Poverty, A Solvable Problem

[Saul Kaplan]

When you meet Jacqueline Novogratz, which I was fortunate to do at BIF-4, her experience and strength of character are immediately obvious and compelling. In the prologue of The Blue Sweater Jacqueline says " Today, I believe more strongly than I did as a young woman that we can end poverty. Never before in history have we had the skills, resources, technologies, and imagination to solve poverty that we do now." Wow. That is a quite a statement. I think Jacquline is right. What do you think? I am just digging in to the book and look forward to an active discussion with the book group.

[Reinhard Sokol]

Poverty, a solvable problem... - some preliminary thoughts I can share before the reading even starts:

Prior to receiving the book I watched the October '08 Providence interview with the Jacqueline Novogratz. What struck me instantly was that the initiative to take such steps and tie them to bold plans and visions is only successfully implemented as long as it is driven by personal charisma and leadership. Take these ingredients away, and the outlook will be very different. Doing business in developing countries requires great courage, because you may have to confront the resistance of the power structure against change. Basically, your best chance is if you can convince them that they (whoever they are) will in turn benefit from the plans you want to set in motion.

Secondly, one would have to look carefully at the definition of poverty, because what constitutes poverty in one place may be unattainable and/or undesirable in another. Plans and visions to eradicate poverty are not exactly new. Looking around closer to where we are, you could ask what progress was made in the U.S. since the days of Michael Harrington. Yes, poverty in other parts of the world helps to perpetuate poverty here. But the elementary question would be if the system of free market capitalism as such does not necessitate a certain amount of poverty as a requirement for its functioning; i.e attempts to lower the minimum wage will always be an issue when your goal is to maximize profit, and therefore a certain number of people will always get pushed below that minimum, down into poverty.

I will be on the lookout for a fresh perspective on these issues.

[Marion Davis]

I just ordered the book and won't be able to start reading for a few days, but I think it's wonderful that this was your choice, Saul. One of the ironies of our world is that many of the areas that have the greatest need are also the ones least likely to benefit from major innovation. I strongly believe that with today's technology and resources, there is no reason why anyone should have to starve to death, or live in squalor, or suffer from long-curable diseases. There are huge obstacles to solving these problems, but none are insurmountable if we really have the will to do it. Really looking forward to reading the book and to seeing what comes out of this discussion.

[Andrea Meyer]

The quote you chose is an inspiring one, Saul, and I agree that poverty is becoming more of a solvable problem today than it was in the past.

I'm just starting to read the book now, but I can say from my recent readings/conferences on this topic that similar encouraging stories are coming to light. For example, the low cost of mobile phones combined with their increasing sophistication makes them not only more affordable in developing countries but brings the power of connectivity to local business people. Fisherman off the coast of southern India, for instance, can now call around to prospective buyers of their catch before they go ashore, which is increasing their profits by 8% while actually lowering the overall price consumers have to pay for fish by 4%. What an exciting win/win!

I'm looking forward to delving into the book and learning more from Jacqueline & from our book group discussions.

[Reinhard Sokol]

Reading the lively detail and authentic story in first chapters of the book yesterday silenced the perennial skeptic and removed the mental fog enough to grab my attention. It was insightful to read how the author's move away from a promising career at an established institution, combined with her believe in the ideal of "all men being created equal", gave her the motivation to overcome all the obstacles and disappointments she encountered at the start of her ambitious journey in Africa. Hopefully I can make time today to read the next chapters.

[Saul Kaplan]

One of the things that really got my attention in the first chapter was how her boss at Chase responded to Jacqueline. Her first boss at Chase said " If you don't change, in time the culture will change you anyway" Thank goodness Jacqueline left Chase. How many of us have had a boss tell us something similar? I know I have and like Jacqueline I never listened and conformed. (Just witness my crazy career path!) I love that Jacqueline was able to follow her passion at such an early point in her career.

[Thom Nealssohn]

I just finished the book last night - it's a lot to chew on. I agree that poverty is something that CAN be eradicated - unfortunately I'm a little too cynical to think it will be eradicated in my lifetime. The one thing I find most comforting is that people have a greater likelihood of lifting themselves out of poverty today than they did even five or ten years ago.

In 1994, I had the opportunity to spend 15 days in Kenya visiting a friend working in linguistics. It was a purely social visit - but I learned so much more about myself and the world I live in on that trip than on any other trip I've ever taken. It seemed like everywhere I turned I saw a business opportunity - from swamp coolers to condition the air in "public" buildings to a completely different philosophy on building maintenance, it seemed as if Kenya was ripe for entrepreneurs.

I spent time with a catholic priest who gave me the best insight into what I was seeing: after 15 years in Africa he said "spend a week in Africa and write a book, spend 10 years and you'll struggle to write a paragraph." What has happened in Africa is so much a result of their history. Once one learns the history, it's difficult to suggest making changes. Understanding is like that. What I've learned from Jacqueline's book is that it is only after learning the history, gaining the understanding, (or deeply listening, as she's suggested) that one becomes vested into the community enough to suggest and achieve sustainable change.

Capitalism, in it's purest form, rewards performance. It assumes that all people have access to the tools and opportunities. It's the willingness to succeed - the effort one puts forth that distinguishes the winners from the losers. The reality is that we often restrict access to credit (or worse, establish a charity mentality) that doesn't encourage people to try, to exert themselves. Acumen Fund (along with all of the other projects Jacqueline has been associated with) refuses to allow people to accept that survival is someone else's responsibility. More importantly, the assistance these programs provide - helping others to better understand what makes a good business and how one becomes successful significantly improves the chances that the entrepreneur will be successful.

In my own career, it's the time I spend with mentors who have taught me how they think that has been more valuable than any favor they have done for me. I benefit from "favors" once, but learning how to be successful benefits me multiple times. It's this mentoring aspect that I find most refreshing. For me, it is in this skill we'll find the cure that will eradicate poverty.

Jacqueline is to be commended - not only for her personal efforts on behalf of the poor, but for reminding those of us who have been entrusted with a greater lot in life that "to whom much is given, much is also required."

[monika hardy]

i feel like that statement goes for education as well. never before in history...
not to diminish focus on poverty in the least. but - perhaps they're closely linked.