Meeting the Challenges of Poverty

Poor communities represent a potential source of wealth for the developing economies of the region. To help deepen and use fully this untapped human capital, community-based development initiatives at the grassroots level must be identified and encouraged.

Topics Covered in This Section:

Social Capital in Action:
The Case of the Ait Iktel Village Association
Fatema Mernissi, Professor of Sociology at the UniversitŽ Mohammed V, Morocco

Social Capital:
The Problem of Measurement
Francis Fukuyama, Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, Virginia, USA

Poverty in the Middle East and North Africa
Willem van Eeghen, Senior Economist, World Bank
Kouassi Soman, Economist, World Bank