OST and decolonization

[john engle]

dear chris,

thank you for taking the time to share this quote. we are in the midst of
producing a 20 documentary on the experience in Haiti of open space and
reflection circles (discussion based-education designed for classroom).

a very progressive US-based organization whose members are familiar with
open space through their connection to haiti, just committed to finance the
balance remaining of the documentary cost (US$5,000). my contact sent me a
message last week saying roughly: "we are pleased to have the opportunity to
fund this. we believe that promoting open space in countries that are
materially poor is one way for people from financially rich countries to
have a profoundly positive impact. our (people from financially rich
countries) efforts to do good so often result in a neo-colonization. instead
of pillaging as we have done in the past, we do things--without even being
aware of it in many cases-- that result in the same outcome: exploitation
and a relationship of domination. i so often see how our good intentions
foster learned dependeny among those we wish to help. we believe that open
space and reflections circles are among the best things going on right now
in terms of contributing to haiti's future."

i strongly believe that were i to not have come upon open space, the perils
of being an n. american working for change in a place like haiti, would have
overwhelmed me with disillusionment, resulting in the need to leave the
country years ago.

john

http://www.beyondborders.net/experiment.htm

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