UNO students organize international development global conference

UNO students organize global conference about international development

by Angi Sada
UNO Gateway
April 01, 2005

UNO students joined students from around the globe for a morning videoconference about international development and the role that the United States must play.

The meeting, organized by Americans for Informed Democracy, took place Wednesday in Allwine Hall and was attended by seven students.

In its first semester on campus, AID participated in a dialogue with students from Chicago, Atlanta, Cote d'Ivoire and the Netherlands surrounding the responsibilities of nations giving and receiving aid in development.

Brian Wiese, the leader for the organization's Omaha chapter, said that the meeting was important for creating a dialogue amongst young people, especially in the Midwest and connecting those involved in it.

"Today's video conference was to get a face with those who are doing the same dialogue, particularly to hear the insights of people in developing countries. And to brainstorm on ideas of what's going on and to keep everybody informed on a level playing field of what's really the fact," Wiese said. The focus drifted towards the structure of governments in nations in need of international assistance.

A speaker from Cote d'Ivoire made reference to the necessity of relevance in the aid given. The speaker noted that when aid is given it needs to be earmarked for specific purposes, given in the amounts needed to finish those projects and handed over to individuals that can be trusted to distribute them appropriately.

UNO junior Craig Martin pointed out that many of the governments in these nations are plagued by corruption and have offered little evidence of effectual use of aid, saying that Americans citizens are some of the most generous donators to international aid. He believes that giving to non-governmental groups has become a more logical option.

"Non-governmental organizations have more stability, less corruption. It's a lot easier to give (money) to a private organization than to a government who we don't know what they're going to do with it," Martin said.

Another speaker from Cote d'Ivoire pointed out that technology to assist themselves is what developing nations desire, pointing out the advances made in Japan since World War II because technology was shared. He also pointed out that despite its potential, Cote d'Ivoire is hampered because of its inability to access technology.

"Switzerland does not produce cocoa, but they produce the best chocolate," the speaker said. "Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer of cocoa, but does not produce chocolate. Why not? No technology."

According to Wiese it is particularly important for Mid-western students to take part in these sorts of exchanges.

"It's significant to UNO because we're in the middle of the heartland. We don't have too much involvement in these sorts of discussions. Especially in the heartland, getting the word in to us is the hardest," he said.

Jay Filipi, president of Amnesty International's UNO chapter believes that the event was significant because of its potential to grow.

"I think that this is affecting the people who are immediately taking part in this event, but not necessarily anything else. But, it's a start," said Filipi.

Both Martin and Wiese feel that the difference between AID and many other political groups is that it is a non-partisan group. For more information on AID, visit the Web site at aid.unomaha.edu.