Development bits - aid, relief, humanitarian efforts, etc.
07:28, 26 February 2009
.. Posted in Development, Relief and Advocacy Efforts.. Link
Aid, relief, humanitarian efforts, capacity-building, environmental preservation -- they all relate to development: human, community and environmental. Development efforts are essential and they DO work (though not always), and there are many opposing viewpoints on approaches.
Some recent development-related news items worth sharing:
'Aid Is Working, Just Not As Well As It Should'Before you write me and ask, "How can I get a job in development?!", please see this page on volunteering abroad. Although this is focused on volunteering, the advice is applicable to anyone wanting to know how to work abroad.
An article from OneWorld (OneWorld is awesome).
A blog and its comments present opposing views on development approaches in Albania.
Here's another, regarding Oxfam's health policy
I won't say which I agree with, but I will say that this type of disagreement is common among everyone working in aid, relief and development. Read the blog entries AND the comments.
Updated: Basic Fund-Raising for Small NGOs/Civil Society in the Developing World
I've updated my document that provides very basic guidelines for small NGOs in the developing world regarding fund-raising and adhering to the basic principles of good governance. By small NGOs, I mean organizations that may have only one paid staff member, or are run entirely by volunteers; and may or may not have official recognition by the government. Also, please note that this document is NOT a list of donors!
Buy a bag, be fashionable and support Afghanistan
I think that one of the best ways to help people in developing countries is to buy locally-produced items. One of the local stores I frequented while living in Kabul was the Ayoibi Handicraft Store, a small but robust store with a variety of leather bags, purses, briefcases, shoes, and other leather items. After I left Afghanistan, the store was destroyed when the Indian Embassy was bombed in July 2008. Happily, the store owner survived. He's re-opened, and an English-speaking German colleague is helping him market his products worldwide. You can see examples of his work here, here, and here. If you send an email gundajon "at" gmail.com and ask for a brochure showing various bag designs and prices, my colleague will be only too happy to email you such (tell her Jayne referred you!).
