EMPOWERMENT: Sustainable Human Development Strategy for Poverty Alleviation

Empowerment is the new name for development with a human and shining face. Empowerment is a movement from power of the elite to the power of the people. In this new century, poverty alleviation would continue to be a myth until we redefine the idea of power. This has to be done in the framework and context of the poor people. In other words, poverty alleviation would be the result of empowerment.

Sustainable human development strategy for poverty alleviation is an attempt at drawing a new vision based on the idea of empowerment. The new world, with all its might in its desire to be powerful, could truly become humane only when we make people empowered.

This book contains three sections and each section has two chapters. Section I concentrates on the collision of old ideas and evolution of new concepts through an analysis of culture, development, globalization and sustainable human development. Section II deals with the concept of power in the context of the global order designed for the benefit of the powerful few. We also analyze the concept of powerlessness, the inevitable result of the existing order of power, and realize that poor people are subjugated by poverty. Section III is a vision statement on the concept of empowerment. This is shown through a case study of a group of poor and powerless people and their struggle to ascertain power in their families and society.

It is a highly readable book and deserves to be taken very seriously.