In Response to “Incentivizing Students to Attend School”

Pardada Pardadi uses money and other incentives to convince parents to send their daughters to school.  This reminds me of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs, which we learned a bit about in GPP 115.  Both CCTs and Pardada Pardadi aim to incentivize the poor to alter their behavior to combat intergenerational poverty.  While I see can see the benefits that a program like Pardada Pardadi might be producing, I just wanted to add some thoughts and questions to the discussion about conditionality and poverty alleviation.

Targeting some of the poorest in India and convincing them to send their daughters to school by offering them money rests on the belief that those families need to change their behavior to get themselves out of poverty.  A program like this puts the blame on individuals rather than acknowledging the structural barriers in place that prevent families from sending their children to school to begin with.  If it is believed that sending girls to school is such a good thing, it might be worthwhile to address the reasons that are holding families back rather than offering money to nudge them towards making the right choice.  In his piece about CCTs, Guy Standing discusses some programs that gave money to the poor without conditions attached to them.  One of the first things people did was send their children to school, and where one didn’t exist, the community built one.  Do we need to incentivize the poor to act right?

Also, Pardada Pardadi provides schooling only to young girls.  The reason for this is to educate the most marginalized and empower women in India.  On their website, Pardada Pardadi claims it is most importantly about gender empowerment.  Specifically targeting young girls brings up other issues.  One of the points brought up in the Maxine Molyneux reading from GPP 115 was that, by focusing efforts only on girls, programs might be creating the opposite effect.  Is it right to put the burden of poverty alleviation on the backs of these young girls by giving them education and money and encouraging them to fix the situations that put them and their communities in poverty?  There are many programs in the world that do this.  Some would say it is unfair to make the women of the world responsible for development and poverty alleviation.

As students in the global poverty minor, we have learned that poverty interventions and development projects are more complex than they may initially seem.  Organizations and programs that might be well intentioned might never be perfect, and it’s possible to do harm while trying to do good.  Ultimately, I think what Pardada Pardadi is doing is good, but these are just some things to think about.

References:

Standing, Guy. 2011. “Behavioural conditionality: why the nudges must be stopped – an opinion piece.” Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 19 (1): 27-38.

The movie "Girl Rising"
While I was on youtube I stumbled upon this ad for a film called "Girls Rising" presented by 10x10. To give a bit of background knowledge, The Documentary Group and Paul G. Allen's Vulcan Productions partnered with Intel and created this campaign group 10x10 which is focused on girl's education and they work with other non-profits and policy leaders. This film tells the stories of 9 girls around the world and their efforts to receive an education. 10x10 combines efforts of various writers and actress for this film and also it's partner organizations to raise awareness and share these stories of these girls.
So while I was browsing through their website I became so interested in wanting to see the film but then Dr. Kathryn Moeller's lecture on the "Girl Effect" in GPP 115 came to mind. The emphasis on educating girl's and how they can change the world and other descriptions Dr. Moeller gave were so similar with information presented on this website. Everything revolved around this fact that if you educate a girl it can not only change her life but make a global impact. Already one of their co-founding partners is Intel, which could be like the Nike equivalent she mentioned in her lecture. Now with my limited research, form what I have seen it doesn't seem like 10x10 is another large profit- making corporation like Nike and they are the ones heading this film project but is it possible that they too are falling under the "Girl Effect"? Is it the same thing as the "Girl Effect"? Or am I over thinking this?  It is hard to say with limited knowledge on 10x10 but it is a question I think is worth pondering about while looking into much more information on this. -M.N. (Wed 2-5p)

The link for "Girl Rising": http://girlrising.com/#66-million-girls

Poverty Blamed For Bulgaria's Suicide Wave

As I am linked to NY Times newsfeed, this article came about. Curious to know, I clicked on it and started reading it. I figured this is something I wanted to share. I remember these conversations would arise about the effects of poverty and its correlation to suicide in GPP 115.

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Poverty Blamed for Bulgaria's Suicide Wave

This is a summarized version of the article written by Harvey Morris, the article link is below

Bulgaria's caretaker government is hoping to introduce a plan to tackle the suicide rates that is amongst the impoverished East European Nations

There have been daily reports of people hanging themselves, jumping from bridges, throwing themselves under trains, and setting themselves on fire in protest against the country's economic plight.

