Development with Dignity

Jonathan Glennie said it best, “Dignity is perhaps the one thing that human beings across the globe, in myriad different contexts, most instinctively recognize and long for.” 

Well-intentioned, foreign-led development in low- and middle-income countries continues to leave behind unintended consequences that can be wasteful, from expensive broken equipment that locals cannot fix to much more long-term damaging consequences.  

Seva Canada recognizes that fostering our partners’ dignity – giving leadership roles, providing autonomy in decision making and equity in achievement of development – lies at the heart of all our international eye care programs. To Seva Canada, development is not simply measured by program growth and the number of eye care patients successfully served. More importantly, development must advance human dignity both for local eye care professionals and the very poor people they often serve. 

Can we measure dignity? No, but we can all recognize when it is afforded to us. It involves agency, equality, individuality and respect. It betters all of our lives and leads to a level of mutual gratitude, trust, and loyalty that sustains us all.

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