Background to Philosophical Bloke:
I spent several years working with under developed groups of people and training others who would be working with them, both here and abroad. During that period I found that it was relatively easy to improve the local infrastructure i.e. water supply, sanitation, roads, housing and so forth. What was and is not easy is assuring that improvements made would exist after I or those who built them depart. With that in mind one of my goals has been to give the people I train insight into the importance of doing sustainable projects, preferably using local resources and definitely with local involvement.

Additionally it is important to realize that lasting changes are not going to happen in a year or two. All one can ask for is that an idea is adapted. For lasting change to take place, reinforcement is needed over a period of years, perhaps generations. This is why it is important that we train counter-parts in the indigenous population.

This does not mean we should say "what's the use", it just means that we shouldn't expect to change the world or even an individual's beliefs overnight. What we do know is that if we are to effect change we have to start somewhere and that if we don't try we know that it is unlikely to happen at all.

For eight years I helped train Peace Corps trainees & volunteers in water supply, public health and sanitation. After one to three months I would leave but they remained to face reality. The following, somewhat philosophical, expressions helped give me a perspective when I was doing development work and hopefully helped them in the same way.

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