Aidnography

I was looking for a way to introduce J.’s latest aid worker novel Cross-Border without sounding like a middle-aged academic, but it is hard to avoid some tropes about his writing endeavors, e.g. ‘how I followed his career’, ‘how a new book was long overdue’ or how the world, development and aid worker writing have changed over time. But as with most tropes, there is usually a grain of truth to them. My reviews of J.’s first novel Disastrous Passion appeared on Aidnography in 2012. Missionary, Mercenary, Mystic, Misfit followed in 2013 and his first non-fiction reflections about the aid industry, Letters Left Unsent in 2014. His science fiction novel Human was published in 2016. Now back with his latest novel, three broad themes quickly emerge that as always say a lot about the current state of affair of ‘our industry’: Borders have become a key part of the ‘infrastructure’ that governs humanitarian and development work. The novel (finally!) moves away from ‘the field’ to US he

Hi all, Many readers will enjoy a long Easter weekend and I will contribute some food for thought with my latest link review! Development news: Food crisis in Zimbabwe ; the failure of development communication tropes; the conflict in Northern Nigeria is not 'empowering' victims; Charity Water hearts capitalism; US concerned over UNAIDS spending; the tragedy of contaminated water in Bangladesh ; will AI kill growth in developing countries (and is it really a bad thing)? Expat vs. local aid worker: Somali UN staff edition; how UN consultants struggle in Geneva ; pay transparency at Open Humanitarian Street Map; social media & emergencies; Melinda Gates likes taxes; 'solutions privilege' ; new book project on Rwanda . Our digital lives: 30 African communicators to follow. Academia: Does #highered internationalization produce global taxi drivers? Is academia a Multi-Level Marketing scheme/scam? Enjoy! New from aidnography Bavarian Prime Minister Markus

Hi all, We were saving the best for last this week and enjoyed Kate Wright's keynote on Who's reporting Africa now? today! Development news: UNHCR & asylum for sale in Kenya; the never-ending crisis in Western Sahara; donating beer; cheap antibiotics in Kenya; everyday sexism on Nigeria's street markets; learning from DRC's mining deals; Botswana's Heavy Metal Queens; career in the humanitarian sector; Syria-8 years into the conflict; Caribou Digital turns 5, ictworks turns 10!   Our digital lives: Facebook's AI maps Africa; AI monitoring staff in UK companies. Publications: Australia is serious about banning orphanage tourism & exploitation; local response to Indonesia's earthquake; mental health in Syria. Academia: Huge fine for predatory publisher; the case for decolonized anthropology; the trouble with teaching evaluations. Enjoy! Development news Asylum for sale: Refugees say some U.N. workers demand bribes for resettlement Many refu

Hi all, I had a great short trip to Moldova-hence a slightly belated link review without much of an introduction, but a nice pic of a quaint little church in Balti! Enjoy! New from aidnography Heineken in Africa (book review) Heineken in Africa is an excellent book, one that underlines the importance of taking a long-term, historical perspective when assessing corporate engagement in Africa and highlighting the nuances of how multinational companies operate in what is all too often labelled as a ‘difficult’ environment. Van Beemen’s particularly strength lies in the fact that he not vilifying a company or making blanket claims about the ‘evils of capitalism’ and yet provides ample of food for thought for assessing the private sector’s role for ‘sustainable development’. Development news Why Has The World Forgotten Haiti? Humanitarian conditions in Haiti have significantly worsened over the past year, the U.N.’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Muelle

Olivier Van Beemen’s Heineken in Africa-A Multinational Unleashed is probably one of the most readable, nuanced and critical accounts of ‘multinationals doing business in Africa’ that I have read so far. Looking at the iconic Dutch beer brewer Heineken’s operations across the continent, Van Beemen presents case studies that dispel many myths about sustainability, corporate social responsibility and the contribution global companies make across Africa economies. Heineken in Africa is not on a crusade that shakes an angry fist against the evils of capitalism or condemning a multinational company and its product. Van Beemen uses his unagitated and meticulously researched style to the fullest advantage to present country-specific case studies of the brewer’s problematic relationship with power, politics and profits. Right from the beginning Van Beemen makes it clear that Heineken’s business in Africa has always been very profitable. This has not been despite the stereotypical assumptio