Title: Breaking the poverty cycle
Description: ""Breaking the Poverty Cycle makes a great contribution, especially for being generated in the Latin American scenario. Context, empowerment, choices, freedom and development abound. More than teaching us about culture and survival, it shows the ecological context of real people, their testimonies and choices. Empowerment and personal agency are regarded as manners of enhancing opportunities and reducing barriers to development. The answer to the everyday challenge of those people is simply: 'I want to, I can' and it comes out as a brave and hopeful clamour!"S︣ilvia Koller, Professor and Chair of the Center for Psychological Studies on At Risk Children, Youth and Families, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil" ""Psychology and developmental economics can make a difference, as the authors demonstrate convincingly in this book. They describe a framework for sustainable development that is applicable from health education to entrepreneurship. The common theme is that people can take their lives in their hands. Pick and Sirkin describe an amazingly rich variety of projects among marginalized communities with often impressive outcomes. This inspiring and insightful book is highly recommended."£A.J.R. van de Vijver, Professor of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands" ""The authors build bridges between psychology and economic development and are quite successful in establishing that psychology may be essential for the successful implementation of social policies or poverty programs. This book is rich in theories, but it is even wealthier in experience. The concepts developed by Pick and Sirkin and their methodology are candidly subversive and may be very powerful tools for social change. Given the attention received by Sen's new book, The Idea of Justice, this is a timely publication and a useful practical complementary exercise."£Rudolf Founding Partner, Capital Advisory Partners, Bogota, Colombia."

""In short, this is a splendid book."--Harry Triandis, Cross-Cultural Psychologist, Cornell University" ""This is a masterly book. The authors have combined vast experience, knowledge of the relevant literature and professional skills with vision, courage and agency. It is a pleasure to read this enthusiastic and at the same time impeaching plea."-Pieter Drenth, Honorary President of All European Academies, The Netherlands" "In this volume, authors Pick and Sirkin show how IMIFAP, a Mexican NGO, has employed a development strategy to encourage the establishment of a participatory, healthy and educated citizenry. The program strategy is grounded in Amartya Sen's approach to sustainable development through expanding individual's capabilities and freedoms." "Relying on the Framework for Enabling Empowerment (FrEE) and the step by step strategy "Programming for Choice," based on the practical experience and evaluation of IMIFAP's programs, the end goal of this program is to achieve sustainable community and individual development that can be expanded across a variety of life domains (social, economic, political, education, health and psychological)." "Pick and Sirkin outline the ways in which community development can be enhanced if people are enabled to make accountable choices and expand their alternatives. International development efforts will not be sustainable if we continue to build schools without quality teachers; health clinics without enhancing logistical and psychological access and improving quality of care; and to create laws that are not enforced. The central premise of the book is that enhancing skills, knowledge and reducing psychological and contextual barriers to change are central (and often neglected) aspects of sustainable development."

"IMIFAP was founded in 1984. Through its health promotion and poverty reduction work it has reached over 19 million people in 14 countries through over 40 different programs and over 280 educational materials with support from over 300 funding agencies and government and private institutions. Its mission is to enable society's poor and vulnerable to take charge of their lives through helping them develop their potential. Through IMIFAP's "I want to, I can" programs, people take the control of their lives in their own hands."--Jacket.
Subjects: Poverty, Sustainable development, Hc79.e5 p515 2010, 338.9/27