Poverty definitions at home and abroad

Two news items this week addressed the challenge of poverty.

Last Sunday’s Op-Ed by Bono in the NY Times expressed support for the Nobel committee’s selection of President Obama on the basis of “36 words” in the President’s speech to the UN last month: “We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.”

This commitment, he wrote, earned Obama the Peace Prize “alongside the administration’s approach to fighting nuclear proliferation and climate change, improving relations in the Middle East and, by the way, creating jobs and providing health care at home....”

According to Bono’s opinion piece (the Times' the most emailed article for several days), Obama is turning around our ship of state and returning to our uniquely American idea: “a great idea about opportunity for all and responsibility to your fellow man.”

According to an AP story today, perhaps 1 in 6 Americans are living in poverty if “medical costs and geographic variations" are included, as they are under an alternate formula applied by the National Academy of Sciences rather than the primary formula used by the Census Bureau. The NAS formula means that over 47 million Americans live in poverty, which is 7 million more than we thought.

The connection between global and domestic poverty is chilling. Can we help the world when our own economy is so imperiled? According to Bono, that's the point. If we are "too pinched to be the world’s philanthropist," we can be even more valuable as the world’s partner. And, that will make the difference.

Key words for nonprofit job seekers

If you're looking for nonprofit work, it's important to pay attention to the particular language of the nonprofit sector because it can trip you up. Here are some examples and more will follow in future posts:

Beneficiaries. If you were in the for-profit sector, you were selling a product or service to a consumer or client who was motivated primarily by the quality or price of what you had to offer. In contrast, nonprofit organizations offer a huge variety of educational, economic, cultural, and other benefits for the common good. Direct recipients of services, especially those who are economically disadvantaged, are called beneficiaries. When the purpose of a nonprofit organization is to advance the interests of a group in public discourse or to pursue their rights, such as gay marriage, the people for whom the organization speaks are called constituents.

Issues, advocacy and campaigns. A sub-group of nonprofit organizations are advocacy groups that are formed around a specific issue, like affordable housing, and then influence public policy to benefit society at large. Their mission is to be actively engaged in educating the public through forums that run the gamut from letters to the editor to meetings with legislators and community organizing. For example, The Wilderness Society’s web site lists five campaigns (wilderness, global warming, energy, roadless forests, stewardship) that support its mission: “To protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places.” If the word advocacy sounds daunting, think of it as public education, not lobbying (that’s another article).

Let me know what words are tripping you up....

--Wendy Bay Lewis
CivicDictionary.com

Work and renew your soul in National Parks

Watching the Ken Burns special on PBS, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, reminded me that working in a national park is an adventure for the soul -- at any age. See my friend Bill Berg's website, CoolWorks.com -- Thousands of Jobs in Great Places.

--Wendy Bay Lewis

White House health care on a card -- get it now!

Now is the time to stand-up for The Obama Plan: Stability & Security for All Americans.

Here is what YOU can do. Print the White House card with the primary benefits of The Obama Plan. It's available as a PDF from the White House blog at Fired Up? Ready to Go? (scroll to bottom of the post).

Or, download it from my website at CivicDictionary.com

Circulate the card to neighbors and friends who have coverage -- or -- need coverage!

The plight of homeless children in school

Getting back to school in Bozeman, Montana. According to the NY Times (http://tinyurl.com/lef6mp), over a million school children are without stable housing. My students at Montana State University are taking a look at the situation here and looking for solutions. Tomorrow's convocation speaker is Steve Lopez, author of The Soloist, in which he explains his own story learning about homelessness in LA.

Health care reform lifts everyone

On health care reform, Obama needs to quote JFK: "A rising tide lifts all boats." We need to rescue hundreds of thousands of children without health care -- along with their families -- and those who cannot afford or qualify for coverage. Those who are covered are not at risk. In the Preamble to the Constitution,We, the People, are dedicated to promote the general welfare, not restrict it.