Social Assistance Programs in Developing Countries: A Cure for Global Poverty?

Dr. Armando Barrientos, professor and research director at the Brooks World Poverty Institute at the University of Manchester, will speak about his new book, Social Assistance in Developing Countries. Since the turn of the century, antipoverty transfers have emerged as a key area of international development policy and practice. Large scale programs providing direct transfers to households in poverty in middle income countries have made an important contribution to the reduction of global poverty. More recently, antipoverty transfer programs are beginning to emerge in low income countries. In countries like South Africa and Brazil, antipoverty transfers are part of a renewed social contract focused on social, economic, and political inclusion of disadvantaged groups. This book develops a global perspective on the growth of social assistance in developing countries combining a discussion of foundations with an assessment of current practice.