Thoughts about gender inequality in the developing world
Inequality between genders is by my opinion one of the most important issues of injustice the world is facing. Not only does inequality between genders occur in the developing world, but as well in the developed world.
In the following the different approached to over come injustice between gendesr in the developing world.
The approach to solve the problems of gender inequality in the developing world has changed over time. Different paradigms mean different approaches. Starting with the pre modern, inactive approach of handling out basic needs, such as clothes, food and shelter to the modern top down approach of making conditions for men and women equal and attempting to fit the women into a male world with male values, ending with the post modern bottom up approach of empowering women in the developing world and thus make them selves decide and construct the role they will play in the society and future of the developing world. Well, “ending” in that sense the science of international development no has moved on from post modernism.
Each approach has shown its limitations and errors. The pre modern approach returned only inactive and demotivated women (and men as well) and no development took place. This resulted in change of approach to the modern, where women where given exact the same possibilities and tools as men. Thus making women and men equal in the words true meaning, another issue arose. Women and men are different and equality will not be established if women are squeezed in to the male world and male traditions. It is imperative to acknowledge and appreciate the difference between the genders and let women be women and men be men. These issues are the focus point of the post modern approach, where empowering and independence of women are sought. Thus making the women (and men) decides and constructs their own individual role in the development of their society.
So far this approach is sound in theory. The big question mark derives in the epistemology and practice of the approach. For how can any one be told to make their own mind with out being influenced by the messenger? Already by given the message of empowerment it can be argued the process of a top down approach has started. And this is what the post modern approach is all about to avoid.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Books
Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer
I just finished reading Into the Wild about Christopher McCandlles, who grows up in a well to do middle class family. Upon his graduation from law school with top grades he decides to change his life and leaves his family and materials and tramps around the states enjoying his freedom and no responsibilities. After a few years of adventures on the road, he decides to life the dream of escaping the civilisation and leaving all responsibilities and dependencies behind, to the full.
He travels to the Alaskan wilderness with only a gun, some rice and clothes. He will spend the summer in the wilderness living of the land and what he can find of berries and game. His dream is to free him self from civilisation and life in, with and by the wild nature. Unfortunately he eats some poisonous berries and dies.
Although Alexander Supertramp, as he calls him self, really inspires me and fascinates me with his set of mind to free him self of dependencies, responsibilities and material goods, he takes it a bit too far. Though spending a summer in the wilderness living of fruit, fish, mushrooms and even grows some potatoes and tomatoes sounds very appealing. Just for a summer to live like that will probably bring a lot of peace to the mind. And I would probably realise what the important things in life is. Alex and me are probably very much a like, the only difference is he did it.
He reads Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and Henry Thoreau.
In the book especially one episode attacks me… he describes his feeling when he is leaving a town where he worked at McD. Now he feels right again, with all his belonging on his back and the road is open. He can go and do what ever he wants and feel is right. He has no responsibilities, obligations, no where he has to go and no body he has to meet. The ultimate feeling of freedom.
I just finished reading Into the Wild about Christopher McCandlles, who grows up in a well to do middle class family. Upon his graduation from law school with top grades he decides to change his life and leaves his family and materials and tramps around the states enjoying his freedom and no responsibilities. After a few years of adventures on the road, he decides to life the dream of escaping the civilisation and leaving all responsibilities and dependencies behind, to the full.
He travels to the Alaskan wilderness with only a gun, some rice and clothes. He will spend the summer in the wilderness living of the land and what he can find of berries and game. His dream is to free him self from civilisation and life in, with and by the wild nature. Unfortunately he eats some poisonous berries and dies.
Although Alexander Supertramp, as he calls him self, really inspires me and fascinates me with his set of mind to free him self of dependencies, responsibilities and material goods, he takes it a bit too far. Though spending a summer in the wilderness living of fruit, fish, mushrooms and even grows some potatoes and tomatoes sounds very appealing. Just for a summer to live like that will probably bring a lot of peace to the mind. And I would probably realise what the important things in life is. Alex and me are probably very much a like, the only difference is he did it.
He reads Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and Henry Thoreau.
In the book especially one episode attacks me… he describes his feeling when he is leaving a town where he worked at McD. Now he feels right again, with all his belonging on his back and the road is open. He can go and do what ever he wants and feel is right. He has no responsibilities, obligations, no where he has to go and no body he has to meet. The ultimate feeling of freedom.
