What should society do for “uncivilized cultures” like the Sawi?
This question induces me to refer back to the question, by which I was asked to answer on my fourth entry, "What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?" I wrote in my fourth entry that cultural influence is inevitable, especailly today, where it is becoming a multicultural society. Today, nations depend on each other for support and trade needed materials, by which influences from different cultures become inevitable. However, if a culture had a choice to decide whether it wants to accept the influence or not, it engenders a difficult situation. It is because such culture may desire to maintain its culture as is, which will result in only one possible outcome: to remain as an uncivilized culture. However, I strongly believe that a culture has the right to decide for its own future whether it is to remain an uncivilized culture or to accept the change and become a civilized culture. It is not of any other nations' decisions to change another culture. By stating such an assertion, I am tryin
g to communicate that when approaching a culture such as the Sawi's, people need to be careful not to force a change. They need to consider what is best for the people of a culture they are approaching. In this case, it would be to give them the voice to speak out for what they need and want. Don Richardson's method of approach in the book is a great example of such. He spoke to the Sawies about Christianity and laid out options for them to choose. He did not force any change. Nonetheless, in the end, the Sawi culture embraced a significant culture change, but it was by the decision of the Sawies not by Don Richardson's.
This question induces me to refer back to the question, by which I was asked to answer on my fourth entry, "What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?" I wrote in my fourth entry that cultural influence is inevitable, especailly today, where it is becoming a multicultural society. Today, nations depend on each other for support and trade needed materials, by which influences from different cultures become inevitable. However, if a culture had a choice to decide whether it wants to accept the influence or not, it engenders a difficult situation. It is because such culture may desire to maintain its culture as is, which will result in only one possible outcome: to remain as an uncivilized culture. However, I strongly believe that a culture has the right to decide for its own future whether it is to remain an uncivilized culture or to accept the change and become a civilized culture. It is not of any other nations' decisions to change another culture. By stating such an assertion, I am tryin
g to communicate that when approaching a culture such as the Sawi's, people need to be careful not to force a change. They need to consider what is best for the people of a culture they are approaching. In this case, it would be to give them the voice to speak out for what they need and want. Don Richardson's method of approach in the book is a great example of such. He spoke to the Sawies about Christianity and laid out options for them to choose. He did not force any change. Nonetheless, in the end, the Sawi culture embraced a significant culture change, but it was by the decision of the Sawies not by Don Richardson's. 
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