I need to GET A JOB:
Latest update: I should be scheduling a job interview with a nonprofit called FAME next week! (Check them out at http://www.fameworld.org/). The position they are searching for is Director of Missions Resources and I really feel that this is something God could use me to accomplish. Please pray that the interview goes well and that the Lord will make clear whether or not this is His will for me!
Time to....GEEK OUT:
In other news, I wrote a response paper this week on William Easterly's book The White Man's Burden, and I actually ENJOYED writing it! I know, how often does that happen when you actually get to read and write about something that gets you truly excited!? So in honor of my dorky appreciation for this book, I am including a bit of my paper below! Just to give you a brief synopsis, my response focused on Easterly's discussion of smaller, more focused piecemeal efforts for foreign aid. He makes several points as to why this would be preferable and to his list of reasons, I added two additional thoughts (the excerpt included below). I hope that you enjoy...
Piecemeal reform creates opportunities for “baby step” success, something that perhaps the Rest needs more than anyone realizes. For centuries, foreign aid professionals (from the West) have slapped their own diagnoses on the problems facing developing nations. If individuals in these countries were given a chance to claim small, piecemeal successes, perhaps these successes would pave the way for increasing improvement. Although a bit idealistic, improving the international citizens’ confidence in their ability to fix their own problems may be a key ingredient in foreign aid success. If nothing else, it provides international citizens a measure of dignity which some projects do not adequately consider.
Finally, the idea of short run and long run efforts is a concept briefly mentioned by Easterly, but not explored to the fullest extent. In order for international aid to succeed, there are long term goals that must be met. However, if these goals are to be realized or not, people still require that their basic needs be met in the here-and-now. Piecemeal efforts allow Searchers to investigate and provide for short term needs such that international citizens are healthy and stable enough to become partners in developing creative, culturally appropriate long term solutions.
My basic point was that these smaller, more focused initiatives might foster the needed confidence among international citizens to claim ownership of localized solutions to their own problems, which I feel is a more dignified response to international poverty. Furthermore, I think it allows for the creation of efforts that focus on long-run and short-run solutions as being separate, but equally necessary components for successful efforts to eradicate international poverty.
Hooray for a much needed opportunity to geek out. That was long overdue.
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