The Role of the Institutions in

The Role of the Institutions in the Development Process, Part 2

Exploring the framework for a “Balanced Development” model

Ramses Rashidi

In the last article we talked about the role of the government, business and religious institutions in the development process. Here, we’re going to further examine the role of educational and non-governmental institutions in the development and evolution of civilization.

Educational Institutions

Traditionally the process of education has been associated with a place called “school” or “university”, as well as an individual called “the teacher”. Mankind has been very loyal to this basic universal model. To be certain, we have made some changes in terms of content, programs and electronic gadgets, but essentially the concept of “school” has stayed the same over the centuries. In the development process the educational institutions, for the most part, have been outside of the realities of the daily life. In fact, schools and universities seem to be sanctuaries where students learn about theories and ideas that might never be used in one’s lifetime or applications that may be both outdated and obsolete. Basically, during the elementary and high school years, all students study the same textbooks regardless of their interests and talents. We call this basic or general education. However, most of us don’t remember much of what we studied during those 11 or 12 years of school. Against this backdrop we see the arts, entertainment and the Internet having profound impact on children and youth. But for the most part this impact, together with indirect and non-formal learning, is about violence, greed, avarice, prejudice, fanaticism, apathy and the degradation of human station.

So by the time we graduate from high school and must think about choosing a field of study, most of us have really no clue about our innate gifts and talents. Instead, we choose something based on what we perceive to be of primary importance, which is most often about generating money. A great many are attracted to sales and marketing where the prospects of immediate rewards would mean bypassing the whole higher education picture. Some take a few classes part-time as they are having fun with their new car, momentary feelings of independence, and the fancy apartment, followed by getting married, having children and then working hard for the ensuing decades just to make ends meet. There are those that study hard and focus on a specialization. In the U.S., among this last group, you would find a large portion to be the children of immigrants who witnessed the hardships that their parents went through and therefore choose a lucrative field such as medicine and law. Here the top educational institutions of the country are the place where, if you can get in, your success is pretty much guaranteed. This is where parents take pride in the fact that their child is studying at Harvard, Yale or Stanford. The more focus on a single field of study, however, the more are the chances of going through life with a one-dimensional lens – namely our work – and this is all too often accomplished at the expense of a multi-faceted perspective on social, personal and professional life.

Once we enter the workforce, we really struggle to fit in and achieve success. Lots of young professionals who studied something solely to make money find that the workplace is about getting ahead and forming alliances based on one’s cleverness, or one’s ability to befriend the “right” people. The corporate environment and culture therefore becomes highly stressful as you have to perform your job while watching your back. It’s here that we realize that the educational system did not really teach us about human relations and intrinsic social values. Therefore, we go through life depending and banking on the paycheck until we fall into an economic downturn and get laid-off or tolerate the stress of the workplace for some 30 years and then retire. Here, the social-economic progress and the evolution of civilization becomes retarded as we focus on individualism and a decidedly fragmented mindset where everyone is pushing and pulling in different directions in the hope of “making it” to the summit of success.

Education must serve society and its needs in terms of development and growth, as well as producing highly skilled managers, scientists and artists. Our social identity cannot be ignored or left to chance, regardless of our political system and belief. First and foremost, the function of education must be to develop our human resources with a profound understanding of the importance of human relations in the process of development. The application and implications of one’s path of studies must be an inseparable part of the process of education. Furthermore, the education process must foster human potential according to each individual’s capacities, potential, and interests. In this way the individual enjoys their contribution to society in which it’s not considered merely work duties, but rather pursuing one’s passion and vision. To optimize the process of education, the entire community must take part, each according to his/her capacities and experiences, contributing to the education and growth of the next generation and the development of future civilizations. Finally, it’s imperative that teachers be highly valued, and their role as mentors and guides to be honored and rewarded.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)

The emergence and growth of the NGOs and NPOs (non-profit) in modern history has been astonishing. These institutions, operating at both the local and global level, are often formed to address issues ranging from humanitarian and social concerns to environmental awareness and financial solutions. The NGOs have been a great asset to the development process and contribute to the need of the global community in times of hardships, famine, natural disasters, wars, disease, genocide, abuse, poverty, pollution and waste. Prominent among these insitutions is the United Nations which was established after World War II to address the needs of humanity worldwide and to defuse potential conflicts and wars. There are also numerous NGOs throughout the planet that are actively developing programs to educate the masses and provide them with basic skills so that they will be able to participate more directly in the social-economic development projects. Meanwhile, social projects initiated by NGOs, and even some businesses have helped millions of people to find their place in society and thereby pursue a more meaningful life. Furthermore, there are some NGOs that are focused on providing relief for hunger and food shortages, while there are others that focus on the root-cause of issues and the empowerment of the people to embark on the path of achievement.

The Center for Balanced Development (CBD) was formed with the idea of educating the masses about the need to achieve balance in the various aspects of life. Our research focuses on building social harmony while fostering human potential, promoting ecological balance and achieving true prosperity. We are currently developing programs for the children and youth to find their path in life. We are also involved in the process of devising a rating system called “Balanced Development Standards” (BDS) to evaluate our standing and activities as individuals, communities, organizations and businesses.

This article concludes a series of 34 articles written in the past 9 months (since Jan.08) to research, analyze and define the framework for a balanced development model. On behalf of the CBD team, I would like to thank you for your support and comments. We hope to stay in touch with you and inform you of our developments and activities.

Ramses Rashidi (ramses@cbdus.org) is the founder and director of Center for Balanced Development.

The center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources and services to foster global balance in social, personal, ecological and economic development.

BD Article 034 En.doc