Poverty, solidarity, and poor-led social movements

Summary: "Poor-led social movements work to transform the structures that exclude and exploit people who live in poverty, and know that durable poverty reduction ultimately depends upon the political empowerment of the poor. Yet the knowledge and contributions of these movements have been largely neglected by philosophical analyses of severe poverty, which focus instead on the obligations of individuals and institutions in affluent states. The erasure of people living in poverty as central agents of justice puts philosophers out of step with progressive, pro-poor approaches to poverty and development. From rural landless workers in Brazil, to urban shack dwellers in South Africa, to unemployed workers impoverished by neoliberal economic policies in Argentina, poor-led organizations and movements advance a more political understanding of poverty - and of what is needed to eradicate it. This book shows how these groups develop the political consciousness and collective capabilities of poor communities, and help to create the basis for solidarity among poor populations. Defending the idea of a political responsibility for solidarity, Deveaux shows how nonpoor outsiders can also help to advance a transformative anti-poverty agenda by supporting the efforts of these movements"--