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The Latest Issues and Trends in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance
(Really)?
Academia:
Shaping the Next
Generation of
Development
Professionals
November
2009
Vol. 27, No. 11
MONDAY
DEVELOPMENTS
Copy Editor
Kathy Ward
Communications Department
Nasserie Carew, Public Relations
Tawana Jacobs, Public Relations
Chad Brobst, Publications 23
Contents
Katherine Delaney, Publications
Tony Fleming, New Media
Leslie Rigby, Writer/Editor
Margaret Christoph, Admin Associate
Editorial Committee
Cover photo: Dan Preston 8
InterAction Communications Team November 2009 • Vol. 27 • No. 11
InterAction
Features
1400 16th Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036 Cover Story:
12
Tel: 202.667.8227
publications@InterAction.org
What is Social Marketing
(Really)? | 8
ISSN 1043-8157 An honest look at how social Technology Benefiting Adapting to
marketing can and does Humanity | 16 Climate Change in
Monday Developments is published 11 support development. Tech Awards Laureates from Sub-Saharan Africa | 23
times a year by InterAction, the larg- around the world tackle Insights on options, obstacles,
est alliance of U.S.-based international
Water Conservation Radio complex problems to improve what works and why.
development and humanitarian non- life for countless people.
governmental organizations. With more Makes a Splash | 11
than 170 members operating in every Radio novella attracts listeners
Education for Without Borders? | 25
developing country, InterAction works to to drama on the environment. For some island nations,
overcome poverty, exclusion and suffer- Development: changes in climate can literally
ing by advancing social justice and basic
Kidnapped! The State of Play | 18 mean the end of their existence.
dignity for all.
Universities strengthen their
Repercussions | 12
InterAction welcomes submissions of programs in international
The final article in a series Country-led
news articles, opinions and announce- development.
ments. Article submission does not guar- covering a fictional kidnapping Development | 27
antee inclusion in Monday Developments. scenario and how an NGO Heads of State from the
We reserve the right to reject submis- might respond. A Stable Future for developing world discuss
sions for any reason. It is at the discretion Humanitarian Jobs | 19 country-led and people–
of our editorial team as to which articles
More Bang for Your Candidates with analytical centered development during
are published in individual issues. framework to back up field
Efficiency Buck | 15 the recent UN General Assembly.
All statements in articles are the sole
experience will be sought.
Efforts to help aid groups
opinion and responsibility of the authors. improve and demonstrate
Changing Trends in Departments
Articles may be reprinted with prior per- effective impact.
mission and attribution. Letters to the
Development Inside This Issue | 3
editor are encouraged. Education | 21
Students’ course selections offer Inside Our Community | 4
A limited number of subscriptions are insights into future trends in Inside InterAction | 4
made available to InterAction member
agencies as part of their dues. Individual
subscriptions cost $80 a year (add $15
21 the field.
Step By Step Advocacy | 6
for airmail delivery outside the U.S.) Social Workers: Ready for Staff Care Corner | 7
Samples are $5, including postage. the Challenge | 22 Events | 28
Additional discounts are available for
bulk orders. Please allow 4-6 weeks for
Preparing international
delivery. Advertising rates are available development staff through social Employment
on request. work education. Opportunities | 29
INSIDE This Issue
Unique
Opportunities for
Engagement
S
eptember and October always prove to be
very busy months in the life of any NGO concerned
with international development, humanitarian, envi-
ronmental, or other global work. InterAction and its
members were no exception, sending a delegation to engage
leaders and our members and partners at the G20 Summit
in Pittsburgh at the end of September. At that same time, I
was in New York to attend a number of events surrounding
the UN General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative.
While in New York, InterAction co-hosted an event with the
Millennium Challenge Corporation focusing on country-led
development (see page 27).
As I write this, I am preparing to travel to Istanbul, to rep-
resent the U.S. NGO community at a number of events taking eign assistance and the role our community plays as a U.S.
place as part of the World Bank and International Monetary government implementing partner or in influencing policy. It
Fund annual meetings. InterAction and the U.S. NGO com- is crucial that InterAction and its members are able to pro-
munity has been given a number of opportunities to speak vide clear and effective input into these various policy and
directly with Bank and Fund leadership on the importance of legislative initiatives. The door to engage with the administra-
development assistance efforts focused directly on the poor- tion and Congress is wide open and our biggest challenge is
est people around the world and the need to ensure active the ability of our community to reach a bold consensus that
civil society engagement in policy formulation and program focuses on the reality, needs and rights of the world’s poor.
implementation. Earlier in September, I was pleased to par- Finally, in this month’s issue of Monday Developments we
ticipate in the first joint World Bank-InterAction press con- focus on working with academia and how it is shaping a gen-
ference with World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick on eration of development workers. Development assistance has
the impact of the global economic crisis on the world’s poor. rapidly become a hot topic on college campuses and courses
The community of U.S. NGOs currently faces unique on development and humanitarian issues fill up rapidly as
opportunities to shape the overall direction of U.S. foreign the next generation takes hold of the mission to serve the
assistance (ODA) and the evolution of private development poor and work to build a better world. InterAction and its
flows (PDA). InterAction is actively engaged in helping our members need take this opportunity to develop stronger rela-
community as it navigates these waters and we are involved tionships with colleges and universities, to collaborate on
in senior-level conversations to shape a policy environment programs and to teach the best practices we develop in our
that is supportive of community-based development efforts field programs. We also need to look more closely at the most
and the missions of our members. appropriate space for American citizens in development
As always, there is a tendency in Washington to defend work—the majority of people who make up InterAction orga-
the status quo as it pertains to individual interests. However, nizations are not from the U.S., but local nationals working
rarely has the InterAction community seen the potential to in a U.S. NGO to help their own people. How the U.S. inter-
positively affect how U.S. foreign assistance and development national non-profit community manages and balances the
efforts are structured for decades to come as the opportunity strong interest of students in global engagement across many
promised by the current House Foreign Affairs Committee universities and ensures the primacy of local national staff-
and Obama administration processes, with the White House ing remains a real challenge. MD
Presidential Study Directive on development and the State
Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development
Review. Our aim is to embrace consensus goals and prin-
ciples, which will be reflected in the new legislation and in Sam Worthington
the new policy documents. President and CEO
Each of these reforms could shape the direction of U.S. for- InterAction
Increasing Your
ing directly with the people we all aim to help and can provide
information and evaluation results in real time.
Make sure you conduct a power analysis before moving
Influence and forward with actual advocacy efforts. This will help you to
assess your strengths, identify new opportunities and targets
Power and build the base of your organization with other influen-
tial people and decision makers (See the May 2009 Monday
Developments).
By John Ruthrauff, Senior Manager of Member When analyzing the decision-maker you want to influence,
Advocacy and Sarah Farnsworth, Senior Manager of ask yourself:
Government Relations, InterAction • What board/boards does he or she sit on or did sit on?
(Perhaps the spouse or significant other sits on the
Note: This is the eighth installment in a series of articles on board of an organization with people your NGO leader-
developing an effective advocacy strategy. The series began ship or board knows.) Who are their donors (large and
in the March 2009 edition of Monday Developments. Previous small) and do you know any of those donors? Who has
installments have examined selecting an issue, defining your endorsed them (unions, environmental groups, women’s
goal and “asks”, conducting a power analysis, building groups, parent-teacher associations, etc)?
strategic alliances, developing objectives and advocacy • Are they members of groups with which you are
activities. affiliated or which people from your staff or board have
joined? Who advises them and who are their main
A
s a strategy, advocacy has the advan- endorsers?
tage of intending to increase the power avail-
able to organizations and alliances by win- All of this information is publicly available and
ning measurable victories. As explained by Lisa will help you to build the list of people you need to
VeneKlasen and Valerie Miller in their book A New influence so that they in turn can influence your
Weave of Power, People & Politics, “Power can be target individual. Be realistic about the time and
defined as the degree of control effort required and the contacts
over material, human, intel- that you have with these influ-
lectual and financial resources encers—better to talk to three
exercised by different sections you know really well than with
of society. The control of these ten with whom you have sporadic
resources becomes a source of “hi-bye” relationships while waiting
individual and social power. Power is in the carpool line at school.
