The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

Monday, January 22, 2018

Are you wondering why the poorest countries in the world still are struggling and what we could do about it?

As history shows us, the human race has always been developing. The evolution has taken place, and mankind is constantly changing, growing and adapting. With all those amazing achievements and incredible inventions we made we are still facing some burning issues.

Global poverty is one of them. It is not a secret that the poorest countries get financial aid from the wealthier countries, but it does not seem to change the situation dramatically. There are still lots of people who are struggling to survive, experiencing starvation and are misfortune enough of being at the bottom of the society.

One billion people to be exact. Just imagine this number. One billion people are trapped in a poverty circle.

One billion people who can not even dream of things people in developed countries are taking for granted. One billion people!

It is a very big part of the total population of people on our planet, so we should think how to tackle this issue because it really is a problem of the whole mankind. In his book “The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It” professor Paul Collier is analyzing this issue. He is talking about what is happening to the poorest people in the world.

It is an eye-opening book, which is also inspiring since it offers some suggestions and ideas for helping the poorest countries and opening the world of opportunities to their citizens. Listen to the summary at Blinkist or Listen to the book at Audible.

The Root of Poverty

root of poverty is pretty deep in our cultures

As the author of the book emphasizes, before taking any steps to help those in need it is vital to find the reasons which led to this situation. Firstly, we should find the root of poverty and work on eliminating the causes of it. Those vary from country to country, and for this reason, an individual approach is required. Theories do not work on a practice that well, especially economics theories.

That is why it is necessary to go through a deep analysis and find out which factors influence the current situation in the poorest countries. It can be both, geographical position or internal conflicts, as well as poor international relations and corrupted government. Those factors must be analyzed carefully in order to find the best solution. 

How to Break the Poverty Cycle

It is a proven fact that the longer the country remains poor, the harder it is for it to start the economic growth. The reason for that is simple. It is called a cyclical poverty. If the country is trapped in a poverty cycle, it is difficult to get out of this cycle and break the traditional flow of events. The main reason for the poorest countries to remain at the same level is the lack of development. Even though the countries get some financial aid from the richer countries, these resources hardly reach those in need. The development should start with reforming, providing proper education and creating a working healthcare system.

It's still possible to break the poverty cycle

However, the war conflicts and corruption do not let it happen. As a result, we still have this bottom billion. Those are people who do not even know that they can have a chance to change their lives as well as lives of future generations of their families. The poverty circle should be broken once and for all by taking wise decisions and helping the underdeveloped countries on a regular basis. Surprisingly, it does not require huge investments as people usually think. All that is needed is a professional action plan for those countries to build up their economies and develop their political system.

The Way to Success

We can see successful examples of Chinainfo-icon and Indiainfo-icon. Those countries managed to fight the poverty and on the wave of globalization, they moved forward to the brighter future, opening lots of opportunities for further development. How come the poorest countries did not follow that wave and missed their chance? There are certainly reasons for that, but it is never too late to take a course on the economic growth and development. Using the financial aid productively, these countries have all chances to succeed and to change their status from being underdeveloped countries to those developing fast and constantly.

To help the poor countries break the poverty cycle these factors should be taken into consideration:

  • Build a democratic and peaceful environment inside the country. If it is in a state of war, it will be useless to start trying to build up its economics. Those conflicts must be solved first.
  • Abolish corruption from the poor country. We should focus on education and raising people’s awareness of the current situation and possible solutions.
  • Invest in the development of transportation and communication industry.
  • Develop trade relations. It is a good idea to start buying products from the poor countries. It will be a good starting point for their economy to grow.

There is no single solution for each and every country, but as we know big things start small. So, if you are worried about our world, its future and the percentage of the poor in it, it is a right time to take action. We can change the situation today by altering our vision of poverty and analyzing its nature and roots. Global poverty can be fought by raising awareness about economic growth and economic stagnation.

Now it’s your turn

It's your turn!

It is vital to check how your aid is going to be used if you decide to donate money. There are many organizations which intend to help the poor in different regions of the world. However, it is important to check their goals and make sure they align with yours.