--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should not think of poverty…" description: "\"We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of collecting money and giving it to the poor so much as of reforming the global rules that are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg" --- # We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of… ![“We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of collecting money and giving it to the poor so much as of reforming the global rules that are disadvantaging the poor and making it impossible for them to fend for themselves.” quote by Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg) > “We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of collecting money and giving it to the poor so much as of reforming the global rules that are disadvantaging the poor and making it impossible for them to fend for themselves.” [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Addressing poverty requires changing systemic structures, not just charitable donations, to empower the disadvantaged. **In simple terms:** Poverty needs rule reform, not just aid. Key Takeaway Focus on systemic change. Themes poverty justice policy global inequality empowerment Mood concerned determined Type analytical policy‑oriented When to use this quote - government policy - NGO advocacy - international trade negotiations - development programs Key Concepts institutional reform economic justice human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign global rules to favor the poor? - What obstacles hinder systemic reform? A Different Perspective Changing rules is complex and faces powerful interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collecting/) [Disadvantaging Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disadvantaging-poor-4536968/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-poor-2811019/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Reforming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-reforming-4536969/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty Eradication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-eradication-559935/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Think Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-poverty-586214/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Polak, a psychiatrist, has applied a behavioral and anthropological approach to alleviating poverty, developed by studying people in their natural surroundings. He argues that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lockwood/polak-a-psychiatrist-has-applied-a-behavioral-and-anthropological/) [Amy Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lockwood/) > [it is inconceivable that poverty eradication can make much headway in the absence of major advances in literacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koichiro-matsuura/it-is-inconceivable-that-poverty-eradication-can-make-much-headway-in/) [Koichiro Matsuura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koichiro-matsuura/) > [Our goal of poverty eradication and of inclusive growth that embraces the disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society can be achieved when our actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratibha-patil/our-goal-of-poverty-eradication-and-of-inclusive-growth-that-embraces/) [Pratibha Patil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratibha-patil/) > [“The means to laying up treasure in heaven is by giving to the poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-servant/the-means-to-laying-up-treasure-in-heaven-is-by-giving-to-the-poor/) [David Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-servant/) > [Giving a poor person money keeps them poorer longer...often forever; give them knowledge instead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/giving-a-poor-person-money-keeps-them-poorer-longer-often-forever/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Giving a poor person money keeps them poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/giving-a-poor-person-money-keeps-them-poor/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The only gift is giving to the poor; All else is exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruvalluvar/the-only-gift-is-giving-to-the-poor-all-else-is-exchange/) [Thiruvalluvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruvalluvar/) > [Since much wealth too often proves a snare and an incumbrance in the Christian's race, let him lighten the weight by 'dispersing abroad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-toplady/since-much-wealth-too-often-proves-a-snare-and-an-incumbrance-in-the/) [Augustus Toplady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-toplady/) > [ Giving much to the poore, doth inrich a mans store. \[Giving much to the poor doth increase a man's store.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/giving-much-to-the-poore-doth-inrich-a-mans-store-giving-much-to-the/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/good-works-is-giving-to-the-poor-and-the-helpless-but-divine-works-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Giving to the poor is an essential part of Christian morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/giving-to-the-poor-is-an-essential-part-of-christian-morality/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Of the 22 industrialized nations of the world, we're dead last in per capita giving to poor people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/of-the-22-industrialized-nations-of-the-world-we-re-dead-last-in-per/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [I don't think poverty provides that much of an obstacle to education as one thinks. I think the bigger obstacle to education is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-don-t-think-poverty-provides-that-much-of-an-obstacle-to-education/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I assume the president's going to say he got bad intelligence... I think that wherever you see poverty, whether it's in the white rural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/i-assume-the-president-s-going-to-say-he-got-bad-intelligence-i-think/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [“I came to think of poverty of speech as a reflection of the richness of the mind, giving it time to explore and develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-came-to-think-of-poverty-of-speech-as-a-reflection-of-the-richness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Thomas Pogge > [I think that many citizens understand how our system works, or rather, fails to work, for structural reasons. But who has the capacity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/i-think-that-many-citizens-understand-how-our-system-works-or-rather/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [The massive corruption common in so many developing countries would be quite impossible if Western countries did not provide convenient opportunities to ship ill-gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-massive-corruption-common-in-so-many-developing-countries-would/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [What we should do is require or at least permit innovators to license their green innovations free of charge in exchange for public payments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/what-we-should-do-is-require-or-at-least-permit-innovators-to-license/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [You can get an ice-cold Coke for around fifty cents in most developing countries, not just in the major population centers, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/you-can-get-an-ice-cold-coke-for-around-fifty-cents-in-most/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [I think one big improvement would be if we somehow made it cheaper and easier for developing countries to learn from the sad experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/i-think-one-big-improvement-would-be-if-we-somehow-made-it-cheaper/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Purchasing power parities are not a reasonable method for comparing households across countries or currencies. The reason for this is simply that PPPs are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/purchasing-power-parities-are-not-a-reasonable-method-for-comparing/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [The extremely low respect Congress enjoys among the population indicates that the citizens understand broadly what's going on. But the lack of a realistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-extremely-low-respect-congress-enjoys-among-the-population/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [One citizen, or a few, may be powerless if all the rest are determined to benefit from the imposition of unjust supranational rules. