Complexity & values LO8553

Thomas P Benjamin (BENJAMIN@anand.nddb.ernet.in)
Thu, 18 Jul 1996 11:53:58 +0530

Replying to LO8527 --

To Michael

Refering to Robert Bacal"s Complexity and Values LO8457 and my response,
re: the practice of female infanticide in our rural areas, Michael added
that "the dilemmas facing the Western world is about changing the world
for the better, yet are beginning (finally) to recognize that we don't
have all the answers-and so we attempt to respect and try to preserve the
assorted cultures we come in contact with.

Where in the 19th century, many from England, America and other places
went to Africa, China, South America, etc. in an attempt to "save those
savages" from themselves-and now have the unfortunate reputation as
medlers and foreign devils-We still need to face the fact that there are a
lot of really unsavery practices in ALL cultures (even ours), and some
form of change activity needs to be there, but it has to come from the
inside-not by us who attempt to impose our values on "them".

We can supply tools, coaching, encouragement and alternative points of
view, so as much as possible help other cultures see things that they take
as being normal as we might see them (yech!), but we also have to be open
to seeing our own "yech", because it is most definitely there.

I'm concerned that we stand on our lofty and politically correct pedistals
(what ever form those pedistals might take) and look down on "those poor,
dumb savages" and commit the same blunders our forbearers did when they
"went missionarying".

I can't comprehend the killing of any child. So cultures that engage in
it revolt me. But many of them can't comprehend how we treat our elderly,
so it seems we both need to change. lets make sure we keep learning a two
way street-because the moment we stop learning and start preaching, we've
fallen".

I would like to add that this attitude need not only be between the West
and the "other" world. We have come to realise that those words stated
above by Michael holds good for us within our own country. We used a well
known Chinese poem as our guiding principle-"Go to the people, live with
them, love them,learn from them, build on what they have, and when the
task is done, they will say we have done it ourselves". To practice this
with any degree of comfort it needs humility, discipline and a great deal
of unlearning. Michael's words triggered the inadequesy we felt when
attempting to live upto such loftier expectations. We had accepted the
poem as a value that we needed to live upto. All members of the
organisation did not neccessarily come with this value. This was an
espoused value. We had accepted it as a desirable value to persue. I
think it was the intent, that was important. Our actions may have had
mistakes. However, those actions were considered right. On implementation,
if we have learned something, that was good enough. Most of the action
oriented workers are weak in their conceptual skills. I would therefore
not blame those well meaning missionaries, or any other well meaning
"Westener". Even if it is misinterpreted, as long as the intent is for
solidarity, the attempts must go on. If organisations need to change for
their survival, why not communities think of changing?

Thomas P Benjamin
NDDB.Anand.India.388001
EMail: benjamin@anand.nddb.ernet.in[Thomas P=B]

-- 

"Thomas P Benjamin" <BENJAMIN@anand.nddb.ernet.in>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>