Travelling
Before Adam and Eve
Have you ever felt like you were a part of nature, a part of mother earth and a part of the origin of the world? When I was in Africa I travelled in Zimbabwe, before Mugabe went crazy, to Victoria Falls, some of the biggest in the world. Even when the sun was shining, we were drenched after seeing them. Magnificent! Any way the train ride was 12 hours during night time. At some stage during the middle of the night and the middle of no where, the train stops for a while. I wake up and put my head out the window to smoke a cigarette. I can smell the savannah, the dry red earth, the wild and blooming flowers, the trees, and the juicy long green grass, it felt like smelling a thousand different spices. I could hear the cicadas singing from their hidings in every tree and every bush, in the distance I could hear a lion roar and a buffalo breath. The night was pitch-dark and only the full moon enlightened the savannah. This was the real Africa, just like Karen Blixen describes it in “The African Farm” and I enjoyed every second with all my senses. While I was enjoying this magical moment I could hear some big animal crushing the bushes and braches and suddenly a giraffes head on a long brown and white neck appears. It is not two meters away and we look into each others eyes. My heart almost stops for a moment and then it starts to plunder. This was amazing, the real authentic and genuine Africa, much better than the Safaris with all the jeeps hunting the poor animals. I don’t know how long time we stood there and stared into each other eyes. And I could smell him and feel he heat from his breath. I tried to reach my camera, when the Giraffe start to move away.
This was the closest I have felt to being part of nature, this must have been how the world was before beginning of history. This was paradise before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
A different kind of holiday
Why do we always have to go as far away as possible and across mountains and oceans in order to experience adventures, relax and feel we are enjoying our holiday?
It seems to me if we go to Timbuktu or Reunion for holiday, the value gets higher. The brake value does any way. It is always more interesting to hear about stories from countries we hardly never have heard about. And it is definitely more fun to tell about, mainly because of the admiration.
My self have travelled a lot, visited more than 50 countries and four continents and really enjoy the thrill of arriving to a different place from what you are used to, explore new cities, meet strange looking people and be fascinated and learn about all the diversities. During my travels I have eaten guinea pig with a local Bolivian family, dived with sea turtles, Sky dived over South Africa’s wine district, playing “who blinks first” with a giraffe in Zimbamwe and camped deep in the Amazon next to indigenous Indians. All of this has of course been great and really developing.
How ever, can we not get same kind of thrill in the local environment? Can we not explore out local area even further? In many cases we do not even know our surrounding very well, and are so busy to get as far away as possible to a mountain top in Tibet, that we will never get to know them.
During my years in Ireland, at one stage I lived close to the Grand Canal just out side Dublin. It is a canal which carries on for some hundreds miles from Dublin to Shannon. Originally it was dug in order to commercial transport of goods. But only worked like this for a short while. Today the canal runs through the beautiful Irish landscape with fields, meadows, woods and towns and a few pubs as well. Don’t forget, this is Ireland. A foot path follows the canal most of the way.
One day I was sitting out side one of the Pubs and enjoying a pint while I was thinking about how far it was possible to walk along the canal. At that time I really did not know about the foot path. Then three guys with bag packs came down from the road and looked like they were going to walk along the path. I asked them about their trip and according to them, the path followed the canal all the way to river Shannon. I wished them a happy walk and returned to my pint.
Then I started to think of how relaxed and probably adventurous a walk like that could be. Just strolling along the canal, listening to the water, the birds and the wind in the trees and smelling the flowers and nature. Nothing to hurry about and nothing to worry about. When hungry catch some fish and cook them over a fireplace. When sleepy camp a tent and go to rest. What a life and what a holiday. Instead of travelling for hours and hurrying around in order to see as much as possible. Just stay in the local surroundings and take it easy.
Next week I had taken a few days off work and together with two friends, a tent, fishing poles and the most necessarily accessories, we went to the pub at the canal, had a pint and went along down the canal The sun was shining, the birds singing and the water looked clear and refreshing. After a couple of hours walk we were sweaty to say it mildly and we decided to stop for a few hours and relax.
We looked around and when we did not see anybody miles away, we let go of our clothes and jump in the cold refreshing water. It felt as a shock, but after a minute or two we could feel how nice it was to get the body cooled down. Then we started to laugh… this was just great…. In the middle of Irish no mans land… with out any other goal, than just relaxing. If we wanted to, we could stay here. If we wanted to, we could walk further on along the canal. If we wanted to, we could walk back to the pub and have another pint and camp there. The greatest feeling was that we could do exactly as we wanted to, no obligations, nothing and nobody was waiting for us and we waited neither for any thing or anybody.
We decided to camp there and pitched the tent and baited the hooks on the fishing poles. Then we just took it easy and looked at the clean water and discussed which fish we were going to catch and how we were going to cook it. After some time, please remark I can not tell how many hours or minutes it took, as none of us brought a watch, we had landed a few fish big enough for eating. We are not the biggest experts into fish, but agreed it was trout. It was now time to light a fire, so we gathered enough wood to keep it going for some time. When the fish was ready we made sandwiches of baguettes and fish. This meal was excellent and even it was simple it was one of the best I have ever eaten. Maybe because we were hungry, and probably more due to the fact that we had caught the fish ourselves, that we were totally relaxed, that we were alone just the three of us in the middle of no where and nobody knew we were there. We felt free and independent and sovereign and untouchables…. Nobody or nothing would ever be able to let us down. We did not depend on any thing or any body. We could do exactly as we wanted and when we wanted.
