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Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Keynote General Session - 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Sponsored by

 

People, Ideas, Communities: reducing poverty locally
Douglas J. Bersharov, director, Social & Individual Responsibility Project, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Facing the realities of poverty in America is a complicated and wide-reaching social issue. Federal and state governments have invested immense resources in addressing the problems of poverty but often overlook the root causes. By focusing on the people that are living in poverty instead of social programs, and the criticism that they draw, we can begin to understand the true causes of poverty instead of concentrating on symptoms. Community Action Agencies have been at the forefront of the solutions to poverty in America. By taking a local approach and spotlighting the issues that create situations of poverty, CAAs have been able to effectively impact the lives of people living in poverty.

Mr. Besharov will explore the concepts and debate revolving around the reduction of welfare dependency over the past ten years. Has welfare reform truly helped to eliminate poverty for thousands, or has it just shifted individuals into alternate sectors of financial and social dependency? What is the future of the welfare system in America? And how does concentrating on people and local solutions offer the best solutions to addressing root causes and creating successful communities?

Douglas J. Besharov is the Joseph J. and Violet Jacobs Scholar in Social Welfare Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He is also a professor at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy and the project director of its Welfare Reform Academy. He teaches courses on family policy, welfare reform, evaluation, and the implementation of social policy.

From 1991 to 1992, he served as the administrator of the AEI/White House Working Seminar on Integrated Services for Children and Families, a project designed to improve the delivery of services to disadvantaged children and their families. From 1975 to 1979, he was the first director of the U.S. National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Before this, he served as executive director of the New York State Assembly's Select Committee on Child Abuse.

His most recent book is Rethinking WIC: An Evaluation of the Women, Infants and Children Program, co-authored with Peter Germanis. He is also the author of Recognizing Child Abuse: A Guide for the Concerned, published by the Free Press. In addition, Mr. Besharov has written over 150 articles, and contributes to the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and The American Enterprise magazine.

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