When ownership is local and national, and various stakeholders work together, program innovations have a greater chance to take root and survive.

We have emphasized the importance of applied action research because it allows evidence-based policy and program development and a focus on learning. We are also committed to using a participatory approach in which local people, local program managers and providers, local researchers, women's health activists, and national decision-makers play the leading role. International "experts" from technical assistance agencies or universities can make important contributions, but they certainly don't have all the answers.

If you are the kind of person who listens to conservative advice, you may do okay in life, but you probably won't ever be a fantastic leader. You have to take risks, and you also have to go against conventional wisdom, because conventional wisdom doesn't make for startling advances in society.

If I can give a very substantial injection of humanistic thinking into corporations, boy, that would change things a lot.

It is not enough to give money for demonstration projects. From the very beginning plans should be made for the scaling-up of successful innovations.

I would like to make it possible for many women and men in Latin America to win the lottery and receive the type of reproductive health services they so urgently need.

Governments have a legitimate concern with slowing population growth. But often this has been attempted with little concern for the individuals most affected.