The first wave of suicides correlated with the high electricity prices, corruption, and worsening living standards. One man, has set himself on fire and emerged as a symbol of the protest movement.

This article continues to discuss that these symbolic protests have been done before. I remember Professor Roy talking about it for the Arab Awakening.

The men, before their suicide, discussed about being jobless and not having anything to feed their family as their main frustration. There are a number of desperate people in the country that's really pushing them towards taking their own life.

The average monthly wages in bulgaria is $480, which is the lowest in the European Union.

The demonstrations that have been suppressed has begun to resume despite the interim's government's promise to take actions amongst Bulgarians who live below the poverty line.

Read NY Times Article Here
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I think what frustrated me the most about this article is that these incidences are hardly discussed on the news. The only reason why I even got around to it was that it was a simple headline on the NY Times updates that caught my attention. And even when it is discussed on the news, it always has a negative connotation towards those who have taken their own lives.

Every time poverty is discussed, there are so many viewpoints on it. I only say that because of based on some comments below the article. Some think that it's upon themselves to get themselves out of it, and a lot of people do not recognize all the structural violence that's upon folks in poverty. I'm sure that if it were that easy, "to get yourself out of poverty", then poverty wouldn't have to be so prevalent. A commentator discussed how it's "impossible" for poverty to be the only cause of these suicides. I think that statement frustrated me because it just illustrates that people undermine the effects of poverty and invalidate people's own struggles when it comes to poverty. I'm sure we would never comprehend the real causes of their suicides, but that does not mean we can eliminate poverty as a cause either. That does not mean we should not recognize their frustrations. It is nobody's place to blame the impoverish because nobody would understand their struggle but themselves.

By: Lorraine M.

Thoughts on Chloe’s Entry regarding the "Beet Boxes"

Hello,

In addition to commenting on Chloe’s post, this entry mostly ties back to some of the points in my post last month blog post. Chloe's entry particularly was my catalyst that helped me formulate questions I have asked /will ask the Alameda County Community Food Bank‘s staff.  

Just, to briefly comment on the Beet Boxes project, I have to say it’s a clever idea to have collaboration with clinics and agricultural programs to fight obesity in the community. Since I decided to do my practice experience locally my definition of hunger changed. On the one hand many areas in Oakland are food deserts with limited access to healthy food and abundance in liquor stores and fast food restaurants.  Obesity becoming the consequence of such situation –not entirely.

The concern about participation Chloe mentions became the center of my conversation with the staff. After talking to several employees from different departments –advocacy, nutrition program, agency networks- I came to a unanimous opinion. The staff believes that the ACCFB model is very reasonable and has the capacity to help make hunger history –or at least build towards it. They think it helps balance the participation; the community participates in the form of volunteering, while the advocacy team with the community tries to change the state attitude/ laws –change programs, increase them, or re-evaluate the services provided to the people. They reach in both directions: the food bank distributes to their partners food pantries, soup kitchen, and churches. Those centers are part of the community and 49% of all workers are volunteers who live in Alameda County. From their perspective it ensures fair participation. Also they advocate and try to put laws on the ballot that support the community and reduces hunger –by tackling the causes of hunger.  The result will be the state taking more responsibility about the issue –in the form of building better food safety net, and better the available programs.

It was very interesting to hear the staffs’ opinions and to be honest they actually made me hopeful and gave me some conviction of their stand.

In Response to Melissa's post: "Sustainable methods for poverty alleviation"

In Melissa's post about "Sustainable Methods to Poverty Alleviation" she spoke about SAP's investment in organizations that aim to develop responsible and sustainable social enterprises. I appreciate how she pointed out this poverty alleviation trend of not only creating entrepreneurs in impoverished areas but also ensuring that these enterprises are able to grow and able to address a social problem. This trend seems to bank on a chain reaction effect where the poverty intervention complicates the donor-beneficiary relationship. Those who receive assistance are also encouraged to extend their help to society in another way. I like how this intervention creates a culture where everyone is involved in solving social solutions, but I wonder if it also creates pressure on entrepreneurs to work harder at creating a social angle to their business in order to get funding. Is this added social mission more of a benefit or a burden?

