Take a look at the questions and watch the video (it’s one of my favorites).
Now that we have a new President how are things going to change?
How have things changed in our country over the last 10 – 15 years?
How can each of us be a part of affecting change?
In this video Van Jones, author of The Green Collar Economy, speaks passionately about a series of interrelated issues. The central assertion in his talk is that we can have a green revolution AND fight poverty in our country at the same time.
Van speaks to a shifting paradigm of presence in the world. More and more people are becomming more aware of themselves and their actions. People are becomming aware of how their actions impact those around them and then ripple out to affect those around the world.
Take a look at this video and as yourself, ‘what solution am I working for?’
I have posted a number of videos that focus on what is commonly termed “foreign aid” or “foreign relief” specifically in Africa. In this Rethinking Poverty thread I am going to begin to move into poverty as it relates to the United States. Much of what I will be focusing on are the every day realities of our own country.
I chose the following video to open the first post because it paints a lyrical picture of a person’s journey out of poverty and into the American spotlight. I will seek to use a variety of different mediums to form a holisitc view of the many complex facets of poverty that exist in our country. After watching the video read the questions. The questions are designed to stimulate a deeper level of thinking about some of these issues.
How can America fix poverty in other countries when we can’t even figure it out in our own?
What role does poverty play in your everyday life?
What does poverty look like to you?
How do you define poverty?
Imagine if we could scale the world down, proportionally, to a population of 100 people. What would it look like? How many people would be living in poverty? What would the wealth distribution look like?
This video shows us what the world would be like if we could scale it down to 100 people. It really brings things into perspective. Below are some questions to stir some deeper reflection once you’ve finished watching.
What role can each of us play in forwarding the world’s conversation?
What conversations are currently missing that would allow the entire world to organize around the idea that we all deserve and equal playing field?
If things don’t change what will the world that we leave our children look like?
Check out the Miniature Earth Project Website for more info.
What types of opportunities would one laptop per child in the world provide to those who couldn’t afford one otherwise? One laptop per child, access to the internet, healthy food and healthcare, combined with education is what everyone in this world needs. Nicholas Negroponte is plugging in one component that will allow all children and people to connect conversations and purposes with one another and begin to move the conversation of the world forward.
In this TED Talk by Andrew Mwenda gives us a new way of looking at delivering foreign aid to impoverished nations. The crux of his argument is that we must take an entrepeneureal perspective in delivering aid. He is arguing that what we must do for Africa is give them the tools and infrastructure to help themselves.
In his talk he asks the question, “how many people do you know who became successful by taking handouts from others?” It’s a great question. Do you know anyone who has become successful by being treated as a charity case?
For the next few posts I will be focusing on the headline Rethinking Poverty. My commitment to this world is to do everything within my power to end poverty on the planet. These may be high hopes but it’s what I feel I’ve been put here to do. If we are to really tackle poverty in an effective way we must first change the conversation and begin looking at it in different ways. It will not be one giant solution that eliminates poverty it will take all of the world’s creativity and innovation to really make the changes that are necessary. You may agree or disagree with the approaches of the folks in the next few posts, but one thing that is apparent with these individuals is that they are willing to be creative and innovative. These individuals are truly forwarding the collective conversation.
LISTENING!!! Listening is about asking questions! As our trainer always told us in Coro “questions are an invitation to possibility.”
This TED Talk is about capitalism and making it work for those who have nothing in the poorest regions of the world. This talk is about giving people the tools and “bootstraps” that will allow them to pull themselves up. This talk is by an incredible woman named Jacqueline Novogratz.
Here’s a question for all watching and reading. How are these ideas forwarding our collective conversation? What place does this conversation have in our local, national, and international dialogue?
In order for us to tackle the toughest problems in the world we need to start by making sure that there are open lines of communication. Communication and listening are two significant factor that will allow those in the United States (and around the world) to work with others nations to finally begin tackling issues like poverty in a wholistic way that creates local solutions. This TED Talk by Hector Ruiz opens up the discussion of connecting the entire world through the internet.
Hector Ruiz on the power to connect the world
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