Build resilience or lose relevance says development expert

The concept of sustainable development which has driven international assistance for decades needs a strong dose of resilience to remain relevant, asserted Lelei Lelaulu  

Speaking at the Applied Brilliance forum in the US capital, Lelei LeLaulu asserted "resilience had increasingly become the real aim of those seeking effective overseas development aid  – and if programs were not resilient – then they were doomed to failure, or irrelevance."

LeLaulu, chairman of the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (www.FSPI.org) said "developing world countries were littered with the detritus of well-meaning programs which often lapsed into irrelevance or abandoned after the international donor withdrew its people and its cash."

To strengthen resilience it was important to take development out of the ‘Missionary Position’ which required hosts to "lie back and enjoy everything they were given," asserted LeLaulu who is also co-chairman of the think tank, Innovation for Sustainable Development Centre.

"You have to listen to the locals define their hopes and dreams – and then give them access to the tools they need to build better lives for themselves and their communities," he declared, "otherwise you’re wasting their time, and your money."

Responding to questions on how build resilient programs he explained: "Resilience is best achieved by harvesting and harnessing the innovation and creativity of both the donor and the recipients, then embedding it into the programs they jointly design."

When aid budgets are shrinking LeLaulu said it was even more important to encourage innovation and creativity in the donor and in the recipient communities: "The same old, tired, approaches sucks energy out of the intended beneficiaries and cash out of the donors – for no enduring benefit."

"Relying on Governments is not sustainable as a single election with a new administration can wipe out aid budgets overnight," he asserted. "So, we have to look at innovative and creative corporations to help build resilient aid programs."

Noting tourism was the world’s largest industry, LeLaulu saw other benefits for those seeking resilient partners: "It’s private sector driven and it recognizes the value of destinations in the developing world – as well as the need to ensure the health, environment andwealth of those destinations are enhanced through sustainable and responsible tourism."

Valere Tjolle

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Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suitewww.travelmole.com/stories/1143624.php