Publisher's Synopsis
How can technology best be harnessed to help lift the world's poor out of poverty? This volume captures the individual and collective wisdom of influential thinkers, practitioners, and policymakers from all regions of the world. Gathered in August 2000 for an Aspen Institute conference, the group affirmed that dramatically reducing poverty is an achievable goal. The key is for local, national, and international leadership to speed the path to development by making the benefits of high and low technology available to and workable for poor individuals and communities. The book contains conference conclusions and recommendations with practical examples. Third in a series. Contributors include José Marìa Figueres (former president of Costa Rica; founder, Foundation for Sustainable Development), Bill Joy (co-founder and chief scientist, Sun Microsystems, Inc.), Jacques Attali (president, PlaNet Finance, France; president, Attali & Associés; former president, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Iqbal Quadir (co-founder of GrameenPhone, Bangladesh; chairman, GlobeKids), Edith Ssempala (ambassador of Uganda to the United States), Helena Chum (director of the Bioenergy Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA), Santiago Ontañón (vice president, Corporate Development, Tachyon, Inc.), Kevin Morrison (fellow, Overseas Development Council), and Carlos Braga (program manager, infoDev, World Bank).
