Poverty reduction in South Asia: promoting participation by the poor, Page 86

'Summary of an informal workshop cosponsored by the World Bank and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Oct. 12-15, 1993.' Annotation Presents the proceedings of an informal workshop on poverty reduction in South Asia sponsored by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the World Bank. This workshop on poverty reduction in South Asia brought together participants from a wide range of related fields. They identified several areas of consensus, clarified issues for further research, analysis, and discussion, and suggested possible future steps. Although much has been done to alleviate poverty, the pace remains slow, leading donor agencies to look for new approaches. Much success has been achieved in community-based and participatory programs, some of which incorporate insight from programs launched by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Aga Khan Rural Support Program currently serves as a respected model. The participatory components are already included in a number of World Bank-financed programs while the Bank considers their incorporation even further. This is in line with the consensus that emerged from the workshop--that community-based participatory programs in South Asia hold great promise and provide a firm basis for pursuing such strategies through research, evaluation, and operational experimentation This report is a summary report of the informal workshop on poverty reduction in South Asia, held under the joint sponsorship of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the World Bank. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to compare and discuss their ideas and experiences related to poverty reduction initiatives in the region.