[mukto-mona] Why do our old politicians want to be leaders of 36M poor people?

36m people in Bangladesh face acute poverty, hunger Staff Reporter Bangladesh's high economic growth during the last decade has resulted in significant reductions in poverty. However, 36 million people--about one quarter of the country's population--still face acute poverty and hunger. Addressing this challenge is the focus of the workshop, "Understanding Chronic Poverty and Poverty Dynamics in Rural Bangladesh," that began in Dhaka yesterday. Government officials, researchers, and civil society representatives will discuss new findings on why some households and communities in rural Bangladesh remain trapped in poverty, while others have successfully moved out. These findings will help identify key factors that keep people poor. The workshop is being organized by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), Data Analysis and Technical Assistance Ltd. (DATA), and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Drawing on information collected from 1,800 households across rural Bangladesh, the study found that while close to half the households surveyed moved out of poverty, around one-fifth remained chronically poor and a small percentage fell into poverty. These households were found to be extremely vulnerable to unexpected shocks, such as illness, dowry and wedding expenses, and floods. The study focused on three key aspects of poverty in rural Bangladesh: poor people's perceptions of what makes them poor; the factors that create and perpetuate their poverty; and the patterns of loss and gain that they directly experience. "Unlike previous studies, this research integrates two types of important data-household survey data and individual life histories-to provide a deeper understanding of the causes of chronic poverty in rural Bangladesh," said Bob Baulch, coordinator for the poverty dynamics and economic mobility theme at CPRC. The study found that those households that have lower education levels, own less land, hold fewer non-land assets and livestock, and have many young children and elderly members, face the most difficulty escaping poverty. Unexpected shocks, such as injuries, illness and livestock deaths, significantly increase the likelihood of chronic poverty. Dowry payments and wedding expenses are a heavy burden for most households. "This study makes it clear that rural households are particularly vulnerable to crises," said Md Zihadul Hassan, managing director of DATA. "The impact of a crisis, however, greatly depends on how much schooling the head of a household has received, whether property has been divided, and household ownership of livestock and other assets." Additionally, the study documented eight types of life trajectories based on accounts by people of their direct experiences of moving in and out of poverty. Many of these life trajectories displayed a "saw-tooth" pattern in which improvements in people's lives are reversed by illnesses and large medical expenses, wedding expenses, and legal disputes. "The life histories collected for this study reveal how improvements in poor people's lives tend to occur gradually, while declines occur suddenly," said Peter Davis, lecturer at the University of Bath and co-researcher of this study. "People's lives follow upward and downward patterns, not a smooth pattern of either progress or decline which is often suggested by more conventional research approaches." The households in the study are based in 102 villages located in 14 of the country's 64 districts and were originally interviewed between eight and 14 years ago. The researchers revisited the same households in late 2006 and early 2007 to assess the changes in poverty and well-being that occurred over time. "Unexpected shocks keep people in poverty and prevent them from moving out," said Agnes Quisumbing, senior research fellow at IFPRI. "This study provides a better understanding of these issues and can guide the design of more effective social protection systems for poor people in rural Bangladesh."

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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

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Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
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German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:

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