Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Poverty

April 13, 2015

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. Continue Reading...
April 09, 2015

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 a heavy chain. McConlogue took this as a sign of Grand’s internal drive and motivation and decided to try an experiment: The idea is simple. Continue Reading...
March 31, 2015

Can We End Extreme Poverty by 2030?

Can the world put an end to extreme poverty within the next 15 years? That’s the current goal of the World Bank, and its expected that the United Nations will adopt that same target later this year. Continue Reading...
March 30, 2015

Bob Geldof: Trade Not Aid for Ethiopia

Good story in the Wall Street Journal today about rocker-activist Bob Geldof and how he’s spearheading a push by private-equity firms into Ethiopia to effect a “historic shift from aid to trade.” Investments are flowing into private sector projects such as a flower farm, a juice company, pipeline building and commodity exchanges. Continue Reading...
March 16, 2015

Who Will Bring Jesus and Justice To Poor Whites?

Being “missional” and showing a concern for justice for the poor have become issues of increasing concern among American evangelicals. Yet the focus tends to tend to be on urban minorities instead of the largest percentage of Americans living under the poverty line. Continue Reading...
March 11, 2015

Peace and Provision at a Pizza Shop

Rosa’s Fresh Pizza in Philadelphia has now given away more than 10,000 slices of pizza, using a unique “pay-it-forward” system where “customers can pre-purchase $1 slices for those in need.” The story is inspiring on a number of levels, illuminating the power of business to channel the best of humanity toward meeting complex needs in new and unexpected ways, often quite spontaneously. Continue Reading...
March 10, 2015

In Brazil, A Genius Way To Clean Water

It’s no secret that much of the world has a hard time accessing clean drinking water. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, it is estimated that 36 million people have no regular access to clean water. Continue Reading...
March 05, 2015

Hernando de Soto: Property Rights, Not Just Capitalism

de SotoThe work of Hernando de Soto has been followed closely for years at Acton and more recently at PovertyCure. See the 2001 interview “The Poor are the Solution, Not the Problem” in Religion & Liberty and a short film clip of de Soto talking about property rights and rule of law at PovertyCure. Continue Reading...
February 26, 2015

Overcoming ISIS With Flip Flops

Flip flops – those quick and easy sandals we slip on our feet to run a quick errand, go to the beach or walk the dog around the block. In many countries, flip flops are the most common form of footwear. Continue Reading...