back to Cambodia

Right now I'm writing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during a stopover from Bali back to Phnom Penh. We've had a good week, albeit at a very different pace from life in Cambodia. I spent most of my time in a meeting room while Lizzy was pretty free to explore Bali.

The seminar was conducted by VSO and geared toward introducing a market-sensitive approach to how we can support poor people to engage in commerce more robustly. It is proven that economic development in countries translates to decreases in poverty, more than international development agencies can ever deliver through compassionate support. However, that's not to say that there isn't a place for them. VSO is choosing to align itself with promoting economic growth that is pro-poor so that disadvantaged people can improve their position in the market chain.

This is a difficult thing for a non-profit (NGO) to undertake because it counters their beliefs and approaches toward eradicating poverty. But you can't argue with the fact that people need jobs and they need to feed their families and because of this economic development and private enterprise need to take hold. It is the major difference between the countries of the world that are well off and those that are struggling. But, VSO's approach is that we need to keep the disadvantaged at the heart of our considerations. We can't simply expect that improvements to the macroeconomy of a nation will automatically trickle down to the lowest levels where we find the poor. We can work at creating enterprise that is considerate of the poor as well, not for handouts, but for involvement.

I'm reading a very good book right now that I recommend for anyone who is interested in the subject of poverty reduction. My good friend Will Kidd gave me a copy of The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs as a going away gift because he thought I could use it. Well, I am. And I thought I understood poverty! It is a very good read with some very surprising and inspiring elements.

Spending the week with my colleagues from Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Ireland, Netherlands, Mongolia, the UK and Guyana was a rich experience. We had interpreters and earpieces so we could dialogue with one another. Bottom line is that it was inspiring to meet and be amongst people who are so committed to the cause of ending poverty.

And as far as Bali is concerned, I'll be back to see the sights some day.