COMPASSIONS

MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY SERIES

COMPASSIONS MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY SERIES

POVERTY

Poverty is part of the Ministry Philosophy Series created by Compassion International. Compassions Ministry Philosophy offers a solid foundation of understanding for our approach to ministry. The series is intended primarily for Compassions worldwide leadership. However, these works are also offered to the public with the hope that others involved in the fight against poverty and those who work for the protection and development of children might find these resources to be helpful and rich in insight. After more than half a century of responding to the needs of the poor, Compassion has developed an understanding of poverty that integrates both economic and noneconomic perspectives of poverty. This book describes various perspectives of poverty and explains Compassions holistic understanding of the subject as the basis for Compassions holistic response. While acknowledging poverty as an economic condition, this work points to human development, specifically child development, as a critically important and transformational response.

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COMPASSIONS MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY SERIES

SCOTT TOdd, Ph.d.

Contents
Acknowledgments 1 Overview 2 The Importance of defining Poverty 3 Economic Poverty The World Bank Setting the Income Threshold of Economic Poverty Relative Poverty and Inequality Income and Consumption The Copenhagen declaration The Millennium development Goals Food Security Human development Index 4 The Meaning of Poor as Used in the Bible 5 Key Biblical Perspectives on Poverty 6 Holistic Understanding of Poverty How the Poor describe Poverty Social Capital: Relational Connectedness and Poverty 7 Shifts in the Holistic Understanding of Poverty Rights-Based development 8 Internal Conditions and External Circumstances of Poverty Poverty as Broken Relationships or Systems Poverty Is a Lie Poverty as a Culture Internal Assets and External Context of Poverty Reciprocal Relationships Between Individual and Community Assets 9 Human Potential Shalom and Full God-Given Potential Basic God-Given Potential 7 11 13 13 14 15 17 18 19 22 22 23 27 31 32 34 37 39 41 41 44 47 48 50 53 53 57

Copyright 2010 by Compassion International Published by Compassion International Production by Creative Blue Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-9841169-6-6 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

10 The Poverty Beyond Enough The Goal of development 11 defining Poverty Should Non-income Aspects of Poverty Be Part of Its definition? Compassions definition of Poverty 12 Conclusion About Compassion International Endnotes

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Acknowledgments
Truly, this is a collective work representing the understanding and official perspective of Compassion International, as approved by the Ministry Philosophy Team. The author is deeply grateful for the insights and contributions of the following Compassion colleagues: Silas Balraj, Doug Bassett, Bambang Budijanto, Gayle Call, Ed Cleaver, David Dahlin, Rob Flanegin, David Garcia, Ephraim Gensi, Mark Hanlon, James Hansen, Mike Hinckfoot, Regina Hopewell, Neal Joseph, Gregg Keen, Edouard Lassegue, Marcus Makaiwi, Laurent Mbanda, Dinah Meyer, Sidney Muisyo, Tony Neeves, Sarone Ole Sena, Palamanga Ouali, Noel Pabiona, Beth Parker-Sloat, Wolfgang Riedner, Alistair Sim, Justin Staebell, Wess Stafford, Stephen Tollestrup, Joel VanderHart, Ken Wilson and Mark Yeadon. We are each grateful to the many children, families and church partners who have profoundly influenced our understanding and touched our hearts.

Overview

This document provides Compassions understanding of poverty. Poverty is described in both economic and noneconomic terms. We offer a brief history of each perspective, along with reflection on the meaning of poor and poverty as used in the Bible. We contrast the common understanding of poverty as an economic condition with the use of the word by development professionals. Such professionals often speak of the multiple, noneconomic conditions associated with poverty. Those noneconomic conditions include systems of oppression, lack of access to social services, limited empowerment, marred identity, relational dynamics in community and spiritual dynamics. While it is important to acknowledge the complex and diverse views of poverty, it is also important to seek clarity and to have consistency in how we define it. Compassion maintains that economic poverty is an intrinsic condition of poverty and is central to what it means to be poor. Some use the term poverty metaphorically or with specific qualifiers, as with the term spiritual poverty. However, for Compassion, the word implies an economic condition unless otherwise qualified.
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Defining poverty as an economic condition still allows a holistic understanding of the causes and impact of poverty on life. Compassion maintains a holistic understanding of poverty that includes social/ relational poverty, emotional poverty (impoverished identity or selfview), cognitive poverty and spiritual poverty. In this work we review the interaction of external and internal conditions of poverty as well as the dynamics of tangible and intangible dimensions of poverty. Although poverty is defined as an economic condition, it requires a holistic understanding and a holistic response.

The Importance of Defining Poverty

One might expect that such a fundamental and heavily studied concept as poverty would have a universal definition; however, such is not the case. Common definitions, such as those from Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary, define poverty as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.1 Professional and academic descriptions of poverty often include non-income aspects such as health, security/vulnerability, self-respect/identity, justice, access to services, political voice, freedom, social connectedness and so on. Unfortunately, the absence of a clear definition of poverty is a serious problem for organizations whose missions are to eradicate poverty or, in Compassions case, to release children from poverty. This problem manifests in four ways: 1. How one defines the problem determines the strategies one uses to solve it.

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2. Without a definition it is difficult to establish appropriate measures to assess progress toward the mission or goal. 3. A definition is necessary to determine which people will receive the focus of programmatic benefit. 4. If there is inconsistency between the general publics understanding of poverty and an organizations understanding of poverty, then there is a risk of the publics misunderstanding the promise that organization is making (in particular to its supporters). The intent of this book is to present various perspectives on poverty and establish Compassions definition and understanding of the problem. This will clarify which children Compassion is called to serve and will explain the basis of our holistic approach to ministry.

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The World Bank

Economic Poverty

The intent of this book is to present various perspectives on poverty and establish Compassions definition and understanding of the problem.

