Pass the NGO please...Sunday Rant

**MiSO** · 19-02-2010 11:28 PM

Talking about charity on Sunday, while having dinner, must be something expats like to do... ;-)

A few weeks ago I spent a Sunday with a handful of cool women from Java and Europe. And then..the very wealthy hostess started talking about charity and we ended up discussing about this . Somehow it is almost impossible not to do something charitable on Bali. And supporting people in need (yuk, how terrible does this sounds...) is good, no doubt about this. But supporting financially and giving goods is not enough. I am a strong believer in activating & educating people to get them involved, so in the end they can support themselves.
I said it before, but I see too many examples which I find they are too missonary-like. We (expats, not me btw, I mean: I am not an expat) think this is "good", so let's pass this on them. But when we want to get a certain group involved in a change, there is no other choice than to get involved in their culture, nature, way of thinking/living first.

"If their way is to ignore it, that's unfortunate, patently stupid, and simply irresponsible."
JC, maybe I am interpreting your words incorrectly, but somehow their way is how it fits in their life, their world, just as "saving" the world fits in our world.

**Markit** · 25-02-2010 06:40 PM

Just a follow up on this old thread: My new neighbour visited me on my building site and introduced himself. He's building a new villa direct on the beach and came by and got the full guided tour.

At the end of the tour he mentioned that he was forming, or already has .... a new NGO to stop the Balinese from using plastic bags and he was sure (didn't really even ask) that I would love to join. I then pointed out to my new neighbour that IMHO we should all grab a fecking plastic bag and lead by good example and just pick that shit up! Or he and his NGO should subsidize the use of biodegradable bags for the people here with real money. Not training or "educating the masses". I am convinced that until there is a cheaper alternative to the old plastic you can not realistically ask poor people to use a more costly alternative - no matter how ecological!

I'm beginning to understand that these people are Bali's answer to the Jehovah's Witnesses.

**JohnnyCool** · 26-02-2010 10:53 PM

"If their way is to ignore it, that's unfortunate, patently stupid, and simply irresponsible." JC, maybe I am interpreting your words incorrectly, but somehow their way is how it fits in their life, their world, just as "saving" the world fits in our world.

The way I see it is that there is only one world we're all living on which includes Balinese.
There is no "their way" any more.

Many intelligent/thoughtful Balinese already know this and feel frustrated. Attempts to change peoples' attitudes are extremely difficult any where! No body ever wants to be told that what they're doing is wrong or ineffective. Environmental issues these days are a world-wide problem, with no immediate (or any) solutions in sight.

Pollution from plastic is easy to see in many parts of Bali. As is dumping all kinds of rubbish into rivers, hoping it'll just go away somewhere else. (Out of sight, out of mind.)

Bali's waterways are also vectors for all kinds of agricultural chemicals (like fertilisers) which eventually wind up in the sea, with the plastic as well. Nobody should blame farmers up in the hills for doing what they have to do. Like grow crops and make a living. I feel that the Indonesian Government and its Bali division needs to do much more to educate people in a realistic way.

Attempts to get Balinese up to speed, so to speak, should be couched in such a way that the Balinese believe it was their idea in the first place.

Attempts to get the rest of the planet up to speed is something else.

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