Poverty

July 09, 2020

Acton alumni spotlight: Justin Beene – Developing community and seeking justice

Justin Beene is the director of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation and long-time faculty member of Acton University. He has spoken on community development and poverty several times at Acton events. Continue Reading...

June 29, 2020

Rev. Robert Sirico: The Church’s ‘anemic response’ to COVID-19 hurts everyone

The political response to COVID-19 has created an economic downturn unprecedented since the Great Depression. However, the Church’s “anemic response” has deprived the poor of spiritual solace and the Church of its vocation and vitality, said Acton Institute President and Co-founder Rev. Continue Reading...

Rev. Robert A. Sirico at the 2019 Acton Annual Dinner

June 26, 2020

Video: How ‘Poverty, Inc.’ can help the West cure global poverty

The Acton Institute continues to lead the global poverty discussion, as the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business hosted a screening of its award-winning documentary Poverty Inc. Afterwards the chamber held a virtual panel of speakers from around the world, including the film’s producer, Acton Institute Research Fellow Michael Matheson Miller, about how the movie’s insights apply to poverty eradication programs. Continue Reading...

May 07, 2020

In a pandemic, the poor need global markets more than ever

The coronavirus global pandemic has scrambled everything from economic policy to geopolitics. This disruption has created space for many to reconsider the world’s pre-coronavirus arrangements. Trade and globalization will undoubtedly be on the menu for renegotiation. Continue Reading...

April 17, 2020

Weekend viewing: Watch ‘America Lost’ for free

For a few moments, filmmaker Christopher Rufo’s documentary America Lost seemed in danger of becoming an anachronism. But in the age of coronavirus shutdown orders, his portrait of life in the forgotten, jobless corners of America could not be more timely. Continue Reading...

April 17, 2020

Marx vs. the universal basic income

While a universal basic income has been advocated by everyone from Bernie Sanders to Charles Murray and Pope Francis, the name most associated with wealth redistribution is Marx. However, in a little-known writing Marx specifically opposed the UBI, calling it inefficient and counterproductive. Continue Reading...

March 24, 2020

Review: ‘America Lost’ and the crisis of faith and work

However unique their history or circumstances, communities experiencing high unemployment are pockmarked by the same sights: shuttered factories, rows of abandoned homes bulldozed or set ablaze by arsonists, and a debilitating hopelessness. Continue Reading...

February 28, 2020

Why banning dollar stores won’t save ‘food deserts’

Reducing food insecurity and improving overall nutrition continue to be key priorities in the fight to alleviate poverty, particularly given the continued rise of diseases like diabetes and their increased prevalence among low-income and disadvantaged populations. Continue Reading...

February 24, 2020

Savings groups for global transformation

“That is never going to amount to anything. Don’t waste your time.” This was my initial reaction when our Tanzanian director told me about the first savings groups she had seen in action, almost 15 years ago. Continue Reading...

February 05, 2020

Generosity through trade: The power of giving and receiving

In cultivating a Christian ethic of economic generosity, we tend to focus heavily on traditional acts of charity—donating our dollars, volunteering our time, and so on. Likewise, in heeding Jesus’ call in Matthew 25 to serve the “least of these,” we often think through the lens of one-way material transfers. Continue Reading...

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