El Proceso
Why it’s so Damn Hard to do Anything in Some Places
There have been many theories postulated as to why there is so much global inequality between countries. One doesn’t have to look far to find them either. Turkish economist Daron Acemoglu makes it a point to debunk all of them in a chapter literally titled “Theories That Don’t Work” before presenting his own personal theory of everything in Why Nations Fail. During his onslaught of respectable theories, Daron decapitates the idea that equatorial proximity dictates standard of living, crucifies the concept of culture causing compromised living standards, and hangs the ignorance hypothesis out to dry. Well, I’m not going to do any of that. After reading (most of) Acemoglu’s book, I felt his theories pretty reasonable (albeit backed up by somewhat anecdotal “evidence”), his aforementioned criticisms pretty harsh, and his overuse of the word “nascent” pretty disturbing. Rather, what I would like to do is share some of my own experiences in Colombia (which are entirely anecdotal) in order to provide some insight into poorer communities (which definitely proves nothing) to my extremely attentive audience (which is likely less than 20 people). Something that has been at the forefront of my frustrations here in Colombia after three months are the processes that occupy so much of one’s time throughout the day and how difficult it can be to accomplish more “high-minded” tasks while also maintaining these obligations. Though El Proceso spans many facets of life, I’d like to focus on three: water, electricity, and heat. I couldn’t quite get it down to “earth, wind, and fire” but hey you win some you lose some.
I think we can all agree water is pretty great. It’s fun to swim in, funner to drink, and funniester to keep us alive. The thing we often forget — especially when we live in a developed country — is that water isn’t always available. For El Proceso, water is likely the biggest culprit. Specifically in rural, coastal Colombia, many towns don’t have running water. Of those that do, the water doesn’t run for much of the day. Even still, in many sites with running water, the water is not drinkable. When one is placed in a situation like this, college education, hard work, and a can-do attitude don’t really matter; water takes priority. Water needs to be collected, which may mean from a bucket of rain water, from the sink for the limited time that it’s running, etc. If the water is for drinking, it then needs to be purified. A Peace Corps Colombia volunteer has a massive filter. Colombians typically must go the boiling route. The remaining water must then be stored in buckets, as it is to be used to wash clothes, wash hands, shower, clean the house, and cook for the remainder of the day. El Proceso de agua consumes a substantial portion of one’s time, time that could otherwise be spent doing or thinking about more productive ambitions and dreams.
Electricity is another frequent flyer on El Processo airlines. In 2017, electricity is pretty important, especially for doing work. Being a child of a country hardwired with electricity, the United States, I definitely have a certain dependency on it, so much so that I have developed a personal process for managing the frequent power outages that plague rural Colombian pueblos. My first rule, keep shit charged. My computers always have a full battery ready to go in case I have something I want to type up. My phone is always charged so I can keep communication with my counterparts, my fellow volunteers, and the Peace Corps office. The mini-fan I brought (my most valuable commodity) is always charged, so I don’t die along with the power midday.
I am being graced by it’s breeze during a 6 hour power-outage at this very moment. Moreover, I keep two power banks charged at all times to preserve the precious commodity when “the light goes,” as they say here. Now, this aforementioned description might make me sound privileged; it’s because I am. The little trinkets I’ve brought with me from an advanced country are the only reason I can even have a process for managing power outages. Imagine managing such an insurmountable obstacle without the handy herramientas that I’ve brought with me. Attempting to thrive in a world that has thoroughly moved to the internet without electricity for long periods of time or WiFi (another story entirely) is incredibly difficult!
The final part of El Proceso, a topic often discussed here on the coast, is el calor, or the heat. The heat here is very real, especially from the hours of 11–2. In his debunked theories, Acemoglu debunks the whole “heat prevents development” idea while he’s bashing the geography theory, citing countries like Singapore that have thrived despite their geographic location. While I accept that heat does not preclude a country’s ability to develop, it definitely contributes to El Proceso. For example, I am nearly never wearing my street clothes in the house. My professional attire is rarely worn for more than an hour or two at a time. The moment I return home, each item is quickly jettisoned and promptly hung out in the sun to dry the pools of accumulated sweat in hopes that the clothing might be wearable again later in the day. Moreover, one’s day must be planned around the heat. In the States, one might enjoy a brisk afternoon run, decide to walk to the store in the late morning, or ride they’re bike to an afternoon shift at 2pm. Here, any action taken outside must be carefully calculated. Exercise should be done in the early mornings or past 5pm, walks outside should be taken with a sombrillo (umbrella) and lots of sunscreen, and sweating should always be carefully considered. As you might expect, there is simply a lack of activities during these hours of the day, another process that must be overcome before accomplishing what one wishes.
My 6th grade teacher once told me about the change from the nomadic lifestyle of early man to one of settlements. This crucial change allowed humankind to begin focusing on things other than their primary, biological needs, which allowed more intellectual ideas and practices to develop. In this same vein, processes that threaten one’s biological needs prevent the realization of more developed, sophisticated ideas (shoutout to Maslow and his hierarchy of necesidades). Acemoglu would likely say that the reason these obstacles of El Proceso aren’t being addressed is due to the lack of inclusive economic institutions driving economic development and the eventual achievement of clean, running water, ubiquitous air conditioning, and consistent electricity. I would agree with him; however, I would also emphasize that El Proceso prevents individual development and flourishing on a micro-level that further handicaps a nation’s ability to inspire economic growth among its people.