My practice experience also works in line with this entrepreneurship solution to poverty. I am working with Gawad Kalinga a organization that deals with poverty alleviation in the Philippines through community development. It has recently engaged in a social entrepreneurship program where impoverished community members in a site called the GK Enchanted Farm are partnered with young entrepreneurs to design and develop socially responsible business models. For example, Bambike is a business that sells fair trade bicycles made out of natural bamboo. This makes the business creates sustainable livelihood for the people in the community, but it is also environmentally sustainable by using naturally grown parts.

This trend may be growing because it seems to be easier to create more responsible and sustainable business models for budding enterprises because they tend to be more flexible than larger companies with fixed business models and stable infrastructures. But with the many enterprises like this popping up all over the world, how many of them are really able scale up and create a lasting change in their community?  Another question to think about is who determines what "social problems" are worth pursuing by any enterprise. Would it be the call of the community members, the entrepreneurs who work with them, or the corporations who invest in their initial funding?

-- Dominique Martinez

Chile's path to reconstruction: a follow-up to Chelsea

Chelsea's piece from last month discussing Chile's progress towards national recovery from the 2010 earthquake came to my mind recently as I was reading this article from Tierramérica (Eco-Reconstruction still an impossible dream for Chilean village).

In her post, Chelsea focuses on the need for improved funding and focus on the psychological recovery process and post-traumatic stress outcomes arising in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The Tierramérica article provides a fantastic companion to this theme, highlighting the structural causes preventing physical recovery and likely impeding psychological and emotional recovery.

In the case study of Boyeruca, a coastal village located south of Santiago, progress towards reconstruction has been impeded by government bureaucracy and political favoritism--a situation that clearly follows the same path of FEMA's efforts in New Orleans. A focus on inappropriate metrics of construction and immediate outcomes has prevented the government from providing a sustainable, long-term path for the residents of Boyeruca, who continue to live in a state of limbo and uncertainty.

For these communities to recover, it is imperative that a viable structural solution be found to address their physical needs for housing and safety, without these needs met it is unlikely that they will ever be able to emotionally recover from these events and regain the sense of stability that they once had.

Bay Meadows, San Mateo's progressive Urban Village on the Caltrain Line

Bay Meadows, San Mateo's progressive Urban Village on the Caltrain Line

By Julie Scrivner

If any of you keep up on news local to Berkeley, or are from around the area, you may have already heard about this "progressive Urban Village." For those of you who haven't, this neighborhood is one of the first ecovillages in the Bay Area. "Setting the standard for people who want to live in a comprehensively sustainable and environmentally friendly atmosphere at the forefront of innovation and comfort, TPH's Amelia, is a 63-home neighborhood of two- and three-bedroom town homes replete with porches and balconies while Shea Homes' Landsdowne residences will be composed of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes oriented to the lush greenery of Bay Meadows' 12-acre park. Consistent with Bay Meadows' pedestrian-friendly approach, garages are at the rear of each home. Landsdowne and Amelia residences were designed by KTGY Architecture and Planning. The comprehensively-sustainable Bay Meadows will also feature five LEED-certified office buildings, a traditional town square and main street retail."

Bay Meadows is just one of the developments in response to the demand for towns on a smaller scale, ones in which driving is minimized and walking is optimal. This new demand is coming as a backlash against urban sproul, and may very well be the type of housing situations we see on a massive scale in the next decade. The idea of the village is that once you park your car on Friday afternoon, there is no need for your family to get back into it until Monday morning. With walking access to parks, retail, and the Caltrain for a trip to the city, there is no need for your family to leave your little paradise. However, I see this village as only the start to the ecocity trend. Although there is direct access to the Caltrain line, many families will still need to drive their cars M-F if their work is not accessible along the line, and if their schools aren't either.

This new model home living, in which the first generation of families must go through strict regulations and applications, makes me wonder about the potential impact on poorer families. Will these Urban Villages become the new way to segregate the haves from the have-nots? Is this a form of gated communities, or will the shopping district and 12-acre park will be open to the public who don't live within the village? I believe that this is a step in the right direction, but the greenification of a city, like Berkeley, may be a better approach.