dynamic and relational, rather than abso- NGOs have a core constituency that can
lute.” Advocacy organizations find they get only be engaged in outreach and advocacy through
as much change as they have the power to compel. letters, phone calls and emails sent to their respec-
Understanding power, its strengths, obstacles and uses tive congressional offices. Identify and inventory your
is critical to the success of an NGO in its effort to influence resources:
decision-makers. To understand how to wield your power you Poll your board members:
must know how much influence you have (self-evaluation), • Do they know the decision-maker?
identify what your goal is, identify who you want to influence • Do they know someone who knows the decision-maker?
and then conduct a power analysis of who can influence that • Do they support the same political candidate in an
person. You also need to take stock of your resources, tools upcoming election? Attend the same meetings? Par-
and contacts. ticipate on a PTA with the decision-maker? This is an
Your self-evaluation will include an assessment of your important inventory that should be re-visited from time
board members, donors and staff, all of whom are the pri- to time as people change their affiliations and build up
mary elements of a NGO’s powerbase which should be their circle of relationships over time.
deployed strategically with careful planning. Research and
Photo: Oleksandr—Fotolia.com
identify other NGOs with similar goals and advocacy aspi- Poll your staff. Develop a database of your staffs’ home con-
ration and building coalitions, including organizations and gressional districts. Operational NGOs have the ability to bring
individuals on issues which will expand and broaden your their field experience to influence key decision-makers. This
powerbase. But there is one tool, one critical piece that an may involve a recently returned field staff member or a partner
NGO and only an NGO has: An NGO can directly increase its from the field who can brief a key actor or his/her staff. When
power by bringing to bear its field experience and field based your staff members return from the field, ensure they meet
and tested knowledge. NGOs and their staff are on the cut- with their Congressional representatives to speak about their
ting edge of assistance planning and implementation, work- continued on page 29
Family Matters:
The importance of
strong families in stress
management
By Lisa McKay, Director of Training and Education
Services, Headington Institute
W
hen I run workshops on resilience and one of the most stressful aspects of their job. This is not just
stress management for humanitarian workers I in our heads; being separated from family shows up in our
sometimes ask them to identify what they most health. Humanitarian workers who spend a lot of time away
value, or to think of times that have been filled with joy. from home and those without strong family or friendship net-
Family almost always features prominently in their answers. works are much more likely to get physically sick and experi-
People’s most cherished and meaningful memories usually ence other symptoms of stress.
involve time spent with those they love. We all know relation- Consistently prioritizing work over family is not good for
ships are incredibly important, yet our actions and attention our families and it is not good for us. Ultimately, this means
don’t always reflect what we say we most value. In the face of that it is not good for the people we wish to assist either. For
the competing pressures of humanitarian work, our families many reasons, it is worth spending time and energy investing
can get shortchanged. in our families and important relationships.
Few careers can impact an entire family like humanitarian Where to start? Most family strengths are built not born,
work. Everyone in the family can be enriched by the diverse but every family is different as are the precise challenges
experiences and opportunities to help others that come with they face. There is no single right approach to building family
this work. But humanitarian work also shoves us into close strengths. Below are seven traits that research suggests often
quarters with violence and suffering and can bring many characterize thriving families. Also, in the box are some ques-
stressful challenges—personal risk and vicarious trauma, tions for you to think about and discuss with your family.
the ongoing challenge of maintaining sustainable work-life Use these as food for thought as you consider your unique
boundaries in the face of endless and acute need, exposure family and situation.
to extreme experiences we can never completely convey to Seven traits of thriving families include:
those back home and frequent travel. These challenges can 1. Communication. Speaking and listening that is open,
test relationships and the stability of the entire family unit. clear, affirming, mutual, consistent, empathetic and
“Frequent travel”, for example, might seem innocuous in honest.
light of the other things listed above, but it is not. “Separa- 2. Commitment. Working toward shared goals and an
environment of trust and dependability.
Consider this… 3. Connectedness. Receiving support from and contribut-
• What else would you add to this list of traits that characterize ing to extended family and friendship communities.
thriving families and why? 4. Cohesion. Fostering emotional closeness and practical
• Think about your own family. In which two of the seven traits interdependence, but balancing that with respect and
above are you naturally strongest right now? In which two are support for each member’s uniqueness.
Photo: deanm1974—Fotolia.com
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commercial marketing in their work on social change projects. “These terms may cause some discomfort for a social change
Historically, the development field has exhibited some uneasiness professional,” warned Strand. “After all, social change isn’t about
around the use of marketing principles and even the word market- profit; it’s about improving lives.” Yet, if the terms are translated to
ing, as marketers are often perceived as “manipulative.” more familiar development language, marketing provides a useful
“The practice of social marketing is fundamentally consumer- framework for social change. To begin, profit is simply the measure-
centric and focused on meeting the needs of the people we serve,” ment tool of the business world. The earning of money represents
said John Strand, Vice President and Director of the Center for success. In substituting “behavior change” for “profit” the paradigm
Social Marketing and Behavior Change at AED. “At its heart, mar- smoothly shifts to development. Development practitioners cer-
keting is about exchange—what arrangement can marketer and tainly use measurement tools to assess their programs’ efficacy;
consumer reach that leaves them both satisfied?” In the commer- they simply express them in different terms, such as “500,000 fewer
cial world, this translates to a marketer providing a razor blade so cases of malaria in 2010 than in 2009.”
that consumers can have smooth, hair-free skin. In the develop- So too, can development professionals consider the 4Ps in
ment world, this means designing social change programs that their program design. In the case of a program selling insecticide-
treat the audience as an equal partner in the exchange. For exam- treated bednets with a goal of reducing the incidence of malaria,
ple, a program increasing access to mosquito-repelling bednets so the product is the bednet itself. The price may be roughly equivalent
that individuals can lower their chance of catching malaria. to $1. However, in the practice of social marketing it is important
With the fundamental exchange in mind, social marketers to think of price beyond the typical monetary constructs. Rather,
design their programs using the “4Ps” of marketing: product, price, price represents what must be “given up” in order for the product
place and promotion. In the commercial exam- to be used. With bednets, the sleeping area becomes hotter as air
ple of razor blades, the product is the razor circulates less freely around the sleeper, so the consumer gives up
blades themselves. The price is the $3.99 that or pays for malaria protection with a warmer night. Perhaps (for
the consumer must give up to purchase the illustrative purpose) the users of bednets are viewed in an unfavor-
razor blades. Place refers to the location at able way in their communities. In cases such as this, the consumer
which the razor blades are purchased – per- gives up favorable peer impressions, a social cost and another way
haps in a drug store. And finally, promotion of thinking about price.
represents all of the promotional efforts, The issue of place is also vital to development professionals. It
often including advertising and sampling answers the question, “Where will people go to receive my inter-
that the company engages in to create vention?” If, for example, all of the bednets are in the capital city
awareness about the razor blades. but they need to go to rural areas, social marketers need to develop
Thus, in the practice of good systems of distribution to ensure that the people in rural areas have
marketing, razor blade ven- access to the bednets. They also need to ensure that vendors in the
dors constantly con- villages have bednets available for sale.
Finally, a social change program can use promotion to raise
awareness or to change perceptions about their products and pro-
grams. Through the use of radio advertising, for example, a social
marketer can attempt to increase demand for bednets. Promotion
could also be used to drive a change in the perceptions of the peo-
ple who use bednets. A character in a radio drama who uses bed-
nets could be presented as the most prosperous, thereby increas-
ing the social status of the nets.
marketer serves that makes the relation- from combining creativity, commitment and commercial innovation on global health
ships and programs constructive and issues,” he said. “It also shows that novel partnerships, bringing the public and private
genuine. Which, in turn, creates suc- sectors together, can achieve impressive improvements in public health in a way that is
cessful programs that change lives. MD reliable and sustainable.”
