Dining for Women Discussion Guide for The Blue Sweater Why Dining For Women? Contents As a Dining for Women chapter leader and member of the Program Selection Why Dining for Women Matters 1 Committee, I believe that the DFW format provides a unique opportunity for women to A Letter from Jacqueline 2 1) learn about the needs and injustices that our sisters face around the world and 2) give Links to interviews with Jacqueline 3 to the organizations that are making great change. Recipes 4-7 This summer, I had the privilege of joining Acumen Fund as a summer associate. .PbZR[V`N[\[]_\ºadU\`RV[`]V_V[Td\_XV`]R_ZN[R[aYfNÞRPaV[TaURYVcR`\S Questions for Discussion 8 millions by investing in businesses that provide access to basic services like clean water Timeline of events/Map of Africa 9 and healthcare. Acumen's model of investing "patient capital" complements the work How you can help 10 of Dining for Women's grantees. DFW's grantees work closely with the populations Map and Timeline 11 they serve and run sustainable programs that pass on intangibles like knowledge and P\[ºQR[PR.PbZR[3b[Q`VZVYN_YfS\Pb`R`\[NZRN[`\SQRcRY\]ZR[aaUNa\ÞR_` Good News from Kenya 12 dignity and choice, rather than dependence. Recommended readings 12 When I read The Blue Sweater by Acumen’s founder Jacqueline Novogratz, I was About Acumen Fund 13 inspired to tell friends and colleagues about this exciting approach that I think parallels DFW’s ambitions. I was pleased to learn that grassroots groups like DFW are an important part of Acumen’s outreach through The Blue Sweater. For these reasons, we’ve created this Blue Sweater Discussion Guide especially for 1V[V[TS\_D\ZR[6[Vaf\b³YYº[Q^bR`aV\[`a\TbVQRf\b_T_\b]³`QV`Pb``V\[_RPV]R` for your dinner gathering, photos, maps, and much more. Enjoy reading and discussing! Lindsay Siegel, Acumen Fund Summer Associate & Dining For Women Program Selection Committee Member/Chapter Leader September 2010· Copyright © 2010 Acumen Fund & Dining for Women Dining for Women Discussion Guide for The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz A Letter from Jacqueline Dear Readers, Thank you for choosing to read The Blue Sweater. In many ways, this book is a love letter written in starts and spurts over ten years. I º_`a]ba]R[a\]N]R_\[N_NV[f@b[QNfNSaR_[\\[V[7N[bN_f&&#`VaaV[TV[ZfP\gf one-bedroom apartment in New York City thinking about what I’d just experienced in ?dN[QNAR[fRN_`ORS\_RV[&%#6³Qa_NcRYRQa\aUNaP\b[a_fa\URY]N`ZNYYT_\b]\S d\ZR[R`aNOYV`U?dN[QN³`º_`aZVP_\º[N[PRON[X6adN`NaVZR\SNß_ZV[T:N_TN_Ra Jacqueline in Rwanda with women she :RNQ³`ORYVRSaUNaOVTT\cR_[ZR[aQ\R`[³aP_RNaRPUN[TR'`ZNYYT_\b]`\S]N``V\[NaR interviewed after the genocide P\ZZVaaRQ]R\]YRQ\.`NadR[afºcRfRN_\YQ6dN`N]N_a\SObVYQV[TNYN`aV[T institution that would change society’s perceptions of what women were capable of accomplishing. @\f\bPN[VZNTV[RdUNaVaSRYaYVXRV[&&!dUR[aUR?dN[QN[TR[\PVQRdV]RQ\ba [RN_Yf%]R\]YRV[PYbQV[T]R\]YR6³QP\ZRa\X[\dN[QY\cRN[Q_R`]RPa Among those murdered were friends of mine, people who believed in social justice and dR_RdVYYV[Ta\d\_Xa\dN_QObVYQV[TVa:\_R`U\PXV[TdN`aURQV`P\cR_faUNaNZ\[T the perpetrators were also people I knew and admired. 