The idea of ecocities comes from a guest lecturer in my class ESPM C167. His idea of ecocities is to use hot spots of residencies as the basis for a more compact, but greener, city. Instead of having one level office buildings or residencies, put the commercial shops on the street level, place office buildings on top of that level, and residencies at the top. The goal of this model is to make is possible for families to walk 5 minutes to work, shop, eat, or school. Overtime these hotspots will be built up as families migrate inwards towards the city center. As houses are abandoned on the outskirts of the city, these will be taken over by agriculture, moving agricultural production back near to the cities, minimizing the cost and carbon footprint of transporting goods. This model incorporates families that are already living in the city, instead of creating an entirely new, elite city. In addition, it allows for a vibrant and diverse community of different cultures and communities, rather than just those who can afford it.

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city: 

And more!

It is important for our generation of GPP students to advocate for a greener future, that includes all demographic types.

Check out more about ecocities:

http://www.ecocitybuilders.org/
http://svenworld.com/2010/08/03/what-on-earth-is-an-ecocity/

In response to Elizabeth's post: Education in New York and Guatemala

Ellie, I really enjoyed reading your post! In many ways, it reminded me of the same issues facing Stockton's education system, but in many other ways, how different these places and their problems were. You talked about the lack of access to classes because of the extensive waiting lists and how community centers played a big role in Quetzaltenango to address that problem. You later suggested that New York could really benefit from community centers such as that in Quetzaltenango to fill the voids that government failed to do.

Stockton high schools and the local community college are facing similar struggles: the classes are over-crowded, the teachers feel unappreciated, the waitlists for required and elective classes are longer than Rapunzel's hair. Popular opinion points to these issues as the main reasons for why drop out rates in Stockton high schools have been sky-rocketing in the past decade. My PE organization is also a community/resource center that focuses on education reform on a community-based level. My literature review explores the spectrum of approaches to solving issues in Stockton, ranging from government-heavy interventions, to place-based and person-based government policies, to strictly community-based interventions. I have been thinking about the role government plays in addressing these issues, and to what extent resource centers are involved in addressing these issues as well. For the most part, I feel as if my PE organization and many community centers practice the same way yours does in Quetzaltenango - they fill the voids that government skipped over. However, in Stockton, the improvements have been slow and many of the community-based interventions cannot stand up against increasing gang violence and increasing drop-out rates unless there are more robust governmental policies to back them up.

One interesting move Stockton has done towards implementing more research-based, hard evidence (slowly moving away from community-based development) is recollect data on high school drop outs. They blame the high drop out rate numbers to be a result of bad data collection (http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/06/10/34stockton.h29.html). This article talks about how education administrators' roles were "beefed-up" when they no longer sat back and entered attendance records into the computer - instead, they were expected to follow up with "missing" students, cross-checking school districts for duplicate students, and playing an active role in ensuring students were atleast enrolled in a school district. The new data for drop outs is 17.7% from an original 52.5% before this robust system of data collection was implemented. These new statistics have redirected the focus on community-based interventions to more technocratic methods of alleviating the education problem. This makes me question my PE organization's future in education reform - it is not enough to implement ineffective after school programs and community-walker programs. In many ways, I see these interventions as instrumental and not political; they tackle minor symptoms but are not engaging with policy reform to tackle the root disease. I think community centers do play a central role in "filling in the voids," however, is it enough?

In Response to Lauren's "New Ways to Relieve Malnutrition"

The new way of relieving malnutrition refers to giving malnourished children antibiotics to decrease the death rate. The article "The Lives of Many Malnourished Children Saved by Antibiotics" talks about research done in Malawi where children are given antibiotics to supplement the Project Peanut Butter diet. This piece argues that giving children an antibiotic decreased the death rate by 2.5%. I have two questions to present about this new technique to battle malnutrition. 

First, is this 2.5% really significant? This is a very small difference in death rate for those children given an antibiotic versus a placebo, which leads me to be skeptical about the validity of this approach in improving nutrition. Are these antibiotics really making a significant difference in the malnutrition of the children in Malawi. This brings up of argument of measuring success. Is the goal to solely decrease the number of deaths per year or is it something more. Are the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals based on quantity i.e. mortality or are they based on quality of lives.

