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Should Rich Nations Help the Poor?
In the past decade, the developed world has spent almost US$ 2 trillion on foreign aid for poorer countries. Yet 1.2 billion people still live in extreme poverty and around 2.9 billion cannot meet their basic human needs.
But should rich nations continue to help the poor? In this short book, leading global poverty analyst David Hulme explains why helping the world’s neediest communities is both the right thing to do and the wise thing to do Ð if rich nations want to take care of their own citizens’ future welfare.
The real question is how best to provide this help. The way forward, Hulme argues, is not conventional foreign aid but trade, finance and environmental policy reform. But this must happen alongside a change in international social norms so that we all recognise the collective benefits of a poverty-free world.
But should rich nations continue to help the poor? In this short book, leading global poverty analyst David Hulme explains why helping the world’s neediest communities is both the right thing to do and the wise thing to do Ð if rich nations want to take care of their own citizens’ future welfare.
The real question is how best to provide this help. The way forward, Hulme argues, is not conventional foreign aid but trade, finance and environmental policy reform. But this must happen alongside a change in international social norms so that we all recognise the collective benefits of a poverty-free world.
- GenresPolitical Science
136 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 5, 2025
nice and succinct. great if you’re a dev student trying to lift references, or if you’re interested in the topic as a whole!
March 24, 2017
This was a very interesting book as David took the time to explore whether or not rich nations should help poorer nations.
He starts with defining what determines if a country is poor and the history of aid given to nations.
David states that the question is not supposed to be whether or not help should be given. Rather, it's a question of how to help better (what are the best ways for rich nations to help the poor?).
The more our world becomes global (especially with migration and emerging technologies), it is foolish to think that what happens in a remote part of the world will not have an effect on the so-called rich countries.
Rating: 4.5/5
Favourite Quote: "The relatively better-off should assist poor people: to improve local and national social cohesion; to reduce the incentives for excluded social groups to threaten social and economic stability; to create economic opportunities; to reduce the likelihood of public health problems and pandemics; and to reduce rates of migration and population growth."
This was a very interesting book as David took the time to explore whether or not rich nations should help poorer nations.
He starts with defining what determines if a country is poor and the history of aid given to nations.
David states that the question is not supposed to be whether or not help should be given. Rather, it's a question of how to help better (what are the best ways for rich nations to help the poor?).
The more our world becomes global (especially with migration and emerging technologies), it is foolish to think that what happens in a remote part of the world will not have an effect on the so-called rich countries.
Rating: 4.5/5
Favourite Quote: "The relatively better-off should assist poor people: to improve local and national social cohesion; to reduce the incentives for excluded social groups to threaten social and economic stability; to create economic opportunities; to reduce the likelihood of public health problems and pandemics; and to reduce rates of migration and population growth."
May 12, 2025
Rich nations should help the poor for 3 reasons; it's ethically the right thing to do, moral responsibility, & self-interest as altruism. This book is a good beginner's guide to understand the complex mechanisms behind economical structures regarding foreign aid. However I'm still not really keen w this book due to its Western-centric views & I sensed subtle 'saviour complex' connotations. It's almost as if the rich nations have no problems at all, other than the incoming influx of immigrants, & potential pandemic from foreign diseases!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews