LOGBOOK FIVE: Excerpt 36
“It has been many decades since International Development assistance has been regarded as unequivocally a good thing”
The publication of book lengthy critiques of the roles and relevance of NGOs by practitioners and former practitioners is largely a twenty first century phenomenon. Whether calls for the transformation of NGOs or their effective dissolution and whether writing froman international or a national perspective, these authors share an emphasis on how much has changed since the hopeful days of amateurs in the first Development decade… They are far from romanticizing the good all days. Yet some of them, writing with strong institutional memories, do recall what was in many respects a better time for most of the NGOs; a time, especially before the mid 1980’s, when the governments that helped fund them remained comparatively supportive and non-prescriptive even in the face of politically inconvenient NGO activism; a time before the corporatization of NGOs on the one hand, and the rise of volunteer tourism, on the other; a time when many NGOs were a good , match with existing needs in the Global South and so successful at what they did that they contributed to their own obsolesce. Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO, The NGO I write about in this book was part of that better time.
Ruth Brouwer – in the Preface of her book Canada’s Global Villagers
Legacy of the Volunteers
In contrasttotheAmericanexperience,theimpact and influence of thesenonprofitdevelopmentagencies created by youngCanadians such as CUSOand Crossroads International (nowmorethan 50 yearsold)has been largelyignored by professional historians.Aleading advocatefora serious academicreviewof theseorganizations and their impactonthecultureand policiesof Canada is Ruth Brower,a retiredhistoryprofessorfrom King’s Collegeatthe University of Western Ontario.
I amimpressedwith her newanalytic approach toCUSO, published by UBC Press in 2013 under the title, Canada’s Global Villagers: CUSO in Development 1961-86. I am strongly supportiveofher advocacyefforts toattractand engageother historians and sociologists in understanding theseinitiatives in the sixties by international NGOsin relationtoseveral facetsofCanadian socialhistory.
For exampleas CanadianCrossroads International,deservesaserious reviewofthis kind by some contemporarysocialhistorian. For over50 years, Crossroadshas been designing innovativeprocesses and projects forcollaborativeengagementof Canadian individuals andorganizationswiththeirThird Worldcounterparts. Their work is worthy of serious review by thoughtful professional academics.
In preparing her book, Brower interviewed over 100 former CUSO volunteers and offersan impressivelistof CUSOvolunteerswho wentontobecome public figures by adding such names as CBCproducerBernieLuchtand journalistHugh Winsor; classical Indian dancerAnneGroves-Gaston and Governor-General’saward-winning novelistDaveGodfrey; AudreyMcLaughlin, a formerfederalNDPleader,formerTorontoaldermanGordon Cressyand British ColumbiaPremierGordon Campbell.
SeveralCUSOalumnibecameassistantstofederalcabinetministersandat leastonebecamean ambassador.
A remarkablenumberfound their wayintofederal developmentagencies likeCIDA andIDRC,either incareer positionsor ascontractworkersinvolved in projects asdiverseas seeddevelopmentand familyplanning. Somereturned volunteers,havingworked for CUSOat the Canadian home baseas well asin thefieldmoved ontoother NGOs and/orfoundation work and some, such as former CUSO executivedirectorsMurrayThomson and Ian Smillie,established newNGOs
Finally, it is important to note that a numberof CUSO alumniobtained graduatedegreesin research areas related to orinfluenced bytheir fieldexperienceandwentonto university-basedwriting andteachingcareers,orfurtherworkindevelopment
ReflectingonWhatILearnedfrommyCUSOFieldExperiences
During quietmoments aloneduring thelasttwo months in thefieldwhilethefamily was backinLondon,I found myselfthinking aboutwhat I had learned through thisunusual experience. Inpreparing this manuscriptIhavehadmorequietmoments toreflectagain from alater perspective.Herearesomehighlights and a noteonimplicationsformy laterlife.
(a)Recognition of the Importance of History as a Resource in Strategic Planning and Implementation
Myinstinctiveloveof historywas greatlystimulated bythis directexperienceinwhat I clearlyrealized would forlater generationsbeseen ashistoryin themaking and wouldbethefocusofeducation andcurricula inmany countries. I becamean ardentstudentof African historywhichcontinuesto providemewith much satisfaction.
