Thinking Globally and Acting Locally

Thinking Globally and Acting Locally

In economics we speak of North and South or sometimes we talk of first world and third world. More recently, the terms begin to change and so we speak of developed world, developing world and underdeveloped world. In my world view, the geographical extent of North and South in economics terms really does not vary greatly.

My Experience in Southern Sudan and particularly Wau, have an impact of my understanding of development. I tent to think that foreign aid to most African countries are making most people lazy both mentally and physically. People do not think beyond the scope of receiving from the Western world, therefore, the skilled men and women tent to forget their natural skills. The local people are dependent on the foreign aid and so the concept going to the farm for instance and cultivate becomes useless since the donors are providing food, health care every two of three months.

In Rumbek one of the ten states of Southern Sudan had shortage of food in 2005. I remember when UNICEF agency introduce the idea of cultivating a huge farm of maze, so that every year WFP can stop sponsoring maze but rather oil and other necessary items. The aim of the project was to introduce every year new method of cultivating other crops and in doing so making people develop the state not only in agricultural aspect but also training nurses to take care of the hospitals instead of Red Cross Danish. Surprisingly the indigenous did not turn up in a good number, only Ugandans, Kenyans and Congolese and few Sudanese (local people of the area).

To me, it was not a shock t because the aid they are receiving from the foreign NGOs, made most of the people dependent on that. However, it sounds funny to many when the concept of cultivation was introduced. Many people, mostly in the local community question, why they need agricultural farms when WFP is providing wheat, maze, oil and UNICEF providing health care, school items. However, the few Sudanese who participated during the development of agricultural project got retired, foreigners left and the result of the project was wipe away. Until today, the land is still free and fertile.

I am not advocating that foreign aid to most African countries particularly Southern Sudan is a disease, it is good and backing up the development of many countries but if it is not handle well, then the foreign aid will be doing more harm than good. We need to be rooted in our local skills such as farming methods, using holes but now since we have tractors as a global recognize hole, then we use it locally. Growing acacia trees locally can bring investment both in the local community and the state.

My idea of development is not top-down conception but down-top development. We are able to use the available tools we have in the community and develop the skills step by step. Taking a leap and always forward in every stage educational development is the concept of economical growth in my mind. We start off with what we have and integrating it with the foreign aid we received will help us develop our country, local state and the local community.

Yes, we need development and yet the idea may not see the light if we do not integrate our global skills in the local community or society. We need to open the windows of our mind and it will help us think globally. For instance, I eat pizza well decorated with meat, chicken and so on, which is global; on the other hand I can prepare similar type of pizza, locally made with some coconuts, vegetables and can be tasty. This is the idea of thinking globally and acting locally and not always depending on the foreign aid. The idea is not forgoing the concept of foreign aid but integrating it with what we already have will be fruitful.
By Paul Tartisio Kenyi/Akershus University College,