A positive story about poverty, altruism and action. All proceeds go to the projects of the non-profit organization Children of Lima.
Available now!
via most local bookstores and major websites
In a nutshell
Extreme poverty is one of the most pressing ethical issues of our time. Although the situation has evolved favorably since the turn of the century, there are still hundreds of millions of people on this planet who do not have regular access to the most basic health care, basic education, potable water, toilets, food, and housing. A situation that is unimaginable for most of us and difficult to reconcile with the technological advances we are making day after day. Many people fall prey to apathy, fearing that the fight against extreme poverty is a lost cause and thinking that their contribution cannot make a real difference. Fortunately, they are wrong.
Healthy altruism is the key. Healthy altruism is neither right nor left, has no color, no age and no expiration date. It is a contagious and infinitely powerful virus, perhaps the most natural, universal strategy for addressing extreme poverty. Everyone is genetically predisposed to do good. By making an effort, advocating for the cause or mobilizing our networks, we inspire others to do the same. The more people who are altruistic, the faster this healthy virus will multiply and spread. Together, these altruistic acts have the power to create monumental change and improve the lives of the poorest of the poor.
This book demonstrates how everyone, in their own way, with their own resources can win from engaging in healthy altruism. Whether it is by making a financial contribution, volunteering, or starting a charity organization, anyone who wants to can become an actor in this story.
The story of
Bart and Bruno
“Hi Bart, I see what you guys are doing, both on social media and in the field. Would love to help. Have a chat? Bruno”.
A short message between two people who had never heard of each other, sent via social media on a warm summer afternoon in Lima, Peru, received on a rainy winter evening in a small town near Brussels, Belgium. That’s all it was. A few years later, those few words became the intro to a book, this book.
First there almost seems to be something, there is nothing.
Only a frame.
A potential, untouched, dormant and invisible.
Until a simple transfer of energy, call it love, allows color to emerge from the darkness.
What transpires from it carries the DNA of many.
It ignites and awakens. Nothing becomes something.
Hands reach out, eyes look, movement is initiated.
Connection becomes a fact.
Koen Vanmechelen
I like the realism of the book. The positive thinking of the two authors is not a pep talk.
Herman Van Rompuy
Everybody wins
Curious?
Bart and Bruno are happy to share their vision on how everybody can win from healthy altruism. Feel free to contact them for lectures, more information or just to exchange thoughts!
