Mr. President, Some Bicycles Please…
Readers:
I am on the road again for work, in Europe this time. Fortunately, my Democracy Center colleagues back in Bolivia have agreed to help me keep good Blog postings coming while I travel. This one is from Jeanette Bailey, a Fulbright scholar from the US who is working with us this year. Jeanette is living in Bolivia's altiplano, studying how globalization is affecting what Bolivians have on their plate -- quite literally -- to see how global economics affect what Bolivians have to eat and don't.
Here's a reflection from Jeanette, from the altiplano. I hope you find it interesting.
Jim
Mr. President, Some Bicycles Please…
It is the end of a long day of training for community health volunteers in a rural village some 8 hours drive outside of La Paz. We are celebrating with a large dinner of vegetable soup, rice, chicken, onions, tomatoes and Bolivian staple, potatoes. No dinner is complete in Bolivia without potatoes. At the end of the meal one of the community health volunteers stands up and announces he’d like to make a proposal to the blonde gringa standing in the corner of the room. The room falls immediately silent, and I find myself in an awkward spotlight.
“I’d like to ask the U.S. citizen in the room, Yaneth (as they pronounce my name, Jeanette) to speak to her president about getting us some bicycles.” I know exactly what he is referring to. Some of these community health volunteers have walked 4 or more hours to arrive at this workshop, leaving families, aging parents, children and the stress of the harvest season behind to come and learn about preventing malnutrition, diarrhea and other common childhood illnesses. They will return to their home communities and conduct visits to their neighbors’ homes, with the intent of imparting newfound knowledge on health, hygiene and nutrition. They are the grassroots leaders in their villages; the mothers and fathers who are determined to raise the next generation “sano, fuerte y inteligente.”
This plea for bicycles reflects one of many challenges faced by rural Bolivian citizens who wish to develop their own communities. Eight hours walking per day is not conducive to even the most motivated of budding community leader to attend a capacitation workshop. They are motivated, they are concerned, and they desperately want to improve their communities. But even with all this, sometimes the fight against poverty comes down to the simple things. Like too much rain making the rivers impassable or the mountain paths too difficult, or the inability to find a caretaker for the kids because it’s harvest season and the grandparents and neighbors are in the fields. Just arriving to capacitation training is hard enough.
The solutions are sometimes equally simple. Wouldn’t a bike make it a bit easier? Shorten that 4-hour one-way trip down to one, maybe? And if you need a bike, whom do you ask? Who better than an American citizen, someone with a direct link to the developed, powerful, wealthy nation that seems to have entered the consciousness of every small, underdeveloped, poor village worldwide?
I answer his question with a joke in kind, though I’m not so sure his question was a joke. Though the room laughs, there is a brutal truth underlying the quick back and forth banter.
“Of course, I’ll send him a letter directly; in fact I’ll call him this evening.” More laughter, but not without expectation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have responded with a joke. Perhaps it would’ve been better to be honest.
Why turn to the U.S. to solve the problems of this community? Why reinforce the evident feeling of dependency on U.S. handouts?
But no, we never think of these things until it is too late. I thought perhaps that post-dinner dialogue would be the end of it, but the next day, 3 or 4 volunteers came to me and asked if I really thought it would be possible to get those bikes from Mr. Bush.
Sometimes fighting poverty comes down to the complicated things, too. Like U.S. policy and power and the inherent mentality of development dependency. How do we truly capacitate a community leader to develop her or his own community, disengaging capacitation from dependency?
The fight against poverty is a winding road, or rather, in the Bolivian Andes, a steep, muddy mountain pass. It will take caution, focus, determination and integrity. For any of us who want to join the fight for development, we will have to pay attention to every step and constantly ask ourselves: Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?
by Jeanette Bailey
I am on the road again for work, in Europe this time. Fortunately, my Democracy Center colleagues back in Bolivia have agreed to help me keep good Blog postings coming while I travel. This one is from Jeanette Bailey, a Fulbright scholar from the US who is working with us this year. Jeanette is living in Bolivia's altiplano, studying how globalization is affecting what Bolivians have on their plate -- quite literally -- to see how global economics affect what Bolivians have to eat and don't.
Here's a reflection from Jeanette, from the altiplano. I hope you find it interesting.
