Asset-based Approaches to Sustained Poverty Reduction in a Globalized Context

On June 27 and 28, 2006, the Brookings Institution and the Ford Foundation hosted a workshop to discuss asset-based approaches to sustained poverty reduction in a globalized context.

The workshop provided 45 participants—practitioners from government and civil society, academics, and donors—the opportunity to explore similarities and differences between poverty reduction strategies framed by the social protection agenda to secure the poor against risks and shocks and those framed by an asset accumulation policy to create positive opportunities for sustainable asset accumulation and consolidation. During the workshop, which was led by Brookings scholar Caroline Moser, participants shared the results of recent policy-focused research, as well as cutting-edge practice, in order to strengthen the design and implementation of asset-based interventions in the context of a globalizing 21st century.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, New York, and was linked to a research project on ‘Intergenerational asset accumulation and poverty reduction in Guayaquil, Ecuador.’ This is a longitudinal anthropological/sociological study that Brookings scholar Caroline Moser undertook between 1978 and 2004 in a poor urban community. The project traces how households have striven to accumulate assets such as housing, human capital, financial capital, social capital, and consumer durables and thereby not only ‘got out of poverty’ but also in some cases transferred assets to the next generation.

The assets framework that Moser developed as a result of this work gave participants a unified heuristic lens through which they analyzed their own research findings and practices. Because of this unified framework, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity for an exchange of practical experience between Ford Foundation grantees and others working operationally on asset-based approaches to poverty reduction. More specifically the workshop allowed participants to:

• share research results that show how poverty reduction strategies need to be informed by an understanding of poor people’s long-term strategies to accumulate and consolidate their assets.
• discuss how an asset-based operational framework provides the basis for interventions intended not only for protecting the poor, but also more importantly for creating opportunities for their sustained poverty reduction.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

1. Caroline Moser and Andrew Felton, “Intergenerational Asset Accumulation and Poverty Reduction in Guayaquil, Ecuador 1978-2004” (pdf-1018 KB)
2. Michael Carter, “Social Protection Policy to Overcome Poverty and Aid Traps: Insights from Research” (pdf-322 KB)
3. Andirudh Krishna, “The Stages-of-Progress Methodology, Assets and Longitudinal Trends: Results from Five-Year Study in 236 Communities of Five Countries” (pdf-1758 KB)
4. Deepa Narayan, “Moving Out of Poverty: Processes of Asset Accumulation over Time, Early Results” (pdf-204 KB)
5. David Hulme, “Asset-based Approaches to Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh, and BRAC’s Ultrapoor Programme” (pdf-114 KB)
6. Sarah Cook, “Addressing Vulnerability through Assets and Social Protection: Insights from the Ford Foundation’s Program of Social Protection in Asia” (pdf-174 KB)
7. Caroline Moser, “Asset Accumulation Policy and Poverty Reduction” (pdf-254 KB)
8. Scott Bernstein, “Learning to Do It Together: The Nature and Role of Collective Assets in Building Wealth in Urban Communities”
9. David Satterthwaite, “The Role of Federations Formed by the Urban Poor in Communal Asset Accumulation” (pdf-198 KB)
10. Paula Nimpuno-Parente, “Building Natural Resource-based Assets in Southern Africa: Workable Scenarios” (pdf-147 KB)
11. Augusta Molnar, “Communal Assets in National Resource Management: Community-based Forest Enterprises” (pdf-131 KB)
12. Amy Liu, “Asset-based Approaches to Katrina Disaster and Reconstruction” (pdf-55 KB)
13. Lilianne Fan, “Protecting Land Rights in Post-Tsunami and Post-Conflict Aceh, Indonesia” (pdf-97 KB)
14. Dennis Rodgers, “Insecurity and Asset Building in Post-Conflict Central America” (pdf-185 KB)
15. Frank DeGiovanni, “Strategies to Build Financial Assets for Low-income Families: Lessons from the Ford Foundation’s Experience”
16. Pilar Ramirez, “Empowering Women Through Microfinance: Achievements and Limitations” (pdf-96 KB)
17. Vijay Mahajan, “Access to Financial Assets and Economic Opportunities for the Poor: The Strengths and Constraints of Micro-finance” (pdf-208 KB)
18. Monique Cohen, “Using Microinsurance and Financial Education to Protect and Accumulate Assets” (pdf-182 KB)
19. Manuel Orozco, “Development, Migrant Foreign Savings and Asset Accumulation: Conceptual Considerations and Empirical Findings” (pdf-254 KB)
20. Hector Cordero-Guzman and Victoria Quiroz-Becerra, “A Transnational Perspective on Community Economic Development” (pdf-343 KB)
21. Sarah Gammage, “Gender and Transnational Asset Accumulation in El Salvador” (pdf-302 KB)
22. Clare Ferguson and Andy Norton, “Contesting Rights: Citizenship, Power and Assets” (pdf-247 KB)
23. Mariclare Acosta, “Identity Rights, Civil Registration and Asset Accumulation” (pdf-108 KB)
24. Andres Solimano, “Asset Accumulation by the Middle Class and the Poor: Economic Considerations and the Latin American Experience” (pdf-81 KB)

