Participation & Empowerment

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Training dogs to participate

Tony Klouda, March 2000

A man trains a dog to beg for a bone. The man is so pleased with this he then shows others how he trained the dog. This in turn leads to conferences that are developed toshow how to train dogs. Soon, training programmes and international approaches to training of dogs are developed.

Throughout the dog participates, but the question is “Who is empowered by this process?” The dog is not empowered since it could already stand on its hind legs if it wantedto—it is just that this is a stupid thing for a dog to do. But it knows that by doing this it will get a bone, and also ease its relation with the man who is likely to continue to give ita home, be affectionate and feed it.

It is clear the man is the one empowered, as he is the person who gets employment and distinction and travel as a result of his skill, and furthermore generates a wholeindustry of participatory dog training, with all sorts of other tricks that dogs can do.

It is also clear that the relationship is one of lack of respect for the dog, and a relationship in which no meaningful communication is possible.

In short it is a history of development as it is often practiced today.

I first put on this story as a role play in a workshop in southern Uganda. One of the Ugandans acted the part of the trainer, I as the dog. At the end of the play there was an extremely sad comment: "Then we are all dogs". Sometimes using such stories can go further than expected.