No doubt that large agencies do sometimes get in the way of local ingenuity. Local ingenuity is certainly essential for any long term solution. Introducing market dynamics into the process is undoubtedly a good thing.
All that said, as far as I can tell the need for the privileged and ordinary people to feel good about themselves and stroke their egos has brought many positive things to the world. This is true even when they are all but overflowing with neo-colonial arrogance. Now, I will grant you that I am not all that well read up on the issue, but I don't recall post-colonial theorists and angry intellectuals creating much positive change in the real world at all.
Jimmy Carter, it should be remembered, is a white, western celebrity activist and he deserves a good deal of the credit for the near elimination of Guinea worm.
Has Uzodinma Iweala done anything that compares to that?
If celebrity activism is not achieving good results, that hardly seems a reason to discourage, or publicly berate, activists. These impulses, however narcissistic in origin, can be used to positive ends. Public attacks against the activists seems an unlikely method to achieve those ends.
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No doubt that large agencies do sometimes get in the way of local ingenuity. Local ingenuity is certainly essential for any long term solution. Introducing market dynamics into the process is undoubtedly a good thing.
All that said, as far as I can tell the need for the privileged and ordinary people to feel good about themselves and stroke their egos has brought many positive things to the world. This is true even when they are all but overflowing with neo-colonial arrogance. Now, I will grant you that I am not all that well read up on the issue, but I don't recall post-colonial theorists and angry intellectuals creating much positive change in the real world at all.
Jimmy Carter, it should be remembered, is a white, western celebrity activist and he deserves a good deal of the credit for the near elimination of Guinea worm.
Has Uzodinma Iweala done anything that compares to that?
If celebrity activism is not achieving good results, that hardly seems a reason to discourage, or publicly berate, activists. These impulses, however narcissistic in origin, can be used to positive ends. Public attacks against the activists seems an unlikely method to achieve those ends.
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