#105: "kind of development" Gill replies to Driver

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: dr gill <markgill@clas.net>

Mr. Driver states that it is the KIND of development of such organizations
as
USAID that is the real problem in Haiti....kind, i assume, meaning
development that only in the interest in this case, of the US.....

how is the kind of development pushed by the USAID in the interest of the
US?  if projects such as infrastructure are implemented, how are such
projects
the "wrong" kind of development?

and, may i mention that when a foreign agency, at least an agency of
another government, or of the UN, enters a country to undertake projects,
they must
deal with the government of that country, and be accredited by that
government......they must work within the framework of that governments
agencies, and implement projects with the cooperation of that
government....

the point is that when such an agency enters a country, the projects that
are wanted by the government are usually "macro" in nature.....road
construction or repair, water and sewer projects, etc......rarely do
governments in poor countries opt for program development in rural areas
as the focus of aid that is received.......no, the "macro" urban projects
seem
to get all the attention......

of course, there are smaller rural projects, but they are usually 
minor......

my overall point is the "kind" of development is not normally determined by
the foreign agency, such as USAID......rather, development is determined by
the foreign agency and the government of that country......

this is why NO amount of foreign aid focused on Haiti will ever attack some
of the systemic problems the average Haitian is faced with daily.....

but, this does not mean that the foreign agency has a hidden
agenda.....some
may have, but establishing such requires considerable data.....

i dont see the data.....and, i do not accept the inuendos often associated
with
certain writers of the "Haitian scene".....

Mark Gill