Learning....

Homogenization in the Name of Development?

The International Development world has been under fire for utilizing paradigms that promote and support agendas that are ego and ethnocentric- or programs that are facilitated based on ideas, theories and practices from “successful” Western hypotheses. And despite the contextual difference, this isn’t any different for community development approaches being used at grass root levels in local community organizations or community based projects- it is just less weighed down with bureaucracy and red tape… right??

So, what message are we sending those that use these community development services, that access its facilities and “benefit” from local, informal projects at the community level? Are we sending a similar message that “developing”  and third world nations have been receiving since the 50’s? Are we telling “them” that if you were more like “us” then you will be saved, accepted, successful and happy? Are we homogenizing communities in the name of development?

This paradox didn’t occur to me until yesterday when I was asked why I made the “switch” from International Development to Community Development. And despite my growing interest in implementing projects globally, my answer sounded a bit like this… “ I have begun to question the archetypes that drive International Development and find that the models in which they operate are inefficient and unable to translate cross culturally… blah blah blah… “ I find it more applicable, effective and meaningful if I can support an agenda that I believe in and one that I know ‘works’ in my own context….”

I left the conversation feeling like I had made a suitable argument for “Think Globally, Act Locally”… and had felt secure in my hypothesis- all contexts and communities cannot and should not be measured, serviced or approached in the same way as they are all unique in need, culture, geography, ethnicity, believes, values and perspectives etc.

Then, shortly after my lecture yesterday, I began to feel a familiar sinking feeling…  are the communities that I work in (both geographically and culturally), communities in which I am a member? Are these communities made of places, people and ideas that are familiar to me? Am I trying to make the community I work in like the community I grew up in… and I attempting to “teach” the community members how to be like me… and therefore better off? Am I doing exactly what I criticized International Development for?

The truth? Yes.

I began to rethink many of my approaches in the past few years- I began to think (most importantly)… What message am I sending the young people I work with? What message am I sending service recipients? What have I done to complicate their self-awareness and therefore their self-esteem? I immediately felt lost and empowered at the same time…

Just how countries and contexts are unique, so are people…  and I am unable to provide equitable, inclusive, and participatory services (even using that word connotes need) until I/we remove the ideas that promote “us” and “them”… “fail” or “pass”… “included” and “discarded. Compassion, empathy, acceptance and embracing the uniqueness that divides us is a difficult thing to do… even for those of us who get “paid” to do it…  It is not my job to tell someone that they are poor and shouldn’t be and tell them how way to not be… who I am to tell anyone how “things should be?”….

On a personal note….

This began to mentally snowball for me and I began to think about my family, my loved ones and my friends… I immediately felt selfish, self-centered and misguided… surely I have been sending similar messages to those in my personal life as well… have I overlooked a friendship, a lover, or an opportunity because they do not share my needs, values, passions or ideas? Have I attempted to change those around me because I was certain that if they could just see my side and experience life in my shoes, surely they would be happier and feel better about themselves?

The truth? Yes.

Compassion, empathy and acceptance…  damn that’s hard, especially with those closest to you. 

The Dusty Road to Phuentsholing....

We left Tuesday morning with great excitement…. Adventure, discovery and warm weather awaited us in a border town called Phuentsholing…and we couldn’t be happier. This was what we were waiting for since we arrived in Bhutan.

We were warned that the road wouldn’t be easy… in fact we were told it was one of the toughest… but we were not phased as we were excited to continue on in our journey and see what Bhutan had to offer. But this road was tough, and long and at some points its seemed as if the road was haunted…. 

The farther we got the less exciting it became... I felt uneasy, a little scared, and began to wonder why we traveled so far in one day...? Despite the eerie roads we continued and I heard my boss humble.. "I should have listened to the monkeys..." I thought this to be strange, but concluded that since my arrival in Bhutan, most things haven been strange.... nonetheless, I decided to ask her what she was on about.... she told me that she spotted monkeys at the beginning of our journey ( I was still unclear as to the relevance)... she then told me that the monkeys she spotted were red faced monkeys... and that and old superstition says.. "If one sees red faced monkeys at the beginning of a journey, it should be taken as a bad omen...." (of course she didn't tell us this when it happened.... but would explain the hour of prayer and chanting she conducted shortly after the sighting!)...

