Taking Responsibility

In her opening speach at the Th!nk3 kick-off Marina Ponti, Director of Europe for the Millennium Campaign delivered two key messages.

1) "We are the first generation that can end poverty".

2) "The main obstacle is not lack of resources, or lack of technology. It's the lack of political will".

To me, these messages were in equal parts optimistic and depressing.

On one had, it's encouraging to think that we have it in our reach to eradicate extreme poverty in our lifetime; or at least to put into motion the events that will lead to its eradication. I, for one, don't doubt her assertion that there is enough food, enough technology, enough knowledge, enough energy to rectify the major imbalances in economic and social power that exist in the world today.

On the other hand, I also don't doubt the fact that without sufficient political will it remains entirely unachievable. As Marina commented, "We need to ask government to neglect their primary survival to focus on development". My optimism wanes.

Of course, it isn't simply our political leaders who bear the burden of responsibility. It's us as well. The voters, the citizens, the individuals who comprise developed societies. Political will is to all intents and purposes a mirror of our own will. If 80% of the population voted in direct relation to a party's stance on development then you can guarantee it would top the agenda.

In the UK we are gearing up to a national election. With the financial crisis on the tip of everyone's tongues you can be sure that the primary concern for most British people is the UK economy - not the ongoing misfortunes of developing countries.

In fact I haven't heard mention of anything related to development. Why? Because that's simply not what the electorate is worried about.

Marina was right. We have the resources. We have the technology. We have everything we need to eradicate extreme poverty except the will to do so. Yet, if we want things to change it's not our leaders who need to take responsiblity - it's us.