Aid-based vs. Community-based Approach (Week 8&9 Blog)

Not until this week did I think aid-based approaches were mostly ineffective.  I assumed that all the goods collected and donated to third world countries were because they did not have access to such resources and needed U.S aid.  However, after reviewing aid-based and community-rooted macro social work research, I have been uplifted from the ignorant world of "Badvocacy" (Texas in Africa Blog, 2009).

Aid-Based Approach

Young boy eating 1 of the 2.4 million Pop-Tarts
in which most of them found their way to the Black Market!

The current U.S aid-based approach supplies countries with goods such as shirts, shoes, and foods that are left overs or over produced items from U.S. companies and citizens.  An actual example described by Charles Kenny in his article Haiti Doesn't Need Your Old T-Shirt, indicates the U.S. dropped "2.4 million Pop-Tarts into Afghanistan in January 2002".  If the U.S. was going to give food away why wouldn't they give healthy food?  Think about it - 2.4 million Pop-Tarts! How is Pop-Tarts going to help the local farmers keep their crop growing?  How is Pop-Tarts going to help the poor buy food? How is Pop-Tarts going to give the body needed nutrients?  It's not! Dropping Pop-Tarts, the losing team's Super Bowl shirts, and other overproduced merchandise on third world countries, keeps the countries poor. The U.S. aid contributes to the loss of income to the local economy by giving consumers items that they would normally have to purchase.  It's not that the basic needs products are not available in third world countries, it is the fact that the people need to be able to afford to purchase the items.  The more tangible aid the U.S. provides, the poorer the countries will grow. The article Before You Give...Think!! 7 Steps for Critical Reflection published on a blog by Tumblr indicates that if proper aid is to be given to countries who WANT it, then the U.S. should aid in political and economical growth.  The U.S. could assist in creating jobs within the country, help build free educational institutions, and  provide support for other resources that a particular country needs and not give what the U.S. aid givers feel is needed which seems to only benefits their own self-worth.

Community-Based Approach

The Women, War and Peace movement videos utilize a totally different perspective and approach to change than the Kony 2012 aid approach.  The women of western Africa used a community-based approach. The community-based approach gets to the root of the issue and solves it, whereas, the aid approach seems to provide "left over" products as a way to gain tax deductions and leave a sense of self-worth like one did "something" to help the less privileged. I watched the video I Came To Testify with a beating heart. The brave women who had become the weapon of choice through torture and rape and were tired of being a weapon fought back.  They fought back and they fought back hard.  I was amazed to see how bold they were. The women utilized their cultural resources, their intelligence, and allies with each other.  This was the first time in African history that Muslims and Christians bonded together.  The women didn't let religion get in the way of their movement, nor did they let the fact that they were women stand in their way either.  The women realized that the only way to survive was to fight back and resist in order to find peace for themselves and their children.  The women understood that they had to rally together and get to the bottom of the issue and that is what they did. They knew the only way there would be peace in Africa was if a peace treaty was signed. Therefore, they rallied, chanted, and secured their stance until they were noticed.  The most crucial stance was when  cultural competence was used to gain respect from the lead men.  Threatening to protest naked and taking away the privilege of having sex with the women showed the men that the women meant business. The men then took the women more seriously as seeing a mother figure naked on purpose is against African culture (PBS). The women's actions are perfect examples of grassroots community organizing as the women got down to the problem and resolved it on the community level. If an aid-based approach was taken, the women may still be overtly oppressed, raped, and tortured and their refugee camp filled with overproduced shoes and New England Patriots Super Bowl XLVI champion shirts!

     Invisible Children and Kony 2012 
The idea of Invisible Children (IC) is great. However, the way they are going about it seems to give only one side of the story. A Uganda journalist blogger named Rosebell who responded to Kony 2012 on YouTube indicates that Kony 2012 tells Uganda's story from the perspective of the IC community and from the memory of one of Uganda's children. The story is not representative of the country, but only of a portion of the tragedy that still lingers from the LRA.  The story does not provide what resources and strengths that country boast, nor does it provide what has been solidified and rectified by the passed terror on the country.  The Kony 2012 is Badvocay.  Has any of the millions of YouTube followers or activist that are purchasing the Kony  items or Geo kits ask Uganda what they need?  Think about it!  As social workers, we follow the NASW Code of Ethics.  One of the Core Values of the Code of Ethics is EMPOWERING people...supporting them in THEIR goals (NASW, 1996).  How does anyone who views the Kony 2012 video or exploits the people of Uganda by spreading the "experiment video" narrated by Jason Russel, expect to empower the people of Uganda when no one has asked them what they need?  The Kony 2012 video does not give a voice to the "invisible children" of Uganda. It spreads the ideology of western civilization through one person's perspective.  How is that empowering the Ugandan people? 

What are your thoughts on this MSNBC interview with Jason Russell?

MSNBC "The Last Word" with Jason Russell by Lawrence O'Donnell

 

BADVOCACY or ADVOCACY

Millions of individuals' opinions about people and the world are shared on YouTube daily.

The videos influence the viewers worldview and perspective on social problems and policies.
Below is a video that I found during my YouTube search on badvoacy and advocacy for 3rd World Countries and Exploitation.
I would like to know if you feel this video is badvocay or advocacy!!

