TAL James

Date : 01 septembre 2009, 02:26

Having recently witnessed a project in southern Mozambique, I was struck by the power of sport in uniting communities behind a common development goal. It was inspiring to see so many people come together to play that soccer match, to work together and to have fun together. It was more than a simple sporting occassion, it was the catalyst for change and wider community development. What better way therefore, to humanize development, than to use sport. The smiles and pictures of joy that come from it will cast aside those misconceptions about the 'doom and gloom' in developing nations and make people take notice of what sport can achieve. Its ability to put smiles on faces gives development that 'happy' feeling.

Luis T. Gutierrez

Date : 31 juillet 2009, 10:07

Another way to humanize development is to avoid being paternalistic and actually ask people what they need before we tell them what they need. What are the issues that really matter to people, especially people in the developing countries?

Please take a look at my modest initiative:

Test version 1.5 of a survey on education for sustainable development is online. The objective is to gather an inventory of critical issues that frequently emerge in sustainable development. The design of the survey is based on the eight "key action themes" proposed by UNESCO for the "UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development." Test version 1.5 has 40 questions (5 for each of the 8 "key action themes") and should take about one hour to complete.

This is the link:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cnoyc2ZKeF9RSDFiQkw2eTZzdGszMGc6MA..

If you want to take a look at the database:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rz2sfJx_QH1bBL6y6stk30g&output=html

For more information:
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv05n06page1.html

Thanks,
Luis

Luis T. Gutierrez, PhD
Editor, PelicanWeb Journal of Sustainable Development.
This is a monthly, free subscription, open access e-journal.
http://pelicanweb.org
Note: This is an independent research initiative of PelicanWeb,it is not sponsored by UNESCO or any other institution.

Patricia Parker

Date : 31 juillet 2009, 09:35

Darfour - Kids for Kids by Patricia Parker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

The wind howls across the sand in Darfur and life becomes increasingly hard for families in remote villages. UNICEF reported that every child in every village is malnourished - except in Kids for Kids villages, where the children have goat's milk to drink, the poorest families are given a donkey, and we are planting trees to provide a livelihood for families, food in the bad times for the goats. . . and to combat further dessertification. Kids for Kids provides the things villagers tell us really make a difference - enabling them to improve their own lives, in the midst of conflict. This is real sustainable development at grass roots level.

To find out more: www.kidsforkids.org.uk

BABA BOUKARI Moutalabi

Date : 27 juillet 2009, 18:34

Je remercie l'ensemble des intervenants pour leur pertinence.
Mais pour moi la photographie doit réfléter le vrai visage du développement ainsi que que son amélioration. je voudrais exhoter les partenaires à y voir plus clairement car les photos que nous voyons sur les pays africains ne réflètent pas toujours la réalité. nous mettons ses photos pour pouvoir faire pitié et bénéficier de l'aide. Et pourtant ce n'est pas toujours vrai et les partenaires le savent très souvent. A qui profite donc cette politique si sombre?Soyons francs et honnêtes dans les aides que nous apportons aux pays en développement. Comme exmple ABUJA est une ville extraordinaire très verte, pourtant ce que nous du Nigéria présente rarement cette image. Pourquoi? Je suis indigné et triste d'être africain quand j'y pense, montrons nos valeurs, elles sont si riches. Chers partenaires, il serait temps que les chaînes mondiales nous présentent une bonne image de notre cher continent.
Coordialement
Baba

Clarissa Teixeira

Date : 24 juillet 2009, 20:36

When I think of humanizing development I think immediately at equality. There is no development with high inequality rates; and there is no equality if we do not recognize ourselves as equally important human beings.

Equal opportunities are the main ingredient towards equality, which means equality can be achieved through the provision of security, health and educational services. These are the tools. But, it is certainly not possible to overcome start-off inequality only by using these instruments, at least not in the short run. It might be more efficient to address equality as a right, giving a greater perspective to Social Protection.

In most countries unequal access and inefficiencies on the provision of public services generate exclusions. Social Assistance measures come as a needed remedy - sometimes a very efficient one. Many agents may provide social assistance: government, NGOs, private sector and individuals.

