Page 13 - BB_Textbook

The two central aims of the Bending Bamboo English-language curriculum are to teach English to students in the Mekong Delta using evidence-based methods, and to teach students—and in turn, their families and communities—about development, and specifically about the development achievements and challenges of Vietnam.
But what is “development”?
Development generally refers to the community of private and official organizations and individuals who work across a variety of sectors
and countries. Their goal is to
reduce inequity, alleviate poverty, and improve the well being of people, especially the poorest.
These governments, organizations, businesses, community groups, and individuals, support development in many ways. They build roads, schools, and hospitals. They deliver or manage services (health, education, water, and sanitation). They create jobs and provide financial services, power
and electricity. And they strengthen institutions and laws.
Development is about change. In the marketplace, companies can help to create positive change by creating
jobs and providing goods that improve peoples’ lives. Governments can create laws and policies that protect the
most vulnerable members of society and guarantee essential services
like healthcare and education. Non- governmental organizations, both international organizations and
those based in Vietnam, can support communities, and work together
with government and private sector partners. And individuals can imagine, design and deliver their own solutions to everyday problems in their communities.
At the same time, development actors can also create change that
harms the development prospects of some people. Industry may pollute the environment. Or companies may impose inhumane work conditions on employees. Governments aim
to balance the needs of the well-
off and the poorest. International organizations fund projects that
affect nations and local communities differently. And individuals may pursue strategies without the necessary skills or capacity to carry them out well.
All of these stakeholders—institutions and individuals, alike—have the opportunity to effect change. For their effort to achieve something better for all, keen and holistic learning is a must.
A central goal of development is equity. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations made the argument that if economic growth were to become sustainable development, it would have to
meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.” In other words, efforts to make life better for people today need also to consider the needs, vision and resilience of
future generations. Only then will development be “sustainable.” Equity also means that it is not enough that there be improvements in the lives
of people who are already better off. Progress must also be made for the most disadvantaged people.
Development can sometimes be viewed as something that happens to people, rather than something ordinary people can participate in. Bending Bamboo aims to expose teachers and students to a wide variety of development issues—from climate change to healthcare, to education and culture—and show how they can be part of building lasting solutions.
As rising Vietnamese students and professionals become “bilingual
with purpose” they can develop
new ways to tackle the challenges
of public health, a changing labor market and environment, and inequities in their own communities. They can also become leaders who can inform global discussions about development, and thereby contribute to making development more inclusive.
WHAT IS “DEVELOPMENT”?
BENDING BAMBOO
INTRODUCTION 13