6dN[aRQa\PN]ab_RaUR`a\_VR`\SaURd\ZR[dVaUdU\Z6³QObVYaaURZVP_\º[N[PR bank, and the people I’d known best in Rwanda. I was haunted by the phrase “Never Again” and felt an obligation to share the stories I held inside of me. And so I wrote. In the meantime, I was overseeing two programs within the Rockefeller Foundation and feeling growing unease with a world that turned to traditional charity or philanthropy to solve its problems. I’d seen too many instances of where traditional PUN_VafUNQQ\[RYVaaYR\_[\aUV[Ta\RÞRPaPUN[TR\SaR[P_RNaV[TQR]R[QR[PfdVaU little accountability for results. At the same time, I’d seen markets ignore low-income people altogether. And I began to feel that telling stories, at least for me, was not Jacqueline Novogratz in Rwanda enough. I needed to put my ideas – and values – into action. In 2001, with the help of great friends and supporters, I started Acumen Fund, a [\[]_\ºacR[ab_RSb[QaUNad\bYQa_fa\ab_[QRcRY\]ZR[a\[Va`URNQaU_\bTUN concept we now call Patient Capital. Patient Capital works between the markets and traditional charity. Patient capital investments are high risk, with a long time horizon N[QRe]RPaNaV\[`S\_\ba`VgRQ`\PVNYVZ]NPaN[Q[RN_ZN_XRaº[N[PVNY_Rab_[` 6[cR`aZR[a`N_RP\ZOV[RQdVaUN`VT[VºPN[aNZ\b[a\SZN[NTRZR[a`b]]\_aN[QN P\ZZVaZR[aa\ZRN`b_V[TO\aU`\PVNYN[Qº[N[PVNY_Rab_[`A\QNaR.PbZR[3b[Q UN`V[cR`aRQZ\_RaUN[!ZVYYV\[V[R[a_R]_R[Rb_`V[2N`a.S_VPNN[Q@\baU.`VN O_V[TV[TNÞ\_QNOYR^bNYVafURNYaUPN_RdNaR_R[R_TfU\b`V[TN[QNT_VPbYab_NYV[]ba` Today I feel more convinced than ever of the power of the idea of Patient Capital – and September 2010 · Copyright © 2010 Acumen Fund & Dining for Women 2 Dining for Women Discussion Guide for The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz in so many ways, we are just getting started. Links to Interviews with Jacqueline The Blue Sweater chronicles my own journey from being a starry-eyed young woman + Join The Blue Sweater fan page with an adventurous soul who wanted to change the world to a more experienced (http://www.facebook.com/ thebluesweater) on Facebook for seeker who still wants to change the world, but now has much keener sense of what updates on speaking engagements works and what doesn’t. I write often in the book that dignity is more important to the and interviews. human spirit than wealth, and I continue to learn at a deeper level what this means. As + Jacqueline speaking at TED: Nd\_YQdR[RRQa\º[QdNf`a\TVcRaURad\OVYYV\[]R\]YRdU\`aVYYYVcRV[]\cR_afN + 2009: http://www.youtube.com/ ºTUaV[TPUN[PRa\S\YY\daURV_\d[Q_RNZ` watch?v=oD06XPtmLZY :fU\]RV`aUNaf\bdVYY`RRf\b_`RYSV[aUV`O\\XN[QaUNaf\bdVYYb`RaUR`a\_VR` + TED@State 2009: http://www. ted.com/talks/jacqueline_ as a springboard into your own stories and experiences. I hope you will dig into the novogratz_a_third_way_to_think_ questions around