Acumen Fund’s observations about poverty alleviation at their 10 year anniversary.

What does not help: money and markets as the only measure, parachuting solutions remotely, depersonalized analytic approach.

What does work: dignity, local leadership, government, patience and longsuffering.

From Design Observer:

1.     Dignity is more important to the human spirit than wealth.
2.     Neither grants nor markets alone will solve the problems of poverty.
3.     Poverty is a description of someone’s economic situation; it does not describe who someone is.
4.     We won’t succeed in the long term without cultivating local leaders, local money, and strong local communities.
5.     Great people, every time, no exceptions.
6.     Great technology alone is not the answer.
7.     If failing is not an option, you’ve ruled out success as well.
8.     Governments rarely invent solutions, but they can scale what works.
9.     There is no currency like trust, and there are no shortcuts to…