After many hours of 'nail biting' and 'breath holding' we arrived in the dusty, industrial town of Phuentsholing. Phuentsholing is a ling is a thriving commercial frontier on the northern edge of the Indian Plains. Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, Phuentsholing serves as the main trading town for the Bhutanese. There you can find traditional Bhutanese and Indian trinkets, textiles and food. Being from the city and preferring the hustle and bustle that India and alike has to offer, I was excited to finally be in Phuentsholing (alive!)...  not to mention the fact that this town is surrounded by jungle like vegetation and the exoticism excited me....

India and Bhutan have some of the world's most porous, peaceful borders and this was evident as we looked at the border crossing gate... a constant flow of traffic going in both directions... we decided take advantage and crossed to spend the day in the Indian border town, Jaigaon. 

Like Tsirang we were there to visit the GNH village and provide training to the local young volunteers. These youth were different from those in Tsirang and were clearly more urban... hairstyles, shoes and makeup set them apart from their rural colleagues. 

I must admit that I was slightly disappointed in Phuentsholing... the excitement that a town like this should offer was missing... although this could have been due to the recent curfew that was imposed in the city.... this is the other side, the unknown side of Bhutan and offers a great segway for my next entry.... "Traveling through Dangerous, Disturbed Lands". 

The border, although porous, poses a threat to Bhutan and the accessibility for Indian and Bangladeshi militants is increased... We arrived in Phuentsholing during a national holiday... on one side this is a time for celebration and patriotism... on the other hand it a prime time for anti- Bhutanese extremists to make their move... despite all this we found an underground karaoke bar that allowed you in as long as you would stay quiet enough that the cops couldn't hear.... we had fun and stayed long enough to realize our voices are just as bad in Bhutan than they are in Canada! 

So little time...

I took some time to read my own blog today to begin reflecting on the past three months... I suddenly realized that some time has passed since my last post... and that I had promised an update on the cross country tour I was lucky enough to participate in. I can't believe how much time has passed, how much has happened, how many people I have met and how many things I have seen.... I can't believe I have just 6 short weeks before I wake up from this dream...

Prayer Wheels

Firstly, you will have noticed (maybe) that I have changed the appearance of my blog. This change is is not due to a spiritual awakening (although I think I feel one coming on!), but rather to pay respect to spirituality that guides this land and its people... to pay respect to the religion that is teaching my a lot about myself, how what kind of person I am and about drives me and the things I do....

Getting us oranges1

Ok, so.... where was I?? Right, the tour... We started in Tsirang (I believe I mentioned this)... Tsirang is a land lined with orange trees as far as the eye can see... this was perfect for us as we arrived in December and Bhutanese oranges would be better known in Canada as 'clementines'!... Everywhere we went, every village we visited we were welcomed with smiles and a basket of oranges... One villager, upon our arrival, climbed high into one of this trees and began to shake
the fruit free for us...

We were also greeted with enthusiastic, engaged youth who were ready to learn and eager to take action in their own communities to facilitate change. We were lucky to spend two days with these youth working through research tools and methods around community development and turning ideas into action in their GNH Village of Tsilami.

This village was a new resettlement. This means that people from all over the country had been moved here by the government  (for one reason or another) and are now to call Tsirang home. This village faced many challenges and I could see the youth's wheels turning as we walked around. Tsilami is a typical resettlement and has typical resettlement issues.... Firstly, there are 19 different dialects and languages in Bhutan... this poses a problem when people who represent those dialects are all moved into one place and expected to mesh into a community. Secondly, this community was resettled in an undesirable land... one with dry, red soil, not suitable for growing oranges or other crops typical in that region. Lastly, the village was fairly inaccessible and only a narrow, bumpy farm road connected them to the outside world....

