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COVER STORY POVERTY REDUCTION AND THE RHETORIC OF PARTICIPATION IMF/World Bank sanctimony exposed Palash Kamruzzaman he World Bank and IMF have proposed units of analysis, global measurement of ownership. First, a growing sense of ownership REFRACTIONS: Tthe Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper poverty, and the scale of planned policy has been suggested as a guiding principle AKADEMI IN THE (PRSP) framework for all poor countries intervention This ‘grand approach’ has taken for the preparation of a PRSP. Government SPOTLIGHT as a condition of receiving unconditional large communities and groups of people— authorities should draft the PRSP, which will debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. The entire countries with populations of millions ensure and reinforce country ownership. The PRSPs will also be the key vehicle for the - as the common units of analysis to assess IFI boards also agree on a more open dialogue World Bank and IMF and other donors for and understand poverty. A similar approach between governments and at least some part various assistance packages, including loans. has been adopted in the Poverty Reduction of the civil society. Such agreements show Like its predecessors, the PRSP framework Strategy Paper (PRSP) framework proposed that it is the World Bank and IMF that are promotes the ideas of ‘participation’ and by the World Bank and the IMF in 1999. not only suggesting the PRSP framework ‘ownership’. The ownership of such a grand Rather than an epic and philanthropic but also prescribing how PRSPs should framework cannot possibly rest with the discovery, the PRSP framework should be be prepared and how ownership can be poor countries or their people if the whole understood as the latest approach in the ensured. However, it also appears (especially EXPLORING NEW idea is the product of World Bank and IMF poverty-reduction strategies of international in the added emphasis) that, as a criterion, INDIA’S PSYCHE IN think-tanks. In discussing the development financial institutions (IFIs) for their client participation does not necessarily have to WEDDING ALBUM of Bangladesh’s PRSP neither participation countries. It is associated with a previous series come from the widest possible sectors of nor ownership was the target in preparing of approaches, such as the Highly Indebted society—rather, it is a means for claiming a national poverty-reduction strategy: they Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, Country local ownership of the PRSPs. were merely necessary components of a Assistance Strategy (CAS), Participatory The expectation is that participation by document required for the continuation Poverty Assessment (PPA), Poverty civil society in developing and implementing of debt and lending relationships with the Action Plan (PAP), and Comprehensive PRSPs will provide a sense of broad-based World Bank and IMF. Development Framework (CDF). ownership, not only by the government, but There is a constant attempt to characterise also by civil and political society. Translating Introduction PRSPs as a country-owned and government- these expectations into operational led process. Widespread agreement about recommendations, the PRSP framework BOLLYWOOD DANCE ecent thoughts on poverty and poverty the PRSP framework can be found among can advocate participation by poor people BEATS GO GLOBAL Rreduction seem ‘big’ in terms of ideas, the IFI boards on key issues to ensure local Continued on page 3 CONFLUENCE ROUND AND ABOUT COVER STORY EDITORIALLY SPEAKING Continued from page 1 Poverty reduction and the IMF/World Bank CONFLUENCE AWARDS DAY in poverty analysis, prioritisation of public actions to be diluted the impact of civil-society involvement and diverted not always been fully involved in the PRSP process. onfluence held an Awards Day for those who completed a nine week course in addressed in the strategy, and the monitoring of governments’ attention from the fundamental problems that hamper the It was also expected that the development of PRSPs would HUMAN RIGHTS ACT Ccreative writing organised by the magazine in the London Borough of Croydon delivery of poverty-reduction commitments. The World Bank performance of the political system. In Uganda and Vietnam, improve the partnerships and coordination among countries in the UK where it is based. Croydon Council’s Director of Education Dave Hills has made approval of PRSPs conditional in principle, on governments have selected the parties with whom they and donors. Until mid-2001 a number of donors were UNDER THREAT was Guest of Honour and gave away the awards. The course was conducted by acceptable participatory processes. However, the Bank has not consult, and thus prevented the process from becoming a frustrated by their own lack of involvement in the process, novelist, writer and award winning broadcaster Jameela Siddiqi following on a specified what constitutes an acceptable participatory process, source of contestation about government policies and state many of them feeling that it was dominated by the World ith the General