I had a great conversation with a friend this week.  She had just returned from a vacation to Costa Rica, and we were discussing how disturbing it is to return to the US after being abroad—the ever-present advertising, the crappy food, the rat race.  I was telling her how I have dreamed of going abroad for an extended period, but that I have grave reservations about my ability to be of service.  There are a number of programs that are designed to “build civil society” and “export democracy” to Eastern Europe, Africa and other parts of the world.  Seemingly, this appears to be a worthy endeavor that might be well-aligned with my nonprofit management expertise.   This turns out to be a tricky business, however.  

Can the US claim to be a model for the rest of the world these days?  We are exporting our taste for refined flour, sugar, meat and processed foods, leading to a brewing worldwide food crisis as the prices of wheat and other commodities soar.  Other countries are emulating our insatiable appetite for energy…the list goes on. 

So, how does this relate to the social sector?  Isn’t it still important for nonprofits to extend aid and work to build similar community benefit institutions in the third world?  I’m not sure.  I was rocked to the core by an article in the New York Times magazine on 1/27/08 (A Dying Breed by Andrew Rice, check it out online if you are a subscriber) which outlined the plight of Ugandan native Ankole cattle as Ugandan farmers, aided by Heifer International and USAID, are converting to Holstein cows.  The Holsteins are resource-hogs, poorly adapted to the African climate and in need of intensive medication to ward off tropical diseases.   Yet, they produce more milk, producing more wealth in the short run.   On the heels of this disappointing realization (that seemingly unassailable Heifer International might not be such a good thing for the planet), I began reading coverage of the Gates Foundation’s new AGRA initiative, also called “the next green revolution.”  Their solution to hunger in the third world is wide distribution of genetically modified crops.  Yikes!

I’m more nervous than ever about the US exporting our values and our ideas about what constitutes a good society.  For now, I guess I’ll stay home and put the finishing touches on our US nonprofit model—we still have just a bit of work to do before we can declare victory and go for worldwide replication.