A central Alberta woman has released a book to encourage people to use their passions and talents to create a meaningful and lasting impact in the developing world.
Maiden R. Manzanal-Frank recently released Resetting Our Future: Provocateurs Not Philanthropists: Turning Good Intentions into Global Impact.
“It’s a practical book for those who have projects abroad, especially in developing countries,” said Manzanal-Frank, who is originally from the Philippines.
Manzanal-Frank said there are “provocateurs” who are “every-day leaders.” These individuals don’t just settle for the status quo, she said.
“They may need a road map for navigating how to give or how to do a project with effectiveness, with legacy in mind and with the ability to empower the communities they are going to touch and help.”
Provocateurs Not Philanthropists helps these individuals organize 10 principles.
“If you have the passion, purpose, practice and the right paradigm you can avoid a lot of mistakes in the field that a lot of people have made in the past,” said Manzanal-Frank.
“You don’t want to be one of those people who have put money into efforts that have been disadvantageous to communities.”
Manzanal-Frank said she has heard “horror stories” of misadventures, failures and bad practices when well-intentioned people go overseas to help people in developing countries.
“I wanted to create a refreshing contribution to this space, without turning people off or discouraging their efforts. We can transform these ‘philanthropists’ to ‘provocateurs’ by changing their paradigms and showing them the way,” she said.
As a global strategist, Manzanal-Frank advises governments, businesses, and nonprofit and international organizations to help them achieve their impacts with precision and sustainability.
“I’ve worked in the development sector for more than 15 years and I’ve travelled to 30 countries and have worked in 15 developing countries. I’ve seen how people have really good intentions,” she said.
Everything about the book is something Manzanal-Frank has observed firsthand, experienced, learned, imbibed and adapted through the years, she noted.
Manzanal-Frank has lived in Canada since 2010. She is the mother to a six-year-old.
The book can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound and Hive. For more information on the author, visit www.maidenmfrank.com.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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