(b)Our World View Shapes our Actions
My year in WestAfrica further confirmed an ideagrowing in my mind that the nature ofour personal experiences and our level of awareness of these interactions during these experiencesis what dramatically shapes ourperceptionsor our worldview. Our world view in turndramaticallyinfluenceshowweinterpretand actonfuture events.This ledmeto startworkingonwaystoincreasemycapacity for“awareness”and howto helpothersimprovetheir levelofawareness. Iwas fascinated25 years later tobeintroduced toamajor studyexploring whetheror nothigh performance leadersin awidevariety ofsectorsshared any commonelements.Theresearch results showed twosuchelements:(1) apassion for a big idea;and (2) awell-developed capacity forawarenessof self,othersand theenvironment.
(c)The Important Development Link Between Cities and their Surrounding Hinterland in Africa
I struggled tounderstandthestarkdifferencein developmentbetween any of themajorcities in West Africa and the low level of development in the near rural environment. Then,later,reading JaneJacob’sinsightful book,Citiesand theWealth of Nations,I realizedthat tohaveapositiveimpacton ruraldevelopment,cities seemed tobelinkedcloselyto their ruralneighbours. The successes of many of the African cities happened to have little positive spinofffor the nearby rural areas. This surprised and confused me. Then I recognized that the majorcities in WestAfrica in thesixtieswerestill linkedmainlyto their formercolonial mother countriesrather thanto theruralenvironmentnearby—sospinoffs in developmentfrom citytoruralareaweremeagreand would likely remain so untilthat relationship was transformed.
(d)Gain Impact by Giving up Control
Mygrowing insight,that gaining trustand influence with new cultural groups could beaccelerated bygivingup control, werecertainlyheightened by theCUSO experience.Themoreonecan moveintoa newexperience, particularlyacross-culturalexperience,withoutneeding to havecontrolof thesituation;themoreoneis likelyto beaccepted by strangers and tobeoffered real opportunitiestolearn. This later becamecodified in oneofmythreeprinciples forbuilding trust,which is soimportantinmy developmental initiatives.“Being prepared to bevulnerableisakey elementforbuilding trust.”
(e)The Importance of Developing a Tolerance for Ambiguity and Uncertainty
This experience also helped meto recognizethatin somecomplexsituations,oneneeds ahightolerancefor flexibility,uncertainty and ambiguity. If Iwaitedto haveall tripswell organized and allmeetings setbeforetravelling around WestAfrica,I would haveaccomplished little. Theabsence ofdetailed recordsoraccessiblerecords, quickchanging realitiesin governmentstructureandpersonnel andthepoorcommunicationsmeantthatoften Ihad tosetoff formeetings in town orupcountryinthehopesthatI would find somebody with knowledgeand interest who would allowmeto add value.
And oftenthesespeculativetrips involved long driveson dusty roads.To mysurprise, however whenever Iarrived in an isolated townat anodd houroron theweekendand askedif theHeadmasteror asenior governmentofficialwas around, I was alwaystreatedwith respect.And mostoften I gotasignificantmeeting—even lateeveningor Sundaymorning—from thelocal person whorealized theeffortI hadmadetoget there. Therewas abig riskintheseambiguoussituationsthat Imightfind Ihad wastedtimeandmoney. Butwhen itworkedthepayoffwas huge.
This flexibleapproachfortaking risks andexploring ambiguous situationsand being flexibleenoughtoquicklychangemyplansif surprisesopportunities arosebecamea hallmarkofmy laterwork style. Andonethat Iknow,at onepointat least,confused myson,Dave,who followed mebriefly ononeoccasion in Francein theeightiestounderstandwhat I hoped toaccomplish in such ambiguous,exploratorytrips. Ibelievehewassurprised by therealitythaton many of thesevisits Iwas following a hunchor an ill-defined suggestion from apersonwhoseopinion Ivalued. Thesekindsofinstincts, I havesincerealized, areimportantattributes in theprofileof anentrepreneurialinnovator.My comfortlevel in thesesituationshas servedmeincrediblywellonso many occasionssincethatCUSOexperience.
