The
"Haiti: Helping Without Hurting"
Webinar Series

A massive wave of aid has been directed at survivors of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. But it must be the right kind of aid to make a difference.

Empowering the Haitian People to Help Themselves
When it comes to helping the poor, the natural reaction is to do for them rather than empowering them to do it for themselves. In the past, relief beneficiaries were often seen as passive patients and victims who are totally dependent on external experts for help. The best relief programs engage and build upon the local knowledge, labor, networks, and all types of productive resources from the first day. Furthermore, the current relief work in Haiti will quickly shift to rehabilitation and development work, which demands even less 'doing for' the Haitian people.

What will be the nature and impact of your aid and ministry in Haiti?

The Webinar Series
To help address this question, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and authors of the book, "When Helping Hurts," conducted a special, three-part webinar series designed to help churches, relief agencies, and individuals respond to the crisis in Haiti ... by helping the Haitian people to take ownership of the rebuilding process. Conducted on February 17, February 24, and March 3, 2010 each webinar was one hour long. Download a recorded webinar session »

To get the most out of a webinar session, we encourage you to read the respective chapter(s) in the book prior to viewing the webinar session. If you do not already have a copy, you can purchase the book online.

Intended Audience
This webinar series is intended for all those responding to the needs of the Haitian people. This includes churches, missions boards, missionaries, ministries, Christian relief and development organizations, NGOs, individuals, volunteers, donors, and short-term missions teams. The webinars will help you:

1. Gain an understanding of the harm that can come from an improper understanding of the nature of poverty and its alleviation.
2. Identify the basic principles and tools needed to develop relationships with low income individuals.
3. Be able to implement biblically-based economic development ministry programs.

The principles taught in the webinars are not a magic formula for success. However, they are powerful, and they have been used by God in even extremely difficult settings (including in the tsunami of 2004 as described in the book).

Webinar Descriptions
The following is a description of each of the webinar sessions:

• Haiti: The Church and Poverty — Explore the importance of kingdom theology for ministry, the role of the local church, and defining poverty and the implications of these for responding in Haiti. (Session #1, February 17)
• Haiti: Doing Asset-based Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development — Look at the importance of understanding the differences between relief, rehabilitation work and its applications in Haiti, including short-term mission programs. Hear how to do all of these from an asset-based perspective that puts Haitians at the center of planning, implementing and evaluating interventions. (Session #2, February 24)
• Haiti: Opportunities for Outsiders: A Panel Discussion — Listen to a panel discussion on further applications in Haiti of issues raised in the first two webinars, plus ways of looking forward at economic development strategies in Haiti. (Session #3, March 24)

Additional Ministry Learning Resources
In addition to the "When Helping Hurts in Haiti" Webinar Series, the Chalmers Center offers the following:

1. Self-study Guide — This self-study guide provides additional readings, reflection questions, application questions, and learning exercises based on the "When Helping Hurts" book. The material is structured into four successive lessons and is appropriate for an individual or a group such as a Sunday school class, ministry team or short-term missions team. There is no charge for this material.
   
   Two version of the course are available, each based on the location and ministry context. Use the following links to access the self-study course for your particular context:
   
          •   Ministry in the US/Canada
   
          •   Ministry in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
   
   
2. "When Helping Hurts Ministry Training" Webinar Series — A webinar series of six webinars lead by the authors of "When Helping Hurts" that reviews and expands upon the book. Anyone ministering to the poor, whether in the US/Canada or in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, will benefit from these webinars. There will be an opportunity to submit questions to the presenter(s) in advance of and during the webinar session. The webinars are offered at no charge. The first webinar session in this series is scheduled for March 24, 2010.
   
   Register Now »
   

Also, the Chalmers Center offers distance learning courses, classroom-style training, and an e-newsletter. To learn about these opportunities and resources, visit www.chalmers.org.

About the Chalmers Center
The Chalmers Center has equipped agencies, churches and individuals across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries around the world to use economic development strategies to minister to poor people—including microfinance and microenterprise development, and programs centered around savings and asset accumulation, financial literacy and job training.

Following the tsunami of 2004, a Christian relief and development organization working in Indonesia asked the Chalmers Center for help in designing a small-business recovery program. Hundreds of businesses received assistance, local institutions were strengthened, and the midterm project evaluations indicated improvements in people’s relationships with God, self and others. A major international humanitarian organization even requested a grant proposal for funding to scale up the program. To learn more about the Chalmers Center, its training opportunities and resources, visit www.chalmers.org.