Good Intentions are Not Enough (http://goodintents.org) is a great website that I've found generally has something useful to say about any given popular development movement. I found the article below from a link on that site:
"charitable gifts from abroad can distort developing markets and undermine local businesses by creating an entirely unsustainable aid-based economy" http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679628/the-broken-buy-one-give-one-model-three-ways-to-save-toms-shoes Regards Fritz On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 4:15 AM, Mustafa Naseem <mustafanaseem at gmail.com> wrote: > This is a really interesting conversation that was also covered by Foreign > Policy as well. > > http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/11/haiti_doesnt_need_your_old_tshirt > > The article and the comments are pretty interesting. Thought I'd share it > with you guys. > > Best, > Mustafa > > > On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 8:08 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Re: Shoes destroying economies >> >> I don't have any data on local shoe production. The closest thing I've >> found has to do with clothing. In "Used-Clothing Donations and Apparel >> Production in Africa", Frazer reports, "Used-clothing imports are >> found to have a negative impact on apparel production in Africa, >> explaining roughly 40% of the decline in production and 50% of the >> decline in employment over the period 1981?2000." >> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02190.x/full >> >> Re: Why not do both kinds of aid >> >> The world only has so many resources (money, time, attention, etc) to >> devote to problems. Why spend the time and energy on things that we >> know don't make a difference (but do make us feel good about >> ourselves). That is, maybe we should be focusing on getting local >> workers to build latrines and wells instead of using those same >> resources to ship shoes and shirts to Africa. >> >> >> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 18:08, judy wawira <judywawira at gmail.com> wrote: >> > Hello >> > >> > I am from East Africa, and my family could afford shoes. Unfortunately >> > at >> > one point in primary (for 2 years) I had to go to school barefoot >> > because >> > that was what my headteacher thought was a good school policy. >> > >> > later on as a clinician working in many remote parts of the country, >> > including Narok among Maasai community famous for wearing the 'Akalas' >> > (http://www.uzanunua.com/listing/5324-akala-open-shoes/) ; at one point >> > a >> > fashion statement, I am yet to see anyone die from hookworm infestation >> > >> > Malnutrition, pneumonia, measles, malaria, Diarrhoea diseases remain >> > leading >> > killers of under 5 year olds. And ultimately better facilities with >> > oxygen >> > and critical care, ?safe and?efficient?blood processing facilities, and >> > provision of essential drugs may avert these untimely deaths. The >> > solution >> > is not as simple as my statement, but 3 monthly deworming of children as >> > part of schools programs i think can better control diseases like >> > hookworm >> > without having people walk barefoot. >> > >> > I think its time to get our priorities right, there are real problems >> > that >> > we can help in these areas and leave people feeling dignified. >> > >> > My 2 cents >> > >> > Judy >> > >> > On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 8:29 PM, Nathan Barthel >> > <nbarthel at codedincountry.org> wrote: >> >> >> >> A thought or two: >> >> >> >> 1. ?"going barefoot is the least of the concerns of folks who >> >> live in these communities where health and employment are the biggest >> >> problems" ?- The website actually lists health as a major reason why >> >> they >> >> want to supply shoes. ?You mention East Africa and Hookworm is a real >> >> problem there: >> >> >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hookworm_disease_world_map_-_DALY_-_WHO2002.svg >> >> There are long term impacts to an individual who is left untreated for >> >> hookworm and can potential stunt someones both?physical?and mental >> >> development. ?Clearly not a good thing for 'development'. >> >> ?Additionally, the >> >> disease is spread by not wearing shoes and stepping in contaminated >> >> matter - >> >> this wouldn't be a problem if they were wearing shoes. >> >> >> >> 2. ?I've heard the argument before that giving T-shirts or shoes etc >> >> destroy the local economy. ?I understand the logic, but does anyone >> >> have a >> >> source or data to back it up? ?And why can't their be room for both? >> >> ?Someone who is focused on giving and someone else who is focused on >> >> building the economy etc. Does giving shoes really destroy a local >> >> economy? >> >> >> >> >> >> 3. ?I remember quite well the whole 'million t-shirts for Africa' ? I'm >> >> not going to write what I want to, but essentially I felt the whole >> >> thing >> >> was juvenile. ?On all sides. ?It seemed like some sort >> >> of?peculiar?'turf >> >> war' over development. >> >> >> >> Anyway, I suppose my ultimate thought is that this might not be the >> >> most >> >> effective form of 'development' but I'm not sure how much it really >> >> matters. >> >> ?I'm certainly more of a 'trade' guy, but I think there is room for >> >> both. >> >> ?Essentially, are the shoes or t-shirts for >> >> Tanzania?or?Bangladesh?or?Bolivia?really a problem that needs to be >> >> addressed? ?And, my second thought is that it appears to me that >> >> getting >> >> people shoes who don't have them and/or perhaps simply encouraging >> >> their >> >> wear, might ultimately be pretty helpful in?combating?some >> >> serious?disease?problems - and therefore development as well. >> >> >> >> Ok. ?I'm done. ?Just drove for 10 hours and was feeling punchy. >> >> -Nate >> >> >> >> >> >> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 5:24 PM, Yaw Anokwa <yanokwa at gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> >> >>> I got an email today about TOMS One Day Without Shoes. >> >>> >> >>> According to http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com, today is "the day we >> >>> spread awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child?s >> >>> life by taking off our own. Why? Millions of children live without >> >>> proper footwear, exposing them to injury and disease every day." >> >>> >> >>> I think this is a reasonable thing for our community to discuss, so >> >>> I've put my response to that email below. Any thoughts on One Day >> >>> Without Shoes or the TOMS model? I'd love some pushback... >> >>> >> >>> ---------------------------------------- >> >>> >> >>> As your friendly neighborhood global development cynic, I should point >> >>> out that in places I've worked (mostly East Africa), shoes are widely >> >>> available and very affordable. Even if shoes were not readily >> >>> available, going barefoot is the least of the concerns of folks who >> >>> live in these communities where health and employment are the biggest >> >>> problems. And so what makes this TOMS advertising campaign frustrating >> >>> to me is that it's been shown that donations of clothing and shoes >> >>> destroy economies in these very communities. >> >>> >> >>> This year there was a campaign called "A Day Without Dignity" that >> >>> touched on some of these issues. >> >>> >> >>> "Why has it become so easy for people to start feel-good campaigns >> >>> that no one asked for? There are a thousand things this village needs >> >>> and nowhere on the list are t-shirts and shoes..." >> >>> -- TMS Ruge from Uganda at >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> http://projectdiaspora.org/wp-content/2011/04/05/shoes-the-least-of-our-problems/ >> >>> >> >>> "TOMS, there are many ways for you to really make a difference. Invest >> >>> in and share your expertise with local shoe businesses, leading to >> >>> sustainable jobs. Donate some of your profits to support educational >> >>> institutions, leading to more opportunities. These are things that >> >>> people want, and promote their dignity. If you're not willing to do >> >>> that, please drop your current marketing approach which oversells your >> >>> impact, encourages self-absorbed charity, and is an affront to the >> >>> dignity of the materially poor." >> >>> -- Marshall Birkey at >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> http://marshallbirkey.com/economic-development/aidwars-toms-shoes-vs-dignity/ >> >>> >> >>> If you are interested, you can find out more at >> >>> http://goodintents.org/in-kind-donations/a-day-without-dignity and >> >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EaSlKqs6Fo >> >>> >> >>> I do think it's important to raise awareness, but it's also important >> >>> to be cautious when it comes to issues of global development. It's >> >>> almost always more complicated than it seems. >> >>> >> >>> _______________________________________________ >> >>> change mailing list >> >>> change at change.washington.edu >> >>> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> change mailing list >> >> change at change.washington.edu >> >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Judy >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > change mailing list >> > change at change.washington.edu >> > http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change >> > >> >> _______________________________________________ >> change mailing list >> change at change.washington.edu >> http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change > > > > _______________________________________________ > change mailing list > change at change.washington.edu > http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change >