Sitting around the fire we discussed the bigger important things in life, values, time, love, friendship, adventurous and courage. One thing we definitely could agree on was that a holiday like this contained it all and more.
The next day we got up early and continued our adventure down the river. talking about building a raft.
Riders on the Storm
Some years ago, when I went on a road trip with my friend, Claus in the United States, we had the greatest feeling of comradeship and freedom. Do you know when its like the whole is at your feet and you can just do what ever you want and go where you desire. And no matter what you do, it will be great. No one or nothing can stop you?
We had borrowed a car of Claus dad. A 12 cylinder Jag, a real cruiser with wide seats and white leather. Excellent for long drives. We were going across the states from Tennessee, where we picked up the car, to San Francisco, where we should pick up two mates and drive around California and Nevada. A drive of 28 hours and we felt great, the world was at out feet.
When we drive through the desert of Oklahoma, suddenly lightning starts. Out side it is pitch black and we are all alone on the road, the original route 66. We have not seen a car for hours, only the road. With the lightning, the desert is lightning up and we can see mountain ranges far away. The lightning is so away we can hardly hear, and that is what feels like, minutes after.
I am driving and my friend had been trying to tune in to some good music for hours. With no luck. Until now we have only heard praises for the lord, Christian songs and “amens” on the very few stations he could find here in the middle of the bible belt. Claus decides to give it one more chance and as we can see and hear the lightning coming closer, by magic he tunes in on The Doors: Riders on The Storm.
We look at each other, turn the volume up and almost explode of happiness. That was magic. Was this some kind of coinscidence? They were singing about us? Did they play that number just for us? While the night, the prairie and the mountains are enlightening by the flash followed by deep thunder, we continue our ride out in the dark night.
To this day, that moment stand for me as one of the most memorable and magical moments in my life.
Have you ever felt like you were a part of nature, a part of mother earth and a part of the origin of the world? When I was in Africa I travelled in Zimbabwe, before Mugabe went crazy, to Victoria Falls, some of the biggest in the world. Even when the sun was shining, we were drenched after seeing them. Magnificent! Any way the train ride was 12 hours during night time. At some stage during the middle of the night and the middle of no where, the train stops for a while. I wake up and put my head out the window to smoke a cigarette. I can smell the savannah, the dry red earth, the wild and blooming flowers, the trees, and the juicy long green grass, it felt like smelling a thousand different spices. I could hear the cicadas singing from their hidings in every tree and every bush, in the distance I could hear a lion roar and a buffalo breath. The night was pitch-dark and only the full moon enlightened the savannah. This was the real Africa, just like Karen Blixen describes it in “The African Farm” and I enjoyed every second with all my senses. While I was enjoying this magical moment I could hear some big animal crushing the bushes and braches and suddenly a giraffes head on a long brown and white neck appears. It is not two meters away and we look into each others eyes. My heart almost stops for a moment and then it starts to plunder. This was amazing, the real authentic and genuine Africa, much better than the Safaris with all the jeeps hunting the poor animals. I don’t know how long time we stood there and stared into each other eyes. And I could smell him and feel he heat from his breath. I tried to reach my camera, when the Giraffe start to move away.
This was the closest I have felt to being part of nature, this must have been how the world was before beginning of history. This was paradise before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
A different kind of holiday
Why do we always have to go as far away as possible and across mountains and oceans in order to experience adventures, relax and feel we are enjoying our holiday?
It seems to me if we go to Timbuktu or Reunion for holiday, the value gets higher. The brake value does any way. It is always more interesting to hear about stories from countries we hardly never have heard about. And it is definitely more fun to tell about, mainly because of the admiration.
My self have travelled a lot, visited more than 50 countries and four continents and really enjoy the thrill of arriving to a different place from what you are used to, explore new cities, meet strange looking people and be fascinated and learn about all the diversities. During my travels I have eaten guinea pig with a local Bolivian family, dived with sea turtles, Sky dived over South Africa’s wine district, playing “who blinks first” with a giraffe in Zimbamwe and camped deep in the Amazon next to indigenous Indians. All of this has of course been great and really developing.
How ever, can we not get same kind of thrill in the local environment? Can we not explore out local area even further? In many cases we do not even know our surrounding very well, and are so busy to get as far away as possible to a mountain top in Tibet, that we will never get to know them.
During my years in Ireland, at one stage I lived close to the Grand Canal just out side Dublin. It is a canal which carries on for some hundreds miles from Dublin to Shannon. Originally it was dug in order to commercial transport of goods. But only worked like this for a short while. Today the canal runs through the beautiful Irish landscape with fields, meadows, woods and towns and a few pubs as well. Don’t forget, this is Ireland. A foot path follows the canal most of the way.
One day I was sitting out side one of the Pubs and enjoying a pint while I was thinking about how far it was possible to walk along the canal. At that time I really did not know about the foot path. Then three guys with bag packs came down from the road and looked like they were going to walk along the path. I asked them about their trip and according to them, the path followed the canal all the way to river Shannon. I wished them a happy walk and returned to my pint.
