Reflections

We discuss many of the things we have seen, and begin to process the information. Topics of discussion include the commitments people have to make at Ak Tenamit in order to get their education paid for, the cirucumstances that would bring people so far from their homes, and the situation of the Garifuna. Dan, our leader, suggests his expansion of the saying "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat forever." So here are Dan Spencer's four levels of need for poor countries:
  • Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Immediate needs must be met, sometimes through direct aid.
  • Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Aid must strive to provide self-sufficiency.
  • Give the man access to the lake. The social system must be just, or knowledge is useless.
  • Keep the lake healthy, so the lake won't run out of fish. Need ecological justice for long-term sustainability.

Return to Itinerary.