{"id":12631,"date":"2023-12-05T15:31:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T15:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=12631"},"modified":"2023-12-05T16:58:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T16:58:21","slug":"brac-seems-to-be-processing-the-poor-not-teaching-them-to-work-together-globally-for-the-good-of-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/?p=12631","title":{"rendered":"BRAC seems to be “processing the poor”, not teaching them to work together globally for the good of all."},"content":{"rendered":"
Title: BRAC could provide a way for all the people they help to work together, to help others<\/div>\n
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Meghan, Donella Rapier, Irene Khan,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

At https:\/\/bracusa.org\/why-it-works\/ and in the 2022 Annual Report, you say “poverty and inequality are human-made”.\u00a0 How is BRAC changing human institutions serving 700 Million in many countries? Down to the individual needs level?<\/div>\n
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In your story of Beethi, how much time, how many people, and how much money did it take to address her basic needs?\u00a0 It was two years, and several interventions. The work you did, should have been done by someone in the country.\u00a0 It seems cities and countries, health and social services, schools, governments and communities are failing, and individual needs are ignored.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Many people from the countries you serve, including Bangladesh, live where national and local governments and companies are inefficient and inattentive. Or manipulative. Or corrupt. Online sharing of experiences, and sharing what people have learned, is not happening clearly and openly. Your Annual Report mentions nothing about improving institutions or changing governments. You do not want to funnel money into bad organizations.\u00a0 But you could enable the poor and ones in need to work together, individually, at city, country, region, topic and global scale.<\/div>\n
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If you do the work that governments and local institutions are supposed to do, that is a disincentive for local individuals to change and learn to do a better job on their own.\u00a0 BRAC is missing the main benefits of the substantial investments you make in the lives of individuals. You can enable the people you help, to work together, to help others.\u00a0 Graduates of BRAC programs can work globally to\u00a0 help themselves and others – possibly for the rest of their lives.<\/div>\n
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Shahina lives in Dhaka. She is still fairly young. She married a couple of years ago, but within three weeks her husband, Shamim, broke his neck at C4 and completely paralyzed.\u00a0 He died this last summer, probably from pneumonia. She was his sole caregiver.\u00a0 Shahina is trying to work and go to school, but it seems there is no one there to help her.\u00a0 She supports her mother, whose health is not good. I have tried to help them. Is there anyone from BRAC who can check to be sure they are OK?\u00a0 And help Shahina get a good education and a stable good job to support her and her mother?\u00a0 She is interested in working online. I am worried she is being taken advantage of, as a young widow. She might be able to help BRAC, help individuals in Bangladesh (and elsewhere) share their experiences online.<\/p>\n

I do not have the resources now to build a complete global online site, at the scale required, but perhaps the AI companies could pool their skills and resources to make a place for people to go to get answers in their own language, specific to their needs, no matter how small. I have tried to encourage OpenAI, Google, Twitter(X) and others to make their AIs socially and globally responsible – and to encourage global collaboration of the people affected, not just more closed groups saying they serve. Not just press releases, but people who have been helped – working together in near real time globally, to help themselves and others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When I set up the technology and training for the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS.net) more than 35 years ago, it was at the cutting edge of what was possible.\u00a0 But it did NOT address “human-made poverty and inequality”.\u00a0 Most famines and difficulties, then and now, are because of humans. Today there are about 100 Million displaced, but many 100’s of millions more needing knowledge and learning. The people who have been through unique experiences can help – themselves and others. July 2023 was the 25th Anniversary of the Internet Foundation.<\/p>\n

Your BRAC seems to be “processing the poor”, not teaching them to work together globally for the good of all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Your Staff page link to Board goes to https:\/\/bracusa.org\/board-advisors\/ which is missing.<\/div>\n
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Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Title: BRAC could provide a way for all the people they help to work together, to help others Meghan, Donella Rapier, Irene Khan, At https:\/\/bracusa.org\/why-it-works\/ and in the 2022 Annual Report, you say “poverty and inequality are human-made”.\u00a0 How is BRAC changing human institutions serving 700 Million in many countries? Down to the individual needs
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