(f)The Huge Constraints of Soft Currency and the Power of Global Credit
With little background in finance, it was a major revelation to me to begin to understand that vehicles and policies that support the movement of capital around the world are critically important in shaping the level of a country’s development. Not being part of a global hard currency system dramatically constrained the development of the independent African countries in their early years. In later years I began to realize that the lack of development in many African countries, while hindered by weak and/or corrupt political leadership, was also hugely constrained by the meagre amount of inflow of capital. It is difficult to build a modern nation without access tosubstantial credit. The positive development which has occurred after 2008 when huge amounts of new capital finally began to flow into parts of Africa underlines this concept. In my mind by this time a significant Renaissance was underway in several parts of the African continent.
(g)The Link Between Economic Revolution and Communication
The lack of communications technology was clearly an early frustration for me. These frustrating incidents led me to begin to understand two lessons about communication: (1) I began to recognize that changes in communications technology, along with changes in energy production, have been main drivers in most economic revolutions; and (2) it became clear to me that the system one sets up to utilize whatever communications technologies are available will influence what results are achieved with the communications.
These realizations no doubt sparked my later interest in information and communications technology. I had no thought then of the extent to which I would become involved in breakthrough communications innovation in Canada and abroad with the computerized Cross-Cultural Learner Centre, the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, the CBC North Project, AXIA Net Media, Athabasca University, and Virtual City, the Kenyan company which won the 2010 Nokia award-winner for developing and applying mobile supply chains to reduce poverty in Africa.
(h)UnderstandingMentoringanditsPower
In orderto succeed in theCUSO jobI wasrequiredtobesensitiveand subtlein getting volunteersorgovernmentofficials pointed in a directionthat I feltwould behelpful. Itwouldnothavebeenproductiveformeto justsetmy cleartargets and demand thatmyteam meetthem. I hadtoencouragethemtoidentify useful goals, strengthen their courageand resilience toseethesethrough tocompletion and nudgethemtowardsprocessesand toolswhichmighthavehelpedthemfind a better waytobesuccessful.
I interacted with governmentofficialsin a similarmanner. Realizing thecomplexchallenges theywerefacing and theirlackof communicationtoolsortravelresources, I recognized that although Iwas theoutsider—with regard to someoftheir realities I was ableto knowmoreabouttheirchallenges thentheydid,mainlybecauseofmyabilityto movearound andexperiencethoserealities directly.
This putsignificantresponsibilityonmetotreatthem with respectyetfind subtlewaystohelpthemrecognizetheweaknesses in their information andthus in their initialdecisions. Thechallengewas tohelpthemtake ownership of a newapproach asopposed topublicly showing themupwithmyknowledge. This approachwas eventuallytobeseenbymeastheroleof mentor as opposedto theroleof aclassicalconsultantwho most often was expectedto applyhisor her specialhighlydefinedexpertiseto personally solveaveryspecific complexproblem.
Theroleof the mentor issignificantlydifferentandover theyears I beganto expand on whatI hadlearned aboutmentoring during myCUSO fieldexperience. Somekey elementsof myunderstandingofmentoring began to emerge, including thefollowing:
- Mentors believethatmost,if notall,of theanswers to yourorganization’s challenges liewithin yourown institution.
- Mentors willworktogetherwithothersto helpthem identify theissues,explorethepossibleoptions, examinetheprosand consofeachoption, determineapriority option,find thecourageand confidencetoact, implement theoption skillfully, and finallytaketimetocelebratesuccesses, reflecton their progressand revisetheiractionsbasedon thesereflections.
(i)UtilizingthePower ofLocal Wisdom:TheFelixFactor
Myreadinessto acknowledgeand to drawupon thestreetsmartsofmy local driver, FelixEnangserved mewell inmy roleas regional director. Itwould havebeen amajormistakeformeto thinkofhimonlyasmydriver. He had an amazing abilitytoread therealitiesofa newsituation. Hekeptmefrommaking cultural fauxpas so often by alertingmetoimportant local culturalprotocols.
