The Angst of a Development Student.

I'd like to start this blog talking about a rather striking quote that I came across today. I was reading the latest issue of my student newspaper, the Underground and in the issue the editor was describing some events that have happened at my school of late involving racist flyers in the library and some generally discriminating behavior by some of my peers. To give you context, I go University with a campus that is known as the most multi-cultural campus in the country, maybe in the world. We have a significant international student present, but generally as it is a largely multi-cultural area we have many different nationalities, ethnic groups, religious groups, etc represented by our students. I love it, I learn something new everyday from my peers. However with that multi-culturalism we also have a minority of students that feel it is their place to criticize and discriminate against people of different cultures.

As I was reading the above mentioned article, the author D.Ramcharitar described how he came across an article he had written at a protest of the Anti-Racist Action (ARA) against members of the Canadian Association of Free Expression (CAFE) who were rallying for the release of Ernst Zundel a known German Holocaust denier and white supremacist. He came across the article on a white supremacist website called Stormfront, which is a White Nationalist community message board site. I decided to look up this website myself as D.Ramcharitar had mentioned that some of the comments post article were less then polite. As I read the comments, which don't really deserve being mentioned I saw the following quote which was used as a signature for one of the members.

"We are at fault in not slaying them. Rather we allow them to live freely in our midst despite all their murdering, cursing, blaspheming, lying, and defaming; we protect and shield their synagogues, houses, life, and property. In this way we make them lazy and secure and encourage them to fleece us boldly of our money and goods, as well as to mock and deride us, with a view to finally overcoming us, killing us all for such a great sin, and robbing us of all our property (as they daily pray and hope). Now tell me whether they do not have every reason to be the enemies of us accursed Goyim, to curse us and to strive for our final, complete, and eternal ruin! -Martin Luther 1543"

Let me just say the quote bothered me a lot. Regardless of the time in which this was wrote, and the man, Martin Luther a controversial figure to begin with, the materially that I came across when I researched more into Zundel and the holocaust today really bothered me. But this discussion is not about that, although there is a lot I could say. Racism is rampant in the world today and I see it every day, even in the multi-cultural setting I live in. It bothers me that people can hate so much when they don't take the time to understand what or who it is that they hate. I will do my part to understand cultures and people and hope that I never feel those feelings of hate and discrimination. I feel that it is my duty as an informed being to research and understand before I judge or criticize another person or group.

Also I wanted to expand on a discussion I was having with some fellow students of mine this afternoon about Racism, Religion and Development and about the Ethics of Development. I recently withdrew from the co-op option of my program because I do not feel that I can go to a developing country next year and do development work without having any skills to offer, and there were some other reasons that I won't get into.

As I was talking to my friends about our intentions in development and about development as a concept, I started to think. Are we, as westerners justified in going into another country and imposing what we believe will bring people out of poverty. It seems that we are just perpetuating the colonial relationships of history in which "We" (the rich west) know best what the people of Africa and the rest of the Third World need. The discussion continued and we also touched upon whether or not religion has any place in development and if Religious Organizations and NGOs have any place in helping "develop" the third world. All I came up with were more questions. Why are we working in these countries of the "Third World" in the first place, did we not put them into such dire situations in the first place? What can I offer to the poor and struggling that they could not better understand their needs themselves? If all we can offer are conditionalities that end up harming economies worse than they already are"

I could go on and on with my questions and instead I am going to take the time to investigate some of my thoughts and ideas about development and write about them in hopes that maybe I can find some answers. So this will be the First in a series of blogs I'm going to write in a series called "Justifications of International Development and Foreign Aid". I might as well use what I learn in school for something constructive to inform others about what I learn every day in class. Feel free to comment and or forward your opinions to me and if there is enough interest I may open up the blog to more writers.

If you want more information on the Underground or to read the articles go to www.the-underground.ca