The youth in Tsirang

Despite all these obstacles, the youth were excited and began developing a plan... we decided to research uses for this red soil, and began thinking of making pots and bricks as a possible income generation program... we also found that Bamboo will grow and started planning a community forest that everyone could access... weaving of baskets, fences, mats, home construction would then be possible....

We will be returning to Tsirang next month to get these projects rolling... I can't wait to absorb the energy of the youth there and eat basket after basket of Clementines!


Quick note....

This is Phub... a staff member that toured with us.
Behind him the house that served my favourite
cup if tea

On our way home from Tsirang we decided to stoop in a place called Phunakha to buy some rice for the rest of out journey.... there we were greeted by Dorji Ohm's uncle and his wife. They invited us into their humble home for tea.... we declined three times, as is customary in Bhutan, before accepting the invitation. We stepped inside a wooden home and took a seat on the floor.... the wife then left... I was surprised to have been just invited into someone's home just to have her leave.... but as I peered out the window I saw her approach one of the cows that was now in its way home.... it was clear to me now.... she was going to milk the cow so that we could have some tea... best cup of tea I have had since my arrival!

Road to Tsirang

So the journey began and five of us all climbed into a blue Toyota Hilux and headed outside of Thimphu City. Driving was Tsering, a driver from my host organization... a quiet and simple man with a big smile and the heart of a child.... he truly is an innocent (many of those here)... then there was Phub, a project officer from YDF... a peculiar man with a heart of gold and a subtle sense of humour.... I often caught him singing to himself... and discovered he had an amazing voice... pity, his coy behaviour would prevent anyone else from hearing it... the Project Director, Aum Dorji Ohm also came... she is unlike any woman I have ever met... a kind, generous women who, despite her small size, is one of the biggest characters I have ever met.... often saying things that catch me off guard and force me to laugh until the sides of me split... She is also a spiritual woman... a devote Buddhist... but I find she worships in a way that is only fitting to her character.... the first night in our hotel in Tsirang she plugged in her stereo and put in a meditation tape that sent the word"OM" down the halls and into my room over and over again until all the stale, negative energy had disappeared...

Ok, back to the "road to Tsirang"... let me premise this description with some plain hard facts... Thimphu City (where I live) to Tsirang (another province) is approx 68 kilometres.... so one can imagine how shocked I was to hear that it took 4 hours to get there, 6 if you asked someone else and 8 if you asked another.... But alas it took us 6 hours to travel those 68 kilometres.... I'll tell you why... and I'll tell you how those 68 kilometres offered me more than the thousands I travelled to get here....

The roads are windy, unlike anything I have ever been on and I'm told there is a turn every 9 seconds... my calculation offered a different sum and I found myself being tossed around every 5 seconds.... To add fuel to this nauseating fire, the roads are in poor condition and plagued with pot holes and seem to suddenly disappear due to landslide damage (won't get into that part too much as my mother would have a heart attack!)....

Despite these torturous road conditions, this road offered beauty, grandeur and forced even the biggest ego to humble himself and believe in magic... The roads in Bhutan are high in the mountains (poor design for speed, brilliant for imagination and discovery)... these mountainous roads offer views that one sees in their dreams... views that seem only fit for gods and goddesses to live.... in fact, I think they do...

As you drive there are opportunities for mythical discovery everywhere as spirituality lines the roads with countless Stupas, Prayer wheels and flags making offering to the gods.... again to see this is to become humble, mindful and free from other desires...

My words won't do much justice in the description of this beauty, so I will rely on the hope that "a picture is worth a thousand words..." while still aware that even that won't be enough....

 These are Stupas

the roads literally line the tops of these mountains

... and this is the view we get as a result

                                                 

After many road blocks and scary encounters with Indian trucks we arrived in Tsirang (6.5 hours later)... and that is another story for another day! (I will try to catch up on my blogging as Tsirang was one of six stops on my tour and each has a fantastic story to tell!