Jim
Mr. President, Some Bicycles Please…
It is the end of a long day of training for community health volunteers in a rural village some 8 hours drive outside of La Paz. We are celebrating with a large dinner of vegetable soup, rice, chicken, onions, tomatoes and Bolivian staple, potatoes. No dinner is complete in Bolivia without potatoes. At the end of the meal one of the community health volunteers stands up and announces he’d like to make a proposal to the blonde gringa standing in the corner of the room. The room falls immediately silent, and I find myself in an awkward spotlight.
“I’d like to ask the U.S. citizen in the room, Yaneth (as they pronounce my name, Jeanette) to speak to her president about getting us some bicycles.” I know exactly what he is referring to. Some of these community health volunteers have walked 4 or more hours to arrive at this workshop, leaving families, aging parents, children and the stress of the harvest season behind to come and learn about preventing malnutrition, diarrhea and other common childhood illnesses. They will return to their home communities and conduct visits to their neighbors’ homes, with the intent of imparting newfound knowledge on health, hygiene and nutrition. They are the grassroots leaders in their villages; the mothers and fathers who are determined to raise the next generation “sano, fuerte y inteligente.”
This plea for bicycles reflects one of many challenges faced by rural Bolivian citizens who wish to develop their own communities. Eight hours walking per day is not conducive to even the most motivated of budding community leader to attend a capacitation workshop. They are motivated, they are concerned, and they desperately want to improve their communities. But even with all this, sometimes the fight against poverty comes down to the simple things. Like too much rain making the rivers impassable or the mountain paths too difficult, or the inability to find a caretaker for the kids because it’s harvest season and the grandparents and neighbors are in the fields. Just arriving to capacitation training is hard enough.
The solutions are sometimes equally simple. Wouldn’t a bike make it a bit easier? Shorten that 4-hour one-way trip down to one, maybe? And if you need a bike, whom do you ask? Who better than an American citizen, someone with a direct link to the developed, powerful, wealthy nation that seems to have entered the consciousness of every small, underdeveloped, poor village worldwide?
I answer his question with a joke in kind, though I’m not so sure his question was a joke. Though the room laughs, there is a brutal truth underlying the quick back and forth banter.
“Of course, I’ll send him a letter directly; in fact I’ll call him this evening.” More laughter, but not without expectation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have responded with a joke. Perhaps it would’ve been better to be honest.
Why turn to the U.S. to solve the problems of this community? Why reinforce the evident feeling of dependency on U.S. handouts?
But no, we never think of these things until it is too late. I thought perhaps that post-dinner dialogue would be the end of it, but the next day, 3 or 4 volunteers came to me and asked if I really thought it would be possible to get those bikes from Mr. Bush.
Sometimes fighting poverty comes down to the complicated things, too. Like U.S. policy and power and the inherent mentality of development dependency. How do we truly capacitate a community leader to develop her or his own community, disengaging capacitation from dependency?
The fight against poverty is a winding road, or rather, in the Bolivian Andes, a steep, muddy mountain pass. It will take caution, focus, determination and integrity. For any of us who want to join the fight for development, we will have to pay attention to every step and constantly ask ourselves: Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?
by Jeanette Bailey
posted by The Democracy Center at 4:11 PM
The Democracy Center, based in Cochabamba Bolivia and San Francisco California, works globally to advance human rights through a combination of investigation and reporting, training citizens in the art of public advocacy, and organizing international citizen campaigns. If you like the Blog, consider becoming a subscriber to The Democracy Center's free e-newsletter by sending us an email at 
36 Comments:
There are organizations, not funded by the US government, but by grassroots activists who do exactly what you are talking about. Getting and recycling bikes for activists in latin america.
http://www.bikesacrossborders.org/
They've done 500 bicycles in the last 5 years. If you could find the funding i'm sure they'd be in to sending bikes to bolivia.
email me, evan at protest net if you want help getting in touch with them.....
Bush doesn't care about bolivians, but that doesn't mean others don't care.
Jeanette,
I think your post was brilliant. The questions you ask should be asked by any other NGO or development agency.
"Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?"
To give them fish or to teach them how to fish?
To give them the tools to develop freely? or to trace the path we want them to develop?
To "spread democracy"? or to let them chose their own way?
