Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
PovertyCure: From ‘Paternalism to Partnerships’
PovertyCure: From ‘Paternalism to Partnerships’
Jan 31, 2026 3:37 AM

Alex Chafuen’s Forbes article on “champions of innovation,” which Michael Miller blogged here recently, is now one of the top features on the contributors page at The Blaze. Here’s an excerpt:

When Adam Smith wrote his famous “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” he helped shift the terms of the discussion. Centuries earlier, work focused on different aspects of poverty. Jurists and city authorities analyzed whether the poor should be allowed to beg freely and move to other cities. Charities were set up to help the destitute. The great Florentine Saint, Antonino Pierozzi (1389-1459), even set up a charity to serve the “shameful poor” (poveri vergognosi). These were formerly rich people who were impoverished by government attacks and injustices, but who would prefer to die rather than beg. It is easy to be poor; it is harder to understand how wealth is created. Smith changed the approach.

PovertyCure tries to create a similar shift among those who work in this field. It seeks to move efforts from aid to enterprise and from paternalism to partnerships. We often ask how to alleviate poverty. But the real question is: How do people in the developing world create prosperity for their families munities?

Read “From Aid to Enterprise: Intelligent Poverty Cures” by Alex Chafuen at The Blaze.

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Citizens United Protects Secretive Progressive Donors, Too
Should corporate donations to political causes remain private or shouldn’t they? Your writer would argue for the former as he holds the U.S. Supreme Court nailed it with its Citizens United decision. Progressive shareholder activists, naturally, disagree. Except, that is, when incredible secrecy suits progressive social and political ends. The Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, for example, asserts Citizens United is the worst kind of travesty against all things they desire made transparent – as does ICCR member Walden Asset...
Just Render Unto Caesar Already: The IRS and Frivolous Tax Arguments
In an attempt to trap Jesus, some Pharisees and Herodians asked him, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” In response, Jesus said, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that...
African Catholicism and the Universal Church
Writing at Crisis Magazine, Acton’s director of research Samuel Gregg, recently discussed the significance of the Catholic church in Africa and Cardinal Sarah’s new book. At the 2014 Synod on the family, German theologian Cardinal Walter Kasper, argued that Africans “should not tell us too much what we have to do” regarding challenges facing the modern family. Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Cardinal Robert Sarah, recently wrote “Dieu ou Rien” (“God or Nothing”) with French journalist Nicolas Diat...
What Exactly is ‘Religious Freedom’?
Over the past few weeks the American media has revealed two important truths: (1) Religious freedom has e a surprisingly divisive and controversial topic, and (2) very few people understand what is meant by the term “religious freedom.” Is religious freedom merely the liberty to attend worship services? Is the freedom limited to internal beliefs or does it also apply to actions taken in the public square? Should religious freedom ever trump other societal goods? Joseph Backholm of the Family...
Ope’s Story: A Tale of Modern-Day Slavery
While living in Nigeria, a twenty-four-year old woman named Ope met a man offering to help her find employment abroad. She was told she would be working as a nanny or in a factory. Instead, she was forced into prostitution. “It was like I was a slave,” she says. The BBC has put together an animated version of Ope’s story, a heart-rending tale of modern-day slavery. ...
What We Can Learn From the ‘Homeless Coder’
On his way to work in 2013, tech entrepreneur Patrick McConlogue walked past a homeless man, Leo Grand, who was exercising with aheavychain. McConlogue took this as a sign of Grand’sinternal drive and motivation and decided to try an experiment: The idea is simple. Without disrespecting him, I will offer two options: 1. I e back tomorrow and give you $100 in cash. 2. I e back tomorrow and give you three JavaScript books, (beginner-advanced-expert) and a super cheap basic...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Apple Tree
Today is the 70th anniversary of the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. I’m privileged to offer a brief reflection on Bonhoeffer’s life and legacy over at Public Discourse. I’ve been working on Bonhoeffer’s thought for over a decade now, and I’m often struck by the depth of his conviction and insight in such troubled times. One of the things about him that I try to highlight in the Public Discourse piece is how Bonhoeffer’s courageous action...
Myths, Lies, and Free Enterprise
Does free enterprise hurt the poor? Is it unfair and driven by greed? Did it cause the Great Recession? In this brief video, AEI president Arthur Brooks answers these questions and more about free enterprise. ...
Human Trafficking: Backpage.com Has A Lot To Answer For
has, for years, been a place for people to buy and sell household items, cars, post ads for apartment rentals … and for human trafficking. Despite the fact that the site allows for the trafficking of men, women and children, law enforcement has been lax in clamping down on the trading in flesh. Even worse, Backpage allows for the use of Bitcoin, which means such transactions are virtually untraceable. Breitbart News reported: A recent court case,Doe LLC, brings the...
Andy Warhol, Boredom, And Poverty
AEI’s Arthur Brooks offers up an interesting take on solutions to poverty. He thinks the key lies in “boring things,” and his inspiration is artist Andy Warhol. I often ask people in my business — public policy — where they get their inspiration. Liberals often point to John F. Kennedy. Conservatives usually cite Ronald Reagan. Personally, I prefer the artist Andy Warhol, who famously declared, “I like boring things.” He was referring to art, of course. But the sentiment provides...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved