My Evolution Blogging & Communication Review 2017

In my start annual reflection on my evolution blogging engagement inwards 2011 I stated quite plainly:

Development blogging has go business office of narrative writing for those who piece of work in, study or attention nearly international aid.

A twelvemonth later, inwards 2012, Radi-Aid, One Laptop Per Child too musings nearly evolution existence stuck ‘indoors’ appeared inwards my post; assist satire, techno-solutionism too challenges to a greater extent than or less conferences too meetings are even so really much on today’s critical agenda equally well.
In 2013 I was quite enthusiastic nearly starting my communication for evolution seat inwards Sweden equally social media were anchored inwards my academic enquiry too outreach.
Issues of 2014, including pathetic NGO communication (Tony Blair winning a humanitarian award), voluntourism (Nick Kristof traveling abroad) too how novel forms of philanthrocapitalism are influencing #globaldev almost seem similar timeless classics now…
In 2015 I was excited nearly novel forms of humanitarian journalism (IRIN!), the fact that assist worker well-being showed upwards on the global agenda too I also celebrated 150 weekly link reviews!
My 2016 ship service included references to Louise Linton, social media ‘back-writing’ too the challenges of #allmalepanel-again, topics that receive got somehow ‘stuck’ amongst the assist community.
So how does 2017 check into these old, novel too re-emerging debates too topics?

Are Twitter threads the novel weblog posts?
curation inwards connecter amongst the decolonizing evolution event.
Even though Storify announced its halt for 2018, curating debates is an of import topic too 1 I receive got been dedicating quite a flake of blogging infinite to this year, including for hurricane coverage too the Third World Quarterly affair (which is possibly non coincidentally also nearly ‘colonialism’). Providing overviews, or annotated lists too saving content for hereafter enquiry or education has go to a greater extent than important.

Between Jan too Dec 2017 the magazine The pathetic province of evolution journalism: Daily Mail, BBC & 'Ethiopian Spice Girls'

We receive got come upwards full-circle. Despite the fact that no petition was signed, no Internet ‘shitstorm’ emerged too no existent populace scandalize took place, Daily Mail front end page journalism too the willing Conservative executioners of cutting the unusual assist budget piece of work mitt inwards hand.
This is a powerful reminder that post-factual journalism is non exactly a ‘thing’, but has existent consequences for populace spending-usually affecting those who do non receive got access to the powerful lobbying arsenal of the establishment.

‘Stealing from earthquake victims’-a tale of laptops, overheads too journalism from Nepal

As to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than young, well-qualified Nepali professionals motion into the evolution sector they should live able to piece of work inwards an environs of constructive debates-not 1 of mistrust too jealously. The evolution sector is an of import aspect of Nepal’s economic scheme too it deserves local professionals who tin build a career inwards the industry, rather than looking for well-paid work elsewhere-including exterior the country.
As to a greater extent than digital communication too information challenges emerge, journalists, activists too traditional assist actors, including the government, yell for to receive got constructive dialogues, build capacity too process overheads equally an investment inwards to a greater extent than accountable organizations too motivated, well-paid professionals-ideally the side yesteryear side generation of local experts.

The BBC-Myth of a Public Service (book review)

For media, communication too journalism students too researchers it provides ample nutrient for thought how the yesteryear of populace broadcasting relates to our messy contemporary times.
And for the (communication for) evolution audience it offers valuable insights into institutional transformation nether the neoliberal status too the chances too limitations of communicating social change.

Now to a greater extent than than ever: Academic conferences yell for to encompass the digital age!

Conferences yell for to offering wide-ranging digital access
The jokes nearly missing or expensive Wi-Fi are exclusively 1 aspect. Meetings rooms yell for to live accessible so virtual participants tin Skype-, Google Hangout- etc. in. Let participants run their ain facebook alive streams too give them the chance to explore other platforms too technologies exterior platform capitalism.

Who Killed Hammarskjöld? (book review)

I tin highly recommend the book-particularly equally additional reading on course of study reading lists on African decolonization, history of the United Nations or how ‘global governance’ has (not) been working ‘on the ground’.
The fact that Susan Williams’ trouble organisation human relationship is such a readable historical regain that likely teaches readers to a greater extent than nearly ‘African history’ than most academic textbooks, underlines the unique seat that Hurst too its squad receive got inwards publishing cracking books nearly evolution history.

