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New Evidence on How Poverty Affects Decision Making: And what the business, development community can learn from it
Many previous studies of poor populations show a relationship between poverty and counterproductive behavior. But new research in the August issue of Science magazine presents some very important evidence on how poverty affects decision making through a different channel.
- Categories
- Education
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Fighting Poverty, and Critics
Nina Munk’s new book, “The Idealist,” is about the well-known economist Jeffrey Sachs and his “quest to end poverty,” as the subtitle puts it. I know: That subtitle sounds like classic book-industry hyperbole, but, in this case, it’s not. That really is what Sachs has been trying to do. The question of whether or not he is succeeding is where things get tricky.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Rethinking microfinance’s role in fight against poverty
Much has been said about microfinance. Heralded once as the ultimate tool for alleviating poverty worldwide, it was badly hit by accusations of illegal and immoral practices in India’s Andhra Pradesh in 2010-2011 and, since then, has lost some of its shine.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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The D-Prize Winners: 7 new social enterprises distributing proven poverty solutions
Earlier this year, a handful of successful entrepreneurs and impact investors banded together to launch a new organization named D-Prize. D-Prize asked social entrepreneurs around the world one question: If you had $20,000 in seed capital, how would you fight poverty? Today, D-Prize is announcing seven winners who will answer that challenge.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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NexThought Monday – Doing Good Responsibly: Through stop motion video, UC Berkeley Ananya Roy critiques BoP capitalism
Hardly a day goes by without a new infographic related to some aspect of global poverty. But these graphic video narratives do the same for powerful, pertinent questions about poverty and development: Who do we view as poor? Professor Ananya Roy at the University of California at Berkeley, takes us on that journey too.
- Categories
- Education
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The consensus on raising people out of poverty is surprisingly recent
On July 17th India released its latest poverty figures. They tell an encouraging tale: just under 22% of Indians were below the poverty line in 2011-12, down from over 37% in 2004-05. With an election not far off, these statistics will not go unchallenged.
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Poverty alleviation: Villagers thrive by using alternative energy
Farmers in Ahmadwala, a village some 40 kilometres to the west of Lahore, are no longer worried about power outages affecting their livelihoods.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
- Region
- South Asia
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Corporate Aid or Colonialism?: The G8’s New Alliance sparks debate over big businesses’ role in fighting poverty
The New Alliance, started by the G8 last year, has the ambitious goal of lifting 50 million people out of poverty. It has mobilized billions of dollars in private sector investment in African agriculture. But that investment comes with a few strings attached.
Is it a worthy effort to strengthen weak value chains, or a profit grab that marginalizes smallholder farmers?- Categories
- Agriculture
