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How to Move Beyond Short‑Term Relief to Systemic Change

Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

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Dr. Kurt Ver Beek

In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership podcast, host Dr. Rob Harter sits down with Dr. Kurt Ver Beek — longtime sociologist, adjunct professor at Calvin University, and co‑founder of the Honduran‑based nonprofit Association for a More Just Society (ASJ). Kurt has lived in Honduras for 30 + years and helps lead ASJ’s mission of advancing justice through structural reform rather than simply charity. Their discussion explores how nonprofits can transition from short‑term relief approaches to tackling systemic issues, particularly in contexts of high violence, corruption, and migration.

Key Topics Include:

  • The motivation behind founding ASJ in Honduras and shifting focus from relief to justice‑oriented work.
  • The four‑part strategy ASJ employs: investigation, alliance building, communications, and lobbying/incidence.
  • Real‑world examples from Honduras: tackling police corruption, reducing homicide rates, auditing government institutions.
  • Navigating donor expectations when working on long‑term systemic change rather than immediate tangible outcomes.
  • Insights on the migration‑to‑the‑U.S. debate: root causes in origin countries like Honduras, and how systems reform might reduce migration pressures.
  • Reflections on international aid: what works, what doesn’t, and how U.S. federal funding cuts are reshaping NGOs’ strategies.
  • The distinction between charity (relief), development (capacity building) and justice (systemic transformation) — and why justice work is harder, riskier, but essential.

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