In the previous post I described how poverty and dependence go hand in hand. It might be tempting, as we consider a long term strategy to help people in distress, to think that we need to eradicate poverty before we help families in our Focus Group.
However I propose that reduction or eradication of poverty is so unlikely that our strategy will probably not include expending the majority of our resources in campaigning, agitating, protesting against injustice etc.
(That doesn’t mean that we are not concerned about poverty, inequality and such matters – and organisations that are set up to challenge society’s ills are greatly deserving of our support).
Many organisations that support people with disabilities which had, in the past, names that described the disability, now have names that describe what people can do. This is a statement in respect of encouraging people to have a sense of power, be resourceful and take appropriate responsibility.
This name-changing is an example of creativity in strategic thinking.
In being creative in our strategy in helping people in deep distress we need to take all the emotional factors that impact on people into account.
Many strategies beloved of the Pillars tend towards the quick fix which usually ignores the different paces at which people process trauma. When people struggle, there are great opportunities to include creativity in our strategies – simply because, as I said already, people are drawn to creativity – but pace is most important too.
And how can we be creative with time?
I said earlier in this Chapter that time offers great potential for people to heal. There is another aspect to time too – that is, the longevity of the strategy.
Being involved (and available) for the long haul gives people confidence and is a refreshing alternative to the short pilot scheme so common within the Pillars.