Episode 25: Musings with Shameran Abed & Scott MacMillan Part 2

How important is hope and a feeling of agency over your own life?

I think we’d say those are crucial to anyone. But if you’re born into a consistent cycle of poverty, if your family and community have struggled for generations, hope and agency can seem as fantastical as unicorns.

Welcome to part 2 of Charlie Bresler’s discussion with Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International, and Scott MacMillan, Director of Learning and Effectiveness and author of Hope Over Fate.

In part 1, the show delved into BRAC’s history and the evolving vision of its founder, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. In this new segment, Charlie and his guests look into the necessity of hope and agency in breaking the cycle of poverty.

BRAC takes this notion very seriously. BRAC supplies funding, but also skills training, health care, education, and microloans for entrepreneurial efforts. 

Listen to the conversation to find out how BRAC is truly moving the needle on extreme poverty, then go to BRAC’s website, bracusa.org, to learn more and to give. You can also order a copy of Scott’s book, Hope Over Fate: Fazle Hasan Abed and the Science of Ending Global Poverty: bracusa.org/hope-over-fate.

Musings About Ourselves and Other Strangers is the podcast for the non-profit organization The Life You Can Save and is hosted by co-founder Charlie Bresler. Please check out other episodes as well as our website for ideas on how you too can extend your impact for good in the world: www.thelifeyoucansave.org.