Aidnography

Hi all, This week's #globaldev review has turned into an outlet for me to avoid more doomscrolling, cope with feelings of helplessness as war unfolds in Europe & show a little bit of global digital solidarity; I probably failed in many ways, but it's all I have left to give right now... My quotes of the week “Do we want global health … to be radically different from colonial health or tropical medicine,” he asked in an interview last year. “If so, then let’s stop referring to it as ‘global public health’ or ‘global health security’ and start calling it ‘global health equity.’” (Paul Farmer's lasting legacy: The quest for equity in global health) Although consumers in the Global North may think that a label in a T-Shirt stating that certain standards have been met and social responsibilities upheld, the groups mainly impacted in the Global South may think differently. (Labour Codes of Conduct: Workers' Rights and Unions in Southern Africa's Garment Industry) D...

Hi all, From paying for the impact of climate change to riding a bike, demanding better disability policies, striking for higher wages, conducting historical research or improving formal employment-this week's newsletter is all about (challenging) inequalities! Enjoy! My quotes of the week When we hope that funding for loss and damage comes through, it can’t be loans that these countries will go and borrow at market rates, to deal with a problem that they did not cause. A significant portion of those funds have to be in the form of grants because that’s the only way we can see a real compensatory mechanism put in place. ( Caribbean countries forced to borrow to pay for climate change damage) Even without the hashtag, the idea of catering to donors as a guiding philosophy has been pervasive and often goes unquestioned. It involves centering the happiness, desires, and convenience of donors, especially major donors. Over time, it becomes the air that many fundraisers breathe. Many in...

Hi all, Amazing how quickly another week passed...reparations, localization, narco states, disability rights, feminist foreign policy, UN remote work struggles, crypto as ritual & religion & the 'whiteness' of nature conservation...and more, all in this week's #globaldev review! My quotes of the week We have a saying in Arabic that goes, “everyone needs to know their place”. Localisation seems to be the new project from the Global North reminding us to “know our place”. (Localisation only pays lip service to fixing aid’s colonial legacy) And then Covid came along… At a stroke, documents no longer needed physical signatures, memos were done away with or became meaningless, digital platforms were created, files were shared. All this could have been done before, but it took Covid to make it happen. Think about that the next time you are invited to participate in an innovation task force. (Five things the pandemic has taught us about working at the UN) Development new...

Hi all, The absence of real snow is only one of the many problems as the worst Winter Olympics just kicked-off in Beijing, headed by the IOC, an organization that makes the complex #globaldev system look as transparent as a crystal-clear stream in spring... And then there are also Brad Pitt, humanitarian data hacks, teleworking diplomacy & the McDonaldization of localization-just another week in the #globaldev bubble...plus great new open access research & reflections on digital academic conferences! Enjoy! My quotes of the week Keller believes Brad Pitt had good intentions. But she said the debacle had shown how celebrities like him can evade accountability, and what can go wrong when a state entrusts private individuals, or non-profit groups, to solve its housing problems. “Usually [nonprofits] step in to help in case of an emergency. But now their own project is the emergency,” she said. “And the city doesn’t really take any responsibility, either.” (Mold, leaks, rot: how B...

Hi all, I thought a lot about Jennifer Lentfer's Tweet in connection with the #WeTheHelpers campaign & discussion: So the question becomes, how do we spend our precious time, energy & resources as communicators? Convincing “the other”? Or building the new world? I don't have an answer ready, but an important debate that deserves more input. In the meantime, there's the rest of our small selection from around the #globaldev world: From FIFA to Lebanon, Syria, Nigeria & Fiji + Suriname; more on decolonization, indigenous identities & the future of large Think Tanks. My quotes of the week After a year of noise and energy we could be edging towards a tipping point where the sector will irrevocably change, I believe for the better. Or it could all dissipate. No doubt some organisations will be hoping that talk of decolonising the sector will just fade away, so that they can continue their work untroubled by discussions about structural racism and power. We mustn’...