Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
American aid worker approaches end of two-year stint in Haiti, wonders: What good did I do? All the imported equipment is broken. Society continues as it did before. Nobody says thank you. On the contrary, they hate us
Kenyan writer's sharp, entertaining attack on the West's view of Africa. Watch out Jeffrey Sachs. "We will never look like what CNN wants us to look like. But that's fine - we can get online now and completely bypass their nonsense"
Two main sets of actors in development policy. Nation-builders re-engineer societies, humanitarians help individuals. World Bank is the ultimate nation-builder. Jim Young Kim is a humanitarian. Square peg for a round hole
Full transcript, just published, of Cowen's conversation with Singer from 2009. Two fine thinkers, in fields of economics and philosophy respectively, tackle charity, development, immigration and morality. Fascinating
"Capitalism is destroying the planet. The two old tricks that dug it out of past crises—War and Shopping—simply will not work." Typically provocative essay from Roy on India, capitalism, philanthropy, development
Reconstruction of Afghanistan has failed. West swamped the local economy with too much aid too quickly, producing waste, corruption and profiteering. Economic activity is going to collapse again as soon as the aid stops
A call to help extreme poor reach self-sufficiency, with vaccines, agricultural innovation, AIDS drugs, contraceptives. "When innovators work on urgent problems and deliver solutions to people in need, the results can be magical"
Global aid is now a $160bn industry. But most aid workers lack necessary skills, make situations on the ground worse, not better. Now, one Harvard professor wants to change all that. By training groups of "super-humanitarians"
On Melinda Gates, wife of Bill, co-founder of Gates Foundation. Humble, thoughtful, a person to admire. "Looking at long-term solutions is hard because that's not how business operates, but that is how philanthropy works"
Neuroscience uncovers an ugly truth: "Neglect of very young children does not merely stunt their emotional development. It changes the architecture of their brains." Important implications for battle against poverty (Ungated for us)
Powerful account of lives ripped apart in time of war and drought. Still no functioning Somali state, or effective international action to improve living conditions, public health. By no means a cheering read, but a fine despatch
Powerful account of lives ripped apart in time of war and drought. Still no functioning Somali state, or effective international action to improve living conditions, public health. Not a cheering read, but a fine despatch
