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Hi all,

After a lot of nutrient for the trunk for most who celebrate Thanksgiving, here's your weekly nutrient for hear & soul ;)!

Development news: Protracted conflict & lives inward South Sudan; Radi-Aid abide by finalists; reparations equally radical philanthropy inward Africa; governance (un)reform inward Nepal; innovations inward bureaucracy; communicating a projection evaluation from Uganda; successful community-driven activism inward Malawi; pity, politeness & charity communications.

Our digital lives: Better (humanitarian) tidings consumption; self-care beyond bathroom salts & chocolate; the sound & powerfulness of algorhythmic governance.

Publications: An ethnography of social media inward Trinidad; fixing the journalist-fixer relationship; sex equality inward higher education.

Academia: De-colonising teaching inward South Africa; the utility of blogging & blogs inward #highered.

Enjoy!

New from aidnography
The complexities of the ‘lifting people out of poverty’ narrative

It was likely Dina Pomeranz’ long thread on what she is thankful for that encouraged me to write downward what I receive got been mulling over for a longer time: The real powerful too unremarkably real unidirectional give-and-take around ‘our world is non getting worse, but better’ unremarkably supplemented past times at to the lowest degree 1 reference to how ‘millions of people receive got been lifted out of poverty’.
(...)
The ‘lifting people out of poverty narrative’ oftentimes overlooks that our digital forthwith is already real complicated.
Adding novel consumers volition unlikely select sustainability too happiness whatsoever fourth dimension soon...

Development tidings
What War Can’t Destroy

“If I was living inward this environment, I would receive got given up,” Ms. Hylton said. “That was the biggest surprise — that people hither hadn’t given up, at that topographic point was soundless thus much hope.”
But at that topographic point was also soundless thus much sadness. It wasn’t ever obvious, but it was there. As Ms. Hylton said: When yous interview people, they oftentimes lay on a brave human face upwardly too tell yous what yous desire to hear. But when yous select out a photographic telly camera too enquire someone to stare into the lens, it’s different. An honesty is revealed. She particularly felt this when making a portrait of Wokil, a comedian.
“His posture was real cool, he was trying to move real cool,” she said. “But yous could tell he lived through some of the worst stuff.”
“Loss, I recognized loss,” she said. “It was inward his gaze.”

Sara Hylton, Jeffrey Gettleman & Eve Lyons for the New York Times alongside a different side of the story of people surviving state of war too conflict inward Juba, South Sudan.

Reparations equally Philanthropy: Radically Rethinking « Giving » inward Africa

Yet, paired alongside capitalism, liberalism tin oftentimes move an extremely inconvenient laid of philosophies. While Europeans may non receive got wanted to believe that Africans were humans, fundamentally of course of instruction they knew that they were. And so, inward monastic tell to absolve themselves – too to justify the extraction – they came upwardly alongside the thought of colonialism equally a so-called “civilizing mission.” Europeans would move the custodians of Africa’s vast resources until Africans grew into the powerfulness to acquire by them themselves. This is the rootage of modern-day philanthropy inward Africa. In the words of Rudyard Kipling:
« Take upwardly the White Man’s burden—
The roughshod wars of peace—
Fill total the oral cavity of Famine—
And bid the sickness cease. »
What marvelous conjecture! It is equally though I were to come upwardly to your house, steal your things, boot yous onto the street too thus proclaim to the world that I volition grudgingly select upwardly the burden of caring for your lazy, unwashed self.

Uzodinma Iweala for LeMonde on how to re-think 'philanthropy' too 'charity' when engaging alongside 'Africa'.

The middle tries to hold

Even a cursory examine of the directives, regulations, too acts mooted past times authorities inward recent months shows how hard it is to alter a mindset oriented towards orchestrating governance too evolution from Kathmandu. Changing the hearts too minds of those who experience threatened, thus that they select too back upwardly constitutional provisions for shared too self-rule, is probable to move the costliest too most wasteful of efforts that tin move anticipated.
Chances are high that provincial too federal elections volition render fifty-fifty fewer positive results for marginalized populations too favor those alongside privilege, deep pockets, too narrow self-interest.Importantly, however, constitutional provisions for local authorities supply reassurance that the powerfulness too resources needed to address local interests too needs are now, to a greater extent than than ever, inside make if chance is seized. It is forthwith conceivable that newly-elected leaders inward provinces too municipalities tin address previously intractable evolution problems inward a to a greater extent than effective manner. Each provincial too municipal authorities must discovery its ain constitutionally empowered way to enhance revenues too address needs. In many ways, the arena of accountability has shifted much closer to home, too those inward novel leadership tin no longer overstep the buck to Kathmandu.

George Varughese for the Nepali Times alongside a reminder of the never-ending saga that is 'governance reform' inward Nepal...