R
osita is on a perilous mis- RDS and a team of local partners Michael Castlen, Executive Director
sion: raging forest fires caused by use over-the-top drama, colorful char- of PCI-Media Impact, the primary orga-
illegal slash-burning threaten to acters and intriguing plot twists to nization providing technical assistance
consume the forests surround- captivate 1.5 million listeners and keep and financing for the project, said it is
ing her highland village. She must find them tuning in each week, providing extremely important to create a project
a way to stop these devastating fires, RDS regular opportunities to inform that involves community members and
because if the forests go up in smoke, and excite the audience about local that refers to the local context. As he
so too will the livelihood of her people. conservation efforts. explained, this means listeners “can
If five year-old Rosita does not Every Friday night, a pair of vol- identify the service providers used in
accomplish her imperative mission unteer hosts puts the soap opera in the storyline or know the actor por-
before the angel of water fades from context by interviewing local environ- traying their favorite character and not
the façade of the town’s quaint chapel mental experts, discussing the issues only is listenership higher, but demand
—as the angels of land and fauna have with listeners via phone calls and text for services and overall impact is sig-
already done—the village’s last vestiges messages and by interacting with the nificantly greater.”
of hope will vanish forever. program’s mascots, who have become He also noted that radio drama is
Realistic? Maybe. Dramatic? Defi- local celebrities themselves. The team effective in mobilizing community mem-
nitely. Did it get your attention? Abso- has also sponsored a variety of com- bers because the audience connects
lutely. munity events from listener groups to and sympathizes with the characters.
Rosita is one of several characters in street theater to grab listener attention. “When listeners tune in to find out what
the Honduran radio soap opera, Angel According to Balbina Olivera, of Con- will happen with their favorite charac-
Water, written and produced by Red de cejo de Cuenca, a Honduran organiza- ter, they also hear the educational mes-
Desarrollo Sostenible (RDS)—Hondu- tion working to conserve, protect and sages repeated over and over and, after
ras (Sustainable Development Network recuperate natural resources, more than a while, those messages begin to influ-
—Honduras). RDS is a not-for-profit 10,000 people participated in events at ence their attitudes and behavior. The
organization that promotes sustainable a recent street fair, including a recycled- trick to getting them hooked is creating
development through information shar- materials fashion show, tasty traditional dramatic tension in each episode.”
ing technology and project development. foods and exaggerated characters that RDS succeeded in creating this ten-
This year, RDS adopted a new strategy towered over guests on stilts. The proj- sion in the last episode when Rosita
to disseminate their message in Valle de ect team hosted the two-day fair as one became trapped in the middle of a for-
Ángeles, Honduras when, in May, they of several events associated to promote est fire and no one could find her.
employed drama to creatively address the radio show and its messages. So what happened? You, just like
threats to the local eco-system and way A number of local organizations everyone in Valle de Ángeles, will have
of life in the country’s first environmen- including Focuencas, La Casa de to tune in next week to find out. MD
tally-focused radionovela and radio Cultura, the Secretary of Natural
magazine, From the River Basin. Resources and Radio Nacional de Hon- Update
According to RDS Project Coordinator, duras provide technical and financial Since this article was written, Agua de
Victor Avila, the initiative was born out support for Angel Water. Local volun- Angel was taken off the air because of
of the organization’s desire to inform and teers between the ages of 12 and 70 complications that arose from the military
engage local residents in the campaign (including Olivera) write, record, pro- coup. An online awareness and fundrais-
to end destructive behaviors such as duce and host the show. ing campaign by PCI-Media Impact has
agricultural forest burning and dumping “People identify with the stories brought attention to the tenuous situa-
household waste into the local river. since they have been taken from prob- tion of media in Honduras and raised the
“People from the city come here to lems and situations that are common funds needed to get the show back on
relax and don’t realize they are a part not only in Valle de Ángeles but in all of the air when the political situation allows.
of this system,” he said. “We are doing Honduras,” said Olivera. “It’s interest- For up-to-date information about Agua
this program so that the people take ing to hear the voice of someone you de Angel, visit www.mediaimpact.org.
responsibility [for the environment].” know and even better when it’s about a
Repercussions
ing company, with years of experience
in kidnapping incidents under its belt,
handling the case. It was not a matter
of money, Laila explained, but rather of
ensuring a quick and peaceful end to
By Josh Kearns, Associate Security Coordinator, InterAction the crisis. Patricia traveling to Mogadi-
shu would only create confusion and in
all likelihood another hostage situation.
At the worst, someone could be killed.
Patricia relented, feeling reassured
that Alpha was indeed handling the
situation. She agreed to wait in Nairobi.
Laila would stay also, spending time
with Patricia and updating her on new
developments.
Abdi, NGO Alpha’s security focal
point in Mogadishu, had just spent an
exhausting night on back and forth
phone calls between himself, headquar-
ters and the negotiating team assigned
to the case by the organization’s con-
sulting firm. He felt elation despite his
fatigue. The negotiators, in close coop-
eration with NGO Alpha, had come to
an agreement with the kidnappers. The
F
This is the last in a four-part series our NGO workers—Tony, next step was for Abdi to meet with the
detailing a fictional kidnap scenario. Wali, Sally and Hamid—were kidnappers at a neutral site to retrieve
The purpose of the series has been to kidnapped 72 hours ago. They the three remaining hostages. He had
highlight appropriate and inappro- worked for two separate NGOs. been told to arrive alone by car and
priate responses that organizations As NGO Alpha scrambled to respond to park at the designated site, get out of
might take and resources that are the incident, the driver Hamid’s dead his car and wait. Though nervous about
available, when faced with the kidnap- body was found with a note stating the impending meeting, he felt confi-
ping of staff. The scenario is based on a “no negotiation policy.” Patricia, Sally’s dent that the ordeal was nearly over.
recent hostage incident management mother, has landed in Nairobi, from He placed a final call to headquarters to
training conducted by the InterAction where she hopes to contact the kidnap- let them know he was leaving. He’d call
Security Unit, in conjunction with Inter- pers herself. Meanwhile, both NGOs them from the car as soon as he and the
Action’s Security Advisory Group. All have made statements to the media in hostages had safely arrived at the office.
events and characters are entirely ficti- the hopes of softening the kidnappers’ In New York and Los Angeles, a ner-
tious, as are all organizations with the treatment of their victims. vous energy had set in while the Crisis
exception of United Nations Depart- Sally’s mother Patricia, a wealthy Management Teams waited for Adbi’s
ment of Safety and Security, the Fed- widow, was intent on finding a way to phone call. Though the hostages had
eral Bureau of Investigation and Over- Mogadishu to deliver a large cash pay- not yet been freed, there was little more
seas Security Advisor Council. ment to her daughter’s kidnappers, in anyone could do to secure their release.
return for Sally’s release. Her plan was However, that did not mean that there
to pay for a charter flight, make contact was nothing to do. NGOs Alpha and
with the kidnappers and then exchange Bravo had discussed in detail with
a suitcase full of cash for her daugh- their consultant what they could
ter – just like in the movies. This poorly expect in the wake of this incident. The
thought-out plan was a disaster waiting period of initial response to the kid-
to happen. NGO Alpha immediately dis- napping was now nearly over. But the
Photo: Eric Cote—Fotolia.com
nessed his murder. The psychological the NGO Alpha compound with his of stress, possibly severe cases. These
trauma was likely to be severe. It was badly shaken passengers in tow. He symptoms can be difficult to detect as
now the duty of the employing NGOs to had made the necessary arrangements field staff may try to “tough it out,” so
arrange for post-incident care. for their immediate comfort, with food, it is important to know what the subtle
Post-incident care begins the moment water, showers and other amenities outward signs are. (Many of the better
hostages are freed. Their immediate waiting for them. Wali’s wife was wait- security trainings can help with man-
needs must be met in order to set them ing in the office, as were a handful of aging this aspect of a hostage incident.)
on the road to recovery. Food and water staff from both NGOs. An experienced Organizations also tend to take an
must be ready for them right away. The representative from the consulting firm unexpected financial hit during kidnap
opportunity to shower and change into was there as well to guide and advise incidents. Key staff may be diverted to
clean clothes should be provided. Hav- NGO staff on handling the situation. crisis management roles, causing busi-
ing family members present to meet There had been no time to get coun- ness continuity to suffer. Increased
with the victims when they arrive in a selors in place, but arrangements had travel by staff may be necessary. Legal
safe place is also crucial. In this case, been made in Nairobi, where all three fees may be incurred, especially if the
Patricia’s arrival in Nairobi turned out would be flying later in the day. The situation is mishandled. Kidnap, ran-
to be a blessing in disguise. NGO Alpha kidnap victims would be accompanied som and extortion insurance policies
would be able to ferry Sally to Nairobi on their flight by trusted friends and often cover family counseling, rehabili-
as soon as possible after her return, family. They were now out of danger, tation, rest and recreation and other
where her mother would be waiting but their ordeal was likely to continue costs associated with these incidents. It
for her. Finally, having psychological for years to come. is important to check with your provider
counseling available immediately after The NGOs were not out of the woods to find out exactly what is covered.
the incident is crucial. (Most kidnap, either. There are costs associated with The truth is that NGOs are increas-
ransom and extortion insurance poli- kidnappings. Care must be provided not ingly being targeted by kidnappers. It
cies cover this expense.) In many cases, only for the staff who were held hostage, is crucial that the NGO community be
post-incident care becomes a life-long but for others involved in the incident prepared. MD
effort, especially in cases where post- as well. Staff in the Mogadishu offices, For resources on kidnapping inci-
traumatic stress disorder is evident. particularly those who were close to the dents, please email Josh Kearns at
Back in Mogadishu, Abdi pulled into victims, may be suffering some form jkearns@interaction.org
Efficiency Buck
urine test results to a central database
in exchange for phone credits, we are
hoping to help stop the pandemic.
