The Development Conundrum

THE DEVELOPMENT CONUNDRUM
Is there Hope?? I’ve been asking myself this question since it truly hit me that development is wayyy more complicated than I had anticipated.
Development shouldn’t be that hard, right? Billions of dollars in aid flow to developing countries every year, money is all that is needed, isn’t it? But obviously, it takes a whole lot more than money to bring a country out of ruins.

The success story of China is always a wonder to read, in about fifty years, they developed and the economy is doing way better than the global west countries that have been developed even before time immemorial (I exaggerate but you get the point). I don’t know the intricate details of how they climbed to victory but I know it wasn’t through receiving aid in cash or kind from western governments.
Literature on China suggests the Chinese culture and tradition had a lot to do with the rapid development, sacrifices had to be made by the citizens to see a better China. I ask myself why can’t other developing countries follow suit? Especially Africa, where I’m from and where my heart lies. Was Africa doomed from the beginning? Was it as soon as the white man set foot on our land? So many questions, so little answers. We can say development in Africa took a nose dive when we tried to copy and paste what supposedly worked in the west “neo-liberalism” that’s right, the dreadful Structural Adjustment Programme supposed to work wonders, was the final straw that seemed to break the camel’s back.


Since studying development, one thing I keep getting is questions. So, if aid, humanitarian assistance, social protection, etc., doesn’t work, what will? I expected answers but all I get is questions. There are so many problems in developing countries but so little solutions.
From bad governance from extremely corrupt leaders to political manipulation and domination from the west. Even the countries supposedly trying to help, have hidden motives that most often than not damages these countries’ economies further. So, then what can be done, if the corrupt leaders don’t care about development, the west is more concerned about what they can get out of it all and development projects, by their very design undermine and ignore the knowledge of the supposed “beneficiaries”? This is the ultimate question in development.

It almost wants to make you give up on it all, think there’s no hope or whatsoever for development in Africa and other developing countries. BUT I do believe there’s hope, and its people that genuinely care and are passionate about seeing and making a real difference. People that have no hidden agendas but to help make lives better for the billion-people living in extreme poverty. Those are the people that give me hope. Even though I have more questions than answers, I won’t stop searching for solutions and doing my part in seeing a better world in my lifetime.

Boladale Shobowale.

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MEET BOLADALE SHOBOWALE.

Boladale Shobowale was born in Lagos State where she had her basic education. She proceeded to the Prestigious Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, where she bagged her Bachelors Degree in International Law and Diplomacy. Being the very ingenious and dynamic personality that she is, Boladale has over the years developed great mastery and skill in the field of International Development.

In her quest to possess the requisite skill and expertise needed in International Development, she served as a Public Relations Intern at the United Nations Information Center, Lagos State, Nigeria in 2014. She went on to gain further refinement in the process of law making in 2016 working at the Lagos State House of Assembly. She is a skilled mediator who duly served her country, Nigeria in the Ministry of Justice, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Boladale is currently a postgraduate student of Development Studies in the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. It thus goes without saying, that Boladale is highly skilled and well versed in the field of International Development.

It will be a great time and privilege of learning only from the best, as Boladale will be educating us tomorrow on Aid, Development and Active Citizenship.

Please Stay tuned to this blog as the best is coming your way!

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ENGAGE!

ENGAGE!

The global call to change as regards our attitudes, disposition to nature, use of land resources, interaction with people, our environment and so much more is one that must not be ignored. The goals seem difficult to achieve, technical and impossible to meet given the global scheme of things. However, what I have come to understand is that, joint and collaborative efforts towards the achievement of the global goals makes it an easy and interesting ride towards the achievement of the goals.

Below are five (5) simple but compelling reasons why you should participate in the global march for change.

1. It doesn't hurt to join but it potentially hurts when you don't.

The global drive towards change in our way of interacting with our world and its constituents is one that is 100% guaranteed to be beneficial. A lot of people do not engage in global development for many reasons I cannot begin to discuss, however, the reason you should do away with whatever stereotype is stopping you from participating is simple: it doesn't hurt when you do but it hurts when you don't. Your ambivalence towards partipation or engagement can be resolved this way, when you take action, no matter how little, you have solved a problem that potentially has the capacity to cause more damage than you can imagine but when you don't, the problem gets compounded and ultimately, constitutes itself a glosbal cause for alarm. A basic example is this; it doesn't hurt to reduce your use of plastic bags and materials, but it hurts when you don't because it compounds the global concern about waste management especially non biodegradable waste. Save the environment, reduce by half, your use of plastic materials in the coming week.

