Development: Definitions and Standards
Definitions of the concept of development have not achieved unanimity. From a holistic perspective, development is the liberation of man from his spiritual, socio-economic and educational limitations (Déméro, 2007). In this way, the State and civil society (religious institutions, associations, organized groups in the country, etc.) should provide a framework for individuals to address their own needs towards a state of well-being where they can live in harmony with themselves, with God, with their fellow human beings and with their environment./
From this point of view, development is different from relief. Relief has a focus on the present. It aims at the immediate mitigation of human needs and is turned towards dependency, inaction and mental poverty. In this approach, the individual is passive and hardly participates in development activities. He is, therefore, seen as a spectator and observer of what is happening around him.
Development, however, takes a constructive view of the future. It aims at the real satisfaction of the needs of the individual and is oriented towards autonomy. In this case, the individual is active and participates in the planning of the development activities proposed to him or her. In this way, he or she is the heart and driving force of the process of his or her own development. Education itself is the main tool in the process of the individual’s development. It aims, among other things, at the acquisition of knowledge (learning), reflective action (know-how) and change of heart and attitude (life skills). The evidence of human development is the control of oneself, one’s environment and one’s future in order to achieve the realization of the full potential that God has placed at one’s disposal (Genesis 1:26). In this context, holistic development is multidimensional. It encompasses all aspects of life: spiritual, social, economic, political, cultural and ethical. The following figures illustrate the holistic and multidimensional vision of the concept of development as prescribed in the Holy Scriptures (Luke 2:52, Luke 4:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:23):
Figure 1 illustrates the four dimensions of the human person: spiritual, socio-emotional, cognitive (intellectual and economic) and physical (health). These dimensions need to be taken into account when defining a human and community development agenda.
Figure 2 illustrates the multidimensional growth and development model of Jesus Christ in monolithic form. It describes the nature of the inseparable needs of human beings, especially in bringing up children: spiritual, social, intellectual and physical. It should also be pointed out that the order of these needs is not linear but cyclical. In other words, all types of needs are important at the same time. Wise pastors, leaders, educators, and community development workers need to take this into account whenever developing an educational and/or community intervention program.
Figure 3 illustrates the elements characterizing physical poverty from a human physiological approach. It describes the cycle of poverty and its implications in terms of causes and human consequences in the absence of any intervention.
Figure 4 illustrates man’s intellectual needs. It describes the importance of formal and informal education in the process of intellectual development and the judicious acquisition of spiritual knowledge in humans in general and children in particular.
Paquette (1997) considers seven logical levels of development. The first level is individual development. What characterizes thislevel are the basic needs of the individual – the physiological needs such as food, shelter and protection from the elements, safety and health needs. The second level is that of the development of groups, communities or local authorities. This isthe level where problems related to culture, values, languages, beliefs, myths and patterns often occur. It is the place of cooperation, competition and confrontation. The third level of logic is local development. What characterizes it is the voluntary or default collaboration required to live in the same territory. The fourth level considered is the level of national development. What characterizes this level of development is the logic of the management and coordination of the elements that structure a nation. The fifth level is the level of international development. This level connects nations through agreements, coalitions, markets, agreements and charters or declarations. The sixth level is the regional development level. What characterizes this level is the level that connects one nation to another through, for example: standard of living, epidemic, drought, type of economy, natural resources and borders. The seventh level is global development. This level concerns the survival of the biosphere, the maintenance of great ecological balances.
The Lisbon Group (1995) identifies the adverse effects of globalisation such as environmental problems, slums, the growth of organised crime, the widening gap between rich and poor, etc. To circumvent these effects, the Lisbon Group presents three possible outcomes for a new world order: competition for survival, triadic peace, or a world government according to seven scenarios. The first scenario is apartheid, which is considered to be the most extreme of all. The second scenario is survival. The third scenario is that of triadic peace. The fourth scenario is that of viable global integration. The fifth scenario is the institutionalization of an integrated world economy. The sixth scenario is that of the single world market. And a possible seventh scenario is that of a contract of basic needs, the cultural contract, the contract of democracy and the contract of land.
Despite the efforts made by the State, the international community and civil society, Haiti has not yet achieved the level of satisfaction of basic needs, let alone the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The country has not yet met the sanitation, drinking water, basic education and health needs of majority of the population. The country continues to suffer from the adverse effects of globalization such as organized crime, environmental problems, slums, etc.
