‘Arguments Abroad’ is a film project by university students Cat Zhang and Luke Weatherstone (me). We’ll be going to Cambodia and India respectively trying to come up with an answer to the above question. This will generate arguments, agreements and entertaining
discourse.
Armed with DSLR cameras, GoPros and shotguns (microphones), ‘Arguments Abroad’ will be an interesting discussion about how crucial cultural values are to development work and steps individuals can take to alleviate inequality.
Technology is easy. We have the technical capacity to solve all issues of inequality, yet poverty is still rampant with almost half the global population living on less than $2.50 per day by some estimates. We think the root cause of this problem is values
and attitudes. To some extent, it is the values of the communities that lack the basic necessities of life, but to a larger extent, it’s the attitudes of cultures with the technical capacity and resources to address the issues toward developing communities.
To an even larger extent, it is the values of technologically ‘advanced’ cultures in general that needs shifting if we hope to seriously quash inequality.
We are all influenced by our surroundings, and like it or not, most of us from the same environment think in very similar ways. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s something we should all be conscious of as we try to impact a community that has a different
value set to our own. We need to have an awareness of our own value set before looking at the values of others.
Cat and Luke are both engineering students from Sydney, Australia. They both spend a lot of their free time doing volunteer work for Engineers Without Borders Australia. When they're not seriously discussing how they're going to save the world (or at least
settle for making it a better place), they're goofing around (see below).
But a little more on us...
Luke also studies physics and has a passion for using technology as a way to improve the quality of life for all people. While rooted in an extremely practical field, you can also find him enjoying abstract conversations about philosophy, playing music,
climbing and swinging from trees or clad in his favourite pair of Vibrams. He looks at this project as an opportunity to communicate something he is passionate about (tackling inequality) as well as learn a few things about culture along the way.
Cat also studies architecture is passionate about using her engineering skills to help communicate technical ideas to people from non-technical backgrounds. She also highly values the importance of culture and really really doesn't like this idea of globalisation.
When not talking passionately about these issues, you can find her doing some really cool drawings!
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