If you would like to argue that indeed, any life saved or nutrition level increased is significant than the second question I would like to pose is what is the cost of this 2.5% decrease and is it ultimately worth it. In order to finance, produce and distribute antibiotics to the extremely high number of malnourished children living on the planet this must be an extremely demanding and burdensome procedure. While I agree that antibiotics may be relevant for sick children in order for their health to improve, I don't necessarily think that the topics of antibiotics are relevant to malnutrition. We have other means to decreasing the number of malnourished children that are more cost efficient, accessible and sustainable. For example, programs that focus on internal creation of community farming may be an effective way of getting children enough nutritional food that will bypass the use and reliance on pharmaceuticals. Antibiotics are a very westernized approach to solving a problem on a massive scale and very quickly but with the disregard of sustainability. If communities are not able to provide enough nutrition for children, popping a pill is not a viable solution to this important issue. I think this technique is just another way for Western cultures to impose their views of how to deal with problems as cheaply, quickly and impersonally as possible. I don't think antibiotics are the right answer to decreasing the level of malnourishment in children. 

Empathy: A Vehicle for the "Revolution of Human Relationships"

Titled "The Power of Outrospection," I found this video last semester and I believe it is a great way to think about the ways in which people interact, how this can create social change, and how it can be used to alleviate poverty. The author argues for the need to individually and collectively use empathy as a tool for framing how to revolutionize the way we see the relationships human beings have with one another. As an interactive video, it also reminded me of the GlobalPOV videos that the minor has been creating lately and I believe it has the potential and promise to change how one views relationships to those close to us and those far away. Below are some key notions the video goes over that I enjoyed and was inspired by:

1. Empathy makes you a creative thinker, but it is also a vehicle for social change.
1. There is a lot of talk today about empathy, so much so that it is ingrained in us to empathize with others and "step into someone shoes." Yet, how does this relate to poverty and ways to alleviate it? I believe that employing empathy as a "collective force" can create social change and lead to the success of awareness and advocacy. 
2. Parent's Circle - an organization created as a way for those afflicted by the Israeli and Palestinian war to talk with one another and begin to understand the other side. Their motto is "It Won't Stop Until We Talk." 
1. I saw this example as the epitome of how empathy can create change greater than the individual level. 
3. An Empathy Museum: explaining the concept of "collective force," the author of this video envisioned a space where conversations and understanding between different populations could occur. 
1. An innovative and truly empathetic idea. I really enjoyed the concept of having people visit a "Vietnamese sweatshop exhibit" whereby one would attempt to create a cotton T-shirt with the help of some workers and getting paid the wages they would. 

Truly immersing oneself in the difficulties of the world's issues would provide such great insight and perspective. It could reveal how populations can be so innovative when the resources are so poor. It could lead to greater awareness, greater advocacy, and greater understanding about how to relate to another human being. I wanted to share this video in the aims to start a discussion about this and other ways to approach thinking about poverty and human relationships.

Written by Esther Chung 

Hurricane Sandy Response

In response to the Hurricane Sandy blog post, I thought the connections drawn between the residents of Breezy Point, as well as pro-social behavior Professor Talwalker mentions in her article, demonstrate unique insight into what we consider as top-down, paternalistic approaches to aid, and in what circumstances is it beneficial, or detrimental, to apply.

While the Breezy Point residents might be “too proud” to receive aid, and unwelcoming to FEMA volunteers attempting to deliver foodstuffs, shelters, supplies, etc., others would welcome the “handouts” which offer no form of sustainable aid relief, reconstruction, etc.  Thus, the main problems with aid—in any form—from natural disasters, poverty intervention, and environmental injustice, center around the marginalization and power politics of the community.   It also centers around the power dynamics of large, government initiatives to implement interventions (such as the Sach’s debate from GPP 115), or, the local, community-level mobilization and collaboration to provide alleviation (the Easterly debate).  The constant back-and-forth pull between the role of the state, and the role of the community remains a contentious battle. 

While government aid work might seem beneficial, in the case of natural disasters, disaster capitalism also might take into effect as well, in the case of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The relative privileges and poverty level of both communities provides the distinction as to whether structural rebuilding, aid, and investment will return, and whether the community as a whole will advocate for its own independent voice.   

In response to Brandon's "Oakland: Cutting Adult Education in Local Schools"

This issue is very close to my heart. Growing up, my parents heavily depended on adult education courses such as Family Literacy and ESL to build their communication skills and improve their job prospects. I remember the struggles my father encountered coming to America without a strong command of the English language, always flustered and unable to express his qualifications and abilities in English for a job that he clearly had the skills for. Programs like these provided him with a support system to have the confidence to be able to provide for his family and become more involved in my life and with my education process.

