From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World

Seismic events have convulsed global markets since 2008, when this book was first published, and world news has been full of stories reflecting a profound sense of uncertainty about global futures. In response, this new edition of From Poverty to Power has been fully revised and now includes a new chapter with an in-depth analysis of the human impact of the global financial and food crises. From Poverty to Power argues that a radical redistribution of power, opportunities, and assets rather than traditional models of charitable or government aid is required to break the cycle of poverty and inequality. Active citizens and effective states are driving this transformation. Why active citizens? Because people living in poverty must have a voice in deciding their own destiny and holding the state and the private sector to account. Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prospered without a state structure that can actively manage the development process. There is now an added urgency: climate change. We need to build a secure, fair, and sustainable world within the limits set by scarce resources and ecological realities. From Poverty to Power should be read by students, researchers, NGO workers and all those who want to contribute to ending global poverty. Duncan Green is Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB. Praise for this book: In telling us what can be achieved by ordinary people through organized action, this book generates hope even as it enhances understanding of what is involved in the removal of poverty. Amartya Sen `This second edition, in addition to being thoroughly updated, provides equally penetrating analyses of more recent events, like the global financial crisis, the food crisis, and the Arab Spring. Well worth a read or a re-read. Ha-Joon Chang, Reader, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge A discerning and prophetic analysis of the political and economic turbulence of recent years.