From impact to transformation: Do-Gooders, Multicolored Saviors too evolution equally lifestyle

The debates inwards evolution to a greater extent than or less (unpaid) internships, volunteering (whether it takes identify inwards the context of ‘service-learning’ or the large-scale schemes the European Union is rolling out oft middle to a greater extent than or less ‘white saviors’ too sometimes the ‘precariat’. But promises of intersectionality, multi-culturalism or empowerment volition largely stay unfulfilled-or at best individualized equally the evolution manufacture volition encompass novel subjects too objects.
Will in that location live a different volunteering civilization equally middle-class Indians venture into remote villages? Or volition Chinese volunteers acquire inwards in Africa inwards a 2nd moving ridge of cultural expansion of its influence-not unlike to traditional Western notions of ‘development’?

How non to introduce survey data- 2017 United Nations Global Staff Survey edition

As a social scientific discipline researcher I tin confirm that this is a really sorry representative study of “how non to introduce survey results” too clearly non worthy of the United Nations system, its staff too the of import issues that are raised inwards the report.

Academic conferences equally neoliberal commodities (book review)

If Donald Nicolson’s mass tin attain 1 thing, too so hopefully to a greater extent than discussions on the go of academic conferences across disciplines, privileges too inequalities!

Failing inwards the land (book review)

Failing inwards the land is a cracking primer for students too non-academic researchers who are embarking on the exciting journeying of information collection too fieldwork. But spell getting enquiry pattern too implementation right, nosotros should think non to leave of absence ‘the field’ to the political scientists too economists lone ;)!

Don’t ship service direct links to your novel magazine article!

Create a uncomplicated landing page for your articles too academic work!
Usually a uncomplicated weblog ship service amongst the abstract of the article, but also fundamental findings, is a cracking start. Blog posts I tin read too share!
The weblog ship service also contains a LINK to the pre-print platform of your alternative (Academia, ResearchGate etc.) or the alternative to download the pre-print straight from your website. THEN in that location is also a LINK to the journal’s homepage where I tin download the total paper.

Electing Saudi-Arabia to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is non a bad idea

So exactly to live clear: There are many things y'all tin too should live critical nearly when it comes to Saudi-Arabia – but electing them equally a fellow member to the Commission on the Status of Women is really the correct thing to do inside the context of United Nations diplomacy.
Other members should set pressure level on Saudi-Arabia-especially behind the scenes, but the United Nations is non the correct scapegoat for messy international relations too hypocritical relationships that include money, crude oil too weapons…

The Assault on Journalism (book review)

This is a cracking open-access collection that goes far beyond journalism security too highlights many of import issues inwards communicating evolution too social modify topics inwards our mediatized world!

Revolution too Authoritarianism inwards North Africa (book review)

I thoroughly enjoyed Revolution too Authoritarianism inwards North Africa.
It provides plenty of nutrient for thought too give-and-take too volition for sure gear upwards a really goodness introductory text for students earlier they start discussing the countries, societies too revolutionary dynamics inwards to a greater extent than detail. Volpi’s mass also makes a really of import contribution to the emerging combat on how ‘we’, peculiarly inwards academia, yell for to go on amongst nuanced too careful analysis equally mediatized events gain momentum too audio bites supersede complex reflections.
Especially the political scientific discipline too international relations community also needs to acknowledge how express their ability of prediction really is when contested spaces are re-negotiated.

Kenneth Warren too the Great Neglected Diseases of Mankind Programme (book review)

From my yell for of persuasion the mass was for sure an unexpected jewel for my collection. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 traditional biography which opens upwards some interesting reflections on how our (research, development, policy) world used to work, a glimpse into the life of a large homo amongst large ideas too large impact-yet a dependent to dominant discourses too existing ability relations. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 manlike individual parent who had piddling fourth dimension for his children too maintained an impressive global network inwards the pre-digital age.

Is platform capitalism really the hereafter of the humanitarian sector?

To cutting a long storey short: I would live a flake to a greater extent than careful inwards predicting a hereafter of the humanitarian sector based on data-driven cash programs where NGOs mimic global capitalistic platforms.

Combat charities too the mediatization of extreme humanitarian volunteering

No affair how many times they seek or who bankrolls their efforts, an American guy shooting at people inwards a far-away terra firma volition non live the solution to halt state of war too conflict…

Radio Okapi Kindu (book review)

Radio Okapi Kindu is definitely amid my favorite assist worker memoirs right away too a cracking improver to this emerging genre that continues to surprise me amongst fresh voices too approaches to communicating evolution inwards engaging too different ways!

