Development, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Welfare Social Change from the Inside Out Cornelia C. Walther Development, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Welfare Cornelia C. Walther Development, Humanitarian Aid, and Social Welfare Social Change from the Inside Out Cornelia C. Walther Tuebingen, Germany ISBN 978-3-030-42609-5 ISBN 978-3-030-42610-1 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42610-1 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology now known or hereafter developed. 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Cover illustration: © John Rawsterne This Palgrave Pivot imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Preface Anchored in personal and professional experiences and multidisciplinary research, the intent of this book is to illustrate the role of individual aspiration within a multidimensional approach to social and human development. Individual aspirations are at the core of personal empowerment. They are the foundation of vision, and the distinctive feature of leaders who impacttheirenvironment.Asthebasicbuildingblocksofanycommunity or institution are its people, individual aspirations are the cornerstones of Society.However,individualaspirationsdonotdevelopinavacuum.They arise within a larger system of interconnected and mutually reinforcing dynamics, which occur at micro, meso, macro and meta levels, part of a whole that must be seen, understood, and addressed as such. ‘Changing the World’ is often seen as a delusional and unrealistic endeavor. Although it is certainly a huge undertaking, the present book offers certain pointers to justify hope. This is done within a novel theo- retical framework for understanding the impact of macro and meso-level dynamics. The following pages present arguments as to why sustainable social development is possible, and why it requires mindset shifts at the micro-level as a stepping stone to changes at the meta-level. The frame- work applies both for individuals as well as for Societies, for development as well as humanitarian work. Collective resilience is anchored in individual resilience, which in turn is rooted in the individual’s personal aspiration for meaning and the v vi PREFACE choicess/hemakes.Identifyingthisaspirationunlockstheperson’sability to overcome everyday challenges, as much as dramatic events of loss or illness.Aspirationenablesindividualstotakechargeoftheirexistenceand thrive.Itequipsthemwithacompasstonavigateuncertainty,ratherthan be steered by the winds of coincidence or the agenda of others. As the need for meaning is present in individuals across cultures, borders, and income, this logic applies across socioeconomic contexts and educational status. Sustainable development is commonly seen as a central condition for human well-being. As lagging development is often evaluated relative to material aspects (Gross Domestic Product, social services, infrastruc- ture), development aid efforts to improve human well-being have tradi- tionally focused on these factors. This perspective is restrictive. Even though peoples across the World struggle with widely different material challenges, individuals face the same craving for purpose and meaning, because all of them operate within the same paradigm of interconnect- edness. However, these issues are not part of the traditional development andhumanitarianaiddiscourses—neithertheoreticallynorinpractice.Aid and assistance tend to focus on the areas that separate people and popu- lations, reducing and simplifying that process by placing them in cate- gories:lowincomeandhigh-incomecountries,‘beneficiaries’,‘vulnerable groups’, etc. This book offers an alternative perspective, which takes as a starting point the quest for individual meaning (not the details of distinction, but the cement of commonality). Without claiming to provide exclu- sive answers to the myriad of dilemmas that increasingly mark the discussions in and about the humanitarian and development sector, it seeks to trigger a new thought dynamic. It is a practical guide anchored in a unique philosophical approach, which offers a common framework to connect disparate disciplines in a shared holistic vision that is geared towards transformation. It balances attention to the conditions that frame the context of indi- vidual and collective resilience, with a concern for the broader issues of empowerment, influence, and human development. In addition, through the study of leadership, personal empowerment, education, and societal adaptation within the context of humanitarian professions, this book makes the case for an alternative path to personal growth.BasedonthepremisethatanequitableSocietyistothebenefitof PREFACE vii everyone,itwillbearguedthateveryindividualhasthepowerandrespon- sibility of contributing to the creation of an inclusive Society. Acknowl- edging, accepting, and acting in line with this basic premise is central to sustainable social transformation and fair progress. Another premise of this book is that everything is connected. Nothing occurs in a vacuum; therefore,small-scalechangesinitiatedattheindividuallevelcanhavefar- reaching consequences for that individual as well as the institution s/he operates in. Thatsaid,whatyouwillreadislikeaprintedbridgeaboutbridges.The aim is to visualize the link between experience and expression; between sensations,intellect,emotionandaspiration;aswellasthepracticalbenefit thattheadoptionofsuchaholisticviewpointoffersforhumanitarianand developmentprogrammingandresearch.Asmentionedabove,everything isconnected.Whataffectsourinternalrealityimpactsourexternalcircum- stances, and vice-versa (these inside out and outside in dynamics are the core of the present book). For those of you who work in the humani- tariananddevelopmentsectoringeneral,andthosethatinvestigateprac- tical ways of influencing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 in particular, the present perspective could be, I hope, a game changer, both thematically and disciplinarily. Thank You viii PREFACE Spiral_Individual to Planet. Everything is connected, from the inside out and from the outside in. The individual is the smallest componentofaglobalsystem,andpartofvarious‘families’which resultfrombiological,socialorprofessionalconstellations.Individ- uals and families/communities form Society, within the contours of nation states, economies, and cultures. These three dimensions arepartofPlanetEarth,coexistingwithnature.Whateveroccursin one dimension has consequences on the others. Individuals influ- ence the communities they belong to and thereby Society and the Planet, whereas changes in the environment impact the dynamics of Society and the families and individuals that it is made of New York, USA Cornelia C. Walther Acknowledgements This book is the result of precious people and of phenomenal places; of a past and a present that influenced my being and becoming. These pages would not have been written, nor would they contain what you will read, without certain individuals whom I am grateful to have, or to have had, in my life. Throughout the past decades I have been blessed with a colorful mix of teachers and knights, guardian angles and friends, some walked with me a piece of the way, others became part of the path. The list of those whom I shall never be able to thank enough, for their kindness, generosity, insights, and being is long. Many of those whose attitude marked me will never read these words, because they are dead, cannot read or do not speak English. To all of you who do read this and know me, please feel that this ‘Acknowledgements’ is addressed to You. Thank You for being who and how you are. In small or big ways, you have contributed to the evolution of my soul, heart, and mind. In the context of the present book I would like to thank in particular my parents, Barbara and Manfred Walther for their unconditional love; Enrique Delamonica and David Stone for their kindness and patience in reviewing early versions of the manuscript; my editor at Palgrave Macmillan Alina Yurova for her interest and unfailing support for this bookandthevisionunderneath,andhercolleagueRachelMooreforher patient and professional backing during the finalization and finetuning of thedocumentthatyouholdinyourhandstoday,aswellasPrathipaRaju and Tesa Reid for their skillful editing. ix x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This section would not be complete without thanking You, who is holding this book in your hands right now. It is your present interest, yourpastexperienceandyourfutureorientationthathaveledmetobegin andfinishthisbook.Thankyouforgivingwhatyouwillreadachanceof contributing to your life.