214: Michael Matheson Miller on Poverty in the World.

Examining the problems of poverty and solutions we need to reconsider.

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Michael is a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute and the Director and Producer of Poverty, Inc.
Previously, Michael was the Director of Media and Director of Programs International at the Acton Institute and has appeared in various videos including Doing the Right Thing. Before coming to Acton, he taught philosophy and political science at Ave Maria College in Nicaragua and was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. Michael holds graduate degrees in philosophy, international development, and international business.
He has lived and traveled in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America and speaks extensively on themes of international development, entrepreneurship, political economy, and moral philosophy. He has been featured on FOX Business, CNBC, numerous radio shows, and published in The New York Post, The Washington Times, The LA Daily News, The Detroit News, and Real Clear Politics.

In This Podcast: 

Greg gets a chance to talk about a serious social sustainability topic when he interviews Michael Matheson Miller, the Director-Producer of Poverty Inc. Michael has examined this issue at great lengths and tells why some of the things we think are helping are really fostering additional problems and why we should be asking if we are part of the problem.

Listen in and learn about:

• His realization of the worth of college after getting low grades and eventually getting serious after some traveling
• The philosophical questions that intrigued him and pursuing a graduate degree studying them
• His ‘little farm’ of 5 acres that he and his family of seven live on
• How his studies helped him find his job at Acton Institute
• Some of the key topics discussed in the movie “Poverty Inc”
• Why some of the solutions in play to tackle foreign poverty questions are creating more problems
• Goals that help include the poor in the solutions to help them out of poverty
• Why the poorest people lack the access to the systems that help encourage economic strength
• How the system of assisting others in need is broken
• The essential that are required for solutions and assistance to be effective
• What the movie Poverty Inc is explaining
• How to watch the movie
• The relationship of wealth to this issue

As well as:

• His failure – Failing out of Notre Dame and figuring out how work is necessary to succeed and never giving up; and his gardening failure (listen to his haiku about that)
• His success – marrying well
• His drive – Taking truth, beauty and goodness seriously
• His advice – Recognize the unique nature of yourself and others

Michael’s Book recommendations: 

C.S. Lewis – The Abolition of Man

Karol Wojtyla  – Love and Responsibility

How to reach Michael:         

Acton Institute website: Acton.org

Movie: Povertyinc.org

His personal website: michaelmathesonmiller.com

 UrbanFarm.org/PovertyInc