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A Needed Clamor
Documentary seeks answer to its own title: 'The End of Poverty?'

Roger Thurow | posted 8/03/2010 06:20AM

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Befitting its title, The End of Poverty? (Cinema Libre) begins with a question: In a world of so much wealth, why does so much poverty exist?

In search of answers, this documentary traces the history of poverty, from the conquistadors' plundering of Indian communities, through slavery and colonization, up to recent development philosophies that aided agriculture production in wealthy countries at the expense of farmers in the world's poorest countries.

The end of poverty? This loftiest of goals will remain elusive, the film suggests, unless there are changes to an economic system responsible for creating the world's rich-poor divide. Changes include relieving the debt of the poorest countries, reforming land and tax policies in those countries, and enabling them to extract and transform their natural resources for their own well-being.

Whatever your view of these solutions, this film will make you think. It raises a needed clamor. After all the questions, the film ends with a declarative sentence: 16,000 children die each day from hunger and related diseases. So the film's main question certainly needs to be answered sooner than later.

Roger Thurow is co-author of Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty.

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[Reader Reviews]

LVTfan Wealthandwant

August 04, 2010 1:54pm

"The End of Poverty? Think Again" is available at Amazon and via Netflix, including for streaming. There is a companion disk with related material, which I encourage you to explore. This one is worth sharing with your faith community. It can be viewed a few segments at a time, if your group wants to discuss it piece by piece.

LVTfan Wealthandwant

August 04, 2010 12:06pm

You might look into a school of thought which help inspired the film "The End of Poverty? Think Again" in the ideas of 19th century American economist and philosopher Henry George. Start with a speech entitled "The Crime of Poverty" and then perhaps "Thou Shalt Not Steal" or "Thy Kingdom Come." All three are at http://www.wealthandwant.com/, as is George's excellent book of essays, "Social Problems." You might also look for his earlier book, "Progress and Poverty" at http://www.progressandpoverty.org/. Also two websites related to the film: http://www.povertythinkagain.com/ and http://www.whyglobalpoverty.com/. Finally, a website called http://www.whatwouldjesustax.com/ might be of interest. All speak to how we might go about creating a more just and less poor world. Indeed, in a world of so much wealth, why does so much poverty exist? Henry George had solid answers, and a solution we can implement.

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