Yes! Finally, the upper class first world decision makers are realizing that the best way to help the socio-economically vulnerable and marginalized populations gain self-sufficiency and recover from natural disasters is to help them in a sustainable manner, within their own culture, society, and economy (“bottom-up market-based” as you say). Theory is finally catching up to practice with relief work. Of course, that will mean fewer write-offs for donating corporations, fewer hero stories, and less dependency of the marginalized on the non-profits and the elite. Theoretically, that is a good thing. Unless you are an elite community who is relying on social inequality and material barriers to care to maintain power. Such as in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, such as in Haiti (fr Dr. Paul Farmer’s testimony), such in rural Bihar, India and so on. This is great. Now, where can we (a micro-all volunteer NGO such as KIRF) get these: “three of its products, the WaterPump, WaterBasket, and WaterGuard ($40 for a combo package)” so we can take this technology to other materially impoverished areas of the world ? Angela
COMMENTS
BY Angela Kirwin
ON June 16, 2008 10:58 AM
Yes! Finally, the upper class first world decision makers are realizing that the best way to help the socio-economically vulnerable and marginalized populations gain self-sufficiency and recover from natural disasters is to help them in a sustainable manner, within their own culture, society, and economy (“bottom-up market-based” as you say). Theory is finally catching up to practice with relief work. Of course, that will mean fewer write-offs for donating corporations, fewer hero stories, and less dependency of the marginalized on the non-profits and the elite. Theoretically, that is a good thing. Unless you are an elite community who is relying on social inequality and material barriers to care to maintain power. Such as in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, such as in Haiti (fr Dr. Paul Farmer’s testimony), such in rural Bihar, India and so on. This is great. Now, where can we (a micro-all volunteer NGO such as KIRF) get these: “three of its products, the WaterPump, WaterBasket, and WaterGuard ($40 for a combo package)” so we can take this technology to other materially impoverished areas of the world ? Angela