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What if everything we know about poor countries’ economies is totally wrong?
As China and India continue their fairly rapid paces of economic growth, a greater and greater share of extreme poverty is going to be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. But if we're going to make progress there, we need to have good numbers about how various economies are faring, how income is distributed within them, and so forth.
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Setting a High Bar for Poverty in India
NEW DELHI — It is not uncommon for Indians to stand in a line to receive alms from a politician as he gives away clothes, pots and laptops that would make Apple laugh. This is a custom that has survived from a time when the theater of charity was enough to make the poor feel grateful. But they have since come to regard such alms as political buffoonery and now expect substantial assistance from the government.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- South Asia
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Tanzania: Missing Link Between Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction
THE much celebrated economic growth in Tanzania and other African countries that are said to make good progress can only have a meaning if there will be myriad poverty alleviation indicators.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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NexThought Monday – The Cash Paradox: Is cash the poor’s best friend – or secret enemy?
Advocates for the poor often argue that cash is the most trustworthy payment instrument - especially for the unbanked. And a cash economy would appear to offer them advantages in inclusiveness and convenience. But as Bhaskar Chakravorti describes it, the poor also pay a heavy price for the usage of cash, both in the U.S. and in emerging economies.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Trouble Brewing in Microfinance?: Peru and Mexico’s microcredit sectors appear to be in danger of collapsing – and the market-driven model is to blame
In spite of its well-publicized struggles, the market-driven microcredit model remains a revered concept, linked to the belief that free markets and business solutions are the best solutions to poverty. But according to Milford Bateman, flaws in the market-driven model itself are responsible for grave challenges facing Peru and Mexico’s celebrated microcredit sectors.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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The Impact of Inclusion: CGAP report looks at recent evidence of how financial inclusion can help the poor
There’s a strong consensus that access to suitable financial services can help poor households improve their lives, while spurring economic activity. But what is the evidence for these positive impacts? CGAP tackled that topic in a recent Focus Note, and we spoke with Nina Holle, an associate microfinance analyst at CGAP, and a co-author of the report.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment
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Taking a Multi-Dimensional View: Free WDI webinar series on assessing poverty impact
Many BoP ventures struggle to capture a complete picture of what is going on inside their organization. WDI’s Heather Esper on a new webinar series focused on how to how ventures can understand how their actions are truly influencing poverty.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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Five Questions For Professor Jagdish Bhagwati On The Indian Economy And Prime Minister Modi’s Next Steps
Jagdish Bhagwati, university professor at Columbia University and senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, has been described as the most creative international trade theorist of his generation. He has been a leader in the fight for freer trade for decades.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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