Newly published book on solutions to reach the SDG's

Economist Amartya Sen defines poverty as a “deprivation of basic capabilities,” including the freedoms and choices that most of us take for granted. This means that the lived experience of poverty is not just a matter of income, which is often the standard criteria. All poverty arises from a complex set of interrelated causes that are beyond the control of any individual living in poverty. Poverty is tied to failures in politics and governance as well as structural and systematic marginalization of minorities, migrants, and— almost universally across cultures— women.

For those at the very bottom, who are the focus of BRAC's work, addressing the problem of ultra-poverty requires highly adapted approaches that account for the unique characteristics of a population in each region, even down to the community level. It demands an abiding belief and trust that given the right support, individuals can spring out of the poverty trap themselves. We all must see both the problems in their complexity, and the humanity and power of the poor to change their own lives. And we all must work to change oppressive systems and structures.

This fall we were honored to join with others committed to bringing the slogan "leave no one behind" to life in the new book Leave No One Behind: Time for Specifics on the Sustainable Development Goals, published this fall by the Japan International Cooperation Research Institute (JICA) and the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution. It is our hope that our chapter “Breaking Out of the Poverty Trap” is of use to policymakers, academics, activists, and leaders of international organizations and civil society groups, who work every day to promote the advancement of economic and social inclusion around the world.

We hope you will be inspired to learn more about the many ways we can work together to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 through the solutions outlined in the full book, available for order now.

The ultra-poor need to stop being invisible to policymakers. We need to pay closer attention to the poorest and the unique set of challenges they face, for without a better understanding of the lived reality of ultra-poverty, we will fail to live up to the promise of “leaving no one behind.” Without programs tailored for people in these circumstances, the extreme poverty rate will become increasingly hard to budge. We are already starting to see this reflected in global poverty data.