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Showing posts from June, 2018

Links & Contents I Liked 288

Hi all, This is going to be the last weekly review before my summer break. Unlike previous years I will have a proper break until the second half of August to focus on other (academic) writing projects, catching up on my reading list - and simply take a break from the #globaldev news cycle. There will be an official vacation post at the end of next week with reading suggestions from the archive-and perhaps even the odd book review or commentary depending on what will happen over the summer. In the meantime: Enjoy a packed reading list-especially as many readers in Canada and the US will have long weekends! Development news: the challenges of reporting sexual violence in Nigeria; logos on aid supplies-it's complicated; #globaldevwomen; you wouldn't send winter clothing to Samoa-but some people still do; Australians overestimate aid spending; the military-migrant economy in Nepal; period underwear; don't 'poorface'-on poverty tourism in the UK; Bill Gates wasted 600

Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Aid Workers (book review)

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As it often happens with my book reviews for the blog there is an element of chance and surprise involved when discovering a great book for review. Fiona Dunkley’s Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Aid Workers: A Roadmap of Trauma and Critical Incident Care is no exception-it probably popped up in my Twitter feed or in a post in the 50 Shades of Aid Facebook group. In light of the #AidToo developments and longer-term discussion in the industry about staff care, well-being and psychological support this is obviously an important and timely book. Simply put, the book pretty much exactly delivers what Dunkley summarizes in her conclusion: This book has taken you on a journey of understanding trauma, highlighting the psychological risk to aid workers, explaining the physiology of trauma, sharing in-depth case studies to explore therapeutic trauma models, exploring coping strategies, managing critical incidents, highlighting pathways to care throughout deployments, and discussin

Links & Contents I Liked 287

Hi all, Happy Midsummer from Sweden! Your weekly mix of news, views, tweets & more is here! Development news: MSF & #AidToo; Oxfam cuts; USA leaving UN Human Rights Council; aid organizations need to be careful to link migration objectives to their projects; FEMA's troubles in Puerto Rico; excluding women on Jordan; UNHCR's innovation metrics. Our digital lives: A special section on how to organize panels & events well. Publications: Organization after Social Media; the rise of impact evaluations; why government's political orientation matters little for immigration policy-making. Academia: Anthropology coming to terms with the challenges of truly decolonizing the discipline. Enjoy! New from aidnography In response to Duncan Green: My 9 development trends and their implications for tomorrow’s aid jobs Generally speaking, I don’t like the word ‘trend’ and I genuinely believe that over the next 2-5 years many parameters will pretty much stay the same. I don’

In response to Duncan Green: My 9 development trends and their implications for tomorrow’s aid jobs

Duncan Green just proposed 9 trends and their impact on employment in the aid industry -particularly for fresh graduates or those freshly entering the sector. As a critical reader and friend of his blog I think that Duncan has done a great job outlining his 9 trends and starting this important discussion. But that he did not get everything right and in fact overlooked a few important trends as I am going to argue in my response. So without further delay, here are my 9 trends and their implications for how to enter the sector and find meaningful engagement and employment. Each of my points actually deserves their own post-which maybe a project for the autumn…And while I believe these are emerging trends I also don’t judge them as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’, hence the academic in me wants to add more nuances. 1. There are no trends: A lot of things will remain the same Generally speaking, I don’t like the word ‘trend’ and I genuinely believe that over the next 2-5 years many parameters w

Links & Contents I Liked 286

Hi all, Welcome to this Friday's review! So many great, interesting, powerful & enraging stories from & about women which hopefully indicate the lasting impact of #AidToo! Development news: Special section on black women sharing their experiences in the aid industry; the EU's military-industrial-border complex; Education, electricity & tax is what Africa needs; doctor drain in Nigeria; stories of UNICEF innovation; new humor & satire in Africa; TedX meets the refugee camp; special section on volunteering/tourism/connecting. Our digital lives: Topless protest in Iceland; respect & awful meetings; social change tipping points; the place most CVs go to die... Academia: Landmark study on sexual harassment in US academia; decolonization in IR; an anthropological publishing project implodes. Enjoy! New from aidnography Does Malcolm Gladwell want rural Indian women to buy Chevys? A few reflections on DevEx World As much as moving away from the ‘beneficiary’ l