I couldn't have said it better.
The key point is to make sure that the improvements to their (and our) lives isn't solely material, as that I think would just reinforce whatever status quo there is.
That's a good point, yeah. It needs to be tied to the idea that a better world is possible, and the material improvements should be primarily driven by the people themselves, so they feel the autonomy and power to do so further. Or else it's just bread and circuses, signs and wonders.