For any developing or emerging economy serious about reducing poverty and spreading opportunity, there are few alternatives to turn to for help. Foreign assistance and humanitarian aid have not done the job; business and property reforms that they have already tried, no matter how well-intentioned, have not worked. Informality, exclusion, and poverty persist –even in developing countries with impressive economic growth and in those lucky enough to be rich in oil; so does poor governance and corruption. The ILD offers a unique alternative –intellectually sound as well as practical, recognized around the world as a breakthrough in the search for the Holy Grail of sustainable development.
Little wonder that leaders and policymakers around the developing world have decided to try to replicate the ILD Program and institutional reform efforts on their own. We have recently done some research on business and property reform initiatives in several countries, and found considerable evidence that these efforts have been inspired by the ILD’s work and the ideas of Hernando de Soto.