(You can see the original post with proper formatting and video at www.coffeeclubber.wordpress.com)

“Do the hard work to find a simple solution”
- Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

1. Include People

When someone asks you what you’d do about poverty, you wouldn’t be alone if you said you didn’t know. The thing is that it’s such a big issue, where do you start? World hunger alone is a great swirling mass of questionable information and foreseeable setbacks. All of a sudden that hill is looking a bit high, maybe you’ll have a go next year when you’re a couple of inches taller or have some hands-on experience or find the time or after you put the kids to bed. Before you know it ten years have gone by and millions have suffered from being pushed into the background; out of sight, out of mind.

The most obvious plan of action is painfully cliché. ‘Many hands make light work.’ And I know what you’re thinking – yeah yeah, but where are you going to get all these people? Nobody cares about poverty anymore, they’ve got their diet fads, and Masterchef and Ipods with overpriced attachments. They’ve got their own lives and families and pressures – how are you going to get people to stop tuning out over World Vision ads at dinnertime and get them to get their hands dirty?

Well I’ll tell you.

2. Empower People

We have to break down the big problems into manageable pieces. Nobody is going to tackle the ten kilogram chocolate egg in one sitting, but hey that KitCat sure looks nice. You’ve got to be able to show people success, if they’re not empowered about solving problems (any problems, not just world issues) they aren’t even going to try. The thing is that poverty is intimidating as hell. How do you even begin?

3. Engage People

Learning about the problem is a good place to start. Talk to people, volunteer, research – baby steps. This is where EVOKE is jumping right in the thick of the action, getting people involved, small achievable steps. A simple goal – get people involved. Get them thinking and talking. The best natural resource we have is creativity, and we’ve got tonnes of it. We just have to channel it in the right direction. So here it is. My first step towards solving some of the world’s problems. My commitment to EVOKE, and taking small steps toward a solution. My first goal is already complete – this blog post is step one. Solving poverty? Doesn’t sound too scary to me.