Description: Two out of every three people in the world live on less than two dollars a day. This is a grim statistic but hundreds of millions of people are breaking free from poverty with the help of grass-roots programs and organizations funded by regular people here and abroad. In Ending Global Poverty, Stephen Smith gives readers the tools they need to help people overcome poverty and to determine what organizations are most effective in fighting it. Smith takes readers to rural areas and urban slums for a close-up view of innovative and effective programs that are making a real difference. The book also describes how companies and foreign investors could play a constructive role in addressing the problem, offering guidelines and suggestions. This book is a vital resource for anyone who wants practical advice about how to make a difference.

Table of Contents

Extreme Poverty: The Cruellest Trap Poverty Traps and the Experience of the Poor The Keys to Capability: Eight Keys to Escaping Poverty Traps Escaping the Cruel Trap of Poverty: How the Poor Can Gain the Keys to Capability Health, Nutrition, and Population Basic Education Credit Where It Is Due, and Inspiring Opportunity Market Development: Assets to New Technologies and the Skills to Use and Benefit From Them Sustaining the Environment of the Poor Dignity and Empowerment for the Poor and Voiceless Community Empowerment and Development Innovations in Poverty Strategy What You Can Do to Help First Steps Further Questions Stepping Up What Businesses Can Do Some Closing Words: An End to Global Poverty

Prizes

STEPHEN SMITH is Professor of Economics at George Washington University, USA. He is the co-author of Economic Development (8th Ed., Addison-Wesley/Pearson, 2002). He is also the author or co-author of numerous articles in professional refereed economics journals, as well as of numerous research reports, books, book chapters, and reviews. Smith served as organizer and then first director of GWU`s International Development Studies Program from 1990 to 1996.

Reviews

"`This practical and remarkably hopeful guide to ending world poverty delivers what it promises, clear-headed remedies for heart-breaking conditions. Stephen Smith finds solutions where others see only problems. All who truly place moral values at the top of their agendas will want to read this book.` - Forrest Church, author of The American Creed and Freedom from Fear `A most comprehensive strategy for fighting poverty - of great interest to activists, scholars, and all who care about those most in need. Clearly written and with much conviction.` - Amital Etzioni, author of From Empire to Community: A New Approach to International Relations `Smith`s book is a terrific contribution to our understanding of how to improve the well-being of impoverished people. It is accessible and informative for anyone who is interested in understanding clearly the fundamental causes of chronic poverty, and the innovative responses by organizations worldwide to address them. Smith`s discussion of the keys to poverty traps dispels many popular misconceptions, and helps the reader understand the real issues. His profiles of successful programs designed to address those traps shows the impact many organizations have already made worldwide, and highlights some of the lessons they have learned in the process. This book should help raise the effectiveness of donors, organizations, and governments in their efforts to help those in need.` - Judith M. Dean, International Economist, Washington, DC; formerly Associate Professor of Economics, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, and formerly Board member, World Relief `Anyone who seeks a better understanding of human poverty should read this book. It provides a rich set of anti-poverty initiatives and programs, ranging from playpumps in South Africa to phone ladies in Bangladesh. The author`s optimism is a welcome antidote against the skepticism, pessimism and cynicism that often characterizes the debate on global poverty. In readable language, he describes the many faces of human poverty and unbundles its complexities at the hand of concrete stories and practical approaches. He also offers a guide for those in rich countries who want to make a difference by supporting ald and relief organizations.` - Jan Vandemoortele, Leader, Poverty Group, United Nations Development Program"