From poverty to power - Oxfam-Québec

‘In telling us what can be achieved by ordinary people through organisedaction, this book generates hope even as it enhances understandingof what is involved in the removal of poverty.’Amartya SenThe twenty-first century will be defined by the fight against the scourges ofpoverty, inequality, and the threat of environmental collapse – as the fightagainst slavery or for universal suffrage defined earlier eras.From Poverty to Power argues that it requires a radical redistribution ofpower, opportunities, and assets to break the cycle of poverty and inequalityand to give poor people power over their own destinies. The forces driving thistransformation are active citizens and effective states.Why active citizens? Because people living in poverty must have a voice indeciding their own destiny, fighting for rights and justice in their own society,and holding the state and the private sector to account.Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prosperedwithout a state structure than can actively manage the development process.There is now an added urgency beyond the moral case for tackling poverty andinequality: we need to build a secure, fair, and sustainable world before climatechange makes it impossible. This book argues that leaders, organisations,and individuals need to act together, while there is still time.‘A tour de force…At once shocking, realistic and radical, this book takes us further on the road tounderstanding the challenges of development and what needs to be done…It should inform and inspire allwho are committed to policy and practice for a better world.’Robert Chambers, Institute of Development StudiesAuthor of Whose Reality Counts? Putting the Last First‘Oxfam’s great strength is that it channels the moral outrage that global poverty evokesinto effective action based on solid research. From Poverty to Power is a comprehensive lookat development in this tradition.’Dani Rodrik, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University‘A unique blend of solid academic understanding, serious activist experience, and political acumen.’Ha-Joon Chang, Department of Economics, University of Cambridge‘Does justice to raising the spectre of inequalities...between the world’s richest and poorest peopleand countries. It contributes to a better understanding of what to do to reduce global poverty.’Bineta Diop, Executive Director, Femmes Africa Solidaritéwww.oxfam.org