2. All you would rather do depends largely on it.

Many of us are guilty of staying away from the global action scene because we are busy doing other "important " things. We would rather engage in matters that we feel affect our lives forgetting that the existence of a healthy globe is an indispensable condition for your efforts in every other field to be made manifest, imagine issues of peace and conflict were not dealt with as they ought to... how do yo intend to carry out your activities in an unstable environment?  Make a decision this week to take action in relation to peace and conflict this coming week , it may be as little as signing a petition to end violence somewhere in the world.

3. Just as you met a world you could thrive in, some other people also deserve the opportunity.

You did not have to "build " the world you came into, you met it because some people treated it right thus it was available for you to thrive. You are also obliged to take steps to ensure that the world the coming generation is to meet and inherit is easily habitable for them without having to struggle to survive under a poor climate. This week reduce your energy consumption by keeping your light bulbs and sockets off more than they are left on without use.

4. There are limitless opportunities when you do.

The opportunity to do more, increase in every area of life and experience limitless growth is guaranteed by a healthy and peaceful globe. Won't you rather take action? This week, make a decision to engage in the achievement of goal 17: Partnership for the Goals in your little way.

5. You will be glad you did.

In end, when you look back on how things used to be and the better position the world is because of positive actions from people all over the world, you will be glad you contributed your quota.

Engage! Participate ! Change.

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DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL HAPPINESS

Diversity and Global Happiness...

Strong feelings v. Right actions.

The global scene is neutral and diverse , it's a platform meant for everyone regardless of race, culture, beliefs, religion, creed, likes, dislikes or any other qualifying attributes. The global scene is the largest platform that seeks to balance the interests of everyone, meet general and specific needs and most importantly, ensure that everyone gets a chance to live a good life that they deserve. The global mandate is to ensure that the well being of everyone is guaranteed; EVERYONE.

The difficulty in achieving the global mandate is apparent. An attempt to strike a balance that cuts across all persons regardless of their differences is one that is by default almost impossible, however, is there a possibility of a common ground that almost achieves the global mandate regardless of our differences and beliefs? YES.
Imagine we were all born into the world and allowed to grow as we babies? Open minded, plain and devoid of teachings that help us to exalt rather than appreciate, accommodate and work on our differences?

The impossibility of the above highlighted is beneficial and destructive, the latter being the most prominent and a major ground for clashes and chaos on the global scene.

Our focus today is on the ability to identify, appraise and approach differences in view of the march towards sustainability. We find it easy use mass media to air our opinion on our differences. Once we identify what makes someone else different from us, we often begin to analyze and show cause as to why our position as regards the ground of difference is the best forgetting that the other person through whom you realized the difference believes so too, that is, his position is the best.

It's important to understand that every ground of difference on the global scene was a result of one person or the other thinking it's the best practice, to this extent, we must ensure that these grounds are appraised and solved with a great understanding of the sensitivity of the belief, the believer and the ardent passion to sustain it.

An understanding of the sensitivity of these 3 variables would help us approach matters with the right attitude; in love and faith in the ability for everyone to thrive on the global scene regardless of our differences. It will help us see the destructive, retarded and non favorable differences as another opportunity to show love and bring about change and development on the global scene.

We must not put our distaste before our ability to approach matters with wisdom, patience and good judgment.
We need to understand that our differences are the most difficult aspect of our lives to modify, yet the easiest to change with the right attitude and approach.

We must, identity, appraise and approach these differences with a clear mind, wisdom, patience; not acting in the heat  of the moment but understanding of the need to appreciate people for their differences as well as the need to adjust some to meet the need for change, sustainability and happiness of EVERYONE on the global scene.

Your approach to difference should not always be to change the belief of a person ( because yours might just be totally wrong).
The identification of a ground of difference is not a call to incite hate, hurt feelings and castigate, rather it's a call to love, discussion and calculated steps towards a better globe for us to thrive .
Remember that our differences go to the root of our feelings and to deal with them unreasonably and selfishly is to open doors for chaos that could be avoided with weapons of healthy character.

TASK: List 5 differences that you find distasteful on the global scene and list five healthy ways to balance and adjust them.

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