From poverty to power - Oxfam-Québec

FROM POVERTY TO POWERThe attitudes and beliefs of elites are crucial to any effort to buildthe combination of active citizens and effective states. Do the wealthybelieve that only fools pay taxes? Do they feel any personal responsibilityfor reducing poverty and inequality? With high walls, privateschools, private medical care, and university education overseas, therich in many countries can insulate themselves to a remarkable degreefrom the poverty and inequality that surround them. 22 However,individualmembers of the elite often ‘defect’ to become leaders of socialmovements and NGOs, bringing with them their skills and connections,and a crucial understanding of how those in power operate. Otherswho remain in elite circles can play a crucial role in developing apublic ethos that emphasises human rights and the role of the state asservant, rather than master, of its citizens.Some of the most deeply held beliefs in many countries relate toidentity, such as gender or ethnicity. Such beliefs often rationalise andreinforce deep inequalities in treatment, whether at the hands ofindividuals or the law. Changing attitudes and beliefs is a crucial partof the struggle for development. In South Asia, the We Can campaignhas achieved notable successes in changing attitudes to domesticviolence, using a model of people-to-people contact, rather thanthe more standard strategy of targeting governments for funds orlegislation (see page 276).RELIGION AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIPPerhaps the most powerful force in shaping attitudes and beliefs isreligion. In many communities, poor people trust their local church,mosque, or temple more than any other institution. 23 While secularisationhas been a notable feature of European life over the past 50 years,in much of the rest of the world religious institutions remain at thecentre of community life. Many countries have seen a rise in religiousfervour, perhaps because faiths can bring solace and security, especiallywhen livelihoods and cultures are challenged by globalisation oremigration from settled rural communities to the chaos of the shantytown.Although public attention often focuses on conflicts and divisionsbetween faiths, perhaps more remarkable is how much they have incommon (see Box 2.1). When representatives of nine world faiths –36