Some good points are brought to light. But the issues considered by the authors are no more important than the one it studiously avoids:
"Foreign debts escalated from compound interest" gets a mention while a blind face is turned to the compound interest rate of increase of the (needy) human numbers.

Whilst things like population pressure, AIDS or illiteracy surely aggravate poverty, I think they are more symptoms of government incompetence than direct causes of poverty.

It is good to recognise the many causes of poverty without pretending there is a single easy answer. However I question statements in the last paragraph; how many people seriously argue that "corruption is the only problem" ? How many developing countries are there with "no evidence of corruption" ? Silly sweeping statements such as these undermine an otherwise well constructed arguement.

An interesting question is why does so much of Africa seem to have more poverty compared to other developing nations which are comparably disadvantaged by climate, disease, population, colonial history, world bank debt, unfair trade etc ?

Todays Herald has an interesting story about Swaziland http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/virgin-on-ridiculous/2005/08/30/1125302565996.html
; 42% of the population has HIV, and 33% are dependent on foreign food aid, but the King manages to find over $21M each year to just to house his wives.

While I will contribute to; "Poverty - aid, trade and corruption", I say the arguements are so complex.

I appreciated the links provided and especially the comments of Charles Abugre, who shows us the heart of the struggle in attempting to create localised economy markets.

From the DPI-NGO United Nations discussion eforum - http://www.ngodpiexecom.org/conference05/map/07webdisc/index.php - there are so many crys for world change.

For example Papa Aly Ndaw from the Femmes Africa Solidarite says;

"My thinking is that both goverment officials and civil society representatives ... We need to have a more human, ethical,sincere and personal responsibilty of our mission and goals to really eradicate poverty, empower women, stop senseless wars and genocides and educate our children adequately."

M.J.Edwin from India says; ".... constituencies are so big that people never manage to meet and if one has to make oneself heard or visible throughout the constituency, .... thus it all ends up as the governments of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.

Rik Panganiban, in reply to Yussuf comments about UN-reform... "I hear your cynicism and skepticism about the ability of the United Nations to work toward the elimination of poverty. Many others I speak to in the field share these same feelings.

The question I have is, regardless of what governments are or are not able to agree to at this General Assembly, what can we, the collective voices of global civil society, do to create a world without grinding poverty? And what can gatherings like the NGO DPI Conference do to facilitate this?

As your own actions have shown, its people working together in voluntary associations that often can bring more direct relief to those suffering. I applaud your efforts".

The webcast is for the World Summit preperation talks STARTS TODAY - 7th September 2005.

I ask people to watch and comment on the discussion forums available.

For more news, updates and resources please also visit www.miacat.com. This site is attempting to monitor events as they occur.

Maria Altmann