In Mozambique, the findings from
the evaluation of Early Childhood
Efforts to help aid groups improve and demonstrate Development Centers will better
effective impact. inform the Government national strat-
egy to strengthen children’s learning
By Christelle Chapoy, Advocacy and Communications Officer, International and create a pre-primary school year
Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) for five-year-olds. And there are many
more promising projects and informa-
H
ow to cut school absen- The International Initiative for tion on how research can translate into
teeism by one quarter and Impact Evaluation (3ie) is a new initia- action at www.3ieimpact.org.
improve children’s learning? In tive that responds to demands for bet- The key question is how to build the
Kenya the answer was through ter evidence. It works to improve the political buy-in for impact evaluation
a school based de-worming program. lives of people in the developing world and ensure that we learn from what
Is free distribution of insecticide by supporting the production and use has happened to make informed deci-
treated nets both more effective and of evidence on what works, when, sions on future actions.
more cost-effective than cost-sharing? why and for how much. Last June, 3ie will be financing 50 new stud-
In Kenya, programs that gave away 3ie announced its first round grants ies each year and engaging in advo-
insecticide treated nets saved more of $4.3 million for better evidence and cacy with partners such as InterAction
lives than ones that required recipients development effectiveness. that share a commitment to improving
to pay a small fee for the nets. More than half of the 18 funded development effectiveness.
Does replacing dirt floors with studies are in Africa, featuring inno- In this effort, a fundamental step is
cement significantly improve the health vative and rigorous evaluation that to build alliances to support the use
of young children in slum houses? In tracks the impact of technology, in- and production of rigorous impact
Mexico, doing so helped significantly kind and financial incentives and the studies and show how a donor and/
decrease parasitic infections, diarrhea level of community participation on the or implementing agency can guarantee
and anemia, while also improving chil- effectiveness of interventions in educa- “more bang for its efficiency buck.”
dren’s cognitive development. tion, health, agriculture, social protec- An impact evaluation clinic will be
Improving the effectiveness of anti- tion and the environment. organized for international NGO mem-
poverty programs is crucial. And these For example, 3ie is financing the eval- bers of InterAction early in 2010 and
are the types of questions for which uation of a mobile phone based health more joint initiatives to promote better
political leaders and development project in Karachi that helps to moni- studies for bigger impact are to come. MD
practitioners want answers as govern-
ments around the world increasingly
seek assurance that tax payers’ money Join 3ie
is well spent and achieves the desired
changes in people’s lives. Membership of 3ie is open to institutions that implement development
A country like Mexico for instance programs. To read more about benefits and download the application
has been at the forefront of ensuring form at www.3ieimpact.org/joining.
that its government was not spending
money on policies that did not work and Free services available to all:
that social interventions were instead • Free access to 3ie knowledge services including its impact evaluation
based on solid evidence. It is the first
country to introduce mandatory impact
database, expert roster and seminar series.
evaluation for all its social programs. • Receive information on upcoming calls for proposals, events and
The Evaluation Gap Working Group new research and publications through 3ie’s emailing list ‘3ie news’
convened by the Centre for Global and website
Development issued a bold report three • Access to www.3ieimpact.org and 3ie social network at
years ago stressing the fact that “it is http://3ieimpact.ning.com/
deeply disappointing to recognize that • Experts who have conducted rigorous impact evaluations are
we know relatively little about the net
impact of most of these social programs”
encouraged to apply to the 3ie expert roster and the pool of external
and made an urgent call for more and reviewers for 3ie grant programs.
better impact evaluations.
Education for
ter place for those not so fortunate—the world’s many poor.
What is also evident in the last several years is the expand-
ing numbers of both undergraduates and graduates with
some experience in poor countries. Ten years ago, if a pro-
U
niversities are beginning to respond to host of other activities. One
the large and growing demand among students in wonders just what they a professor asked
the United States and abroad for minors, certifi- are looking for in a gradu-
cates and degrees in international development. This ate degree with their often a class of 100
demand, which became evident as early as the 1990s, likely
reflects not a wariness about careers in finance in the wake
impressive backgrounds.
They want, of course, to
undergraduates
of the recent crisis but something more basic and longer run: be able to see how it all how many
a sense among many young people that they have an obliga-
tion as the most fortunate rich of this world to make it a bet-
fits together—their own
development experiences students have
within the entire picture of
international development
even been in
today. They also want a a developing
graduate degree—essen-
tial for advancing their
country, only a
professional career. Until very few hands
recently, undergraduates
wanting to learn about would go up.
international development
had to put together their own program of classes from those
offered in their universities. Several years ago, however, at
least two universities—the University of California at Berke-
ley and Georgetown University—created minors or certifi-
cates in international development to offer these younger
students the relevant foundation. Now even more universi-
ties are beginning to offer coherent sets of courses in this
area and are supporting student summer internships in
developing countries. But more impressive are the recent ini-
tiatives at a variety of universities to create new, professional
masters’ degrees in international development. A number of
universities already have “concentrations” in international
development as part of masters’ degrees in international rela-
tions or public policy. These include Columbia, the Johns
Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Georgetown. And
a number of universities have for some time offered dedicated
masters’ degrees in development—for example, the Kennedy
School at Harvard University (its degree is strongly econom-
ics oriented), Duke University (its degree is quite flexible) and
American University.
A number of universities in the U.S. and abroad are now
turning their attention to creating new, dedicated mas-
Humanitarian Jobs
more later) to plan for their own new master’s degree mod-
eled on the Columbia model. This group includes two U.S.
universities (Emory and the University of Florida) and oth-
ers in Australia, Botswana, China, India, Ireland, Nigeria and
Singapore. Within several years, we can expect to see new Candidates with analytical framework to
degrees up and running in most of these places. back up field experience will be sought.
Other U.S. universities are creating their own develop-
ment masters’ degrees. For example, Georgetown is plan- By Chris Herlinger, Communications officer and editor,
ning a degree in Global Human Development, built around a Church World Service
summer field project that students would design, implement
D
and assess (to the extent possible) with a curriculum shaped espite uncertainty during a national and
around this experience—including courses on designing international economic downturn, several promi-
and implementing development interventions as well as nent humanitarian education and training programs
monitoring and assessment. The curriculum would also based in New York City see no letup in the number of
include foundation courses in development, an opportunity students wanting to study relief and assistance issues.
to specialize in a particular development sector (e.g., health, “The humanitarian aid enterprise is rather stable,” said
democracy and governance, environment) and courses and Dirk Salomons, director of the Humanitarian Affairs Program
skills needed to work in the numerous new types of devel- at Columbia University’s School of International and Public
opment actors, including venture capital organizations, cor- Affairs (SIPA). He cited continued international emergencies
porations with development activities, foundations and, of and commitments by donor governments to respond to cri-
course, non-governmental organizations and public sector ses as two signs that humanitarian work is one area where
development agencies. careers are stable and even expanding.
