BUILD India and BUILD LA hosted an informative and engaging discussion last night with the Director of the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at Brandeis, Laurence Simon. Many topics involving the ethics of outsiders working in the field of sustainable development were touched upon including social, political, and historical roots of poverty throughout South Asian and Latin American regions.
One of the topics that resonated most with BUILD India’s mission was the discussion of castes and discrimination as a large, underlying factor in, and contributing factor to, the continued prevalence of poverty. The examination of the psychological and historical role that caste system has played historically and currently plays in India provided an elucidating perspective. Understanding castes culturally and historically is imperative in achieving the goal of working to combat poverty and the lack of sustainable development in many areas of India.
Dr. Simon’s reframing of the development world into industrialized and non-industrialized nations especially resonated with BUILD Latin America members. This characterization brings to light the structures put in place that have stifled developing nations, whether it is through the economic holds of factories and trade or the intricate social system, such as the caste system in India. This is a more objective framing of development that is less demeaning than using the language of "developed", which plays into the discussions among BUILD Latin America members with regards analyzing our roles in the world of international development while maintaining the respect and dignity of all people and countries.