And at the end is not about bikes (Rabble). Is about how things that first world citizens take for granted (as a bike) can be life changing in the Altiplano (and in Africa, or Haiti, or so many other places). A light bulb, running water, a road, medicines. When you think how many bikes can you buy with the cost of a bomb falling in Irak, the world doesn't make sense anymore. How many schoools, how many hospitals?
without much in depth knowledge of the operation of NGO's in the altiplano, I would guess that the most important thing that can be done is to increase the institutional and democratic awareness of communities. this way WAS chosen FOR THEM, but they at least need to understand it profoundly in order to change it if they wish to.
I can see how the Bolivian state is probably so far removed from these areas that my first thought- that the request was to Evo- didn't occur to them. but if it is anyone's responsibility, it is that of the alcaldes, provincial authorities, or Prefect Jose Luis Paredes to solve concrete problems like this.
these people don't need handouts, right. but they do have an inalienable Right to use the resources of the State for their community needs.
more concretely, I think your post begged the question: have you figured out how to get the bikes yet? it seems foregone that this is an extremely useful thing to do.
just based on distance I don't think BAB can help with this unless someone wants to start a shop in the altiplano...it makes more sense to GIFT the bikes and necessary tools/maintenance money to the communities, and as you are doing with nutrition, teach them about the work of open bike collectives.
i am very interested in helping to organize this
"What beautiful and priceless potlatches the affluent society will see -- whether it likes it or not! -- when the exuberance of the younger generation discovers the pure gift"
my email (bump)
First at all, is NOT “what Bolivians have on their plate –- quite literally --”. It is what high altitude rural Bolivians, or what Andean Bolivian communities have in their plate. Jeanette, there are a lot of Bolivians that happen to believe they are having a complete dinner and there is not a single piece of potato in their plate.
For the casual reader my comments might seam off the line; hey, this is just a nice American girl doing charity in a poor and hungry Country, back off. The thing is, she is a very important part of the problem in Bolivia, and her work is fare from being useful, in reality is more like a cancer. It starts with a post assuming Bolivians are only those that live in one half of the Country, untrue and in line with the entity she works for and of the newly implanted government. Then, she writes recognizing being part of the problem, but, of course, she doesn’t have an answer or a solution to that, let’s see:
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have responded with a joke. Perhaps it would’ve been better to be honest.
Why turn to the U.S. to solve the problems of this community? Why reinforce the evident feeling of dependency on U.S. handouts?”
So, let’s be honest, Bolivian people in the rural areas do not miss the opportunity to ask something for free because uncontrolled, laws less entities hiding under ONG’s, like the one is paying your salary had being indoctrinating all possible rural living Bolivians that they are somehow more Bolivian than the rest because of their supposedly native origin or language. This, off course, has extrapolated to the cities, creating a belief that the other Bolivians own them something, or, that the US Government own them something. Funny, the US government had nothing to do with Bolivia being colonized, but they happen to be responsible to all wrong doing now. It is also funny that the Europeans are the main source of funds for Bolivian ONG’s, off course, they do belief that are responsible for the Colony and sent money thinking they are repairing their ancestors’ wrongs. They don’t care about the millions of descendants they left behind that are being segregated thanks to their money. My advice then Yanete, next time you have the opportunity, tell them the bloody TRUE and be honest.
wow; what an incredible response, all stemming from someone's desire for a BIKE?
Geez. i'm not feeling the least bit responsible for "owing" anybody anything, Bolivia or not.
Nevertheless, i'm interested in helping to purchase some. I've been trying to find a way to volunteer helping develop Cochabamba's water system, but it seems i won't be able to do it, at least not this year.
Helping to buy someone a bike might make me feel better about it.
Let me know; i'm found at jumpoffjoe at roguelinkdsl dot com.
There once was a program here in Durango, Colorado which was based on increasing bike commuting. The concept was to leave bikes at various city locations. These bikes would be free to use, as long as you returned them - somewhere in the vicinity where you found it. The bikes were painted bright orange. They were hard to miss. This was a totally free program. I wonder if it could be reengineered to suit the travelling Bolivians.
Walker T
www.yourmtb.com
What I wonder is why we are so naive sometimes... is this what we expect from any government? some bicycles? if you really believed someone can actually talk to Bush and ask him for something, would you really ask for bicycles?
Does this mean we are so desperate? How can we ever improve if we are so desperate, then? Evo seems to be falling for populism... is this because that is what people want to hear? You can just give them some bicycles so they can save the day?
