Poverty Reduction In South Asia

Presents the proceedings of an informal workshop on poverty reduction in South Asia sponsored by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the World Bank. This workshop on poverty reduction in South Asia brought together participants from a wide range of related fields. They identified several areas of consensus, clarified issues for further research, analysis, and discussion, and suggested possible future steps. Although much has been done to alleviate poverty, the pace remains slow, leading donor agencies to look for new approaches. Much success has been achieved in community-based and participatory programs, some of which incorporate insight from programs launched by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Aga Khan Rural Support Program currently serves as a respected model. The participatory components are already included in a number of World Bank-financed programs while the Bank considers their incorporation even further. This is in line with the consensus that emerged from the workshop--that community-based participatory programs in South Asia hold great promise and provide a firm basis for pursuing such strategies through research, evaluation, and operational experimentation.