Jonathan Lewis on Global Poverty
We sat down with Jonathan Lewis, founder of MicroCredit Enterpirses (pro bono DMD client) and the Opportunity Collaboration, after his recent article in The Huffington Post to microlending criticisms, global poverty and how business leaders can start making a difference.
DMD: you write of the "perverse priorities" of our society in regards to poverty and education; what can business leaders do now to address this problem?
JL: Without spending a dime, business leaders can exert moral and civil leadership. Poverty is a moral scourge, but for business it is also a bottom line issue: the poor make for feeble customers and untrained employees. Further, an uneducated citizenry is more likely to succumb to demagoguery or economic quick fixes, both of which harm the business climate.
Instead of serving on the museum board, serve on a school board. Instead of buying ads at the local sports arena, buy into the future by sponsoring a school.
DMD: The New York Times recently criticized some micro lending approaches; given your work in this area, do you think micro lending should change?
JL: Microfinance anti-poverty programs are not monolithic. In my judgment, best practices in microfinance include other social services, like education, health, clean energy finance, etc. For those microfinance programs who have limited themselves to just banking services for the poor, a broader mission statement would create a greater march towards the end goal of poverty reduction.
I think microfinance evaluators in the cheap seats would do well to keep a bit of perspective. Microfinance is not a panacea, but it is a tool with a solid record. To state the mundane, poverty is the absence of money and microfinance --on a partially or even fully self-supporting basis -- provides the poor with money to start businesses, pay medical bills, pay marriage costs, etc. It is the credit card most of us carry and use every day.
DMD: You've pulled together leaders from around the world to the Opportunity Collaboration in Mexico. What are the most poignant lessons in addressing global poverty from these leaders?
JL: For the poor life is "fragile, cheap, dangerous and unpredictable," as Michael Holman, author, Last Orders at Harrods, has noted. The poor suffer under a myriad of market imperfections because markets themselves are imperfect. What is efficient or profitable is not necessarily fair or just. Moreover, poverty is a multi-disciplinary problem. A good job, for example, does not replace bad schools, no health system or polluted water. So, the core lesson of the Opportunity Collaboration is that top-down solutions don't usually work and collaborative, cross-sector partnerships are needed.
Posted by rowland
on April 29 at 01:42 AM more...
DMD: you write of the "perverse priorities" of our society in regards to poverty and education; what can business leaders do now to address this problem?
JL: Without spending a dime, business leaders can exert moral and civil leadership. Poverty is a moral scourge, but for business it is also a bottom line issue: the poor make for feeble customers and untrained employees. Further, an uneducated citizenry is more likely to succumb to demagoguery or economic quick fixes, both of which harm the business climate.
Instead of serving on the museum board, serve on a school board. Instead of buying ads at the local sports arena, buy into the future by sponsoring a school.
DMD: The New York Times recently criticized some micro lending approaches; given your work in this area, do you think micro lending should change?
JL: Microfinance anti-poverty programs are not monolithic. In my judgment, best practices in microfinance include other social services, like education, health, clean energy finance, etc. For those microfinance programs who have limited themselves to just banking services for the poor, a broader mission statement would create a greater march towards the end goal of poverty reduction.
I think microfinance evaluators in the cheap seats would do well to keep a bit of perspective. Microfinance is not a panacea, but it is a tool with a solid record. To state the mundane, poverty is the absence of money and microfinance --on a partially or even fully self-supporting basis -- provides the poor with money to start businesses, pay medical bills, pay marriage costs, etc. It is the credit card most of us carry and use every day.
DMD: You've pulled together leaders from around the world to the Opportunity Collaboration in Mexico. What are the most poignant lessons in addressing global poverty from these leaders?
JL: For the poor life is "fragile, cheap, dangerous and unpredictable," as Michael Holman, author, Last Orders at Harrods, has noted. The poor suffer under a myriad of market imperfections because markets themselves are imperfect. What is efficient or profitable is not necessarily fair or just. Moreover, poverty is a multi-disciplinary problem. A good job, for example, does not replace bad schools, no health system or polluted water. So, the core lesson of the Opportunity Collaboration is that top-down solutions don't usually work and collaborative, cross-sector partnerships are needed.
Posted by rowland
on April 29 at 01:42 AM more...
Before you build, brand
I met with Martyn Evans of Origin UK at the Shoreditch House in London. I was expecting the usual PR and marketing firm approach to the design world, which frankly is unique enough (there are only a handful of decent design based PR firms in the world). Instead, Martyn opened my eyes to how to bring branding to architecture, interiors and real estate development many months, or even years, before construction begins. By showcasing incredible design and creating experiences that precede a new development that truly connect with a community, Origin UK is bringing designers, architects and artists together with developers to establish conversations that benefit all groups. Impressive stuff. I'm hoping to interview him for this blog soon.
Posted by rowland
on April 6 at 10:44 AM more...
Posted by rowland
on April 6 at 10:44 AM more...