Page 32 - Islands Business March 2023

Development West Papua

Walking to visit women to check on their orders. Traditional knowledge holders teach younger women skills.
Photos: Supplied

LONGER TIMEFRAMES IN

DEVELOPMENT

THE TIPPING POINT FOR GENUINE PROGRESS

By Ariela Zibiah and Janet Lowata of poverty eradication (The end of poverty: Economic pos-
sibilities of our time, 2006), Moosa Elayah (2016), underlines
Short-term project cycles are failing island communities that transformative impact is possible when aid is allowed to
because it is not considerate of communities’ realities, and it “last for an appropriate time”.
does not allow for critical first steps like addressing complex We believe appropriate timeframes is the tipping point
systemic issues. for lived women’s economic empowerment. Lived economic
We believe that working according to a project timeline or empowerment for women we work alongside, and their com-
workplan is the reason why the mantra “leave no one behind” munities, requires longer timeframes for programming that is
will remain a utopian dream. informed by progress on the ground.
Development economist, Roger Riddell spoke of increasing Transformational change requires beginnings that are rooted
evidence that short-term and visible interventions deprived us in and nurtured by communities we work with. Investing time
of aid that lead to transformational impact, in 2014. with those we seek to work with is a prerequisite that most
In reiterating some of Jeffrey Sachs’ arguments on the issue development practitioners overlook.

32 Islands Business, March 2023