This book outlines a new approach that will enliven debate amongst policy-makers, researchers, students and academics. Godinot and his colleagues start from the experiences, capabilities and strategies of those living in extreme poverty themselves. They argue that the first step is a close connection with communities mired in poverty, followed by a commitment to take action alongside those communities. Life stories from Burkina Faso, France, Peru and the Philippines are used to show that people trapped in chronic poverty must be involved in their own liberation