"Brave young pilots" and other "races"
I sat for a meeting with another organization who would like to sign and MOU with. The level of “patting one’s own back” and sucking up in that room was choking. That is beside the point. I don’t want to ramble but, the talk of their work in the Tsunami struck areas made me remember how physically angry I get when hearing how organizations and governments deal with development work and specifically how they have and are “dealing” with the Tsunami. The gasps and sighs around the room applauding their “efforts” made me sick. Also, the ignorance of my colleagues towards those (in my director’s words) “wait, those can’t at all be mistaken as Indians…they’re clearly “negros”) made me ill. The government officials rambling on about how great the air force was and how much they helped these little “black” kids by setting up a camp for them. Oh and the plans to exploit this area by training poor people in tourism and building resorts and the like made me want to puke. Maybe anything is better then nothing..I don’t know. Discuss.
As a final point, never mind all my previous life plans. Even though with this experience it might be best to continue the plan on teaching others tolerance and cultural sensitivity -All this talk made me eager to leave all this globalization/policy/bureaucratic shit and return to “classic” anthropology (yes, setting up a hut in the middle of a reasonably untouched (read unexploited) tribe and just getting to know a community).
Off to the forest! In the meantime, write some comments damnit.
1 Comments:
yea, i don't know though if disillusionment with corporate "charity/relief" is enough of a reason to stop doing the work that one is doing, whatever it is...but you're right to feel cheated. i've just recently seen a cbc report on how such organizations work and whether the money actually gets anywhere close to those that need it. so what the fuck is the point i ask myself and the world at large?! but i heard this guy who worked in africa with orphaned chidren, a while ago on the radio, and he said something like: "what is the point in giving up?" so, i try to remember this and plow on. not that i do anything especially "for-the-good-of-the-society-ish";-)
hope you're not too discouraged dear.
k.
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