As if I give a f...?!

Often, I wish I'd be able to adapt this cool attitude towards my work, the whole ideology behind, and the flashes of political correctness which smacks upfront your face whenever you read an article or a press release from a Danish development NGO.

'Watch me, ha! - But as if I care...!' I mean there is so much more to life that trying to save the world our way. I wish there was more self-reflexion, irony and courage within the Danish development NGOs. And a shorter distance between the spoken words and the real action. The Danes can read on - on U-landsnyt which is the only web site compiling news from the Danish development enviroment. However, no news really...

Comments

[Morten Sigsgaard]

I saw your Danish Balthasar comment to the story too after I wrote my comment...

yeah, I'm just fine, sitting in Paris, and reading (and checking your blog!) for the last 10 days left of writing my BA about the so called global civil society, with a comparison of MS and Global Exchange in San Francisco as a case.

At least, Global Exchange don't have to justify what they do to the Danish state. So, then they have to brag to a lot of other private donors. But, I guess I find their rhetoric well, a bit less vomit-provoking.. :-)

And I agree with them that what we (as North citizens, activists) have to change is first and foremost the oppressive structures back in the North which affect the South. We need global justice, not development - the South countries will probably develop themselves very well if "we" can "just" "make looting history". (I mean by our governments, the World bank, the IMF, who won't let go of Africa's debt and the corporations that extract Africa's resources and give nothing back.) Anyway. before this gets too development-nerdy, I'll just send you a link to their site www.globalexchange.org. And keep the idea fermenting...
:-)

Drink a glass of white wine for me...
Morten

[P]

Hi Morten,
Happy not to be the only one. I will give it some thought. Not an issue to be solved this night in Masindi after too many glasses of white wine. Hope you are well there in CPH?!!
Pernille

[Morten Sigsgaard]

Hi Pernille

I completely agree with you - there's a lot of useless and vomit-provoking self-congratulation on the websites and in the press releases of the development agencies.

What I could find interesting to see on your (otherwise excellent) blog is some investigations on the topic of "what must be done", from the point of view of someone on the ground in Uganda.

What are you, and others around you, in favour of? The (RED) campaign, dropping the debt of the 3rd world countries, removing the EU's agricultural subsidies, establishing a new green/fair trade kind of economy, sending Danish school classes on obligatory friendship trips to Uganda...? Reforms, revolution, or something entirely else?

With lots of supportive regards
Morten