My reading for a class this week had to do with women in/and development, gender and development etc. Here is a quote from a book called Gender, Development and Globalization
“‘Helping poor people’- an expression often found in the literature and in the attitudes of those involved with development work- should not be the goal. Instead of ‘helping,’ the objective should be to do away with poverty by enabling the poor to find their own solutions and by recognizing their right to be fully integrated in the collective processes of human development. This is particularly applicable to women; their economic, social, and political rights must be recognized and their voices heard without patriarchal constraints to gender equality”
I found this quote particularly applicable to the situation of the shelter shutting down. While we should do all we can to 'help' the shelter- it is precisely because the workers at the shelter are attempting to enable its guests. We are not talking about hand outs. It is not necessarily about feeding people (although that is important!). Shelters allow particularly broken people time to heal and become enabled in a safe place. This is especially important for women (and often young women) who, when left without safe alternatives are likely to simply perpetuate their state of brokenness.
So, if you think that any of what I just said might be true... you can add your voice to that statement by doing something great.
Click here and write a short email to one of the contact people to say that cities need safe places for wounded people to heal.
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i agree with the participatory approach to the alleviation of poverty - why do we assume we know whats best for other people? the structures that enable patriarchy, essentialism and universalism (take for example, northern feminism!) have to be addressed. women's subjectivity - the agency women have to express their own lives and needs on their own terms - should never be compromised. i think of how annoyed i get when people speak for me when i am standing right there, you know?
it is hard to imagine how people may be enabled - but the pursuit of that goal is admirable... and sometimes not as simple as suggesting 'Jesus'.
that's all i've got. haha.
*tres good quote jackson*
lynne.
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