Too many of the conflicts which are caused today are caused by the problems that emerge from people who are in poverty.
Interpretation
Poverty is a significant source of conflict in society.
James Wolfensohn highlights the direct correlation between poverty and conflict, suggesting that many societal problems arise from the struggles of those living in impoverished conditions. This perspective emphasizes the importance of addressing economic disparities to foster peace and stability within communities.
In practice
In a discussion on social justice, you might use this quote to emphasize the need for poverty alleviation initiatives.
In this time of globalization, with all its advantages, the poor are the most vulnerable to having their traditions, relationships and knowledge and skills ignored and denigrated, and experiencing development with a great sense of trauma, loss and social disconnectedness.
The only way really to influence countries, in terms of poverty, is to get them to change their policies and get them to understand what the issues are.
So the first thing you need to do about conflict is to prevent it, and the best way of preventing it is by dealing with the question of poverty.
When I travel, I make certain that I spend at least half of my time in the field. You have to get out to meet people that are in poverty, that are looking to improve their lives. That's something that you can't read in books.
The Bank had never used the word 'corruption' at all until I got there, and the reason for that was, as the general counsel pointed out to me, that quite a number of our shareholders represented were not immune from corruption in their governments.
Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.
Sometimes I do feel hopeless when I look out and scream out through my music, and I scream out through these interviews, and I scream out to people to kind of get their attention back on the things that are meaningful. There's people dying on the streets of Chicago - young people, young men and women who are losing their lives.
Child labor perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population growth and other social problems.
The vast majority of the guns in the U.S. are sold to white people who live in the suburbs or the country. When we fantasize about being mugged or home invaded, what's the image of the perpetrator in our heads? Is it the freckled-face kid from down the street - or is it someone who is, if not black, at least poor?
Beef is not what Jay said to Nas;_x000D_ _x000D_ Beef is when the working folks can't find jobs.
There are huge divorces and divides and chasms in black America between the have-gots and the have-nots, between the monied and the poor, between the educated and the non-educated. And there are huge and growing chasms daily. And I want to say that it's not simply about generation. It's about genre.
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