Hi all,
I did not take this idea from "Exhibit A" (33 secrets of social innovation) Because, I come from "the source of our concerns" and I have travelled all the way to the opposite shore of the western civilization, I think I am entitled to offer my own viewpoint.
I want to draw attention to an important subject that often arises in disscussions about the effectivenes of social cooperation programs. It is the fact that in many opportunities, when NGO´s bring aid to communities in developing countries, they find out that locals will not give their helpers the expected "warm welcome".
In other cases volunteers find out that locals misuse the infraestructures or spend the money allocated for "development" in unimportant goods such as ultimate technology (mobile phones, ipods), garnishing outfit, etc.
The disappointment that such behaviour may bring about, could be avoided if we, as cooperants try to understand that our analysis of the needs of a certain population might lack of the important point of view of the recipients of this humanitarian aid.
There is also the fact (and for me is very important) that people in developing countries need many basic things, but they also want to satisfy their "consumerism" tendencies like ourselves in "the first world" do. This should be regarded as natural human behaviour (not encouraged, only accepted).
We should be more undesrtanding with each other, because in every day life, every one of us know that what we want is not always what we really need.
In this sense, I would always take this facts into account on my managing plans & actions and I will support and redirect this behaviour to obtain positive outcomes in my future social projects.
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