How to make poverty history: The central role of local organisations in meeting the MDGs Worrying trends

Document begins: How to make poverty history: The central role of local organisations in meeting the MDGs Worrying trends · Global warming underway and climate change impacts especially in LDCs · MA 2005 showed major ecosystem threats · Aid debates focus on volume of funding · Direct budget support disempowers local actors · Continued farm subsidies and dumping · Growing concentration of corporate power · Competition for FDI and investment promotion Local organisations take many forms · Elected local governments, village assemblies · Service providers, schools, health centres · Resource management groups (e.g.forest users) · Producer organisations, farmer unions, co-ops · Groups based on kin, clan, faith, status (migrants) · Credit and savings group, and many more. Local government ­ what roles to play? · Partnership with local organisations · Design of institutions and procedures which accessible to poor groups · Especially important with decentralisation underway · But how to make local government more responsive to needs of poor majority? ...