The Georgetown degree’s core idea is that real field experi- Brendan Cahill, the administrative director of Fordham
ence is not only an important part of development education, University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs,
it is also a focal point for organizing a degree. It exploits the agrees, saying: “The work is always there,” and there is clear
long recognized principle that many learn from doing and “movement” in the field. “All the time, people are getting jobs.”
that courses linked to “doing” are more interesting and com- While there may be some current or aspiring relief workers
pelling. If I were to guess where the next big effort in educat- enrolling in graduate or training programs as a way to “wait
ing graduate students for development would be, it would be out” the current recession, both Salomons and Cahill said
in the business schools. Many business schools provide stu- continued and expanding interest in humanitarian work for
dent with hands-on experience through consultancies—an those already with a college degree is largely due to demands
Photo: Thiekoro Coulibaly
adaptable approach for development education as well. And in the field for specialization and increased professionalism.
more and more development actors are business organiza- “NGOs don’t want to take a chance on someone not tested
tions. Moreover, the interest in development among young or tried, so there is a need for specialization,” said Cahill, who
people is increasingly evident among this cohort of students. directs a humanitarian-worker training program at Fordham
In education for development as with so many other things, he describes as “humanitarian boot camp.” The program,
“The times they are a’changing.” And it’s all good. MD taught at both Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in Manhat-
“Students in the next 20-30 years will the scandal that the displaced people in Darfur have been in
camps for six years, Burmese refugees for two decades and
be focused on...‘humanitarianism- Palestinians for more than a half century, the real challenge
plus,’ the transition from aid to self- for humanitarianism, Salomons said, is all about long-term
recovery efforts. “Humanitarian action should not stop until
sufficiency. That’s where the future is; their (the displaced) lives are back. It can therefore also not
be detached from political action.”
that’s where the funds will be.” Put in practical terms for those looking ahead to specialties
within the profession, he said, “stabilization is hot.”
tan and in different international locales, is about to expand “Students in the next 20-30 years, the next generation of
to incorporate a master’s degree component. professionals, will be focused on this—on ‘humanitarianism-
Some drawn to Columbia and Fordham’s programs are plus,’ the transition from aid to self-sufficiency. That’s where
young and hoping to break into the field. Others have some the future is; that’s where the funds will be.”
international work experience but need time to re-tool, Those working in conflict zones, Salomons argues, quickly
rethink and “evaluate their place within humanitarian assis- realize that NGOs “become a substitute government” in
tance,” Cahill said. Among the common refrains of those places where governments and states “are not taking care of
returning to the classroom are questions like, “Am I following those who are malnourished or are struggling. So, you can’t
the right career path?” and affirmations of the need for fur- separate these issues, narrowly providing humanitarian aid
ther study and training. “Many say, ‘This is what I needed to and responding to broader challenges of endemic global pov-
keep going,’ ”Cahill said. erty. It can’t be done.”
An overall refrain in the field is the need for specializa- SIPA graduates have found work at, among other places,
tion and a deeper understanding of the humanitarian field. the United Nations and at NGOs such as CARE, Church
Salomons said as humanitarian work evolves from focusing World Service and the International Rescue Committee.
on immediate relief to the more complex dynamics of early Two of those now working for the UN in New York who have
recovery, there will be a need for specialization and training had extensive field experience since graduate school and who
that takes into account a fuller and more complex reality. worked in humanitarian and development jobs previously,
“Humanitarian assistance is not just about providing things praise their graduate training and foresee a field where prac-
like meals and tarps,” he said. “That’s maintenance.” Given titioners with formal academic training will be sought out.
“There will be a significant demand for people in this area,”
said Kimberly Lietz, a humanitarian affairs officer with the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and whose field experience includes work in Sudan, including
a one-year stint in Darfur. She said that within the UN sys-
tem, master’s degrees, once seen as merely “advantageous,”
are now becoming mandatory for a number of positions.
Lietz also said critical thinking about the humanitarian
profession, instilled while she was a graduate student, has
proven exceedingly valuable. “For a long time it was assumed
that if we were merely doing something good—if the intent
was good—then it was good, the product was good. There’s a
slow and creeping acceptance that that is just plain wrong.”
Michal Ullmann, who works as a humanitarian policy officer
for OCHA, said that kind of critical thinking, also a gift from
her graduate education, has proven invaluable in her work for
the UN and other agencies, including assignments in Sudan.
While characteristics that can serve an aid worker well—
like empathy—cannot be taught, Ullmann said her graduate
training made her understand the problem with theory.
“It provided me with interesting skill sets and under-
standing ‘the history of the questions,’ and their solutions is
invaluable to creative and quick problem-solving” she said.
That in particular helped her understand that there is “a wild
card in these things and what you know in theory doesn’t
always translate into practice.”
“It’s about people; it’s about relationships,” she said.
“Without these, you can’t do the work.”
Susannah Friedman, who has worked for several large
global NGOs in Sudan and Somalia since graduating said
continued on page 29
Changing Trends
up doing as development professionals, whether in NGOs or
elsewhere. A second group chooses business-type courses not
so much because they want to be better managers of tradi-
tional development programs, but because they want to move
in Development beyond those programs and use the force of the market as a
tool for empowering social change. These are students who
are very interested in new courses in social entre-
Education
preneurship, micro-credit, alternative finance,
community economic development and the
like. As a matter of fact, we don’t manage to
offer enough courses in these areas to follow
Students’ course selections offer insights student interest.
For the rest, there are, as always, many
into future trends in the field. distinct subgroups within the group of
students interested in development
By Peter Uvin, Henry J. Leir Professor of International careers. Some seek to acquire as
Humanitarian Studies and Academic Dean, The many “hard” tools as they can in
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy such areas as project evaluation,
cost-benefit methodology, finan-
S
tudents have come to The Fletcher cial management and so on.
School of Law and Diplomacy for decades to They often dream of large bilat-
prepare for all kinds of international careers, eral and multilateral agencies or
including careers in development work. big consultancy firms as their
Today, approximately one quarter of all our stu- preferred places of employ-
dents ends up working in this field and that pro- ment. Others have very differ-
portion has not decreased in recent decades, ent visions of what a career in
notwithstanding much hand wringing development looks like, placing
about the “me generation.” Distinct greater emphasis on promot-
from other graduate schools however, ing social change and con-
The Fletcher School has never had a centrating their studies more
fixed development studies degree or on issues such as political
track: students simply choose those dynamics, gender, youth,
courses that they think are relevant as human rights and the like.
they prepare for a career in this field. As They frequently wish to work
a result, looking at what students con- for NGOs. Rather than a deep
cretely chose to learn over the years ideological chasm or a fine
provides a fascinating window into understanding of true market
a new generation’s perspectives on development careers. conditions, I think this reflects personal predi-
The two main trends I have seen during the last decade are lections for more managerial-technocratic approaches or more
really not that surprising; they are also admittedly related to empowerment-political approaches to social change. It is a mat-
changes in what Fletcher has been offering. One trend is a ter of temperament and personal style more than ultimate aim.
dramatic increase in interest in various dimensions of con- Students generally seem un-interested in grand narra-
flict. Students who think of themselves as future develop- tives that dominated past development debates. Compared
ment workers now take far more courses than they did, say, to when I was a graduate student in this area in the 1980s,
15 years ago in fields such as conflict resolution, terrorism they seem distinctly cool towards the grand left narratives of
and war, complex emergencies, law of war and peacekeeping. Marxism and dependency theory. At the same time, even if
We ourselves have also begun offering new courses such as they generally put higher hopes in the power of markets, they
“development and conflict resolution,” and “monitoring and are frequently not free-market zealots in any way. Even the
evaluation of peacebuilding and international development.” presumably important Easterly-Sachs debate does not pro-
These courses are now amongst the most popular courses at voke much passion. Maybe this is because the average age of
the school, bringing together students who wish to work in our students is 28 years: many of them have been out there
development with those who seek to pursue careers in for- trying to make social change happen for some years and they
eign policy and diplomacy or the military. realize all too well that grand narratives do not capture the
Photo: Arto—Fotolia.com
A second trend is the growth in interest in business. There complicated, messy nature of social change on the ground.
are two aspects to this. One is that a far larger number of stu- Despite being distinctly un-ideological, however, they are not
dents than before wish to possess good business management cynical or passive or disengaged: I find in them as much pas-
skills. They end up taking courses in accounting, manage- sion for social change, as much of a sense of global citizen-
ment and even marketing, all with the explicitly stated aim of ship and a desire for justice as I felt in myself and my peers
being better and more careful managers in whatever they end 25 years ago. MD
S
ocial work is a global, organizing skills;
human rights based profession
with a central but often over-
• building capacity of communities;
• managing projects and programs;
humanitarian aid and
looked role in the provision of • advocating for services; and development agencies
equitable, transparent and effective
humanitarian aid. Its schools train
• developing policies and building
social protection systems.
