OXFAMCloseup, Winter 2015
The defenders
Here at Oxfam we have a theory: We can’t defeat poverty unless we address the way power works. Ultimately, those in power need to use the government to serve the citizens, and society needs a clear pathway to holding those in power accountable. The protests in Hong Kong are an example of what people can resort to when the path to the voting booth is blocked. But other movements like Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, and the protests we are now seeing in the US are all about injustices and unaccountable power. Helping people push their elected leaders to protect their environment and livelihood is just as important as food aid, building schools, and supplying clean water.