Bicycles today, tractors yesterday, whatever happened with the infamous tractors Bolivian (La Paz, Oruro & Potosi) peasants did not want to accept because they did no like the brand. And like tractors, you give them the bikes and some ONG oriented dude will say that they are not the right one, brand, color, etc, etc; for high altitude biking. The idea is to oppose to everything in order to create chaos and keep on asking for more, until you get to be president; upps that already happened, well, I guess God is not going to be safe with these poor Bolivian peasants around.
And after good all rabble and malcom had donated their bikes, will they continue their support with spare parts, tires, etc, etc. You do know that bikes get flats, do you guys?.
I believe the discussion here is not about bikes. They need bikes, as they need a lot of things, starting from basic services. The thing here is to realize what "Development" Agencies really do. Do they help to develop, or they just make us dependant on them? Give them bikes, and then you will need to give them tires, and then they will be dependant on you, and willing to do whatever you ask.
Give them money, and then you have them in your pocket, buying your movies, believing that your way is the way.
We don't need bikes, as we don't need subsidizing wheat, as we don't need you to tell us which is the way to find true democracy.
What did American's do with their "natives"??: put them in reservations and make them alcoholics!! Did you come here to feel less guilty about it??
Go home!! Work with your people, they need you more than here!! What if you start working with the millions of drug addicts you have?? I am sure you won't need to spend a penny in eradicating coca anymore.
We don't need bikes, what we need is a bike factory, right in the middle of the altiplano. To give jobs and independence. If you are going to give that, great. If not, please go back to your country, that here you don't make much difference (even if you think you do).
"Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?"
All of you that think asking for goods (bikes) to the people of America (Bush)...are the source of the problem.
Feed the poor one day, they won't be hungry that day. Teach them how to grow food; you feed them forever.
Feed them one day; you are not doing anything wrong, it is good!
What happens if you feed them 360 days without teaching them anything? ...you grow dependency! you created lazy people used to aid...and with time, to their perception, with the "right" to ASK for food forever....or else, the giver becomes the evil.
Is it possible to teach Bolivians how to GET bikes?
can aid money go to a bike factory for the people? to fix damage ones? after all, is not rocket science.
Can you teach Bolivians how to create these organizations inside Bolivia that ask for donated bikes from Bolivians? ...is this also rocket science? ...to raise awarness and to ask for donated goods?
Think outside the box...why not horses? The US west lived with them so many years in the 1800s to later become a super power...why can Bolivians not do the same??
The ones that want to provide the bikes without teaching them how to solve the transportation problem...are creating more problems than help.
Saludos, Javier
Are bikes or tractors or anything going to help people much on the altiplano? Correct me if I am wrong but it is a pretty harsh environment and even if things can be grown they would probably not be competative with other regions.
I don't understand how the indigenous community on one hand wants to retain their traditions and on the other hand they want all the stuff that comes from the West. Tradition on the altiplano means no bikes and a very tough life. To get the goods of the West shouldn't they sell-out like everyone else? I mean, I no longer live like my serf ancestors and have lost my traditional ways but I can buy a bike. Are they willing to sell-out to globalization or do they just want free bikes?
What an interesting thread! A simple question that may have been an oblique joke is seized by on by each commenter and put to their own uses: bolivia libre gives us his take on international aid and Bolivian politics while belittling his 'opponents' and ridiculing the work of the poster and putting words in her mouth, typical projection; malcolm wants to make himself feel good by buying a bike for an economically disadvantged person in rural Boliva, laudable but somewhat self absorbed; walkert is reminded of his hometown and tries to apply a model that I would imagine is completely unsuited to the geographical situation at hand, Javier says leave us alone, a nice sentiment but there are forces in Bolivia and in the world that won't allow that to happen, etc. The author is driven to an inner frisson about her actions and their ultimate consequences in the lives of the people she would like to help. The fact is bikes are scarce on the altiplano and would help these folks do what they are doing. Another fact is that here in the US we throw away thousands of bikes a day. Could it be that the local Bolivians are simply speaking to these facts? The United States is the richest nation in the history of the world. Questions of cultural and economic imperialism aside, the flow of these riches must go one way or the other. If people want these bikes to stand for all that they are talking about in their comments that is their choice, but as Freud said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke."
...and Les is naive enough to believe we are debating about only bikes here...the isssue is about "foreign aid" to developing regions...get it?
