Globalising Southern approaches to reducing extreme poverty: Policy adoption of BRAC’s targeting the ultra poor graduation program

Abstract

This paper explores how BRAC’s Targeting the Ultra Poor graduation program was globally adopted as a successful pathway for extremely poor households to build sustainable livelihoods and improve their conditions. It explores how this Southern model of development and transformation became an integral part of global knowledge. The paper also highlights a fundamental element of BRAC’s vision and pedagogical approach – enabling the powerless, especially women, to organise and exercise their agency for bringing about change – and suggests this as an important next step in graduation programming.