Click HERE to watch video
3rd World Aid vs. Exploitation of the 3rd World

Intervention Task Completed as of 3/12/12

Date	Time	Activity
1/31/12	45 minutes	Created two page list of resources and contacts for community promotion and involvement of events and emailed to Laura.
1/31/12	5 minutes	Emailed BSU University and Community Partnerships for advice and help.
2/2/12	5 min 6:47 am	Emailed 432 online class for their community contact info and additions to the community promotion list.
2/2/12	4:01pm	Email to Scott Davenport with contact info for community contacts
2/2/12	11:00 am	Email feedback to Dr. Boutwell on community promotions and feedback to Christi on contacts in the community.
2/2/12	8:30 pm	Updated promotion contact list
2/3/12	12:35	Sent FB Post about places to hang flyers
2/4/12	4:52	Updated Promotion list on FB
2/4/12	2pm	Communication with Madonna on task that  need to be completed for promoting.
2/7/12	5:29	Email to Madonna asking if she heard about any updates
2/7/12	6:23	Posted 5 promotion suggestions on blackboard
2/8/12	10:10	Recruiting of leader email sent to 4 people who I thought would make good leaders.
2/9/12 & 2/10/12	9:02	Sent email to set up Leadership time meetings and updated  Face book promotion doc.
2/9/12	10:06	Correspondence to and from Madonna to  clarify work that needs to be done and merge some docs.
2/10/12	7:43	Merged promotional docs from into word to prepare for  Thurs. Leaders meeting
2/11/12	3:24	Email to leadership group about combing the discussion board promotion ideas into one doc for 432 leadership meeting on Thrus.  2/16/12
2/13/12	1pm	Added promotion resources to list for leadership meeting
2/16	4:45-6:30	Leadership meeting with Dr. Boutwell
2/17/12	1:00	Outreach Email to OCES for DV week at BSU. Ask to distribute at Senior Bullying Prof. Development seminar
2/17/12	6pm	Sent east and west side locations for posting flyers to leadership group.
2/17/12	4pm	Secured permission to promote DV events at my intern OCES during senior bulling seminar.
2/19/12	1pm	Distributed SAVE the date flyer to personal contacts via email
2/20/12	11:30 am	Sent info email to leadership group re.:BSU outreach
2/21/12	11:30	Send Save the Date Flyer and VDay flyer to BSU outreach.
2/21/12	2pm	Email correspondence to Leadership committee and BSU outreach
2/21/12	4:30	Email to Outreach leaders
2/21/12	5:20	Organization of Task to Outreach leaders and Laura
2/22/12	10am	Emails to/from Laura and Diana regarding Sex Rape Kits
2/27/12	8:30	Email to Molly/Peer Education bout meeting Email to Madonna to give her update.
2/28/12	9:30	·         Met with Molly/Peer Educator and Laura B. to discuss Health Outreach and Peer Educators involvement in CLP ·         Send email to Diana/CLP organizer with meeting update ·         Sent update to Outreach team  regarding meeting
2/28/12	11am	Sent outreach email to Julie Manning at Catholic Charities to see if organization interested in awareness week.
2/28/12	11:24	·         Email to Diana/CLP re:  time and place of set-up for Molly ·         Emailed Molly about possible peer education doing Stahl postings!
2/28/11	5pm	Response correspondence to Molly regarding CLP questions she and Ann Doyle had.
3/1/12	8am	Outreach email to Old Colony Elder Services to see if interested in having a table during DV awareness week
3/1/12	9:33 am	Call to South Shore Women’s Resource Center. Spoke to Joan to see of Kathy Spears wants to do an info table.
3/8/12	1pm	Emailed Save the Date flyers to personal contacts and OCES (my sr. internship supervisor) to post
3/9/12	1pm	Send follow up email to Catholic Charities contact Julie Manning
3/12/12	4:45 pm	Contacted S. Davenport via email to find out if there is anything that I may do to help outreach
3/14/12	5:41	Emailed BSU University and Community Partnerships New updated flyers Emailed new updated flyers to OCES supervisor
3/14/12	5:55	FACEBOOK - Created Weeklong event page for BSU DV week
3/16/12	2pm	Distributed all event flyers to Protective Service Department at OCES and to MSW interns during group supervision
3/21/12	9:30 am	Distributed over 50 event flyers to OCES employees and other community workers during senior bullying professional development  at OCES and co-sponsored by Emmanuel House
3/27/12	10 am	FACEBOOK POST to BSU sites BSU Outreach;  BUS OUR. BSU Alumni, BSU SWAT (student weekend activities team), Phi Alpha BSU Commuters, BSU Parents, BSU Graduation BSU List (consist of FB users that have BSU as school)
3/27/12	10:48	Invite email sent :  BSU Program, CMA, Asian studies, social justice league, BSU University and Partnership Program, BSU Center for International engagement, External affairs, BSU community center, and a few more that I found
4/3/12	10:31	Sent edited copy of Laura's INVITAIONAL email to BSU groups, personal contacts, and interns.
4/3/12	Ongoing	Continuously talking to BSU and surrounding community that I come in contact with about the weeklong events and the collection of items for rape survival kits
4/3/12	Ongoing	Collected a huge bag of items from family and friends for the Rape Survival Kits to be donated.
4/3/12	10:34	Sent email to Ann and Molly to find out specifics about the Rape Kit Collection info so I can spread the word.
4/3/12	4:36	Posted updated event flyers and survival kit flyer to face book events page for 432
4/9/12	9:12	ClothesLine Project ECC  and reposting event invites