How fair is fair?
Surely many of our followers have seen images like the one above. Via the most simple of metaphors, it asks us to reconsider what is “fair”: does fair mean equal treatment or does fair mean equitable treatment? Today’s newsletter explores how Pachaysana’s practice of Fair Trade Learning is focused on equity over equality.
The Ecuadorian communities with whom we work are up against incredible barriers, very different than the barriers that our international students face. When dealing with two such different realities, we cannot call something “fair” by simply providing the communities with the same resources and opportunities we provide to international students. Such an action does not take into account a community’s reality, culture or story.
While Pachaysana evaluates much of our Fair Trade Learning model based on the redistribution of resources, equity is not measured by numbers alone. Therefore, in referring back to the image, we could say that its flaw may be that it is overly focused on how many boxes each person is provided in order to gain an equal perspective of the baseball game. If we can agree that each of these people have stories, then there are many other elements in play. For example, why are they not inside the ballpark in the first place? Who or what is keeping them out? Answering these questions brings up a a more complex relationship with equity. The image is simple, but the story is not.
Image: Courtesy of “Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire.”
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