University for a Night Recommendations
Addressing the Underlying Causes of Poverty - What Can Be Done?

Building a more widespread commitment to overcoming poverty is an essential first step in overcoming poverty, and actions to address this are found throughout this report. University for a Night participants also made a number of specific recommendations about ways to address the roots of poverty.
 

Share the benefits of economic growth through an emphasis on more widespread employment. The phenomenon of jobless economic growth that increases income inequalities and generates too few jobs for low income groups poses a serious threat to the well-being of many nations, both North and South. Government policies should consider not only aggregate economic impact but also the distribution of employment. Socially responsible venture capital and microcredit initiatives can foster employment-generating businesses that complement the local culture and environment. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Foundation for International Community Assistance
• Ford Foundation
• International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
• International Labour Organization
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition
• TechnoServe

Rout out corruption, which harms society as a whole. Corruption, both in government and business, places heavy cost on society. Businesses should enact, publicize and follow codes of conduct banning corruption on the part of their staff and directors. Citizens must demand greater transparency on the part of both government and the corporate sector and create reform movements where needed. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• American International Group
• Carter Center
• Center for International Private Enterprise
• Corporación Latinoamericana para el Desarrollo
• Fundación para la Educación Superior (Colombia)
• Group for Democratic Development (Egypt)
• International Monetary Fund
• Transparency International.

Broaden access to education and technology among marginalized groups, and especially among girls and women. The educational attainment of women has strong bearing on the well-being of their families, and efforts to improve education for women and girls must be strengthened. At the same time, steps should be taken to ensure that the current revolution in information technology benefits marginalized groups. This must begin in school. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• Center for Development and Population Activities
• Forum of African Women Educationalists
• Foundation for Community Development (Mozambique)
• Girls, Inc.
• Global Fund for Women
• Microsoft
• Time Warner
• UNIFEM.

Improve government capacity to provide universal access to essential goods and services, including potable water, affordable food, primary health care, education, housing and other social services. Governments around the world have made commitments to this through the 20/20 Initiative, which calls for 20% of national budgets and 20% of foreign aid to be spent on human services. But raising adequate resources through effective taxation and other mechanisms is often politically difficult. New mechanisms for public policy dialogue that enable citizens of all classes to recognize the benefit of universal access to key services must be put in place. Nonprofit groups and even corporations can provide essential support here, helping articulate a vision of a healthy society. These nongovernmental actors can also help in the actual provision of services. Examples of groups working to achieve these recommendations include:

• ActionAid
• Africa Water Network
• Border Environment Cooperation Commission
• Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
• Inter-American Development Bank
• International Women's Health Coalition
• International Secretariat for Water
• North American Development Bank
• Rockefeller Foundation
• United Nations Development Programme.