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

There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.

If instead policy makers and program managers participate in an interdisciplinary assessment team, make informal visits to local families and have in-depth conversations with local providers and health authorities, the real needs and complex challenges of organizing good reproductive health services become apparent.The first country that implemented this participatory program of assessment, research and policy development was Brazil. I was one of the outsiders who provided support to the initiative.

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

Major changes become possible if you work in a participatory manner, listen to local people, diagnose what the problems are, provide training and identify where there are opportunities for mobilizing local resources to take action.

A longer time perspective is needed because we face a daunting task both in an intellectual and practical sense.

International "experts" from technical assistance agencies or universities can make important contributions, but they certainly don't have all the answers. When ownership is local and national, and various stakeholders work together, program innovations have a greater chance to take root and survive.