One of the most original and influential voices in the humanitarian arena, Dr. Samantha Nutt, a medical doctor and a founder of the internationally renowned non-profit War Child Canada, has spent over 15 years at the front lines of major crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Darfur. These experiences have given her unique insights into the brutality of modern conflict: why it begins, what sustains it, and what must be done to prevent children being held in its terrifying grip.

Dr. Nutt visited the Speakers’ Spotlight office recently to share some of the ways we can rethink how we give to make our charitable efforts more effective. She said we’re often not in possession of enough information on international issues, and should make a point of reading at least one item of international news each day. A second suggestion she had was to give in ways that spread money out for regions whose conflicts fall outside of a short-sighted news cycle. She stressed that by giving a smaller amount of money on a regular basis, we end up doing a lot more to address the long-term and continually pressing needs of major crisis areas worldwide. Watch above.