25: Tim Hanstad

Our guest today is Tim Hanstad, the CEO of the Chandler Foundation, which invests in champions who are building healthy communities, vibrant marketplaces and strong nations for a more inclusive prosperity. He previously founded Landesa, which partners with governments, communities and other stakeholders to advance the land rights of the world’s poorest people, helping to alleviate poverty, reduce hunger and ease conflict. Tim starts on an optimistic note: even though it often doesn’t feel like it, statistics show that in fact life has got better for many people across the world. Violence and the number of people living in poverty have decreased, while healthcare and literacy rates have both increased. On this basis, Tim feels that we should focus on fixing the current system, rather than replacing it with a new ism. He and Mel talk about the intersecting roles of business, government, charity and the individual in society, learning from other countries and why giving the world’s poorest people land rights can transform their lives.