It is very sad and devastating to see programs that promote literacy so that parents can be more involved in their child's education lose funding and fall to budget cuts. The communication training that Family Literacy programs give parents is essential and builds confidence not only in the individual but also for the child. To cut these programs, Oakland will be targeting an already vulnerable population and putting their families at even more risk of poverty and hardship, limiting their educational and economic prospects. Even more important is the fact that these effects may even beyond to all levels of the community.

Budget cuts are only a short fix to our national problem. While deficits may occur time and time again, the wrong decisions and their effects on the people and their families could potentially lead to permanent damage to a thriving community. Educational programs that support parents and families help reduce poverty and expand opportunities; they have the potential to improve our economic future.

In Response to Hillary's “Edible Schoolyard” Post

It was very interesting reading about this program and article, because I agree with it’s goals about creating a community garden and teaching sustainability to the younger generation.  I am working in the food/nutrition sector as well, as I will be traveling to the Philippines this summer, and leading nutrition classes in a local school there. 

 I also agree with Hillary in that the partnering of public and private sector was an interesting aspect of the program, but I think it is definitely for the better.  With the government-even local-getting more active with these type of community programs, it reassures people that they are interested in the small projects as well as the larger health care issues in the East Bay.

The message behind this program really hits home for me as well, as it is something that I hope to try and implement during my practice experience this summer.  Although a difference is in areas, as I will be abroad in a completely different setting, but dealing with food problems nonetheless.  I believe that being able to sustain yourself, at least partially, is very important for developing countries, because in the long run it is much cheaper to sustain than eating out all the time.  Not to mention, eating fresh and natural food instead of any of the processed foods in the supermarket is ten times better for your health.  So along with this community garden project that the Edible Schoolyard is tackling, I hope to take it further by teaching cooking classes with this food, and showing the kids and community how easy it is to create delicious and healthy meals with ease and in a short amount of time. 

Guerilla Gardener

Inspired by the Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk we watched in class, I went home and spent about an hour watching a few more TED videos. My favorite was about a man named Ron Finley, described as a "guerilla gardener," who began planting vegetables all over South Central LA a few years ago. He would plant fruits and vegetables in empty lots, traffic medians, and by sidewalks. Urban gardens are a great example of a community taking action to solve a problem they are facing. This can be compared to Julia Paley’s example of the government cholera posters telling people to collect their own garbage to protect themselves against the disease. Urban gardens are increasing power within a community, but Paley might argue that this takes the responsibility away from the government, which should be providing adequate food for a community. But when the government isn’t providing this service, should a community not step up to fill in the gaps?

Urban gardens are a growing phenomenon, and food justice is a big issue—especially in the Bay Area. I was in the Mission District of San Francisco last weekend and saw urban gardens at both Cesar Chavez Elementary School and a local park. Organizations such as Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Project and Oakland Based Urban Gardens (OBUGS) are involving young people in these community projects. By changing the way young people interact with food, these organizations aim to transform the eating habits of the next generation, as well as their own communities.

Ron Finley’s mission to convert the dilapidated public spaces of South Central into vibrant edible gardens is a prime example of community participation in poverty action. The fresh food produced in these gardens provides a free and healthy meal to the people who are in need of them. Typically, people living in poverty in cities like LA and Oakland either cannot access or cannot afford the fresh produce that will keep them healthy. Innovators and community activists like Ron Finley are changing the way poverty is addressed. As Finley would say, “if you ain’t a gardener, you ain’t gangster.”

Here’s a link to Finley’s talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html

Trends in the Development Field: The Case of Haiti

Antonina Entler

3-10-13  

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/28/172875646/what-happened-to-the-aid-meant-to-rebuild-haiti

I came across this interview of Jonathan Katz, author of the new book The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster on NPR’s Blog Spot. I couldn’t help but notice how several issues that he mentions are part of bigger trends in the development field. One of these trends is how aid money often does more for donor countries than for the country it is intended for.  In Haiti’s case, of the $2.5 billion that made it to the country within the first few months following the 2010 earthquake, about 93% of that “either went to United Nations agencies or international nongovernmental organizations, or it never left the donor government.” This brings up a variety of concerns. Because donor countries end up giving so much money to multilateral organizations, like the UN, in the form of aid money, they end up having unequal power within those organizations. In addition, money from donor countries may go to NGO’s who are staffed mostly by its own citizens, essentially creating more jobs and tax revenue for its own country. Has the development field become an industry for donor countries?

