For years I've been obsessed with the notion "development", which is the paramount goal that governments from all parts of the world strive for. I've been having a love and hate relationship with this lovely term. A lot of people, including government officials, social entrepreneurs, economists, seem to know what it means. However, what my everyday life, the people around me, even the society to which I belong to, does not happen to prove it. Constant questioning, doubt, uncertainties at the personal level have left my head and consciousness exhausted. Some friends are whining persistantly about how tiring and meaningless their work is, how overbearing their colleagues are, whereas others are consuming an unnecessary amount to get emotional satisfactions and a sense of honour. In my hometown, the stinky extreme capitalists and the "loyal" and highly educated civil servants have unfortunately lost their mind.
They have a deep-seated conviction that development somehow equals maintaining the growth of GDP, a high influx of tourists and increasing movement of goods, services and capital. And so in order to lead the society into "success" in development, tearing down country parks, planning for yet another reclamation proyect, building more roads, expanding train network to connect to the sacred mainland are all in all, a pro-development move and therefore are legitimate and just. These are all for the sake of well-being of the members of the society. Yet, what we see is more politized and angry citizens, ill-minded and ill-mannered officials, more unsatisfied young generations and more arrogant prestigious magnates and landlords, terribly even smaller houses and personal space, heavier monetary burden, longer quenes at just any places in the city and less time with family and friends. Worse still, the question to who we are, our identity, our productions, our film industry, our music, our language - seem to lose their luster day by day.
I'm not a knock-down pessimist, or at least I try not to be one. So what I want to do is to change the rule of the game - at least to make the game mine. While I do not agree with the sofisticated pursuit of personal success and social-economic development, I need to prove myself right, that an alternative path is possible and more fulfilling. That would be my life goal.
31.1.2015
Two weeks prior to my departure from Argentina for Brazil and then Hong Kong.
Happy 2016!
They have a deep-seated conviction that development somehow equals maintaining the growth of GDP, a high influx of tourists and increasing movement of goods, services and capital. And so in order to lead the society into "success" in development, tearing down country parks, planning for yet another reclamation proyect, building more roads, expanding train network to connect to the sacred mainland are all in all, a pro-development move and therefore are legitimate and just. These are all for the sake of well-being of the members of the society. Yet, what we see is more politized and angry citizens, ill-minded and ill-mannered officials, more unsatisfied young generations and more arrogant prestigious magnates and landlords, terribly even smaller houses and personal space, heavier monetary burden, longer quenes at just any places in the city and less time with family and friends. Worse still, the question to who we are, our identity, our productions, our film industry, our music, our language - seem to lose their luster day by day.
I'm not a knock-down pessimist, or at least I try not to be one. So what I want to do is to change the rule of the game - at least to make the game mine. While I do not agree with the sofisticated pursuit of personal success and social-economic development, I need to prove myself right, that an alternative path is possible and more fulfilling. That would be my life goal.
31.1.2015
Two weeks prior to my departure from Argentina for Brazil and then Hong Kong.
Happy 2016!
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