A Second Dip into the Reading Pile
Sharing excerpts of twelve papers on international development and aid effectiveness from my reading pile.
Sharing excerpts of twelve papers on international development and aid effectiveness from my reading pile.
Sharing a simple graphic that describes approaches to working with communities that grassroots organizations utilize.
“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
“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
BrandOutLoud argues that a strong profile and professional marketing communications will enable local aid organizations to reach out on their own, create new partnerships, and diversify their funding.
A new Friday feature on how-matters.org! Sharing “Query,” a poem by Akwasi Aidoo, Executive Director of Trust Africa
Reflections on, “”What can development professionals who believe in and practice participatory processes do to promote it?”
“NGOs tend to view CBOs in two ways: with suspicion and mistrust on the one hand, and as instruments for community organising and project implementation on the other.” Excerpt from a paper by Samuel Maruta, Southern Institute of Peace-building and Development, Zimbabwe.
South African child-focused NGO, dlalanathi, reflects on the critical elements of their organization’s success and offers advice to other organizations in the midst of growth or change.
An eclectic collection of articles and posts on international development that did not receive their due tweets from me.
We need smart people to identify what works, yes. We also need these same smart people to utilize their skills to meet organizations where they are, rather than trying to form them into versions of ourselves.
Ideas, challenges and insights from managers of online communities related to international development shared with us as we develop The Barefoot Guide Online Community.
Statements from aid workers like “grassroots=no brains” perpetuate the myth of low capacity about small and local organizations. They are derogatory and patronizing at best.
Are we overlooking the capacity of local NGOs? Rather than being the lowest common denominator of international assistance, indigenous organizations should be regarded as the fundamental unit of effective development aid.