Frontiers in Development 2014

  • The Frontiers in Development Innovation Marketplace had exhibits and small interactive discussions that delved into new ideas for reaching and aiding the extreme poor.

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  • An invitation-only audience of 600 prominent leaders in foreign assistance and development participated in USAID's Frontiers in Development forum over two days.

  • To encourage discussion and provoke debate about how to end extreme poverty by 2030, this collection of essays was published in hard copy and online.

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  • Photographers from over 32 countries entered the "Frontiers in Development: Ending Extreme Poverty" photo competition; the winning works were displayed prominently at the forum.

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Kofi Annan: Frontiers in Development Message
Kofi Annan - Video Address at Frontiers in Development
Christine Lagarde: Frontiers in Development Message
Christine Lagarde - Video Address at Frontiers in Development

Ending extreme poverty is the responsibility of developed and developing nations—together. Between now and 2030, there is an opportunity, that if seized, speaks volumes about who we are as a human collective.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was proud to host the 2014 Frontiers in Development forum in Washington, D.C. on September 18-19. Global thought leaders and practitioners in the field of development shared knowledge, assessed “what we don't know” and laid the groundwork for a broad coalition of partners to address the needs of the most poor. The world has experienced significant progress in human development, but not without unacceptable inequities. We must understand and harness the rapid and unpredictable forces that will determine this progress’s continuing trajectory. Frontiers in Development was not just a one-time meeting of these global thought leaders and practitioners, it was a concerted effort at reflection on ending extreme poverty that should continue to inform the broader dialogue. These pages, with video archives of the sessions and publication of thought-provoking essays, are intended to serve as an ongoing resource to all those vested in ending extreme poverty once and for all.

"This is a time where we have to show leadership, all of us, in shaping the development agenda in doing our part to end extreme poverty. It’s not a mission-impossible; it’s not an impossible dream. It’s a reality."
 
John Kerry
U.S. Secretary of State
 

Read more Kerry highlights

"For the people living in extreme poverty, climbing a few steps on the economic ladder can be the difference between sickness and health, life and death. But having an unobstructed path to the top, a chance to hope and dream, is the difference between surviving and living."
 
Winnie Byanyima
Executive Director of Oxfam International
 

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"Who are the poor? Where are they? They have a face. They have a very specific, in some cases, even location. And we tend to deal with them as if they are a homogeneous group. They are not."
 
Graça Machel
Founder, Foundation for Community Development, Mozambique;
Founder, Graça Machel Trust

Read more Machel highlights

"We can win the battle over eradicating poverty, income poverty and hunger, if we invest in growth enhancing, job creating and poverty reducing interventions."
 
H.E. Jakaya Kikwete
President of the United Republic of Tanzania
 

Read more Kikwete highlights


The Innovation Marketplace featured interactive displays from a wide range of practitioners and development experts which showcased new ideas for reaching and aiding the extreme poor and engaging participants in more intimate problem-solving settings.

The 2014 Frontiers in Development Forum was made possible by the generous financial support of:
The Rockefeller Foundation,The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The New Venture Fund

USAID also wishes to thank the following partners for their support:
Oxfam, The Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, World Resources Institute and Devex‪