Cultural relevance: Can an outsider help?

I knew that by virtue of my interest in international development as a career it would obviously require that I interact with other cultures in order to understand them and help them any way I could. Now that I am actually in the developing country of Ghana I have found that although in Accra the cosmopolitan nature of the city waters down some cultural gaps, there is still a gap. In the rural areas it exists even more.

I started to wonder if an outsider should dedicate his life to international causes that require that the outsider or foreigner understand and work through the local culture. Would it be best for me to just stay at home (the US) and develop there?

Well, I asked a Ghanaian about this and he said that Ghana as well as other developing countries need help to a much greater extent than the US. He welcomed my efforts here.

So, I thought more and came to the conclusion that yes, an outsider should help if he or she has the heart. I have found that even domestic residents in Ghana don't have the heart to develop-- which is not bad, it's just that they have interests to better their own lives. In fact, cultural exchange is valued here and I am sure elsewhere too. New ideas are not rejected and you don't have to be the typical "insider" either to participate. My uniqueness is welcomed and as long as I take the time to understand the culture I can implement economic policy with that in mind. If you love people and lives, then culture is no barrier because love moves beyond all barriers and the human element never dissapoints.