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Lesson 2
The Causes of Poverty
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Overview
In the world’s richest nation, why
does poverty continue to exist? In
this activity, participants are
challenged to move beyond
stereotypes of why people are poor
to consider the root causes of
poverty. Participants work in groups
to build a “wall of poverty” with
bricks representing the structural
barriers that prevent the poor from
realizing their full human
potential. They then reflect on ways
they can work with the poor to help
break down those social structures.
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Part I: Opening Prayer/Warm-up
— Poverty Map
In this warm-up, participants
begin by reading Isaiah 58:6-11 (End Oppression
and Act to Achieve True Justice). They will then
view the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
(CCHD) Poverty Map to consider poverty rates in
their own state.
Part II: Activity —
The Wall of Poverty
In this activity,
participants will identify various causes of
poverty and illustrate how these causes affect
people. Each of these causes represents a
“brick” or a “stone” which participants will put together to create a
structure – a “wall of poverty” – that makes it difficult for millions
of men, women and children to break through to a
life of greater dignity.
Part III: Reflection
Participants will reflect on
how their faith calls them to work with the poor
to break down the wall that perpetuates poverty.
They will consider contemporary prophetic voices and
connect these voices to the challenges faced in their
own community.
Continue to
Facilitator Instructions Page here. |
