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Senior who wants to save the world says #GlobalPOV set her straight on how

By Carol Ness

“When I enrolled at UC Berkeley, I dreamt of joining the Peace Corps to help the less fortunate,” writes UC Berkeley senior Alex Berryhill, a student of political economy and public policy. “Like other idealist classmates, I imagined a life full of good intentions, poverty action, and public service.”

But, she continues, “After taking the introductory course of the Global Poverty and Practice minor and participating in the production of the #GlobalPOV project, I’m a bit more skeptical of such notions. Add on a semester studying in Nicaragua, and I’m right out dubious.”

Berryhill worked with the Blum Center for Developing Economies’ #GlobalPOV project, which promotes critical discussion on solving the vexing problems of poverty and inequality. In a blog post on the fairobserver.com, she uses the example of a powerful #GlobalPOV video, one in a series challenging conventional wisdom on the subject, to explain her newfound skepticism — and says she thinks the questions raised by #GlobalPOV and the GPP approach may be a big step toward pushing changes that 70 years’ worth of spending and good works haven’t budged.

She explains more in “#GlobalPOV: Can experts solve poverty?”

Find out more about #GlobalPOV or the Global Poverty and Practice minor .