Humanity oriented civilization.

I've been to enough classes / read enough books on survival and subsistence techniques, what I do not know is what resources I have access to.

I also do not know what the problems are?

If you have access to this knowledge, or you want to take the topics/problems one at a time this group can come up with some pretty basic solutions.

As pointed out only the person/ people in need know what is needed. Which I suppose is another way of saying self help is the best solution? And to make that work there is the need of talent and resources. So engineering and allied subjects should be made available, and knowledge and the internet be made available so that information relevant to their needs can be made available, after that there should be a body that can encourage and fund any enterprises that may put forward. I'm sure this is not new, so anyone out there that has experience of this can put thier positive and negative points of view.

Regards JD.

I made every beginner's mistake.

You are right,UNICEF and many other organizations treat disasters,health and poverty issues.I want to concentrate your thoughts on the following:

imagine we discover a planet inhabitable with humans that are primitive like our cave ancestors.If wasn't for us they would have to wait all those years till they develop.

Because of us they can take "shortcuts" and save a lot of time.

Let's point out the features of a normal developed society (here civil engineering might come up) let's point out principles of manufacture,organization,planning and all things that are civilized with no doubt.And give them the so called shortcut.

And after every step made let's ask the question where exactly have we brought them so we don't give them nuclear bombs before education.

It's crucial that we analyze the situation after every step made because donating money to poor regions results in population starving and a few guys driving air conditioned limos.Analysis as irreplaceable as the action itself for it might bring the opposite result.Someone said "those who don't know where they're going will get elsewhere".

Actually sport.....you're right in the middle of a developing global forum evolving at this moment. CR4 is an open forum where, ostensibly, any from developing nations can ask those questions that those of us here are capable of answering...and have!

Unfortunately you qualify people with 'power' as occupying more your own attitude rather than who they really might or might not be. It is a sweeping generalization that only addresses your own lack of experience by assuming the 'us' against 'them' paradigm. The value of anything is neither a measure of power nor protectionist industrial interests.....it is quite simply a willingness to help out where one can with the knowledge one has.

Welcome to the internet. It is the most profound development since the onset of human speech.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need an adequate food supply. Mortality rates in developing countries are high, and it is easy and appealing to introduce basic medical techniques (vaccinations, clean hospitals, adequate pre-natal care) and suddenly you have a population explosion. So the first thing you need is agricultural technology that can keep up with population growth.

After that, you can introduce basic medical care, and as agricultural productivity increases, then less people need to farm, and you can start training engineers.

I'm not saying this is how it's done nowadays, quite the contrary. But this is how civilization advanced in the first place, so we know it works. And we have seen technology brought in before agricultural productivity was enhanced, and you had massive population growth and resultant starvation in places like India and China, and resulting draconian controls on fertility rates.

I agree very much with emc_c point of view. But to be a little bit controversial, if we have an underprivileged group of people and they seek advice, and the internet is available (CR4), can we not welcome guests.

Regards JD.

I think we need to first decide what are the basic needs to be handled.

I think any list should include :

1. Food, Shelter, Water

These three need to go together.

Next would be:

2. Health

3. Education (to a basic level for all, a higher level for a few who will be the nucleus of the engineers, medical workers and others who will help them improve everything themselves).

4. Transport (allows them to distribute resources in time of need and even out local gluts of production)

5. People responsive government (enables coordination of effort for the benefit of all. protects against the "bully boys" who inevitably arise in all societies. To be effective needs at least a minimal level of education to be wide spread, otherwise "warlords" and dictatorships rise)

Perhaps others would now like to add to this list and refine it.

Once we can get a better handle on the problem, we can start working out solutions, which hopefully can be taken up by those who can make a difference.

Finally, we need to remember that, people being people, there will be no shortage of those who will endeavour to twist our well intentioned efforts for their own ends, to the detriment of others.