The World Bank describes poverty as pronounced deprivation in wellbeing.2 This conventional view primarily links well-being to the ability to have command over commodities. Therefore, the poor are those who do not have enough income.3 Many people and organizations view poverty in economic terms. In 1990 the World Bank set a widely used definition of extreme poverty as a per capita income of less than $1 per day, per person. The World Bank revised this standard to $1.25 per day in 2009.4 The dollar referred to here is adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) to a set value for goods in that country. A simple way of understanding this concept is to imagine a basket of goods rice, sugar, beans, cooking oil and determine what that basket of goods would cost in any local context compared with the cost of the same basket in the United States. In other words, living in extreme poverty is the same as trying to live in the United States on $1.25 per day. Setting the poverty line is complicated process that involves sophisticated formulas, but it

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is also a somewhat arbitrary process. A poverty line sets an economic threshold of income/consumption as the defining criterion of poverty. A functional description of extreme poverty is that even if all income is used for the purchase of food, the persons minimum nutritional requirements (2,100 calories per day for an adult male) would not be met. The World Bank sets an absolute poverty line globally at $1.25 per day. National poverty lines are derived from national perspectives and conditions and may differ from the World Bank standard. A sample of 36 national poverty lines shows variance as high as $8 per day to less than $1 per day. Income below $2 per day is sometimes considered basic poverty or moderate poverty.5 The lack of essential goods and services, below-minimum caloric intake, unclean water or children unable to attend school are conditions that describe basic or moderate poverty. Based on 2005 statistics, roughly 1.37 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day, and 2.56 billion live on less than $2 per day.6 It is difficult to get accurate and reliable estimates of the numbers of people living at these levels of income/consumption, and these estimates have a wide margin of error.

Even if one adheres strictly to an income/consumption-based standard for defining poverty, there is still a disconnect between a global poverty line set at $1.25 per day and the working definition of poverty in economically wealthy countries. For example, in the United States the poverty line is $26.22 per day (based on 2005 statistics).8

Relative Poverty and Inequality

The term poverty is sometimes meant as a relative term. For example, those whose incomes are in the bottom 5 percent of national income distribution are considered poor relative to the rest of the population. Rather than setting an absolute poverty line, those who hold this view see the poor as those who have less than the rest. Rundle writes, Unlike abject poverty, which is morally objectionable to any person of conscience, there has been less agreement as to the moral significance of inequality.9 In fact, inequality is inevitable to some degree. Novak writes, Equality of income is an ideal appropriate only to the unfree and the uniform. What matters far more than inequality is universal opportunity.10 Nevertheless, the gap between rich and poor, sometimes called the poverty gap, is important. A wide gap reflects and perpetuates unjust social systems. Societies with dramatic inequality of income (the elite rich and the desperately poor masses) harbor unequal power dynamics that become self-reinforcing. Income mobility how easily a person
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The internal condition of not believing a better future is achievable by ones efforts can prevent people from climbing out of poverty.

Setting the Income Threshold of Economic Poverty

The World Banks definition of poverty is not without its critics. Dr. Sanjay Reddy writes: The Bank uses an arbitrary international poverty line that is not adequately anchored in any specification of the real requirements of human beings. Moreover, it employs a concept of purchasing power equivalence that is neither well defined nor appropriate for poverty assessment. These difficulties are inherent in the Banks money-metric approach and cannot be credibly overcome without dispensing with this approach altogether.7
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of low income can climb to a higher economic status, or how easily one who earns a high income can fall to lower income status is an important measure of whether an economic system is just. A high degree of income mobility within a society suggests fairness, a degree of opportunity for the poor and a lack of unjust insulation for the rich. The experience of poverty where wide income gaps exist may be similar to the experience of abject poverty. When there is a great disparity of wealth in a society, the have-nots may receive a discouraging message. The relative poor may experience what Myers describes as a marred identity. Marred identity is low self-worth, feelings of disempowerment and a lack of optimism or initiative. These internal conditions may undermine income mobility just as strongly as unjust systems. In other words, unjust systems can deny opportunity and prevent the poor from earning greater income, and similarly the internal condition of not believing a better future is achievable by ones efforts can prevent people from climbing out of poverty. We should note that Gods commands regarding the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) were essentially a wealth redistribution mechanism to reduce the naturally occurring poverty gaps of that society. Over the years, the most critical economic capital, land, became unequally owned during the normal transactions and business of society. Every 50 years the jubilee required those properties to be returned to their original holding tribes. It was also required that debts be cancelled. These practices would have ensured that poverty gaps and income inequality were periodically buffered.

Income and Consumption

do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. do not say to your neighbor, Come back later; Ill give it tomorrow when you have it with you now. Proverbs 3:27-28

Some critics of the $1 per day definition argue that monetary income is only one type of asset. They say the poor often provide for their needs
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through nonmonetary methods. The poor often produce their own food, and they may have informal means of trading services and goods. For our purposes, the technical distinctions of income and consumption are not critical. In this document the word income means the total value of goods and services available to the individual, regardless of whether those goods and services involve monetary transactions or are recognized in the formal economy. The practical assessment of income/ consumption is a challenge and is not discussed here.

This commitment extends far beyond economic wellbeing and includes strong statements regarding the non-income aspects of poverty. An important anchor in the Copenhagen Declaration is a commitment to place people at the centre of development.

The Millennium Development Goals

One critical weakness of global declarations has been their failure to set specific, measurable and timebound targets. This was not the case in September 2000, as the U.N. Millennium Declaration established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These goals are specific, measurable and have time-bound targets. One of the goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. More specifically, that goal is to reduce by half the number of people living on less than $1 a day by 2015. Thus, the dollar a day (PPP) standard set by the World Bank is affirmed in the MDGs as a reasonable income-based benchmark of poverty. The specific measures of Target 1 of the MDGs are shown below and demonstrate the precise meaning of a goal.

The Copenhagen Declaration

In March 1995 the United Nations convened the World Summit on Social Development. The Copenhagen Declaration, which described poverty as a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information, was the major outcome of the World Summit. Aside from the mention of education and information, this description is largely material/physical. The introduction to the Copenhagen Declaration states, We acknowledge that our societies must respond more effectively to the material and spiritual needs of individuals, their families and the communities in which they live. The recognition of spiritual needs in that introduction is evidence that in 1995 world leaders were wrestling with the non-income aspects of poverty. The Copenhagen Declaration further states the following commitment from the leaders of 117 governments: We heads of State and Government are committed to a political, economic, ethical and spiritual vision for social development that is based on human dignity, human rights, equality, respect, peace, democracy, mutual responsibility and cooperation, and full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of people.
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Target 1.A:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. 1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day 1.2 Poverty gap ratio 1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption
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If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17-18

Target 1.B:
Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people. 1.4 Growth rate of GDP per person employed 1.5 Employment-to-population ratio 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below $1 (PPP) per day 1.7 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment

Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 (msg)

Target 1.C:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. 1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age 1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption These targets are regarded with a seriousness not seen before in the history of U.N. declarations. The MDG website has a banner with a countdown clock. At the time of this writing the world leaders and all participating governments and organizations had six years, 165 days, 16 hours, 19 minutes and 14 seconds to get the job done. The MDGs have goals for universal primary education (measured in part by literacy rates), health, gender equality and environmental sustainability. They also have a prominent connection to an income-based
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definition of poverty. Thus, non-income aspects of poverty have strong presence and priority in the MDGs.