The other trend of the development field that I saw in this article was represented when Jason Katz said, “The attitude that so many foreign aid groups have regarding Haiti is that you can basically come in and do whatever you want. So there was no accountability, no coordination. People were just running around doing what they thought was best or what they thought was best for them. And it really created a mess.” With a weakened government, Haiti was in no position to assert control over NGO’s, coordinate their efforts, or hold them accountable. Haiti essentially became a place for NGO’s, donor countries, and multilateral organizations to experiment with new ideas or push policies to their own benefit, all at the cost of a people severely in need of help.

Not to be overly negative about the development field, but I think that a healthy dose of reality is important in a field that is so often dominated by “doing good.” The truth is that by attempting to “do good,” one can also do harm. As we head out into the world to complete our practice experiences this spring, summer, and fall, I think it is important to keep an eye for these trends and how our PE organizations are complacent in or work against them. 

In Response to Ola's "We Opened..."

As a fellow student working in Food Justice in Oakland for my Practice Experience, it is interesting to learn about the ever-necessary, but contradictory role of the Alameda County Food Bank. The benefits of the food bank include the vast amounts of people they are able to help, in comparison, for example, with the smaller organizations in West Oakland working on food sovereignty. I question how the Food Bank has not been taken up as a Government-based organization or program yet, because there is an apparent need for its services, based on the information Ola relayed to us. Still, there seems to be a need for a more sustainable solution to these hunger pains in Alameda County.

While researching several approaches and ways to alleviate such problems, it seems as though the food bank fits the mold of a gap-filling organization, taking away the responsibility of the state to provide these services and moreover, acting as a sort of band-aid or superficial cure to the problem. Furthermore, it seems that on a basic level (considering solely the fact that people in need obtain food from this institution when they are hungry) addresses just a symptom of the underlying cause, which could include much deeper racial, geographical, environmental, social and political aspects. I am curious to know what the food banks' role in enacting this sort of change is, and how/if they promote this type of self-sustainability, to ensure that people do not remain dependent upon these services for a long period of time. I believe in class, Ola had structured her questionnaire in such a way to dig out this problem; how long had 'regulars' at the food bank been attending and obtaining food. I am curious to see the results of such a survey, as well as the extent that the food bank engages with these issues and last, what can be done to shift the focus from treating the symptom to treating a deeper, perhaps more complicated cause.

In response to "Oakland: Cutting Adult Education in Local Schools"

This blog post was of special interest to me because it falls under a similar area as my practice experience, Oakland. I liked how Patricia summarized the prevalent issues that concern Oakland residents that included "illiteracy rates, increased immigration rates, and large communities of color affected by gangs violence." Patricia's practice experience organization is also a non-profit that focuses on people living below the poverty line, just as APEB does. In my literature review, I intend to discuss how vital education for the prevention of the progression of HIV/AIDS. To learn that family literacy programs in Oakland are being cut due to lack of funding makes me realize how vital a role non-profits like WEAP and APEB are for many Oakland residents. This has been an ongoing issue in Oakland, but the newspaper article that Patricia sites (from the Oakland Tribute) was published this February, emphasizing how recent this matter is.
Following the local newspapers in Oakland like the Oakland Tribute and Oakland Tribune is integral because it keeps local residents and students like us updated with the city's current events and key issues. When we go and work in these areas and sectors, we can be aware of (in my case) client concerns to better understand their viewpoints. My practice experience will require me to learn about the various low-income backgrounds of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Oakland and reading such news articles will help me better comprehend the hardships some of APEB clients have been through so that I can better direct them to the services offered by APEB. Thanks Patricia for your analysis on this news article!

Hurricane Sandy and accepting help from others

Today in class we discussed the space of "encounters" within development and we were challenged to re-evaluate our own assumptions and understandings about our relationship as development volunteers/workers to the recipients of our organization's works. This discussion brought to mind a recent article I read in Esquire magazine that focused on interviewing residents of Breezy Point, which exists on a small peninsula in New York, and was the town hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. (You can find an abridged article and video online here.)

