Rich / Poor Gap
Conclusion
The evidence couldn’t be clearer that the gap between the rich and poor is growing larger and larger. But it is not the gap per se that is the problem, but the behaviors and problems it fosters with both the rich and poor that matter. Poverty on a national and international scale is intimately linked to many of the challenges we face; and change in any one – whether positive or negative – impacts all the others. For that reason, efforts to reduce poverty, reduce consumption, stabilize population, protect the environment, support human rights, and foster democracy are mutually reinforcing. The caveat, however, is that we should work on all these areas to assure success in the others. We must put as much energy into building a global civil society as providing education and clean water if the root causes of the rich-poor gap are to be addressed. There are many avenues and options that we could take to close the gap between rich and poor and alleviate poverty worldwide. The choice is ours and the results could be extraordinary.