WHY I LEFT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I previously worked in South Sudan with an international development consultancy company I remember preparing to leave I was filled with a unique sense of duty knowing that I would be able to finally interact observe and contribute to the poor of the poor how when other people live much less fortunate than me learning and listening to their struggles their hopes and their dreams for their country and I also was excited to be around other international colleagues who had a drive and a mission to serve these people who understand that their place in society is uniquely privileged and have then made a conscious and hard decision to take a leap and dedicate themselves to such work but I was wrong during my time there I felt at odds with the international development community it seemed outside of work most of them would just have rooftop barbecues with loud music imported meats from Uganda and copious amounts of alcohol all in the middle of a quiet and poor neighborhood there always seemed to be a private pool party going on half-naked Lea shouting at waiters who couldn't seem to bring their food to them in time it made me sick and I was a part of this community this privileged boisterous gluttony couldn't they couldn't maybe a little more tempered couldn't they show a bit more humility in all the poverty around them he's in this lifestyle lifestyle and an outright refusal to integrate with local South Sudanese colleagues were things I observed this luxury and high standard of living they enjoyed in South Sudan was not even accessible to them in the UK but they took advantage of that in one of the poorest countries of the world and they went rampant with it it was as if it was a new and different playground the local population were quite literally starving and they would be walking below tattered and dusty clothes looking up at their loud party smelling the food thinking about where their next meal will come from they saw these humanitarians shoveling down freshly imported meats who cares what you get up to in your free time right as long as you are good at your job people should have the freedom to do as they please no matter where they are alright in International Development it seems that competence and experience is the only thing that matters people from the best universities in the world with bags of experience and a stellar CV they are good at their jobs but this community lacked something else something that a CV can never show for example in South Sudan the greeting is very important it's important as saying please and thank you all holding the door open in the UK not greeting or acknowledging your colleagues when you come to work in the morning it's like having a door slammed in your face and my international colleagues did this carelessly to our local South Sudanese colleagues these these colleagues of mine and those internationals in general were impressively intelligent they wouldn't be in international development if they were not but I was confused as to why they didn't seem to consider that of any importance surely especially in the sensitive and interactive work of the international development community competent to do this kind of work alone is not enough a humility to learn about a new culture and integrate along with it rather than imposing your ways a level of empathy that says to not over indulge when all around you is poverty and starvation and the understanding that your very existence on the African continent is marred with political and historical and economic privileges emphasis should be placed on competence in international development but what should be given equal emphasis is that for each person to have an ethical character virtue strength of character modesty humility altruism empathy and a partiality to others rather than to oneself partiality to the ward the self as Confucius says courses are strong to rob the weak partiality towards one's family causes great families to wreak havoc with lesser families and partiality towards one's state causes great state to attack small states and in the same sense partiality to your group or your community that's what was missing an international development that means integrating yourself with your local colleagues it means trying to understand the rules of their interaction and then wanting to abide by them not thinking that they are too different to be friendly with or spend time with deciding not to overeat in front of starving children deciding to pass on luxury when everyone else is in such poverty not shouting at waiters whose entire family depends on their depend on their job I don't think this is too much to ask from those who have been chosen to serve the world's poor surely the moral virtues of humility and modesty are basic principles that all international workers should apply when working in such fragile contexts

Channel: The Hero's Journey

Views: 12,211

Keywords: international, development, un, international development, vlog, aid, charity, hardship location, confucius, philosophy, west, east, africa

Id: Q04eJwtetmU

Length: 6min 28sec (388 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 23 2018