Think Global, Do Justice

In this 3+1 episode, we're catching up on some global stories that you might have missed and have a recommendation of the pop variety. We're continuing last month's conversation on elections by looking at El Salvador, talking through localization efforts in global development, the scandal surrounding UNRWA-Hamas and then get Brandon's take on Bono's recent biography, Surrender. Dr. Greg Burch of Multnomah University joins Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke for the conversation. Get support for your nonprofit team or project with our team of professionals at Canopy International Resources and Links from the show Foreign Policy : What Bukele's Rise Means for the Region World Relief : Three Trends We're Seeing in Global Development in 2024 USAID : Communicating through a Localization Lens The Media Line : Hamas Sacrifices Gaza Children, and UNRWA Complicit in Crimes Bridgely The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros God of the Empty-Handed by Jayukumar Christian Conversation Notes 2:12 - Discussion on Christian Higher ed 8:23 - Considering security, freedom, violence and democracy as El Salvador goes through changes and the leadership of Nayib Bukele 22:00 - Why even bother bringing politics into the podcast conversation? 26:10 - Trends in global development, localization and the place for outsiders 40:30 - Violence against children in Israel-Palestine and the Hamas-UNRWA reports 52:34 - Surrender by Bono and reflections on the celebrity activist Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

What does it look like to meet the needs of very vulnerable people in the face of glaring global disparity? What does it look like to bring God's Kingdom through improving access to healthcare in the Global South? These are the questions we're looking at today as we dive into conversation with CEO of CURE International, Justin Narducci. Justin and his team CURE are distinctly rooted in Luke 9:2 where Jesus commissioned His disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. For them that means running hospitals in eight countries, providing over 330,000 surgeries and sharing the gospel with 1.5 million people. We get to learn from their experience in this episode of the podcast. Resources and Links from the show Cure International Website Get Support for Yourself or Your Team with Canopy International Conversation Notes 1:40 - Update on Brandon's work with CarePortal 4:05 - Think Global becoming Think Global, Do Justice 9:50 - The work of Cure Intl. and how God led Justin into the global nonprofit space 12:00 - How scripture points us towards caring for people both locally and globally regardless of ethnicity and upbringing 13:20 - The history and the founding of CURE to meet healthcare and spiritual needs of vulnerable children and communities 15:20 - The environment in which CURE is working and the harsh realities for families and children 21:20 - The feelings of a parent whose child is in need of serious medical care 25:40 - The imperative for CURE to provide healthcare to vulnerable children specifically 29:30 - Addressing the tremendous disparity when looking at healthcare in Africa versus other areas of the world 33:15 - Promoting sustainability and professional development through CURE's hospitals and partnerships 39:00 - How should we think about scaling solutions especially in the face of such tremendous needs throughout the world 45:24 - Seeing an organization grow from the founder to subsequent executives without mission creep 48:50 - Incorporating Christian ministry care with the medical care to heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom of God 53:35 - The importance of having a specialized skill that you can transfer and train others in Podcast music by Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

You cannot have a conversation around global issues without considering the state of the earth itself. We are talking today with educator, author and climate advocate Dr. Forrest Inslee to learn, "what on earth is happening with the earth?" Dr. Inslee brings a distinctly Christian viewpoint to the conversation as we consider the damage being done to the environment and how Christians that are engaging vulnerable communities around the world have a role to play in supporting not just people, but all of God's creation. Resources and Links from the show Earthkeepers Podcast Re-imagining Short Term Missions Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katharine Hayhoe Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land by Norman Wirzba Conversation Notes 7:10 - Remembering that God loves all ethnicities and nationalities the same and Jesus making us into family 10:15 - Blood relation, family and adoption in Turkey 15:15 - A snapshot of climate change, extreme weather, ecosystem loss and how a Christian should think through these realities 19:45 - The link between poverty and ecological degradation 23:40 - Christians believe that people matter most, but is it the case that people are all that matters. 27:57 - The way that people divide even in the midst of having something they could agree on (and also Parks and Rec) 34:45 - Is there a role for technology to solve our problems or is that just magic thinking that won't bear enough fruit 38:40 - Urbanization is a historic long term trend and how can people do something to take action 46:15 - The need to reimagine how we do short term missions 52:00 - Promising practices in short term missions and cross-cultural ministry 57:45 - Practicing humility and learning as we engage in justice work

In our first ever 3+1 episode, we're catching up on some global stories that you might have missed. We're talking about the war going on in Sudan, elections throughout the world, USAID waste and then learn of a great recommendation from our guest on developing monitoring and evaluation. Conversation Notes 2:10 - Introduction to the 3+1 format and those that are in the conversation today 6:35 - The war in Sudan, the current situation, the history, the displacement, the genocide 11:35 - The economy of attention, why do we hear about certain problems or conflicts and not others 20:40 - Countries representing half of the world's population are heading to the polls this year. 25:10 - Legitimacy of the elections in question and walking the line between perception and reality 30:02 - What is the role of the church in civic participation? 36:10 - USAID's biggest contract in history goes a bit sour 44:50 - Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning resource for development professionals. Super helpful guide and directed course to equip you for this work. Resources and Links from the Show The Guardian : 'Why are they forgetting about us?': Sudan watches allies turn from war to aid Ukraine and Gaza Politico : The global elections Washington should be watching in 2024 Devex : 'Too big to fail': How USAID's $9.5B supply chain vision unraveled MEAL DPro: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning for Development Professionals Sometimes in April Movie The White Man's Burden by William Easterly Think Orphan's Refugee Crisis Series Theme music : Standing in the Rain by Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

