Mission Statement

TED Talk Relating to Michael Woolcock’s Lecture

From Melinda Gates (of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) on what the development community could learn from Coca-Cola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUS6KE67Vs.

Check it, check it, don’t wreck it.

Task Groups

Leftover thoughts about Blessed Unrest

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So I had a general comment I wanted to make in class about Blessed Unrest during our discussion today, but because it never really fit into the conversation I kept it to myself. It was one of those situations where by the time I had figured out how to articulate it, my comment no longer seemed relevant, but I’d still like to throw it out there in case it speaks to anyone, hence this post.

I agree with what seemed to be a widely acknowledged critique of the book, namely that it isn’t much of a prescription for action. While this may be true, the book wasn’t about that for me, and to fall into that mindset seems dangerous since one of the most powerful messages in the book was the idea that trying to understand everything is futile. What really struck me about Hawken was his ability to take a step back and look at the earth, and humanity, from a distance. I’m thinking of the analogy to the human body, an unfathomably complex system, and the way it relates to my point about the futility of trying to understand how the world works. The thought of an individual human cell trying to understand how the entire body functions is almost laughable, and immensely humbling. I’m digressing, but the point I’d like to make is that while this book may not furnish us as readers with specific actions that we can take to improve the world, that’s okay, because we don’t necessarily have to understand the direct, or indirect, implications of our efforts in order for them to make a difference. What about Hawken’s mention of the Axial age, and how those who lived during that time probably had no idea what the long-term results of their philosophies and behaviors would be and how they would affect people thousands of years later? Who knows what impact the work of millions of NGOs will have down the line? For me, the book was about the feeling I got when I was reading it. As I finished the last 10 pages this morning, I literally felt buzzed, like drunk buzzed. I don’t know how to describe it, or explain how a book could make me feel that way. But I just had this sense that even if I never figure out how something I do will contribute to this unnamed movement in the grand scheme of things, all that matters is that I do contribute and, at the risk of sounding obscenely romantic and cliché, chances are everything will work out in the end.

Hope that was coherent, and apologies for the length. I just felt like I needed to get if off my chest, so thanks for reading.

Thoughts on ‘solutions’

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From Michael Woolcock’s lecture and his accompanying paper, there’s a lot to learn about the development process – how it can go well and how it can wallow. As you finish with the lecture tomorrow, please use the remaining time in class – till 12:30 – to share what you have learned from the article and the lecture, particularly as it relates to the three goals of the class.

And I would be thrilled if you’d record your observations and comments on this blog. Indeed, you might even record them in real time as you talk tomorrow and hit ‘publish’ as class ends: then I can study what you have come up with as I come back east.

Data on 21st century global challenges

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I thought it would be good to have a central spot with data on where we are in this century, absolutely and in comparison to previous centuries. (Inter-decadal comparisons are also useful.) I will try to find two kinds of links – an ‘overview’ link of the data source, and a link to a sample of the actual data that’s available (recognizing that there are usually many different iterations of the data.) Please add what you find in the comments section.

The UN’s Human Development Index

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi/
http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2010_EN_Table2_reprint.pdf

Freedom House and freedom in the world

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=15
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=439

World Values Survey

http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/
On development, freedom and happiness – http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/wvs/articles/folder_published/article_base_107

Population

Population reference bureau – http://www.prb.org/
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2009/2009wpds.aspx

Millennium Development Goals

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf

Ecological indicators

State of the world – http://www.worldwatch.org/
Vital signs – http://vitalsigns.worldwatch.org/all-trends
UNEP reports – http://www.unep.org/publications/

Things we need to do …

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So here’s the complete list that we came up with in class, organized around communication, process, and content.

Communication

We must “continue to communicate”
- With ‘shared enthusiasm and excitement”
Communicate with other people, organizations on campus
Be comfortable about speaking up
- Be able to point out directions (of class) that may not like
- Be comfortable asking questions

Process

Create the space in class to share experiences, tell stories
Work in small groups
- Share challenges, ideas
Coordinate with campus organizations. leaders
Follow up with folks outside of campus

Content

Learn about processes, how things work
- NGOs
- The Political system
Find failures (of social entrepreneurs)
Eliminate stuff (don’t try to do too much with the center …)

Getting started

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Welcome to our class blog. Please us this first post to share questions, concerns and ideas about our class, including Marshal Ganz’s approach to public narrative.