Poverty Alleviation

The global economy has lifted millions from poverty, yet many have been left behind. People worldwide face soaring food prices, the devastating risks posed by climate change, and havoc wrought by natural disaster and conflict. Each threatens lives and livelihoods.

Poverty persists as a transcendent challenge, but sound policy combined with human ingenuity offers solutions that can be brought to scale.

Technologies like cell phones can connect farmers to markets, patients to doctors, and producers to distributors. Social innovations like micro-insurance, SME funds and other asset-builders can unleash entrepreneurship among the world’s poor.

Poverty alleviation sessions will explore catalytic solutions that leverage the capacities of CGI members to:

• Revitalize economies and strengthen governance in the wake of war
• Provide food security, enhancing productivity and the livelihoods of small-holder farmers
• Offer financial services beyond microfinance to mitigate risk, generate income, and build assets
• Leverage information technologies—such as cell phones—to connect and empower the poor
• Transform the climate crisis into an opportunity with green jobs for the poor

Working Group Chair

Jane Wales
President and Chief Executive Officer, World Affairs Council of Northern California;
Founder, Global Philanthropy Forum;
Vice President, The Aspen Institute

Advisory Board

Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
Former Executive President of Sri Lanka

Ajay Banga
Chief Executive Officer
Citi Asia Pacific, Citi

Brizio N. Biondi-Morra
President
Fundación AVINA

Nancy Birdsall
President
Center for Global Development

W. Bowman Cutter
Managing Director, Fundraising and Investor Relations
Warburg Pincus

Mohamed Ibrahim
Chairman
Mo Ibrahim Foundation

Jackie Khor
Managing Director
Imprint Capital Advisors

Deepa Narayan
Senior Advisor, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network
The World Bank Group

Jacqueline Novogratz
Chief Executive Officer
Acumen Fund

Judith Rodin
President
The Rockefeller Foundation

Sonal Shah
Program Director
Google.org

Smita Singh
Global Development Program Director
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation