By Janet Lui
Though understanding poverty is an important level of human compassion, it is also an essential element in understanding the developing world, said Duncan Green, head of research at Oxfam Great Britain, said yesterday.
“[We need to] get inside the heads of poor people,” Green said.
Green spoke to a group of about 50 students on the issues surrounding development and the challenges facing countries that arise in the process of development.
Green works with Oxfam, which is dedicated to putting an end to poverty worldwide, and recently published “From Poverty to Power,” a book presenting a narrative on development from a nongovernmental organization’s point of view.
Green is currently on tour around the United States, giving lectures and talks on development and his book. Northeastern joined the list of institutions on the tour, which includes Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown.
The focus of his book is how the developing world needs active citizens and effective states for development.
“The book tries to look at how power flows,” Green said.
Green also discussed the need for redistribution of opportunities and assets.
Dr. John Portz, chair of the Political Science Department, brought in a representative from Oxfam to speak to his capstone class about what the organization does. What resulted was Oxfam asking Northeastern to host an event with Duncan Green.
Portz said his hope for students gained from the speech “a broader and deeper understanding of the challenges that are facing the developing world.”
Jenny Bagnyuk, a sophomore psychology major, said she is interested in “the change that’s possible when a country has resources and the means to improve itself.”
Cara Bidwell, a senior international affairs and journalism major, said she plans to dive into the field of international development. She said she has spent her Northeastern years studying and traveling to Spain, Morocco and Egypt and still feels there is more she could have done.
“I wish I had taken a course in international development. I’m unsure if we actually have one. I wish I had interned at a place like Oxfam,” she said. The good news for students like Bidwell is Oxfam offers opportunities for students to become more involved.
Jonathan Scanlon, a representative from Oxfam America, urged students to “call or talk to our legislators about foreign aid.” The US policy on foreign aid is a 40-year old-law that needs to be rewritten.
Students can also form an Oxfam university organization, with the permission of the university, to work on the different campaigns detailed on the Oxfam website. Opportunities for internships and volunteer placements are available.”It’s a great time to be a campaigner in America,” Green said.