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/one-citizen-or-a-few-may-be-powerless-if-all-the-rest-are-determined/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Severe poverty is getting better by some measures, but it's also becoming ever more scandalous because it is now so easily avoidable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/severe-poverty-is-getting-better-by-some-measures-but-it-s-also/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [To improve global health, it's not enough just to have a really good new product and to obtain marketing approval. You still need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/to-improve-global-health-it-s-not-enough-just-to-have-a-really-good/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [We have the ability now to arrange global economic institutions so that poverty declines to a fraction of what it is now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/we-have-the-ability-now-to-arrange-global-economic-institutions-so/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Dictatorial regimes often manage to keep themselves in power because they are recognized by foreigners as representing the state and its people, and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/dictatorial-regimes-often-manage-to-keep-themselves-in-power-because/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Drafts of domestic legislation must be published, debated and publicly voted on, which gives ample opportunities to civil society organizations and ordinary citizens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/drafts-of-domestic-legislation-must-be-published-debated-and-publicly/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [In the United States there are only two exceptions: banks have to report deposits they suspect to be related to either terrorism or drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/in-the-united-states-there-are-only-two-exceptions-banks-have-to/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Large companies are very good at solving extremely complex problems in a globally optimal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/large-companies-are-very-good-at-solving-extremely-complex-problems/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) [Explore all 88 Thomas Pogge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) ## More Collecting quotes > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [Taking photos is a form of collecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/taking-photos-is-a-form-of-collecting/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [If you're feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me, and any place we chance to be, will be a rendezvous. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/if-you-re-feeling-fancy-free-come-wander-through-the-world-with-me/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I found so-called great art too pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was freer, more imaginative, more open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lipchitz/i-found-so-called-great-art-too-pompous-too-stiff-what-at-this-time/) [Jacques Lipchitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lipchitz/) > [My real first job was delivering newspapers with I was 15. I would ride my bike around and chuck papers at people's houses. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/my-real-first-job-was-delivering-newspapers-with-i-was-15-i-would/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I didn't really grow up a comic book fanatic. I was a big baseball player, and my passion in life, in third grade, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ritchson/i-didn-t-really-grow-up-a-comic-book-fanatic-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Alan Ritchson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ritchson/) > [I don't know who had the training of you," he continued doggedly, "but your morals are shocking. You spent a night in my bed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/i-don-t-know-who-had-the-training-of-you-he-continued-doggedly-but/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [...You can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-can-go-your-whole-life-collecting-days-and-none-will-outweigh-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Instead of collecting things and staying in one space, I want to collect experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesh/instead-of-collecting-things-and-staying-in-one-space-i-want-to/) [Kesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesh/) > [I started collecting couture when I was about 10 or 11 years old, and the very first piece I bought was a Balenciaga suit from 1962.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/i-started-collecting-couture-when-i-was-about-10-or-11-years-old-and/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [I imagine the wave of water colliding with the rock and spilling over the tile floor, collecting around my shoes. Doing a little at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-imagine-the-wave-of-water-colliding-with-the-rock-and-spilling-over/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I needed more knowledge in rigging and knotting. I started collecting books on knots and really learning more and more. That's how it started.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-needed-more-knowledge-in-rigging-and-knotting-i-started-collecting/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Physics is the only real science. 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Would my company be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/if-i-collected-all-the-diamonds-in-the-world-i-d-have-no-income-but-i/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) [Browse all 493 Collecting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collecting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of collecting money and giving it to the poor so much as of reforming the global rules that are disadvantaging the poor and making it impossible for them to fend for themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Pogge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradication-as-a-matter-of-collecting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Collecting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradication-as-a-matter-of-collecting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/thomas-pogge-7757_collecting_we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradicati_1342077.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We should not think of poverty eradication as a matter of collecting money and giving it to the poor so much…” — Thomas Pogge", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Pogge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We should not think of poverty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradication-as-a-matter-of-collecting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/we-should-not-think-of-poverty-eradication-as-a-matter-of-collecting/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```