Moving Forward

Well I did it... I've been away for a month now... I can't believe how fast time passes.. before I know it I will be home and looking for that next adventure!


I have moved into my apartment here in Thimphu, its a small three bedroom flat.. pretty basic.. still no shower but I do have hot water to my disposal.. now that I bought a bucket!! There are mice and other creatures lurking in the corners, we have no heat and the nights can get unbearable, but really... all that is erased when I open my eyes in the morning, draw back my curtains and examine the landscape that I am calling home. 


My apartment in significantly higher than the rest of the city and on a clear day provides the most breathtaking, relaxing, inspiring views... views that allow one to get lost in their surroundings, thoughts and dreams (I catch myself day dreaming a lot here.... grinning ear to ear!)... Getting to this amazing environment is a whole other story though... its a hike to say the least, and despite being here for a few weeks now, I am left without breath or energy when I reach the top... surly I will be able to run a marathon when I return!


Work is going well, I am beginning to get my grounding and understand the ins and outs of this place. They have me splitting my time between the youth research and facilitation projects I am conducting and the Youth Drug Rehabilitation and Outreach Centre. 


Next week I will embark on a big adventure and begin a tour through 6 dzongkhags (provinces) to conduct research and find the future site for the Bhutan Youth Development Fund's Gross National Happiness (GNH) Village. Some of these communities are remote and some will require long hours of walking as there are no roads to take us...All these are very different from each other and I am very excited to see the beautiful variety that this tour will show me.


We will end our tour at the end of December in a dzongkhag called Samdrup Jongkhar, a province that borders Assam and offers seemingly never ending expanses of jungle.... hoping to get a view of some wildlife... elephants, tigers, red pandas.. Oh my!

Here is a map of the locations I will be heading to... the green are the places of research, the pink are places that we will stop in addition for other activities.

First Impressions... Bhutan

I know it has only been a few days since my last post, however I feel compelled to describe the things that I am seeing and the moments that I am experiencing before they become part of my everyday life and loose their luster (although I do not see that happening!)

I arrived in Bhutan on a clear day… not only was this desirable for flying but it allowed me to see the beautiful land below. … As we flew over Nepal, the captain came on the intercom and instructed all passengers to look to the left… I did as I was told and as I peered out the small frosty windows, looking back at me was Mount Everest and the Himalayan mountain range… so close I felt as though I could reach out and touch it. Its majestic beauty and snow covered tips reflected in the sun and it appeared as if it was made of platinum and diamonds. The rolling green hills below provided a beautiful contrast which only magnified the mountain’s appeal… I thought to myself… what a great way to continue my journey….

We were greeted at the Paro airport by a man named Sanjay who would then take us to Thimphu City were we would be staying (for the most part) during our time in Bhutan.  For those who have spoken to me already since arriving, this next description may be repetitive, although so great I don’t mind reliving it over and over again….

As we drove to Thimphu City, we followed a snaky, ever-changing road and seemed to cut right through the mountains…. I can only describe what I saw by comparing it to the landscape of fairy tales or stories of Narnia…. Rolling green hills, rivers as clear as glass flowing along the roads, waterfalls emerging from the mountain side…. farmers herding their cattle, school children dressed in their traditional kira and ghos walking home from school….And as if this wasn’t enough, you look up and see hundreds of brightly coloured prayer flags of blue, green, red and yellow blowing in the wind, sending prayers and dreams to the Gods above….

"Harmony Village"...our hostel

We are staying at the Youth Hostel here in Thimphu until our apartment is ready (2 weeks). I would consider myself a seasoned traveler and have stayed in many hostels throughout and don’t have an issue with the living conditions that one offers… however, I will say that this stay has required me to remain more flexible and is forcing me to (at times) appreciate that I have this wonderful opportunity! We have very modest accommodations… a platform (note: not a bed) to sleep on. There are communal bathrooms that are on the third floor. They offer very little and when there is water available it is usually cold (at best)… we have adjusted and have learned to take very (very) quick bucket “showers” and wash our hair separately in the sink, so that we don’t freeze to death! I should note that being in Asia doesn’t mean festering heat and humidity… instead the weather here is very dry and cold and there are no heating systems… so as you can imagine how our cold bucket showers can be a daunting task!!