seek correspond closely
students in problem assessment, com- to social work skills.
munity outreach and participatory For social workers, working across
planning, which make social work disciplines with professionals from As a 2009 study by Martha Bragin
graduates ideal candidates for jobs in education, health and justice systems and Monica Garcia demonstrated, the
the international arena. Grounded in is standard practice. employee qualifications that humani-
holistic, participatory approaches cen- NGOs employ social workers glob- tarian aid and development agen-
tered on human behavior and systems ally in a widening range of projects and cies seek correspond closely to social
theory, social work programs inte- tasks ranging from staff care to devel- work skills as defined by standards
grate classroom learning with practical oping community-based alternatives to adopted by the International Associa-
internships. institutional care for children without tion of Schools of Social Work (IASSW)
An education in social work prepares parental care. For example, in Tanza- and International Federation of Social
professionals to act in multiple capaci- nia a large, international NGO paired Workers (IFSW) in 2004. For example,
ties such as: a social worker and a water/sanitation U.S. social work programs require all
Photo: Kelley Lynch
• providing psychosocial support expert who worked together with village students to have coursework and field
services to individuals and families; leaders to create effective water councils experience in cross-cultural work,
• promoting community participa- to ensure the lasting value of the NGO’s problem assessment, community out-
tion through utilizing community work to the local community. Social reach, administrative skills and par-
Adapting to
ticipatory planning. The standards
also recognize the importance of ethi-
cal principals in working with indi-
viduals and communities. Guidelines
and principles have been developed
domestically and globally including the
National Association of Social Work Climate Change in
Sub-Saharan Africa
(NASW) Code of Ethics (U.S.) and the
Ethics in Social Work Statement of
Principles developed and adopted by
the IFSW and IASSW.
The global network of schools and Insights on options, obstacles, what works and why.
professional social work associations
worldwide mirrors the aid and develop-
By Sarah Johnson, Communications Division, International Food Policy
ment community’s need and desire for
Research Institute
global perspectives and coordination.
This global community in the social
work profession allows graduates to
work effectively with their counterparts
in other countries. In an emergency set-
ting, staff hired from local schools of
social work are often well-prepared and
well-situated to immediately provide
and coordinate services.
This network extends to the InterAc-
tion community, as social work pro-
grams in the U.S. and abroad collabo-
rate with InterAction members around
the globe. Social work professionals in
NASW and the Council on Social Work
Education (CSWE), both U.S.-based
professional organizations, are actively
engaged with a range of INGOs and UN
agencies.
Additionally, there are many opportu-
nities for the international community
to learn from and connect with social
workers. One such forum is the June
I
2010 Joint World Conference on Social n recent years, Takie Baru- on rain-fed agriculture, severe poverty
Work and Social Development in Hong sha and other poor African farm- and poor infrastructure, among other
Kong that will bring together over 2,000 ers have started to see their crop reasons. Because agriculture and land
social work and social development yields decline due to global warm- use change in the developing world
scholars and practitioners to examine ing, making it difficult for them to feed currently account for about 22 percent
international social work issues. their families. Climate change threat- of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
Social workers bring a strong commit- ens agricultural production through sions, changes in agricultural technolo-
ment to social justice and human rights, changes in temperature and precipi- gies and land management practices
deep ethical convictions and a wealth of tation and increased occurrences of could lead to huge reductions in GHGs.
experience working across cultures and droughts and floods. By recognizing and financing these miti-
disciplines to address a range of issues As the December 2009 meeting of gation opportunities through carbon
and challenges confronting urban and the 15th Conference of Parties of the credits and the like, developed countries
rural communities worldwide. From UN Framework Convention on Cli- would also provide poor farmers with the
humanitarian work and emergency mate Change approaches, the develop- economic resources they need to adapt.
Photo: iQoncept—Fotolia.com
disaster preparedness and relief, to ment community should demand that Farming communities will certainly
capacity building and community orga- agriculture be front and center on the need such support to weather the chal-
nizing, social workers contribute to agenda—especially since poor farming lenges of climate change. A recent study
international development through sys- households in developing countries will conducted by the International Food
tems and networks that ensure long- likely bear the brunt of climate change. Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in the
term sustainable development and the African countries are particularly vul- Limpopo and Nile River Basins of South
protection of human dignity. MD nerable because of their dependence Africa and Ethiopia, respectively, finds
that while the vast majority of farmers interviewed perceived adaptation measures. Quite unsurprisingly, if farmers do not
long-term changes in temperature and rainfall, most of them understand climate change or how to adapt to it, no amount
did nothing to adapt to these changes. This begs the question: of resources will do any good. In Ethiopia, farmers with access
What options do farmers have to adapt to climate change and to information about climate change and appropriate adapta-
what is hindering their adoption of these solutions? tion responses were more likely to change their farming prac-
tices. In both Ethiopia and South Africa, farmers with access
Options for climate change adaptation to extension services were more likely to adapt. In some areas,
Participants in stakeholder discussions in Ethiopia identi- differences in knowledge about adaptation may fall along gen-
fied several ways in which they had seen farmers adapt to der lines. For example, female-headed households in South
climate change including diversifying their crops, finding Africa are more likely to consider adaptation methods than
off-farm employment, selling their possessions, trying new are male-headed ones, probably because women do most of
water management systems and resettling elsewhere. Farm- the agricultural work and thus have more experience with
ers in South Africa cited a similar array of options. They also or information on land management practices. Policies that
adopted new crop varieties and built water-harvesting sys- facilitate farmers’ access to extension services, particularly
tems in response to declining rainfall and rising temperatures. those targeting women’s associations, could thus significantly
For every farmer in the Limpopo Basin who reported adapting promote adaptation to climate change.
to climate change, however, two farmers stated that they had Access to credit. Access to credit also has a significant
done little to react to the more hostile and volatile climate. It impact on the likelihood of adaptation. In a companion study
seems that for most farmers, the barriers to adapting to climate on southern Africa, 29 percent of farmers in South Africa, Zam-
change are simply too high. So how can policy-makers help bia and Zimbabwe cited lack of credit as the greatest barrier
smallholder farmers better face climate change challenges and to implementing adaptation measures. Policies ensuring access
minimize their risks? Action is necessary in a number of areas, to affordable credit for all farmers could broaden their range of
including climate change awareness, access to credit, secure adaptation options, including the adoption of new technology.
land rights, agricultural technology and communication. Secure land rights. In South Africa, farmers who own land
or have secure property rights have a greater incentive and
Overcoming obstacles to adaptation ability to invest in adaptation options such as water conser-
Awareness. IFPRI research shows that awareness of climate vation. By safeguarding tenure arrangements, even in com-
change is a crucial determinant of whether farmers adopt munal farming systems, governments can help maximize
the benefits of adaptation measures. Policy-makers must
also consider regional differences in vulnerability to climate
change. In Ethiopia, for example, the lowlands face greater
climate change-related stress than do the highlands, meaning
that many lowland pastoralists may seek to resettle elsewhere.
Technology. Farmers who can afford electricity and agri-
cultural technology are better able to switch to new crops or
diversify, vary planting dates and make more efficient use of
Master’s degrees water. Providing incentives for agricultural technology could
make adaptation far easier for many farmers, giving them
for Global Social Change access to small-scale irrigation systems or enabling them to
plant high-yielding or drought-resistant crop varieties.
MA in Sustainable Development Cooperation and communication. As climate change
MA in Conflict Transformation continues to worsen farming conditions in sub-Saharan
MS in Management of Nonprofits and NGOs Africa, governments will need to improve monitoring sys-
tems to provide early warnings so farmers can prepare for
and potential crises. While it is important that governments share
information and communicate with rural communities, this
NEW: Fall 2009 information must be provided in a way that is useful to farm-
ers. Greater communication between smallholder farmers,
in the Sultanate of Oman
policy-makers and development workers will ensure that the
Master of Global Management information provided is relevant and useful on the ground.
