Jeffrey Sachs

EconomistDirector of the Earth Institute,

Columbia UniversitySpecial Advisor to UN Secretary

General, Ban Ki-moon

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By Rosie MazzarellaPeriod 3 Econ

Poverty“Currently, more than eight million people around the world dieeach year because they are too poor to stay alive. Every morningthe newspapers could report, "More than 20'000 people perishedyesterday of extreme poverty." The stories would put the starknumbers in context; up to 8000 children dead of malaria, 5000mothers and fathers dead of tuberculosis, 7500 young adults deadof AIDS, and thousands more dead of diarrhea, respiratoryinfection, and other killer diseases that prey on bodies weakenedby chronic hunger. The poor die in hospital wards that lack drugs,in villages that lack anti-malarial bed nets, in houses that lack safedrinking water. They die namelessly, without public comment.Sadly, such stories rarely get written. Most people are unaware ofthe daily struggles for survival, and the vast number ofimpoverished people around the world who lose that struggle.”

-Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty

The End of Poverty In 2005, Sachs published the

book The End of Poverty He has researched the reasons

why 1/6 of the world still lives inextreme poverty

Extreme poverty is living on lessthan $1/day

Sachs says that problems whichcause extreme poverty can beaddressed with “know, proven,and reliable and appropriatetechnologies and interventions.”

But, these problems need to beaddressed carefully, becausethey are all unique.

By alleviating extreme poverty,the global economy will bestimulated by growth in areasthat were previously suffering.

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How much aid is neededto alleviate extreme

poverty? The world needs to invest $32 billion

to alleviate extreme poverty We would only need to spend .7% of

our GDP on development aid toaddress specific problems that thepoorest of the poor have

We spend $15 billion on developmentaid today (6 cents per Africansuffering from extreme poverty), but$50 billion on our military

Instead of pledging money andcreating a plan to fit that, we needto research how we can implementpractical solutions to individualcauses of poverty and pledge moneybased on those needshttp://blogs.millenniumpromise.org/wp-

content/uploads/2009/06/mayange.jpg

Addressing basic needsof the poor By boosting

agriculture, improvingbasic health, investingin education, bringingpower, and providingclean water andsanitation in poverty-stricken areas likeSub-Saharan Africa wewould give those livingin extreme povertythe tools to makethem self-sufficient,not dependent onforeign aid, accordingto Sachs.

In some areas, like thosewith high rates of diseaseslike malaria, a bed-netwhich costs $2 couldeliminate risk of infection

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TheMillennium

VillageProject

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To help reach theUN’s goal of eradicatingextreme poverty by2015, this project wascreated by the EarthInstitute at ColumbiaUniversity in 200613 villages throughoutAfrica have beenpledged $50 per villagerper year

In some villages, malaria infection hasdecreased 50% and crop yields haveincreased 85-350%The second stage of this project isscheduled to begin in 2011, but the firststage has been very successful and isbecoming a model for sustainabledevelopment around the world

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Sachs’ 9 steps to alleviatingextreme poverty

1. Commit to the Task2. Adopt a Plan of Action3. Raise the Voice of the Poor4. Redeem the U.S. Voice in

the World5. Rescue the IMF and World

Bank6. Strengthen the U.N.7. Harness Global Science8. Promise Sustainable

Development9. Make a Personal

Commitmenthttp://www.21school.ox.ac.uk/images/events/Jeff-Sachs.jpg

Sources1. Sachs, Jeffrey. “The End of Poverty.” TIME. 14 March, 2005. SIRS

Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. 8 February, 2010.http://www.sirs.com

2. “Prof Jeffrey Sachs, Director.” The Earth Institute. Columbia University. 8February, 2010. http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/1804

3. Sachs, Jeffrey. “International Economics: Unlocking the mysteries ofglobalization.” Foreign Policy. 1 April, 1998: 97. eLibrary. Web. 8February, 2010.

4. Sachs, Jeffrey D. “A Practical Plan to Achieve the MDGs.” UN Chronicle. 1June, 2005: 5. eLibrary. Web. 8 February, 2010.

5. Hackett, Ken; Rivera, John. "Sachs' strategy to end poverty is a 'must-read'". National Catholic Reporter. 25 Nov 2005: 18. eLibrary. Web. 9 Feb2010.

6. “Overview.” Millennium villages. 2009. 1 March 2010.http://www.millenniumvillages.org/news/index.htm

7. “UN village project provides model for ending poverty.” The National. AbuDhabi Media Company. 6 February 2010. 1 March 2010.http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100207/FOREIGN/702069956/1135/pollarchive