6 Comments

Lovely - but sadly always a dark side sits in readiness... I was reminded of Vandana Shiva’s wonderful work in India and beyond. It really is worth looking at her autobiography to see what can happen in these beautiful communities if we are not watchful - ‘My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements’ is both tragic and full of hope - but also a warning...

Expand full comment
author

Hi Lynn, thanks for the response. I’ve read essays on Vandana Shiva’s work but will definitely check out her autobiography.

I agree there are perils in all forms of “development intervention” - my line work involves quantifying risk and impact and identifying the shades of grey in between when work becomes counterintuitive to sustainable progress for these communities on their terms. It’s truly gut wrenching and fascinating at the same time. I could (literally) write a book on the myriad of internal conversations I have with myself as I work with these various communities. It takes a deep level of both external understanding and introspection.

Expand full comment

This an honest serenade to the beauty of realities that are vastly different than ours and yet intertwined with our shared sense of humanity. Thank you for writing this. What a delightful read!

Expand full comment
author

Thanks so much for reading. You’ve summed it up perfectly- there is a thread of commonality that binds us all has humans.

Expand full comment

Beautiful message. We are all human and being cherished and respected is more important than food and water for the human spirit. Years ago I read a book set in PNG, written by a woman who had lived there for a short time. The story was fascinating and I've always wondered how close to reality it was.

Expand full comment

“People nurture the land and the land in turn fashions the prevailing communities.” Several lines struck with force in here, including this one. Such powerful observations, well narrated. Love the way this crescendoes at the end, too. Thank you for these thoughts. 🙏

Expand full comment