Anyone who expects this to be achieved by 2015 is kidding themselves. Even before 2015, Western governments are likely to have MUCH bigger issues on their hands, such as dwindling oil supplies, climate change and the ongoing financial crisis.

Unless the world’s leaders suffer an unprecedented attack of altruism and vision, the “joined-up” approach to all of these problems, including poverty, will only ever be a pipedream for activists and treehuggers.

Sorry to be so negative, but Gus Van Sant isn’t going to save us.