Then I started to think of how relaxed and probably adventurous a walk like that could be. Just strolling along the canal, listening to the water, the birds and the wind in the trees and smelling the flowers and nature. Nothing to hurry about and nothing to worry about. When hungry catch some fish and cook them over a fireplace. When sleepy camp a tent and go to rest. What a life and what a holiday. Instead of travelling for hours and hurrying around in order to see as much as possible. Just stay in the local surroundings and take it easy.
Next week I had taken a few days off work and together with two friends, a tent, fishing poles and the most necessarily accessories, we went to the pub at the canal, had a pint and went along down the canal The sun was shining, the birds singing and the water looked clear and refreshing. After a couple of hours walk we were sweaty to say it mildly and we decided to stop for a few hours and relax.
We looked around and when we did not see anybody miles away, we let go of our clothes and jump in the cold refreshing water. It felt as a shock, but after a minute or two we could feel how nice it was to get the body cooled down. Then we started to laugh… this was just great…. In the middle of Irish no mans land… with out any other goal, than just relaxing. If we wanted to, we could stay here. If we wanted to, we could walk further on along the canal. If we wanted to, we could walk back to the pub and have another pint and camp there. The greatest feeling was that we could do exactly as we wanted to, no obligations, nothing and nobody was waiting for us and we waited neither for any thing or anybody.
We decided to camp there and pitched the tent and baited the hooks on the fishing poles. Then we just took it easy and looked at the clean water and discussed which fish we were going to catch and how we were going to cook it. After some time, please remark I can not tell how many hours or minutes it took, as none of us brought a watch, we had landed a few fish big enough for eating. We are not the biggest experts into fish, but agreed it was trout. It was now time to light a fire, so we gathered enough wood to keep it going for some time. When the fish was ready we made sandwiches of baguettes and fish. This meal was excellent and even it was simple it was one of the best I have ever eaten. Maybe because we were hungry, and probably more due to the fact that we had caught the fish ourselves, that we were totally relaxed, that we were alone just the three of us in the middle of no where and nobody knew we were there. We felt free and independent and sovereign and untouchables…. Nobody or nothing would ever be able to let us down. We did not depend on any thing or any body. We could do exactly as we wanted and when we wanted.
Sitting around the fire we discussed the bigger important things in life, values, time, love, friendship, adventurous and courage. One thing we definitely could agree on was that a holiday like this contained it all and more.
The next day we got up early and continued our adventure down the river. talking about building a raft.
Riders on the Storm
Some years ago, when I went on a road trip with my friend, Claus in the United States, we had the greatest feeling of comradeship and freedom. Do you know when its like the whole is at your feet and you can just do what ever you want and go where you desire. And no matter what you do, it will be great. No one or nothing can stop you?
We had borrowed a car of Claus dad. A 12 cylinder Jag, a real cruiser with wide seats and white leather. Excellent for long drives. We were going across the states from Tennessee, where we picked up the car, to San Francisco, where we should pick up two mates and drive around California and Nevada. A drive of 28 hours and we felt great, the world was at out feet.
When we drive through the desert of Oklahoma, suddenly lightning starts. Out side it is pitch black and we are all alone on the road, the original route 66. We have not seen a car for hours, only the road. With the lightning, the desert is lightning up and we can see mountain ranges far away. The lightning is so away we can hardly hear, and that is what feels like, minutes after.
I am driving and my friend had been trying to tune in to some good music for hours. With no luck. Until now we have only heard praises for the lord, Christian songs and “amens” on the very few stations he could find here in the middle of the bible belt. Claus decides to give it one more chance and as we can see and hear the lightning coming closer, by magic he tunes in on The Doors: Riders on The Storm.
We look at each other, turn the volume up and almost explode of happiness. That was magic. Was this some kind of coinscidence? They were singing about us? Did they play that number just for us? While the night, the prairie and the mountains are enlightening by the flash followed by deep thunder, we continue our ride out in the dark night.
To this day, that moment stand for me as one of the most memorable and magical moments in my life.
Being Expat
Being an Expat
In this chapter of my blog and my life I will discuss different aspects of being an expat.
At the moment I am “home” in Copenhagen, where I walk the well known street. Though the street are not as well known as they were 5 years ago before I moved to Ireland. Now a days I even get lost some times, but it never takes me long to regain my sense of direction.
I keep expect to meet some body I know from college, from a party, from a work place or just from some where or some times. Anyway this was the situation five years ago before I left. But nowadays I don’t bump into any body I know. Is it me who have forgotten all about them or have they moved away? The first couple of times and years when I wan back home in Copenhagen I felt like I was returned from a long holiday and I greeted all the people I knew I met on my road. This was a great feeling. But in the resent years I feel more and more like a stranger in my old home town of Copenhagen.
“Home”…. Where do I feel at home?
What am I? Danish, Irish, European , Cosmopolite or some thing else?