Food Security
Economic poverty can also be described in terms of food security. According to the United Nations, approximately 842 million men, women and children are chronically hungry due to extreme poverty.11 The U.N.s Food and Agriculture Organization describes food security as all people at all times hav[ing] access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs.

The Meaning of Poor as Used in the Bible

Human Development Index

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) commissioned the Human Development Report in 1990. The central monitoring feature of this report is the Human Development Index (HDI).12 The index is a composite of three indicators: life expectancy, educational attainment and income. Each indicator is equally weighted with a maximum value of 0.33, which results in an index rating between 0 and 1 for each nation. The index is admittedly a basic and a very rough indicator of human progress. However, it represents a step from measuring development in strictly economic terms (GDP) toward recognizing the importance of noneconomic development, such as knowledge/education and health. The MDGs offer a more robust set of indicators for human progress than the HDI, and the unique value of the HDI is now linked to its data history. The HDI is monitored and reported by UNDP, and the MDGs are monitored and reported by the United Nations Statistics Division. There are 178 uses of the word poor in Scripture. As shown in the following examples, nearly all refer to the condition of economic poverty (emphasis added throughout): Then the poor among your people may get food (Exodus 23:11). If he is poor and cannot afford these (Leviticus 14:21). If one becomes poor and is unable to support himself (Leviticus 25:35). Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it (Deuteronomy 24:15). [T]he poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb (2 Samuel 12:3). [T]he infant of the poor is seized for a debt (Job 24:9). Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare (Proverbs 20:13). [G]o, sell your possessions and give to the poor (Matthew 19:21).
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 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). Suppose a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in (James 2:2). Although there are a few exceptions, the term poor in Scripture means economic/material poverty. Review those verses and notice the characteristics: insufficient food, cannot afford, cannot support himself, debt and shabby clothes. The term poor in Scripture refers to an economic condition, but the circumstances and causes associated with that condition are complex. The condition of poverty is sometimes associated with oppression, isolation and injustice. Consider Proverbs 13:23: A poor mans field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. Proverbs 19:4 speaks of social isolation: Wealth brings many friends, but a poor mans friend deserts him. There are many conditions and experiences that surround economic poverty, but they are descriptions of the circumstances/causes and not definitions of it. Noneconomic descriptions of poverty are discussed further in the Holistic Understanding of Poverty section. A person who has a right relationship with God can be economically poor: Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse (Proverbs 28:6). In other words, the term poor describes the mans economic condition despite his spiritually rich state. Poverty can also surround a person whose moral/spiritual condition is degraded: [D]runkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags (Proverbs 23:21).

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? James 2:15-16

A poor man may be wise and discerning: A rich man may be wise in his
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The case can overwhelmingly be made that references in Scripture to the poor or to poverty should be taken to mean economic poverty.

own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him (Proverbs 28:11). As another example, consider Ecclesiastes 9:15: Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. Poverty can also result from foolishness: [T]he one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty (Proverbs 28:19). The verses above demonstrate that the terms poor and poverty as used in Scripture refer to economic poverty. They also show that the condition may exist in a person who is wise or foolish, godly or otherwise. There may be a few instances in Scripture in which poor is used metaphorically, such as Revelations 3:17: You say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. There is also Jesus unique use of the phrase poor in spirit in Matthew 5:3, which refers to spiritual realities: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Despite these few exceptions, the case can overwhelmingly be made that references in Scripture to the poor or to poverty should be taken to mean economic poverty, unless the passage can clearly be argued to have a different meaning.

Key Biblical Perspectives on Poverty

It is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a study of Scripture or a theology of poverty. However, several conclusions are clear from Scripture: 1. God does not desire or intend that anyone live in economic poverty (Deuteronomy 15:4). 2. God created laws and social practices for His people to minimize the impact of economic disparity by wealth redistribution (Leviticus 25), by the tithe system to ensure food security for the vulnerable (Deuteronomy 26:12), by practices of generosity (Leviticus 23:22), by no-interest loans (Exodus 22:25) and by impartial legal representation as well as other practices. 3. God is angered when these laws and practices are not followed and the vulnerable suffer for it. Conversely, God is pleased, hears our prayers and brings blessing (Isaiah 58) to those who follow these commands and practice generosity toward the poor and who seek justice on their behalf. These three conclusions offer a foundation for the Christian response to
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poverty. Gods intent, commands and feelings inform Christian action. Furthermore, His omnipotence should allow us to believe that the end of economic poverty is possible because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). In reflection on what the Bible has to say about poverty and the poor, there is an important event recorded in Scripture in which Jesus is at a party in the home of Simon the Leper. The party was thrown in honor of Jesus in the town of Bethany just a few days before Jesus death. During this party Jesus says to Judas Iscariot and perhaps to the others at the party a phrase that strongly influences common theologies of poverty. Jesus says, The poor you will always have with you (Matthew 26:11). The misinterpretation of this statement has justified a fatalistic belief that, by divine decree, the world will always have poor people. Yet even an amateur study of this statement shows that it is extremely unlikely that Jesus was decreeing economic poverty as an unchangeable human condition. Jesus was affirming Mary for her act of worship and alerting His disciples to the limited opportunities remaining to worship Him in person (in His physical presence). He was three days from His death. In contrast, they would have many future opportunities to help the poor. Correcting this unfortunate misinterpretation may open Christian imagination to the possibility of ending economic poverty.

Correcting this unfortunate misinterpretation may open Christian imagination to the possibility of ending economic poverty.

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Holistic Understanding of Poverty

Although the World Bank established the most widely held and understood definition of poverty in strictly economic terms, the World Bank has also described poverty as follows: Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.13 This description of poverty includes lack of access to social services, fear for the future, powerlessness and lack of representation. This description shows a broadening of the World Banks understanding of poverty, but it does not replace or contradict the World Banks $1.25 per day standard for extreme poverty.

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The World Bank has also developed indicators to assess non-income dimensions of poverty. These indicators include education, health, access to social services, vulnerability, social exclusion and access to social capital.14 Indicators such as these offer concrete measurability to non-income aspects of poverty, which will enable a widened scope of poverty-reducing strategies.

