Can We Help the Poor Without Making Matters Worse?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
A chapter in Tony Compolo's book "Speaking My Mind" deals with the harm well-meaning people can do when trying to help those in need. He references Ivan Illich's views concerning this and specifically addresses groups of youth who travel to Third World villages to build schools and churches.
"The local people are awed but are also left with an increased sense of interiority. These well-meaning young people may actually have contributed to disempowering the very people they wanted to help by leaving them with a sense that outsiders are the only ones who can meet their needs or solve their problems."
"The local people are awed but are also left with an increased sense of interiority. These well-meaning young people may actually have contributed to disempowering the very people they wanted to help by leaving them with a sense that outsiders are the only ones who can meet their needs or solve their problems."
2 Comments:
Interesting. did you mean inferiority? Certainly, groups could hear this and adapt a more empowering ministry! - as opposed to just not going at all. YM
A positive change requires bringing about fundamental changes in attitudes. How this may be done is illustrated in an inspiring story of a poor third world village and its change to a prosperous and happy one over a period of seven years. The story is called "mystic and the blossoms' . It is avialable at http://lulu.com/am
Post a Comment
<< Home