Comments on: Revisiting Dead Aid and rethinking the “Make Believe” in international aid.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Thanks Marco!!! will read it this weekend!

By: Marco Zennaro

Marco Zennaro — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:52:00 +0000

There was a comment on today’s Guardian on Moyo’s book (which I haven’t read). You can find it here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/01/g20-international-aid-and-development

Ciao,
Marco

By: Paul C

Paul C — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Mats: what if the system is fundamentally flawed, and all the changes one could make to it are simply re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic?

By: Mats

Mats — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Working in the Humanitarian “Industry” has opened my eyes much more than I would ever have imagined and while I will never put the blind eye to the wrongs I see, I do bite the lip and sometimes its quite bloody. I also believe that the main (but not only) way to change a larger system is to be part of it and chip away at the wrongs even though moving mountains is a very slow and painful process. Sometimes I might think that there is no progress at all but then suddenly something has changed and I wonder maybe someone somewhere did listen after all. If not and they came to the same conclusion… Even better. Then I know there are more people chipping away. The day I feel I have no more energy to continue chipping, I know its the time to get out as otherwise I would become part of the problem. There is however a lot of people who should get out as their drive to make change is lost already.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:41:00 +0000

@Marvia:

That is what I keep on saying to myself: For as long as I am fighting, this means I am still alive.

@Paul C:
I truely believe that continue to fighting the "make believe" from within the system DOES make a difference. I don't want to stay on the sideline. I want to continue to "kick the people until they have a conscience" (as my favourite Belgian writer Louis Paul Boon used to say).
Progress is slow. The fight is painful and sucks up a lot of energy, but the cause is worth it. That is how I feel!

Thanks to both of you to comment.

P.

By: Paul C

Paul C — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:59:00 +0000

The unfortunate truth is that we are all complicit, but that we all have the choice. I didn’t go back to Afghanistan once I realised how problematic the politicisation was in practice (although I was fine with the war in principle); I had an objection to the war in Iraq in principle, and left when I realised that objection poisoned the well of the humanitarian effort. I don’t work for organisations that I don’t think genuinely hold humanitarian principles, and I don’t work for people that don’t even see the flaws in the system.

Maybe this is self-defeating – as you say, there has to be compromise, and it probably explains why I haven’t worked much in the last few years. Yet imagine if everybody in the sector insisted on that, instead of feeling like their principles are being slowly eroded by the very system in which they work. It might lead to real change in the system… or maybe the gaps would just be filled by a thousand and one well-meaning recent graduates from America and western Europe.

Maybe my approach is completely self-defeating after all. I certainly feel defeated.

By: Marvia

Marvia — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Peter,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and something of your struggle on this matter. Believe me, working with the church I face a similar struggle sometimes especially partnering with groups I know have no interest in the people but just taking photos to show how 'good' they are at 'missions'. But that's another story as you say..

We live in the grey areas, in the struggle - and it's only striving to ensure that we keep our integrity intact that keeps us from just throwing in the towel and turning into rabid cynics sometimes.

Press on...and the struggle means you are still alive.

Peace!