How the Poor Describe Poverty

During the mid to late 1990s, Robert Chambers, research associate at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, and others questioned the definitions of poverty and asked who should determine those definitions. The argument was that the poor themselves should define poverty. One interesting survey conducted in Niger asked the poor of that country to describe poverty. Their answers provided the following:15 Dependence was mentioned by 40 percent of the respondents, with some noting that a poor person always had to seek out others or to work for somebody else. Marginalization was noted by 37 percent, who defined a poor person as one who was alone, had no support, did not feel involved in anything or was never consulted. Scarcity was included in the poverty definitions of 36 percent, who used statements such as having nothing to eat, a lack of means to meet clothing and financial needs, a lack of food, livestock and money and having nothing to sell. Restrictions on rights and freedoms were associated with poverty by 26 percent of the respondents, who stated that a poor person is someone who does not have the right to speak out or someone who will never win a case or litigation against someone else.
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But since you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8:7

The poor described the experience of poverty primarily in terms of suffering relationships and lack of belonging, dignity and freedom.

Incapacity was mentioned in connection with poverty by 21 percent, including the incapacity to make decisions, to feed or clothe oneself, or to act on ones own initiative. Only 36 percent of the poor in this survey described poverty in terms of material lack (scarcity). Here, the poor described the experience of poverty primarily in terms of suffering relationships and lack of belonging, dignity and freedom. Similar descriptions were found in a major World Bank study.16

nized as vital for producing adaptive and socially desirable behavior.20 Moreover, social polarization is identified as a key factor in furthering the poverty trap,21 such that gaining social capital is a major influence on upward mobility out of the impoverished state.22 Social Capital is a major subject and is not addressed fully here.

Social Capital: Relational Connectedness and Poverty

The poor describe poverty in terms of suffering relationships. Relationships are central to a persons belonging, identity, affirmation and other socioemotional needs. The concept of social capital recognizes relationships not only for their classic socio-emotional value, but as a unique asset. The relational fabric of a person is his or her means for navigating social norms, accessing resources and mobilizing the skills of others toward common goals. Whom you know matters a great deal in any context, including that of a poor man (or woman) navigating his way out of poverty.17 Low social capital or social exclusion is also strongly linked to emotional instability18 and aggressive behavior.19 The capacity for self-regulation is recog34 35

Shifts in the Holistic Understanding of Poverty

Definitions and descriptions of poverty have changed over time. Paul Shaffer, Professor of International Development at Trent University in Canada, summarizes these changes in a working paper for the U.N. Department of Economics and Social Affairs:23 The concept of poverty has undergone at least four changes over the past decade: First, there has been a shift from a physiological model of deprivation, focused on the non-fulfillment of basic material or biological needs, to a social model of deprivation, focused on such elements as lack of autonomy, powerlessness, lack of selfrespect/dignity, etc. Second, there has been renewed emphasis placed on the concept of vulnerability and its relationship to poverty (however defined).

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Third, the concept of inequality, and its relationship to poverty, has re-emerged as a central concern. Fourth, the idea that poverty should be conceptualised as the violation of basic human rights has been powerfully argued of late by UN system agencies, among others. Myers provides a similar description of these changes. He writes, In the early days of development many assumed that poverty could be explained by the absence of things. This was followed by adding the absence of ideas or knowledge to the mix, and then, as the systemic nature of poverty was explored, the absence of access to power, resources and choices became part of our understanding of poverty. Myers concludes that poverty is fundamentally relational and its cause is fundamentally spiritual.24

Rights-Based Development
International agreement on human rights has a foundation in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established by the United Nations in 1948. We should note here that the definition of rights is extremely important, as it forms the basis of national and international law. It is also important from a Christian perspective for organizations aspiring to defend the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:9). Christian organizations that act as advocates for the poor and endeavor to eradicate global poverty must promote alignment between the rights established by secular society and the Christian understanding of rights found within Scripture.

Myers concludes that poverty is fundamentally relational and its cause is fundamentally spiritual.

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Internal Conditions and External Circumstances of Poverty

Poverty as Broken Relationships or Systems

Jayakumar Christian proposed a set of five systems that entrap and disempower the poor.25 These debilitating systems include: A cultural system with an inadequate worldview26 A social system that promotes captivity to the godcomplexes27 of the non-poor A spiritual system of deception to principalities and powers A personal system of marred identity28 A biophysical system characterized by weakness in mind and body

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These systems of entrapment29 are depicted in the graphic below.30

INADEQUACY IN WORLDVIEW

CULTURAL SYSTEM WEAK MIND AND BODY CAPTIVITY TO GOD-COMPLEXES OF NON-POOR

BIOPHYSICAL SYSTEM

SOCIAL SYSTEM

MARRED IDENTITY PERSONAL SYSTEM SPIRITUAL/ RELIGIOUS SYSTEM

DECEPTION BY PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS

Myers describes poverty in terms of relationships damaged by sin: Our broken relationship with God is the essence of spiritual poverty. Our broken relationship with others and with community is social poverty. Our broken relationship with our environment and our broken self-view (or relationship with self) have been damaged by sin. Myers states, Poverty is a result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable.31 In short, poverty is a consequence of sin.
It may not matter how many opportunities are created, because the effort of striving, risking and capitalizing on those opportunities requires a belief in the possibility of a better future.

