Just Give Money to the Poor and What Works for the Poorest book launch

15th June, 2010
Overseas Development Institute, London, UK

Visit the ODI page for more information.

ODI and CPRC

DFID

Description

The eradication of poverty has been a central challenge in the 21^st century – but too often it has been burdened with complex economic theories, strategies and programmes to combat poverty. Amid all these, Just Give Money to the Poor challenges a simple yet powerful solution to poverty reduction that is sweeping across the South: to give money directly to the poor. Instead of relying on an expensive and complex aid industry, and by bypassing NGO’s and governments, cash transfers given directly to poor families will enable them to decide on the most effective ways for them to escape poverty.

This century’s goal of eradicating poverty has also shaped various initiatives to assist the poor – however, development practice has, for too long, focused on the moderate poor, and has failed to reach the extremely and chronically poor. What works for the Poorest? creates important knowledge about the poorest – because poverty reduction goals will be most successful when the issues of the extremely poor are addressed. What Works for the Poorest? hence provides essential analyses on current experiences, and presents what policies and initiatives will work for the extreme poor.

Authors of Just Give Money to the Poor, Armando Barrientos, Joseph Hanlon and David Hulme (What Works for the Poorest?) will discuss their ideas at this launch, with comments from DFID’s Poverty Response Team.

Speakers and schedule

Key speakers and discussants include:

• Armando Barrientos, Book author, Just Give Money to the Poor / Research Director, Brooks World Poverty Institute.
• Joseph Hanlon, Book author, Just Give Money to the Poor / Senior Lecturer, Open University
• David Hulme, Book author,  Just Give Money to the Poor and What Works for the Poorest / Associate Director, Chronic Poverty Research Centre /Executive Director, Brooks World Poverty Institute

Discussant: Paul Wafer - Team Leader/Deputy Head of Group, DFID Poverty Response Team
Chair:  Caroline Harper, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute / Associate Director, Chronic Poverty Research Centre

Event website

• DFID’s news page with links to the books’ project page
• Facebook public event page
• Links to videos of various keynote speeches at the launch

Meeting reports

ODI’s event report 

Papers

Resources and links

• Just Give Money to the Poor Available to buy online
• What works for the Poorest? Available to buy online
• Read Duncan Green's blog on Just give money to the poor: the development revolution from the global south, an excellent overview on cash transfers