Writer’s Block
This blog is certainly not winning any Peace Corps awards. I’m a miserable blogger. And ever since moving to my village, I have not been able to compose a decent blog. What can I possibly write about that is not too personal (unlike most in my generation, I am highly uncomfortable with strangers knowing my personal thoughts) or too serious (this blog is dry enough)? I considered starting writing ‘informational’ things about my reality but I do not trust the facts in my head enough not to misrepresent something and there are no research databases in village. So…
For now some advice: NEVER come to Burkina if you can not handle heat (I mean OVEN temps), children or carbs…. and a lot of ALL. And do not visit if you would rather not confront your conscious about inequality. But please come on over if you have any idea how to end poverty, cure the sick or solve educational inequality. Or if you would just like to put some money into the Burkina economy by visiting a rad chick.
Who goes to live in an African village and has nothing to write about? Well, I am certainly “inappropriate technology” for this country, to use development terms. Guess I sort-of knew that going into this P.C. thing. I justify with the fact that I hope to continue to work with my village after Peace Corps. The Peace Corps justifies it with the line “cultural exchange.”
P.S.- If anyone has any type of proof or research that demonstrates “cultural exchange” as a proven method of reducing inequality and poverty, PLEASE send me the link.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Cultural exchange may be the only humane method of reducing inequality and poverty. There is no machine or method better than the human heart and mind for addressing the needs of another individual. YOU are appropriate technology because YOU can be held accountable for your actions, because YOU can reason and decide and investigate until you are sure what is acceptable, responsible, or sustainable or whatever benchmark to which you hold yourself. Research can’t right its wrongs - its a vehicle for expressing and testing human ideas, nothing more. It’s humans who have to do the work and then have to decide if it was good, using research as our tool not our guide.
What other choice have we? If we wait until some group of academics publishes proof that whatever method is sane, how many more girls will marry before their bodies can safely carry babies? We don’t need to consensus amongst the whole of western academia or humankind before one woman can say to another ‘I can teach you read’ or ‘I’m here to listen’ or ‘Hey Kid, let me show you a map of the world.’
Also, if we never ‘compartir’ - that’s what we call ‘cultural exchange in the DR - how else can we be brothers and sisters in the world? I think its an everyday miracle that you may leave your service knowing a couple people well as you know your best college roommate. And the next time you hear about that person’s country in the news… you’ll actually have an idea what the f* that news really means. The same way you know what the fall colors mean in Pennsylvania.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Hey Anne, I would like to link to your blog on my blog - and particularly to this post. May I have your permission to do so? I think your thoughts are pretty sharp.