What's most interesting about Breezy Point is that it is a small, tight-knit community composed primarily of policemen, firemen, teachers, and their children--civic servants and people who make their livelihood from helping others. However, when they are put in a position of need, they're confronted with feelings of unease and uncertainty as they become recipients of aid and volunteer work from outsiders in rebuilding their community. In the article, their feelings are described as:

The funny thing is, the Breezy people are a little standoffish about being helped. They all notice it...the standoffishness goes deeper than mere suspicion of outsiders. In general, the people of Breezy Point have mixed feelings about being helped. The usual explanation is that they themselves are a community of first responders, firemen and policemen, conservative and self-reliant people who...continue to think of themselves as people who don't take handouts.

 These feelings and responses are incredibly relevant to our discussion today, and Professor Talwalker's discussion in  her article regarding prosocial behavior. Before the hurricane, the residents of Breezy Point are clearly identifiable as "upper-class" according to the metrics described in the article, and their relationship to the outside world through their professions (policemen, firefighters, etc.) is similar to that of aid workers and volunteers--a one-sided relationship of giving. After the hurricane, they are placed in a position of uncertainty, moving closer or perhaps even into the "lower-class" category, and their relationship with the outside world becomes increasingly complex. Their feelings and value of independence are challenged by their reliance both on each other and outside volunteers as they themselves become aid recipients.

The article further delves into the emotions and reactions of Breezy Point residents to the aid workers and FEMA representatives that enter their community, which are characterized largely as ambivalent and even unwelcoming. When placed on the other side of the one-sided relationships as the receiver, the residents feel beholden and are put into a position that seems to deny their own efficacy.

Overall, I thought this article was really interesting and relevant to today's discussion and the reading. I especially thought the insight from the reactions of the Breezy Point community might help to inform our own expectations and experiences as we prepare for our practice experiences this summer, helping us consider the relationships we form and perhaps how we would respond if our roles were reversed.

Sources:
1. Richardson, John H. (March 2013). The Neighborhood. Esquire, 159(3), 192-202.

2. Talwalker, Clare (2012). What Kind of Global Citizen is the Student Volunteer?. Journal of Global Citizenship & Equity Education, 2(2).

In response to Ola's post about ACCFB

Those statistics you stated about Alameda County's Community Food Bank were incredible, and their vision of going out of business one day was truly inspiring.

Your thoughts on responsibility and accountability made me think back to our discussion about the paradox of participation. Perhaps this food bank is doing too good of a job filling in the gap for the government that the issue of food insecurity has been shifted down on the policy agenda.

I am curious about the people who rely on food banks. Do they also receive Cal Fresh/other government benefits? Do they barely graze above the income requirement and can't afford food yet aren't eligible for Cal Fresh? Was the initial purpose of food banks to be a long term assistance program or more of an emergency service?

This is an interview Siddharth sent out via email about two women who created a documentary on food insecurity in the United States. They address that hunger is a a solvable issue. The documentary may help you get a better understanding about how long it will take food banks to go out of business.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-26-2013/exclusive---lori-silverbush---kristi-jacobson-extended-interview-pt--1

In New York & Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Similar Education Problems

I will be doing my practice experience in Guatemala, volunteering as a teacher at the local community center, El Nahual, in Quetzaltenango.  About a decade ago, El Nahual was created because the community wanted to address the shortcomings of the national educational system.  Today, the community center offers various classes for students in an effort to make up for the public school’s lack of resources.  They offer quality education at an affordable price by using volunteers from the community and abroad to help. 

I came across an article in the NY Times the other day about the problems New York is facing in their public schools (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/nyregion/for-new-york-city-parents-a-waiting-list-for-nearly-everything.html?ref=education&_r=0).  The article, “Born to Wait,” reveals the difficulties parents are currently facing as they try to enroll their kids in various after school classes, from science camps to learning how to swim.  There is a waiting list for almost everything, leaving the kids with little opportunity to explore their interests.

This article connects to my practice experience because El Nahual was created as a response to their frustration with the public school system.  Now, the kids in the community have access to classes like art and math to make up for what they are not getting at school.  In New York’s case, they could benefit from community centers that offer more classes. 

I found it interesting that New York parents are frustrated with the lack of sufficient opportunities for after school activities because that is how the community of Quetzaltenango felt before they created El Nahual.  Now, New York parents will have to either continue to live with the endless waiting lists or do something about it and create their own opportunities for more classes.