Furthermore, I NEVER said "leave us alone"!
I said, bikes will help in the short run...that is good. But it will also contribute to the dependency that developing regions (people) will have to its benefactor...that is more wrong than good.
My suggested solution is...let's see if Les reads it right this time...help us; and as you do so, TEACH us to help ourselves on our own...so that we don't have to depend on you anymore.
Let's see...who can in this blog give us examples of NGOs or foreign aid that is actually teaching Bolivians DO something? or teaching Bolivians to be more selfsufficient? ...perhaps democracy center has some examples.
One more thing: the beggar normally will not ask you to teach him to find solutions on his own...since is much easier to beg.
Saludos, Javier
That I “belittled my 'opponent' and reticulate the work of the poster and putted words in her mouth”; when did that happened Les, are you sure you are actually reading what is being written?.
Jeannete is not my opponent, my opponents are all those lies that hurt my Country and helped for it to directing itself to a disaster, and a future to live in a regime that will not care about human rights, at list as stipulated by the UN.
Jeannete herself accepted that she is part of the lay in her intent to “help”, like all the other’s that wanted to donate “bikes”. Incredible, but after 14 debates it seams than only the Javier dude and maybe Arturo found out that this is not a discussion about items, bikes, tractors, etc; but about policy inheritance from US and European organizations that hide under ONG’s and in their intent to “help”, like Jeannette, area actually living a big lay; that is going to hurt mostly, us Bolivians.
All of you, gringos that want to donate your trash to us; like you give us for free you wash outs, meaning all the gringos working in and for the “supposedly” democracy center, and all the others that defend this organization’s doings without actually thinking about their deeds, like a bunch of “anonymous”, culitos, captain afraid and so on.
Don’t you understand that you do worst things than your government?, and believed it or not, probably worst that Chavez and Fidel together. You are actually in the field messing up day after day and provoking a division in this Country that is going to cost us several lives and blood. Octubre negro will look like a spring day if you continue with this trend, and off course, when this happened, you are going to wash your hands like Pilates and move on to other Country to mess up. Good work Bolivia Libre, Javier and Arturo, you guys really get the point.
Jallalla Evo.
Incredible! Some of you folks sound like Ann Raynd. If you see someone lying by the road, dying of thirst, you would tell me not to give him a drink of water, but rather to educate him how to drill a well. Ridiculous. How about we give this person a drink, just to help him get over his thirst FIRST. Then, if he wants to drill his well, super duper.
My first attempt at "making myself feel good" did, in fact, involve education. i attempted to find someone to help ME, simply by connecting me with someone in Bolivia who knows more about the water supply situation there than i do. would it not be fairly stupid for me to go to Bolivia and wander around the country with pipes, glue, and knowledge, hoping to find a thirsty person with no water supply.
So far, no one i've corresponded with has given me any suggestion that my knowledge in hydrology, plumbing, or water supply desing and construction would be in welcome. no response whatsoever. now window of opportunity for me to contribute in this way (yes, purely for selfish reasons, if you want to emulate Sigmund Freud) has passed, at least for this year. So sorry, if you want education, let me know, and maybe i'll come down next year. but the nay sayers on this forum seem to want to bitch more than help anyone, including themselves.
And what's wrong with feeling good by helping others? would you prefer more typical american approach of feeling good by exploiting others? I hope not.
If i were a rich man, i'd be glad to help out with a new bicycle factory. i'm not. i am wealthy enough, however, to contribute towards a bike or two.
Arturo says, "We don't need bikes, what we need is a bike factory, right in the middle of the altiplano. To give jobs and independence. If you are going to give that, great. If not, please go back to your country, that here you don't make much difference (even if you think you do)." Don't cut off your noses to spite your faces. Lots of folks giving bikes better than no one giving bike factory, and that goes for NGOs in general-not just bikes.
In Peru, a woman asked for a drink of my water (way up on mountain). i gave. didn't tell her "don't get dependent". She gave me leaves to chew. Problem? think not. didn't give her lecture on NGO's nor she give lecture to me. (for one thing, i didn't speak Quecua, and she didn't speak el espanol, heh heh)
I don't know too many people here in usa that feel guilty about what "we did to our natives" They are not "our natives", and we did nothing to them. the ancestors of SOME OF US were very evil to the natives here. some people here, but not most, still are nasty boogers. Most americanos couldn't find Bolivia on map of South America; they're too busy with own problems
Arturo also said, ""Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?" Arturo, amigo, you have a real problem with colonization. GW Bush wants to colonize Bolivia, and rest of planet. this should worry you, not people trying to help other people
some of you keep saying the discussion is "not about bikes". Maybe try reading the original post. it is about bikes. about health workers who have to walk instead, and maybe could be more effecive if they could ride bikes and save time. Get over it.