Well during my last visit to Copenhagen I definitely felt very Copenhagenish. During a visit of two weeks I bumped in to 12 people by chance. Many more if I take all the acquaintances I know from the beer, brewing and pub world into account. I really felt at home and it was great to meet my past. Some of them I had not seen for 5-6 years, and it was very unexpected and a really great feeling. Besides that I met lots of friends and family by appointment and really felt at home. I wonder if I ever will loose this feeling in Copenhagen. Definitely not, if I keep going to Copenhagen this regularly and still know all these people. Well but to be honest after two weeks I actually missed Ireland and the Irish, their laid backness and easygoingness.
Expats Burden
Well, a little comment on being expat now I will go on holiday tomorrow. I am going home to Denmark for two weeks to visit my family and friends. Most of my holidays are like this. Ok I have been in both Berlin and Belgium in the spring, but only for 4 days each place. The long holiday I always go to Denmark. Of course it is great to see my friends and family and of course I want to see them as much as possible. And that is the reason why I am going there.
How ever some times it would be nice to go some where else for a longer period of time. Would love to go over seas to Asia ie, but with the limited holidays I have , it is almost impossible due to my obligations – and desire - as expat to go home and connect with family and friends.
It felt like travelling just being abroad the first year or so. But that feeling has long gone and Ireland feels like home.
Any way maybe it is time to leave, travel, I need to see some thing else… a change of scenery…. As well I need to get rid of all my belongings and obligations… I need the road and the world to be wide open!!!
In this chapter of my blog and my life I will discuss different aspects of being an expat.
At the moment I am “home” in Copenhagen, where I walk the well known street. Though the street are not as well known as they were 5 years ago before I moved to Ireland. Now a days I even get lost some times, but it never takes me long to regain my sense of direction.
I keep expect to meet some body I know from college, from a party, from a work place or just from some where or some times. Anyway this was the situation five years ago before I left. But nowadays I don’t bump into any body I know. Is it me who have forgotten all about them or have they moved away? The first couple of times and years when I wan back home in Copenhagen I felt like I was returned from a long holiday and I greeted all the people I knew I met on my road. This was a great feeling. But in the resent years I feel more and more like a stranger in my old home town of Copenhagen.
“Home”…. Where do I feel at home?
What am I? Danish, Irish, European , Cosmopolite or some thing else?
Well during my last visit to Copenhagen I definitely felt very Copenhagenish. During a visit of two weeks I bumped in to 12 people by chance. Many more if I take all the acquaintances I know from the beer, brewing and pub world into account. I really felt at home and it was great to meet my past. Some of them I had not seen for 5-6 years, and it was very unexpected and a really great feeling. Besides that I met lots of friends and family by appointment and really felt at home. I wonder if I ever will loose this feeling in Copenhagen. Definitely not, if I keep going to Copenhagen this regularly and still know all these people. Well but to be honest after two weeks I actually missed Ireland and the Irish, their laid backness and easygoingness.
Expats Burden
Well, a little comment on being expat now I will go on holiday tomorrow. I am going home to Denmark for two weeks to visit my family and friends. Most of my holidays are like this. Ok I have been in both Berlin and Belgium in the spring, but only for 4 days each place. The long holiday I always go to Denmark. Of course it is great to see my friends and family and of course I want to see them as much as possible. And that is the reason why I am going there.
How ever some times it would be nice to go some where else for a longer period of time. Would love to go over seas to Asia ie, but with the limited holidays I have , it is almost impossible due to my obligations – and desire - as expat to go home and connect with family and friends.
It felt like travelling just being abroad the first year or so. But that feeling has long gone and Ireland feels like home.
Any way maybe it is time to leave, travel, I need to see some thing else… a change of scenery…. As well I need to get rid of all my belongings and obligations… I need the road and the world to be wide open!!!
International development
Some thougths.....
The book I am reading at the moment, Despite Good Intentions, by Thomas Dichter, discuss and analyse paradox of international development. Does international development do a significance change to the better to the people it is supposed to help, or is it in reality just a prestige project, which only helps the developed world to good conscience and the development industry to make money and develop it self. A prestige project costing billions of dollars each year… money that might have been spend more wisely.
Dichter, who holds a Ph.D. in anthropology, begins the book with some thought and statistical information, which to some degree arguments international development could do a lot better. .
- More people lived of less than one dollar a day in 1998 than in 1996.
- The gap between rich and poor is widening year by year; in fact it has doubled since the 60’ies. (My comment: The reason for this could be the, that the rich is becoming richer, but not necessarily that the poor world is becoming poorer.)
- Half of the world population lives for less than 2 dollars a day.
(My comment: This is relative, money and value are relative, 2 dollars will probably buy you a chicken in India, but not in Norway, where you probably would pay at least three times the price. As well if a family has their own land and grow grains and vegetables and raise chickens and so on, are this inclusive in the “2 dollars”. And again money does not necessarily makes one happy or rich (only material), maybe people growing and raising their own food are more happy or rich, than lonely people driving BMW and eating sushi and being material rich. This leads to another discussion of definition of richness. Maybe it is only a spoiled guy from the rich north , who can claim you can be rich with out money. Maybe if I went hungry to bed I would change my opinion.)
