When Helping Hurts
How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
by Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert · first published 2009
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Argues that handing money or stuff to the poor often causes harm, and asks readers to address root causes and systems; praised as a thoughtful guide for missions and volunteer work, with useful discussion questions.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Good Intentions Are Not Enough Unleashing and equipping people to effectively help the poor requires repentance and the realization of our own brokenness. When Helping Hurts articulates a biblically based framework concerning the root causes of poverty and its alleviation. A path forward is found, not through providing resources to the poor, but instead by walking with them in humble relationships. Whether you're involved in short-term missions or the long-term empowerment of the poor, this book helps teach you three key areas: -Foundational Concepts (Who are the poor?) -Principles
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I would encourage everyone to read "When Helping Hurts". It lays out why it is bad for Americans' first response to throw money at an international problem. Some of the reasons why we should be slow to give money: We should encourage self-empowerment. If…
on “The case against empathy (2019)” ↗You should read the book “When Helping Hurts” to get a better idea of the harm you can cause by just giving poor people money without addressing root causes and more systematic issues. In fact, I will buy you a copy if you are interested.
on “Ask HN: Would you donate directly to poor Kenyans?” ↗…especially affect children in the local community, etc.). Many thoughtful missions organizations are aware of these issues and try to plan missions trips that mitigate such harm. There's a book called "When Helping Hurts" [1] that guides a lot of the new thinking in this space. Again good intentions are laudable, and we should not be dissuaded from doing good in the world, but acting with discernment and wisdom ensures…
on “Rick Steves Wants to Save the World, One Vacation at a Time” ↗Have you read When Helping Hurts? It's a really good exploration of this dichotomy of blame between the people and the systems. In truth, both are broken.
on “The Surprising Power of the Long Game” ↗My wife and I 'When Helping Hurts' last year, and I'd highly recommend it as a resource for thoughtful volunteerism. Beyond the content, I thought it had the best set of questions/exercises I've seen in a book of this kind.
on “Rick Steves Wants to Save the World, One Vacation at a Time” ↗There's a book I'm just beginning, When Helping Hurts[1], that dives into this subject deeper. Complicated for sure. [1] http://www.amazon.com/When-Helping-Hurts-Alleviate-Yourself/...
on “Why I stopped being a voluntourist ” ↗