[Dialogue] five surprising facts about starvation that could change the international agenda

[Karl Hess]

Very few people in the world know about integrated village 
development.  Those of us who were at the International Exposition on 
Rural Development in Delhi in 1984 know or knew about it, as do (did) 
those who supported it but couldn't be there.

The great news is that the kinds of human development efforts which 
the ICA invented (or at least organized) are being used effectively 
in many countries where hunger persists. (I'm most familiar with how 
the Hunger Project is using them, but I've heard of others.)  These 
bottom-up approaches have the best record of transforming 
communities. The media, however, for whatever reason (perhaps partly 
because it doesn't make good footage) ignore it.

We all know, or should know, that most governmental aid, which is 
top-down, often makes the situation worse, and at a minimum is 
extremely expensive.

We should all know that labelling chronic malnutrition with a 
different word, albeit medical, will not only not provide any new 
support, and may well distract from dealing with the underlying 
problems, which are difficult enough anyway.

Co-opt (Merriam-Webster) - to take into a group (as a faction, 
movement, or culture) : ABSORB, ASSIMILATE <the students are co-opted 
by a system they serve even in their struggle against it -- A. C. 
Danto>

Becoming comfortable with the status quo seems to me qualifies as 
being co-opted, particularly supporting the kinds of gestures the 
system uses to hide its real nature.

Fundamentally, I guess my question is why I don't see anything on 
Dialogue about what is working and not working in your justice 
activities and particularly the one you invented.

I'm glad to hear that some are back in the game.  I would be glad to 
hear what the game is.

Karl

>Hi Karl,
>
>>Very odd that the people who invented this [integrated village 
>>development] have 
>>
>>so little interest in it any more.  It does work spectacularly.  Is 
>>everyone co-opted?  just worn-out?
>>
>
>Sorry, could you say again what you are wondering about here?
>
>Don
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Dialogue mailing list
>Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
>http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/dialogue_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20060524/17e61e14/attachment.htm