Anyway Dichter discuss this as well. How do we define the “rich” developing world and the “poor” developed world? Different more qualitative variations from the money and BNP, is life expectancy, civil rights and death rate of children, human rights and so on.
(My comments: When I started to sponsor a child from Cape Verde, I did some thinking. It was a cold dark day in January and I was coming home late from work, drenched from the lashing rain, when I find a letter about my sponsor child. It said he lived in sunny and warm Cape Verde. Then I thought of happiness and maybe I would be a happier person, if I lived in a sunny and warm place all year round. Of course I would not have the same material richness as today, but happiness is in my definition some thing else than money. Maybe this is the rich kid speaking again.
The book is a good combination of empirical narratives, statistical facts and concerning theory.
Especially the discussion of how we should define the developing world and the developed world, reminds me of an experience from Malawi (which in some definitions is one of the fifth poorest countries) I did when I travelled Africa in 1997. Back in those days I was balled and needed urgently a shave of my head. My hair had grown a bit too long, to shave it my self. A local guy I spoke to, had a razor and I followed him to his house. Or mud hut is more accurate. The hut was divided in two by a bamboo mat. In one room was one mattress for his wife and him and another for his six children. No paintings. In the other room was two chairs and an old leather suitcase with all their belongings: Some photos, some school certs, a broken watch, a pocket knife and a rusty razor. While he shaved my head, I thought about my own apartment back in Copenhagen, where I single handed occupied 50 m2… at least the double of his hut….. and had all the most common necessities, as electric stove, fridge and freezer, shower, tv, stereo and pc. And I was only a “poor” soon to be student.
So much inequality in the world and so different we life, like two worlds far far apart.
Well, back to the book. Dichter concludes that we (hereby I mean everybody from rich to poor) have to think of development in other terms than now. First of all the developed world should decrease the funding of expensive projects in the developing world. Projects that are defined by the developed world’s standards. These projects are often more to do with prestige and bad conscience of the extreme inequality between the developed and the developing world. They are very costly and what they do best are actually preserving the development business. And how many good intentions to build wells, secure water supply and safe the poor and the world, have actually been accomplished and are still running well? More often they have been abandoned by the development organisations and failed because of misunderstandings between the locals, the local government and the development organisations and poor maintenance. If they have been accomplished at all; many of them left unfinished due to lack of costs and of the complexity of the local community.
Of course the developing world should still support and help in case of catastrophes like earth quakes, hurricanes and the like, where the life of people are in immediate danger. In these situations the help is imperative and are really saving a lot of lives.
It is the long running developing projects, which Dichter is questioning, a support which is transforming the developing world in to demanding passive receivers, with no initiative but to expect support.
It is up to the developing world to develop them selves, and not for the developed world to squeeze their standards and means of living upon them. This should be seen in the light of the fact, that the biggest transfer of money from the developed world to the developing world is done by them selves, understood as relatives, who have 1migrated to the developed world and are sending money directly back to their families. Money which they can distribute and spend as they think is most appropriate, and not what some academic in the international development industry in the developed world determines. Money, which uncut are beneficial to the ones it is intended for, where no bureaucratic organisation and corrupt regime takes is toll.
As Dichter points out, it seems the developing world has realised this, not it is time for the developed world and business to face the facts as well.
The book I am reading at the moment, Despite Good Intentions, by Thomas Dichter, discuss and analyse paradox of international development. Does international development do a significance change to the better to the people it is supposed to help, or is it in reality just a prestige project, which only helps the developed world to good conscience and the development industry to make money and develop it self. A prestige project costing billions of dollars each year… money that might have been spend more wisely.
Dichter, who holds a Ph.D. in anthropology, begins the book with some thought and statistical information, which to some degree arguments international development could do a lot better. .
- More people lived of less than one dollar a day in 1998 than in 1996.
- The gap between rich and poor is widening year by year; in fact it has doubled since the 60’ies. (My comment: The reason for this could be the, that the rich is becoming richer, but not necessarily that the poor world is becoming poorer.)
- Half of the world population lives for less than 2 dollars a day.
(My comment: This is relative, money and value are relative, 2 dollars will probably buy you a chicken in India, but not in Norway, where you probably would pay at least three times the price. As well if a family has their own land and grow grains and vegetables and raise chickens and so on, are this inclusive in the “2 dollars”. And again money does not necessarily makes one happy or rich (only material), maybe people growing and raising their own food are more happy or rich, than lonely people driving BMW and eating sushi and being material rich. This leads to another discussion of definition of richness. Maybe it is only a spoiled guy from the rich north , who can claim you can be rich with out money. Maybe if I went hungry to bed I would change my opinion.)
