Some Books that Influenced Our Theory and Practice
No Life Without Roots by Thierry Verhelst
This book is about spirituality and culture—and their role in social change. Self-determination is tied to people knowing and honoring their roots, while feeling empowered to decide what customs and practices they want to hold on to, adapt, or let go of. This also applies to new ideas and technology they choose to integrate.
—John Engle, staff
Why the Cocks Fight by Michele Wucker
This book tells the stories of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in a parallel fashion. It influenced Beyond Borders’ decision to expand its efforts beyond Haiti and further explore and learn in the D.R., and has inspired me to focus my own work on the similarities, not the differences, between these two countries.
—Anna Dioguardi, staff
People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
It’s said that “history is written from the point of view of the winners.” Zinn offers an alternate history of the U.S.—from the point of view of fellow human beings who have lost the political, military, and economic conflicts. It contains important stories and perspectives that most people never learned in school. It confirms to me that the Golden Rule should guide national policy as well as individual actions.
—Todd Saddler, board member
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
This is the “bible” of Popular Education. Though abstraction makes it a slow read, it describes a new kind of literacy that can liberate the oppressed. It was revolutionary enough to win Freire many years in exile from his native Brazil and has influenced educational practice all over the world.
—David Diggs, staff
The God of Intimacy and Action by Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling
Campolo and Darling discuss Christian spiritual practices and how they are related to working for justice. The book includes material on practices like lectio divina and the prayer of examen that we promote in our Christian education program.
—Kent Annan, staff
Small is Beautiful by E. F. Schumacher
The subtitle says it well: “Economics as if People Mattered.” Written in 1973, before such ideas started gaining popularity, Schumacher makes a clear and profound case for small-scale, local production, applicable to places like Haiti as well as the U.S.
—Jonathan Haggard, staff