Self-reliance or dependency in the Horn of Africa.

315 Pages·2017·12.77 MB·English

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Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014
1-1-1988
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Tom, Neilson
University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Neilson, Tom,, "Self-reliance or dependency in the Horn of Africa." (1988). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 -
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SELF-RELIANCE OR DEPENDENCY IN
THE HORN OF AFRICA
A Dissertation Presented
by
Tom Neilson
Submitted to the Graduate School of the
University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 1988
Education
Copyright by Thomas R. Neilson 1988
All Rights Reserved
11
SELF-RELIANCE OR DEPENDENCY IN
THE HORN OF AFRICA
A Dissertation Presented
by
Tom Neilson
Approved as to style and content by:
Robert J. Mi'ltz, Cha"Ir\
Diane Flaherty, Member
Hoarce B. Reed, Member
—
GeorgeQJrch
Dean, School of Education
11
ABSTRACT
SELF-RELIANCE OR DEPENDENCY IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
May 1988
THOMAS R. NEILSON, B.A., SUNY CORTLAND
M.Ed. NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
Directed by: Professor Robert J. Miltz
This dissertation is about refugees in Somalia, how
they got there, where they came from, and why they stay.
It discusses the community development program, the
notion of self-reliance and the manipulation of these
concepts to create a circumstance of regional dependency.
The research puts refugee circumstances in Somalia
into a global context of economic and military oppres-
sion. Dispelling the myths of poor farm management,
drought, overpopulation, and backwardness, war is named
as the primary cause of refugee origins worldwide.
A major theme of the research is that we live in a
corporate warfare/welfare world in which development aid
pursues hearts and minds, as well as markets. Within
this system, development workers must understand local
political/social structures and put them into the context
of global political/economic realities.
IV
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT
IV
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION
^
Background
Purpose of Study 2.
*.!!!*.!
6
Significance of the Study !*.**.
e
Clarifications
* 7
Design of Study
9
Questionnaire and Interviews
13
Footnotes
2.4
2 . THEORETICAL ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE: A
LITERATURE REVIEW
I5
Nyerere and Uiamaa
17
Gandhi and Self-Sufficiency
22
Truth and Non-Violence
25
Truth and Civil Disobedience
26
Economic Justice
28
Education and Freedom
30
Access
31
Access and Participation
34
Education and Liberation
35
Community Development
38
Participation
41
Self-Governing Systems and the Workplace. 43
Mondragon
47
Women and Self-Reliance 49
Eritrean Women and Self-Determination. ... 50
Babu and Social Economy 53
The Political Economy of Chuch'e 54
Summary 56
Footnotes 58
3. POWER AND THE ORIGINS OF REFUGEES 65
National Security 65
A Natural Right to Power 66
Who is a Refugee 67
Power Relationships 70
Power Abuse 70
Communism and Refugees 72
Agribusiness 74
Violent Responses 80
East Timor 85
Burundi 87
V
Blaming the Victim
89
Myths and Stereotypes
90
Summary
Footnotes
97
4. THE FEASIBILITY OF SELF-RELIANCE AS A
DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVE IN SOMALI
REFUGEE CAMPS
104
Food Aid
104
Food as a Weapon 108
The UN
113
The Myth of Neutrality 115
The Feasibility of Self-Reliance 118
Militarization
125
The Pervasive Security Network 126
Self-Reliance and Development 128
Summary
129
Footnotes
132
5. SELF-RELIANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION IN
THE HORN OF AFRICA 135
Strategic Interests 135
Eritrea 138
Ethiopia 143
Revolution 147
Somalia 150
The Politics of Refugees in Somalia 154
Insurgency 164
More Food 168
Summary 174
Footnotes 175
6. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR SELF-RELIANCE... 179
Why Community Development 180
Understanding Community Development 181
Communities 185
Participation 189
Self-Help Projects 193
Income Generation 196
Refugee Health Unit (RHU) 200
Refugee Agriculture Unit (RAU) 202
Settlement 204
Social Change and the UNHCR 208
One Who Learns, Teaches 211
Summary 213
Footnotes 213
7. TRAINING FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 216
VI
Introduction
216
Background
217
Planning the Training
225
Implementation
241
Training Approach
242
Notable Incidents
246
Training Budget
248
Evaluation
249
Conclusion
250
Summary
251
Footnotes
252
8. ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION 254
"We Have a Big Mess Here" 254
Durable Solutions 261
The Developers
263
Volags Are Nice People, But 268
The Politics of Aid 269
Self-Reliance 273
The Point 275
Footnotes 276
APPENDICES
A. Collated Data from Washington Interviews.. 279
B. Community Development Questionnaire
Letter 280
C. Abbreviations 283
D. Somali Map 284
BIBLIOGRAPHY 285
vii
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
Background
This dissertation is rooted in my work with the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in
Somalia in 1983 and 84. It also incorporates my
experiences from work and travel since leaving the United
States 18 years ago during the Vietnam war.
During the sixties, I was part of the anti-war
movement and a supporter of civil rights, but I was slow
in connecting the two. It wasn't until Martin Luther
King returned from Vietnam and connected the war, racism,
poverty, labor exploitation, and global domination that
many of us began making these relationships.
King became dangerous to the government and was
assassinated. The FBI and CIA could deal with the Civil
Rights Movement as long as it was "Love Thy Neighbor" and
sitting at lunch counters, but demanding economic justice
was another issue. I took my activism, my idealism, my
anger, and my boredom to Colombia, South America with the
Peace Corps, where I became an extension agent for
agribusiness, soon to realize that the Peace Corps was
just another instrument of US foreign policy.
I left the States with the notion that I was going
to teach Colombians about farming. Two decades later, I
look back and say that my good intentions were racist.
1