To counter these adverse effects of globalization, it is important to focus on the seventh scenario proposed by the Lisbon Group: that of the contract of basic needs, the cultural contract, the contract of democracy and the contract of land. Haiti’s development must necessarily involve investment in the individual. This investment aims to train the individual to behave responsibly towards himself, others and nature and to work towards the transformation of his social environment, community, country and the world in general (Déméro, 2007).
In order to achieve development in Haiti, Caius Marius Alphonse (2007) emphasizes the need for a renewal of spirit, which must necessarily involve formal and informal education. He proposes an education that responds to the reality of the environment and allows the individual to consider himself an integral part of his community, an education that enables graduates to integrate into the local, national, international, regional and global context. In addition, it must prepare the graduate for concrete tasks for his country, specific to his locality, by instilling technical and practical notions that encourage the adoption of new practices in terms of development.
“The important thing for Haiti,” says Alphonse, “is autonomy, not assistance.” Education must be the basis of this autonomy. It helps to regenerate civil society through the development of solidarity. It prevents governments from using the most respectable attitudes and feelings of their citizens as an alibi for their policies. In this context, education and training is one of the preferred strategies for achieving the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It therefore becomes an indispensable tool in the fight against poverty and, consequently, the real key to improving the standard of living of the Haitian people.
Mentalities and attitudes associated with underdevelopment and poverty
Three types of development-resistant mentalities can be identified in the Haitian experience: three attitudes, three practices that produce underdevelopment. They are: the colonial, the magic and the crab mentality. The first is the one that always reduces an individual to the search for a colonist or a master to make him work. There have been so many situations of conflict in our country within religious and political institutions when we have been forced to turn to the international community to put things in order.
The second, the magical mentality, is the one that always leads the individual to turn to magic to solve simple and specific problems. In this case, the citizen rejects science in order to embrace luck.
Finally, the third mentality is that of individuals in the same community who do not rejoice in the happiness of the other (the “killjoy”) and always seek to destroy it. Hence the tendency: “Chak koukouy klere pou je w”. “Nou nan mal, nou nan mal nèt”. “Piton nou lèd nou la”. “Fwa sa a lakwa a ale kay vwazen an”.
These three mentalities constitute one of the roots of the evil in Haiti. If nothing is done, they will continue to gnaw at the country’s entire system. It is therefore important for pastors, educators and opinion leaders to be sensitive to these three mindsets in order to accompany the State in the process of education and the formation of a mentality that tends towards the progress of Haiti.
Values capable of development and progress
The development of the country depends greatly on the vision of the individuals and citizens who make it up. This vision must be based on values and attitudes that systematically contribute to progress, such as a focus on the future, rationality and equality.
- Focus on the future – In order to develop, the spirit of the people must be oriented towards the future and the present, not on its past. There is no harm in taking pride in historical achievements, but they add no value to the future if they are not taught in a constructive way. In the current state of affairs in Haiti, it would be better to talk about what we can do to give hope to the nation’s youth. Looking to the future teaches that the people can improve their lives by working optimistically fr progress.
- Rationality – The Christian life is not based on fatalism or chance. It is focused on planning (Jeremiah 29:11) and requires self-discipline in terms of managing resources (information, time, finances, friendships, knowledge, talents, etc.). Rationality invites believers to develop positive and entrepreneurial thinking in order to succeed in life (Matthew 25:14-30). Successful people are proactive, punctual and optimistic.
Being late is not Christian. It is the result of poor education. Latecomers are candidates for poverty. God is in control of everything. He’s omniscient. The Christian must know wisdom and acquire intelligence in order to succeed in his endeavours. To achieve this, the PastorLeader must teach the People of God a philosophy of life based rather on rationality and on the promises of God (Jeremiah 29:11). The rational philosophy of life invites believers to feel that they can know and understand the world around them and act accordingly for their well-being (Jeremiah 29:7). - Equality and equity – The philosophy of life must be oriented towards equality and equity. All men are equal. Therefore, they must be treated as such. They all deserve the same treatment and respect. No individual is supposed to be superior to another on the basis of class, colour, race or social status. The Bible formally declares that righteousness uplifts a nation (Proverbs 14:34). Therefore, the church must do its best to promote right and justice among the sons of the nation (Jeremiah 22:3; 15-17).
