The second report from the Working Group on Climate Change and Development. Argues that efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa will ultimately fail unless urgent action is taken to halt dangerous climate change. Graphics, pictures, and stories from a range of agencies detail the impact that climate change is already having on Africa and the threat it poses to human development. With a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 40pp, UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS.

Of an estimated 1 billion people in the world who are trapped in a cycle of grinding poverty and despair, a disproportionate number live in sub-Saharan Africa. In this insightful account, Moeletsi Mbeki concludes that the fault lies not lie with the mass of its people but with its rulers the political elites who contrive to keep their fellow citizens poor while enriching themselves. Concentrating mainly on South Africa, his country of birth, and Zimbabwe, his home when he was in exile, Mbeki tells a tale of lost opportunities and extinguished hopes. 208pp, SOUTH AFRICA. PICADOR AFRICA.

The main goal of the OSSREA project on Poverty Reduction Strategies in sub-Saharan Africa, from which this book is derived, was to analyse the ongoing poverty reduction strategy processes (PRSP) and provide guidance to policymakers and advocacy groups in selected coun-tries. This report synthesizes the findings of the case studies undertaken in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. 70pp, ETHIOPIA. OSSREA.

Argues that the forces stacked against the poorest countries and their poorest people are far greater than the rich world is prepared to admit. The growth of population, global warming, worsening terms of trade, migration of qualified people to the North, global arms sales, annual repayments of interests on debts of around $3 trillion, illicit transfers of money of around $1 trillion per year, a narcotics trade worth around $500 billion per year, a loss of arable land and a decrease in the quantity of food available for trade all are leading to a human catastrophe of biblical dimensions. 272pp, UK. MERLIN PRESS with ETHICAL EVENTS.

Argues that although nearly five billion of the world's people are beginning to climb from desperate poverty and to benefit from globalization's reach to developing countries, there is a bottom billion of the world's poor whose countries, largely immune to the forces of global economy, are falling farther behind and are in danger of falling apart, separating permanently and tragically from the rest of the world. Collier identifies and explains the four traps that prevent the homelands of the world's billion poorest people from growing and joining in the benefits of globalization - civil war, the discovery and export of natural resources in otherwise unstable economies, being landlocked and therefore unable to participate in the global economy without great cost, and finally, ineffective governance. Index, bib, 209pp, USA. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS USA.

In the last ten years, a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have seen substantial improvements in their growth rates, and, consequently a reduction in poverty. However, that growth needs to be deepened and broadened if poverty is to be substantially reduced across the continent. The purpose of this book is to support the efforts of economic analysts and practitioners in Sub-Saharan Africa who are working to design country-specific growth strategies by presenting what recent research on the drivers of growth has discovered; providing support for economic diagnostic work focused on accelerating growth, and presenting a menu of options for addressing challenges: Investment Climate, Infrastructure, Innovation, and Institutional Capacity. Index, bib, tables, 252pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS.

Offers an up-to-date analysis of the problem and characteristics of urban poverty which addresses the political challenge of the low profile of urban development in current global debates. It features a systematic comparative analysis of a range of approaches to urban development supported and promoted by leading NGOs: how successful have these been in tackling the multi-dimensional nature of urban poverty, in comparison with neighbouring settlements where no interventions have taken place? Chapters on Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Kenya Index, bib, b/w photos, 258pp, UK. ITDG PUBLISHING.

Proceeding from the Conference on Debt Relief and Development in Africa held in Windhoek, 5-6 December 2005 to consider the issues in the light of the G8 action plan initiated after the 2005 Meeting in Gleneagles. 94pp, NAMIBIA. KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG.

A multi contributor work on the vast subject of debt and debt relief in Africa, focusing on the welfare implications of debt, and its impact on the poor and on future generations. The authors offer a pan African perspective and includes case studies from sub Saharan Africa and from the SADC region in particular. Also includes a section devoted to theoretical perspectives, covering topics such as debt forgiveness initiatives and poverty alleviation. 409pp, SOUTH AFRICA. AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Attempts to explain why, over the past two hundred years, wealth has diverged across the planet and why the poorest nations have so far been unable to improve their lot. Using the stories of Sach's own work in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, India, China and Africa, he offers a set of solutions to the interwoven economic, political, environmental and social problems that most challenge the world's poorest countries. Index, bib, 16 colour plates, 396pp, UK. PENGUIN BOOKS.