Anyway Dichter discuss this as well. How do we define the “rich” developing world and the “poor” developed world? Different more qualitative variations from the money and BNP, is life expectancy, civil rights and death rate of children, human rights and so on.
(My comments: When I started to sponsor a child from Cape Verde, I did some thinking. It was a cold dark day in January and I was coming home late from work, drenched from the lashing rain, when I find a letter about my sponsor child. It said he lived in sunny and warm Cape Verde. Then I thought of happiness and maybe I would be a happier person, if I lived in a sunny and warm place all year round. Of course I would not have the same material richness as today, but happiness is in my definition some thing else than money. Maybe this is the rich kid speaking again.
The book is a good combination of empirical narratives, statistical facts and concerning theory.
Especially the discussion of how we should define the developing world and the developed world, reminds me of an experience from Malawi (which in some definitions is one of the fifth poorest countries) I did when I travelled Africa in 1997. Back in those days I was balled and needed urgently a shave of my head. My hair had grown a bit too long, to shave it my self. A local guy I spoke to, had a razor and I followed him to his house. Or mud hut is more accurate. The hut was divided in two by a bamboo mat. In one room was one mattress for his wife and him and another for his six children. No paintings. In the other room was two chairs and an old leather suitcase with all their belongings: Some photos, some school certs, a broken watch, a pocket knife and a rusty razor. While he shaved my head, I thought about my own apartment back in Copenhagen, where I single handed occupied 50 m2… at least the double of his hut….. and had all the most common necessities, as electric stove, fridge and freezer, shower, tv, stereo and pc. And I was only a “poor” soon to be student.
So much inequality in the world and so different we life, like two worlds far far apart.
Well, back to the book. Dichter concludes that we (hereby I mean everybody from rich to poor) have to think of development in other terms than now. First of all the developed world should decrease the funding of expensive projects in the developing world. Projects that are defined by the developed world’s standards. These projects are often more to do with prestige and bad conscience of the extreme inequality between the developed and the developing world. They are very costly and what they do best are actually preserving the development business. And how many good intentions to build wells, secure water supply and safe the poor and the world, have actually been accomplished and are still running well? More often they have been abandoned by the development organisations and failed because of misunderstandings between the locals, the local government and the development organisations and poor maintenance. If they have been accomplished at all; many of them left unfinished due to lack of costs and of the complexity of the local community.
Of course the developing world should still support and help in case of catastrophes like earth quakes, hurricanes and the like, where the life of people are in immediate danger. In these situations the help is imperative and are really saving a lot of lives.
It is the long running developing projects, which Dichter is questioning, a support which is transforming the developing world in to demanding passive receivers, with no initiative but to expect support.
It is up to the developing world to develop them selves, and not for the developed world to squeeze their standards and means of living upon them. This should be seen in the light of the fact, that the biggest transfer of money from the developed world to the developing world is done by them selves, understood as relatives, who have 1migrated to the developed world and are sending money directly back to their families. Money which they can distribute and spend as they think is most appropriate, and not what some academic in the international development industry in the developed world determines. Money, which uncut are beneficial to the ones it is intended for, where no bureaucratic organisation and corrupt regime takes is toll.
As Dichter points out, it seems the developing world has realised this, not it is time for the developed world and business to face the facts as well.
Ireland
Irish singing
You know the Irish? They have a great mentality. They like the good old craic and always party on. As well they like music and singing. Especially in pubs, some body can start to sing or play music any time. After my companies summer party, they had arranged buses to get us into town after the party. And here the Irish started to sing as well. The whole bus was singing Irish song and I song along as best as I could. I even began a few songs my self… the wild rover and whisky in the jar…. And the whole bus was singing along. That really showed how playful and good humoured the Irish are. It is never to late to have some fun J
You know the Irish? They have a great mentality. They like the good old craic and always party on. As well they like music and singing. Especially in pubs, some body can start to sing or play music any time. After my companies summer party, they had arranged buses to get us into town after the party. And here the Irish started to sing as well. The whole bus was singing Irish song and I song along as best as I could. I even began a few songs my self… the wild rover and whisky in the jar…. And the whole bus was singing along. That really showed how playful and good humoured the Irish are. It is never to late to have some fun J
Motorcycling
Bikers Community
Do you feel like you are a part of a minority, a community, which members bonds even if you have never met each ocher? And the moment you meet, you will know it right away and you always have some thing to talk about. When ever you are in trouble, the help is never far away?
This is how the biker community is. One rainy morning I was on my way to work, late off course, itand in the side of the road I see another biker has stopped and are looking at the bike… like it won’t start. As always I stop and ask if I can help with any thing. Most of times, there are no problems, but his time, the guy was out of petrol. So I tell him to sit up behind me and off we go to the nearest petrol station, where he buys a container with petrol. I drive him back and make sure that he manages to get his bike started again.
This is how the community works.
If I have just parked my bike and are looking it, and another biker, passes, we always have a chat about tours we have done, about traffic, about different bikes we have had. Some times even when we stop at red light we have a small chat.
