IN DEPTH ANALYSIS / Policy and Research

Policy Stances

Poverty

We understand poverty as a being a multidimensional phenomenon, with a special focus on capability deprivation. Poverty encompasses not only material deprivation (that can be measured by income or consumption), but also forms of deprivation such as unemployment, ill health, lack of education, vulnerability,

powerlessness, and social exclusion. Islamic Relief aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people. But what is poverty and how do we define poverty? Poverty, whether it is at the global, national or community level, is widely considered to be a multidimensional problem.

Environment

We believe that poverty and environmental degradation are closely linked. The causes of environmental degradation disproportionately affect the poor, while poverty also accelerates environmental destruction.In Islam, Muslims are encouraged to reflect on the relationship between living organisms and their

environment and to maintain the balance created by God. Mankind is the guardian of the earth and as such has a duty to protect it and also to ensure its posterity for future generations in the spirit of inter-generational equity. Islamic Relief believes that we all have a responsibility to maintain the balance of the earth, especially as disruption of this balance is causing widespread suffering amongst the world’s poorest people. Protection of the environment is therefore crucial to Islamic Relief both as one of the Islamic principles on which we are founded, and also because of its importance for poverty reduction.

HIV and AIDS

We believe that HIV–AIDS and poverty are intrinsically linked. People living in poverty are more vulnerable to the disease and those living with the disease more vulnerable to ever deepening poverty.The disease can affect every aspect of a person’s life from their ability to access education to their ability to earn a

living. As well as developing and implementing programmes that aim to reduce people’s exposure to HIV and to halt the spread of the disease, Islamic Relief aims to use our position to influence other parties and, where relevant, to educate people about the reality of the pandemic.

International debt

International debt is crippling developing countries and trapping them in a cycle of poverty. The world’s poorest countries are currently paying back millions of dollars in debt repayments to banks, lending agencies and the governments in developed countries while simultaneously struggling to provide basic

services, such as health and education, for their people.To enable developing countries to escape from poverty and in the interests of justice, Islamic Relief advocates that bankruptcy procedures are created for countries that are unable to repay their loans; that all un-payable debt is cancelled by fair and transparent means, and the resources that are freed are monitored to ensure they are used for social welfare purposes; that all ‘odious’ debt is cancelled; and that creditor countries and institutions should re-evaluate their past and present lending practices to avoid future undue indebtedness.

Reproductive health

More than half a million women a year die during pregnancy or child birth, and many more women suffer serious injuries which if untreated can cause life-long pain and humiliation. Poor reproductive health, therefore, puts the lives and health of millions of women at risk, and without serious improvements in the

provision of reproductive healthcare there will be little progress towards reducing maternal or infant mortality rates. The majority of Islamic Relief’s reproductive health work will, therefore, concentrate on meeting and advocating for the needs of women and girls. Our focus is on providing comprehensive information on reproductive health, supporting the provision of health care facilities and advocating against unsafe beliefs and practices.

Trade

Trade has the potential to lift both individuals and countries out of poverty, as well as contributing to the problems and inequalities they face.At present the international trading system is an un-level playing field that unfairly disadvantages the poorest countries and is pushing many of them deeper into poverty.

Islamic Relief will work towards a more just world trade system, implement an internal fair trade policy and utilise its successful livelihood projects to produce items that are marketable and ethically produced and traded.

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