Results of data gathering:Results of data gathering:

Only three participants responded our Only three participants responded our focus question namely: P02,P05 and P06 focus question namely: P02,P05 and P06 but we just made collaboration with our but we just made collaboration with our class and researched using the internet.class and researched using the internet.

Here are our outputs:Here are our outputs:

Laziness: The most notable cause of intractable poverty identified by the majority, both in interviews and the training, was ‘’. This is characterized as having low interest in a good life, passivity, lack of motivation and initiative, low intellect, dependency thinking, reliance on assistance from others, and lack of life skills (to plan and organize their life), bad training and care of children by parents.

It was felt by some participants that laziness should be dealt with through education. The overall feeling was that these types of people are ‘no hopers’ and in need of some form of assistance to survive; they do not have the ability and life skills to manage alone. The wealth ranking exercise also identified drunkards who squandered their animals within the category of lazy and poor.

Entrenched factors associated with Entrenched factors associated with poverty:poverty:

Colonial Histories:Colonial Histories: One of the most important barriers to One of the most important barriers to

development in poor countries is lack of development in poor countries is lack of uniform, basic infrastructure, such as roads uniform, basic infrastructure, such as roads and means of communication. Some and means of communication. Some development scholars have identified colonial development scholars have identified colonial history as an important contributor to the history as an important contributor to the current situation. In most countries with a current situation. In most countries with a history of colonization, the colonizers history of colonization, the colonizers developed local economies to facilitate the developed local economies to facilitate the expropriation of resources for their own expropriation of resources for their own economic growth and development. economic growth and development.

Centralization of PowerCentralization of Power:: In many developing countries, political In many developing countries, political

power is disproportionately centralized. Instead of power is disproportionately centralized. Instead of having a network of political representatives having a network of political representatives distributed equally throughout society, in centralized distributed equally throughout society, in centralized systems of governance one major party, politician, systems of governance one major party, politician, or region is responsible for decision-making or region is responsible for decision-making throughout the country. This often causes throughout the country. This often causes development problems. For example, in these development problems. For example, in these situations politicians make decisions about places situations politicians make decisions about places that they are unfamiliar with, lacking sufficient that they are unfamiliar with, lacking sufficient knowledge about the context to design effective and knowledge about the context to design effective and appropriate policies and programs. appropriate policies and programs.

CorruptionCorruption:: Corruption often accompanies Corruption often accompanies centralization of power, when leaders are not centralization of power, when leaders are not accountable to those they serve. Most directly, accountable to those they serve. Most directly, corruption inhibits development when leaders help corruption inhibits development when leaders help themselves to money that would otherwise be used themselves to money that would otherwise be used for development projects. In other cases, leaders for development projects. In other cases, leaders reward political support by providing services to reward political support by providing services to their followerstheir followers

WarfareWarfare::

Warfare contributes to more entrenched poverty Warfare contributes to more entrenched poverty by diverting scarce resources from fighting poverty by diverting scarce resources from fighting poverty to maintaining a military. Take, for example, the to maintaining a military. Take, for example, the cases of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The most recent cases of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The most recent conflict over borders between the two countries conflict over borders between the two countries erupted into war during 1999 and 2000, a period erupted into war during 1999 and 2000, a period when both countries faced severe food shortages due when both countries faced severe food shortages due to drought. to drought.

Environmental degradation:Environmental degradation: Awareness and Awareness and concern about environmental degradation have concern about environmental degradation have grown around the world over the last few decades, grown around the world over the last few decades, and are currently shared by people of different and are currently shared by people of different nations, cultures, religions, and social classes. nations, cultures, religions, and social classes. However, the negative impacts of environmental However, the negative impacts of environmental degradation are disproportionately felt by the poor. degradation are disproportionately felt by the poor.

Throughout the developing world, the poor often rely on Throughout the developing world, the poor often rely on natural resources to meet their basic needs through natural resources to meet their basic needs through agricultural production and gathering resources essential for agricultural production and gathering resources essential for household maintenance, such as water, firewood, and wild household maintenance, such as water, firewood, and wild plants for consumption and medicine. Thus, the depletion and plants for consumption and medicine. Thus, the depletion and contamination of water sources directly threaten the contamination of water sources directly threaten the livelihoods of those who depend on them.livelihoods of those who depend on them.