For more than thirty years, humankind has known how to grow enough food to end chronic hunger worldwide. Yet while the 'Green Revolution' succeeded in South America and Asia, it never got to Africa. More than 9 million people every year die of hunger, malnutrition and related diseases every year - most of them in Africa and most of them children. More die of hunger in Africa than from AIDS and malaria combined. Now, an impending global food crisis threatens to make things worse. In the West we think of famine as a natural disaster, brought about by drought; or as the legacy of brutal dictators. But in this powerful investigative narrative, Thurow and Kilman show exactly how, in the past few decades, British, American and European policies conspire to keep Africa hungry and unable to feed itself. 336pp, UK. PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

How can those in poor countries raise their standards of living, on a planet with limited resources, without putting it under additional environmental stress? In this hugely important intellectual, ethical and ultimately practical analysis from the internationally renowned Wuppertal Institute, the authors address the two problems that define our age - social justice and environmental sustainability. Going beyond the outdated North and South divide, they construct the necessary intellectual and moral platform for fundamental progress in the opening decades of the 21st century. 288pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Oxfam's survey of current trends in poverty, inequality, and vulnerability which argues that most positive change, including development, is locally and nationally driven. It examines development through the lenses of rights, politics, and power, and suggests a new framework for analysing how change happens, using case studies and examples. Also explores the impact of climate change, global integration, and the spread of electoral democracy. Foreword by Amartya Sen. Index, bib, notes, 522pp, UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS.

An examination by the World Bank of the main factors behind observed poverty changes in eight countries, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Bib, tables, notes 69pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS, 082135213X

Through a series of case studies, this volume examines what can be learned, both positively and critically, from the experiences of selected internationally connected firms in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Vietnam, Guyana, and the Nunavik region of northern Canada. BNS, 256pp, UK. PALGRAVE/MACMILLAN, 1403921288

Revised and updated ninth edition. A directory of long and short term voluntary placements worldwide. Includes chapters on Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the Middle East. 351pp, UK. VACATION WORK PUBLICATIONS, 1854583131

In-depth country case studies based on original research and fieldwork investigations - relevant for policy makers concerned with poverty reduction and develop-ment. CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Reading the Bolivian Landscape 3. The Peruvian Andes 4.The 'Poor': in Western Mexico 5. Chiefs, Land and the Poor in Rural Mozambique 6. Displacements and Claims in the Politics of Land in Zimbabwe 7. Burkino Faso: Local Organizations Decentralization and Poverty Reduction 8. Poverty Reduction in Tamil Nadu, India 9. Bangladesh: Civil Society and Local Elections - 10. Forests of West 11. Political Agencies and Spaces. Tables, notes, index, 304pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 1856499596

How can the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) be made a reality by 2015? If the MDGs are to halve global poverty and significantly improve conditions for the world's poor on schedule, it is essential to put the requisite funding in place. This is an up-to-date overview of the funding proposals and mechanisms now under discussion. The contributors have contributed their analyses as part of the Helsinki Process on Globalization and Democracy - an inter-governmental initiative to develop new approaches to global problem-solving. Key resource flows examined include ODA, foreign direct investment, remittances by migrants, commodity export prices, and new ideas to secure sustainable debt relief, including debt cancellation, revaluation of IMF gold reserves, debt arbitration, and other proposals. 256pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) are the new buzzwords in development aid. Some 70 countries have already elaborated them in response to World Bank and bilateral aid agency requirements. This book presents detailed, field-level research on the application of PRSs in three countries: Tanzania, Vietnam and Honduras. It describes the changing relations between the governments of these countries, donor agencies, and civic organizations that have taken part in formulating the new generation of PRSs. Poverty Reduction Strategies run up against a central paradox: in giving decisive policymaking powers to external agencies, the very process of drawing up development strategies to prioritise reducing poverty can gravely undermine the consolidation of democratic forces, structures and ideas in developing countries. 198pp, UK. ZED BOOKS.

Volume XIII of the African Development Perspectives Yearbooks series analyses international strategies in the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the EU Strategy for Africa that aim at promoting pro-poor policies, with a particular focus on the case of South Africa. 684pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

Volume XIV of the African Development Perspectives Yearbooks considers institutional issues and perspectives in designing new growth and poverty alleviation strategies are considered in various case studies (Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Botswana and Tanzania). Other studies deal with institutional problems of resource-rich countries after conflict (Sudan), and with the institutions to enhance environmental protection parallel with economic growth and poverty reduction (Niger). Further studies deal with institutions to bridge the gap between formal and informal entrepreneurial sectors in Kenya and Tanzania. 576pp, GERMANY. LIT VERLAG.

