Aidnography

It does not happen often, but I think a German word actually captures the essence of Rony Brauman’s book Humanitarian Wars? Lies and Brainwashing best: The word is Streitschrift and the translation polemic does not really capture the nuances of the genre well. In just over 100 pages and in the form of a conversation with Régis Meyran (and translated by Nina Friedman), Brauman provokes discussion, sometimes disagreement and provides always substantial intellectual food for thought.  In the eyes of Rony Brauman of MSF, wars are always triggered in the name of morality. Today’s ‘humanitarian’ interventions are little more than new crusades – and their justifications are based on lies. (…) Without being militantly non-interventionist, Brauman is extremely suspicious of the thirst for war displayed by many of today’s world leaders, the consequences of which are devastating (jacket cover). This captures the tone and scope of the book well-Brauman is always critical about justific

Hi all,  A slightly belated link review-again due to travel. This week I spent some fantastic days in Odessa with colleagues of our internationalization project . It's a fantastic city and I'm really happy that my job allows for these fantastic opportunities, networks & encounters of beautiful places! However, the #globaldev universe did not stand still and there are stories about humanitarian challenges in Yemen, WHO travel, returning & new blogging voices as well as a Senegalese soap opera & 'McMindfulness'! My quotes of the week On Jared Diamond's new book: Until recently, in much of American life, and American writing, the default setting of human being was white and/or male. Today so much writing shatters this default, complicates the point of view. And “Upheaval” reminds us why that matters (Anand Giridharadas). On the challenges of collaboratibe research projects in dangerous environments: (M)any Western universities have strict prot

Hi all, I'm back in Sweden and as the semester is reaching peak season I wish I had a little bit more time for blogging...but this week's #globaldev readings are definitely worth your time! Highlights include: UNCTAD in trouble; millennials deserting the army; a manifesto for rethining disaster studies; the 'dronepocalypse' in documentaries (and #globaldev comm?) & the economist highlighting the role of women and their bodies in history-including through naked protest. Plus book recommendations & entertaining Tweets ;)! My quote of the week comes from Faiza Shaheen on the all-white UK inequality review panel: I can tell you that those who occupy these prestigious influential positions keep missing three key things in their analysis of inequality – namely the importance of power, of prejudice and of the elitist political system. Could it be because they’ve always had power, never experienced prejudice and have friends working in politics? Enjoy! Develop

Hi all, I am wrapping up a week in Ottawa and whether it's because of the different time zone, tweaks in algorithms or a different attention span, it seems that many interesting digital vignettes have caught my eye this week...or maybe it's just a busy week for #globaldev-related stuff...?? This week's highlights: Learning English in Kenya with Ellen DeGeneres; skin bleaching in Nigeria; feminism at a traditional Indian university; Dior discovering Africa; Coco-Cola & the history of globalization; working towards equitable #highered! Enjoy! Development news Social Justice Organization Seeks Summer Interns Who Can Afford to Be Unpaid Due to Privilege We hope one day to be able to pay our interns, but at the moment we aren’t in a financial position where we can fulfill our mission in terms of the hiring decisions we make in order to fulfill our mission. Sometimes, interns are able to find scholarship funds for summer opportunities through their college. Sometimes, they