The Gendercide Awareness Project served as a community partner with the World Affairs Council DFW to bring two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and veteran New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to the metroplex. For years, Kristof has educated readers on matters ranging from human rights abuse, to atrocities in Darfur and Syria, to the oppression of women, to inequality in America. His columns don’t make for bedtime reading, but they exemplify his commitment to reporting what matters, not what people like to read. Kristof’s two recent books, co-authored with wife Sheryl WuDunn, alert us to the grim realities faced by so many in the world but also radiate hope.
Kristof began his talk with the unlikely story of a small girl who asked that all her birthday presents be directed toward clean water wells in Ethiopia. Tragically, this seven-year-old was killed in a car crash shortly afterward, but efforts to honor and commemorate her resulted in a gift of 1.2 million dollars — far beyond the $300 she had hoped to collect. Kristof cited this story as an extraordinary example of the “ripple effect” — how one person’s generosity can inspire another’s.
In discussing how we all can be be global citizens, Kristof notes two new trends in the philanthropic sector:
1. the growth of grass roots philanthropy made possible by the Internet
2. the emergence of for-profit social entrepreneurs and the use of business methods and metrics in traditional philanthropy
As a result of the new emphasis on metrics and bang for the buck, we have identified inexpensive ways to make an out-sized impact. Examples include:
- De-worming children with intestinal worms, which greatly improves school attendance and ability to learn
- Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs), which reduce teen pregnancy and keep girls in school
- Training Giant Gambian Pouch Rats to de-mine mine fields — no kidding!