                                                       

We have ventured into ‘town’ a few  times to have a meal and enjoy one of two local cafes that offer free Wi-Fi and ‘western’ style snacks…. Although as many travelers know… things are not always as they appear and a ham and cheese sandwich or an order of French fries can be suspect on many levels!!

Thimphu City

My new office!

I have started work and am slowing getting my head around things here. It seems that in addition to my research I will be also working with street and drug addicted youth here in the capital….  I will write more about that when I have completely immersed myself in it… stay tuned!! 

What can I say?....

What can I say about India? What can I say about New Delhi? A few key words continuously entered my mind throughout my short time there.... These words were… dense, privilege, and culture.... I will try to expand on these words now... although I find expressing myself difficult on this trip as I am often left speechless and awestruck (good and indifferent)....

DENSE... I'm sure this word has entered the mind of all that travel through urban India, but I am not sure that I could have been prepared for the density of smog, people, cars, rickshaws, animals, and trash that make up this city... New Delhi is a city of nearly 20 million, in a country of 1.2 billion… these numbers are bigger than we can comprehend and as such I was unable to prepare for what I saw in New Delhi.

New Delhi is dense with pollution… We arrived in Delhi late at night on what appeared to be a foggy, smoky (from Diwali) night... instead when I inquired as to why the air was so thick in the middle of the night... the driver simply said... smog. "Smog?", I thought to myself.. it can't be, its 1am and its not hot nor humid... I have never experienced this ‘air’ before. As our driver slowly crept though the thick air trying to avoid the ghost cars and trucks on the road, my travelling companion opened a window allowing this bulky night air to seep into the car.... Instinctively I grabbed my pashmina and covered my face to guard against the smell and the harsh air that I now had to breathe.... Everywhere you look, people walk the streets with their hands, shawls and masks covering their faces, shielding them from the traffic pollution, rotting waste and fecal matter that ‘live’ in the air... I couldn’t help but imagine what the lungs of the rickshaw or tuk tuk drivers looked like... surely they will suffer from their time spent on the streets of New Delhi....

This air stayed with us the whole week in New Delhi, following us wherever we went (including our guest house) and ultimately we were left with raw throats, blood shot eyes and dirt filled noses (don't think I will ever get used to blowing my nose and seeing dirt in my tissue!)..

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New Delhi is dense with people... as one might expect to find in a city of 20 million... I have travelled to some of the busiest and most chaotic cities in Africa, and still I was not completely prepared for the traffic of people coming and going... I often thought to myself... how could I live my life in a place that provides no escape from the outside world, no safe haven from the pressures and paces that surround me…. Certainly anyone of us would beg for boredom to obtain solace….

We decided that we should make the most of our trip in India, and hired a car and driver to take us to the city of Agra to see the great and beautiful Taj Mahal…. As we travelled to Agra, the density made itself known the entire way.

When one travels in Canada by road, we can expect to see a town or city and then nothing but road, then town or city, then nothing… some cities offer more exits, but generally this is the rule. This is not, however, the rule for urban India… as we drove along the hectic, pothole ridden roads, no escape was offered from the density… we drove for 7.5 hours (should have taken us 3.5!) and not once did I see a space that wasn’t taken up by a town, a traffic jam or crowd of people… If I didn’t see it for myself I would never have believed it.

