Comments on: Lost in translation: the alienation of the development worker http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320 duncan green poverty to power oxfam development Wed, 22 May 2013 17:17:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: James Stevenson http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320&cpage=1#comment-270762 James Stevenson Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:53:24 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320#comment-270762 "The result is a kind of spiritual/emotional vertigo, a high-speed zooming in and out in terms of scale and emotional landscape... But I do wonder whether overall, it dulls the nerve endings, blunts the edges of the sensibilities, leaving you seeking refuge in the bland abstractions of development-speak." Duncan, this is great writing. Precisely describing feelings that are very hard to articulate. “The result is a kind of spiritual/emotional vertigo, a high-speed zooming in and out in terms of scale and emotional landscape…

But I do wonder whether overall, it dulls the nerve endings, blunts the edges of the sensibilities, leaving you seeking refuge in the bland abstractions of development-speak.”

Duncan, this is great writing. Precisely describing feelings that are very hard to articulate.

]]> By: Gareth Price-Jones http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320&cpage=1#comment-270516 Gareth Price-Jones Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:50:46 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320#comment-270516 I'm sure those holidays exist, and are ludicrously expensive. Speaking from experience in the disconnected highlands of Afghanistan (in Sharistan) I can report a wonderful sense of peace from being in a remote, pretty valley with the most high tech thing being a bucket winch for pulling water up from the river below. For about two hours. Then (for me at least) it rapidly wore thin and I was rapidly longing for a book that I hadn't read twice before, a decent road, access to a telly and an electric light, and all the other comforts of modern life. I’m sure those holidays exist, and are ludicrously expensive. Speaking from experience in the disconnected highlands of Afghanistan (in Sharistan) I can report a wonderful sense of peace from being in a remote, pretty valley with the most high tech thing being a bucket winch for pulling water up from the river below. For about two hours. Then (for me at least) it rapidly wore thin and I was rapidly longing for a book that I hadn’t read twice before, a decent road, access to a telly and an electric light, and all the other comforts of modern life.

]]> By: Reclaim Education http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320&cpage=1#comment-270504 Reclaim Education Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:26:49 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=12320#comment-270504 So Development Tourism is all about the harrowing effects on the noble 'developer'? Didn't Chambers mention something about the effects it had on the'developpee'? Can I suggest a follower up blog on that? Also, while the 'developer' suffers heart-rending "spiritual/emotional vertigo" your last blog spoke about the disgusting, but also circumstance induced immorality of bankers. Could we have a follow blog on the circumstance induced immorality of 'developers'? Bankers are at least now being self-critical and acknowledgeing their failings. Please, consider doing the same, Oxfam et al! If you are going to gaze at your naval, why not give it a clean at the same time? Finally, as a volunteer visitor at immigration detention centres in the UK, I'm wondering whether to discuss your empathy and solidarity with the detainees. Many of them walked to the UK from Afghanistan, but will be able to feel empathy with your "high speed zooming" as they are flown back courtesy of the UK Border Agency. So Development Tourism is all about the harrowing effects on the noble ‘developer’? Didn’t Chambers mention something about the effects it had on the’developpee’? Can I suggest a follower up blog on that?

Also, while the ‘developer’ suffers heart-rending “spiritual/emotional vertigo” your last blog spoke about the disgusting, but also circumstance induced immorality of bankers. Could we have a follow blog on the circumstance induced immorality of ‘developers’? Bankers are at least now being self-critical and acknowledgeing their failings. Please, consider doing the same, Oxfam et al!

If you are going to gaze at your naval, why not give it a clean at the same time?

Finally, as a volunteer visitor at immigration detention centres in the UK, I’m wondering whether to discuss your empathy and solidarity with the detainees. Many of them walked to the UK from Afghanistan, but will be able to feel empathy with your “high speed zooming” as they are flown back courtesy of the UK Border Agency.

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