Objective: To introduce participants to the issue of poverty
Time: 30 minutes
Materials: pens, pencils, photocopies of the "Nine Views on Poverty" quiz (one per team)
Group Size: Minimum 6

Instructions

• Which view did you most agree with? Why?
• Which view did you least agree with? Why?
• Have you met anyone who has expressed views similar to these? If so, how did you react?
• What do you think would be an appropriate manner to challenge a viewpoint that you disagree with? 

Quiz
Rank these comments in order, from 1 ("Agree with most") to 9 ("Agree with the least").

1. Most of the talk about the world's "starving millions," and so on, is an exaggeration. The problems aren't nearly as serious as people make them out to be. If we stopped worrying so much, these problems would sort themselves out.
2. The poor countries can't catch up to the rich ones because the rich ones got rich by conquering the poor ones. And they stay rich by controlling the world's trade system.
3. The best way to fight poverty is to change ourselves. As individuals, we need to be more generous, live simpler lives, care more about the people around us and waste less.
4. Sooner or later, the poor countries are going to get together and force the rich ones to give them fairer prices for their products. The big question is whether this can be done peacefully or whether there will likely be wars.
5. Most countries have great inequalities among their own populations. A rich minority is in charge and everyone else is poor. The internal inequalities are more so the cause of poverty than are the inequalities between countries.
6. The main causes of poverty are related to climate and environment. You can't expect much progress when people have to deal with tropical heat, poor soils, dense jungles, deserts, mosquitoes and a lack of clean water.
7. There have always been poor people and there always will be. There will always be lazy people who don't mind living in poverty and who stupidly have children they can't feed.
8. The biggest problem in the world today is the population explosion. There are just too many people to feed and clothe.  The answer is to increase the use of birth control in the poor countries.
9. Both richer and poorer countries should be aiming for self-reliance: regions and countries growing their own food. This can be done most effectively through land reform- farmers and peasants being given their own land.

Related Resources
Working for Change: Active Global Citizenship - available  here