1. Wrestling with World-sized issues: Christian Responses to Global Poverty and Oppression Grace Chapel Spring 2012

2. (Week 3) Poverty and poverty reduction Why are some people poor? What barriers prevent people from leaving poverty? What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? Why isnt this easy? What can go wrong? What does good stewardship in poverty reduction work look like?

3. Themes Many kinds of change are required to bring about widely-shared poverty reduction Christians and Christian development organizations can help bring about needed changes in many ways: programs of diverse sorts advocacy and partnership in developing countries advocacy in developed countries

4. Themes Generosity is important and has brought grace into many lives Generosity is not enough, because: well-intentioned efforts may fail well-intentioned efforts may even do harm Christians should be especially well equipped to avoid the pitfalls, and to play special roles, because good work requires: humility, investment in relationships, nurturing of trust and cooperation, long-term commitment, more humility

5. Today Motivation Why are some people poor? What barriers prevent people from leaving poverty? What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? The importance of humility Book report

6. Motivation (Deuteronomy 15) There will always be poor people in the land. (Deut 15:11) There need be no poor people among you. (Deut 15:4)

7. Definitions Poverty Well-being Living at a level of well-being below some minimally acceptable level How good or bad a persons life circumstances are, paying attention (at the very least) to: what she is able to consume how long and arduously she works her health the quality of her housing the social services to which she has access her hopes and fears regarding the future

8. What determines a familys level of well-being? Assets Market opportunities Non-market opportunities

9. What determines a familys level of well-being? Assets able-bodied adults, health, education, training land, animals, tools, vehicles, market stalls, inventory, natural resources technology housing Market opportunities Non-market opportunities

10. What determines a familys level of well-being? Assets Market opportunities for selling crops, buying fertilizer and seeds for earning wage income for buying consumer goods Non-market opportunities

11. What determines a familys level of well-being? Assets Market opportunities Non-market opportunities for cooperating with other farmers for mutual assistance for security and honest dealings for equal treatment

12. Why are some people poor? they have few assets and limited opportunities many are born into this many are thrust into this by devastating events

13. What barriers prevent people from leaving poverty? barriers to building up assets barriers to creating better market and non-market opportunities

14. What barriers prevent people from leaving poverty? barriers to building up assets incapacitation immediate costs that are too high to bear difficulties saving lack of credit risk lack of knowledge legal, social, bureaucratic barriers barriers to creating better market and non-market opportunities

15. What barriers prevent people from leaving poverty? barriers to building up assets barriers to creating better market and non-market opportunities need for local cooperation agricultural cooperatives, building schools need for larger-scale cooperation/government roads, water systems, other infrastructure, ag research need for change in societal rules and norms need for change in government institutions

16. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust advocacy and partnership with developing country governments broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms advocacy with rich country governments

17. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children transfer programs, nutrition interventions for pregnant women and young children, pre-schools programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust advocacy and partnership with government broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms

18. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: public health, health care, education, agricultural extension, training, modes of saving, credit programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust advocacy and partnership with government broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms

19. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust promoting creation of health agricultural cooperatives, community water committees efforts to bring farmers together with supermarket chains or exporters of organic vegetables advocacy and partnership with government broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms

20. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust advocacy and partnership with government infrastructure, agricultural research legal and law enforcement systems capacity-building so communities can hold government institutions accountable broader policies broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms

21. What can Christians and Christian development organizations do to help people escape poverty? long-term assistance for the incapacitated and children programs that provide individuals with opportunities to build up assets: programs that help catalyze useful local cooperation, coordination and trust advocacy and partnership with government broader partnerships to encourage change in societal norms race, gender, religion, harmful traditional practices

22. The importance of humility and real interest poor people are diverse no single type of program is a panacea the poorest of the poor often fall through the cracks poor people may face multiple barriers, some of them subtle it is easy to make incorrect guesses about what is needed it may be impossible for one organization to do all that is needed well

23. Case studies spreading the use of insecticide-treated bed nets getting all children into primary school in Ethiopia

24. Jesus example of caring and meeting multiple needs Matthew 8:1-4 (NIV) 1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy [a] came and knelt before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.a 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said. Be clean! Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, See that you dont tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.

25. Book report Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself, Moody Publishers, 2009.