TEDx HoracePark,
March 1, 2014
The Power and
Responsibility of One.
Why patience is the most critical component in
successful, sustainable poverty eradication efforts.
By Kathy Stutzman
Before I share with you a new paradigm for
eradicating poverty I have a few questions for you…
I’d like you to take a moment to think of a pivotal
time in your life, think about the person involved and the essence of what that
person said or did that made it a pivotal moment…most people remember a time
when someone believed in you more than you believed in yourself…Now I am going
to ask you to think about the last time you were that person for someone else…
This new paradigm which was informed and inspired by
a think tank I am part of…this new paradigm…gives us plenty of opportunities to
believe in someone before they yet believe in themselves.
Now I know we all like to get big returns on our
investments, so I am wondering why when we invest in poverty eradication
efforts we are so willing to invest in projects instead of people? Why are we
so willing to invest in building buildings instead of building skills? This new
paradigm offers a sustainable method of investing our capital, our abundant
wealth that will yield immeasurable returns.
Lest you think I am not talking to you, let me be
clear…I am…the wealth wherever you are, is abundant. When investing our
capital, I am talking about more than money; I am talking about developing and
maintaining relationships while sharing resources – that’s our social capital.
So how do we leverage that social capital, that abundant wealth that you have,
that I have…to make a difference in the world?
I was in Ghana, West Africa recently helping to
build the capacity of Street Girls Aid, an organization working with the 61,000
street children living, working and sleeping in the streets of Accra. 61,000
street children. That could be pretty overwhelming and instead we leveraged
social capital in a way that is making a sustainable difference in the world,
making a difference for those children…
I’m also working on a poverty eradication effort in
Nicaragua, inspired by economist Jeffrey Sachs who in 2006 challenged us with
this - “We are the first generation that not only has the capacity but the
responsibility to end extreme poverty”. Now
that’s a challenge that I can get into especially knowing that 43% of the
population in Nicaragua lives on less than $2/day. Of course I want to invest
in eradicating poverty, but only if I know that my investment will make a
meaningful difference…
And that’s where this gets tricky…of course I want
to make a difference…but this new model of investing social capital in poverty
eradication requires us to be bold and be patient – kind of like hurry up and
wait…
I work with a lot of type A people…I might even be
one myself…fixers, kind do-gooders who haven’t seen a problem that we can’t fix
or solve, and we can McGyver our way out of any situation, sometimes even
creating new problems to match our solutions…
And when faced with overwhelming challenges like
61,000 children living in the streets, or half of a country in poverty…it feels
much better to be able to see immediate results - we dig wells, we build roads
and homes because we can quickly see and measure the outcome of our actions…but
to what end our investment?
Be bold... let’s hurry up and make a difference!! Be
patient...STOP let’s think about how to do this right…let’s take the time to
build relationships and invest in people and that all takes time…why does it
take so much time?
Investing in people and relationships is not easy, nor
is it a quick fix…actively believing in someone who does not yet
believe in themselves takes patience, creating confidence takes practice, and
dreaming about the possible infinite opportunities is NOT about fixing, or problem-solving, or telling, it is about
patiently listening and connecting.
In “Bridging the Class Divide” author Linda Stout
suggests that people born into generational poverty have limited exposure to
options outside of their experience…so when we work to create a framework for
visioning, we have to believe in the capacity of all, understanding that not
all been exposed to the same opportunities to articulate their dreams, or think
about the future…and that takes time…
Last year I was facilitating a focus group in the US
with parents in poverty with young children and reached the final question “do
you have anything else that you would like to add…” and a young mom in the back
jumped up and said “I want everyone to know that just because I am poor does not mean I am stupid”
I keep that mom’s lesson in forefront of my mind at
all times. When working to eradicate poverty, we need to humbly remember that
the people with whom we are working are the experts, they know best…they are
the experts of their realities and so who are we…who am I to impose my own
strategic priorities on others???
All we are as investors of social capital are
conduits, sharing resources, connecting people, providing opportunities to try
and practice new skills and tools and then… we need to get out of the way and
let the magic happen …without us.
This may well be the most difficult part for us in
this new paradigm of eradicating poverty, yet until we are willing to be
detached from the outcome, our efforts will not be sustainable.
It is a beautiful moment - when people gain
confidence in their competence, are vested in their work and are realizing
their dreams. I have seen it happen time and time again when it all comes
together and a community says - we’ve got this, we can do this, we can make
this happen…
People, relationships and dreams – that’s the new
paradigm.
People, relationships, and dreams – that is where
our sustainable investments lie.
As philanthropists with abundant wealth, with tons
of social capital at our fingertips…we have within us the power to change the
world. We can invest in building
relationships and capacity, we can create opportunities for others to dream and
confidently move forward, or we can invest in others who will willingly put
their sandals on the streets. The power and responsibility of changing the
world lies in our hands…I know how I am investing my social capital…I invite
you to consider investing your abundant wealth in people, relationships and
dreams. Thank you.
Citations:
“The End of
Poverty”, by Jeffrey Sachs
“Bridging
the Class Divide”, by Linda Stout
“Census on
Street Children in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana” Ghana 2011
“The
Community Leadership Handbook” James Krile with Gordon Curphy and Duane R. Lund
The WHO
data bank for Nicaragua
Random
House Dictionary of the English Language (1981)
Resources:
www.KathyStutzman.blogspot.com
Kathy
Stutzman TEDx HoraceAustin
BIO
Kathy
Stutzman is a world citizen who is passionate about creatively connecting
people around the globe. A consummate traveler, she has actively sought to
build relationships and connect people around the world and within the United
States. After working in the non-profit
sector for more than 25 years she now uses her experience in her consulting
practice to build capacity within communities, organizations and businesses
facilitating strategic planning and resource and skill development. Her recent work in Nicaragua and Ghana
informs much of her current practice.
Kathy
recently hosted a series of public television shows for KSMQ TV, On Q Latitudes
celebrating the cultures, tradition and heritage of people from other countries
who live in our communities. Co-owner of Words Unlimited, a professional
writing business, Kathy has authored countless articles, grants, and published
works. Look for some of her more popular pieces at
www.kathystutzman.blogspot.com.
A Rotarian
for 23 years and an active community volunteer Kathy has a legacy of making
connections, listening and helping make magic as she demonstrates the practice
of her talk today. Be bold, be patient and believe in the capacity of others.
Ms.
Stutzman received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at
Boulder, she has a Master’s Degree in Health and Human Services Administration
from St. Mary’s University and a second Master’s degree in Management also from
St. Mary’s.
Kathy
currently resides in rural Minnesota and is proud of the contributions of her
family within the world, her husband, Stan, daughters Alison and Shannon,
son-in-law Ben and grandchildren Trillian and Harkr. You can learn more about
Kathy’s passions, or to contact her to work with your group or organization visit
www.kathystutzman.blogspot.com, on Twitter at @KathyStutzman, e-mail
kastutzm@smig.net or find her on Facebook or LinkedIN - she’d love to hear from
you.
