The one thing stopping Ebola requires
Marc Maxmeister introduces his newly-published book, “Ebola: Local voices, hard facts.”
Tag: GlobalGiving
West Africans are not powerless against Ebola…and neither are we
The strongest assets in this fight are the committed women and men who know and love their communities, says Alison Carlman.
The stories still hard to find: The local responses to Ebola
Links to stories on those responding to Ebola on the ground, regardless of international aid or media coverage
Using storytelling to discover why aid projects so often fail
“Maybe the aid world’s obsession with ‘happy stories’ is precisely what drives us away from learning what we must before we can succeed.” A guest post by Marc Maxson on the GlobalGiving’s Storytelling Project’s new online tools.
Accountability to whom? Keep asking.
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 uttered an oxymoron.
Friday’s Poetic Pause: “Capacity Gap”
How-matters.org’s Friday feature! Sharing “Capacity Gap” by yours truly.
Waiting for Pennies from Heaven
Sharing a list of fundraising resources for community-based organizations in the developing world.
The Curious Aid Worker: Storytelling with Marc Maxson (Part II)
“If your general impression [is that most grassroots organizations are incapacitated], then you’ve been driving a white SUV through a village to get the ‘authentic’ feel of some project.” ~Marc Maxson of GlobalGiving’s Storytelling Project
The Curious Aid Worker: Storytelling with Marc Maxson (Part I)
“Half the stories of community change are not about NGOs at all, but individuals. It’s time NGOs realized they’re not the center of the community, and figured out how to work with the individuals who are.” ~from my interview with Marc Maxson of GlobalGiving’s Storytelling Project
The Arts of Survival
Featuring the Museum of International Folk Art’s exhibit, “The Arts of Survival: Folk Expression in the Face of Disaster”—a great reminder of the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.
Waiting for Pennies from Heaven
A list of fundraising resources for community-based organizations in the developing world
More on why ‘How Matters’
I believe that our role as “outsiders,” whether we are working for a multilateral donor in Nairobi or having wanderlust dreams during our unfulfilling job in Ohio, must be about getting community leaders the resources that they need to address their own priorities.
Welcome to How Matters!
Though “the system” of foreign assistance and international aid is made up of well-intentioned people, it most often falls far short of changing people’s lives. As we enter the 21st century, we have a unique and blessed opportunity to explore the alternatives to business as usual.