In this episode of Borderless, host Vale Sloane sits down with Matt Warner, president of Atlas Network, and Dr. Tom Palmer, vice president of international programs, to discuss their new book Development with Dignity. Available now from Routledge publishers, this book examines how the principles of human dignity and individual agency are central to international development and the effort to end poverty. The authors discuss how starting with dignity helps people improve both their own lives as well as their communities. They also discuss how institutions can take a local problem-solving approach that encourages development and protects human rights.
“The focus on Development with Dignity is about what moves people and how we can solve their problems… It is the key to moral agency and to get ourselves to where we want to go.” - Dr. Tom G. Palmer
How can we do good without causing harm through unintended consequences? This is the Outsider's Dilemma. Warner and Palmer discuss what this problem means for international development and how we can overcome it. They demonstrate how Atlas Network solves this dilemma by working with local partner organizations and how other institutions can implement this model.