what it means to be human, how we can do such evil – and wonderful about_aid.html – things, and what kinds of systems must we put in place to bring out our better angels + Jacqueline’s interview with Charlie and suppress our monsters. I’d love to hear your thoughts of the questions that most Rose: http://www.charlierose.com/ provoked you or intrigued you or inspired you. I will read your letters and email and, view/interview/10176 though I can’t respond to all of them, I will cherish them and know that I will learn + Jacqueline talking about and S_\ZaURZ:\`aYf6U\]RaUV`O\\XdVYY_RZV[Qf\ba\YVcR\baY\bQa\aNXR_\NQ` reading from The Blue Sweater on Minneapolis Public Radio: http:// less traveled and to follow your own dreams, remembering that none of us achieves minnesota.publicradio.org/display/ anything of real value without the help of many others along the way. web/2009/06/17/midday3/ Now is the time for big ideas, for innovation and for building companies, organizations + Jacqueline’s interview on the McKinsey Quarterly, “The State and systems that help the world extend that fundamental principle that all men were of Philanthropy”: http://www. created equal to every human being on the planet. mckinseyquarterly.com/Nonprofit/ The_state_of_philanthropy_A_ conversation_with_Acumen_ Very warmly yours, Funds_CEO_2329 Book club in Nairobi, Kenya, discussing The Blue Sweater, Jacqueline (third from left) at Duterimbere microfinance bank, August 2009 Rwanda, 1987 (Chapter 4) September 2010 · Copyright © 2010 Acumen Fund & Dining for Women 3 Dining2<,><<287G>2-.G/8;G for Women Discussion Guide forG+BG*,:>.527.G!8?80;*=CGG The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz GG$.,29.< GGG&1.G;.,29.<G+.58@G*;.G87.<[email protected]>;G+884G,5>+G,*7G,884G*[email protected]<,><<270G &1.BD;.G*55G<=*7-*;-G/*;.G27G*<=G/;2,*G*7-G%8>=1G<2*G=@8G8/G=1.G0.80;*912.<G*,:>.527.G@;2=.<G*+8>= GGG87.BG;.*-G$@*7-*"!)G$G$@*7-* G94=G*,=2?.G-;BGB.*<= G.00 G HG,>9<G*559>;98<.GF8>; G,>9G5>4.@*;6G6254 HG,>9G187.B IG,>9G5>4.@*;6G@*=.; G&+<9G>7<*5=.-G+>==.;G6.5=.- G&+<9G0;8>7-G,8;2*7-.; HG=<9G<*5= HG=<9G0;8>7-G,277*687 IG=<9G0;8>7-G,58?.< 7G*G<6*55G<1*558@G+8@5G<9;2745.G=1.GB.*<=G8?.;G=1.G5>4.@*;6G@*=.; .=G=1.G62A=>;.G<=*7-G/8;G G627>=.<G*7-G=1.7G<=2;G=8G-2<<85?.G=1.GB.*<=G,8695.=.5BG%.=G=1.G+8@5G27G*G@*;6G-;*/= /;..G95*,.G/8;G*99;8A26*=.5BG G627>=.<G8;G>7=25G=1.GB.*<=G+>++5.<G>9G*7-G=1.G62A=>;.G*568<=G-8>+5.<G27G?85>6. 86+27.G=1.G.00G187.BG,8;2*7-.;G,277*687G,58?.<G*7-G<*5=G27G*G-..9G+8@5G 2AG=80.=1.;G@2=1G*G@2;.G@12<4G8;G <9887 --G=1.GB.*<=G62A=>;.G6254G*7-G G=*+5.<9887<G8/G=1.G6.5=.-G+>==.;G.*=G>7=25G=1.G270;.-2.7=<G*;[email protected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email protected]?.;G=1.G+8@5G*7-G <.=G27G*G@*;6G-;*/=/;..G<98=G/8;G*99;8A26*=.5BGG18>;G8;G>7=25G=1.G-8>01G;2<.<G*7-G-8>+5.<G27G+>54 (2=1G*G9*<=;BG+;><1G<9;.*-G=1.G;.6*27270G6.5=.-G+>==.;G.?.75BG8?.;G=1.G+8==86G*7-G<2-.<G8/G*G :>*;=G<8>/FJG -2<1G8;G8=1.;G;8>7-G :>*;=G+*4270G-2<1G*=G5.*<=G