Comments on: Class Assignment: Give Away $100,000 http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/2013/02/08/class-assignment-give-away-100000/ Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:19:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/2013/02/08/class-assignment-give-away-100000/#comment-100756 Mary Elizabeth Nordstrom Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:12:44 +0000 http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/?p=11225#comment-100756 Consensus was reached by an innovative method. I trust that the students who are learning to compromise for the good of national, international community causes will plan to devote some of their lifetime career years to public office, or accepting important public appointments.

]]> By: Kate Spring http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/2013/02/08/class-assignment-give-away-100000/#comment-100664 Kate Spring Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:57:58 +0000 http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/?p=11225#comment-100664 Excellent exercise.

I love the way this helped the students to grapple with the real issues out there on ressource allocation and its politics.

I have a concern, though, about this becoming a ‘staple’. I challenge Middlebury to go to a higher ground of helping the beneficiaries, especially those from poorer foreign countries, to find innovative ways of raising funds LOCALLY for a sustainable effort.

In my 25 years experience in development work, I think this is no longer the way to support people who need help to tackle whatever public health (or other social) inequities they are facing. If the problem requires $1m to solve it completely, will $100,000 help, hurt or have no impact? Who wants to

View More
solve the problem? Who decides the solution? With due respect to the enthusiasiasm of the students, can they, or foreign-based NGOs have a lasting solution on problems situated in an entirely different context?

I would suggest partnering with another university from a beneficiary country on the topic and find some solutions. Ashesi University in Ghana, for example, and I presume others in other developing countries, have programmes around entrepreneuralship, philanthropy and ethics.
In any case, I think this was a good, practical exercise. I’m glad the students found a way to break the stalemate.

View Less
]]>