Conclusion
www.sit.edu/graduate In the scramble to fight climate change, policy-makers and
development practitioners should remember that these initia-
tives do more than help African farmers like Takie Barusha
produce food for their households despite increasingly adverse
climatic conditions: they also help promote overall develop-
ment and reduce the poverty, hunger and malnutrition still
plaguing the African continent. MD
Without Borders?
hypothetical options for preventing
statelessness. One option would be for
a country to cede territory to the dis-
placed people. The international com-
munity would recognize the continued
For some island nations, changes in climate can existence of that country (sometimes
literally mean the end of their existence. referred to as a “State”), albeit in a new
location. Another would be union of
By Rajyashri S. Waghray, Director, Education and Advocacy for International the displaced population’s State with
Justice and Human Rights, Church World Service and Pamela Sparr, Enough another. UNHCR encouraged diplo-
For All, Campaign Liaison, Church World Service mats to approach any specific situa-
tion using the principle of family unity
T
he Alliance of Small their economic, social and cultural to enable “affected populations to pre-
Island States (AOSIS) is call- development.” The permanent disap- serve their identity as a people, includ-
ing for a significant reduction pearance of a nation would represent ing their language, culture, history and
in global emissions so that the both a collective loss of the right to traditions.” The question of self-deter-
world’s temperature does not rise more self-determination and the loss of the mination is just one of many thorny
than 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre- individual human rights of each one challenges to human rights posed by
industrial levels. “It is about our sur- of its citizens—who must rely on their climate change.
vival,” noted the chair, Leon Charles, national government for the guarantee A recent 2009 report by the UN High
for the AOSIS negotiating team. AOSIS, of their rights. Commissioner on Human Rights laid
whose members are among the most Just how far is the global commu- out four areas where human rights law
vulnerable to climate change, “cannot nity—particularly the major green does not apply or is undeveloped with
live with” global temperature rises of 2 house gas emitting nations—willing respect to climate change:
degrees, a possible target mentioned in to go in practice to ensure the right 1. The impact of climate change can
the recent Bangkok climate meetings. to self-determination is indeed a real- make it more difficult for many
An AOSIS statement issued after a pre- ity for even the most vulnerable small people to enjoy certain fundamen-
liminary meeting earlier in New York island states that perhaps have little tal human rights—to life, water,
said members were “profoundly disap- or no leverage to help their perspective health, adequate food and hous-
pointed” by the lack of will in negotia- prevail in the ongoing climate change ing, for example. These threats
tions to protect small island developing negotiations? The answer is yet to often are disproportionately borne
states from changes in climate. There- emerge from the haze of ongoing nego- by groups that are particularly
fore it is not surprising that Pacific and tiations. By way of precedent, there vulnerable or marginalized in soci-
island nations are urging preparation are no UN conventions or interna- ety (such as children, women and
for the worst-case scenario: permanent tional treaties that recognize the right indigenous peoples) where special
displacement from their homes. Yet the to a safe and healthy environment— international human rights protec-
Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Mr. Apisai although many UN bodies that moni- tions apply. Yet, tracking physical
Ielemia, told delegates at the interna- tor and interpret treaties (often called impacts to claim a human rights
tional climate negotiations this spring “UN treaty bodies”), such as the UN violation is easier said than done,
in Poland that his nation will not Commission on Human Rights, recog- if not completely impossible. The
accept defeat and reminded delegates nize the inherent connection between harmful consequences are caused
that Tuvalu has a right to exist—with- the enjoyment of particular rights and by a complex web of factors and
out migrating. the environment. Is the right to self- cannot be explained, for example,
These comments illustrate one of determination dependent on physical “simply” as a matter of government
the deepest political and ethical chal- location, on geographic specificity and abusing the rights of its citizens
lenges posed by complexities of chang- integrity? Do communities have any either by an act of omission or
ing climate: i.e., human rights and rights to relocate collectively in order commission.
the right to self-determination. The to preserve their integrity and culture? 2. Climate change can bring about a
right to self-determination is a funda- There are no final answers as the dis- gradual deterioration of living con-
mental principle in international law course continues to evolve. ditions, such as a slow-onset of
and is enshrined in the Charter of the The UN High Commissioner for Ref- disaster through creeping deserti-
United Nations. According to Article 1, ugees (UNHCR) wrestled with these fication, the sinking of coastlines
Paragraph 1 of both the International questions in its submission to the or of salt-water intrusion in fresh
Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Bonn climate negotiations in June. water supplies. In this situation,
Social Rights and the International UNHCR noted that the permanent loss there are no clear guidelines for
Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, of territory is without historical prec- assessing whether the movement
this right is understood as people col- edent and “there is no internationally of people is forced or voluntary
lectively being able to “freely determine agreed upon definition of what consti- and therefore how they are viewed
their political status and freely pursue tutes a State.” Nonetheless, it laid out legally.
UNHCR, the International Organiza- displaced persons in the agreement, as by the time parties meet in Copenha-
tion for Migration and other international of yet, for the very reasons discussed gen—partly for the very reason that
human rights bodies have asked that above. Currently, the negotiating text makes it so urgent: i.e., its complexity
the terms “climate refugees” or “environ- contains sparse not-agreed upon text and its immense political implications.
mental refugees” not be used because related to rights. For example, draft As we enter the home stretch of
they have no standing in international text in the preamble (entitled “Shared international negotiations leading to
law and their use could weaken the Vision for Long-Term Cooperative Copenhagen in December and as the
“legal regime” for legally-recognized refu- Action”) refers to the fact that climate U.S. Senate crafts its version of a cli-
gees. So what do we call people forced change affects human rights, including mate change bill, it is important for all
to migrate by climate-induced changes? the right to self-determination, state- who care about sustainable develop-
What protections can they have, if any? hood and the right of a people not to be ment to consider a two-pronged strat-
When people move legally across deprived of their own means of subsis- egy: (1) to advocate for a more robust
national borders, they are eligible to tence. One draft version of the section treatment of human rights concerns in
receive the same rights as recognized on national adaptation plans includes these twin political processes; and (2)
within the country in which they relo- measures to “protect people displaced to spur the legal and ethical conversa-
cate. Whether and to what extent do by the impacts of climate change.” tion forward, through various chan-
States give right of entry to climate- Finally, paragraph 161 concerning the nels—including within the relief and
induced migration? What rights do possible negative impact of mitigation development community itself and the
receiving countries and populations measures on least developed coun- faith community, etc. As non-profits
have with respect to their cultural or tries includes bracketed text related to who wrestle with the ethical impera-
social integrity and self-determination? “compensation for the lost opportuni- tives and legal parameters of relief and
While the UN Framework Convention ties, resources, lives, land and dignity development work, Inter Action mem-
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotia- as many will become environmental bers have much to offer and much to
tions aim to produce a new agreement refugees.” It is far from certain that any gain by more fully participating in the
with strong, binding mitigation targets of this language will make it into the international dialogue on protecting
and significant international adaptation final document. It may not be the most and advancing human rights as we
funding, it may not be possible to fully likely outcome that we see agreement grapple with the ways climate change
address the complex issue of climate- on the issues of human displacement is transforming our world. MD
Country-led
Development
Heads of state from the developing
world discuss country-led and people–
centered development.
I
n September, the U.S. Government’s Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) and InterAction hosted a
public dialogue on “Country-Led Development: Proven
Partnerships in Fighting Global Poverty” during the week
of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New
York. The symposium featured an unprecedented high-level
discussion among world leaders on the importance of coun-
try-led development, country ownership and people-centered MCC’s Darius Mans and InterAction’s Sam Worthington.
development as keys to meaningful and impactful poverty
reduction and development assistance. “We see ourselves as a partner with governments, a part-
The UN General Assembly offers a rare occasion for devel- ner that must work within a country’s strategy, a part-
oping countries, donor countries and NGOs to participate ner that tries to bring voices to be heard, a partner that
in public discussions about critical issues impacting their encourages local civil society actors and NGOs to make
countries. Recent high-level policy speeches—including Pres- sure that their presence is heard as we go forward in a
ident Obama’s recent speech in Ghana and Secretary Clin- joint development effort.”
ton’s speech at the Brookings Institution—raised important —Sam Worthington
questions about climate change, the global financial crisis President and Chief Executive Officer, InterAction
and the need for strong local leadership in economic develop-
ment that helped inform discussions during the UN General “The NGO community has gotten the message that [to
Assembly and the Pittsburgh G20 Summit. effectively] work in a country...you’re going to have to
Joining in the discussion were President Blaise Compaoré develop a relationship with that government, understand
of Burkina Faso, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, its strategy and what it wants to do, but at the same time
Prime Minister Sali Berisha of Albania, Foreign Minister be cognizant of the fact that there is a need in the commu-
José Brito of Cape Verde, Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidi- nity...in areas where government may not be reaching.”
ane Gadio of Senegal, Minister of Mining and Political —Julius Coles
Affairs Alpha Kanu of Sierra Leone and President of Afri- President, Africare
care Julius E. Coles.