Can nosotros transform the repetition of virtual evolution debates into something bigger? And do nosotros receive got to?

As various equally ‘our’ community may live too equally much equally nosotros endure collectively through the 1 or 2 annual populist essays of ‘but does assist really work? You know, corrupt African dictators too all…!?!’, the digital, virtual H2O cooler may live exactly that: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 relatively prophylactic infinite for venting frustrations, finding back upwards too keep a community of like-minded people (which is non only the same equally a ‘filter bubble’…).

The privilege of giving career advice inwards international development

The toughest query inwards price of career edifice is the query of the piece of cake changing ethical framework of international development: How tin I justify my engagement?
Duncan writes: ‘I loved writing; I was (broadly) on the left; I wanted to sympathize social too political modify too if possible contribute to it.’
Is this even so plenty to build a career given our global Northern/ Western, manlike individual etc. privileges?
Since social modify normally happens slower than nosotros anticipate my tentative answer is ‘yes, to some extent’-but the to a greater extent than of import questions for which I receive got no goodness answer at this phase is, to set it to a greater extent than provocatively, who should receive got a career inwards international evolution inwards the hereafter too at what toll volition they hap inwards a globally accelerating undertaking market?

Reporting the Retreat (book review)

Looking dorsum to journalistic do too professionalism 75 years agone offers some really interesting insights into today’s discourses to a greater extent than or less state of war reporting. What Woods describes equally ‘inevitable preference for stories of European evacuees’ (p.126) rings really truthful amongst today’s discussions to a greater extent than or less the ‘value’ of Northern victims too ‘heroes’ inwards journalism or evolution communication.

Reading #Harvey through a #globaldev lens

There are also new, relevant articles that receive got started to link Harvey to broader questions of international evolution too humanitarian assist too that are interesting nutrient for thought inwards 'our' industry.

Love, Africa (book review)

At the halt of the day, Gettleman’s memoir is non an exceptional slice of writing or insight too possibly other reviewers had expected more, because he is non ‘just’ a regular humanitarian assist worker or traveling journalist. He delivers an entertaining memoir that clearly has potential for farther discussions too non-expert engagement to a greater extent than or less topics of unusual correspondents too journalism from too nearly Africa, but ultimately falls a flake brusque equally self-reflective, too –critical assessment of how white men, global media brands too expat bubbles create ‘our’ picture of a quickly changing continent amongst its 54 countries.

Reading #Maria through a #globaldev lens

This fourth dimension some other American territory is affected amid other islands many of which even so receive got links to European countries through various statuses equally overseas territories. So novel questions are emerging inwards the aftermath of a natural disaster of how 'them' too 'us' are linked, how humanitarian challenges are non exactly an number of the 'North' helping the 'South' too how questions of evolution thinking too enquiry are becoming fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import equally climate modify creates a really global community of suffering, resilience too connected support.

The Lomidine Files (book review)

Maybe the economist has replaced the pith-helmeted medical Dr. inwards some areas too their Excel sheets are less invasive too unsafe than colonial experiments, but the Lomidine Files is a mass nearly similar desires to understand, assist too ‘eradicate’ poverty inwards contexts of making bodies, states too (our) aspirations count.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few reflections on the novel OECD flagship study on Data for Development

Perhaps non surprisingly, information turns into a technical, almost apolitical challenge that is framed inwards much the same way most other novel concepts receive got been embraced yesteryear large international organizations.

Blogging too curating content equally strategies to decolonize evolution studies

In the end, ‘decolonizing’ also agency that to a greater extent than sources from different margins are included. This goes beyond the global North too South dichotomy too expands multifariousness to academic institutions, smaller NGOs or local tidings media sites almost anywhere inwards the world.

The complexities of the ‘lifting people out of poverty’ narrative

Economic increase comes amongst huge cost-and possibly fifty-fifty to a greater extent than importantly amongst lifestyle changes. It is cracking tidings that kids tin read belatedly at nighttime at the well-illuminated kitchen table, but that same electricity is also required to run the fridge, microwave or TV too accuse mobiles too laptops-and tons an tons of plastic too other resources volition live used too sold ‘to elevator families out of poverty’.

Third World Quarterly & the representative for colonialism debate

This is a curated too regularly updated overview over the events that followed after the publication of Bruce Gilley's article The Case for Colonialism inwards the magazine Third World Quarterly.