‘The Southern States' - World Bank Pg 6-23
In parts I and II of the Mexico Southern States Development Strategy Volume 1: Synthesis Report, the authors offer an in depth exploration of the poverty that marks Mexico's south and highlight possible reasons for the poverty gap that exists.

‘Awakening in Oaxaca: Stirring of the People's Giant' - www.monthlyreview.org Joe Stout gives an engaging account of the political uprising of the People's Popular Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO) in 2006. This article deals with some of the issues that sparked the uprising, and presents some interesting reflections on how it might develop.

‘Hope Arrives as Oaxaca Elects Governor Gabino Cué with Coalition' - www.suite101.com Alvin Starkman summarizes the significant watershed for Oaxaca in the election of Gabnio Cué Monteagudo to Governor of Oaxaca.

‘Q&A: Mexico's drug-related violence' - www.bbc.co.uk BBC News provides a useful set of questions and answers regarding Mexico's drug trafficking and violence.

"Moving beyond Mérida in U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation" - Council on Foreign Relations discusses the relationship between the United States and Mexico, particularly in light of the Mérida Initiative launched by Presidents Bush and Caldéron in 2008.

"Oaxaca: Artistic Heart of Mexico" -  El Caracol Zapoteca Guillermo Marín comments on Oaxaca's vast artistic heritage.

"Philanthropy in Mexico" - JOVA This overview of philanthropy in Mexico describes the historical development of civil society in Mexico while summarizing the current state of philanthropy in Mexico including legal frameworks, resource mobilization, professionalization, community foundations and dialogue with Government. By Manuel Arango, taken from ReVista Harvard Review of Latin America.

"Philanthropy and the Third Sector in Mexico" UNAM Michael Layton explores the question of why philanthropy is underdeveloped in Mexico and lays out a framework for creating a more enabling environment for civil society. From Nortéamerica

"Microfinance's Success Sets Off a Debate in Mexico" www.nytimes.com Elisabeth Malkin of The New York Times addresses the growth and commercial success of microfinance institutions in Mexico.

"Doing good by doing very nicely indeed"  www.economist.com  This article from The Economist reflects on the debate over Compartamos microfinance bank and its profits.

"A Payoff Out of Poverty?" www.nytimes.com A 2008 article from the New York Times on the Mexican Government's Oportunidades anti-poverty program

"Entrepreneurs Build Projects to Stop Exodus of Residents" - The Monterey Herald  Claudia Melendez Salinas of The Herald writes about Mujeres Envasadoras de Noapl de Ayoquezco (MENA) and the story behind its nopal processing plant.

"Ways of Ancient Mexico Reviving Barren Lands" - www.nytimes.com Elisabeth Malkin of The New York Times explores the reforesting and reclaiming of Oaxaca's Mixteca highlands with modernized versions of ancient techniques.

"Food Security: Achieving the Potential" - Environment Magazine Per Pinstrup-Anderson and Anna Herforth discuss food insecurity, environmental sustainability and poverty.

"Outcry is muted, but the food crisis is getting worse" - The Guardian Jayati Ghosh outlines the ongoing food crisis and the inability of the poor to pay for food. Ghosh points to three main problems - crisis of cultivation, the depression of wages, and an increasing domination of large agribusiness in the global market.

India: A Country of Paradox - The Economic Times, Available: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com How can a country that boasts of an over 8% GDP growth economy, still have one of the worst welfare infrastructure systems in the world? How can the home of some of the worlds richest also be the home to 260 million of the worlds poorest? This article makes some reflections on these challenging questions.

‘India Rising' - BBC News, Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk Great BBC segment called ‘India Rising' which highlights the trends of change in the subcontinent. The page contains information and links to almost all of India's current debates.

Philanthropy in India Needs to be More Strategic - Copal Partners,  Available: http://www.copalpartners.com, This article provides a brief introduction to philanthropy in India.

Corporate Philanthropy will Grow in India - News Centre, Available: http://www.moneycontrol.com, Forbes India examines how new wealthy Indian business tycoons might play a role in making India's high GDP growth more ‘inclusive'.

