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By Joel Ben Thomas, Class of 2015
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| Joel Ben Thomas |
This past summer, I had the pleasure of venturing to Bangladesh to participate in some ongoing projects with Agape Service Bangladesh Trust, a local non-profit organization serving the needs of many impoverished people groups in their own country. This experience marked my fourth trip to this country, yet things always seem to catch me by surprise. Having never before experienced life there during the Rainy Season, much less Ramadan on top of that, it was as if I was seeing a new side of an old, dear friend. Indeed the cultural sensitivity required on this trip was at a highpoint for myself personally—never before had I been called to be so aware in a time when transportation was utterly contingent on the weather and when religious ceremonies determined the entire pace of the day. The presence of rain determined whether boats or cars were suitable for transportation, and the religious ceremonies and traditions associated with Ramadan made configuring free time a real puzzle. Even still, this culturally sensitive time allowed me to experience many new cultural practices, to taste many new foods, and to meet more diverse people groups. It was though I was learning knew stories about an old, dear friend.
For those who don’t know, Bangladesh is a small country located in South/Southeast Asia, resting on the southeastern corner of India in the heart of the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is home to more than 160 million people and, with their current birthrate, is expected to double in population within the next 10-15 years. A relatively young democracy, Bangladesh has endured some of the most gruesome political corruption. So much so, that in 2005 the United Nations determined Bangladesh to be the most corrupt government in the world. However must has changed since that time and the country has made some considerable progress in curbing corruption and promoting transparent government. In fact, whilst on my trip I witnessed a growing desire for the implementation of e-government, or an increased interaction between government and people via communication technologies. It just so happens that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh’s son just completed his doctorate at Oxford University—the topic of his dissertation was on the benefits of e-government.
According to many persons within their society, e-government is viewed as a means to circumvent much of the alleged corruption preventing elections from being fair and competitive. My imaginative mind led me to ponder about the possibilities correlated with such a development. In a country that is overflowing with impoverished people groups, many of whom don’t have access to “modern” Western amenities, how could this be accomplished? Despite relatively low standards of living, the country is not short of cell phones—indeed an enormous amount of people have cell phones. Perhaps voting could be conducted through cellular technological devices (mobile phones)? If possible, my mind wonders how effective this could truly be in electing a government that people believe is honestly elected? If possible in this young democracy, how could Bangladesh serve as an exemplary state for other young democracies across the globe? How would representation, campaigning, and accountability change?
While I don’t have the answers, I may have just stumbled upon a future research project . . . A developmental push for e-government is clearly present, who knows if this push can become and ever-present and future reality?
Joel Ben Thomas is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is pursuing majors in Political Science and Anthropology and a minor in Economics.