Instituto DARA

On November 6th, Dara Institute hosted its first international event: Overcoming Poverty: Making Change Happen at the Idea Center of Miami Dade College in Miami, USA. The panel discussion was broadcast on Dara’s YouTube channel.

Organized by the International Development and Fundraising department, the debate addressed issues related to social change, poverty alleviation and the promotion of inclusion.

Moderated by Sandra Coutinho, the international correspondent for GloboNews in New York, the event brought together Adriana Machado, founder of the Briyah Institute; Hans Hickler, CEO and founder of Ellipsis Advisors; and Robert H. Hacker, Director of StartUP at Florida International University. Dr. Vera Cordeiro, Founder and President of the Administrative Council of Dara Institute, joined remotely.

Adriana started the conversation by discussing the involvement of corporate and private sectors in combating inequalities, and promoting a fairer society by integrating impactful initiatives into organizational culture: “I think we have evolved a lot in terms of awareness from the corporate sector and private sector in general, to want to get closer to doing good with what they do as a core business, but the more we can integrate the actions, the more we’re going to have impact. There are some initiatives that can produce more impact than others, and you can choose where and how to promote that impact”.

 

Levers of change in the world

Quoting the Greek mathematician Archimedes – “Give me a long enough lever and I can move the Earth” – Robert Hacker addressed the need for big ideas to make an impact in the social sector: “This metaphor has so many ways that it can be applied, especially if you want to have a significant social impact. What is your lever that’s going to create that social impact? I think social impact suffers from people that think too small”.

In the history of Dara Institute, the lever that motivated Dr. Vera Cordeiro to establish the organization in 1991 and become an agent of change was the realization that children treated at the Federal Hospital of Lagoa faced countless cycles of rehospitalization and that medical actions were intertwined with broader social issues.

“The solution is in the problem.  So you have to go deep into the problem you are trying to solve and, step by step, try to understand what’s the best way to overcome it. But this is not an easy task. The best way to measure it, is to prove the concept – that you can really transform the lives of those people”, said the doctor.

Hans Hickler, consultant and member of the Ashoka Support Network for over 14 years, highlighted the role of social inclusion: “As long as there is a world of the poor and a world of the non-poor, the two will never meet. And social transformation can’t really happen without inclusion”.

“The work of social organizations is a bridge between the present of inequalities and a future of inclusion”, says José Land Neto, CEO of Dara Institute. “The support of the entire society is indispensable to make this change happen, whether through volunteer work or donations”.

Learn how you can donate and support the work of the Dara Institute in Brazil and abroad.

The event Overcoming Poverty: Making Change Happen is available in its entirety (in English) on Dara Institute’s YouTube channel. Click here and watch!