World Bank: fighting poverty a key to achieving world peace and lowering global tensions
Regional, Politics, 6/7/2003

The World Bank said in a press release on June 5, 2003:

An overwhelming majority of opinion leaders polled worldwide during the past year, especially those in the poorest countries, agree that fighting poverty is key to achieving world peace and lowering global tensions, a new poll commissioned by the World Bank shows.

Large majorities of opinion leaders in every region of the world point to poverty reduction as critical to achieving peace, and that sentiment is especially strong in Sub-Saharan Africa (91 percent), and South Asia (87 percent), and the Middle East and North Africa (79 percent). But support is also high in rich countries, where seven in 10 opinion leaders strongly believe that fighting poverty is the path to peace.

"The poll confirms the belief of many in the development community, including the World Bank, that if nothing is done about fighting grinding poverty, then lasting peace and stability are but a distant dream," said World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn. "In this time of rebuilding after conflict, this message is especially critical. If we want a more stable and peaceful world, we have to restore hope and prosperity to the three billion people [3,000 million] who live on less than $2 a day."

The new poll, carried out for the World Bank by Princeton Survey Research Associates, is one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys ever conducted on international development issues with opinion leaders. Researchers polled more than 2,600 individuals in 48 countries, representing all of the world's regions, who hold high-level positions in government, media, civil society, academia, the private sector and labor unions. Between October 2002 and March 2003, respondents were surveyed on a wide range of issues, from foreign assistance and development, to poverty and the impact of corruption on poor countries. Opinion leaders were also asked about the World Bank's role in international development, and its performance in key areas.

"We welcome this survey's findings and think it is good practice for an organization like the World Bank to listen to a wide variety of opinions from people around the world on what is on their minds and how they perceive our work", said Wolfensohn. "This survey shows that we are doing many things better than we were a few years ago but it also shows that we need to work harder in other areas of our work. We take these results seriously and we aim to be transparent in sharing them widely with our staff and partners, and use them to improve the way we fight poverty. We have already begun to act in response to the findings."

Growing Global Gap Between Rich and Poor

The poll shows that while many opinion leaders recognize the link between poverty and peace, large majorities also say the gap between rich and poor people in their country is growing worse. And the problem is not just visible within countries. Virtually all opinion leaders polled in both rich and developing countries say the wealth gap between the so-called "industrialized world" and the developing world is growing.

The opinion leaders' comments come against a backdrop of pessimism, with at least two-thirds in every region describing themselves as "dissatisfied" with the world situation. Those polled in rich countries are among the most dissatisfied. Large majorities of the public in virtually all of the 44 countries surveyed in a separate poll, the Pew Global Attitudes Project, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the world. Yet majorities are optimistic about their country's future, saying their country is going in the right direction.

When asked what the biggest problems are that their countries face today, many identified poverty, economic issues, and concerns about government and governance.

Economic issues top the list of concerns in East Asia, Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and the rich countries. In Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, economic problems and social problems vie for top place, and in South Asia, more opinion leaders mention social problems than economic concerns.

Concerns Over Corruption Impeding Poverty Fight

Most opinion leaders expressed doubt that the international community can meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving global poverty by 2015.

Research results indicate that concerns about foreign assistance may explain some of the pessimism opinion leaders feel about the goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. Although positive views generally outweigh the negative on handling of foreign assistance, the corrosive effects of corruption on foreign assistance trouble opinion leaders worldwide. The more indebted or poor a country is, the more likely its opinion leaders are to strongly agree that assistance is squandered through corruption. This is the case even though many say that poor country governments and foreign assistance organizations are doing a better job handling financial assistance.

Those polled in developing countries and more indebted countries are more likely to say the goal of halving poverty by 2015 will be achieved. For example, four out of 10 leaders in East Asia, Latin America, and South Asia, say that it is at least somewhat likely that poverty will be reduced in half by 2015. Opinion leaders in rich countries, especially in France, Japan, Switzerland and the U.S., are least optimistic.

On the amount of aid, many say that more money is needed to fight poverty. But sizable numbers say enough money is already being spent but that it is not being used wisely. These opinions are directly linked to views about corruption. Across all regions, opinion leaders who strongly believe that foreign assistance is mostly wasted because of corruption are also most likely to believe enough is being spent-just not wisely.

Views of Globalization

On the issue of globalization, the opinion leaders surveyed largely assert that globalization is good for their country. Solid majorities in every region say globalization is good for their country, although many temper this view by saying that globalization is somewhat rather than very good. Rich countries stand out with more saying globalization is good for their country than in developing countries.

Nevertheless, in a few developing countries, very large majorities of eight in 10 or more opinion leaders favor globalization -- China, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Kenya and Nigeria.

Only one in 10 opinion leaders in the rich countries say globalization has a negative impact compared to nearly three times as many in developing countries. There is even greater opposition to globalization in a few countries. Majorities oppose globalization in Indonesia, Mali, Russia and Yemen.

In addition to asking about globalization in general, the survey focused on five aspects of globalization: the opening of markets and trade with other countries, the establishment of foreign businesses that sell products in a country, the greater availability of goods from different parts of the world, the exchange of ideas and information between people of different countries, and the greater availability of popular culture from different parts of the world.

In each case, a solid majority of opinion leaders in every region say that each is positive, although respondents in some individual countries take the opposite view.

In-depth analysis shows that when opinion leaders say globalization is bad for their country they are most often referring to two economic aspects of it -- the opening of markets and trade with other countries and the introduction of foreign businesses that sell products in their country. To a lesser degree, the importation of popular culture such as movies, TV and music is also closely associated with opposition to globalization. Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa differ slightly from this pattern.

In Europe and Central Asia, the availability of foreign products and the importation of foreign culture play the largest role in explaining opposition to globalization. In Latin America, opposition to globalization is based on the two economic aspects mentioned above but not foreign popular culture. And in the Middle East and North Africa, concern about foreign popular culture plays a slightly bigger role in shaping opposition to globalization than the opening of markets and trade or foreign businesses that sell products in their country. Trade unionists surveyed in developing countries are more likely to have a negative view of globalization than opinion leaders working in other professional sectors.

World Bank Doing Better Job, But Criticisms Remain

Overall, opinion leaders in developing countries are clear that the World Bank's influence on their country is generally positive, and many say the Bank has become more useful, relevant, transparent, responsive, visible and better at communicating in all parts of the world.

A large majority in every region say the Bank has a positive influence on the way things are going in their country, while opinion is particularly positive in Europe and Central Asia and East Asia, where eight in 10 opinion leaders say the Bank has a very or somewhat good influence. Many opinion leaders agree that the Bank's manner and approach to borrowing countries have improved during the last few years, and that the Bank is more collaborative and willing to work in partnerships with civil society.

Moreover, many opinion leaders say the Bank has been doing a better job in the past few years in key areas as widely varied as poverty, health, education, environment, growth and the economy, infrastructure, and governance. An example of an area where the Bank has made great strides is health. Nearly seven in 10 opinion leaders in sub-Saharan Africa say the Bank has been doing a better job in helping their country improve the health of its people while roughly half or more in most other regions agree.

Also, opinion leaders clearly identify the Bank with the mission of poverty reduction, saying the Bank is on the right track in putting it at the center of its mission, and that its work on poverty has improved during the past few years. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa and in the rich countries where six in 10 or more respondents say the Bank is doing a better job at helping countries reduce poverty.

On the Bank's leadership, majorities in most regions said the Bank is doing a better job in recent years under the guidance of President James D. Wolfensohn.

But at the same time, criticisms remain. Although many of those surveyed say the Bank has become less arrogant in the last few years, many complain that the institution remains too bureaucratic and arrogant. The Bank also gets lower evaluations for its efforts to help developing countries reduce corruption. On corruption, a majority of opinion leaders in sub-Saharan Africa say the Bank has been doing a better job helping countries reduce corruption. But in all other regions, fewer than half credit the Bank with doing a better job fighting corruption. Meanwhile, opinion leaders see the Bank as closely tied to the U.S.

On the issue of the benefits of economic reforms recommended by the Bank, opinion is mixed. When asked their opinion of the statement that "Although the World Bank says its goal is to increase growth and reduce poverty, its recommended economic reforms hurt more people than they help," solid majorities in most rich countries and all countries surveyed in Europe and Central Asia disagree, as do majorities in three East Asian countries -- China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Opinion is more negative in Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa with slim majorities saying the Bank's economic reforms are more of a minus than a plus. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, a six in 10 majority sides with the negative impact of the Bank's economic reforms. But for most opinion leaders, these criticisms do not affect their overall positive evaluation of the Bank. Although opinion leaders point to areas where the Bank needs to improve, most of those polled have a generally positive view of the Bank. In part, this may be tied to their view that the Bank has become more relevant over the last few years.

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