Innovations inward Bureaucracy

The World Bank mightiness move a scrap to a greater extent than ahead of the bend here, too held a workshop before this calendar month on “Innovating Bureaucracy.” I wasn’t able to attend (ahem, wasn’t invited), too thus equally the manly mortal monarch of conference write-ups doesn’t seem to receive got gotten around to it yet, I’ve written upwardly my notes from skimming through the slides

Lee Crawfurd curates conference papers/presentations which is piece of cake becoming a 'thing' inward the digital #globaldev community?!?

SMC North Republic of Uganda Evaluation

This is the working website of the SMC North Republic of Uganda evaluation. It contains background materials, plain notes, show too references.
Notes are provided to give a sense of the conversations that took place, too to lay show inward context. They are non been edited to move a terminal product.

My colleague Silva Ferretti too her squad prepared a groovy weblog to accompany a to a greater extent than traditional evaluation project. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 groovy way to 'communicate development'!

Using community-led activism too populace persuasion to halt harmful development

In Feb 2017, the World Bank dropped its proposal to finance the project. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 illustration from the U.S. authorities noted that the overall fiscal too safeguard gamble levels were higher than previously anticipated too had move unmanageable. The illustration also highlighted that the resettlement costs were higher than suggested too that the authorities of Republic of Malaŵi had expressed a reluctance to supply fair compensation. The World Bank’s determination was preceded past times a motility past times the African Development Bank to withdraw from the projection due to high gamble levels inward the resettlement activeness plan.
These decisions followed months of advocacy too enquiry past times affected communities too local civil lodge to ensure projection financiers exercise due diligence too forbid harm. Arguably, without enquiry too advocacy from the community level, these decisions may receive got looked real different. The withdrawals from the projection sent a powerful message to governments that the consent of those straight affected is indispensable inward the pursuit of whatsoever evolution objective. In addition, the withdrawals drew the attending of other human rights activists, showing what is possible to accomplish alongside concerted endeavour too community-level data.

John Mwebe too Preksha Kumar for Open Global Rights on how community-driven activeness facilitated past times the International Accountability Project helped to influence policy-making.

On compassion too politeness, or why charities postulate a communications rethink

Despite beingness well-delivered too impassioned, Hawkins’ utter left us alongside the same sense of deflated overwhelm too powerlessness that nosotros acquire when nosotros read the tidings inward the morning. The same guilt for living cushy, privileged lives. The same plea for back upwardly ringing inward our ears. Gone was the burn we’d had inward us subsequently having the real ground of our existence lay into enquiry past times Kate Raworth too our minds blown past times Margaret Wheatley’s wisdom on how (not) to alter the world.
(...)
And it seems to me that charities receive got nurtured a vested involvement inward pity. They receive got move masterful inward appealing to it. They know precisely how to introduce numbers, images too human stories inward ways that force all the correct buttons. They make thus alongside practiced intent, too to some extent it has worked. It is out of compassion for others that nosotros are attracted to helping the needy too the vulnerable at the middle of Hawkins’ accounts.

Agnes Otzelberger alongside reflections from the Meaning Conference too how a MSF presentation framed solidarity equally pity...

Our digital lives

Over the finally decade, we've awoken to the fact that junk nutrient hurts us. It's fourth dimension for a similar revolution inward our tidings consumption. Much equally a nutritionist gives us tools for good for yous eating, Heba Aly gives us tools to halt consuming too supporting junk news. As manager of www.irinnews.org, Heba Aly strives to lay quality, independent journalism at the service of the most vulnerable people on earth.

This Is What ‘Self-Care’ REALLY Means, Because It’s Not All Salt Baths And Chocolate Cake

If yous discovery yourself having to regularly indulge inward consumer self-care, it’s because yous are disconnected from actual self-care, which has real petty to make alongside “treating yourself” too a whole lot make alongside parenting yourself too making choices for your long-term wellness.
It is no longer using your hectic too unreasonable life equally justification for self-sabotage inward the shape of liquor too procrastination. It is learning how to halt trying to “fix yourself” too start trying to select aid of yourself… too mayhap finding that taking aid lovingly attends to a lot of the problems yous were trying to cook inward the kickoff place.
It agency beingness the hero of your life, non the victim. It agency rewiring what yous receive got until your everyday life isn’t something yous postulate therapy to recover from. It is no longer choosing a life that looks practiced over a life that feels good. It is giving the hell upwardly on some goals thus yous tin aid almost others. It is beingness honest fifty-fifty if that agency yous aren’t universally liked. It is coming together your ain needs thus yous aren’t anxious too subject on other people.

Brianna Wiest for the Thought Catalog. I don't oftentimes include 'self help'-type posts inward my review, but inward lite of discussions around assist worker too academics' well-being Brianna's post service nails it quite well!

