FIGHTING POVERTY IN PRINT
Two new titles highlight the work of IDE
Out of Poverty
What works when traditional approaches fail
Paul Polak
“I live to play and to satisfy my curiosity,” writes Paul Polak in the preface to his new book. That sense of fun and inquiry has led Polak on an interesting journey since he founded IDE over 25 years ago.
“Out of Poverty: What works when traditional approaches fail,” chronicles Polak’s discovery that the obvious solutions are often the hardest to see.
Polak does not pull punches when discussing the failings of large-scale aid. Nor does he hide his enthusiasm for the world’s small-scale farmers and micro-entrepreneurs as they embark on a journey out of poverty. Polak is at his best when describing the innovation and ingenuity of the farmers he has met and worked with over the years. Never one to dream small, he inspires readers with his buoyant vision of the possible - a future he has worked for untiringly over the past quarter century.
- The Economist: (Feb 21/08) "...the poor will not consume their way out of poverty. To escape, they must find a way to make more money. This simple truth is repeated by Paul Polak, the founder of International Development Enterprises (IDE), in “Out of Poverty”, his wise and engaging new book."
- McClatchy Newspapers: (Feb 13/08) "Polak, a self-described "opportunist and entrepreneur," still works 80-hour weeks at age 74. "I'm an Energizer bunny type," he said in an interview. "It's not that I'm killing myself working; I'm doing what I love.""
- NextBillion.net: (Feb 6/08) "Out of Poverty gets beyond the fractious discussions of "what's gone wrong?" or "which approach is right?" and offers a welcome dose of common sense for getting people out of poverty, quickly and permanently."
- PaulPolak.com More information and links related to the new book.
- Design for the Other 90% Polak's new organization: "Our mission is to create a design revolution by enlisting the best designers in the world to develop products and ideas that will benefit the 90% of the people on earth who are poor, in order to help them earn their way out of poverty.
Marketing the Mountain
Adding value to Nepal's agriculture
Les Kletke
When Les Kletke headed to Nepal in early 2007, he knew little about the country and less about IDE. “Marketing the Mountain” follows his journeys with IDE Nepal to mountain villages, where peasant farmers are becoming specialty coffee producers to lowland paddies, where low-cost treadle pumps are transforming the landscape for vegetable farmers.
Kletke is a Manitoba farm writer and broadcaster who has written books on his travels to Mongolia, Uganda and Central America. Newcomers to IDE will appreciate his straightforward approach, telling the story in plain language. Insights from his knowledge of the Canadian agriculture industry and rural prairie life offer a fresh perspective on IDE’s work in Nepal. Kletke intersperses his IDE stories with tales of his own traveling woes and delights.
This is an easy read and a good introduction to the work of IDE.