Jun 29, 2010

U.S. Lagging, Not Leading, Social Entrepreneurship

Feb 26, 2010

A Lesson from Haiti: Are Search and Rescue Teams Worth It?

The images of people being rescued from the rubble in Haiti by international search and rescue teams were inspiring and have led some to call for more investment in search and rescue teams. But looking at the data, I think that’s exactly the wrong lesson from the experience in Haiti. As a public health practitioner, and someone dedicated to outcomes measurement, it seems likely to me that SAR-focused relief efforts improperly subordinate the good of the many to the good of a very few. In other words, there are much better ways to direct disaster relief than SAR.

Jan 22, 2010

Will Donor Advice Do Any Good?

As I see more and more advice on giving to Haiti appear, I’ve begun to wonder: how will we know if this proliferation of good advice has had an impact on the Haitian relief and recovery effort? What metrics will tell us that donors to Haiti and the nonprofits working there learned the lessons of the tsunami, Katrina, and Nargis?

Dec 21, 2009

The Neocolonialists?

Recently I was listening to Rory Stewart’s The Places In Between, the story of his walk across Afghanistan. Near the end of the book Stewart turns his attention to the aid agencies, public and private, that had come rushing into Afghanistan. His observations are worthwhile reading for anyone interested in making international aid more effective, so I’m excerpting them here.

Feb 18, 2009

Follow Up: Investing in the Future of Rwanda and Congo

The Rwandan government’s current joint military operations with the Congolese army to finally dismantle the remains of militia groups that participated in the 1994 genocide creates an unequivocal opportunity for philanthropic investment no matter how one feels about the politics of the Rwandan government. For those concerned about the future of East and Central Africa and finally ending the various conflicts that have claimed more than 5 million lives, ensuring that remnants of Hutu militias can create peaceful livelihoods should be a top priority.

Sep 03, 2008

Preparedness Pays Off for Disaster Recovery

Aug 01, 2008

The Costs and Benefits of Intervention

It’s quite difficult to persuade anyone to try military intervention since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Except the Australians that is. Australia’s strategy of humanitarian military intervention has received endorsements from the most unlikely of places—the communities where the Australian government has intervened.

Jun 27, 2008

Use of Child Soldiers Still Common Despite Decrease in Conflicts

A recent report released by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers quantified a significant decrease between 2004 and 2007 in the number of conflicts worldwide involving child soldiers. But where conflict remains the practice continues unabated.

Jun 04, 2008

Lagging Donations to Burma and China: A Warning to Non-Profits?

Roughly three weeks after the cyclone and earthquake, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University estimated that donations from Americans totaled less than $60 million, compared with more than $200 million given in the week after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Drawing valid conclusions about the cause behind these wildly disparate totals is difficult, but two main forces seem to be at play: where the disasters occurred and the American economic slowdown.

May 26, 2008

When Do We Start Calling It Genocide?

When will we start calling the willful and purposeful actions of the Burmese government to kill hundreds of thousands of Burmese through starvation, exposure and disease genocide?