Interesting ideas at the website Design for the First World where a competition is being held for designers and inventors in developing countries to help developed with their problems.

Were you surprised or did you chuckle at the thought that people in developing countries might be able to help those in developed? Well the author (who is from a developing country) says that this is is just plain wrong and I would agree:

“Design for the First World shouldn’t be funny. The phrase “Third World minds design­ing for First World Prob­lems” pro­vokes smiles in many includ­ing myself. But why is it funny? Why do we assume that Third World minds shouldn’t be involved in the prob­lems of the First World? In all hon­esty and bold­ness I think we (the Devel­op­ing World) have grown accus­tomed to the top help­ing the bot­tom and because of that we’ve grown lazy. We don’t even think things can be both ways. We can help them! I believe there is a need to re-educate our­selves as devel­op­ing coun­tries and gain agency.”