Annotated Bibliography

 

Over the course of the past few weeks our group has come across a wealth of information, statistics, facts and organizations that have been especially helpful in researching global poverty. This page includes 10 sources that our group decided were the best. We broke this list of sources into two categories:

- Great sources for information and facts relating to poverty

- Organizations that are making a BIG difference

We think that other groups and individuals who are seeking to learn more about the subject can benefit by scrolling down and reading what we have to say about these sources and why they are relevant, and then looking at the ones that they think are most pertinent to their research.

 

 

Great sources for information and facts relating to poverty

 

MDG Monitor: Tracking the Millenium Development Goals

http://www.mdgmonitor.org

 

The MDG Monitor is a great resource if you are interested in learning about the Millennium Development Goals and the actual progress being made with regards to these goals on both a country and a global level. The site allows you to choose a specific goal or country and find out statistics and news about the progress being made in that area. This site is continuously updated.

Relevance: Up-to-date news and statistics, very user-friendly, interactive maps, great background information about MDGs.

 

 

Global Issues: Social, Political, Economic, and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All

http://www.globalissues.org

 

Global Issues.com understands that all global problems are interrelated and does a great job of thoroughly investigating each issue and how it causes or affects global poverty. The site is very up to date and includes daily articles written including updated facts and recent developments or failures. The “Causes of Poverty” and “Structural Adjustment” links on the website are particularly informative because they break down each level of the problem. Overall, the site gives a unique perspective and challenges many widely held beliefs about poverty, aid, and well know organization such as the IMF and World Bank.

Relevance: A wealth of information concerning the environment, stuctural issues, and health concerns about poverty from a less main steam perspective.

 

 

Sowing the Seeds of Hunger: South Africa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWwUb5ZOGzI

 

This video is comprised of first hand experiences, interviews, and expert opinions concerning the vicious cycle of death and poverty in Africa created by HIV/AIDS. With older generations becoming increasingly ill at rapid rates, instead of attending school, young orphans are forced to farm or support a family through prostitution. The information is useful in illuminating the direct and indirect affects of HIV/AIDS and how malnutrition and poverty will continue to plague the country until the virus is addressed more intensely. Uploaded Janurary 2002.

Relevance: Entertaining, interesting, and easy to understand video about the affects of HIV/AIDS and how it creates a downward spiral into a trap of poverty.

 

 

Rural Poverty Portal networks those interested in helping with the battle to eradicate rural poverty

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/

 

The Rural Poverty Portal is a sort of meeting place for researchers, NGOs, policymakers, and anyone else interested helping with the battle to eradicate rural poverty to share ideas and information. Some of the cool functions on this site include a “search bar” that allows users to quickly find relevant articles and information that they might be interested in and the ability to investigate the issue of rural poverty (see statistics, strategies for alleviation, and policy information) by region and country. This site is in the early stages of a 3 year development process and is continuously updated.

Relevance: Great source for information that is gathered from various sources in order to give a great general overview of rural povery, its causes, effects, and strategies to overcome it in various settings.

 

 

UNICEF - organization provides global aid to countries

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry

 

UNICEF is a humanitarian organization that provides global aid to countries affected by global poverty, with the focus areas of gender equality, HIV/AIDS, child protection and development, and policy advocacy. UNICEF’s website has specific country pages which provide background information, countrywide statistics, recent news articles, and information about humanitarian action. The website was very helpful in obtaining statistics in the areas of nutrition, education, economy, gender, and especially health. Through this, we learned about the effects of poverty in these key areas and specifically the declining health conditions in our choice country of Sudan. The most helpful information came from the disease statistics and the water and sanitation statistics, since these are key areas affecting global poverty in Sudan today.

Relevance: Lots of statistics by country, great humanitarian aid information.

 

 

A Dollar A Day - overview of global poverty

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00282/over_intro.htm

 

A Dollar A Day provides basic knowledge on poverty, including definitions, how it is measured, where it can be found, and causes and effects. It is especially useful in identifying both the social and statistical definitions of poverty. Further, it portrays the difference between relative and absolute poverty, with absolute poverty as the main measure our group focuses on. Also, even though A Dollar A Day does not go into significant detail about the causes of poverty, it highlights four main causes that directed our further research in these causes.

Relevance: Great start to research on global poverty by providing a broad overview. Many main, important issues that should be further researched.

 

 

Panos resources present key issues in a fair and balanced manner

http://www.panos.org.uk/resources/index.asp

 

Panos London is an activist organization that aims to stimulate informed debate about critical development issues by providing balanced information. The group takes some of the most complex issues facing developing countries and attempts to make them accessible and understandable. They organize reports and data into categories including media and communications, globalization, HIV/AIDS, the environment, and conflict. For example, the media and communications section includes reports that analyze the effectiveness of telephones and the Internet as tools to alleviate global poverty. Panos’ reports are especially helpful because they present both sides of each issue and back their analysis with hard facts and statistics.

Relevance: Less biased than other organizations; like the World Bank, may have a vested interest in presenting global poverty in a certain light.

 

 

 

Organizations that are making a difference

 

Kiva funds social business entrepreneurs

http://www.kiva.org

 

Kiva is a micro-finance organization that conducts lending services to entrepreneurs in impoverished countries. Kiva’s global mission is “to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.” Through its work with field partners in the micro-finance world, Kiva helps unique entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses with the hope of increasing their incomes and getting them out of poverty. The website provides helpful information about what exactly is micro-finance, important micro-finance institutions, and the positive impact micro-finance has on impoverished countries. It also provides insight and exploration into third world communities affected by global poverty and how they are using loans from Kiva to better their situations.

Relevance: Great resource for general information about micro-finance and its effect on global poverty; opportunities to lend to entrepreneurs.

 

 

Mosaic for Social Justice in Uganda and Sudan

http://www.mosaicpeace.org/1.html

 

Mosaic is the non-profit organization of our choice created by Justin Holcomb, a religious studies and sociology professor at the University of Virginia, and his wife, Lindsey. Because Professor Holcomb and his wife travel to Sudan annually, they have a personal, inside view on the social injustices and therefore, are able to focus their attention to promote human rights and peace. Mosaic partners with other organizations to initiate sustainable projects for social justice, for example, raising funds to provide the people of Sudan with mosquito nets to prevent disease. Other projects include: funding a Women’s Center for women to mingle and network with others after long days of work; starting an ESL Program to teach the people of Sudan and Uganda the English, the language of education, commerce, and government business; and purchasing bicycles for the clergy to serve a broader range of the community.

Relevance: Very informative about what Mosaic is and the projects it has initiated. The pictures and captions provide a very vivid and intense image of the social injustice in Sudan that other sources are unable to capture.

 

 

One: The Campaign to Make Poverty History

http://www.one.org/

 

The One Campaign’s website is effective in summarizing the main issues concerning global poverty as well as compelling people to become involved. The site clearly divides what they see as the major issues and also allows for further information regarding each specific topic. Not only do they provide extensive amounts of information in an organized format, but each topic leads you to references from at least three separate websites.

Relevance: Shows the power of motivating people through spreading knowledge. Organized with the most important issues and statistics that the world must become aware of.