Malcolm
One more thing. to those of you who ask-nay DEMAND-that we gringoes stay out of your lives. Glad to do so. However, there are likely many people, including those health care workers, who disagree with you, both literally and figuratively.
malcolm
Bravo Jeanette! You've sparked a fascinating string of comments.
Best,
PR
Well done, Malcolm! I think sometimes we on the other side (the develoiping world, that is) became full of pride of our poverty... and would rather let our poor (because at least in my case, it is not me who needs the bike) suffer just because we want to show off by saying "yankees go home". Some bikes are not going to solve the big problems, but they might actually help some people having a better life! Let's try to keep view and sense of the wider, root problems, but not because of that despise someone who can help even if it is just in the small things!
I do think all this is not really about bikes, though. It is more about what international help does, and it looks like we can discuss this forever without reaching a conclusion... would we really be better off without any help? I doubt it. Are we going to really solve the biggest problems thanks to this help? I dont think so either! Maybe we need to do something ourselves (what??)? but we could use some help, couldnt we?
the usual bullshit from los reaccionarios
NGO's create division in Bolivia? you are fucking kidding right? jesus this sounds like the cognitive dissonance displayed by Venezuelan oligarchs.
Economic and racial apartheid, mis queridos amigos, created the division a long time ago.
It seems like there is a nice pool of Gifters here already, we can probably buy 8-10 decent Santosa's and get these Indios riding!
culoblanco.20.furiadebolivar@spamgourmet.com
Condor satinador, Bolivia Libre, Javier and Arturo, thank you for confirming that some-body is doing the right thing.
In the meantime, learn a bit, get a life!
malcolm,
Answering some of your points:
You lost the point of what was being discussed. It is not about bikes, it is not if giving water to someone that is thirsty is right. That is obviously the right thing to do. But giving him water once, and then leaving him there again wouldnt make any sense. Would it? that is what we are talking about!A bike, 500 bikes, 8 million bikes will not make a diference. Not now, not tomorrow. May be for you, it will make you feel better, your good action of the day will be done, and you will be proud of it, feel comunist, feel good. Down here, in that place of the map that most americanos can´t find, things will be the same. That is what we are talking about. If you are willing to build this country with us, the way WE want to build it, leting us solve OUR own internal problems, you are more than welcome, and bring your bikes. But, if what you want to do here is try YOUR idea of how democrazy should be, because YOU think that is the way it should be, you and your bikes can stay where you are.
When I say "we don´t need bikes" I mean just that. That will be attacking the problem by the sympotms not the cause. Why a bike? Why not a road? A good bus service? A Train? We are just like you, so why should we receive your trash? Because we are poor? Because we are under developed? No way! We deserve all, and we will work for it. If you want to help to build that dream, come, join us, but not for a summer abroad, not for having some pictures to show.
The "Are we helping, or hurting? Are we capacitating, or unwittingly participating in a new form of colonization?", I didnt say it (that is why it was betwenn " "). Actually it was Jeanette who said that (read again the main post my friend). So, your "Arturo, amigo, you have a real problem with colonization. GW Bush wants to colonize Bolivia, and rest of planet. this should worry you, not people trying to help other people."... just made me laugh. YOU should read the discussion again, the questions she asked are very Worth analyzing.
Do NGO´s help? I doubt it, because I´ve seen them work for a long time (Italians, Spanish, Americans, Dutch, German.... you name it, probably we had it), and there is no real change. We are attacking the symptons, not the cause.
There is nothing wrong with helping people, in Bolivia, in the US, in Irak, in Iran next. But you know that politics, economics and the development of a country and a society need much more than just nice feelings.
Freedom bicycles.
Go with your instinct, Jeanette.
Irony be damned.
