Stakeholder engagement
Participatory approaches to attacking extreme poverty: case studies led by the International Movement ATD Fourth World
Joining forces with the poor for the eradication of chronic poverty
Authors:
X. Godinot; Q. Wodon; ATD Fourth World
Publisher:
World Bank, 2006
The case studies compiled in this book emerged from an October 2005 World Bank seminar on extreme poverty. They show how helping the very poor to emerge from poverty requires not only extra public resources, effort, and time, but also a broader approach to development policy.
Relying on contributions from the International Movement ATD Fourth World, the book deals with questions such as:
- what does it mean to live in poverty, and especially in extreme poverty?
- how can the very poor be reached through development projects?
- how can we assess whether projects succeed in changing the life of the poorest?
In answering these questions, the emphasis is on exploring what type of knowledge is needed to fight extreme poverty. A key argument is that apart from academic knowledge, a concerted effort is needed to recognise and listen to indigenous knowledge, as well as the practitioners who are engaged with the poor on a daily basis.
Following commentary from ATD Fourth World, case studies are provided on participatory approaches to attacking extreme poverty in both developing countries (Madagascar, Tanzania, Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru) and developed countries (the United States and Belgium).