Below are excerpts from a few of the speakers: “The MCA is an excellent innovation, an effective [method
of] aid delivery and it needs...to continue to be supported.
“As we look for ways to chart the future of foreign aid And we must even now begin to consider the possibility
and make it smarter and more effective, approaches that of not only original compact, but successful compacts as
deliver results, approaches that place countries in charge well, because needs will remain even after the conclusion
of their own development will help inform this conversa- of the first compact.”
tion. And such an honest conversation demands that we —His Excellency Jakaya Kikwete
also examine the challenges of country ownership and President, The United Republic of Tanzania
how to overcome them.”
Photo: Millennium Challenge Corporation
—Darius Mans “Fifty million U.S. dollars granted three years ago in a
Acting Chief Executive Officer, threshold program were used in several projects which
Millennium Challenge Corporation really changed my country. The first one was business
registration. ...We succeeded [in coming] from a very hec-
“Under this initiative, this process, we have shared tic, bureaucratic, protracted, corrupted procedure of busi-
responsibility between Americans and Africans. And this ness registration to [having] a one-stop shop [for] business
process should take into account our own visions of devel- registration in 30 minutes for one euro.”
opment and our own aspirations.” —His Excellency Sali Berisha
—His Excellency Blaise Compaoré Prime Minister, The Republic of Albania
President, Burkina Faso
November
November 1-3
Global Symposium of
Peaceful Nations
November 2
SEEP Network Annual Visit: careers.interaction.org
Conference 2009:
Powering Connections Talk about interacting!
Arlington, VA
To compliment Monday
Contact: long@seepnetwork.org
Developments’ popular monthly
November 3 job section, InterAction’s new
The 2009 Africare Bishop John T. online job board instantly
Walker Memorial Dinner connects you to the latest
Washington, DC international development jobs
Contact: ajackson@africare.org
as they become available. Search
2-7 November by job sector, level, region and
Network of African Youths country—or post your resume
for Development (NAYD) and let the hiring managers
Summit 2009 come to you!
Nairobi, Kenya
http://www.nayd.org/Summit_2009.htm
EmploymentOpportunities
Senior Legislative Specialist has responded to many of the most serious humanitarian emer-
Washington, DC gencies in recent history, including the Rwandan genocide,
Catholic Relief Services seeks a Senior Legislative Special- Hurricane Mitch, the 2003 war in Iraq, the Indian Ocean tsu-
ist to join CRS’ Advocacy Team. Based in Washington, DC, the nami, Darfur and the Myanmar cyclone. Merlin country pro-
Senior Legislative Specialist will advance CRS’ social justice grams include delivering basic health care, training community
vision by managing and conducting a range of advocacy ef- midwives, emergency obstetric care, providing medical services
forts with staff, members of Congress, foreign affairs agencies to remote areas and nutrition programs. MD
of the USG and the US administration. The ideal candidate will
have 5+ years demonstrated success in and knowledge of Hill
advocacy and/or legislative strategy, foreign policy and assis- Step By Step Advocacy
tance issues and working in a complex environment. To apply continued from page 6
for this position please visit www.crs.org/about/careers.
work and make sure you provide them guidance in advance
Inside InterAction to help them feel comfortable and effective in those meetings.
continued from page 5 NGO staff and allies can volunteer on political campaigns,
serve on policy advisory groups for a candidate, donate money,
Asia and the Americas. or set up an independent Political Action Committee (PAC) in
Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation missions focus on support of an idea or candidate. NGOs can offer to hold a can-
providing material aid to the needy and inspiring love and didate debate or propose questions for a candidates’ debate to
humanity to both donors and receivers. The foundation’s the organizers. Staff can, as private individuals, volunteer for a
guiding principle is to “help the poor and educate the rich.” candidate or attend candidate forums and ask questions.
Volunteers have provided humanitarian aid and medical ser- Place op-eds or arrange for the local paper to interview
vices in Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Columbia, Gua- your staff member to highlight the work he/she is doing. This
temala, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Haiti and Afghanistan. helps build a base of power by using press coverage to high-
In 2005, volunteer doctors traveled to Sri Lanka to provide light the work of your NGO. It also helps to build name recog-
free medical care for tsunami survivors. In 2007, Tzu Chi nition and therefore increases influence and power.
members from all over the country engaged in disaster relief Policy briefs. NGOs can use well-documented, clearly writ-
efforts in Bolivia, Peru and Dominican Republic. ten policy briefs and talking points, of no more than two pages,
Planet Aid is committed to peace and to humanity and to provide new information or to buttress your position.
cares deeply about the Earth as the home we share with mil- Building power takes time and is always an on-going effort.
lions of other species. Reusing discarded items from the rich New decision-makers appear on the horizon, new people to
part of the world as a vehicle to increase income and improve influence and to inform. Done in a steady, coordinated and
lives in other parts is good for the Earth and thus benefits all. consistent manner, an NGO and its staff can wield enormous
Through their actions, Planet Aid seeks to inform and to pro- power over the issues that it cares most about. MD
mote cooperation and understanding between people across Part nine, the final installment of this series, will discuss
countries and continents. They support organizations and research and evaluation and will appear in the December edi-
communities in Southern Africa, Asia and Latin America. tion of Monday Developments.
Planet Aid works though local implementing partners in the
following areas: HIV/AIDS education and prevention; sup- A Stable Future
port for people with HIV and AIDS orphans; child aid and continued from page 20
community development; organization and training of small-
scale farmers; education of primary school teachers; voca- that as the aid industry has professionalized, the require-
tional training; programs for child laborers; environmental ments for positions have increased.
programs; malaria prevention; food aid and various in-kind “Where experience alone used to be enough,” she said,
donations (computers, books and the like). “many positions now require candidates to have an academic
Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin) USA’s background in humanitarian aid or international relations to
mission is to raise awareness, support and resources for Merlin successfully enter into more senior level positions.”
programs throughout the world. Merlin specializes in health, While the current job outlook is perhaps not as robust as
saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered it used to be “because of the general economic downturn,”
health services in fragile states in Sub-Saharan Africa, South- she said, “there are still a number of good jobs out there for
east Asia and the Middle East. Merlin works within existing dedicated aid workers.”
health systems to realize everyone’s right to accessible, appro- “Though a graduate degree in international affairs is not
priate, affordable health care. Merlin’s vision is of a world that the most critical criterion for hiring, it seems increasingly
provides basic health care to all, responds immediately to save important to agencies that potential employees, especially for
lives in times of crisis and looks beyond emergencies to safe- certain positions, have an analytical framework to back up
guard long term health. Merlin has worked in 39 countries and their field experience.” MD
Chief of Party
The Chief of Party for the Food, Agribusiness and Rural Markets Program will manage all aspects of project activities: improve
agriculture and livestock production; develop and strengthen business development services; increase local and regional trade;
improve capacity of producers as well as public and private actors; increase efficiency of processing and marketing and improve
market access. He/she will provide comprehensive technical oversight, assume primary responsibility for project implementation
and management, and ensure the quality and effectiveness of overall program. Minimum Qualifications: Advanced degree in
agriculture, agricultural economics, business, finance, or related field; Minimum of 15 years experience in agriculture/micro-
enterprise development; Experience managing complex agriculture and micro-enterprise development programs in East Africa,
preferably Sudan; Expertise in agriculture, value chains, and business development in East Arica/Sudan; Demonstrated understanding
of legal, regulatory and policy issues affecting agricultural market efficiency; Demonstrated prior success as Chief of Party or Team
Leader (minimum 7 years); Experience managing multi-year projects valued at USD $10 (ten) million or more.
Preservation
Director, Cultural
Heritage Program
Baghdad, Iraq
Grants/
Subcontracts
Manager
Kabul,
Afghanistan
Chief, Compliance
Arlington,VA
Director,
Compliance
Kabul,
Afghanistan