The Empathy Fix: Why Poverty Persists and How to Change it

A conversation with Dr Keetie Roelen about her new book, 'The Empathy Fix'.

Join us for a conversation with Dr Keetie Roelen during which we will be talking about her excellent book, 'The Empathy Fix: Why Poverty Persists & How to Change it'. "Poverty isn't a problem out there, in someone else's world. It's a crisis within our own societies and communities. It's something we all want to see less of. So why does it prove so difficult to tackle? Can empathy help fix it?" Our conversation will discuss ways to relate to poverty on a human level, to realise how and why current interventions are often ineffective, and to respond in a way that promotes a sense of dignity and agency. "From outreach within our own community to dramatic reform at government level, The Emapthy Fix is a radical rethink of how we perceive poverty and how to break the cycle."

Dr Keetie Roelen is a leading thinker in poverty and social justice. She currently works as a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Deputy Director at the Centre for the Study of Global Development at the Open University. She is also the founder and host of the podcast Poverty Unpacked, exploring the hidden sides of poverty in conversation with a broad range of experts. Keetie is passionate about contributing to a fairer world and creating more prosperous lives for all. Across her career, she has listened to personal accounts of hundreds of families and interviewed dozens of experts, building a deep appreciation of the complexities and opportunities for addressing adversity. Keetie's current work seeks to tell a new story about why hardship persists and how we can break the cycle.