Unheard Voices

I was in Manila recently attending a conference. I spent a week in the city, though part of it was spent cooped up in the hotel room. One can never know much about a country from the little one sees in a few day, so none of what I say should be viewed as an expert analysis of the Philippines economy or society. But what I write is based on what I saw - after all, where else but in a blog post can I ramble on? Take all of it with a pinch of salt, sure. But I do hope this provokes some thoughts.

(More at Mukti)

From Washington Post report:
1. Bangladesh is among at least 33 countries, many with shaky governments and destitute populations, that are at risk of serious political unrest if food prices keep rising, according to a recent World Bank study.
2. 20,000 garment workers defied a government ban…workers, mostly women, hurled rocks and bricks at police and vandalized factories in what the local media dubbed the start of the “Rice Revolution.”
3. Bangladeshis are suffering from what is called monga, a near faminelike condition whereby villagers often skip meals and eat only tiny amounts of food.
4. Some see use of the military to guard rice shops as an ominous sign. Sajjad Zohir: “There’s a real danger, particularly if political stability doesn’t return and prices for food keep going up.” (more…)

How many DP readers have tried to walk into Sheraton/Sonargaon* fresh off a ricksha, wearing a plain lungi and a white cotton t-shirt (unless it’s for a performance)? Probably none. How many of us have gone to work in Dhaka that way? Probably the same number. How many of us have seen such a thing? I await the comments with much interest, and anticipate a few stories of 5-star hotel guards swearing at ricksha-pullers and beggars!

I apologise for raising these disturbing (and tasteless to some, I’m sure) questions because nothing highlights the differences between the formal and informal sectors of the economy more than the respective dress codes: trousers and whatever for the former, lungis and whatever for the latter. Why, even Dr. Yunus with all his Grameen checked clothing does not dare to wear a lungi for fear of offending some unspoken agreement made long ago on the fields of Polashi…. but I digress.

Asif Bhai’s post below raises concern that the self-proclaimed “bhodrolokes” are disconnected from the little people below. This does not necessarily mean - as is often repeated with much emotional bluster by critics of all governments - that they don’t know what it’s like to live among the “ordinary” people with ordinary incomes. They probably do: few in their generation were born with silver spoons in their mouth. Some probably even know poverty better than some of their critics do.

(more…)

Please download the Rickshaw Development Proposal

The challenge was to propose an idea which would have the greatest impact on poverty alleviation in
Bangladesh. After nine months of living and working in the country as volunteers, my colleague Thomas Wipperman and I realised that the answer was all around us. There are many marginalised groups in
Bangladesh; indigenous people, farmers afflicted by the Monga famines, HIV sufferers – but they compromise a tiny minority in a country of over 145 million. When the purpose of intervention is to reach as many people as possible at the lowest end of the social scale, the stand-out constituency is the rickshaw pullers. Rickshaw pullers are the essential cogs in
Bangladesh’s machine. And they deserve better.

(more…)

For all their faults, one thing I like about international organizations like the World Bank and international development organizations that work on the ground, is that aside from their rhetoric, they actually come up with actionable policy strategies. more often than not. Whether one agrees or approves of the strategies is another matter.

The World Bank’s recent report “Dhaka: Improving Living Conditions for the Urban Poor” is a good example of a piece of research that is academically grounded, creates a clear prioritization of the issues at hand, and a policy response that specifically names the necessary agents involved.

As the report says:
“Dhaka is the fastest growing mega-city in the world. Annually, the city draws an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 mostly poor migrants who provide critical employment for the city’s industries and services. Urgent measures are required to address the vital needs of the rapidly growing urban poor”

What I like best about this paper is how the author goes on to describe policy responses for each of the critical areas of concern. Some of the policy responses may seem be obvious truths for arm-chair pundits like myself ;), but its good to see them in print and in the hands of decisions makers. For example, the report has this to say about urban housing:

“Implementing the National Housing Policy to ensure shelter for the poor. The National Housing Policy provides an enabling framework for addressing land and housing markets in Dhaka, and enforcing basic property rights. The implementation of this policy, as with an urban poverty reduction strategy, will require an adequate institutional framework with clear leadership, as well as roles and responsibilities. The Government should establish an inter-agency committee including key actors such as LGED, National Housing Authority, Ministry of Land/Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and RAJUK. In the medium term, the committee should be led by a clearly mandated agency with authority to implement the necessary reforms.” (Executive Summary, Dhaka: ILCUP)

Even if you don’t have time for the entire report, the Executive Summary does a decent job of running through the most important ideas.

Here is the full interview with the author on some related questions.

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