Voices of the Poor: Can Anyone Hear Us? (World Bank Publication)

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Summary: Compelling Account of Global Poverty
Review: Can Anyone Hear Us?, goes beyond typical methods of poverty assessment to get the inside track on global poverty through the use of Participatory Poverty Assessments (PPA's). PPA's seek to understand poverty from the perspective of the poor and directly involve the poor in follow-up action. This publication encompasses the uninhibited voices of 40,000 impoverished people around the globe. The result is a definition of poverty much richer than the traditional one, as well as, a behind the scenes evaluation of the current methods attempting to alleviate poverty in the world today. This new means of evaluating poverty is truly interesting because it puts a fresh spin on the issue.

Specifically, Deepa Narayan, the book's primary author, reveals that poverty is much more complex than generally perceived. She goes to great lengths to discuss that while poverty is material in nature, it has tremendous psychological repercussions. She weighs the voices of men and woman equally and uses the results of the studies to evaluate current programs, government, community-based and non-government, on the experiences of the people whom they aim to help. Finally, the book recommends various changes be made to status quo international poverty reduction programs.

Narayan succeeds in weaving the accounts of the poor into a convincing call to action without being overdramatic or whiney. Through her use of stories and quotations, her book has an unmistakable human cry; a cry that cannot be blocked from the ears of the reader. These unheard perspectives make the book a quick, yet thought provoking read. At times it seems that the personal accounts will never cease, and the reader is left feeling overwhelmed and depressed. This type of appeal is probably necessary, however, to awaken us to the reality that millions of people on the planet struggle daily for survival. Ultimately, the reader is left thinking, why didn't we consult with the poor earlier?

The most incredible issue highlighted in this book is the general lack of power and control the poor have over their lives. They are most often victims of circumstances beyond their control. Hard work does not make a difference. Many go to bed each night with their hunger unfulfilled, despite long hours of grueling labor. Their governments, our global markets, and even NGO's are not adequately responding to their desire to have a voice in the matters concerning their own fate.

Can Anyone Hear Us? is compelling. It gives a voice to those who have been unheard and forgotten and reveals that our current efforts to help alleviate poverty are falling short. It is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to understand the nature of global poverty.

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Summary: Voices of the poor - Can anyone hear us ?
Review: Several studies from Europe have over time shown that children growing up in poverty have long lasting effects on their physical and mental health, medical service utilization and criminal behavior. Poverty is even today in developed countries like United States and Israel (about 25% of children living in poverty) a major public health problem of a magnitude that is markedly different than Scandinavian countries (3%). The official poverty rate for children (the proportion of those poor) in the United States declined sharply between 1960-69, had an upward trend between 1969-93 with a steady figure around 20%, since 1981. In 1996, the federal government counted 20.5% of the children poor, 18.3% of those 6-17 years of age and 22.7% of all those under six years of age. In 1996, 16.3% of all White children were living in poverty, 39.9% of all Black children and 40.3% of all Hispanic children. This book is the first in a series of three books on “Voices of the Poor” with information gathered from the views, experiences and aspirations of over 60,000 poor women and men from 60 countries. This first bring the cry from 40,000 poor persons in 50 countries. It is devided in seven chapters: Listening, definitions, state institutions, civil society institutions, gender relations in the household, social fragmentation and the conclusion with ways forward. The work has been undertaken under the auspices of the World Bank. In the pages of this book you will find testimony to the poor people of this world, their hunger and pain, but also strength and resilience, which will point the way forward. We can see the need for further research into the effects of poverty on child development, investigate resiliency, adaptive behaviors and find ways to make policy relevant research...

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Summary: true-to-life
Review: very interesting, full of true-to-life experiences. It throbs. I could feel it right away. tells us how the poor see their poverty. hope the rich can hear the poor...