Algorhythmic governance: Regulating the ‘heartbeat’ of a metropolis using the Internet of Things

Our analysis reveals: (1) how smart metropolis technologies computationally perform rhythmanalysis too undertake rhythm-making that intervenes inward space-time processes; (2) distinct forms of algorhythmic governance, varying on the ground of adaptiveness, immediacy of action, too whether humans are in-, on-, or, off-the-loop; (3) too a number of factors that shape how algorhythmic governance industrial plant inward practice.

Claudio Coletta too Rob Kitchin alongside an opened upwardly access article for Big Data & Society.

Publications
Social Media inward Trinidad

Drawing on xv months of ethnographic enquiry inward 1 of the most under-developed regions inward the Caribbean Area isle of Trinidad, this majority describes the uses too consequences of social media for its residents. Jolynna Sinanan argues that this semi-urban town is a identify in-between: somewhere metropolis dwellers expect downward on too villagers expect upwardly to. The complex identity of the town is expressed through uses of social media, alongside important results for agreement social media to a greater extent than generally.

Jolynna Sinanan alongside the latest add-on to the Why We Post opened upwardly access majority series.

Fixing the Journalist-Fixer Relationship

Subsequent interviews alongside fixers who participated inward the survey indicated underlying tensions that oftentimes rest hidden inward professional person interactions. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fixer alongside to a greater extent than than a quarter century of experience working alongside 1 of the American tidings networks lay it bluntly: “Unfortunately they soundless expect at us equally ‘brown’ people alongside funny accents, too though I receive got reported too done some of the most of import too daring stories for (the network), it is a fighting to acquire a producer credit. Meanwhile, white kids – years my junior – acquire their names upwardly (in the credits).”
The rare fourth dimension fixers make come upwardly out of the shadows is when they are arrested, kidnapped or killed.
“Local journalists (working equally fixers) no longer occupy the privileged seat they 1 time did,” said Courtney Radash, advocacy manager for Committee to Protect Journalists. “We receive got seen increased killings of journalists.”
This, combined alongside a greater reliance on fixers inward conflict zones, has created a scenario inward which fixers are inward ever greater danger.

Peter W. Klein & Shayna Plaut alongside a novel publication from the Global Investigative Journalism Network too emerging questions on how to 'decolonize' global journalism too unusual correspondent engagement.

EqualBITE: Gender equality inward higher education

EqualBITE digs into the messy reality of higher teaching sex issues, presenting people’s stories, experiences too frustrations too – to a greater extent than importantly – what tin move done. University of Edinburgh students too staff portion real-life experiences of sex challenges too opportunities, too their constructive responses. The majority condenses electrical flow academic enquiry into practical actions that make brand a difference.
EqualBITE is a pragmatic too positive reply to sex issues inward academia – a catalyst for creating a civilization which is meliorate for everyone.

Judy Robertson, Alison Williams, Derek Jones, Lara Isbel too Daphne Loads alongside a novel opened upwardly access book.

Academia

Professor Robert van Niekerk, Professor of Social Policy at the Institute of Social too Economic Research, Rhodes University, volition compare too contrast the reply of students, academic staff, back upwardly workers too senior administrators ('stakeholder') at Rhodes University, an historically white academic establishment inward South Africa, to the Feesmustfall protests inward 2015 too 2016 too the elbow grease to de-colonise the academy from its apartheid (and post-apartheid) legacies.

Random reflections on #decolonization stemming from the awesome #asa2027 panel - a thread that I'll add together to over time: 1/

— Ami V. Shah (@seenfromafar) November 19, 2017

Michael McQuarrie on writing for blogs: “the most utility comes from allowing me to recall through a occupation that is bugging me too thus divulge something almost the result”

Blogs on the other mitt are to a greater extent than oftentimes trading on perspectives too opinions. I discovery these valuable – at that topographic point are a lot of people who receive got opinions I’m interested inward – but if they are polished essays they tend to cease upwardly inward magazines or newspapers too if they are polished enquiry contributions they tend to cease upwardly inward academic journals. Some people usage blogs to prepare their research, or for purposes other than offering a select on something. Then at that topographic point are blogs similar [LSE USAPP] which merchandise on summarising research. These are real useful for me. Friends, electrical flow too old students, too people I receive got never heard of receive got all published things that involvement me on [LSE USAPP]. But I soundless discovery that I discovery the most utility for me comes from allowing me to recall through a occupation that is bugging me too thus divulge something almost the result. I mightiness usage these to initiate conversations or for teaching to a greater extent than than for research. Most generally, blogs opened upwardly up a flexible venue where turnaround tin move rapid piece reaching a somewhat different audience.

Michael McQuarrie for the LSE Impact Blog on the value of blogs too blogging inward #highered.