An inspiring question has fueled the lifelong quest of David and Janice Haskell for over three decades of residence and focused work on hard places in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. “What is required to foster tangible hope and human development on the inside of hard places?”

“Hard places” are those characterized by sectarian violence, human right abuse, compromised rule of law, and chronic poverty.  Such are the places currently hemorrhaging the refugees now arriving in EuropeSays David: “At this event, we will not discuss how to assist the thousands that escaped.  Rather, we will consider but how to strengthen those committed visionaries who could have left but stayed.  These rooted agents of change can make hope possible on the inside of zones of misery.” Fifteen years ago, David and Janice launched Dreams InDeed, midwifery network for hard place social entrepreneurs, to strengthen insider “dreamers” to bring hope to life inside their hard places.