Latest Blog Entries

Wanted: Pioneers in Science and Technology for Development

Many of the great development challenges – water, infectious diseases, food insecurity, energy, climate change, connectivity, and biodiversity loss – have at their origins or find their solutions through science, technology and innovation. Many of the biggest leaps forward in development over the last decades were possible because of major breakthroughs in science and technology (S&T).

Reinventing International Aid Through Listening

After four years of extensive interview-based research, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects have released a new book called Time to Listen: Hearing People on the Receiving End of International Aid. Dubbed “The Listening Project,” the study took a magnifying glass to the international aid system, filtering its analysis through the eyes of those most affected by aid – the recipients.

From Crisis to Recovery: Lost in Transition

Transition. Early Recovery. Post-conflict reconstruction. No matter what term we use, the international aid community’s weak leadership and resources to facilitate and support vulnerable people to move from crisis to recovery has left millions vulnerable.

NGO Aid Map: We Built It. Have They Come? (Part 2: Making it Easy to Participate)

In the second post in this series, I discussed what we’ve learned about what motivates InterAction members to provide data for NGO Aid Map, an initiative that pools and shares data about the work of InterAction members around the world. But incentives are just one part of the equation.

Untapped Potential: Refugee Youth in the City

The presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, including countless vulnerable youth, is one of the most familiar – and challenging – aspects of the current Syrian refugee crisis. Most of these displaced youth are living in cities and towns in often desperate conditions, where a very different humanitarian response is required than in traditional camp programming, where most of the long-term expertise in the humanitarian community lies.

Improving Crisis Response: Will The NGO Voice Be Heard?

Leadership is a concept that runs like an electric current through every evaluation, study and anecdotal criticism made about the humanitarian system and our ability to respond effectively. The word is charged with expectations. We qualify it, often negatively, demonstrating repeatedly how a strong aspiration can be weakened by the mere addition of an adjective. Poor. Ineffective. Controlling.

A Policy Primer On Foreign Aid, And Not Just For Congress

U.S. foreign assistance is not only a critical piece of U.S. foreign policy – it is important for millions of the world’s most poor and vulnerable striving to improve their lives. That’s why it’s crucial that we understand what works and what should be prioritized. These decisions must come from individuals who are engaged with the issues, have decades of experience, and possess personal knowledge of the challenges.

NGO Aid Map: We Built It. Have They Come?

The viability and success of NGO Aid Map, a mapping initiative that pools and shares data about the work of InterAction members around the world, depends entirely on whether InterAction members contribute data. Unlike an organization or donor that can require its staff or grantees to share certain information, participation in NGO Aid Map is completely voluntary.

NGO Aid Map: We Built It. Have They Come?

The viability and success of NGO Aid Map, a mapping initiative that pools and shares data about the work of InterAction members around the world, depends entirely on whether InterAction members contribute data. Unlike an organization or donor that can require its staff or grantees to share certain information, participation in NGO Aid Map is completely voluntary.

What's For Dinner? Cook With Cashews, Support Local Farmers

"Eat Locally Grown Cashew – Healthy, Nutritional and Tasty." Sounds like a promotion you might see in your local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, right? How about in Africa’s smallest country, The Gambia?

Pages

Subscribe to Latest Blog Entries