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How can we Transform the Economic Lives of the Ultra Poor?

International Growth Centre LSE Literary Festival film screening & discussion

Date: Friday 26 February 2016 
Time: 1-2pm
Venue: Thai Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Professor Robin Burgess, Professor Naila Kabeer, Lewis Temple
Chair: Upaasna Kaul

Tackling extreme poverty has proven to be one of the most intractable challenges facing policymakers today. This event will explore the impact of an innovative and proven approach for poverty alleviation, developed in Bangladesh by the international NGO BRAC, targeted at individuals defined as being extreme or ‘Ultra-Poor’. Speakers will discuss the impact of the original BRAC programme implemented in Bangladesh, based on a rigorous seven-year evaluation undertaken by IGC researchers.

The term ‘extreme poor’ describes the subset of households living below the $1.25 a day poverty line. The ultra-poor represent the very bottom strata of the extreme poor and are perpetually on the brink of deprivation. Even relative to other poor households, the ultra-poor typically earn the least and endure a myriad of exclusions and vulnerabilities that trap them into extreme poverty. The majority of ultra-poor are women who lack both the skills and capital necessary to lift themselves out of poverty.

Robin Burgess is a Professor of Economics at LSE, Director of the IGC, and Director of the Economic Organisation and Public Policy Programme at the LSE. He received a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Edinburgh University, a M.Sc. in Economics from the LSE and a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University. His areas of research interest include development economics, public economics, political economy, labor economics and environmental economics. He has published on a variety of topics – natural disasters, mass media, rural banks, land reform, labor regulation, industrial policy, taxation, poverty and growth.

Naila Kabeer (@N_Kabeer) is Professor of Gender and Development at the Gender Institute, LSE. Her research interests include gender, poverty, social exclusion, labour markets and livelihoods, social protection and citizenship and much of her research is focused on South and South East Asia.

Lewis Temple (@LewisETemple) is Chief Executive and Secretary to the Board of BRAC UK. 

Upaasna Kaul (@UpaasnaK) is Managing Editor of IGC.

The International Growth Centre (@The_IGC) aims to promote sustainable growth in developing countries by providing demand-led policy advice based on frontier research. Based at LSE and in partnership with Oxford University, the IGC is initiated and funded by DFID. 

This event forms part of the LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2016, taking place from Monday 22 - Saturday 27 February 2016, with the theme 'Utopias'.

Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #LSELitFest

Ticket Information

All events in the Festival are free to attend and open to all.  

This event is now fully booked, but there will be a returns queue in operation on the day situated outside the Thai Theatre. Any seats left empty by ticketholders will be filled by those waiting in the returns queue shortly before the start of the event.

Entry via the returns queue is not guaranteed, but if you check back on this listing closer to the time of the event we will have a better idea of the likely drop-out rate based on other Festival events.

For any queries see LSE Events FAQ or contact us at events@lse.ac.uk 0207 955 6043.

Podcast

A podcast of this event is available to download from How can we Transform the Economic Lives of the Ultra Poor?

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.

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CPD

This event has been certified for CPD purposes by the CPD Certification Service. Self-Assessment Record forms will be made available for delegates wishing to record further learning and knowledge enhancement for Continuing Personal and Professional Development (CPD) purposes. For delegates who wish to obtain a CPD Certificate of Attendance, it is the responsibility of delegates to register their details with a LSE steward at the end of the event and as of 1 September 2014 a certificate will be sent within 28 days of the date of the event attended by the CPD Certification Service.  If a delegate fails to register their details at the event, it will not prove possible to issue a certificate. (For queries relating to CPD Certificates of attendance after a request please phone 0208 840 4383 or email info@cpduk.co.uk).

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