I have drawn two sets of questions based
on the contributions thus far. These questions may serve as starting
points as they are broad enough to let us branch out to other areas that you
may feel are important. I suggest in addressing these questions you do so
from a relatively empirical perspective, where you put
forward 'evidence' (i.e. good examples) to back up your
view. Of course where there is no good example you may still put
forward a purely theoretical argument, though I strongly suggest
you address the issue of agency (who will make this happen and
how) since we all accept that any proposal cannot start from
a clean slate, but rather 'from where we are'.
[Ravi Naidoo] Mark
Levin asked: What role can ESOPs play in
poverty reduction in developing countries. Neither Ravi Naidoo nor Juan
Guillermo Espinosa's papers to the COG DC Conference were very optimistic on
this score. The current structure of employment and ownership in developing
countries was identified as a major constraint to the development of
ESOPs. Does this mean that ESOPs are (and will remain) a "rich country
phenomenon"? Are there good examples to contradict this
view?
Michael
Binder suggested that poverty could be reduced
through seven paths including 'evolutionary' ones. This
presents us with an opportunity to explore those examples
where 'evolutionary' capitalist economic development has succeeded
in reducing what Austin Muneku referred
to as 'multi-dimensional' poverty. In which developing countries has
this happened? What were the necessary preconditions for this development?
(historical, institutional, govt interventions, etc.) And, what role did
ownership distribution strategies play in this? How could such
strategies be replicated in currently developing countries?
Please through a couple of paragraphs
talking to each of these questions or feel free to suggest a few succinct
questions for discussion. Please note I will be not responding to this group
until the end of January, as I will be attending the World Social Forum in
Brazil.
cheers!
Ravi Naidoo