Development is Hope

To me, international development means “hope”. There must be hope that those living in poverty and in hostile conditions have the capability to break free from this cycle and start a better life, there must be hope that soon, political powers will aim to work with their citizens instead of against them, and there must be hope that one day everyone will understand that every human being deserves an equal chance at a quality and fulfilling life. I believe that a quality life should no longer be determined by where one is born. I guess one can say that those who study international development represent the underdogs. We are a very unique breed of people, and I’ve noticed these distinct qualities in all of my classmates, and many others in this field of study as well. We have a burning passion to learn about what is going on in the world and wish to use that knowledge to change the not-so-pleasant realities of our globe. 

International Development students are keen on changing the world to a better place and are optimistic that someday, this change will exist. To be in this program, you must be an optimist. There is no point in trying to bring about change, with the mindset that everything you’re doing is useless and will not make a difference. Anyone can make a difference if they truly believe in what they’re fighting for, and in my opinion, there are very few who are left with this attitude. I understand that education is such a powerful tool, and especially in development, specific skills are required more than ever this day. I plan to run miles with my education, and use it to make a lasting impact on the world.

The whole idea of development is so much more sophisticated now than it was previously. Before, International Development organizations solely asked for monetary aid, but new tactics for development have since come to be. Today, countless NGO’s and GO’s are involved in bringing about change through the grassroots level, and words such as “empowerment” and “sustainability” are usually linked with “development” . What do these words even mean? In his book, Development as Freedom, Nobel Peace Prize winner Amartya Sen discusses his “capabilities theory”. He expresses that one’s capability is their freedom to lead the lifestyles they value and that freedom ultimately leads to development. Freedom empowers people because it gives them a voice, and control over their life. I think that “sustainability” is an overused word in the development industry. So many projects and programs ensure they are “sustainable”, but shouldn’t that mean they have the ability to last forever? Can any existing development tactic really last forever without any adjustment, adaptation, or modification?

Though there are some unanswered questions about development, one thing I know for sure is that one must have hope to be successful in this industry, and refrain from becoming cynical (an easy route to go down if you are studying international development). This video I saw about Tererai Trent really inspired me; it taught me that anything is possible, and no dreams are farfetched. If you wholeheartedly wish to achieve something and all of your efforts are geared towards accomplishing that goal, you will make it happen. I think this is a lesson to be appreciated not only by international development students but by everyone living on this globe as well. 

Video: http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Tererai-Trents-Story-Video

The Real Scholar Finds the Third Side

“Every story has two sides, but the real scholar finds the third side” – Dad

My dad always says this to me, and I have never considered him to be more right than I do now. With the recent uproar of the Kony 2012 campaign in the last few days, I feel that this is the best time to reflect upon this quote. I learned about Invisible Children in grade 11, when my social studies teacher screened their first video in class. At the time I wasn’t educated enough on the subject, the Invisible Children organization, or their campaign, and therefore my perspective was a bit shallow. This time, I am better able to form a sophisticated opinion.

Kony 2012 advocates for bringing the Ugandan warlord to justice through raising awareness in the western world by the means of social media. The video is an excellent example of how social media campaigns have the potential to be extremely successful if used correctly. The video did a brilliant job of touching on people’s emotions through strong images, and advanced editing skills; it thus went viral Tuesday night with about 2.7 million hits (source: taken from Youtube Tuesday evening)!

I admire individuals who want to get involved with the movement, however I encourage everyone interested in Kony 2012 to ask questions and be critical; do not allow yourself to be brainwashed by a sole video you saw online, but rather use that information to discover a second side of the story! The media exposes only what they want you to see, but it is up to you to ask questions and dig deeper; never be satisfied with information at face-value. With regards to  Kony 2012, I believe the story is deeper than what Jason Russell has portrayed in his video. First of all, the issue of child soldiers is rather delicate and extremely complex. According to Radio Free Europe, approximately “300, 000 children are currently involved in 33 armed conflicts around the world” including areas such as El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan. Yes, Joseph Kony is doing horrible things, but he is definitely not the only one involved in atrocities – I encourage you all to do some research on the issue of child soldiers and learn the global context of it. If you are truly for the cause, you will go beyond the Kony 2012 campaign and educate yourself about the world issue of child soldiers.

Another article I came across suggests that the Invisible Children Organization supports direct military intervention and the money they raise goes towards the Ugandan government’s army and other military forces of the sort. These armies are known for and have been accused of looting, rape, and other atrocities similar to ones accused of Kony.  Aside from that, is supporting the military the best way to solve this problem? Should we, as North Americans, even be attempting to take matters in our own hands or rather be helping those at risk help themselves? This ties into the term “White Man’s Burden” – if you do not know what this is, do some research! The article also suggests that in the previous year, $8, 676, 613 was spent by the organization and only 32% of that went to direct services. Most of Invisible Children’s funding goes towards raising awareness rather than contributing to the actual cause, however the organization is known to exaggerate and manipulate facts. This is an example of media showing you what they want you to see. It has been said that Kony has been inactive in Uganda since 2006...so why the sudden uproar? I definitely want to do more research about these stats and claims against Invisible Children to paint a clearer picture of what is going on with the organization. 

Well I’ve rambled on for quite some time now, so I just want to end this post by saying that educating yourself on an issue is extremely powerful. Don’t ever accept what the media hands you without doing your own research; who knows, you may find the third side of the story!

-Madiha