, socially and economically. Poverty and development, argued the professor, could not be addressed without making sure that the situation on the ground and governmental or inter-governmental agreements were synchronous. He used the Clinton Accords in the Palestinian conflict to illustrate this: although all major players have diplomatically accepted a fair two-state solution, the situation on the ground did not allow for a sustainable peace, allowing for Israel's enemies, such as Hamas, to gain strength. Until these two systems were reconciled, the professor contended, the problems would persist. 

The discussion then changed to incorporate the ongoing global fiscal and economic crisis, particularly how they would affect development. The Professor was quick to defend the Washington Consensus (recently declared "dead" by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown), which he attributed to pulling millions of Indians and Chinese out of absolute abject poverty. The economic crises have largely been used as an excuse for government intervention in domestic economies along with consistent pushes for stricter regulation of finance at the global level. The Professor noted that such regulation was necessary, as risk taking had increased far too high during the lead up to the crisis. At the same time, he invoked the economic axiom that higher risk means higher rewards -- and that those rewards were what had done such wonders for the developing world. The professor remained optimistic that the spirit of the Washington Consensus would be preserved, and that the crisis would be an opportunity for improvement of international financial and economic institutions as opposed to a change of course that President Obama has called for.

The Understanding Globalization LLC would like to thank Professor Henry Nau for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with our members: this discussion has given us a great deal to think about concerning the many aspects of poverty, which without a doubt will give us grounds for future discourses.