The Gates-Buffet Factor - Times of India, Available: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, The Times of India examines why even the Giving Pledge has not swayed India's 43-member strong Billionaire Club.

The Intelligent Giver - DNA India, Available: http://www.dnaindia.com, This article provides a great overview of the effective giving (and receiving) in India - from the perspective of philanthropists and social entrepreneurs.

New forms of Urban Localism: Service Delivery in Bangalore - Economic and Political Weekly, Available: http://epw.in, The Economic and Political Weekly provides technical details to forms of urban governance through local associations in Bangalore

When the Rains Fall: India's Water Crisis - The Economist, Available: http://www.economist.com, India is facing severe water shortages. State Governments are desperately trying to harness water through dams and other river valley irrigation projects. This article explains this shortage through the mismanagment of water.

Abating, or Exploding? AIDS in India - The Economist, Available: http://www.economist.com, The HIV endemic in India is at a critical stage. This article argues that if this is not tackled now it may grow to African proportions.

Social Inequality threatening India's Stability - Fast Company, Available: http://www.fastcompany.com, Fast Company argue here that whilst India's potential for development is huge, it is being severely held back by inadequate welfare systems.

Sun Co-Founder Uses Capitalism to Help Poor - The New York Times, Available: http://www.nytimes.com, Vikas Bajaj explores the example of Vinod Khosla, the billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, a major investor in SKS Microfinance.

In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk/, Already a number-one bestseller in India, In Spite of The Gods highlights the vast contradictions in the world's largest experiment in representative democracy. The book shows that India has huge opportunities as well as tremendous challenges that make the future "hers to lose."

The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cellphone by Shashi Tharoor, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk, India has quickly moved from a largely impoverished, underdeveloped country to an innovative, fast-changing society. In this book, former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor discusses the strengths and weaknesses of his rapidly evolving homeland in five areas - politics, economics, culture, society, and sports.

India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium by A.P.J. Kalam, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk, When former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, asked a young girl "What is your dream?" she replied "I want to live in a developed India." This book, an in-depth analysis of why and how India can achieve this vision, is dedicated to her. The vision has even inspired a group of young professionals to start a movement which is called ‘Dream India 2020'.

Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts by P. Sainath, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk,
In the dry language of development reports and economic projections, the true misery of the 312 million who live below the poverty line gets overlooked. In this Magsaysay Award winning study of the poorest of the poor, we get to see how they manage, what sustains them, and the efforts, often ludicrous, to do something for them.

The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk, The understanding and use of India's argumentative tradition is critically important for the success of India's democracy. "Silence, in fact, is a powerful enemy of social justice," Sen argues. The Argumentative Indian gives us a chance to see the actual "opportunities of democratic articulation and of political engagement".

India: A Million Mutinies Now by V. S. Naipaul, Available: http://www.amazon.co.uk, In this book, Naipaul thoughtfully accounts for the changes in the country between his first visit in 1962, and his subsequent visits. The book is told in the words of the Indians he meets: pundits, politicians, Brahmins, Dravidians, devout Hindus and Muslims, people of all castes and classes from India's multicultural society.

End Poverty in South Asia, Available: http://blogs.worldbank.org, This blog is maintained by the South Asia Region of the World Bank Group. Its goal is to exchange ideas on how to end povetry in the sub-continent. The link provided here, however, particularly relates to India. The blog is well-researched, credible, easy to read, information-loaded, and a regular source of updates on development issues in the country.

The Times of India, Available: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/, India's most popular English-language newspaper has a wide range of articles on current affairs and popular culture, as well as blogs, videos and live TV.

Banking on Change - Vimeo, Available: http://www.vimeo.com/9419926, Brilliant 12 minute video that tells the story of Partiban who changed the face of rural south India through his microfinance initiative.

Indian Inventors and Cow Dung - YouTube, Available: http://www.youtube.com/, UK-based actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar is taken on a tour of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) where a local professor encourages young social entreprenuers and their ideas.