DIY development aid

From Bono to a college student who takes an alternative spring break to help people living in poverty, interest and participation in development-related activities has increased among non-specialists in the past decade. Philanthropists, students at many levels, and people in business, professional groups, and migrants’ associations now constitute a fourth pillar of development alongside the traditional three pillars of bilateral aid, multilateral aid, and NGOs. Patrick Develtere and Tom De Bruyn discuss the fourth pillar drawing on their experiences and research in Belgium. They point out that the fourth pillar is often neglected in the development discourse and their potential impact and contributions go uncounted in the overall development picture.

The authors are optimistic about the potential of the emerging fourth pillar in helping the poor: “There are large numbers of young graduates applying in vain for jobs with traditional development organizations, as well as people who want to do more than give or collect money during NGO fundraising campaigns.  The alternative often lies in starting up a project of one’s own, or joining a fourth-pillar organization that celebrates modern volunteering.” They also see potential in reshaping longstanding patterns of development thinking and replacing development jargon (mechanisms of participation, gender sensitivity, outcome mapping) with a “concrete story of co-operation, told by a few faces and many pictures on the Internet.”

An example of a development organization launched just a few years ago by a former student of mine is Adam Carter’s Cause and Affect Foundation. Adam earned an MA from the Elliott School of International Affairs and took classes on development (including The Anthropology of Development from me), so he did have some academic background. His achievements go far beyond what he learned in college, however, and I am happy to have contributed in a small way to the fourth pillar of development through Adam’s work.

Photo, “Bono & Bob Geldof”, from Flickr and Creative Commons.