I pondered this dramatic inconsistency during our entire shoot. I used to think that development was development, no matter who did it: faith-based NGOs, or strictly needs-based secular NGOs. People need food in their mouths and clothes on their backs, right? People need a sustainable way to live beyond a hand-to-mouth existence. And that in itself is the purpose of development. If you want to proselytize along the way, that is great, as long as the immediate need is being met; after all, people won’t listen to how much Jesus loves them if you’re not meeting their in-the-moment needs also. But our work with this secular NGO is really changing my opinion. Because if education gets better, and then the educated just flee the country, then what hope is there of making a lasting impact on government or society? The dramatically overlooked factor here is the power of faith and morality to affect a society: the overwhelming impact that the gospel of Christ has on a society whose highest value is not getting caught. This country of supposedly religious people values an honor vs. shame sort of facade, but when it comes down to it, their belief has no moral impact on their actions. And it is only education coupled with an upbringing in integrity – integrity not based on rules and discipline, but on a condition of the heart – that will cause major societal change in Bangladesh.

As I thought about cultures that have been successful through history, it occurred to me that most had a strong foundation of moral absolutes. In the ancient days, failure to adhere to those standards meant death or torture, and it was only by this long arm of the law that “morality” continued to reign. But once corruption persisted on a large scale, the society would crumble. In the high middle ages, as a renewed faith took root in the cultures of Europe, countries seemed to develop and prosper based on adherence not just to laws, regulations, and constitutions, but also laws of the heart: the goodness of men. This was the root of American culture when the Puritans procured their boats and set sail to the New World. And in fact, this “high moral culture” persisted in America for quite some time. Probably until the turn of the 20th century. And, while there are still evidences of that foundation, I think that society is beginning to crumble.

In truth, you can’t tell someone to be good. You can’t tell the government to shape up and give people basic human rights (or good roads or solid education, for that matter). You can’t tell people that the value of honesty and hard work far outweighs the value of a common bribe; but if you can tell them that a God who loves them has given them something totally undeserved, and that all they have to do is show their gratefulness and humility every day – well. You can’t make them believe it, but they’ll see for themselves it is the only thing that can transform a culture.

Well, if you were tempted to think any of those things about Bangladesh, let me be the first of many to inform you that you’re wrong. Bangladesh is as close to the Somalias and Zimbabwes of the world in terms of poverty as you can get in Asia, and is trailing just behind the likes of Chad, Iraq, and Sudan on the list of world’s most corrupt countries. The highly Muslim society is a less extreme and dangerous place than some of its Middle Eastern counterparts, but the appalling lack of respect for women is still at work in the shame-and-respect tone of society. Dowrys are expected for a successful marriage in most parts of the country, and women are commonly raped by family members. And, with half the population of the United States in a country roughly the size of Ireland, there’s certainly no manifest destiny going on over here either.

In a nutshell, it’s no picnic.

With that said, it might surprise you to learn that Dhaka, the nation’s capital, is also the NGO capital of the world. And, with at least 13 million people in this capital city, including a whole host of foreigners (B’deshis, in local slang) all trying to make a difference, you might still want to think that things are getting better. And maybe they are. But it sure is hard to tell.

I first came here 4 years ago with a development organization, Bengal Creative Media, that functions as a business. The idea behind it is to create a business mostly staffed by Bengalis that offers creative services, and functions morally and ethically (as opposed to by bribery and cheating, which is common here) . BCM does graphic design work for NGOs and other groups that want to create branding for their company. They also facilitate theatre in villages that addresses local problems, like health, education, and sanitation. This “theatre for development” strategy takes a team of artists into a village and discusses with some local, artistically-minded people the strategy for telling the story. The team then produces and acts in a drama for their peers – the entire village – complete with song and dance, that presents creative solutions to some of the village’s development problems. Back in Dhaka City, BCM also produces similar productions for television, which address local and national issues. And all the while, the ethics and integrity with which the business is run stands like a light upon a hill against the corruption of some of the other industries the company works with. BCM is staffed mostly with national employees, but when I first came, they wanted to start a division to do video work for other development agencies that would have a western audience. So, when you see those videos on websites profiling Habitat for Humanity or Save the Children or CARE disaster relief and development projects in Bangladesh, they’re probably made by us. I am one of about 4 revolving B’deshis who create Western media that shows a Bangladeshi perspective.

I’ve written extensively about the obvious – and not so obvious – colors of culture shock one is likely to find here and, as a returning foreigner, I have been able to come back with a refreshed – if not slightly jaded – perspective. I call it Advanced ‘Deshing. I’m sure what will follow in my next few weeks of blogging will catalog some of my highs and lows here, which I hope you will read on to discover.

Oh – and I plan to make some of my previous writing on the Desh available on my Writing page. Stay tuned for details on that.