When I think of international aid, the very first thing that comes to mind is the donating of the "wrong" Super Bowl T-Shirts. Without thinking very deeply, it is very easy to think, this is great, these poor people who have no clothing will get these items for free. It is very easy to overlook the impact that this program, as well as the thousands of others like it, have had on the African economy. Shoes, clothing, and food are produced in Africa on a plentiful basis, yet they are given hordes and hordes of free goods by 1st world countries on a somewhat regular basis. Individuals trying to make a living by selling goods, are basically having money pulled from their pockets. My analysis of this approach would be exactly as we have been instructed to be aware of, people thinking that "something is better than nothing". While in certain circumstances, "something" could be helpful without having adverse affects, however in these cases it has most certainly harmed. The issue with these particular aid based programs is that the "donating" is misguided, more often than not. In the dictionary, the word donate is defined as; To present as a gift to a fund or cause; contribute. Where in there does it mention recycling of unwanted clothing?? It doesn't. I am ashamed to admit that I am no less guilty when it comes to this. Never have I thought to myself, "Hmm....I think I will donate some nice things to people that are less fortunate than I am." Like many others I assume, I say to myself, "I need to clean my closet and get rid of the things I do not wear." While this may be a very simplistic analogy of what is happening, I think it shows a very revealing truth about the way aid has been handled. While people feel good about themselves for aiding a cause, that is the biggest issue, they feel good about themselves.... Too often it seems as if that is the greatest benefit to people that get involved. That is why I hope that the people and organizations in positions of power, can adjust the way "help" is delivered, because 9 out of 10 people are not going to go above and beyond in researching where their donations are going and how services are being delivered. They are simply going to donate their share, feel satisfied with themselves for helping, and usually at the most, encourage their friends to do the same. It is sad and appalling that companies would purposely exploit such vulnerable people, I hope for humanities sake that these programs have just been misguided and will soon change based on statistics and research opposing it. However, as long as people are sick and dying, privileged people are going to feel the need give, that is why we need to make sure the programs that are in place are actually productive. Because images such as this one are sure to bring on feelings and urge assistance, it is just a matter of who is calling the shots with all of those resources.
Community Based Approach
This Approach, while much more intricate and difficult to deliver, is much more beneficial to the people, as well as the general well-being of the entire community involved. Community based approaches place all of the power in the most important subjects in the equation, the people. With this power, people can and will achieve great things. The quote that comes into my mind when thinking about it is one that I have heard throughout my social work education, "give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime." I think that message holds true in this situation as well. Community based approaches engage the population, from leaders to simple people, the community develops plans and ideas, based on their own expertise. This is something that outsiders such as ourselves would never be able to simulate. These people have lived through the struggles and must develop, or at the very least be consulted on, the ways in which their communities can best be helped. The women from "Prey the Devil Back to Hell" showed immense courage guile when the time came for action to be taken. They took to the streets to protest, even though they knew there was a chance they could be raped or murdered. It would be foolish to say that they were not scared, however what I can assure you, is that the courage created by their sense of unity and purpose, is what drove them to stand against war and oppression. Community based programs encourage and teach people to advocate for themselves, which can ultimately be the most powerful tool you can provide a person.
KONY 2012 Weigh in
I decided to separately mention this because of the extremely polarizing effect it is seeming to have on people. I can honestly say this assignment was the first time I watched the movie. While that sounds absolutely absurd considering the hype that it got last month or so, I just never had the time I guess. Once watching it however I can clearly see why it has garnered so much attention. Most intriguing on the subject however, has been the responses of the general pubic. I spent most of my time reading the hundreds and hundreds of comments left on not only the video itself, but the blogs and writings assigned that touched on it. My take on it is that too many people are viewing this single video as the main intervention, they have targeted and belittled the idea of the Kony kits and their bracelets. They are also being accused of taking most of the money raised for individual profit. That is something that I would lean towards not speculating on. I have not the time nor resources to investigate what there financial benefits packages look like to their executives. However what I do know, is that generating mass support is a great thing. Clearly, the money spent on making that video was worth every penny, they have generated massive amounts of support, which any and every community intervention needs desperately. They are also regularly accused of only caring about celebrity contacts, however yet again, these investments succeed in gathering support of the people, which in turn can bring in more resources. Last and most importantly, is the service delivery, critics are bashing the Kony kits, however, fail to bring up the other facts brought forward by the film, that this company has built schools and created jobs. Which in my opinion, is rather empowering. Again this is an example of encouraging independence. The other action suggested is contacting policy makers, where is the wrong in this? Policy makers are the strongest, most influential people to any cause, they have the ability to allow or disallow any programs. Whether or not you disagree with their tactics, it is certain that The Invisible Children posses a loud voice, their impact is still being made on the world. While they may not have members of the Ugandan community on their executive board, it seems as if they have the support of members of the community. Local Directors and Mentors are showcased in the film, although it is brief, it seems to be clear that an impact is being made to rebuild. (One cannot be completely sure without further research) As for the video's main message, it clearly is directed at Americans, with the intent of gaining support. Again, while this may make it seem as if they are more interested in themselves rather than the communities they are trying to serve, are they not getting more and more resources in order to help these communities? No matter the means in which they accomplish their goals, the important thing to me, is the work being done. If I were considering donating I would make sure the programs in place were competent and beneficial to the community before doing so. Typically people would tend to say that "something is better than nothing", when defending the claims that only 30% of funds are going to programs. However in today's world, promotion and advertising are vital to the success of programs. It is very sad to say, but there is a good chance that without such extravagant promotion ideas such as these documentaries, support would not be offered. While that sounds crazy that an emotional video is the only reason people would contribute, it is unfortunately true. It sounds asinine to us but we are social workers, we are born to value and support these causes. The general public on the other hand, is just not the same. So as I have mentioned earlier, further and deeper research would need to be completed to give my full support to this cause, the collaboration and participation of the community members is vital to the overall impact of the program. Without this, then the program is as a few of the writers put it, The white man swooping in to save the helpless dumb Africans.
Scott love your remark about the Patriots T-shirts. I made a similar statement to prove my point about "donating" items that no one wants or needs just to make yourself feel good or simply for a "tax" credit.
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