David Lunan, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, is right that levels of poverty in the developing world are unacceptable (Debate & Opinion, 21 August). It is confusing when he later says: "Poverty is not the problem, wealth is."
Rather than dismissing wealth as the source of the problem, we need to consider how wealth can be created for the people of the developing world.
In 1981, there were 1.5 billion people worldwide living on less than one dollar a day, but that had
dropped to 1.1 billion by 2001. Yes, that is still 1.1 billion too many, but it is real progress. Yet it has not happened in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the region receiving far more international aid than anywhere else, the numbers in extreme poverty there doubled.
The reduction in poverty has largely been in Asia, where it has been done not through aid but through increased international trade. Asia is creating wealth and its people are benefiting.
Yes, we in the West need to be more active in addressing poverty in the developing world, but we need to do what works. The Moderator says that "in prioritising the interests of the most needy so that they are given the chance to live, we find our own lives are enriched". Let's change our policies to do just that. We know trade lifts countries out of poverty while aid is largely ineffective, so let's focus our energies on freeing up trade, allowing access to our markets, and increasing investment.
JULIE GILSTRAP
Taylor Place
EdinburghThe full article contains 271 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
