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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.