“End of Poverty?” a good question. It is the title of Philippe Dias documentary that received numerous awards and recognitions. This week The Tipping Point Film Fund organised the screening at the Lexi cinema.
I always wondered how people can be hungry and poor when nature can produce anything we need to at least not to be hungry.
One of the most striking scenes was a group of Kenyan farmer showing their devastated land and dying animals. Just two miles away, a foreign corporation has just opened. A recent built dam has destroyed all their cultures bringing cholera and other forms of deceases. To make things worse, the rice produced in their land is sold abroad and does not even nourish their own people.
The economical system and financial institutions created by the west keeps developing countries under-development. This neo-liberalism system is the continuation of colonization. It sucks all the wealth produced in poor countries in debt repayment to the West creditors.
Through the imposition of debt, the countries lose their sovereignty…. letting external vested interests dictate the country policies.
It is happening here:
Until recently Europe was protected from the side effects of the market. Now it is happening here! The financial crisis has justified savage cuts in the welfare system and the selling of public service units (Gaz, Water, Electricity, Telecommunication….) to private interests. There is no real political alternative, the “right” says large fast cuts and the “left” says cuts but not so fast. Their argument is we have too much debt! Non sense! We always had debt! It is part of the functioning of the capitalist system.
Critics:
From the floor – in the audience someone pointed out that English subtitles were only use when black speakers were speaking when American-Asians clearly had an accent. I think it is a pity that the film director did not challenge his own prejudice. In my point of view, the film is a bit too long partly due to the large quantity of interviews. Philippe Diaz could have cut on few speakers. Some discourses were repetitive and did not add further information. Moreover, some historic explanations about the colonisation were simplistic.
Conclusion:
The “End of Poverty?” is very rich and triggers many questions that need to be investigated separately. A long debate about aid followed in the audience.The successful role of UKUncut in the organisation of grassroot spontaneous protests to expose tax-doding corporations.
Further reading that reinforce the idea of western economies responsibility in the extreme poverty of the South.
Panel discussion speakers:
The New Economics Foundation is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being...
War on Want fights poverty in developing countries in partnership with people affected by globalisation. they campaign for human rights and against the root causes of global poverty, inequality and injustice.
This film is supported by:
STWR advocates for essential resources such as food, water and energy to be shared internationally under the agency of the UN in order
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