When Helping Hurts How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

by Corbett, Steve; Fikkert, Brian; Perkins, John; Platt, David

• ISBN13: 9780802409980
• ISBN10: 0802409989
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-02-01
• Publisher: Moody Publishers

Summary

With more than 450,000 copies in print, When Helping Hurts is a paradigm-forming contemporary classic on the subject of poverty alleviation.

Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good.

But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy—and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself.

Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts provides proven strategies for effective poverty alleviation, catalyzing the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out. 

Author Biography

STEVE CORBETT is the Community Development Specialist for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College. Previously, Steve worked for Food for the Hungry International as the Regional Director for Central And South America and as Director of Staff Training. Steve has a B.A. from covenant College and a M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Georgia. DR. BRIAN FIKKERT is a Professor of Economics and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland--College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

Table of Contents

Preface Opening Excercise Introduction Part 1: Foundational Concepts for Helping Without Hurting Chapter 1: Why Did Jesus Come to Earth? Chapter 2: What's the Problem? Chapter 3: Are We There Yet? Part 2: General Principles for Helping Without Hurting Chapter 4: Not All Poverty Is Created Equal Chapter 5: Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, and Their Assets Chapter 6: McDevelopment: Over 2.5 Billion People NOT Served Part 3: Practical Strategies for Helping Without Hurting Chapter 7: Doing Short-Term Missions Without Doing Long-Term Harm Chapter 8: Yes, In Your Backyard Chapter 9: And to the Ends of the Earth Chapter 10: What's Next? Concluding Remarks