As someone who worked in International Development/Humanitarian work for almost 40 years and has been teaching International Development for now almost 10 years in Canadian Universities - this past weeks have been some of the most difficult and troubling with the decisions made by those in charge in the US and a number of other wealthy Western countries to freeze/reduce/cut and abolish life-saving/important/necessary programmes/projects and offices around the world - recklessly, thoughtlessly, selfishly and against all international agreements/ethical standards/commitments and principles, /rules & regulations - without any consultation/participation/engagement from the concerned communities and partners.
It is a terribly difficult time for many wonderful professionals working around the world with dedication to save lives, empower communities, and bring at least some sense of international solidarity, humanity, fairness, social justice, well-being and human rights to children and their families around the world.
Shame on those concerned and bravo to those who are resisting, who are challenging these decisions, who continue to find creative and alternative ways to work in support of hard-working and deserving families and communities around the world.
International Development has plenty of room to improve - to further decolonize AID - to further localize - to give more leadership - more agency - to communities around the world and have a grassroots social movement for transformative and progressive change for social justice, equality and human rights. This is certainly not the way to do it and of course, this is not the intention of the recent decisions either.
La lutta continua! Let us continuing speaking up, sharing and each doing our own small bit to resist and challenge these inhumane decisions.
Elections have consequences. Americans have spoken. They voted for him. He did not hide what he was going to do. So I hear your pain. But we must live with this.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Anonymous, but I do not believe we "must live with this". Au contraire, it is the reality, but those who believe in the US Constitution, the UN HDR, the CRC and other such instruments, must try to reverse some, if not all, of the egregious decisions and actions the US President has taken. I agree that he did not hide what he was going to do. The margin of victory was slim: 49.8 to 48.3. While the Democratic candidate conceded, the Republican victor does not have an overwhelming mandate to do what he is doing.
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