Part 2 - Capacity building vs. Creating unnecessary desires

Conversation between Charlotte, Sean & Sarabe

Part 2 Sarabe:

(This's just part of the series on fighting adverse effects in capacity building: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Key takeouts)


I think she has a valid point about not to create unnecessary desires, as to what unnecessary desire is I cannot say what they are exactly. IT seems to be a very pessimistic thought though

But I don't think that teaching them about computer software to creat hopelessness and disappointment - is that to say that they should not know anything about the world? Perhaps by knowing more about the outside world, it will inspire them to work harder and know how important education in.

In saying so, I think it's a dichotomy when working to improve poverty. We don't know about their happiness level at the moment. But say, for example, a poor village (with basic necessities) are probably really happy and simple, but when outsiders help them by creating say, trade links, then the fact that money gets involved will change them somehwat - so whether they're still happy in the end is a debate.

So it's important to find out what to help and how to do so. There're things that are obvious.. such as launching a water project to a particular village that obviously has bad water system. Things that are closely linked to basic necessities, after that we can go about finding more opportunities to help.


Sarabe