Young Professionals May Be "Empirical Kids," But Is That All We Are?
Do you think today’s university students and young professionals lack idealism and just lean on numbers? Last week, New York Times Columnist David Brooks wrote about the “Empirical Kids.” The article starts a fantastic conversation about the next generation of policy leaders. Brooks, referencing a paper by one of his students, asserts that this generation had traded in idealism for some sort of cynicism, stating, “...(T)he past decade may have produced not a youth revolt but a reversion to an empiricist mind-set.”
This generation’s leaders may be one of “empirical kids.” However, does the desire to measure outcomes in a rigorous manner preclude us from having ethical and idealistic motives? Perhaps the only significant difference between this and previous generations is the toolset to tackle policy challenges with. Does a desire for analyzing data, opportunity costs, and replicability preclude ability to champion social justice?
As a member of the development community and this burgeoning group of empiricists, I could not disagree more. Failing to assume that all actions equal impact does not make me a cynic. Passion and conviction are powerful weapons, but by adding strategy you can make them unstoppable force! In 2009, I left a promising career, sold everything I owned, and moved to Nairobi's Eastlands to volunteer with an NGO. I have been, and continue to be, fueled by a moral conviction that extreme poverty must not exist in our world. A year ago, that conviction led me to return to graduate school to study impact evaluation. Today, I am joining the ranks with a growing crowd of young leaders who believe that impact and idealism are complementary goods. We are ready to take bold stances and make immense sacrifices to realize a world we hope for. However, before jumping in we will review past interventions for lessons learned, analyze available data, and develop a theory of change that makes sense.
Next month InterAction will host its annual Forum, a three-day gathering of leaders and innovators of NGOs, governments, philanthropy, corporations and civil society forging common solutions that focus on work to improve the lives of the world’s poor. Acknowledging the potential and uniqueness of young leaders, we’ve created a full day conference track to invest in their development. The Young Professional Summit strikes the balance between empiricism and idealism engaging advocates and academics (here's the full schedule).
At this inaugural event, InterAction’s CEO Sam Worthington will kick off the day by engaging a panel of leaders on the changing landscape, challenges, and opportunities in international development. PhD James Habyarimana, Co-director of gui²de, and professor at Georgetown will discuss how he is using rigorous research to explore innovative solutions in developing countries. His recent work in Kenya has proven that something as cheap as stickers can save lives. The panel will also host Andrew Syed. Andrew’s work with The 1010 Project (which he founded), World Vision, and Amnesty International has taken him through conflict zones, urban slums, and communities in over 50 countries championing grassroots development. Today he is managing social responsibility efforts for Newmont Mining (one of the world’s largest mining companies), and is exploring the role of the corporate extractive sector in promoting human rights. A hallmark of Mr. Syed’s work has been listening to local voices. Voices like that of fellow panelist, Nigerian physician, epidemiologist and CEO of CHESTRAD, Dr. Lola Dare. With her prestigious credentials and vision for sustainable healthcare delivery in Nigeria, she can speak about managing idealism and evidence-based results.
Will this be a generation of leaders with a “demoralized economic” vocabulary, or will we leverage math, science, and markets to realize peace, end poverty, and preserve our environment? Read Brook’s article, come to the YPSummit, and engage with me and others on these challenges. Let's collaborate on a strategy that bridges idealism and empiricism. I do not believe that we are a watered down version of previous generations. Instead, we have one more tool to work with.
By Keith Ives, a Public Interest Fellow at InterAction.