Social InequalitySocial Inequality:: One of the more entrenched One of the more entrenched sources of poverty throughout the world is social inequality sources of poverty throughout the world is social inequality that stems from cultural ideas about the relative worth of that stems from cultural ideas about the relative worth of different genders, races, ethnic groups, and social classes. different genders, races, ethnic groups, and social classes. Ascribed inequality works by placing individuals in different Ascribed inequality works by placing individuals in different social categories at birth, often based on religious, ethnic, or social categories at birth, often based on religious, ethnic, or 'racial' characteristics. In South African history, apartheid laws 'racial' characteristics. In South African history, apartheid laws defined a binary caste system that assigned different rights (or defined a binary caste system that assigned different rights (or lack thereof) and social spaces to Whites and Blacks, using skin lack thereof) and social spaces to Whites and Blacks, using skin color to automatically determine the opportunities available to color to automatically determine the opportunities available to individuals in each group. individuals in each group.

EFFECTS OF POVERTY:EFFECTS OF POVERTY: Extreme Extreme hungerhunger and and starvationstarvation Lack of Lack of sanitationsanitation DiseasesDiseases and disabilities; and disabilities;

low health care services low health care services High High crimecrime rate rate Increased Increased suicidessuicides Increased risk of political violence; such as Increased risk of political violence; such as

terrorismterrorism, , warwar and and genocidegenocide HomelessnessHomelessness DepressionDepression [5][5]

Lack of opportunities for Lack of opportunities for employmentemployment Low literacy Low literacy Loss of population due to emigration. Loss of population due to emigration. More susceptible to death from natural disasters. More susceptible to death from natural disasters. Increased discrimination Increased discrimination Lower life expectancy Lower life expectancy Drug abuse Drug abuse

WAYS OF SOLVING WAYS OF SOLVING POVERTY:POVERTY:

Most of these are obvious, from the Most of these are obvious, from the account above. For example: - account above. For example: -

Change the culture and advertising Change the culture and advertising that that delude the poor more than the fortunate delude the poor more than the fortunate able to look after themselves.able to look after themselves.

We should be studious and diligent to work We should be studious and diligent to work to earn money. Besides, we should learn to to earn money. Besides, we should learn to save money for our future life. Don’t paid for save money for our future life. Don’t paid for the bad thing for our health or life. The most the bad thing for our health or life. The most important is that we should learn to stop our important is that we should learn to stop our wants and needs too much things that are wants and needs too much things that are not necessary as our King tell us.not necessary as our King tell us.

1). To improve the quality of education in 1). To improve the quality of education in the community.the community.

2). To improve the quality of human 2). To improve the quality of human resources (their skill, their creativity,  their resources (their skill, their creativity,  their intellectual  and their motivation). intellectual  and their motivation). 

3). To improve the stability of politic 3). To improve the stability of politic situation in the community by stopping war, situation in the community by stopping war,

      4). To provide jobs for unemployment so 4). To provide jobs for unemployment so they can have permanent income and they can have permanent income and

improve  their standard of life. improve  their standard of life.    5). Finding the certain ways to make the 5). Finding the certain ways to make the area fertile so it is possible to produce area fertile so it is possible to produce

  certain crop as their food.certain crop as their food.

Culture shiftCulture shift to distinguish between to distinguish between Honorable and Filthy Riches according to Honorable and Filthy Riches according to source and amount of wealth.source and amount of wealth.

Increases in land values directed to Increases in land values directed to benefit the whole publicbenefit the whole public, not , not speculators.speculators.

JusticeJustice - low cost and ready access. - low cost and ready access. Decent housing and rental cDecent housing and rental conditions.onditions. Health and energy is needed to get out of Health and energy is needed to get out of

poverty. poverty. Preventive health care Preventive health care free and free and available for all. Alternatives for drugs for available for all. Alternatives for drugs for escape, consolation, thrills.escape, consolation, thrills.

REFLECTIONS:REFLECTIONS: In joining In joining learning circlelearning circle, we experience , we experience

tellecollaboration with other nations; sharing ideas tellecollaboration with other nations; sharing ideas at a certain topic. This marvelous learning at a certain topic. This marvelous learning experience is helping us learners to know what are experience is helping us learners to know what are their ideas and opinions with our focus questions their ideas and opinions with our focus questions and at the same time, knowing their cultures and and at the same time, knowing their cultures and beliefs . We are also gaining many new friends beliefs . We are also gaining many new friends everytime we do the tellecollaboration. Our group is everytime we do the tellecollaboration. Our group is hopeful to join another batch in learning circle. We hopeful to join another batch in learning circle. We are very thankful too to the participants who are very thankful too to the participants who responded our focus question. We really enjoy the responded our focus question. We really enjoy the moment and learning significant information in each moment and learning significant information in each participant.participant.