On the road we always nod at each other.
My self had a similar experience. I was on my way from Dublin to Cork and was out of petrol. While I was waiting for the reserve tank to run through, another biker stops and asks if he can help. I ask for directions to the nearest petrol station, and he tells me to follow him. When my tank is full again, we exchange numbers and this day we still go on a ride together once in a while
Biking Cork Dublin
In the weekend I went to Dublin on my bike, the Big Blue. It was a great feeling of being free and unstoppable, when I sped out from Cork on the motorway to Dublin. 257 km and according to others a trip of more than 4 hours. No way it was gonna take me 4 hours…. More likely 2. And only because of the heavy Friday afternoon traffic. I am aware that the motorway aint yes built all the way, but still 4 hours?
The motorway leaving Cork is great and the traffic was very calm. Good I got away before the heavy rush hour. The sound of the engine was beautiful as I sped up. I occupied the fast lane and passed one car after another like pearls on a string. It felt like they did not move, but was parked in the side of the road. This probably tells more about my speed than theirs.
When ever a car in the fast lane saw me in mirror they pulled in the slow lane in respect. It was great feeling to pass them. Only a few times I had to slow down because of some slow ejiit, who did not pull in right in time.
Once I checked the speed it said 190 km/h.
Around Port Lease the motorway ended and I had to slow down my speed. Well I could not complain. The change from highly concentrated motorway drive to national road drive was right and I saw my self having a pit stop, cup of coffee and a chocolate. The concentration level leaves one quite tired and I needed some energy and caffeine. Then I jumped the Big Blue again and followed the traffic. The slower drive on the national road gets boring very fast. The single lane and all the other makes it difficult to speed up. As soon as you have overtaken one car and got a bid of speed, the next car blocks your way and another overtaken has to be done.
Fortunately the national road is soon replaced by another stretch of motorway, which takes you all the way to Dublin. Soon the speedometer was on the right side of 150 km/h again.
2 hours and 10 minutes was all I needed before I pulled in at my friends house in Newcastle just outside Dublin, where my friends, a cold beer and a BBQ was waiting. :-)
Do you feel like you are a part of a minority, a community, which members bonds even if you have never met each ocher? And the moment you meet, you will know it right away and you always have some thing to talk about. When ever you are in trouble, the help is never far away?
This is how the biker community is. One rainy morning I was on my way to work, late off course, itand in the side of the road I see another biker has stopped and are looking at the bike… like it won’t start. As always I stop and ask if I can help with any thing. Most of times, there are no problems, but his time, the guy was out of petrol. So I tell him to sit up behind me and off we go to the nearest petrol station, where he buys a container with petrol. I drive him back and make sure that he manages to get his bike started again.
This is how the community works.
If I have just parked my bike and are looking it, and another biker, passes, we always have a chat about tours we have done, about traffic, about different bikes we have had. Some times even when we stop at red light we have a small chat.
On the road we always nod at each other.
My self had a similar experience. I was on my way from Dublin to Cork and was out of petrol. While I was waiting for the reserve tank to run through, another biker stops and asks if he can help. I ask for directions to the nearest petrol station, and he tells me to follow him. When my tank is full again, we exchange numbers and this day we still go on a ride together once in a while
Biking Cork Dublin
In the weekend I went to Dublin on my bike, the Big Blue. It was a great feeling of being free and unstoppable, when I sped out from Cork on the motorway to Dublin. 257 km and according to others a trip of more than 4 hours. No way it was gonna take me 4 hours…. More likely 2. And only because of the heavy Friday afternoon traffic. I am aware that the motorway aint yes built all the way, but still 4 hours?
The motorway leaving Cork is great and the traffic was very calm. Good I got away before the heavy rush hour. The sound of the engine was beautiful as I sped up. I occupied the fast lane and passed one car after another like pearls on a string. It felt like they did not move, but was parked in the side of the road. This probably tells more about my speed than theirs.
When ever a car in the fast lane saw me in mirror they pulled in the slow lane in respect. It was great feeling to pass them. Only a few times I had to slow down because of some slow ejiit, who did not pull in right in time.
Once I checked the speed it said 190 km/h.
Around Port Lease the motorway ended and I had to slow down my speed. Well I could not complain. The change from highly concentrated motorway drive to national road drive was right and I saw my self having a pit stop, cup of coffee and a chocolate. The concentration level leaves one quite tired and I needed some energy and caffeine. Then I jumped the Big Blue again and followed the traffic. The slower drive on the national road gets boring very fast. The single lane and all the other makes it difficult to speed up. As soon as you have overtaken one car and got a bid of speed, the next car blocks your way and another overtaken has to be done.
Fortunately the national road is soon replaced by another stretch of motorway, which takes you all the way to Dublin. Soon the speedometer was on the right side of 150 km/h again.
2 hours and 10 minutes was all I needed before I pulled in at my friends house in Newcastle just outside Dublin, where my friends, a cold beer and a BBQ was waiting. :-)
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