Apart from the better provision of public services and social assistance initiatives, I believe it is possible to reduce some types of inequalities through people's behavior towards society. For example, prejudice can be a relevant component of inequality and a real obstacle for a humanizing development. This implies that we must account for our acts and be responsible for their consequences on others in a daily basis.

In order to do so, it is useful to learn different perspectives: the many struggles people experience, but also the accomplishments made towards a better quality of live. It is necessary to recognize our differences, to distinguish them from inequalities and to praise, improve and multiply the initiatives that attempt to acknowledge the unique contribution each one of us can give.

The exercise of mirroring ourselves in other people's experiences enables us to see where we can do better: both in acknowledging the differences and in minimizing inequalities. I believe that the Humanizing Development Campaign is a great exercise! Let's learn how to enhance our daily contribution to the world!

Geoffrey Hume-Cook

Date : 24 juillet 2009, 01:24

Dear ID4D, this does seem like a very appropriate initiative to help shift the balance of images-impressions, stories-meanings of 'Development'. Could I ask someone to consider re-phrasing the call for 'contributions' from: //To illustrate your words, you can send us a photograph (your own or copyright free) and we will publish it along with your comment.// to take into account the efforts of artists/creative peoples to acknowledge the thorny issues of attribution and 'ownership' of intellectual property (i.e. the creative 'eye' that took the image), by adding a link to the Creative Commons site? It might help also to suggest a word limit for stories attached to images ... ?

Regards, Geoff

link below

http://creativecommons.org/

Francisco Filho

Date : 23 juillet 2009, 20:09

The Humanizing Development Global Campaign started with a question: How to promote successful development initiatives from all around the globe? Our goal was to engage civil society in such a way we would be able to share innovative projects that are making the lives of people better. Taking into consideration the current discussions on the global financial and economic crisis, its impacts on the developing world and recovery efforts, we thought we should also look at and listen from the real agents of the global economy and those our work and efforts must be oriented at: the peoples of our developing and transition world. How to better depict successful development experiences that are making peoples' lives better? Which tools should we use? These questions followed our discussions and helped us figure out that a Global Photography Campaign would represent a great opportunity of involving people working in development programmes and actions and promoting their successes, stories, smiles… Humanizing Development aims to promote hope, and photos are the best tool we could use to engage people and promote their participation in a campaign with global dimensions.

The Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign website has received 35,000 visitors since the campaign launch, and hundreds of beautiful pictures! Photos keep flowing in every day from all corners of the world - from Saudi Arabia to Argentina, Nepal to Uganda, Indonesia to Switzerland! We get to see inspiring images showing constructive development, hope and accomplishment: Villagers coming together to improve their lives through community work; Children helping each other learn how to write; Women empowering themselves through small scale businesses. We are witnessing how individuals' all around the globe share not just images, but vision and experience, on the smiling face of development. Thank you to all that have participated so far, let's keep this initiative going!

Everyone can and is strongly encouraged to take part of this global initiative! Share your photos; share the stories behind the images! Upload your photograph onto the campaign's website at http://www.ipc-undp.org/photo/ !

Take a look at some of the participating photographs at: http://www.ipc-undp.org/pressroom/2009-07/24.doc

COMING SOON: The website update with new features and some examples of the fantastic images we have received so far, to inspire others to also take and send their photographs!

Uzodinma Adirieje

Date : 21 juillet 2009, 10:21

An excellent opportunity for self-accountability. While this effort is not purely set out to invite governments in the developing and donor countries and various development partners, to present the accounts of their stewardship, it offers an excellent opportunity for them to do so on their own. So many positive and heart-warming things have happened in the world, and we must not loose this opportunity to showcase them as the bases for further actions.

Chase Palmeri

Date : 21 juillet 2009, 09:35

Why is it that when there is a photo of the President of the World Bank his name is part of the caption, but when there is a photo of a farmer or a student his or her name never appears. I think that the first most basic humanizing gesture is to speak the name of the person. Please let's stop the practice of showing pictures of the poor as the teeming masses, as anonymous faces. Each person in each photo is an individual with a name, a family, a life. Let's humanize development first by humanizing the photgraphers and the publishers. Let them first change their attitude and practices. Photographers, ask names, write them down. Publishers insist on having them before publishing!

