All Paths Lead to the BOP, by Jeb Brugmann originally appeared in the September issue of Alliance Magazine.

While the media and public discourse has been accentuating the divide between the private sector and civil society, the trend in practice has been towards convergence. NGOs and communities are now more enterprising, while business is more socially innovative. This convergence opens opportunities for breakthroughs in development practice that have evaded the international community for decades. If the trend holds, it will have important implications for international development initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).