In order to promote equality and equity in Haitian society, Christians must fight against corruption in both public and non-public administration. They must abide by biblical and ethical standards such as integrity, honesty, etc., and must be aware of the need to fight against corruption in public and non-public administration. They must also comply with the country’s fiscal duties such as, for example, the payment of rental tax on built properties to the municipality and the annual declaration of income tax to the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI). Administrators, accountants and business managers must pay before the 10th of each month the deductions made at source on employees, consultants and contractors (advance payment, CAS, FDU, CFGDCT, IRI and ONA) and any other tax required by tax law, such as TMS. The business owner is required to submit the balance sheet of the company’s financial statements at the end of each fiscal year, i.e. on October 1st each year. In this respect, he takes the opportunity to submit the final tax return, renew the permit for the current tax year, the tax registration card, the business identity card, etc.
These three aspects of our philosophy of life determine the believer’s relationship with others, his trust in others, his spirit of collaboration and his sense of the common good, his attitude towards work and the fulfilment of his duty with regard to the laws of the land. These attitudes, when present, produce the six conditions necessary for human creativity to flourish, which are: equity, the education system, the health system, reward according to merit, employment according to ability, and stability or continuity.
Holistic development to promote the rights of the child
As the believer’s world views change, so do his conceptions of the child. Long considered a subject, the child, at the level of families and churches, is now seen as an object. In the countryside as well as in provincial towns, families perceive the child as a gift from God, saying: “Pitit se kado Bondye”, “Pitit se Richès”.
At the middle class level, couples worry about having a child and go so far as to adopt when it is biologically impossible to have a child. While waiting for a newborn, couples express the happiness they want for the child and the attention they intend to give it for its full development. The child, who has been called to become a subject, plays the role of an object for its parents. As a result, the child is perceived by adults as an object when it contributes to the lives of of couples.
On the other hand, he is perceived as a subject when they exist independently of him. This conception of the child-object echoes the right to a child that is emerging in Western countries where same-sex couples are claiming the right to have children either through medically assisted procreation (MAP) for female couples or through surrogate motherhood (SMP) for male couples. From then on, the child falls into the realm of subjective rights, where it becomes an object that can fulfil a subjective expectation, need or enjoyment.
Today, there is unanimous recognition of the value of the child in the eyes of Haitian families, religious structures, para-church organizations and society in general. Thus, article 35 of the 1816 Constitution states: “A general public relief institution shall be created and organized to raise abandoned children, give relief to the disabled poor and provide work for the able-bodied poor who have been unable to find jobs.” Article 36 reads as follows: “A public institution common to all citizens shall also be established and organized, free of charge for the elements of education indispensable to all men, and its establishments shall be distributed gradually in a combined relationship with the division of the Republic.” Article 53 provides: “The rights of children born out of wedlock shall be established by laws which shall be aimed at spreading social virtues and encouraging and cementing family ties.”
The Haitian Constitution of 1987, for its part, attaches particular importance to childhood and provides that primary education is free for all children. The Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR) advocates for the protection of children by guaranteeing their best interests through care activities such as adoption and foster care programmes, etc. The Bureau for the Protection of Minors (BPM) of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) of the Haitian National Police (PNH) offers a service aimed at protecting minors who are victims of violence, abuse and neglect. As a result, many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are also moving in the same direction by offering a range of services for the care of abandoned, neglected, orphaned and destitute children.
In universities, the issue of childhood and its development has been the subject of several scientific studies in psychology, sociology and education. This is the case of researchers such as: Piaget (1923) in Switzerland, Montessori (1935) in Italy, Freinet (1969) in France, Gardner (2008), Golman (2006) and Dewey (1925, 1931) in the United States, etc. These researchers advocate a new pedagogy based on respect, freedom and the child’s sensitive period in the context of learning.
Haitian practitioners such as Odette Roy Fombrun, Colimon Hall and many others have made a particular contribution to the promotion and protection of children through booklets, teaching materials and textbooks. As a result, childhood has today become a category that is by no means negligible. It is talked about in the media, in the church, in schools, universities, etc. But at the level of seminaries and theological faculties, it is total silence or almost total silence. This is a paradox insofar as the child occupies a central place in the Gospels.