Arturo, you are the one missing the point. Why not roads? Because Malcolm can’t give you a road.!!! Malcolm can give a bike or perhaps two, but he can't give a road, or a bus service, or a train. He's being realistic and you're dreaming. He can only do what he can do and hope that there are other good Samaritans out there also willing to try to make a difference. If you have only one canteen of water, it makes perfect sense to give water to someone who is thirsty. Your prideful answers tell me that you aren't personally in need. Look outside early in the morning and see the people willing to accept whatever they can get just to get by another day. Malcolm didn't offer "trash"; he offered what he could. . He can only do enough to treat the symptoms. Often you must treat the symptoms first. Often that is all another person has to offer. It’s up to others, it’s up to you yourself to cure your disease.
Thank you, Oxo, and Norman. I was about to write almost exactly what Norman said, but he said almost everything. I don't want to join him in accusing Arturo of being prideful and not in need; i can't make that judgement, although i certainly can see where Norman's coming from.
Arturo, I cannot move to Bolivia, although my wife and i have discussed moving to either Bolivia, Guatemala, Peru or Canada, simply to distance outselves from the terrorist who has taken over the usa. But family comes first, and i can't leave my kids and grandkids here to start a new life somewhere else.
I CAN spend some time, energy and money trying to help others. I'm sorry that's not good enough for you. if you would please suggest some better ways to help the people of Bolivia-better than donating my time and knowledge of water systems, and better than donating money for a bicycle (needless to say, i am not suggesting donating my worn out bike, and somehow sending it to Bolivia)? Norman's right; i can't donate a highwy, nor a factory, a bus service, nor a train.
I thought, from your earlier post, that you'd prefer that i, and other gringos, just butt out, but your suggestion that i, or others, donate these hugely expensive items suggests maybe you would welcome some help of a more likely, more practical, level.
by the way, i cannot argue the merits of NGO's. i'm not part of an NGO. I'm only trying to do what i can do, within the limitations of having to earn a living, support a family, etc, and fight to stop the attack on our own democracy here in the usa.
so how about it, Arturo? What's your pleasure, that I/we gringos just go away and leave you in peace, or do whatever we can to assist those of you who need assistance, in whatever small way we are able?
Malcom, Norman:
I accept that my previous post could have sounded prideful, and I admit that I am not personally in need (I wouldn't be writing here otherwise). I don't think I should feel bad for not being in need (or be "acussed" of it).
However, I think I need to make clear that I never talked about donating, I talked about helping. I was not asking for roads, or buses to you. There is no reason to. I know there is a big chance you don't have the money to buy a bus, or if you do, you would prefer to buy it for you, for your country, your family, rather than donating to a country lost in the middle of nowhere.
That is the problem, you think on donating, not helping. You think in assistance ("do whatever we can to assist those of you who need assistance"). I truly appreciate your spirit, it is good, and definitely better than ignorance and indiference; however, I think the perpective is wrong. Let's work side by side, not you above and us below. That is what I meant.
You said I am dreaming, and you are completely right. I am. I don't think there is something worng with that. I dream of a better country, a country where people can have roads and buses and trains, and they don't have to ask bikes.
You said "He can only do what he can do and hope that there are other good Samaritans out there also willing to try to make a difference", that is the key: TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. And I can tell you, a bike will not make it. Your time will pass, my time will pass, and things will be the same, poverty here and poverty there. People in need. This is not about bikes, is something much more deeper, is about what makes us human and equal. Things need to change, but from the roots, not from the leaves.
I trully appreciate your good willing. But as I said, there is need for a little more than "good Samaritans". This time is not about you doing your good action of the day, is about this country being developed. I certainly would suggest that you spend a couple of months in Bolivia. I doubt you have seen what really poverty is, and how little diference a bike would make. Ask Jeanette.
Two days since President Morales nationalized the oil and gas industry, used military force to take the oil fields and (foremerly) foreign-owned refineries.... The silence is deafening. Where is the Democracy Center's spin on this?
Jeeze!
How hard if for you guys to get this one!
If you donate a bike, is good, but you are NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM!.
For the single thread minded here. The ones that think they can only help we units of something...like a bike; Yep, a bike is something I can donate; a factory, goes without saying, impossible????
You just cannot see it because you don't want to think; but you can provide the solution to the problem (maybe a factory).
A bike, say $100. Out of nothing this bike (or your money) will go from where you live to its final destination. A whole organization has to be behind all this to be possible. (say 20 of you single minded bloggers come up with $2000).
