Opening ceremony
Jul 6, 2026
Innovation Week 2026 began with a conversation between Dr. Martin Burt, founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya and creator of the Poverty Stoplight, and Rodrigo París, a Latin American social change agent, philanthropist, and journalist.
The session combined reflections on innovation, technology, and poverty elimination with a more personal conversation about leadership, family, community, and purpose. Martin introduced some of the questions that would guide the week, particularly how technology and artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen the agency of families and of those who work directly with them.
TECHNOLOGY IN SERVICE OF FAMILIES
Martin recalled that the Poverty Stoplight began as a paper-based tool. Later, support from Hewlett-Packard made it possible to develop an application that reduced the time required to conduct surveys and enabled social workers to access information about hundreds of families from their phones.
Today, artificial intelligence represents a new opportunity for transformation. However, Martin noted that the conversation should not focus exclusively on how people with greater resources can benefit from these tools, but rather on how they can be made available to families and communities experiencing vulnerability.
“How can we put artificial intelligence in the hands of people experiencing poverty?”
One challenge is that artificial intelligence systems are primarily trained on information available online. The experiences, needs, and solutions developed by families in vulnerable communities are not always documented or accessible.
Martin raised the possibility of creating mechanisms that would allow these lessons to be shared across countries while protecting families’ privacy and their rights over their information. A solution developed by a family in the Philippines, for example, could be useful to another family in Brazil, Argentina, India, or South Africa.
DATA SHOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND AND ACT
Technology makes it possible to access increasingly frequent information about families’ living conditions. Martin explained that Fundación Paraguaya can receive daily reports on indicators that have moved from red or yellow to green, while many official poverty measurements are conducted only once a year.
However, having data is not enough. Information must help us understand why a deprivation exists and what can be done to address it.
Martin used food banks as an example. Many organizations measure their work according to the amount of food they distribute, but they do not always ask families why they lack sufficient access to food. The causes may be related to unemployment, transportation, income, or other barriers.
“They do not have ten minutes to ask the mother, ‘What happened? Why don’t you have food?’”
Asking families directly makes it possible to move from a general response to a deeper understanding of each situation. It also prevents people from being treated solely as passive beneficiaries of social programs.
FROM SOCIAL PROTECTION TO AGENCY
Martin acknowledged the historical importance of social protection systems but argued that it is necessary to move toward models that actively engage people.
Rather than limiting themselves to identifying rights or providing benefits, institutions should ask families how they are doing, what obstacles they face, and what they would like to change.
The Poverty Stoplight seeks to strengthen this process by enabling people to recognize both their deprivations and their capabilities. Martin emphasized that families should not be defined exclusively by their red or yellow indicators, but also by their strengths and achievements.
“Our job is to release the energy trapped within human beings.”
Recognizing green indicators allows families to identify the resources they already possess and build solutions from a position of greater confidence and agency.
LOVE THE PROBLEM, NOT THE TOOL
One of the session’s central messages was the importance of maintaining an open attitude toward innovation.
“We are not in love with the Poverty Stoplight. We are in love with the problem and the opportunity.”
Martin explained that the Poverty Stoplight should not be considered a definitive tool. It must continue evolving, incorporating new technologies, and responding to the needs of families and the organizations that implement it.
Innovation Week 2026 was presented as a space to question assumptions, learn about new experiences, and explore how the methodology can be improved. Innovation requires remaining committed to the problem without becoming attached to a single solution.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE HOUSEHOLDS
Martin shared an experience from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where a community used the Poverty Stoplight with the support of a university.
Community leaders discovered that approximately 90 percent of the families assessed were experiencing food insecurity. Although they represented the community and engaged in advocacy, they did not have an in-depth understanding of what was happening inside each household because they had never asked families directly.
The experience demonstrated that even in countries considered wealthy, profound deprivations can remain invisible. Household-level information enables organizations to identify specific needs and develop more relevant responses.
MAINTAINING A CONNECTION WITH THE FIELD
Martin emphasized the importance of balancing office work with a direct presence in communities.
He acknowledged that administrative responsibilities can make field visits difficult, but argued that speaking with families helps organizations better understand their realities and question institutional assumptions.