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Poverty Is a Lie
Compassion President Dr. Wess Stafford offers a view of poverty that has some similarities to those described above. Stafford describes the marred identity and disempowerment as being caused by false messages. He stresses that these false messages have their greatest impact during childhood. At its very core, poverty is a mindset that goes far beyond the tragic circumstances. It is the cruel, destructive message that gets whispered into the ears of millions by the enemy Satan himself: Give up! You dont matter. Nobody cares about you. Look around you: Things are terrible. Always have been, always will be. Think back. Your grandfather was a failure. Your parents couldnt protect or take care of you. Now its your turn. You, too, will fail. So just give up!32 When a child (or adult) believes that lie, then he is poor. Poverty described in these terms is primarily an internal condition resulting from an external message of oppression. The internal condition is one of disempowerment, fatalism, hopelessness and lack of initiative. The person in this condition will often be a victim of his circumstances rather than an agent of positive change in his community. That persons extremely low self-view will translate into a low regard for others and likely into damaged relationships. Damaged relationships then reciprocate and reinforce the message of worthlessness. The belief that it wont get any better may undermine initiative. It may not matter how many opportunities are created, because the effort of striving, risking and capitalizing on those opportunities requires a belief in the possibility of a better future. The majority of individuals in that state are incapable of transformational development. To sum it up in one word, they lack hope, and hope is a major engine of growth and wellness.
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The marred identity includes a self-view of powerlessness, of being victim to circumstance, of not only low self-esteem but also a projection of low value on others in community. When one sees poverty as having its root in human identity (selfconcept), then it profoundly impacts the strategies chosen for development. When one defines poverty primarily as an internal condition resulting from external devaluing messages, it holds significant implications for povertyfighting strategies. One must ask: How and when did the internal condition become entrenched? How can the lie be exposed and the person freed from its oppression? Can we prevent it from being heard or being believed? It also becomes clear that when the lie is deeply entrenched in later stages of human development (adults) it is difficult to reverse. However, intervening early in human development, during childhood, offers the best opportunity to reverse or prevent the lie from gaining traction in the identity-shaping stages of human development. There are pivotal moments in human development, defining moments, that shape long-term self-view and identity. Those pivotal moments must be won by truth and not by the lie. The lie speaks in abuse; the truth must protect. The lie speaks by ignoring; the truth must listen. The lie criticizes; the truth must praise. The voice of truth must carry through45

When one sees poverty as having its root in human identity (selfconcept), then it profoundly impacts the strategies chosen for development.

out the early and most vulnerable stage of human development to break the power of the lie. In cases like these, the poverty-fighting strategies are driven by the question: How do we introduce the voice and message of truth? The voice that says, You do matter! Your thoughts and feelings are important! Dont give up! It can get better! You are full of God-given potential to change it! The lie can be a pervasive voice and a long-term presence in the environment of the child. The message of truth, spoken and demonstrated in the life of the child, must be equally persistent and focused in order to prevail. As Stafford described it, poverty is defeated when the young lady who grew up in the slum sees the damage in her world and says, See whats going on over there? Thats wrong and I can fix it.33 The strategic importance of childhood in social transformation is addressed in a separate Compassion Ministry Philosophy Paper. The statement poverty is a lie is not meant to deny the reality of poverty. Poverty is absolutely real. Nor is the statement meant to imply that overcoming poverty is as simple as a change of mind. The statement certainly does not mean to blame the victims in the sense that they were the ones who chose to believe this lie. Rather, the concept conveys the idea that we are surrounded by false messages about who we are about our nature, power and value. These messages mask the truth of our identity: We are people
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made in the image of God, granted unique talents by God and capable of receiving the Holy Spirit. We are dearly loved by God. All of us believe the lie to some degree, but for the poor, it is debilitating.

The lie speaks in abuse; the truth must protect. The lie speaks by ignoring; the truth must listen. The lie criticizes; the truth must praise.

Poverty as a Culture
Dr. Bambang Budijanto, Compassion Internationals Regional Vice President of Asia, describes poverty as interdependent conditions in four aspects of life: internal and external conditions that each include tangible and intangible elements. This idea is illustrated by the graphic below.
INdIVIdUAL SOCIAL/COMMUNITY

Income Housing Food Security Health Etc.

TANGIBLE

Water Resources Infrastructure Social Services Etc. ...

The examples shown in each quadrant above are not an exhaustive list. This framework recognizes that the complex interactions and interdependencies of all of these elements contribute to a culture.
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INTANGIBLE

Knowledge Aspiration Diligence Confidence Etc.

Servant leadership Participatory governance Social (relational) capital Values and norms Peace Etc.

The collective set of social values, norms and expectations that describe a community also describe its culture. Poverty can be seen as a culture in which aspirations are threatened by worldviews that devalue life or by the prevalence of views claiming, It isnt going to get any better. Poverty is a social environment in which suspicion and self-interest undermine relationships. Poverty is a value system that justifies exploitation rather than challenging it. Fundamentally, the view of poverty as a culture recognizes the deeprooted and interdependent conditions present in impoverished contexts. The development of both intangible and tangible assets for individuals and their communities enables God-given human potential to be realized. Dr. Budijanto describes release from poverty as the shift from dependence to influence, both as an individual and as a community.

Internal Assets and External Context of Poverty

Some view assets in monetary terms. Money is an asset. However, assets are more broadly those conditions or qualities that enable opportunities to thrive in human development. We see internal conditions and the external context as offering assets. A school is an asset to development, but so is literacy. Literacy is an internal asset enabled by the school. A less obvious internal condition that is an important internal asset is hope. When one is optimistic about the future, one is far more likely to work and take necessary risks to achieve a better future. These assets enable the individual to thrive in life. The Search Institute has pioneered the concept of assets in Positive Youth Development and has mapped 40 key assets that, when present in the life of a youth, promote healthy development. The Search assets describe both internal and external conditions such as a supportive family, opportunities to lead or serve, clear boundaries, use of time,
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motivation and personal values. Youth with more assets are more likely to thrive in life. A positive external context can promote development, but an impoverished context can threaten development. Growing up on the garbage dump (external context) communicates a devaluing message of you are like the trash and contributes to the marred identity (hindering an internal asset). Internal conditions of low self-view, marred identity and broken relational abilities undermine the transformational capacity of the individuals who could change those external circumstances. Internal assets are those qualities that enable an individual to thrive in areas such as: A positive self-view A belief in ones ability to influence his situation (internal locus of control) Basic literacy and numeracy Optimism/hope Initiative and diligence Relational abilities Productive and creative skills Honesty/integrity

dr. Budijanto describes release from poverty as the shift from dependence to influence, both as an individual and as a community.

who has access to a school (an external context) receives education. She gains literacy and knowledge (internal assets). A child with access to clean water (external context) is protected from disease and grows physically strong (internal asset). Even a playground in a safe place (external context) enables play, and play gives children the experience of joy in relationship with peers (internal asset building social capital and trust). The relationship between external context and internal assets is reciprocal because a community of educated, healthy, relationally connected people can dramatically shape and build their external context. They build the businesses, staff the hospitals and teach the next generation. Healthy, skilled and confident members of a community form a productive workforce of teachers, nurses, etc. The tangible community asset of a school enables the development of intangible individual assets such as literacy or skills. Yet a school cannot accomplish such development without qualified individuals serving as teachers. Stated in the positive, all of these elements can be considered assets. In fact, the development of peoples internal capacities knowledge, hope, social connection, diligence, etc. is the true engine of sustainable and transformational development that promotes and enables their own efforts to improve their external context. The economist Michael Novak writes: Economists affirm that the chief cause of the wealth of nations is not material at all, but knowledge, skill, know-how in short, those acts and habits of discovery, invention, organization, and forethought that economists now describe as human capital, which is located in the human spirit and produced by the spiritual activities of education and training and mentoring. Human
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Reciprocal Relationships Between Individual and Community Assets

There is a reciprocal relationship between external context and the internal assets of individuals. A child
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capital also includes moral habits, such as hard work, cooperativeness, social trust, alertness, honesty, and social habits, such as respect for the rule of law.34 Reciprocal relationships not only exist between internal assets and external context; they also exist between individual and social assets. An impoverished community may contain entrenched norms such as corruption in governance, exclusion of minority groups from community life or lack of optimism and aspiration, both individually and communally. Community values shape individual values and vice versa. The relationship is reciprocal.