POWERPOINTS

1. Caroline Moser and Andrew Felton, Intergenerational Asset Accumulation and Poverty Reduction in Guayaquil, Ecuador 1978-2004 (pdf-872 KB)
2. Michael Carter, Social Protection Policy to Overcome Poverty and Aid Traps: Insights from Research (pdf-524 KB)
3. Andirudh Krishna, The Stages-of-Progress Methodology, Assets and Longitudinal Trends: Results from Five-Year Study in 236 Communities of Five Countries (pdf-225 KB)
4. Deepa Narayan, Moving Out of Poverty: Processes of Asset Accumulation over Time, Early Results (pdf-177 KB)
5. David Hulme, Asset-based Approaches to Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh, and BRAC’s Ultrapoor Programme (pdf-818 KB)
6. Sarah Cook, Addressing Vulnerability through Assets and Social Protection: Insights from the Ford Foundation’s Program of Social Protection in Asia (pdf-79 KB)
7. Caroline Moser, Asset Accumulation Policy and Poverty Reduction (pdf-145 KB)
8. Scott Bernstein, Learning to Do It Together: The Nature and Role of Collective Assets in Building Wealth in Urban Communities
9. David Satterthwaite, The Role of Federations Formed by the Urban Poor in Communal Asset Accumulation (pdf-67 KB)
10. Paula Nimpuno-Parente, Building Natural Resource-based Assets in Southern Africa: Workable Scenarios (pdf-812 KB)
11. Augusta Molnar, Communal Assets in National Resource Management: Community-based Forest Enterprises (pdf-1194 KB)
12. Amy Liu, Asset-based Approaches to Katrina Disaster and Reconstruction (pdf-933 KB)
13. Lilianne Fan, Protecting Land Rights in Post-Tsunami and Post-Conflict Aceh, Indonesia (pdf-296 KB)
14. Dennis Rodgers, Insecurity and Asset Building in Post-Conflict Central America (pdf-247 KB)
15. Frank DeGiovanni, Strategies to Build Financial Assets for Low-income Families: Lessons from the Ford Foundation’s Experience (pdf-372 KB)
16. Pilar Ramirez, Empowering Women Through Microfinance: Achievements and Limitations (pdf-1018 KB)
17. Vijay Mahajan, Access to Financial Assets and Economic Opportunities for the Poor: The Strengths and Constraints of Micro-finance
18. Monique Cohen, Using Microinsurance and Financial Education to Protect and Accumulate Assets (pdf-416 KB)
19. Manuel Orozco, Development, Migrant Foreign Savings and Asset Accumulation: Conceptual Considerations and Empirical Findings (pdf-301 KB)
20. Hector Cordero-Guzman and Victoria Quiroz-Becerra, A Transnational Perspective on Community Economic Development (pdf-5350 KB)
21. Sarah Gammage, Gender and Transnational Asset Accumulation in El Salvador (pdf-113 KB)
22. Clare Ferguson and Andy Norton, Contesting Rights: Citizenship, Power and Assets (pdf-92 KB)
23. Mariclare Acosta, Identity Rights, Civil Registration and Asset Accumulation (pdf-155 KB)
24. Andres Solimano, Asset Accumulation by the Middle Class and the Poor: Economic Considerations and the Latin American Experience (pdf-36 KB)