A concise work examining the meaning of poverty, drawing on the experiences of poor people themselves in both rich and poor societies. The author concludes that the opposite of poverty is not wealth but sufficiency and safety. Index, bib, tables, 134pp, UK. VERSO, 1859845665

Maps the poverty reduction policies adopted by six countries in Eastern and Southern Africa since the mid-1990s with a view to highlighting differences and similarities. The first group of three countries Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia is made up of so-called Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs), while the other three are non-HIPCs, comprising Botswana, Kenya and Namibia. Whereas the former are required to formulate Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) under terms of reference set by the IFIs, the latter are at liberty to chart home-grown strategies. The study compares these two categories of countries in order to ascertain whether their poverty reduction strategies differ substantially or largely converge. 208pp, TANZANIA. MKUKI NA NYOTA PUBLISHERS.

Using empirical case studies, the authors look at the ways in which participation and negotiation are tools for empowerment and poverty reduction. BNS, 206pp, UK. ASHGATE PUBLISHERS, 0754633772

A report on the current state of development in the economic South looking at how rich countries invest in poorer nations and how aid can be better utilised. Refs, notes, tables, graphs, 89pp, UK. OXFAM PUBLICATIONS.

Focuses on contemporary African cities, caught in the contradiction of an imperial past and postcolonial present. The essays explore the cultural role of colonial architecture and urbanism in the production of meanings: in the inscription of power and discipline, as well as in the dynamic construction of identities. It is in these new dense urban spaces, with all their contradictions, that urban Africans are reworking their local identities, building families, and creating autonomous communities made fragile by neo-liberal states in a globalizing world. The collection discusses contemporary African cities as diverse as Dar Es Salaam, Dakar, Johannesburg, Lagos and Kinshasa offering new insights into the current state of postcolonial African cities. 150pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Based on field research in Kenya, Cote D'Ivoire, Brazil and Chile, these ten essays suggest how poverty and democracy impact each other and what can be done by donor agencies and NGOs to support the diversity of political cultures and grassroots organisations which seek to break the cycles of poverty. Also published in hardback. Bib, notes, tables, xiii, 237pp, UK. ZED BOOKS, 1842772058

Analyses the outstanding development problems confronting Africa today, and the policies necessary for improving Africa's governance, economic performance, and the very possible achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 224pp, UK. PALGRAVE.

Why do so many people worldwide suffer hunger and poverty when there is enough food and other resources globally to prevent it? This book argues that famine and food insecurity are an essential part of modern capitalism. Although trade, debt relief and development initiatives are important, they do not alter the structure of the global economy and the poverty that is created by processes like privatisation, trade liberalisation and market reform. Despite the rhetoric of the World Bank and the G8, high levels of poverty actually sustain western wealth and power. But there is some hope for change. Using case studies from Egypt and North Africa, Nigeria, Sudan and elsewhere in Sub Saharan Africa, Ray Bush illustrates that there is resistance to neoliberal policies, and that struggles over land, mining and resources can shape real alternatives to existing globalisation. 256pp, UK. PLUTO PRESS.

An HSRC occasional paper focusing on the programmes dedicated to development in South and Southern Africa. Notes, refs, 50pp, SOUTH AFRICA. HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL, No ISBN

2002 PAMPHLET

Prior work has shown that there is a significant amount of turnover amongst the African poor as households exit and enter poverty. Some of this mobility can be attributed to regular movement back and forth in response to exogenous variability in climate, prices, health, etc. ('churning'). Other crossings of the poverty line reflect permanent shifts in long-term well-being associated with gains or losses of productive assets or permanent changes in asset productivity. Distin-guishing true structural mobility from simple churning is important because it clarifies the factors that facilitate such important structural change. Conversely, it also helps identify the constraints that may leave other households caught in a trap of persistent, structural poverty. The papers in this book help to distinguish the types of poverty and to deepen understanding of the structural features and constraints that create poverty traps. Index, tables, 210pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.

Investigates the violence and poverty in the countries at the bottom of the world economy that are home to a billion people. Argues that the spread of elections and peace settlements in the world's most volatile countries may lead eventually to a brave new democratic world. In the meantime, though, nasty and protracted civil wars, military coups, and failing economies will plague the bottom billion - unless national sovereignty is curtailed and economic disciplines introduced. An assessment of the ethnic divisions and insecurity in the developing countries of Africa, Latin America, and Asia where the democratic process so often fails. 272pp, UK. THE BODLEY HEAD.

Argues that in Africa, relatively few wage and salary jobs open up each year and most new entrants in the labour market end up supporting themselves in casual labour, self-employment, or small family businesses, activities with low productivity and high vulnerability. With the globalizing economy, African economies need to become more competitive in all aspects of the investment climate, including improving worker's health and education, to better integrate the informal sector with the high wage economy. Index, bib, tables, charts, 81pp, USA. WORLD BANK PUBLICATIONS.