Next create a blog just to address this issue. Define Problem Statement. Define the mission of the organization that will solve the problem. Make sure you put in there that the organization in the long run has to be autosufficient financially, operationally, this means, NOT DEPENDENT ON AID.
You haven't spend $$$ yet, maybe a lot of time to come with the Concept of the solution.
Then, with all the criterias for the solution, go to the local Bolivian Universities. As an ex-professor there, I know what I am talking about.
There are many students looking out for Thesis (undergrads do this in Bolivia). To the point that some universities allow teams of students for large thesis.
Anyways, get one law student for the legal stuff, another Business one to create the Biz plan, another for the fundraising and awarness, a compu science student (maybe 2) for the web sites and other aplications needed to run the organization efficiently, another student on social studies to determine the social impact on this, etc, etc.
Do this in more than one University, in more than one city. The students and teacher will not ask for you $$$, but you may want to help with some road trips to where Yannete goes (maybe).
Thesis finished, you have the blue prints to the solution, EXECUTE.
Maybe $500 was spend; give you back $1500. How many Bolivians have you involved? What message have you sent to the Bolivians? and to you single minded Blogger???
Dear Malcom,
Nonchalantly calling the President of the United States a terrorist is deeply irresponsible. (And in my opinion indefesensible, although I suppose you could try to make the case.)
But in any event, making such a claim in the midst of your other arguments concerning the topic at hand really cheapens the discourse.
Best,
PR
Feed the poor one day is good, help them feed themselves; you have solved the problem. I like this.
Which kind of help do you want to give?
I see homeless people in the streets of Washington DC begging for money, not for food. There are many religious and other type of organizations giving away food to the homeless here.
Same day, in the news, An employer saying: "I give anyone a job picking up strawberries. Doesn't matter his education, sex, religion, political inclination, I guarantee a job".
Will the homeless go ahead and work for food??
No!, they prefer to make charity people happy by depending on their crums.
This kind of charity is not helping.
I wish I could come up with something pointless and distracting like some many of the other posters, but instead all I have is this information about utility bicycles in Africa. Their main goal is to modify conventional bicycles so that they are more suited to carrying heavy loads. Their US-consumption version of this modification is on my list of things to look at, and they have an amusing gallery of people carrying stuff using it.
The concerns about factories and repairs are overblown.
If you are not shaving the last gram and using exotic alloys, bicycles are very durable (I own a bicycle made in the mid-1960s, and was still riding it regularly before I bought a better one a few years ago). Basic bicycle repairs can be done with hand tools, frames can be fixed and modified using basic welding skills. Production, right now, seems to be most cheaply done in China; better to improve the economy and buy bikes, than to try to beat the Chinese at something they are already doing well. There is also a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem; nobody is going to start a bicycle repair shop if there are no bicycles to repair.
I am baffled that people in Bolivia would see the U.S. as some all powerful entity that should be providing bikes to everyone who needs one (why Bolivia over, say, Madagascar or Borneo?) I'd love for the Queen of England to replace my car, which is a total beater, but I don't expect it as some sort of obligation because she's richer than I am. I think Jeanette and her colleagues are creating a culture of expectation that can only in the long run keep Bolivians from actually helping themselves (particularly since their economy will soon be in the crapper once they have completed the task of scaring all foreign investment away for decades).
Hi all...
apparently i missed the storm of debate, as i was traveling these past few weeks. but i have to say it was fascinating reading everyone's thoughts. i wrote this blog because of my own questions, and concerns with international intervention in development... so i appreciate all sides of the debate. i certainly have no illusions about being a 'helper,' i think Bolivia is highly capable of developing itself. so what role for the international community?
thanks... J
Jeanette,
The role of the international community should be tied in directly with the will of local governments. That is the whole genesis of this "radical populism", as some Republicans call the surge of left leaning leaders in the region. The fear, distrust or naivete that you encounter, whether on these blogs or on the road, whether on bike talk or politics, comes from a cultural misunderstanding, which results in the liberalist notion from foreigners of "meddling" with the locals in order to pursue liberalist concepts which have failed.
That is what Chavez and Morales denounce...
"Leave us be, we know whats best for us..."
What you did at that meeting was wrong... very well intended, but wrong... but the great thing is that people like you are out there correcting these mistakes... the role of the international community should be to educate the international community on these issues... follow the lead of local governments on this...!!!
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