Opportunities and Pitfalls

Today I got the chance to speak with Chuck Esser, a Quaker who, for several decades, has spent time in the United States and abroad supporting peace and social justice work in poorer countries. Quakers tend to believe there is value within every person and that the source of this value is deep and complex. Making the most of this value in every person is one of the central ideas in the Quaker tradition.

Below are some thoughts around that theme, as it relates to aid work in countries like Haiti, that have been shared with me by friends like Chuck.

Donors from developed countries can envision large scale projects to solve big problems, but sometimes these projects don't work out because they don't match with the skills, resources, and needs in the target area. Implementation by people who are from the area to be helped is unlikely to work well if the funding is based around a pre-set plan coming from a first world country rather than based around making the most of the skills of those who are already doing useful work toward social goals. Implementation by people who are not from the area may be less effective because of cultural differences. When a plan is made in a developed country based on the desires of donors, another potential problem is that if donors pay the best and brightest people from a poorer country to implement the project, it may take them away from the useful work those people were already doing, and foster ongoing dependecy on outside resources.

Techniques for solving social problems that work well in developed countries may not work as well in cultures that are vastly different. Likewise, materials and infrastructure from developed countries may not work well in poor countries. Often it is most effective to use techniques developed and tried/tested by local people, as well as local materials and designs for projects. Those who are from the area to be helped have specialized knowlege of climate, culture, and conditions in their area and that knowlege translates into useful problem-solving skills. The use of resources that are available locally can be a huge help in creating an economy that isn't dependent on donations from people in developed countries.