One of the most recognizable myths from ancient Greece is the tale of King Midas. For those unfamiliar with the story, King Midas received a wish from the god Dionysus that he used to have everything he touched turn into gold. At first delighted, Midas quickly realized the folly of his decision after he was
In a recent column, I asked readers to write in with ideas about how full employment would influence the debate about inequality in the U.S. Since the column was published, eradicating poverty and trying to address inequality have been even more ever present in the spotlight as issues to be addressed in meaningful ways. Many
Those answering this question seem to have become more and more optimistic over the past several decades. Major advances in technology, education, healthcare and business practices have led to reduced poverty rates around the world. Although victory is still a long way off, it seems that we have a fighting chance in the battle against poverty.
While
Across the United States, it is not uncommon to see billboards and advertisements for a local lottery. These are often joined by other joint lotteries, some of which cover several states. While the variety is seemingly endless, all the ads and sponsorships of the games share one trait: a warning. Often found in the fine
In the last 50 years, family structures have changed dramatically. Just half a century ago, 75 percent of children lived in a home with two married parents in their first marriage. Today, less than half of children are raised in such a traditional situation, and more than a third are raised by single parents. This
Poverty always creates a deep sense of unease within us. It is disturbing because it offends our sense of equity, fairness and justice. In spite of living in a world that has acquired a significant level of affluence, a substantial number of people suffer from lack of adequate resources. Even in the United States, poverty
When the Occupy Wall Street movement dissipated, their call against the 1 percent slowly disappeared from the news headlines only to be replaced by research that made similar points about inequality. Much of what has been said refers to Thomas Piketty’s work. Some of the suggestions made to address the differences between the rich and
Have you ever wondered why you make certain decisions against your better judgment? Why is it, even when you know what is right, that choosing it is such a challenge? While moral philosophers have debated these questions for centuries, a recent entry into the debate is gaining significant attention: behavioral economics.
First identified in the 1970s,
1. The house you live in is a home, it is not a source of equity to “unlock” or
World hunger.
These two little words encompass one huge problem: people do not have enough to eat. And this problem kills. According to the World Food Program, hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
World hunger is a widely recognized problem and many intelligent and generous people are working toward a solution.
Logically and intuitively,
Compassion, often reckoned to be the “highest personal virtue,” is held to embody the very essence of humanity. It is widely attributed to play a fundamental role in pro-social behavior, cooperation and human morality. But there is compelling evidence that the “compassionate instinct” to care and cooperate is not the sole preserve of humans. Across
Since 1999, Financial Finesse’s mission has been “to help people from all walks of life become financially secure and independent.” To achieve this goal, Financial Finesse works with employers to develop highly customized financial wellness programs aimed at improving employee engagement, retirement preparedness and physical wellness by helping employees build solid financial foundations, implement plans
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every thirty-three children is born with a birth defect. Birth defects are not the only cause of disabilities. Accidents can cause disabilities, as can military combat and severe forms of substance abuse. This is significant because it reflects the sad fact that disabilities
From the time we are young, we are lectured to become leaders in school and extracurricular activities. Parents, teachers, advisors, coaches and other adults encourage us to seek leadership experience, to learn to become leaders.
Colleges and universities want to see leadership on applications and employers want to see leadership on resumes. They tell us: “it
According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, three out of four adults in the developing world don’t have access to banks or any other financial institutions. Moreover, only 10 percent of the 2.5 billion people who earn less than $2 a day have a bank account. What these figures tell us is that for
After over three years of writing these weekly columns, I thought it would be useful to tell the story of the group that appears in the byline of each of these pieces. It all started in 2006 when a group of people united around a common mission: to use business to fight world poverty.
Craig Wilson
The 1920s are known as the “roaring twenties.” One reason for this is that the stock market was booming and it seemed like money was there for the taking. A man named Charles Ponzi certainly thought so: At the very start of the decade he was working a fraudulent investment scheme, which continues to bear
After the fall of the Soviet Union, a new economic world opened for dozens of countries in Eastern Europe. No longer under the control of a domineering communist regime, individual nations and economies entered directly into world markets formerly unavailable to them.
One of these countries is the Republic of Uzbekistan. Situated north of Iran and
We all know poverty wreaks havoc on families, but rarely do we see the corrosive effects extreme poverty has on even the strongest of bonds, such as those between parents and children.
Jake Roble was an intern for me at the University of Oxford and returned from studying child slavery in Ghana in West Africa, where
I was recently speaking with someone who was defrauded in an investment. This person had a fairly successful career in corporate finance before he retired so I questioned him closely on how he came to be defrauded. After about five minutes of discussion he stated, “But the thing that really threw me was that the