Human Potential

Shalom and Full God-Given Potential

When we speak of human potential, we are not referring to the anemic humanist concept of what man can attain on his own power. Rather, we are referring to the Christian concept of being originally created in the image of God and being the objects of Gods redemptive and restorative work within us to reveal the image of Christ (Colossians 3:10). The goal of our life in Christ is to move toward shalom, the abundant or complete life promised in John 10:10. Full God-given potential is the life that is truly life spoken of in 1 Timothy 6:19. It is the complete life. It is the life worthy of the calling. It is Christ revealed in us. It is the culmination of Gods work in us. The following verses from Ephesians describe and capture the concept in the phrases attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ and filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

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It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare Gods people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-15) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19) It is critical, especially for the Western reader, to recognize that these verses do not speak of human potential as individual achievement. Rather, they describe the unique gifting of people in community (the community of the Church) and relationships in which each person is applying his giftedness for good purposes beyond himself. These verses speak of both individual transformation and community transformation. They speak of developing talents, intentionality, knowledge, faith, confidence and the inner conditions of true strength. They also describe togetherness and the building up of community.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17

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For the term poverty to be meaningful and not simply a term that describes us all, we must define a basic condition of life, a minimum level, below which no one should live.

It would not be right to speak of human potential without acknowledging the ultimate and ideal possibilities that exist in Christ. In one sense, anything short of the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:19) can be considered poverty. Compared with the state of shalom in community, all of our lives are poor. Bryant Myers, in Walking with the Poor, uses this language to describe poverty when he says, Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.35 More recently this description was affirmed by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert in When Helping Hurts.36 However, using the word poverty in that way can make the word useless. It no longer means anything functional, because there is no meaningful difference between saying poor human and human. Furthermore, as has previously been stated, that is not how Scripture uses the word poor. In the Bible the word poor refers to people living in an economic condition. If we fail to distinguish between absence of shalom and poverty it could profoundly impact Christian relief and development thinking. For example, if poverty is everything short of shalom then who are the poor? All of us. Then whom do we focus on in our anti-poverty efforts? Everyone? Can we expect to see people escape poverty? Probably not this side of heaven. However, if we see poverty as an economic condition, then these answers are quite different; we know whom to focus on, and we can expect them to escape poverty.

A.

Poverty as absence of shalom or as broken relationships

B.

Poverty as unmet basic human needs or unrealized basic human potential

SHALOM
Transformation/Sanctification

SHALOM

Role of Church

POVERTY

Role of Development Organization

Role of Church

SUFFICIENCY

POVERTY
All of us are poor. Shalom is the goal of development.

Role of Development Organization

Some of us are poor. Sufficiency is the goal of development.

Basic God-Given Potential

Poverty does not equal the absence of shalom. Poverty is life without the opportunity to meet basic needs for things such as food and clean water. The absence of shalom is life as all of us, the poor and non-poor, experience it in this sin-stained world. For the term poverty to be meaningful and not simply a term that describes us all, we must define a basic condition of life, a minimum level, below which no one should live. That is easier to do in economic terms, but more difficult to do in noneconomic terms.
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Shalom may describe full God-given potential. It might be helpful to identify a basic God-given potential a description of life somewhat like basic human rights, a threshold below which no one should live. Consider the following statements as comparable to basic human rights. They provide a minimum standard for lifes experience our basic, God-given potential: Physical Health: Everyone should be free from preventable disease and have basic nutritional needs met. Social Health: Everyone should be able to love someone else and receive love from another. Emotional Health: Everyone should see himself as unique and valuable because of God-given dignity and worth, and he should see that dignity and worth in others. Cognitive Health: Everyone should be able to read and learn. Everyone should possess basic skills in numeracy. Everyone should know a skill that allows him to offer productive service in his context. Spiritual Health: Everyone should be able to experience the love of God, His grace, His forgiveness and His restoration found in Jesus.

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The Poverty Beyond Enough

The word poverty is sometimes used metaphorically to describe conditions of life at the other end of the spectrum from economic insufficiency. In defining and understanding poverty, we must address the increasing use of this term in describing the state of life often found in excess. At times it is helpful to define something by describing its opposite. Compassion spokespeople have made this statement: The opposite of poverty is not wealth. The opposite of poverty is enough.37 There is a point between insufficiency and excess that represents a balance point, and in that position we discover the abundant life that Jesus promises (John 10:10). Jesus is not speaking of abundance as gluttony and excess. He is describing a full life, a complete life, shalom. Although every visual model has its limits, the following graphic is intended to stretch your thinking regarding this concept.

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LIFE FULLEST
TO THE

INSUFFICIENCY
Illiteracy, lack of knowledge or skills, lack of curiosity or creativity.

SHALOM
Healthy mind. Literate, knowledge of skills appropriate to context, knowledge of social processes and norms, knowledge of God. Learning, curious, creative and capable of vision.

EXCESS
Knowledge worship. Always learning, never understanding, never applying. Interested in controversial argument for the sake of argument. Knowledge puffs up.

COGNITIVE HEALTH

IN

F SU

FI

N CIE

CY

EX CE
Life that is truly life. Adequate resources, physical well-being, healthy relationships with belonging and service, sufficient knowledge to lead productive, purposeful and creative life, loving relationship with God, security in grace, identity by faith. Excess and obsession.

SS
SOCIOEMOTIONAL HEALTH

Destroyed self-view, no confidence, no value of self, victim of circumstances. Broken relationships and isolation. I am worthless.

Healthy self-view, confidence derived from faith, value derived from Gods love. I reflect the image of God and am uniquely gifted. I see others in the same way and together, by Gods grace, we can change the world.

