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Session 1: Poverty and the Church February 17, 2010 The Chalmers Center for Economic Development

Haiti: Helping without Hurting Webinar Series. Session 1: Poverty and the Church February 17, 2010 The Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. The Haitian Context Pre-Earthquake. Extreme Levels of Absolute Poverty: 75% lived on less than $2/day

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Session 1: Poverty and the Church February 17, 2010 The Chalmers Center for Economic Development

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  1. Haiti: Helping without Hurting Webinar Series Session 1: Poverty and the Church February 17, 2010 The Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College

  2. The Haitian Context Pre-Earthquake • Extreme Levels of Absolute Poverty: • 75% lived on less than $2/day • Over 50% lived on less than $1/day • Extreme Levels of Inequality: • 4% of population owned 66% of wealth • Second highest income disparity in the world

  3. The Haitian Context Pre-Earthquake • Half of population has no access to potable water • Over 50% of population is illiterate • Highest HIV/AIDS rate in world outside sub-saharan Africa • 1/3 of women have been violently sexually abused • High rates of child abuse and trafficking

  4. How We Define the Cause of Poverty Determines the Solutions We Propose

  5. God Economic System PoliticalSystem SocialSystem Rest of Creation Self Others ReligiousSystem

  6. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy God Economic System Rest of Creation Political System Self Social System Others Poverty of Stewardship Poverty of Being Poverty of Community Religious System

  7. What is Poverty? “Poverty is a result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable.” Bryant Myers in Walking with the Poor, p. 86.

  8. If poverty is rooted in broken relationships, who are the Poor? • We are! • Until we embrace this, our attempts to help the people in Haiti may do more harm than good.

  9. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy God Economic System Rest of Creation Political System Self Social System Others Poverty of Stewardship Poverty of Being god-complexes Feelings of Inferiority/Shame Poverty of Community Religious System

  10. Poverty Alleviation Poverty Alleviation is the Ministry of Reconciliation: moving people—including ourselves-- closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation.

  11. Poverty Alleviation • Note that “the good life” is not just having more material things. • The goal is NOT to turn Port-au-Prince into Atlanta • The goal is for Port-au-Prince and Atlanta to look more like the New Jerusalem

  12. The Relationships are Broken Due To: • Individual Sin: • Sinful hearts • Often includes a faulty worldview concerning God, self, others, and the rest of creation • The voodoo worldview is a factor in the Haitian Context • Broken Systems • local, national, and international levels • The poor typically have little control over these

  13. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy God Economic System Rest of Creation Political System Self Social System Others Poverty of Stewardship Poverty of Being Poverty of Community Religious System

  14. Broken Systems Affecting Haiti’s Poor • International Factors: • Colonization by Spanish and French • Slavery • U.S. embargo for 60 years after Haiti achieved independence in 1804 • $22 Billion (constant 2007 dollars) in reparation payments to France • U.S. occupation 1915-1934 • U.S. propped up Baby Doc, a ruthless dictator, during the Cold War

  15. Broken Systems Affecting Haiti’s Poor • International Factors: • Large amounts of aid from U.S. government and multilateral organizations • $1 billion annually in remittances • “Republic of NGOs” • Large numbers of missionaries, especially short-termers • Perhaps all of these outside resources have undermined Haitian initiative at local and national levels

  16. Broken Systems Affecting Haiti’s Poor • National Factors • Government ranked as one of the top 2 most corrupt governments in the world • Constant Instability: only 9 of 54 presidents have served a complete term • Predatory governments which oppress poor in order to advance their own power and wealth • Categorized as a “fragile” state by the international donor community, meaning that it cannot or will not provide core functions to the majority of its people. Other countries in this category include Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe.

  17. Individual Sin + Broken Systems = Broken Relationships for the Poor in Haiti

  18. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy God Economic System Rest of Creation Political System Self Social System Others Poverty of Stewardship Poverty of Being Poverty of Community Religious System

  19. Broken Relationship with God in Haiti • God the Supreme Creator is distant and unapproachable • Capricious spirits rule the material world and must be appeased

  20. Broken Relationship with Creation in Haiti • The spirits determine the level of fertility and harvest • The creation is not responsive to individual action, so exercising stewardship and dominion is not considered fruitful

  21. Broken Relationship with Others in Haiti • Blood and religion determine acceptance • Class and color determine status • People outside are viewed as competitors for influence and goods • Alignment with power is essential for survival

  22. Broken Relationship with Self in Haiti • Feelings of inferiority and shame • Dependent on group identity for honor and dignity • Fear of being outside of group • Moral decisions are group and spirit directed, undermining one’s sense of personal, moral responsibility

  23. If poverty is rooted in broken relationships, who are the Poor? • We are! • Until we embrace this, our attempts to help the people in Haiti may do more harm than good.

  24. Poverty of Spiritual Intimacy God Economic System Rest of Creation Political System Self Social System Others Poverty of Stewardship Poverty of Being god-complexes Feelings of Inferiority/Shame Poverty of Community Religious System

  25. We all need a reconciler! For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

  26. The Church is the body, bride, and fullness of Jesus Christ It has been given the “Ministry of Reconciliation”

  27. Local and Universal Church • Need to focus on increasing the “testimony” of the local church in Haiti • Avoiding Paternalism • Avoiding Dependency

  28. Connection of the Church with Community Work • Church-Encouraged • Church-Supported • Church-Based

  29. Cultural Issues • Individualism vs. Collectivism • Universalism vs. Particularism • Galatians 6:10: “Do good to al men but especially to those of the household of faith • Low Power Distance vs. High Power Distance

  30. You can download a copy of today’s webinar within two days at www.whenhelpinghurts.org

  31. The next Webinar in this series is “Haiti: Doing Asset-based Relief, Rehabilitation”, February 24, 2010 1:00-2:00 EST For more information go to www.whenhelpinghurts.org

  32. We need your financial support! For information on how to give, please go to www.chalmers.org

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