About the Initiative
The Dignified Pacific Initiative recognizes that the problems in the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are not about what Pacific do not have, but rather about what Pacific people culturally perceive self-worth (dignity) in regards to what it is that they receive and what it is that they give (reciprocate). In particular, the PICs have not found the right ways of what and how to contribute back to the world. We are not necessarily trying to change the way donor nations behave but more into transformation of self-perceptions of Pacific communities to interact resourcefully with advance economies.
In addition to arguments from many Pacific scholars, Dr. Funaki recognize that the cultural value of “reciprocity” in Oceania is absolutely crucial to dignity or “mana” that works differently from the system foreign aid operate. We acknowledged the challenges that when this notion is not fulfilled, dignity is hurt. The PICs denied the kind of recognitions that is natural from their cultural perspectives and are stuck in the broader structure that undermines dignity through various influences including Official Development Assistance (ODA) or foreign aid, incrustations of new norms and educational standards that do not necessarily take into account these cultural values that Oceania people hold dear.
This initiative is searching to join forces with common interest projects, researchers and individuals to join us in this work of examining how global prosperity could be realized over creative integrations of our innovative contributions for our common good. One of the visions for this initiative is to reunite the PICs using their common concept of generosity to grow and develop together, as responsible and respected resource custodians for the world, and not for the benefit of a few wealthy nations.
The Project
There is a clear link between cultural values and the possibility of restoring dignity through practical actions of this work. This initiative will investigate the spheres or areas that could be promoted to heighten this sense of value and dignity. These spheres will be derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as these SDGs are the guides to what the world prioritizes and values, in order to find connections to what the PICs could offer. It is also an attempt to answer the questions left by Gregory Bateson (anthropologist who applied cybernetics to social sciences) of “What dignified role is each of the various nations best fitted to play? What motivational patterns shall we evoke between those who give and those who receive in order to submit not to each other but to some abstract principle?” (Dillon 2004, p. 106). The project hope to be conducted through:
1) in-depth interviews with existing networks of policy makers in the PICs including the civil society and think tanks
2) direct engagements with these bodies to observe the nature of self-perception in ODA negotiations and coordination with development partners.
This work also recognizes that undiscovered knowledge is still in abundance at many recipient countries including the PICs. As these scarce resources is stored mainly with the elderly people while many are quickly disappearing, this project hopes to contribute to global priorities by requesting to invest more on initiatives related to conservations of this disappearing knowledge.
Longer-term indicators would include psychological measurements of self-empowerment among specific pacific island populations. The project will look at the number of policy implementations adopted towards preservation of cultural heritage including other spheres set for GNG. Having these dimensions of impact to follow will allow the project to have a clear path to success, path to impact and path to transformation. It starts from this notion and awareness of the problem, progresses to the basic solution around dignity and then operationalizes through the spheres which points to tangible policies as well as to impact, which can be traced.
our Philosophy of Generosity
Revisiting the historical origins of foreign aid, we see that the intention was to develop the well-being of underdeveloped nations based on moral improvements. Although well-being was interpreted by wealthy nations according to their own experiences, we could argue that this moral action highlighted happiness or prosperity as the aim of human activities. Aristotle theorized that these activities are articulated through moral values according to reasons. People like Yuval Harari (Sapiens) concluded that happiness is a pleasant sensation in the body when reality matches with our expectations. Those expectations grow as conditions improve and achieving happiness cannot be easier than overcoming old age and death. When development is based on GDP and economic growth, our expectations for future achievements could be as depressing as someone chasing their own shadow. Nevertheless, philosophers, including Plato and Epicurus, agreed that happiness is an end unto itself and virtues are the means to achieve it.
Among the ten ethical virtues that Aristotle identified as essential functions to being human, generosity was the third to be examined. Generosity is executed for the good of others, but at the same time, its long-term advantage is that Generosity leads to one’s own good as well. Rather than recipient countries framing development based on their own well-being through ODA, generosity emphasizes the good of others as the motivation for their own development. Since the ultimate goal for foreign aid is the pursuit of global well being, or prosperity, the ethical virtues of generosity act as functions in fulfilling this ultimate good. Just as generosity considers the goodness of others, so does gift giving theory; both share the similar value, as motivations for both are based on the interests of others.