Worship of self, arrogance and pride. I am God. I can do whatever I want by my own power.

Inadequacy, insufficiency. Lack of resources, lack of oportunity, lack of freedom, lack of voice, lack of relationship and community belonging. Marred identity.

Hoarding of resources, pride, vanity, gluttony, self-worship, god-complex. Bloated identity.

Preventable disease, deformity or malnourishment robs physical capacities and energy. Healthy body. Adequate nutrition, physical activity and enjoyment of life in the body, despite its inevitable limitations and aging. Able to seek and receive appropriate medical care. I care for my body but am not mastered by its needs. Body worship or gluttony. Their god is their stomach. Obsessive concern for appearance, dietary demands are gluttonous in the detail if not in quantity, a life of cosmetics. Unwilling to seek medical care or admit limitations.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

No strength. My physical potential is robbed by preventable causes.

...give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:8-9 Any aspect of life may be impoverished through insufficiency, and any area of life may be taken to an opposite extreme where it becomes an idol and a different form of impoverishment. As shown in the following table, we can apply this concept to cognitive, socio-emotional, physical and even spiritual aspects of life.
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Does not know God, sees no truth, does not understand love, does not truly understand self. Exists in loving relationship with God and experiences the power of the Holy Spirit. Knows forgiveness and forgives. Knows love and is a vehicle of Gods love. Serves others as serving God. Sees eternity in present moments. Desires that others would also know the joy of life that is true life. Religiosity is false. Practices righteous behavior and has the appearance of godliness but to the exclusion of life engaged with others. Cloistered religion.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Cannot forgive. Unanchored soul can allow sinful nature to flourish depravity, falsehood, ambition and hate.

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The Goal of Development

There are those who have said that shalom is the goal of development. However, that is a difficult position to take. We would say that Christ-centered shalom is the goal of life. Shalom is the fruit of the Holy Spirits work in and among us, but we may not taste it fully this side of heaven. This thinking is similar to the broad definition of poverty as broken relationships. The implication of such a definition is that we are all poor. Such definitions make the word poor nonfunctional. Setting the goal of development at shalom would broaden the work of the development organization to be as grand as the work of the Church. We would rather consider poverty to be an economic/ material condition that is linked to the inability to reach basic human potential. Likewise, we consider the goal of development to be an attainable target. Michael Novak writes, The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives.38 This view does not deny the importance of working toward shalom. It simply maintains a focus for poverty-alleviation efforts that allow those efforts to be effective. In fact, the type of work involved in moving toward shalom and the type of work involved in transformational development may look quite similar.

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Defining Poverty

Any aspect of life may be impoverished through insufficiency, and any area of life may be taken to an opposite extreme where it becomes an idol and a different form of impoverishment.

Should Non-income Aspects of Poverty Be Part of Its Definition?

It is important to clarify that the definition of poverty can be strictly economic (e.g., the World Bank defines extreme poverty as income of less than $1.25 per day PPP) while still recognizing causes and conditions of poverty that are noneconomic. An economic definition can be compatible with a holistic understanding of the condition and its causes. An economic definition for poverty is much easier to comprehend, communicate and measure progress against. It is cleaner. Holistic definitions open a wide range of questions: Which non-income aspects of poverty should be included in the definition? How can we measure them? Where is the poverty line for social poverty? As described earlier in the Basic God-Given Potential section, it is possible to identify minimums for each area of holistic development. This might be compared with the human rights approach, which claims
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that everyone is entitled (holds rights) to things such as security of person and education.39 In a similar sense, basic God-given potential is a description of the minimum standards for quality of life that all people should experience.

Compassions Definition of Poverty

Poverty is a condition characterized by the deprivation of basic human needs,40 the denial of opportunities,41 and the deficiency of internal assets42 that prevent a person from realizing his basic, God-given potential.43 Here is a simplified variation of this definition: Poverty means living on less than $2 per day so that you cant afford food or safe water. It means being denied the chance of a better future or not believing that a better future is even possible. The definition places four key concepts together: 1. Poverty is a state of material deprivation lack of food, clean water, safe housing. This is its meaning in the Bible and its common understanding among the general public. An individual in that state will almost always work to escape poverty. However, there are circumstances that can prevent an escape. 2. External obstacles or denial of opportunities can prevent a person from escaping poverty. Examples might include a violent/insecure state, corrupt government, economic stagnation or lack of essential services. 3. Deficiency of internal assets can prevent a person from prevailing against poverty. This internal condition might include
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little hope or a lack of optimism, a belief that he is powerless, poor interpersonal/relational ability, impaired physical strength such as caused by malnutrition, or inadequate knowledge for productive activity. 4. Basic, God-given potential, which describes minimum standards for life.

Poverty is a condition characterized by the deprivation of basic human needs, the denial of opportunities, and the deficiency of internal assets that prevent a person from realizing his basic, God-given potential.

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Conclusion

It is important to appreciate the complexity of poverty and the many ways in which the word poverty is used. However, as stated in the introduction, a poverty-fighting organization must establish a clear definition of poverty as well as a stated understanding of its causes. When communicating to public audiences, the use of the terms poverty or poor are commonly assumed to mean economically impoverished. Images of economically impoverished children associated with the message reinforce that assumption. The Bibles predominant use of the word poor implies economic poverty. Economic poverty is often a catalyst of other forms of poverty. Therefore, economic poverty is a nonnegotiable element in Compassions definition of poverty. Compassions mission statement specifically qualifies the term poverty. Compassion seeks to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. The and is critical in that statement. Compassion seeks to address economic poverty and spiritual, social and physical poverty. The mission statement does not say or. Although
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economic poverty is a prerequisite for a child to be registered with Compassion, that child may or may not be considered poor in the other aspects of life. Therefore, Compassions mission is to focus on economically impoverished children and release them from all forms of poverty.

Compassions mission is to focus on economically impoverished children and release them from all forms of poverty.

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About Compassion International

Compassion International is a Christian holistic child development ministry working to release more than 1.2 million children from poverty. More than 50 years of child development experience have shaped Compassions understanding of children and childhood as critically important for individual, family, community and national transformation.

The Compassion Difference

Christ Centered. Each child has an opportunity to hear the gospel in an age-appropriate and culturally relevant way. Child Focused. Engaging each child as a complete person, we protect and nurture each child in all aspects of his or her growth. Church Based. We partner with local Christian churches to equip them for ministry with children. Committed to Integrity. We are dedicated to delivering excellent programs with integrity.

