THE TWO ESSENCE OF DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE: Strongim Ol Liklik Man na Meri long Ples Bilong Yiumi

This article categorizes development into two distinct parts according to the “developments’ practical aspects”. It aims to inform the readers that development is both within the control of the ordinary people as well as outside their control. This article totally reflects the perception of the author as an independent development thinker and analyst.

Introduction

Development is a broad concept. There are many theories and practice of development in the world today and each one is adopted and used depending on the context of each respective countries. The most fitting development theory in PNG is the ‘Theory of Development in the Post-Colonial Countries’. In the meantime all theories that I perceive that relates to the development in the developing countries has certain important elements. The elements according to (Snyder, 1980) basically focus on ‘modernization, independent and incorporation’. ‘Modernization’ is about getting to the country to meet the developed standards of the first world. ‘Independent’, is about trying to be independent without manipulation of other more developed countries. Finally, "Incorporation" refers to the inclusion of internal aspects of development within the country into practice. 

This article in the light of the important development elements will present the two vital aspects of development which the author perceives is very important to everyone in a developing country like Papua New Guinea and particularly West Sepik Province. The two very important aspects of development are Communal Development (National Development)* and Individual Development (Development at a personal level)*.

Communal Development (National Development)

The Communal Development (National Development)* is a term that refers to the public development, a development that affects and benefits everyone in the community. This specific development practice is beyond an individual’s control.

This development practice is only handled by the government and development partners. Ordinary people in most cases do not  play major parts in this specific development. Examples of such development would include roads, bridges, wharves, airports and so forth where the government, its machinery and the development partners are major players in this specific development.

The very nature of this development denotes that only the government and the external forces apart from the local indigenous population has the upper hand in this specific type of development. The government specifically is in the driving seat to ensure that the indigenous population have access and benefit from such development practices.

In addition, local indigenous populace should not spend their entire life brooding from and of the lack of this development as it is beyond their control. The people should rather focus on the Individual Development that will be explained under the forthcoming heading.

Individual Development (Personal Development)

The Individual Development (Personal Development)* is a term that frames development that is practiced by the local and ordinary people. This specific development is a personal development or a people development that is totally different from the above mentioned development practice that is controlled by the state or in in other words directly influenced by the government.

The Individual Development or Personal Development is the second of the two development practice perceived by the author that can be controlled and carried out by any individual(s) with or without direct outside influence such as government incentives and so forth. The examples of such development practice would be that of an indigenous local villager who is farming cocoa trees and sells cocoa to make income in order to improve his standard of living. Another example would be that of a “Strit Mangi’. This ‘Strit Mangi” instead of smoking drug and taking on home-brew beer decided to go to a vocational school to get a trade to earn a living and make his living purposeful in his community.

This specific development practice is under the control and influence of the ordinary people who can facilitate this in their personal life, family life and at the community level to bring in development. This second aspect of development is the most important aspect of development that has been overlooked at most times. Once this basic development aspect is ignored, the local population now put more pressure on the government and shift their economic and other forms of development dependence on the government. Government and Politicians are now seen as basic development Messiahs or development Devils depending on their development outputs once this specific development practice is neglected.

 

Furthermore, people who are conditioned to accept and rely heavily on the first development practice eventually forfeited the second development practice of ‘Individual development’. This group of people becomes lazy and worthless in the society. Hence, ‘Individual or Personal Development’ is essential and should be the most discussed, thought of and the most practiced development among the local populace for the advancement of our districts and province.

CONCLUSION

The “Communal Development (National Development)” is beyond ordinary indigenous populace’s control and the major responsibility heavily falls on the government and the development partners. The “Individual Development (Personal or Family Development)” is the development practice that our local indigenous populace should focus more on. The “Individual Development” aspect empowers the local people to be in control of their own development as they wait for the Government and its Machinery to do their part.

The laziness syndrome and the Government and Politicians' development dependence syndrome should now be the dilemma of the past. The local population should now maximize their strength through the ‘Individual Development’ aspect to ensure that they progress in life.

Finally, we as local indigenous West Sepik People have the power to bring development when we utilize the second development option. We as a people for so long have kept ourselves in underdevelopment prison of ignorance. Therefore, let us now look forward to development and welcome developments as we become development while we wait for the government, its Machinery and the other Development Partners’ intervention.

Reference

Snyder, F.G. (1980). Law and development in the light of dependency theory. Law & Society Review, 14(3), 723-804. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3053197

All  images are accessed from https://www.facebook.com/pg/Aitape-Lumi-In-Photos-255108604886014/photos/?ref=page_internal 

The boarder image is accessed from https://www.google.com/search?q=Vanimo+Border+Images&client=firefox-b-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=4022R7_nqKJDTM%253A%252C3PL1DjMKXNJHJM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQY2nKyC6wcgteUYrw0yzgwe8mZgQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7rqnZ2q_oAhXszzgGHXp2CqgQ9QEwAHoECAkQEg#imgrc=4022R7_nqKJDTM:

Foot Note:

* Communal Development and Individual Development are the author’s own development terms.

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