
Solutions to social problems must consider the human perspective - veddox
https://terranostra.one/posts/Silicon-Valley-Syndrome.html
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_petronius
> The crux of the matter is that social problems are never just technical, but
> always at least in part human.

I would revise that further: social problems are never technical; they are
primary political. That we are, in most western countries, rich enough to
provide a minimum standard of living for everyone doesn't mean we will/can, if
the political will doesn't exist to implement it.

Technology can be used to simplify the implementation, but you have to solve
the politics and policy challenges first. This fact isn't strictly a negative,
either, although it's usually a lot harder to make the case that we _should_
do something, as opposed to how we could do it.

~~~
cmiller1
You also bring up a good argument in favor of supporting the social sciences.
Often times the arguments against providing a minimum standard of living boil
down to "but if we give people things they won't have any incentive to work
hard to get them themselves!" Is that true? Maybe, probably not, we can't
really know unless studies are done and we work out the facts.

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cpr
Speaking of aid to Africa, major voices have told the West that aid (as
currently practiced on a large scale) is counter-productive, and have asked it
to stop.

[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/feb/19/dambisa-
moyo...](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/feb/19/dambisa-moyo-dead-
aid-africa) is one example, but you can find many others.

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decentralised
I've learned a lot about social impact projects and the people that gravitate
this space in recent years due to my involvement with thesunprotocol.io,
trying to build infrastructure in sub-saharan Africa. Technology might not be
the only challenge, but electrical power, gsm networking and wi-fi and water
purification systems are very much needed on the ground.

~~~
veddox
Oh, technology is absolutely needed! But simply "dumping a load of machinery"
on Africa doesn't work, or at least not for long, if one doesn't consider the
social and cultural ramifications.

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OliverJones
Daniel Vedder is absolutely right about this; I learned it the hard way trying
to do the same thing as the first world guy in his post. The best way to help
out in the developing world is to find an up-and-running NGO (charity) and
support them with cash money and referrals to other potential supporters.

My project: [https://cristosal.org/](https://cristosal.org/) Working in the
northern triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala)
they're addressing the root causes of large scale northbound migration:
governments and civil institutions that can't or won't keep their people
secure.

~~~
veddox
Author here :-)

> find an up-and-running NGO (charity) and support them with cash money and
> referrals to other potential supporters.

That is good advice. The most effective aid projects I have seen are small
organisations built on local experience. People who've been "on the ground"
for more than a few months (ideally, decades), who know the problems and the
pitfalls associated with solving them, and who have the respect of the
community. These teams tend to be small and agile and unencumbered with the
bureaucracy of the big-time NGOs. On the flip side, they struggle with a
chronic lack of funding and limited clout with government agencies. (That's
where the big NGOs have their advantages.)

Personal question: How did you settle on a project to support? I imagine that
to be somewhat difficult, especially when trying to avoid "rogue" aid
projects.

~~~
OliverJones
I learned about Cristosal and their mission because they run weeklong short
courses on how to move towards justices in Central America. Some friends said,
"come to this!" and I said, "well, OK."

In the course, they focused on some themes in the book "Toxic Charity," and
how they are doing their best to avoid those pitfalls. Also, they're suing--
successfully--the government of El Salvador for redress of wrongs from some
massacres during the civil war of the 1980s and 1990s.

Their short courses include both norteamericanos and local people. So some
level of relationships are built.

You know how South Africa had a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" that
enjoyed some success? El Salvador had a "Reconcilation Commission," but they
left out the truth part. That Doesn't Work. The government is weaker than the
MS-13 and Barrio 18 rival gangs now. Cristosal is persistently trying to
rebuild civil institutions.

That short course is a pretty good development tool; spreads the word about
the challenges and gets people enlisted in the mission.

And if you travel to poor communities in Central America, bring soccer balls.

------
ibrahimcesar
Evgeny Morozov calls it "technology solutionism' in his book To Save
Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism

