Tuesday, December 1, 2009

How Can We Help the World's Poor? Nic Kristof

This is not an easy question to answer but one that we all need to ask ourselves. On November 20th Nic Kristof tried to answer the question in a NYTimes oped. Click here to read it. He says something very important, that "It’s clear that doing good is harder than it looks." Although this is very true, doing good is also something we can choose every minute of the day. As it relates to helping the world's poor the complexity increases dramatically, and that is why we need big thinkers and doers to help lead the way. Nic highlights the work of the Acumen Fund, an organization I have written about before and am a big fan of. Acumen is an amazing example of a new and innovative approach to this challenge, and it's leader Jacqueline Novogratz is a true force of nature.

Nic and his wife Sheryl Wudunn wrote "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression in to Opportunity for Women Worldwide." If you have not read it yet, please do, and buy copies for others. They are truly a power couple, and we need to see a lot more couples stepping forward in partnership to make the world a better place. I am honored to know them personally and am looking forward to a special event with them both this week. I will report back on how this book is turning in to a global movement.

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