He mentioned a recent visit to northern Paraguay, where he observed situations of extreme poverty but also encountered business leaders who were transforming the way they engaged with communities.
For Martin, reality simultaneously offers reasons for concern and inspiring examples. Remaining close to the field makes it possible to maintain a direct connection with both.
THE ROLE OF BUSINESSES
The conversation also addressed the responsibility of the private sector.
Martin mentioned an experience working with small Coca-Cola distributors in vulnerable neighborhoods in Paraguay. Some families faced challenges related to financial education, household budgeting, and income diversification.
These conditions affect families, but they also affect the stability and productivity of businesses. Therefore, supporting the well-being of employees, suppliers, and communities should not be viewed solely as corporate social responsibility, but as part of a shared sustainability strategy.
During the discussion, Lucas Recalde noted that businesses must also reconsider their own paradigm. The information generated by the Poverty Stoplight can help them recognize problems they have the capacity to address, although this does not mean they must solve them on their own.
A GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITY
Martin emphasized the importance of learning from experiences developed in different countries.
No organization has all the answers. The Poverty Stoplight Global Network makes it possible to learn what organizations in Argentina, Morocco, Tunisia, England, the United States, and other countries are doing, and to share solutions that can be adapted to different contexts.
“You cannot do it alone. It is not worth being alone.”
Innovation Week 2026 seeks to strengthen this learning community by connecting people, experiences, technologies, and shared questions.
LEADERSHIP, FAMILY, AND TRUST
Rodrigo also invited the audience to learn about a more personal side of Martin.
When discussing his sources of inspiration, Martin mentioned his family, friends from different countries, Jesuit priests, rugby coaches, university classmates, members of his team, and people he meets during field visits.
Regarding family life, he emphasized the importance of trust, transparency, and the ability to show vulnerability.
Rodrigo shared that, during a conversation with Martin in 2014, he received advice that influenced his decision to get married, and build a life together with his now-wife. The story illustrated how personal conversations and guidance are also part of leadership.
POETRY, COOKING, AND COMMUNITY
The conversation also explored Martin’s interest in cooking and poetry.
Martin explained that he enjoys cooking in groups while others read poems. Beyond the activity itself, he emphasized the value of sharing, listening, and creating collective experiences.
He also shared that he became interested in poetry during childhood and continues to read it aloud with his wife. For him, poetry offers a way to find inspiration, connect with others, and avoid taking oneself too seriously.
These personal dimensions were presented as an integral part of leadership, rather than as elements separate from social impact work.
MIGRATION AND THE RECOGNITION OF CAPABILITIES
When asked about the global challenges that concern him most, Martin spoke about the suffering experienced by migrants.
He noted that migrants are often portrayed as a problem, even though they arrive with knowledge, professional experience, networks, and a desire to contribute. The challenge is to identify their capabilities and connect them with the labor and social needs of receiving countries.
From this perspective, the Poverty Stoplight could help make these capabilities visible and support governments and organizations in recognizing migrants as part of the solution.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
How can artificial intelligence support social workers?
Martin acknowledged that there is not yet a definitive answer. He argued that this question must be explored collectively with social workers, organizations, technology specialists, and families.Are governments adopting the Poverty Stoplight?
Martin noted that some governments are observing the methodology, but many continue to operate primarily from a social protection perspective. The challenge is to move toward models that more directly incorporate people’s voices and decisions.How can the Poverty Stoplight reveal structural barriers?
In response to a question about food security, Martin explained that information from individual families can reveal causes that do not always appear in general datasets. The problem may be connected to employment, transportation, income, or geographic access to food.What responsibility do businesses have?
Businesses can use information from the Poverty Stoplight to identify the needs of their employees and communities. This does not mean assuming full responsibility, but rather recognizing the situations in which they have the resources and capacity to act.How can energy be sustained in the face of frustration?
During the discussion, participants acknowledged that working toward poverty elimination combines frustration and satisfaction. Martin suggested that energy comes from people themselves, from their capabilities, and from the opportunity to help release them.
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You can learn more about the upcoming Cerrito Forum 2026, the annual international global development event that brings together global stakeholders committed to the elimination of poverty from October 12th - 16th by visiting cerrito.com.py.
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