GSI Fellow Post #1

As an International Relations student for the past two and a half years, I have learned much about the common issues that citizens of the world face – poverty, conflict, discrimination, inequality, environmental degradation. However, it soon became apparent that the solutions to these issues would not come simply. When looking at certain core issues, such as poverty, there are many factors that come into play for explaining the cause. As such, it is always a case by case situation in every country. Is the government doing a poor job distributing resources or expanding opportunities for all citizens? Are there not enough resources to begin with? What institutional structures are in place to ensure people do not go into poverty again? Furthermore, I found it even more compelling how issues are almost always connected to each other.

Weak governance with a poorly functioning rule of law would provide little to no incentives for individuals to pursue entrepreneurial investment if they cannot be assured there are property or intellectual rights in place to protect their efforts. A lack of innovation in a society furthermore fails to push everyone towards a better standard of living, leading to often crime and illegal activities if people are desperate enough for their own survival. Now, there are not only economic implications, but also security and social concerns for the population. There can be countless ways this parallel can be drawn, but the conclusion through international development is the same: no issue stands on its own. Each creates ripple effects upon each other, and the best way to even begin to address these issues is in a multidisciplinary perspective. Across organizations, private and public, with individuals holding a range of skills and experiences in disciplines ranging from engineering to politics, it is essential to work together in order for comprehensive solutions to become successful.

I quickly realized that the best way for me to gain real-world experience in what it truly means to work in an impact on issue-driven, complex project scope is to jump right into one. I envision that this course will make me a better International Relations and Economics student by allowing me to work on the ground and see these issues first-hand. By speaking with companies and NGOs in India I hope to have a better understanding of the effect of such partnerships, and the way their relationship brought on by this newly passed Law can have future implications for governments of the whole world to follow by.

To address the problem of over one billion people not having access to eyeglasses, I would aim to follow a similar model that has worked for rural developing communities that allow workers to save their income in a way that is safe, as banking and financial institutions in the area were either too costly or unsafe to use. The way it worked was that it allowed rural workers to save their money on a virtual account by buying an inexpensive electronic card at a local store that allowed them to access an app to transfer their income into regularly. Over time, it allowed them to save their money safely with low costs to both the consumer and producer of the app.

Similarly, it would be beneficial for aid-centered organizations, whether they are NGOs or philanthropy-based channels, to direct and fund this initiative in an efficient way. They can partner with a manufacturing company based where the material to produce eyeglasses would be cheap and preferably close to the market of need. Optimally, the sources of eyeglasses could be made locally through reusing old material, in a way that is sustainable and cheap. Furthermore, local production can even employ surrounding populations. Then, with low manufacturing costs, the company and aid organization can work to move the glasses through these communities, either with cooperation of the health/hospital system provided through the government, or the individual health organizations and hospitals in the country. To get individuals tested for eye glasses, the company can develop an app or website that allows for testing eye sight. As almost everyone has a mobile phone or device these days, or can get access to one through a health system briefly, they can get tested without the need of a skilled or trained health professional. The cost here would be incurred for the development of the app, which would presumably be covered by the aid grants.

The app or website would then give individuals their prescription of eyeglasses, which can then be distributed for low cost through the health system or in local stores/pharmacies.

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