Join film screening, discussion on 'Poverty Inc.' at Aurora church

"Poverty Inc.," a 2014 documentary about the business of global charity, will be screened at a free dinner and discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St. in Aurora. Dinner reservations are requested at (630) 896-1033. The public is invited. Admission is free.

The 94-minute film has earned 40 international film festival honors and 12 awards and screenings in 16 countries.

From social entrepreneurship to foreign aid, the documentary examines the rise of charity as a multibillion dollar poverty industry. From TOMs Shoes to international adoptions, from solar panels to U.S. food aid, the film challenges you to ask the tough question: Could I be part of the problem?

Director Michael Matheson Miller conducted over 200 interviews in more than 20 countries during filming.

The Rev. John Bell, Wesley UMC pastor, said "'Poverty Inc.' challenges current perceptions of global charity and promotes entrepreneurship as an effective alternative to alleviating world poverty. The film looks at charitable institutions and their role in fighting poverty. It questions whether aid institutions themselves are sometimes a hindrance to fighting poverty."

The film was made by the Acton Institute, a Michigan-based think tank which promotes free enterprise within the framework of Christian theology. The filming started in 2010. The director-producer is a research fellow at the Acton Institute. He writes and speaks extensively on issues of development, political economy, religion, and culture. He previously taught philosophy and political science at Ave Maria College in Nicaragua and was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. He holds graduate degrees in philosophy, international development, and international business.