Wouldn't it be nice if, as Terry Clayton suggests in his blog, a few well-intentioned people for whom “development is an aspirational vocation” could make the world a better place through their “network of contacts” and “dropping a word or facilitating an informal meeting or two that might lead to things happening".
On what basis can we believe that social transformation is about individuals' action and good intentions only? Learning and remembering, indeed, remains somewhat of a weak spot of organizations as well as individuals......; disqualification of others is much easier accomplished.
The statement that “little is hidden if you look for it” may hold a degree of truth, although dangerously bordering on “after all everything has already been said and written”. It seems to us, however, that a few important subsequent sub questions are overlooked:
*Do these not-so-hidden things matter in the way “development” is enacted, and its costs and benefits distributed?
*If they are, why do so few people look for them and why are we so apt at building justifications that keep us in the comfort zone?
*What are the consequences of looking for them, and not ignoring them? What are the implicit social mechanisms that raise the cost of doing so? Why do you have to be retired to only consider thinking about it seriously, not to say writing about it?
If the (slightly naïve) description of the vocation is true then we should assume that many more people should not be able to live with these issues without engaging with them.
Terry’s argument exactly suggest to us that it is important to venture complementing Machiavelli with real-world accounts that might help those who look for a more elaborate understanding of how the real world - with human fallibility included (as well as those who don’t).
The authors of this special issue have, indeed, been mentors to many people, in their own organizations and beyond. This special issue of Water Alternatives offers a chance for those who have not had the privilege of working with them to learn from their experience and critical reflections.
Wouldn't it be nice if, as Terry Clayton suggests in his blog, a few well-intentioned people for whom “development is an aspirational vocation” could make the world a better place through their “network of contacts” and “dropping a word or facilitating an informal meeting or two that might lead to things happening".
On what basis can we believe that social transformation is about individuals' action and good intentions only? Learning and remembering, indeed, remains somewhat of a weak spot of organizations as well as individuals......; disqualification of others is much easier accomplished.
The statement that “little is hidden if you look for it” may hold a degree of truth, although dangerously bordering on “after all everything has already been said and written”. It seems to us, however, that a few important subsequent sub questions are overlooked:
*Do these not-so-hidden things matter in the way “development” is enacted, and its costs and benefits distributed?
*If they are, why do so few people look for them and why are we so apt at building justifications that keep us in the comfort zone?
*What are the consequences of looking for them, and not ignoring them? What are the implicit social mechanisms that raise the cost of doing so? Why do you have to be retired to only consider thinking about it seriously, not to say writing about it?
If the (slightly naïve) description of the vocation is true then we should assume that many more people should not be able to live with these issues without engaging with them.
Terry’s argument exactly suggest to us that it is important to venture complementing Machiavelli with real-world accounts that might help those who look for a more elaborate understanding of how the real world - with human fallibility included (as well as those who don’t).
The authors of this special issue have, indeed, been mentors to many people, in their own organizations and beyond. This special issue of Water Alternatives offers a chance for those who have not had the privilege of working with them to learn from their experience and critical reflections.
--The editors of Water Alternatives