The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence
As a department of The Fellowship, FAIR seeks to engage in humanitarian and social justice work in the name of Christ. Our philosophy is firmly centred around God’s Word. From time to time, there are books that we have read that have helped shape how we apply Christ’s command to love God and our neighbours and to baptize people of all nations. The FAIR team wanted to share a brief summary of one of those books: The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen, the founder of International Justice Mission (IJM).
The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence is a powerful and thought-provoking book that sheds light on a critical but often overlooked issue in the developing world: violence. The book argues that violence is a root cause of poverty and inequality in developing countries, and that the efforts of the developing community to alleviate poverty are often undone by the dynamics of violence.
Haugen draws on his experiences working with IJM to provide numerous examples of how violence undermines development initiatives. He describes how corruption, abuse of power, and lack of law enforcement create environments in which legal and economic systems cannot function effectively. He also argues that violence against women and children is a fundamental human rights issue that is often ignored in development programs.
The book is well-written and highly engaging, with powerful anecdotes and case studies that highlight the devastating impact of violence on its victims. Haugen’s passion and commitment to the cause of fighting violence is evident throughout the book, and it is difficult to not be moved by his accounts of work done by IJM to bring perpetrators of violence to justice and provide support to survivors.
While the book is primarily focused on the problem of violence in the developing world, it has broad implications for anyone interested in the issues of social justice and human rights. The Locust Effect challenges us to think more critically about the ways in which violence intersects with inequalities of race, gender, and class, and to consider the role that we can play in addressing these issues.
In summary, The Locust Effect is a powerful and important book that should be required reading for anyone interested in development, human rights, or social justice issues. It is a call to action for all of us to work towards creating a world in which violence is no longer a barrier to human flourishing.
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You can also explore FAIR’s partnership with IJM to support and advocate for the important work of justice.