Biblical literature, in fact, shows that God often uses children as an intermediary with His people. Grassi (1992) explains that in the Bible, the child is perceived in three ways. First, the child is a gift, a gift from God and a divine miracle. Samuel, Isaac, Elizabeth, Jesus and others belong to this category. Anne explains the child’s name in terms of “God has heard” because she was barren. Secondly, the child was symbolically a guarantee of the covenant between God and his people. God’s covenant with Abraham makes Isaac a child of promise. Thirdly, the child is like the instrument of God’s action. He acted through children like Joseph, David and Solomon.
The child’s place in the church
Today, it is important to analyze the place of children in the Haitian religious space. Gauthier (1992) suggests three cultural models to characterize the child. The first model consists of organizing a multi-generational form of worship in which those who take part will be fully integrated into multilingual transgenerational activities such as prayer, reading, singing, welcoming, Christian dances, music, choreography, etc. This model applies especially in congregations that do not yet have a dedicated infrastructure.
The second model consists of organizing a category of worship in which children participate exclusively in the practices intended for them. In this system, worshippers welcome the Gospel in their own style. It is enough to have leaders who are aware of the value of the undertaking and who help them in planning and carrying out the worship service.
The third model consists of combining multi-generational and categorical worship around an intermediate approach in which children attend part of the common worship and return to the worship space specifically dedicated to them according to their age group and their own interests. Such a model is best applied in congregations with adequate physical infrastructure, for example a religious congregation that has a children’s sanctuary with appropriate furnishings that meet safety standards.
In fact, given the existing infrastructure of the church, there is no one model that is superior to another. Whichever model is chosen, pastors-leaders must ensure the integration of this social category in worship and religious life.
Towards a theology of the child
Gauthier (1992) proposes a three-step process to build a theology of children as actors in the church of tomorrow. The first step consists in examining the child by considering his or her historical journey. This process consists of the pastor drawing a family portrait in which the child is neglected and acknowledged in turn. It is also necessary to look at the main patriarchal civilizations that influenced the people of Israel, going all the way back to the present day with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is also necessary to question the organization of our traditional patriarchal society and to seek the best structure for the recognition of the child as a full human person.
Generally speaking, the patriarchal system is based on stereotypes and the division of roles and functions between men and women. In this system of thought, power generally belongs to men and is often passed on to boys from generation to generation. Until now, in the Haitian peasantry, parents, due to lack of financial means, have only sent their sons to school. The latter learn their lessons and do their homework at home while the girls fetch water, do the laundry and do the cooking with their mothers.
This stage in the process of constructing a theology of the child must also pass through the development of an educational infrastructure enabling the child to redefine himself from new bases of self-questioning. It must also give the child the possibility of deconstructing himself or herself on the basis of creative methods of problem-solving and then reconstructing himself or herself on the basis of Christian values, the aim being to achieve a strong and just society for the future. In this process, the role of educators, pastors and parents proves to be both prominent and inescapable.
The second step in the process of constructing a theology of the child is to interrogate biblical data informed by exegetical and contextual criticism. In this regard, the Bible is seen as the Word of God interwoven with human words. Thus, any literal interpretation, which does not take into account the meaning and essence of the text, is likely to lead to problems of application and to both sexist and macho behaviour.
In this process, the knowledgeable pastor analyzes Jesus’ attitude toward children and collects data that can be used by educators and leaders. For example, patriarchy is sanctioned in the Bible by a God who is always represented as a dominant male. Hence the injunction for women and children to submit to men. To maintain this conception today would be to lock God into an anthropomorphic image tinged with idolatry. For nowhere in the Holy Scriptures does God ever impersonate a man: God has no physiognomy, no gender, no colour, let alone social status.
Moreover, through His ministry, Jesus gave considerable importance to childhood. In His teachings, He made a symbolic representation of the child. At times, He represented him as a symbol of His kingdom and at other times as a model of character (humility, purity, etc.). In addition, he placed an unparalleled value on this category in his ministry. Therefore, the wise pastor analyzes the value that the child represents for Jesus.
The third step is to identify a theological humanism that takes into account the human person and approaches the age of the child as a poetic one while questioning the challenges that the family, society and school pose to children today. This questioning takes place within the framework of a practical theology that foregrounds the pedagogy of action to better identify the needs of children in today’s world. If the place of the child is recognized theologically, it is also recognized juridically by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such a theology is rooted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is both the recognition of the child as a subject of law and the recognition of his or her unequal status vis-à-vis adults, because of his or her condition and needs such as parental protection, education and health, among others.
