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Intellectual Illusions

Externally Grown Projects: Constructive or Destructive?

It is often the case that well intentioned and skilled individuals and organizations design the ideal solution to problems affecting communities with a socioeconomic and political environment completely different from their own. The result is that the proposed solutions are often implanted rather than grown locally and have very little chances of surviving the local reality with a continuous injection of external resources and skills. In addition, these externally grown projects do little to improve the problem solving skills of the local communities, which is essential for them to be capable to improve their own conditions in the medium and long term. Moreover, externally grown projects are not only not constructive but they more often than not have destructive side-effects on the local communities. To learn more...

Thinking Outside and Acting Inside the Box

Thinking "outside the box" is a luxury that only countries living in excess can afford. Communities and countries that are struggling to survive cannot indulge in intellectual exercises and will only rarely benefit from others doing so for them. The sources of their problems and the solutions to these problems are often well defined and do not need originality to tackle them. On the contrary, what is needed are well established, robust, down-to-earth, clear, and step-by-step approaches.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Reality or Science Fiction?

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations defined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is supposed describe the basic rights that every human must enjoy. It is my believe that this overly idealistic and unrealistic proposal will not have its desired effect of guiding people and their nations towards improved living conditions. For such a proposal to have a constructive effect it needs to be based on the current social reality and shaped to fit the human nature. Otherwise it will sound and feel alien to the people and not be able to grow strong. Some examples of how unrealistic the Declaration is...

Swallowed by information

Is the enormous amount of information that the Information Age is making available to anyone at a click of a mouse having a constructive effect in our societies?

Terrorism or Heroism?

Dumping a bunch of tea in the sea...

Walk, don't run for office

Not only politicians should see their careers