Election looming on the horizon here in the UK, Grassroots Grant from Croydon Voluntary Action. Eleven participants received which raises questions about its intentions regarding the real authority. In Georgia, the lack of institutionalised politics and Bank and IMF. These donors pointed out that they were threats to the Human Rights Act from many a source seem likely. their awards with Anita Patel securing the prize for Most Promising Writer. ownership of these documents. the politicisation of key aspects of civil society meant that unable to engage jointly in the dialogue with government W there was relatively little space for meaningful contributions during Bank and Fund missions, as they felt that Joint Staff Time to keep our guard up. We know that it is the Human Rights Act that Pictured here is the Awards Day in progress, with Dave Hill at centre and Jameela he PRSP framework itself is problematic, because it from non-government actors during the PRSP process The Assessments (JSAs) drew the government’s attention away Siddiqi on his right. ensures fairplay and equal treatment for everyone - not just for a chosen Tpurports to promote local ‘participation’ to ensure Nicaraguan PRSP was drawn up by technocrats in accordance from alternative views. Such findings by the initiators of the few deemed worthy of protection ‘ownership’, while the whole idea and need for a PRSP has with donor directives; even within the government, ownership PRSP framework underline that local participation was not obviously been generated by the IFI think-tanks, not by the was limited. The strategy was approved in Washington free and spontaneous, but dominated and directed by the lthough the right to be free is centuries old in English law, it is only client countries or the poor people concerned. However, despite strong evidence that it was only a piece of paper, and Bank and Fund. Aas recent as the year 2000 that a clearly set out legally enforceable ‘ownership’ of the PRSPs cannot possibly rest with the that the government did not take poverty reduction seriously This leads us to ask why ideas such as ‘participation’ and ‘right to liberty’ came into force. The guarantee and security of the person client countries, because ultimately it is the IFI boards that (Dijkstra 2005). Dijkstra further argues that the consultation ‘ownership’ have been pushed so repeatedly. What is the have the power to reject or endorse any PRSP, and hence process in Honduras was seen as an improvement over earlier rationale for proposing a new framework and preparing is protected by Article 5 of the Human Rights Act. In other words one have ownership of the document. Furthermore, the idea of governance practices which restricted the agenda and left civil- a PRSP? Why have some poor countries completed their cannot be deprived of his or her freedom unless this is in accordance with ‘country ownership’ is confusing (and illusory) while the society organisations (CSOs) feeling that their concerns were PRSPs, while other Papers are still in the pipeline? a given procedure prescribed by law. World Bank and IMF have in various publications outlined not sufficiently reflected in the strategy. Nevertheless, the first The obvious answers to these questions lie with the the tentative contents, good practices, and expected nature principle of the PRS approach is that it be country-driven and intentions of the World Bank and IMF in introducing the rticle 5 protects one from the actions of the state - so it is not incumbent of participation. country-owned, on the basis of broad-based participatory PRSP framework, which starts with the premise ‘that there is Aon the state to intervene to protect one from the actions of others. It In considering participation in the PRSP framework in processes. Yet these concepts are not always clearly defined. a strong link between debt relief and poverty reduction and seems therefore that it is the politicians, not the people who need to be relation to previous poverty reduction strategies promoted The World Bank and IMF staff lack precise criteria by which debt relief is an integral part of broader efforts to implement by the World Bank and the IMF, the framework contains to judge success in this area and mainly want to be satisfied outcome oriented poverty reduction strategies. By completion convinced. In recent years our attention has focussed on the vindication FREE IMMIGRATION CONSULTATION AT nothing new, and the agenda for its application to all that the government has made a genuine effort to involve of PRSPs, countries should get unconditional debt relief of rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and MORGAN WALKER SOLICITORS LLP! indebted poor countries is questionable. civil society. In many cases, different stakeholders have very under HIPC Initiative’. There is no fundamental difference the Human Rights Act of 1998. Both have faced threats from those who The Immigration team at Morgan Walker Solicitors LLP In discussing the participation process in the development different expectations regarding the participatory process.

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