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Compassions Mission Statement

In response to the Great Commission, Compassion exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

When you reap the harvest of your land, dont reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners. (MSG) This symbol is a reminder to leave a corner of our lives on behalf of the poor.

Publishing at Compassion
God nurtures a very special relationship with the poor and the oppressed. Those without the power to change their lot. Nowhere do forces of poverty and oppression do more harm than in the lives of the worlds poorest children. That is why Compassion publishes books to help Christians understand the destruction poverty inflicts. To see the potential of children crushed in its grip. And to unleash the overwhelming power of the Church to free children one by one, village by village, nation by nation. When Christians spend themselves in the development of a child, they are invested in the purpose of God. These books inform that cause and inspire action. These books enable the Church to experience Gods call of releasing children from poverty in Jesus name.

The Blue Corner

Every book that rolls off the press through Publishing at Compassion bears a symbol of Gods intent. Our blue corner points back to Leviticus 23:22.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9

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Endnotes

The Importance of Defining Poverty

1. Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary, retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty.

Economic Poverty
2. The World Bank. (2000). World development report 2000-2001: Attacking poverty. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Haughton, J., and Khandker, S. (2009). Handbook on poverty and inequality. Washington, DC: The World Bank. Ravallion, M., Chen, S., & Sangraula, P. (2008). Dollar a day revisited. The selected works of Martin Ravallion. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://works.bepress.com/martin_ravallion/13.

3.

4.

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5.

Chen, S., & Ravallion, M. (2004). How have the worlds poorest fared since the early 1980s? World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3341. The World Bank. (2009). World development indicators 2009 (p. 70). Washington, DC: The World Bank. Reddy, S., and Pogge, T. (2005). How not to count the poor. New York: Columbia University. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2005). 2005 Federal poverty guidelines. Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 33, 8373-8375. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/ poverty/05poverty. Rundle, S. (2009). Economic justice in a flat world. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster.

Holistic Understanding of Poverty

13. The World Bank. (No Year Given). Overview: Understanding, measuring and overcoming poverty. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://go.worldbank.org/RQBDCTUXW0. 14. The World Bank. (2009). World development report 20002001: Attacking poverty. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http:// go.worldbank.org/L8RGH3WLI0. 15. Republic of Niger. (2002). Full poverty reduction strategy paper. Niamey, Niger: Office of the Prime Minister, Niger. 16. The World Bank. (2000). Voices of the poor: Can anyone hear us? New York: Oxford University Press. 17. The World Bank. (No Year Given). Overview: Social capital. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from, http://go.worldbank.org/ C0QTRW4QF0. 18. Twenge, J. (2003). Social exclusion and the deconstructed state: Time perception, meaninglessness, lethargy, lack of emotion and self-awareness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 409-423. 19. Twenge, J., Baumeister, R., & Tice, D. (2001). If you cant join them, beat them: Effects of social exclusion on aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(6), 10581069. 20. Baumeister, R. D. (2005). Social exclusion impairs self regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(4), 589604.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. Novak, M. (2009). Catholic social teaching, markets and the poor. Economic justice in a flat world. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster. 11. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2006). State of food insecurity in the world 2006: Eradicating world hunger taking stock ten years after the World Food Summit. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 12. United Nations Development Program. (2003). Composite indices HDI and beyond. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://hdr.undp. org/en/statistics/indices/.

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21. Adato, M. C. (2006). Exploring poverty traps and social exclusion in South Africa using qualitative and quantitative data. Journal of Development Studies, 42(2), 226-247. 22. Sim, A., & McKerney, K. (2009). Impact of CDSP on social engagement of families. Program Research and Evaluation Department of Compassion International. Colorado Springs: Compassion International.

28. The marred identity is that tendency among the poor to see themselves as having little value, potential or power to create a better future. 29. A similar model was proposed by Chambers in 1983 (Myers, 67). Ravi Jayakaran has also expressed poverty as a lack of freedom to grow and that bondage is seen in mental, spiritual, social and physical forms (Jayakaran 1996, 14; Myers, 80). 30. Myers, B. (1999). Walking with the poor. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. 31. Ibid. 32. Stafford, W. (2007). Too small to ignore. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press. 33. Ibid.

Shifts in the Holistic Understanding of Poverty

23. This draft paper, titled New Thinking on Poverty: Implications for Poverty Reduction Strategies, was originally prepared for the Expert Group Meeting on Globalisation and Rural Poverty organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, November 8-9, 2001. 24. Myers, B. (1999). Walking with the poor. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

34. Novak, M. (2009). Catholic social teaching, markets and the poor. Economic justice in a flat world. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster.

Internal Conditions and External Circumstances of Poverty

25. Christian, J. (1994). Powerlessness of the poor: Toward an alternative kingdom of God based paradigm of response. Ph.D. Thesis. Fuller Theological Seminary. 26. Inadequate worldview, as described by Myers, 75. 27. God complexes, as described by Myers, are those tendencies that the wealthy have to view themselves as heroes in the story of the poor. In short, those who have money and power might feel theyve been given divine responsibility and divine right to rescue the poor.
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Human Potential
35. Myers, B. (1999). Walking with the poor. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. 36. Corbett, S., & Fikkert, B. (2009). When helping hurts. Chicago: Moody Publishers.

The Poverty Beyond Enough

37. Compassion International. (2005). The Lie [video].

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38. Novak, M. (2009). Catholic social teaching, markets and the poor. Economic justice in a flat world. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster.

Defining Poverty
39. The United Nations. (1945). Universal declaration on human rights. 40. Deprivation of basic human needs occurs at an income level below $2 U.S. dollars per day (basic poverty level, as defined by World Bank) and is characterized by conditions such as a lack of safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, shelter or food security. 41. Essential opportunities are described as access to social services (basic health care, education, safe environments for children to play, a fair judiciary process, financial services) and freedom from social or political oppression or discrimination that hinders engagement with governance and decisions that impact a persons well-being. 42. Internal assets are those qualities that enable individuals to thrive, such as positive self-view, a belief in ones ability to influence his situation (internal locus of control), optimism, initiative, relational abilities, literacy, numeracy and productive and creative skills. 43. Basic God-given potential is a set of minimum expectations for each area of human development. These minimums are described as freedom from preventable disease; ability to love someone and receive love from others; seeing oneself as unique, valuable and possessing God-given dignity and able to see that worth in others; ability to read, learn and possess productive skills; and ability to experience the love of God.

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