International Development: Can a Helping Hand Heal a Broken World?

No aid organization is a monochrome. Rather, it is a rainbow coalition of middleclass suburbanites, balanced by shades of extravagant politicians, blessed by curious-looking eccentrics, coloured by the hues of multicultural opinions of academia, tinted by zealots from NGOs and skewed by sometimes shady entrepreneurs. If you are a religious person who believes that spirituality is part of life, then you may find a job in foreign aid, but possibly only as a reformer. If you believe that every act is holy, then you may discover that many people in sustainable development are involved in sinful activities. If you are a humanitarian, you may uncover scores of individuals who are up-lifting as well as a host of persons who are callous and exploitive. If you're ambitious, the sky is the limit. If you're a control freak, you' ll feel right at home associating with all the cutthroats, thieves and dictators in the developed and developing world. On the international stage, foreign aid reflects the contradictions in the global village -- an imprint of life itself. What is unfortunate is that there are too few geniuses who can turn water into wine. In the 21st century, there are constituencies both in the North and South that have profound doubts about foreign aid. Still, others cling to the ideal that international development assistance enhances people's choices. The most critical of these are to live a long and healthy life, to be educated and to have access to resources needed for a decent standard of living. Out of the ashes of the Cold War, democracy, market economies and human rights have become more universal and the bedrock of development. There are opportunities in workingabroad to explore unusual, out of the ordinary destinations like the ruins of ancient civilizations. Imagine the awe and wonder when a person arrives in the village of Mot, Egypt, on the edge of the Sahara desert and realizes that this was the last outpost of the Roman Empire. Close by, the crew on the archaeological dig begin yelling. Flesh crawls with anticipation and excitement. "It's a skull, a Roman skull." Or perhaps, walk through a crowded West African craft market. It's a bit like visiting the Louvre in Paris. There are many ordinary pieces but then there are some superb carvings in ebony and mahogany sold at bargain basement prices. Gazing at the new acquisitions in the comfort of one's home, one has a sense of connectedness to Africa and the local artist and his community. People want to feel alive --that they're really living. Working overseas for the betterment of humanity is not exactly a hair-shirt experience. It offers a chance to travel, live in an exotic culture and undertake challenges that stretch the mind. It's one helluva ride. Foreign aid workers will say that to be an internationalist is life's true raison d'etre.