By Adam Panetta - You're right that corruption is a huge obstacle, but it's also used an appeasement device for rich peoples' consciences (in the form of "there's no point in donating or committing more aid as those corrupt governments will just snatch up all the money"). I do like Sachs' community approach though. We're not talking people who live on meager salaries and get by all right here. Extreme poverty means no health, job, food or shelter security whatsoever. The priority needs to be satisfying these communities' basic needs and giving them the boost they need to be securely self sufficient, providing them with basic infrastructure and access to markets. Once those basic needs and stability are met, political activism and social progress ought to inevitably follow.