But we have learned that, even with intense grassroots efforts, no amount of village-by-village work will ever be enough on its own. Why? Because millions of the world’s poor people are economically paralyzed by systemic barriers they cannot dismantle on their own. All too often, a superstructure of laws, policies, and customs conspire—sometimes unintentionally—to trap people in poverty forever.
More and more, we have come to see the local problems of the world's poor as inextricably linked to global, national, and corporate practices and policies. And we have the political expertise and international leverage to make a difference.