Author and development educator, Dr. Michael Pucci joins the show to talk with us about the spiritual and relational dynamics of poverty and helps us understand the biblical view of the global family of God. We also dive into a fascinating conversation on the multi-billion dollar aid industry (which is nuanced by the amount of remittances sent to the Global South). Dr. Pucci is based in Kigali where he runs Transformational Initiatives and invests in women's economic empowerment alongside other transformational development initiatives. Resources and Links Owning Poverty by Michael Pucci, PhD 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker Full Report Join our NEW Patreon Community Conversation Notes What does it mean to coach towards transformation (6:30) Applying James 1:27 to understand the powerlessness of individuals and how family is the model for Christians to interact with others (9:30) Is it okay to show preference toward certain people within a Christian's life? (11:35) Understanding the condition of poverty and how it applies to everyone (17:50) The role of spiritual disciplines to know and participate in poverty (22:35) The reactions of people that are first encountering poverty (25:55) Poverty and suffering within the global Body of Christ (30:30) Hearing how the poor describe poverty (40:20) The importance of boundaries and diversity to promote social flourishing (43:00) The laying down of power and cultural dominance (51:00) Should we be building bridges or taking bridges apart? (57:00) The global aid industry, it's big, it's not working and the mode of engagement is off (59:45) Investigating our actions to see if they align with the Kingdom of God (1:11:00)

This podcast is something like day one, while at the same time seven years strong. In this trailer episode for Think Global, Brandon Stiver speaks to the heart of the podcast and the season that God is calling our community into. You'll hear about some of the updates to the podcast as well as more ways to connect with us. Brandon also introduces Canopy International, a global community for convening, connecting and collaborating. Please support the show (seriously, we don't have backers anymore!) Here's our freshly set-up Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/canopyinternational/ Please rate and review the show as we seek to reach more globally-minded disciples that are looking for community and meaningful content. Theme Music : Standing in the Rain by Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License.

Phil and Brandon share how God has been working through the podcast throughout 2023 as well as throughout the history since Phil started the show nearly seven years ago. As we close out the year, we share the direction that God is leading us to take the podcast in 2024 and beyond. This is a heartfelt, earnest community conversation on the podcast today. We're adjusting the scope, changing the name and stepping into the next phase of this podcast community. We're grateful to have you in this community and are looking forward to going deeper with you as he calls all of us to better serve vulnerable and marginalized communities. Support the podcast by joining our NEW Patreon community : Link

In episode 237, we have a special on the ground episode to share how one organization's journey and commitment to family based care plays out through all the people in their organization. We're featuring voices through Selamta Family Project in Addis Ababa and invite you to join us in this conversation to celebrate the family care movement taking place in Ethiopia. Show Notes Julia shares how she became involved in the sector (3:30) Selamta's programs and striving for forever families (5:00) Trust-based relational culture (10:00) Transforming children's welfare in Ethiopia (12:00) Tamrat shares about Selamta's model (18:30) The reality of aging out (21:32) Collaboration and partnership on the ground (23:30) Connecting with love and care (25:00) Providing consistent care (27:00) What family can provide (35:00) The difference that family makes (41:00) Hearing from older youth (48:00) Resources and Links from the show Selamta Family Project On the Ground in Lesotho- The Power of Family Reunification

This week we have dedicated academic and researcher Dr. Lauren Pinkson. Lauren is the host of the Upwardly Dependent podcast and comes with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in human trafficking prevention and community development through social enterprise. She has a passion for exploring creative solutions to bridging cultures and investing in communities. Join us as we challenge preconceptions surrounding human trafficking, shifting perspectives in bridging cultures, and delving into the intersection of podcasting within this sector. Podcast Sponsor Sojourn Studio Sojourn Studio empowers young women and moms on the Thailand-Myanmar border through dignified work as they handcraft beauty to rewrite stories and lift communities. Get shopping today and support families at the same time! Resources and Links from the show Slavery Footprint Freedom Business Alliance Kindred Exchange Upwardly Dependent Human Trafficking 101 Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary L. McBride You Should be Grateful by Angela Tucker Conversation Notes The intersection of trafficking and orphanage care settings (10:22) Promoting freedom business (17:00) How we define freedom and changing our framework (24:30) The power of story (31:00) Responding to what we know now about international adoption (38:00) Upwardly Dependent podcast (43:00) Foster care into trafficking (48:00) Lauren's favorite recommendations (53:00)

Mackynzie 'Mac' Archer comes with a deep love for the Haitian people and vulnerable populations. She is an anthropologist, researcher, consultant, and advocate. In this episode we dive into some of her findings in short-term missions, the orphanage system in Haiti, and her most recent doctoral research on the emotional labor of care-affected children. Podcast Sponsor Sojourn Studio Sojourn Studio empowers young women and moms on the Thailand-Myanmar border through dignified work as they handcraft beauty to rewrite stories and lift communities. Get shopping today and support families at the same time! Resources and Links from the show Most Children In Haitian Orphanages Aren't Orphans — But US Missionaries Take Them Away From Their Families Disquieting Gifts: Humanitarianism in New Delhi Travesty in Haiti: A true account of Christian missions, orphanages, fraud, food aid, and drug trafficking The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Conversation Notes How Mackenzie got to Haiti (6:00) The reality on the ground at an orphanage (7:30) Interviewing children in orphanage systems (10:30) Let's talk about life in Haiti right now (12:00) The impact of instability on orphanages (15:00) An increase in malnutrition (21:00) Most organizations unable to meet basic needs (23:00) Sustaining poor child welfare practices (26:00) Good intentions (27:00) One story from a short-term missions volunteer (31:00) Accountable empathy (38:00) Are we willing to receiving from other cultures? (41:00) The emotional labor we see at orphanages (47:00) Wiping the eyes of children between groups of visitors (52:00) Emotional labor in family reunification (57:00) Building relationships instead of structures (1:12:00)