Book Discussion : Are Poor Countries Doomed to Remain Poor?

On Wednesday, October 19, the American Cultural Center hosted a discussion about William Easterly’s book, "Les Pays Pauvres: Sont-ils Condamnés à le Rester?” at the Kennedy-King American Library. Over 100 people attended. 

“I want to stress that everyone should be involved in the fight against poverty,” said Andrew Holtz of the Embassy’s Consular Section. “It is an issue that concerns governments, NGOs, professional organizations, opinion leaders and all citizens.” 

After Mr. Holtz’s opening remarks, Latifou Soumanou, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for MCA-Benin, took the podium to elaborate on the book’s themes for the audience. He explained that knowledge sharing between more and less developed countries can help less developed countries advance. He also emphasized the importance of good governance in development.