Education
not only provides knowledge and enlightenment of one’s self but it can help pave
the way to the growth and development of a nation. Education is an important
foundation of progress. This is why the first step towards helping weak or even
failed states is to help these states develop a good and inclusive educational
system. Education should by no means be forced upon anyone but access to
education is a basic human right that also people in developing and weak states
deserve.
Education
enables one to make informed decisions, it allows for technological
advancement, medical discoveries and a better, more informed life. There are
countless examples of education improving not only the life of the educated
individual but also the state as a whole. An educated community leads to a
stronger nation. However, it is important to make sure that making education
available to the citizens of weak or failing states does not mean an
infringement upon their culture or forcing western ideologies on them.
Unfortunately,
there are children who are denied the access to education because of their family’s
financial status. In many countries, especially in weak states, education is
not funded by the government and it therefore often times costs a lot of money
for a child to attend school. Money that many families do not necessarily have.
Taking away a child’s right to education based on a lack of financial stability
is not only unfair to the child but it is also promoting the stagnation of the
state. Other factors that prevent groups of people from getting an education
include gender, cultural norms and traditions, and a lack of infrastructure. To
assist states in overcoming some of these barriers should be one of the most
important duties of richer and more developed states.
However,
if education is not provided in a culturally sensitive manner it could be
compared to colonizing practices that invade and appropriate the culture of another
state. Education however, does not have to and should never mean an encroachment
upon the local culture. Instead we should merely help these states to provide
the option of education to their citizens. We must work with the weak states
and allow them to identify for themselves what their needs consist of. Instead
of imposing what we think these countries need in relation to education, it is
important to listen to what they believe they need help with and then present
them with aid tailored to those needs. For example, there are a multitude of
organizations already founded within some of these states that focus on
providing education. Activist, such as Malala Yousafzai fight for education for
girls in Pakistan and in other developing states. These are the types of initiatives
that should be funded, because they originate in the country itself. If we
focus on local initiatives, we might be able to ensure that we do not impose
our own values on another culture or force our ideas upon while we would still promote
education and enable the nation to move forward and advance.
I am
not proposing that education is the sole solution. However I think that
education would be a first step towards working to improve and foster the
growth of a nation. Education is not
only a short term fix, but rather it can enable a state to become independent
and ultimately take over themselves and prosper. There are many other measures
that might need to be taken and we must go about helping weak states in a
thoughtful and deliberate manner. Instead of imposing our ideas of education on
these states we should support progressive inititatives that grow out of the
local culture. Education is not a simple or easy answer when thinking about
helping weak states, however it is a very important step that can lead to the
positive change of a weak state.
Leah,
ReplyDeleteCan you give an example of helping provide education in these societies in a culturall senstive manner?
I think this is the main complication that arises when trying to aid these weak and failed states. It is very difficult yet immensely important that we do not impose upon their culture, and aid them in a culturally sensitive manner. The first step would be, like I said before, to fund local organizations that originated in the states themselves. Some examples would be Malala Yousafazai, a Pakistani activist for female education or the green belt movement which aims to improve livelihood and for better environmental management.
DeleteI also think it is important to fund preexisting, local schools. For these schools often lack basic supplies. I was able to experience this first hand when I volunteered in a local school in Tanzania. The school lacked crucial materials such as paper, pencils, and schoolbooks. This obviously presents an obstacle in the advancement of education and is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Leah,
ReplyDeleteAs a firm believer in the power of education, I really enjoyed reading this post!I definitely support your point that education is vital in helping weak or failed states become strong again and that this needs to be done in a non-colonial way. I also love Malala Yousafzai and I'm so glad you brought her up! I think one of the greatest issues that would be faced with this though is when the education the locals want doesn't line up with the education that the government or the majority of people in that state want. Also, what if it is part of the culture in a state to not provide education for all? Though education would help that weak or failed state, is it fair for another power imposing on their sovereignty? These are complicated questions and should be considered.
Right, I definitely see your point about a conflict between education and the will to accept education. This is why I think that we should not force education upon people. We should simply make it available by, for example, supporting local organizations. These organizations or obvious examples of local people who desire education and try to do something about a lack of such. I do not think we would be imposing upon their sovereignty because we would not be forcing anything on them.
DeleteYou make a very strong argument. You could also consider that perhaps these weak or failed states do not even want an education system. Take Cameroon as an example. In this country, primary education is free and required by the government. However books and uniforms still need to be payed for. Secondary education becomes limited because there is a tuition that families can't afford. You addressed this in your argument. What you did not mention is the reasons why families would actively choose not to send their children to school. In Cameroon, many girls are taken out of school early to be married or to perform household duties. This can be seen as a priority for the good of the family, since over 70% of the population lives off subsistence farming. Because of their dependence on the land, there is little motivation for education since in their eyes, it won't lead them any where in life. Many problems that exist in Cameroonian education today are a result of British and French stigmas towards indigenous language, which makes it hard for children to feel accepted and learn productively.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with you that education can lead to a stronger state, there are many other factors to consider.
That's a very interesting example, which brings up the main issue we run into when we try to help these countries through education. It is crucial to make sure we do not impose our views, and that we do not contradict their culture. As I said before, we should simply make education available to those who want it. For even though, as you mentioned, there are many people do not want education, there are also many people who do long for education and are not able to obtain it. The first step towards helping these weak states is to further education and in order to do this we must first make education available to those who want it by funding local organizations.
DeleteLeah, I definitely agree that education can be beneficial in aiding weak or failed states. Education in a country also has a huge correlation with their economy. Education fuels growth. Societies that have more accessibility to education than others tend to be more ethical, tolerant, and democratic. Education can also create a larger, and higher skilled labor force. This boosts the economy, and provides more employment opportunities for people.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the issue lies in allocation of resources that we devote towards education. I think it is more beneficial to increase access to education, and improve the quality of existing education in developing countries rather than in countries that have already failed. While I'm not saying to neglect these countries, I think it is more beneficial to start with the countries that are still developing to prevent them from failing. Education can also be very beneficial in keeping the population in check. Often, men and women alike do not have access to birth control or family planning centers where they can learn about the health risks posed in child birth.
You bring up a very good point, a big problem lies in determining which states should be aided. I agree that we should help weak states over failed states, in order to prevent them from becoming failed states, however there is a very fine line between weak and failed states and I think it is important to in the long run also help those states that are considered to be failed states.
DeleteI strongly agree when you bring up education as a means for population regulation. Many local people are uneducated about birth control methods and solely rely on their cultural or religious background. Again, in this case, it is important to not force our views upon them, but if an alternative view of thinking is presented to (not forced upon) these people they may perhaps see the benefits of contraception.