Send us a textWhat does it really mean to empower people? Beyond buzzwords and good intentions lies a complex reality that social impact organizations grapple with daily. This conversation with researchers Dr. Thomas Crea and Dr. Sarah Neville dives deep into the messy, thought-provoking questions that challenge conventional thinking about empowerment.The discussion takes us beyond simplistic notions of "teaching a man to fish" to examine whether we're creating the fishing holes people need to sustain themselves. As Dr. Crea points out, true empowerment begins when "communities recognize and define the issues affecting them" rather than having external definitions imposed. Yet the structures of international aid, academic research, and nonprofit funding often create barriers to this community-centered approach.We explore the tension between research that feels extractive and communities' immediate needs for jobs, healthcare, and education. Both researchers share candid reflections on working across contexts from Sierra Leone to Chelsea, Massachusetts, revealing how power dynamics play out similarly whether internationally or locally. The conversation challenges Western individualism through Dr. Neville's observation that "nobody is a self-made person" and questions whether traditional metrics can capture what matters most in human flourishing.Perhaps most provocatively, we question whether empowerment can be measured at all. Some of the most important outcomes—belonging, dignity, community connection—resist quantification but remain essential. As Dr. Neville notes, "We seem to want short-term, inexpensive solutions to have life-changing, transformative impact," yet meaningful change often requires longer-term investment and humility about what we can measure.For anyone working in social impact, this episode offers no easy answers but something more valuable: a framework for asking better questions about power, measurement, and community voice. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, researcher, donor, or simply concerned about creating positive change, these reflections will challenge you to reconsider how we define success in social change work.Listen now and join a conversation that might just transform how you think about empowerment in your own work and community. ____Firmly Rooted - A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way!To view the released trailer and sizzle reel, go to https://firmlyrootedfilm.com/or to https://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org__________ ____Organize a Rooted in Reality mission experience for your service club, church group, worship team, young adult or adult study. No travel required. Step into the shoes of people in extreme poverty in Sierra Leone, West Africa, Helping Children Worldwide takes you into a world where families are facing impossible choices every day.Contact [email protected] to discuss how. Give to a 25 year legacy - plant seeds of hope! ________Travel on International Mission, meet local leadership and work alongside them. Exchange knowledge, learn from one another and be open to personal transformation. Step into a 25 year long story of change for children in some of the poorest regions on Earth.https://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org/mission-trips.html******Support the showHelpingchildrenworldwide.org

Ver todos los episodios