The Earth Institute at Columbia University, in partnership with the United Nations and the nongovernmental organization Millennium Promise, is putting targeted investments to work in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The early results are enormously positive (learn more at www.millenniumvillages.org). Governments around Africa, including some in former war zones, are now requesting such projects. The World Bank and other donors would be wise to respond favorably, because such investment is the best hope for peace, security and long-term prosperity in impoverished regions.

This article was originally published with the title Breaking the Poverty Trap.

Comments