Re: New York Times article

[Steve Clem <cclem@kent.edu>]

>Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 14:44:22 -0500
>From: Karen May <kmay@igc.org>
>Organization: The Council for Hometown Jobs and Growth
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win95; I)
>X-Accept-Language: en
>To: Steve Clem <cclem@kent.edu>
>Subject: Re: New York Times article
>X-Loop-Detect: 1
>
>In response to Steve and Deb:
>
>I expect the program to which he refers is a micro-finance program
>called the Grameen Bank.  That is the most well-known, although there
>are many, many others.  The "cottage industry" lending programs that you
>mention are often based on a model called "peer lending" where groups of
>(mostly poor women) borrowers get together and establish a revolving
>loan program amongst themselves, putting peer pressure to work on
>eachother to ensure repayment.  The micro-finance industry has evolved
>over the last 15 years or so to become just that--an industry, with its
>own agenda, problems, and politics.  In my view, while I believe
>micro-finance has indeed made a tremendous contribution to advancing the
>thinking about self-sufficiency for poor people, I don't think the model
>is consistent with COG in terms of scale, and the symbology of broadened
>ownership as a concept.  However, if people want to pursue that
>constituency, I would be happy to provide suggestions for further
>exploration. The first group I would point to is called AEO, the
>Association for Enterprise Opportunity.  Good website with links.
>
>On the other hand, I think the possibility for engaging the
>globalization debate has tremendous potential.  It's true that the
>movement has been mostly reactive, and has not put forth many viable
>alternatives other than unconditional debt relief.  I have been thinking
>that the COG proposals for broadening ownership belong under the rubric
>of "conditional" debt relief--that is, forgive the debt while
>instituting programs that will rebuild economies while alleviating
>poverty.  Of course that is what the World Bank and IMF say they do
>already, through structural adjustment programs.  the "anti" movement
>people will of course tell you, though, that the evidence is in on
>structural adjustment--it exacerbates the wealth gap, and does not
>work.  yet it's still the only economic reform program that they push.
>
>SO, my suggestion is to position the COG agenda as "THE" alternative to
>structural adjustment.  And, we need to get the message out to the
>international agencies, as well as the organizations coordinating the
>protests.  There are several key organizations, and several vehicles for
>getting the word out to the global networks.  Global Exchange is a great
>one, and there is also an excellent email listserve that people tap into
>for activist and organizing plans.  I think it's important to have a
>cohesive, targeted message here, and a plan for "bringing them into the
>discussion."  Media, op-eds, dialogue with key constituencies--really
>offering them something that will help their program.  Where are we on
>the Ford activities?  Is there a way to structure this initiative
>through something more formal, that might allow us more time to work on
>this?  
>
>Karen May
>312-855-8500 ext.16
>
>Steve Clem wrote:
>> 
>> >X-Originating-IP: [24.4.252.105]
>> >From: "Don Ward" <donrward@hotmail.com>
>> >To: cclem@kent.edu
>> >Subject: Re: New York Times article
>> >Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 16:52:44 GMT
>> >X-OriginalArrivalTime: 25 Sep 2000 16:52:44.0922 (UTC)
>> FILETIME=[06D985A0:01C02711]
>> >
>> >Steve: Last evening I was talking with at a young man who has a volunteer
>> >position with the Presbyterian church headquarters here in Louisville. His
>> >group's mission is not unlike ours ie getting at the poverty in the world
>> >and finding ways to get at the gap between the haves and the have nots. I
>> >told him a little about COG. He then shared the following story. He had a
>> >paid position with an agency in southern India. During his stay he
>> >discovered that some agency, bank or whatever made very low interest
loans,
>> >mostly to cottage industries, most headed by women. It's purpose was to
put
>> >them in business, probably not unlike the "village smithy" who once
thrived
>> >in this country. Could it be that the agency he referred is the one you
>> >mentioned. I am not sure how COG feels about cottage industries as
examples
>> >of ownership. Assuming that the United Nation program is different
could the
>> >program he described be something that we might want to learn more
about, if
>> >COG has an interest.Don Ward
>> >
>> >
>> >>From: Steve Clem <cclem@kent.edu>
>> >>To: eotrans@cog.kent.edu
>> >>Subject: New York Times article
>> >>Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 10:13:47 -0400
>> >>
>> >>One of the organizations dealing with the fact that more than 1/5 of the
>> >>world's population live in extreme poverty is the United Nations
>> >>Development Program.  Part of its mission is to help countries achieve
>> >>sustainable human development  by assisting them in building a
capacity to
>> >>carry out development programs in poverty eradication, employment
creation
>> >>and sustainable livelihoods.
>> >>
>> >>The UNDP supports programs that assist in developing economic and social
>> >>policies and programs to address the whole range of factors that
contribute
>> >>to poverty.  The UNDP supports programs that seek to, among other things,
>> >>(1) generate opportunities for employment and (2)  empower men and women
>> >>through access to assets and productive resources.
>> >>
>> >>There should certainly be a place for employee ownership in the design of
>> >>these poverty reduction strategies.  UNDP could, for example, provide
some
>> >>funding for education about employee ownership in countries where
employee
>> >>ownership might be suitable and require such education as a part of its
>> >>intervention.
>> >>
>> >
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>> >
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