Inmany situations he provided powerful contexton individuals Iwastonegotiatewith onchallengesIwas trying to addressdirectly. In lateryears, when Ifoundmyselfmentoring clientswho weremoving intonew culturalenvironments,I found myself urging themnottoignoretheFelixFactor in preparing themselves for success.This means connecting and paying attentionto theinsights ofpeoplewhomayhaveno ascribedstatus as an“ImportantPerson” butbecauseoftheir nature, theirinstinctivesmartskills,theyhavemuch wisdom and can provideyouwith importantinsights.
(j)Innovative, Collaborative Leadership
Note: Don still needs to write a small note here.
Resolving the Issue of David’s Broken Leg and Heading Home to Canada
Looking backonhowI feltas I headed homefromAccra to London,Ontario in Juneof1968, Irealized thatin my mind then theWestAfricanexperiencehad beenoneof themostexciting andsatisfying periods inmyworklife.Looking backfrom theperspectiveof my life today,thatyear still remainsin my top half dozen workexperiences.
Everyelementofmewastested inthatyearand passing judgmentonmyself I felt I had at leastpassed all thetests and atleastin somecasesfeltI passed with good grades.
I was learning something almosteverydayabouthistory, aboutdevelopment, aboutculture, aboutcommunication,aboutrelationships, aboutlearning and aboutleadership.
Impact on my Family
I had a sensethatat leastin somewaysI washelping to makea positivedifference. Ialsolearned a lotaboutmyfamily—and thatwasexciting. Iwas sopleasedwith howresilientmywifeandmy children had been andhoped thattheywould findsomebenefitin their livesfrom thisexperience.
Amongour childrenJan was theonewhosethinking, Ibelieve, was themostinfluenced by ourtimein Ghana. As theoldestshe, ofcourse,was bestpositioned tohavemoreawareness atthetimeofwhat was goingon aroundher and amorecompletememorylater inlifeofwhat had happened andwhy.
Buttherewasmorethan that. Fromearlychildhood Jan had exhibited ahugecuriosityaboutlifearound her, apassionforreading, an eagerness tolearn, a calmcomfortwith herself and aninstinctiveability toconversewith adults.
During theorientationshehad been in regular attendance,meeting thestaff andvolunteers—getting toknowthestaff and, in somecases, theirchildren (thefutureaward-winning jazz singerMollieJohnson was oneofthesechildren) and reconnecting with MillicentAkinsulure, whom sheknewwell from Millie’sdays as a studentatWestern.
Shewas amodeltouristinLondon,Paris and Romeen routetoAccra—whichwastobecomeanongoing pattern later in life.
In Accra sheadjusted immediatelyto our unusual homeand to SaintTheresa’sSchool inKaneshieand was a great supportfor Marion with theother children. ShemixedwellwiththeGhanaianchildren and ended up getting topmarksin her class.
Shewasold enough andmatureenough totraveloften withmeon tripswithin Ghana—a patternthat wastocontinueinmy laterwork. Jan wasa greatfellowtravellerwithmeasshegrewup andhad notroubleswaiting whileI did somework(shealways hada bookforgood company)or beingdropped offat astranger’shomefor a fewdayswhileI wentoffsomewhere.
All of theseexperiences,I assume,had someinfluence in shaping her broadexperiences later as aneducator,managementconsultant, strategic communicatorand changeleader—and madeher anideal advisor to help get me started on LogBooks One and Two.
GrapplingwithMyPersonalLegacyfromthisYearinWestAfrica
TheCUSOexperience provided me, firstofall, with a newlevelofawarenessof thepoliticsofdevelopmentandthecomplexrealities involved in building a national developmentprogram whichis effective, efficientand sustainable. Italsostimulated my newlevelof awareness ofmyselfandwhat Imightdowith mylife.
I was slowtounderstandtheparadoxofpositiveandnegativeimplicationsofsomeofthethingsdriving methathad been heightened asa resultofmy yearwithCUSO. Theseincluded:
- my insatiablecuriosity
- my passionfor newideas and newchallenges
- my desiretolearn aboutother culturesand thedifferentways differentpeoplethought,related and acted
- my deep seated feelingofconnection with thecontinentof Africa.
