Research
Jeffrey Sachs, (2005). The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. New York: The Penguin Press. (Book Summary and Book Review)
This paper is a book review of the book ‘The End of Poverty: Economic possibilities for our time’ written by Nobel Laureate Jeffrey Sacks (2005), an American renounced economist and director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University. In the book, Sachs talks about global poverty issues and their miseries in poor countries. Moreover, he provides statistics with examples of the many problems related to economic, educational, population, cultural, health and environmental issues. He narrates in detail the poverty of Malawi, Bangladesh, Kenya, India and Bolivia. The book compares and contrasts the economic histories of China, Russia and India. The book also narrates the current Chinese and Indian economic booms in the global context. The book contains economic histories of many countries; it has many suggestions for economic policy reforms and cooperation among rich and poor countries. It contains suggestions for improving donor funding plans, and strategies for ending poverty in poor countries. Jeffrey Sachs describes World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) activities and their wrong, stereotypical funding policies and strategies for different countries, particularly those in Africa. He identifies information technology (IT) flow, different technological innovations, technological change and its development (invention of the steam engine, use of coal, invention of the rail engine and railway, electrification of industry) and their contributions to world development. Poor countries are using less IT and technology; however. as a result, they get fewer benefits from them than rich countries. Hence there are needs for use of more IT in poor countries. The book suggests simultaneous trade investments in and aid to poor countries for their socio-economic development, in addition to technology and energy support to them. Moreover, at the end of the book, Jeffrey Sachs provides nine tips / actions / steps for ending poverty around the world: 1) adopt a plan of
Grameen Bank Women Borrowers Non-formal Adult Learning Transformation in Bangladesh
Grameen Bank (GB), a micro credit organization in Bangladesh, targets adult women who were illiterate, using non-formal adult learning techniques. GB’s adult learning information has ‘Sixteen Decisions’ which inculcate the socioeconomic expectations aimed at improving the socialeconomic well-being of GB borrowers. It is important to know the efficacy of adult learning strategies that has used by GB to create this paradigm shift and transformation in local communities. How does the GB adult learning process enables GB’s women borrowers to mobilize group solidarity, leadership development and apply the sixteen decisions in their daily life? How can other NGOs and other countries benefit from GB’s women adult learning procedures? These question are answered in this paper which uses the available literature on adult learning, literature on GB as well as the author`s personal working experiences with GB to interrogate the application of non-formal adult learning which creates transformation shift in socio-economic well- being on women borrowers life. The objective of this study is to present the impact of GB non-formal adult learning on the socio-economic development in local communities. The study finds GB nonformal adult learning programs impacted upon GB women borrowers’ socio-economic development in Bangladesh. Exponential improvements in literacy is happening, (100%) of GB borrowers are able to sign their names on the documents which show signs of achievements in adult learning. However, if GB non-formal adult learning strategies could streamline, this would generate more non-formal adult learning social justice reforms among the borrowers of GB in Bangladesh
