Dialogue in Pursuit of Development - Are you looking for one of ...

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fore it is more likely that they perceive a discussion as a dialogue, which
might not be the case for Southern partners, who generally have less influence
on the setting of the agenda. Southern partners are dependent on
external funding for travelling and initiating conferences. This is not to say
that South-South dialogue is not taking place. In recent years quite a number
of initiatives have been taken to strengthen communication and learning
between partners in the South.
When working in South Africa a friend living in a township asked me
once “Are Swedes not capable of writing?” She had received a number of
visitors wanting to see the apartheid reality and she happily assisted them
and showed them what it meant to live under squalid conditions. A great
number of different people came to South Africa at the time – academics,
people representing solidarity movements, aid agencies, cultural workers
and journalists. All were equipped with a camera and were very serious in
their missions to get information to bring back to Sweden. After saying
goodbye they assured her that they would keep in contact and send some
copies of the photos they had taken, but rarely were letters sent to South
Africa after the trips. Hence, the ironic question from my friend, who
became less enthusiastic about visitors, not only because of the lack of
letters, but primarily because of a growing feeling that for the visitors,
returning to Sweden with valuable information was more important than
the meetings themselves.
Since my work involved contacts with community organisations and nongovernmental
organisations, NGOs, I discussed visitors’ impact with many
of them. International solidarity was one of the main pillars in the strategy
of the liberation movement and South Africans were eager to receive foreigners
who were willing to fight apartheid. Many valuable contacts were
made and bonds of friendship developed. Yet, at the same time, my friend’s
feeling that visitors were more interested in gathering facts for their own
reports, rather than having a dialogue, was shared by many.
Lack of time
In recent years stress has become a major issue at workplaces, and development
co-operation is certainly no exception. It is rare that I meet anyone
working in the development field who does not complain about too much
work. Time horizons are short and we have absorbed a work pressure that
makes constructive dialogue a residual post. It seems as if we have created a
contradiction between effectiveness and results on the one hand and participation
and dialogue on the other.
The packed agendas can be understood from an individual perspective.
We want to do our best and time is a limiting factor. Therefore it is easy to
become absorbed in one’s own work. We act as individuals and plan accord-