Jacob

Date : 15 juillet 2009, 10:51

From a photographers standpoint, this is a great idea you have put together. I think you will get wide range of entries that capture the big and smaller pictures of development. I'm excited to go out and shoot with a knowing cause in mind. Thank you for the opportunity.

Stephanie Watson

Date : 13 juillet 2009, 15:01

Sometimes people need to see the good things in life to motivate them and prevent them from feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, so this is an excellent opportunity to do just that!

mahendra dash

Date : 09 juillet 2009, 16:50

There are debates over Cap and Aid ultimately leading to a controversy over free economy or welfare economics.In my country over the years I have seen experimentation of both.In India it started with mixed economy,may be a new terminology which Smith might have not thought.

I have also watched peformance of countries with free economies.And at the end of the day it leaves a thought that in every nation certain areas are there which are of topmost concern and it can not be made through free economy which requires equal level playing field indirectly supporting Hobbs theory.It requires help.

In the present scenario,mixed approach is required.Some should be state funded or kept under state control and only other areas may be left for laissez faire not all.

Cap has to be there and also aid for trade has to be there because we have to live ,stay and leave some thing good for the next generation.

In India,rapid disinvestment took place.Money came,borrowings went up,but the standard of living really did not go up.Now there is talk of agrarian development which was already there since the whole economy is based on rural/agriculutre.

Divide whole income of people inlcuding of those appearing in Rich men list and divide by the population,the per capita income will show better than the developed ones.But in reality,the gap is widening between rich and poor.

A practical and viable approach is required.

Equally it is understood why Manufacturers of developed countries are opening factories in less developed/emerging economies/developing economies.They get labor at cheap cost and everything at their point of bargain taking the plea of development.

Chinese Disney Factory labor gets less than his/her US counter part.Yes China is (+) but what is the standard of the workers working in those factories whose toys mean something in Yen?In WB,India it was pure politcs on Tata's Nano.

Banking is another sector.Here private banks get merged with public sector banks because of improper management but they do not have any social obligations.It is pure commerce for them ,but for public sector companies,it is all politics and now they are getting victimised like Air India people no getting salaries,but King Fisher or Jet (Private couriers)going on employment spree.Even Mittal's company have more executives from Steel Authority of India ,another public sector.Telecom has already gone to private sector.

Aid and then cap is also bad.It can not be an universal math or theory which can be applied to all.Exceptions have to be there.

Ana Laura Gonzalez

Date : 08 juillet 2009, 18:08

I think development projects is same to change a pixel in a big picture, some persons say don't is the big solution but in few years the picture have big changes, one pixel at time, and one problem in each project, water, food, money flows, each one is a little pixel in the humanity picture, each men in the world and each women have the opportunity of change one pixel of life and live in a better world..

Giovana

Date : 08 juillet 2009, 17:25

YES, realistic pictures of poverty, hunger and misery are necessary in the media, in order to show what truly happens in developing countries. Children really are dying of hunger and people are suffering beyond what most of us could imagine...

But I have heard many times comments such as "we donate money and we never see where it goes", or "we shouldn't help anyways, there are so many people helping". The truth is, that if we all got together and decided to help, the world would really be a more humane place.

This campaign aims at getting people together, all around the globe, to give hope, to inspire, to create pride, to incentive people's compassion, humanity, and help! We want to show images of those who are fighting, and winning, battles against hunger, poverty and social exclusion, all around the globe!!!

Who knows, maybe if we all join forces and send one picture each, there will be enough commotion for us to get this media initiative to more cities, and more people can see it...and then there will be people in less-than-ideal situations all around the world, proud of their homes, their efforts, their growth, their courage. Perhaps, in a world where we need to be so brave, there will be people getting hope and strength!

Maybe we can try to humanize development?


Giovana Lerda

Peter Gillespie

Date : 20 juin 2009, 10:51

Excellent initiative. This will help people get interested and stay involved with the important subjects developed by people who read and contribute to this site.

Che Thuy Nhu

Date : 11 juin 2009, 11:14

YES, I have inform this new to big newspaper and my friends .
But I think, it needs to study the Millennium Development Goals, such as fighting deprivation and expanding access to food, water, sanitation, education and health services for the poor and promoting women's leadership and equal opportunity to develop talents. .
Not only idea, but also goods photo .
Viet nam have photo association .
I hope some body from Vietnam will joine .
Thank you for information .