Recovery for All: Rethinking Socio-Economic Policies for Children and Poor Households

A Recovery for All: Rethinking Socio-Economic Policies for Children and Poor Households

      Isabel Ortiz and Matthew Cummins (Editors)

The world’s financial and economic crisis has taken a toll on children and poor households. High food and commodity prices, unemployment and austerity measures have aggravated persistent inequalities and contributed to a substantial rise in hunger and social tensions. Now, more than ever, investments for the world’s poor are needed to recover lost ground in pursuit of development objectives. People everywhere are demanding change. This book describes the social impacts of the crisis, policy responses to date and United Nations alternative proposals for ‘A Recovery for All.’
With a foreword by Sir Richard Jolly.  

Praise for 'A Recovery for All'

“This book offers a critical review of the social effects of the ongoing crisis and underscores the need to prioritize children and vulnerable groups not only in social but also in macroeconomic decision making.”

José Antonio Ocampo, Professor, Columbia University; former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and former Minister of Finance of Colombia

“This book combines academic rigour and human compassion to reveal the multiple channels through which the global financial crisis has affected poor children and households around the world. It argues that such crises also represent moments of opportunity for progressive reform, and shows what needs to happen to end child poverty and tackle inequality.”

Duncan Green, Head of Research, Oxfam GB

“A Recovery for All documents in vivid detail how high food prices, unemployment and austerity measures have led to increased hunger, poverty and social tensions. It offers alternatives for an effective policy response to protect the rights of people, especially children, affected by the crisis and calls for urgent debate in every country.”

Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor of International Affairs, The New School, and Director of UNDP’s Human Development Reports 1995-2004

“Much has been written about the global crises that started in 2008, from subprime mortgages to macroeconomic imbalances, from banking crises to Eurozone debt crisis. This outstanding and well-researched book will tell you what all this means for poor children across the world and for plain citizens such as you. Most importantly, it will tell you what are the alternative economic policies that can make a difference and support a ‘Recovery for All.’ Read it—this book will give you hope.” 

Nuria Molina, Director of Policy and Research, Save the Children

“The crisis took a heavy toll on children and their families. People across the globe are demanding change with social justice. UNICEF is once again at the forefront of such demands, supported by careful documentation and analysis of the impacts of the crisis and responses on the most vulnerable. This book presents a powerful statement of these impacts; it also outlines feasible policy alternatives—supported by the United Nations system—that can foster an inclusive and sustainable ‘Recovery for All.’”

Sarah Cook, Director, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)

“Isabel Ortiz and Matthew Cummins have provided us with a devastating analysis of the impact of the global economic crisis on the welfare of children and their families everywhere. Following in the path laid down by an earlier generation of radical scholars working with UNICEF (Adjustment with a Human Face, 1987), this book not only lays bare the social consequences of the crisis but sets out clear realisable fiscal policies that, if acted upon globally and within countries, would ensure a ‘Recovery for All.’ Are policymakers listening?”

Bob Deacon, Emeritus Professor of International Social Policy, University of Sheffield, and founder of the journal Global Social Policy

“A recovery that leaves children behind is not only ethically unacceptable, but will also be economically damaging. With rigorous analysis of the available options and passionate defense of the rights of children, UNICEF demonstrates that a ‘Recovery for All’ is at the same time the morally just policy and the economic framework that makes sense. A must-read for the policy-makers and the policy-sufferers, all of us, citizens.” 

Roberto Bissio, Executive Director, Third World Institute, and Coordinator, Social Watch, Uruguay HQ

“This compelling collection shows that children are the worst affected by economic crises, but this need not happen. It argues convincingly that protecting and increasing the public expenditures that matter most for children can also be the basis for sustained economic recovery.”
Jayati Ghosh, Executive Secretary, International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs), and Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

“UNICEF’s heart has always been in the right place—promoting children’s rights. This publication reveals UNICEF’s brains: Promotion of children’s rights globally also requires rigorous analysis and fearless advocacy for equitable global economic and social policy.”
Timo Voipio, Chair, OECD‐DAC Network on Poverty Reduction (POVNET)

“On top of the pre-existing unsolved structural global social crisis, poor and vulnerable households have since 2007 been hit by a relentless series of adverse shocks triggered by the food, fuel and financial crises. Finally when all their defenses were down and all their coping mechanisms were exhausted, they were hit by the effects by fiscal austerity measures. This book guides us through the effects of the multiple crises on the poor, but it also demonstrates convincingly that the fiscal space for a basic floor of social protection that would provide effective protection from the worst social fall-out of such crises can be found. The book reminds us that fiscal space is not a question of economic performance or state of development, it is first and foremost a question of political will. It is the lack of political will, i.e., our cruel indifference vis-à-vis avoidable ill health, hunger, destitution and deaths, that prevents us from reducing vulnerability of those who have no means to fend for themselves.”
Michael Cichon, Director of Social Security Department, International Labour Organization (ILO)

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