Broke but Unbroken

Grassroots Social Movements and Their Radical Solutions to Poverty

Augusta Dwyer

In Broke but Unbroken, journalist Augusta Dwyer takes us on an inspiring journey through the slums and villages of Brazil, Indonesia, India and Argentina as she meets with organizers from some of the most successful grassroots social movements struggling against poverty. These organizers are not representatives from NGOs or aid organizations based in developed nations but the poor themselves — people who know intimately the reality of struggling for land, food, housing and the right to control their own resources and means of production. It is these movements, built from the ground up by the very people affected by poverty, that have achieved the most successes in ameliorating the conditions of the poor and providing real solutions to global poverty.

As we travel with Dwyer through rural and urban landscapes, too often devastated by the demands of development, we meet people who have risked their homes, families and even their lives to affect real change in the world. The stories they share so openly and warmly are not merely accounts of economic or political success but are stories of empowerment and hope that dramatically portray the potency of collective action.

In the beautiful prose of an accomplished writer, this book introduces us to extraordinary grassroots movements — and encourages us to learn the lessons they offer about successfully challenging power and changing the world.

Contents

Introduction • Part One: Brazil • A People’s Garden • A People’s Production • Part Two: Indonesia • A Walk in the Woods •Agriculture Is Life and Custom • Part Three: India • Value Change and Solidarity • Women Together • Part Four: Argentina • Si o Si • A New Dynamic • Conclusion • References • Index

About the Author

Augusta Dwyer is an award-winning independent journalist and the author of Into the Amazon: Chico Mendes and the Struggle for the Rainforest and On the Line: Life on the U.S.-Mexico Border.