New Delhi is dense with cars and other modes of transportation.. I will try to paint you a picture…. Primarily there are two lanes (like home)… but on these roads you will find 4 cars across, perhaps two rickshaws or Tuk Tuks and 3-5 motorbikes or cycles….(you with me here??!)… Now picture this for hundreds of kilometres, bumper to bumper. In between these cars you will find people begging for money, people selling you things, people walking and dogs, cows, goats and donkeys trying to make their way in this mess. For us this was increased as we travelled on a holy day that introduced a new element to the traffic… parades and processions!! Carts lined with flowers and lights, carrying large statue replicas of Hindu Gods took over the streets and people covered in coloured powder chasing them down with fanatic expressions. On top of it all, everyone was honking their horns and not once what there a second that we need not hear these horns… I heard them as I laid my head down that night….

New Delhi is dense with trash… I have seen dirty cities, I have seen dirty bedrooms, but the garbage in New Delhi is not like anything I have seen before. The streets are lined with trash; some heaps surely topping 5 ft! As you can imagine the smell of New Delhi is one that is rotting…. To compliment this trash there is also a problem with fecal matter… poo. The endless number of stray dogs do their business where they like and there is no one to pick it up… the dogs are not alone in this though… along the streets you see cows (that eat the garbage), goats, donkeys and yes, people doing their business on the busy streets of New Delhi….

I realize after reading this post that I have been most harsh on New Delhi and India as a whole and would like to speak about the wonderful time I had there despite my previous words…

India is dense with culture….  India is a country filled with mystery and ancient ways, and you can see it everywhere you go… I saw it as I stepped in a taxi and the driver began a strange prayer/ritual and started singing to a picture of a Hindu God that lay on his dashboard…

I saw it as I watched the beautiful women dressed in brightly coloured saris, adorned with gold on their ears, nose and forehead, painted with beautiful patterns of henna on their hands, arms and feet… surely women have been this beautiful in India since time immemorial…I saw it as I visited old tombs, mosques and monuments, well preserved and still sacred… I will tell you about a couple now..

Akbar Tomb- Set on grounds in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, and built in the 16th century, this large tomb was build by and for third Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great.…. As we walked through the enormous buildings I said to my friend… “I think it’s a little over the top!!”… but that’s how things are done… if you have money in India (and everywhere else for that matter) you want everyone to know it.. and that is was this tomb did… 

 

  

Taj Mahal- What can I say about the Taj Mahal? Was it beautiful? Was is magical? Was it crowed with thousands and thousands of people??!!! Yes, yes, and yes!

After a long exhausting trip to Agra, we finally arrived at the Taj Mahal… its one of those places that I never thought I would get to, a place that until I saw it with my own eyes, wasn’t sure actually existed…. Its always been a place of intrigue, romance, and optical illusion… a place that lived only in my imagination and in common phrases that easily slip off our tongues… “What do you think this is? The Taj Mahal?!”…       

But the Taj Mahal is real, although full of optical illusion, and it is romantic and mystical and expansive…. On some level we were prepared for that, but what we weren’t prepared for was unanticipated obstacles and hard work needed to get in to see the beautiful palace…. Ugh… thinking of explaining what we went through tires me!

         We were two of thousands of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the Taj Mahal, the lines were 3 hours long!! So after some thought we decided to pay this guy who promised he could get us in without having to wait in line... and as you can imagine this caused issue with those who had been waiting in line for hours!! After much pushing by other people and guards with AK 47s we finally got through the east gates. We opened our eyes and realized all the trouble, pushing and pay offs were

well worth it.... there it was, there was the Taj Mahal...

One more honourable mention... the Jama Masjid, Asia's biggest mosque was out last stop while in India. The Masjid-i Jahān-Numā  commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the best-known mosque in India. It lies at the origin of a very busy central street of Old Delhi called Chandni Chowk... a street I will be happy to never ride on again!!

Despite its chaotic surroundings, for 200 rupees one can ascend to the highest minaret and to catch the view that overlooks all of New Delhi  (the city view picture seen earlier).... thinking back... it seemed symbolic... feeling on top of the world...

Now I sit In Karma's Coffee... a local cafe in Thimphu, Bhutan where I can sip my Masala tea and reflect on the experiences that make up my life....