The Poverty Obliteration Program

The complexity of the concept of poverty is revealed through multiple channels in politics, media, and associations, and the international community. Different views and positions are adopted with regard to the meaning, causes and approaches to poverty. This diversity in definitions poses enormous hurdles for realizing the perennial objective of reducing poverty by modern society. Varying conceptualizations of poverty make measurements controversial, affecting estimates of the magnitude of poverty and subsequent actions to be undertaken. Conflicting notions of poverty can leave poor people without the necessary policy attention and actions. This chapter explores the meanings and measurements of poverty and their implications. This exploration is directed by the question: how do we make sense from the helplessness of the faces discussed in the previous chapter? Finally, the chapter introduces a new paradigm assessing poverty, the Poverty Obliteration Paradigm (POP).