Apropriate Development

I am back after a very long one and a half years away from this little blog. I now have two daughters and almost have a master's degree in International Policy with a specialization in Development. I will be adding up some posts of ideas and thoughts as well as assignments I have done over the past year and a half. I hope that my wonderful colleagues will collaborate with me by contributing their own posts and commenting on mine in order to create better strategies for development.

After listening to an interview with the new USAID Director, Dr. Rajiv Shah, on NPR, I agree that there is a moral imperative to provide development assistance when invited and in partnership with a host country or in terms of humanitarian crisis even against a government's desire. I also agree that sustainable development cannot occur where there is not security and that security forces can help to protect development efforts in their infancy.

Yet, I feel that development aid is often a tool in manipulating a government or part of a country's population in a politically convenient way for our country, especially when we have a significant military presence in that country. I worry about the people that get caught between our well-intentioned development efforts and our military agenda.

I think that the new Director sounds very calm and sure of his development philosophy at this early point. My hope is that he reflects back to his early development philosophy on a regular basis to ensure he is staying true to his own morals and values.

I have often struggled to find a development philosophy that combines my faith in the market with my knowledge of regular market failures and the inability of economic development to ensure improvements in the human condition. Jacqueline Novogratz' approach to development appeals to me as a step up from microfinancing initiatives or part of a comprehensive approach that would include microfinance. I feel comfortable with this approach which entails significant investment in for-profit enterprises that are meeting public needs. The approach appeals to me with its process of providing management assistance to enterprises already in place that with the help of significant investment, are able to raise additional capital, serve many more customers, continue to be innovative, are able to be scaled up and be sustainable, and be models for other businesses. This creates social capital and a working market that is a "listening device" for the needs and demands of the poor.

Generally, I agree with Dambisa Moyo's statements regarding foreign aid in Africa. Corruption has been part of the aid game with receiving, distributing, pocketing, and continually signing new aid agreements for new or the same projects over and over again. I agree that there is continued dependency on external aid programs which may be reduced if foreign aid is tapered off. African governments which are forced, or finally allowed, to develop their own strategies, and monitor their own programs, as well as respond to their own people with popular and effective development programs would create a more self-reliant Africa. Clearing the slate and allowing African governments to design their development strategies with investment (foreign as well as domestic) as the basis for economic development without transfers of aid would give Africa an opportunity to stand solely on its own two feet.

Recently, a friend of mine asked me for help in finding a program that she could volunteer with for six to eight weeks in South America or Africa. I thought that it would be more than easy to come up with a program for her. I started contacting friends and doing some research online, but I wasn't as successful as I had thought I would be. I was finding many programs, but most required that she pay a substantial fee. I know there are more than enough organizations that would be glad to have volunteers, and if she had wanted to go to Jamaica, it would have been no problem at all for her to stay in my friend's house, volunteer with any number of local organizations, and have very little expenses. I am sure that there are many opportunities like this out there, where a friend could put someone in touch with organizations in country that would love to have a volunteer for a short period of time, but making those contacts tends to be difficult for many well-intentioned volunteers. On another note, many of the pay to volunteer excursions have extra benefits such as insuring you or navigating visas, country restrictions, and local customs. They also help to maintain your safety, making sure you end up in a proper experience.

I am continuing to do research on this and would love to hear about programs or opportunities that others may know about.