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http://globaleducationdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/joining-rio-20-conversation-including.html

It still shocks me a little when a colleague will look at me and ask, “Now, what do you mean by ‘downward accountability’?”, as if I’ve just uttered an oxymoron.

It shouldn’t surprise me. I’ve written about how accountability is often looked for in all the wrong places. But it’s not as if I’m saying something that should be so foreign or new, right?

Here’s a definition from Keystone’s 2006(!)…

This post was originally on
 my blog.

...


Also published by 
Generation C Magazine and 
Development in Action…

http://globaleducationdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/refugee-run-news-magazine-from-kakuma.html

After working in global health for over 30 years, Ruth Stark wrote a book to guide her daughter, Taryn, also an aid professional. To celebrate Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a chapter from it, which Ruth graciously agreed to have appear on how-matters.org. (You can see my March review of How to Work in Someone Else's Country …

We asked where in the world is Matt Lauer. Before that it was where in the world is Carmen Sandiego. Now we want to know where in the world is this aid worker?

This is the first in what we hope to be a fun blog series with Population Services International. One PSI staffer has…

Rich countries delivered $3.2 trillion of aid to poor countries between 1960 and 2008 (World Bank, 2011). Yet only 36% of aid workers think projects achieve their intended impact (McKinsey & Devex, 2011).

Aid recipients agree, calling for a change in aid’s business model—from that of delivery of goods and…

http://globaleducationdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/summary-humanitarian-space-report.html

We're overwhelmed by the support we've received in the first week. We've had 27 generous backers get us up over the $1500, but we've still got a-ways to go yet. Our campaign has also generated a lot of discussion and comments, both positive and negative. Here's an example of that right here: http://goo.gl/qyXtJ.

I don't want to beat around the bush, I want to tackle any criticisms head-on. One criticism that has been raised is that our…

I've often said that it was easier for me to move to rural Zimbabwe than to Detroit. When people ask me why this farm-girl-turned-aid-worker devoted myself to placing community-driven development initiatives at the forefront of aid, here’s why:…

“Let go and let God.” It’s a mantra of Alcoholics Anonymous. And after the last week or so, I’m wondering if it’s time for international aid to adopt the same approach to recovery (with more politically correct secular references of course).

Last week I attended the “Summit for Aid Effectiveness in Global…

Thanks to @lindseytalerico and @mephysto for bringing this beautiful piece of badvocacy to my attention - "This is the power of Facebook Likes."

Right...

Badvocacy 101: how many things are wrong with this picture? Add your list in the comments thread below. Add your substantive discussion here.…

I was going to rant about this article, but then decided better of it.

(the article I was going to rant about)

My points:

1) The aid industry has been getting advertising makeovers for, oh.... FORTY YEARS. It's time to take off the makeup. Can we stop "advertising" and just "tell the truth" already?

2) Telling the public great…

A wiser, more experienced aid worker colleague just shared this poem with me.

It's called "Sane Revolution", by D.H. Laurence.

Here it is:

If you make a revolution, make it for fun,

don't make it in ghastly seriousness,

don't do it in deadly earnest,

do it for fun.

Don't do it because you hate people,

do it just to spit in their eye.

Don't do it for the money,

do it and be damned to the money.

Don't do it for…

Back in February, we announced a new initiative of ours – Peer Coaching. In a nutshell, we are partnering with Shana Montesol Johnson of Development Crossroads, to develop a peer coaching matching service. Since…

This is actually a call for help from anyone out there who might know something:

Have there been any studies, research, or other kind of systematic inquiry and analysis about 

a) the motivations of donors to give to charity, support NGOs, etc.?

b) the motivations of aid and development workers, social entrepreneurs (I know, it's a very vague term), do-gooders... ?

c) any comparison of the…

I decided to go freelance about 5 years ago. Well, not really. I went on maternity leave, and then back to work, and then back on (extended) maternity leave, and then I started getting work while on leave, and then I realized I kind of liked this half way house. I wasn’t happy being in the office and…

http://globaleducationdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sahel-role-of-education-before-during.html

http://globaleducationdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/establishing-effective-partnerships-for.html