This slowrecognitionof wheremy passionswereleading meled totheeventualbreak-up mymarriage—which Iviewasmy biggestfailurein life.
The Simpson Family Heads Home to Canada: Resolving the Issue of David’s Broken Leg
Turning backtowherewe began in Excerpt 29, Ifinallydecided I was notready totakea riskofpermanentdamageto Dave’s badlybroken leg. SoI decided togethimbackto Burlington, OntariowherehisUncleMurraywas an orthopaedicsurgeon.This decision wasmadesomewhateasier bythefactthatMarion and Ihad alreadybeenmaking tentativeplans for her and thechildren togohomeaheadofmeasthelastperiod attheend oftheschoolyearwas going tobeevenmorechaoticforme.
Marion hadbeen planningto take thechildren to Montréal for a fewweeksto staywith ourformerneighbours, Nell and FrankAndrewswho werenowinMontréal.Marion had carried on regularcorrespondencefrom Ghana with Nell,describingour life. Nell fortunatelyhadkepttheletters andtheir contenthelpedmeclarifysomeofmy memoriesofthosedaysforthiswriting.
Thenewplans wereto fly toToronto viaNewYorkand take David directtothehospital inBurlington. Our wholefamilyleftAccraat theendofMarch1958 onPan American, then theworld’sleading airline. Thetrip to NewYorkwasa“trip fromhell”aswebuckedourwayinitiallythrough atropical storm which caused many passengers, including all our children,to bephysically sick. Itwasnoteasyhandling threesickkids in aturbulentflight—whiletrying toholdthefourth,Dave, inmyarmswhilestruggling withhis leg in a cast.
TheSimpson familylimped into KennedyAirportin NewYorkin theearlyhoursofthemorning and thenstruggled with noassistance togetourgang toanotherterminal for thelastlegof theflight.Oncein Torontogood things happened fast.Wewentdirectlyto Murray’shospital whereDave’s legwas re-broken and re-set.Wewerethen backinLondon, Ontarioandestablished in thehome ofMarion’sparentsat1059 ColbourneStreet.
With thefamilyin goodhands I headed backtoAccraalonefor thelasttwo months ofmyassignment,during which Iworked hard atcreating anorderlysystem of dataonall theschool,hospital and agriculturalplacements—preparingto pass on responsibilityto myreplacementasregional coordinator,Jim Shutefrom theUniversity ofGuelph. I knewJim well, having methimfirstin London, Ontarioastheson ofDr.Even Shute,a controversialmedicalman whohad dedicated hislifetoresearch and promotion oftheimportanceof VitaminD. Jim and his colleague, John Cairns attheUniversity of Guelph,werebusy trying to win supportattheiruniversity for thekindofuniversity-wideinternational officethatI was continuing toprodmy teamatWestern todevelop.
My Expected Role upon Returning to Canada
With allmy excitement and positivefeelings aboutCUSO, I had no interestina full-timejobwiththem in Ottawa.My plan was to beaneducator atWestern Ontario University. Indeed, until I re-read some of Jon Church’smemos recentlyI had no memory that Jon had urgedmeto considerreplacing himinOttawa and that later when Hugh Christieresigned asoverall CUSO leaders,I wasinvited toapplyfor thatpost. My mind however wasclearly onmy workatWestern.
Soin lateJuneIwas coming homefeeling exhilarated; eagerto reconnectwithmyfamily;eager toinjectsomeofmylearningintothenextorientation—and veryeager tostep into thenewrolewhichI hoped was waiting for me. I had been sending my taped messagesto theteam at Althouseregarding plans for anOfficeofInternational Education for theuniversity and inwhich I hoped tobedeeplyinvolved.
Butonthat lastitem I wastobedeeplydisappointed.
LET THE JOURNEY CONTINUE!
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Note: An extensive collection of archival resources from Don Simpson’s global odyssey has been organized professionally by the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collection at York University, Toronto. They are available for public use. (See “Don Simpson Fonds”)