Comments for humanitarian.info http://www.humanitarian.info because information can save lives Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:15:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on The unbearable complexity of peacekeeping by Greg in Mexico http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/02/the-unbearable-complexity-of-peacekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-259965 Greg in Mexico Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:15:56 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1568#comment-259965 I know they'd appreciate your article. I look forward to see it on SWJ! I know they’d appreciate your article. I look forward to see it on SWJ!

]]> Comment on The unbearable complexity of peacekeeping by Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/02/the-unbearable-complexity-of-peacekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-259933 Paul Currion Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:09:28 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1568#comment-259933 Thanks Greg - I hadn't even thought about Small Wars Journal, but I might work the original briefing into an article and submit it to them. Thanks Greg – I hadn’t even thought about Small Wars Journal, but I might work the original briefing into an article and submit it to them.

]]> Comment on The Future of Aid? by Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/06/the-future-of-aid/comment-page-1/#comment-259932 Paul Currion Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:50:36 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1584#comment-259932 Hi Astrid! Please don't take anything I wrote personally - as I pointed out, this is a sector-wide problem and the poll simply reflects that. It's not so much what questions I would have asked differently as how I would have framed the questions. For example, the questions are tailored to your constituency, for obvious reasons: so it would be interesting to know what they think the world would look like in 2020 if (for example) the United Nations no longer existed or the international NGO sector underwent a massive contraction due to the financial crisis. That kind of counterfactual can be useful, but I think a more worthwhile approach would be to ask respondents to take the perspective of those affected by disaster - what are their lives going to look like? Only then can we work out what our role in those lives should be - or even if we have a role at all. Hi Astrid! Please don’t take anything I wrote personally – as I pointed out, this is a sector-wide problem and the poll simply reflects that. It’s not so much what questions I would have asked differently as how I would have framed the questions.

For example, the questions are tailored to your constituency, for obvious reasons: so it would be interesting to know what they think the world would look like in 2020 if (for example) the United Nations no longer existed or the international NGO sector underwent a massive contraction due to the financial crisis.

That kind of counterfactual can be useful, but I think a more worthwhile approach would be to ask respondents to take the perspective of those affected by disaster – what are their lives going to look like? Only then can we work out what our role in those lives should be – or even if we have a role at all.

]]> Comment on The Future of Aid? by Astrid Zweynert http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/06/the-future-of-aid/comment-page-1/#comment-259927 Astrid Zweynert Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:51:25 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1584#comment-259927 Hi Paul, thank you for posting about our "future of aid" package and taking such a close look at the poll in particular. Just out of interest - what (more forward-looking) questions would you have asked? Since you mention the Humanitarian Futures Programme: as part of the package we had these two 0p-ed pieces addressing future challenges: - Randolph Kent, Humanitarian Futures Programme http://www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/alertnet-aidwatch/humanitarian-sector-needs-a-radical-rethink/ - Abby Stoddard, co-author on "State of the Humanitarian System" study http://www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/alertnet-aidwatch/an-aid-system-struggling-to-be-ready-stay-relevant/ Hi Paul,

thank you for posting about our “future of aid” package and taking such a close look at the poll in particular. Just out of interest – what (more forward-looking) questions would you have asked?

Since you mention the Humanitarian Futures Programme: as part of the package we had these two 0p-ed pieces addressing future challenges:

- Randolph Kent, Humanitarian Futures Programme
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/alertnet-aidwatch/humanitarian-sector-needs-a-radical-rethink/

- Abby Stoddard, co-author on “State of the Humanitarian System” study
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/alertnet-aidwatch/an-aid-system-struggling-to-be-ready-stay-relevant/

]]> Comment on The Future of Aid? by Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/06/the-future-of-aid/comment-page-1/#comment-259920 Paul Currion Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:06 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1584#comment-259920 Get ready, I'm quoting you even more in the next post (if I ever write it - since I've just taken on some actual paid work, that seems unlikely). You make a good point - their presentation is excellent, and that's definitely important (cough cough looks at own blog doubtfully). It would be nice, however, to see some real futures work - Humanitarian Futures Programme are doing some interesting work but it doesn't seem to have the necessary traction in the sector. Alertnet + HFP = win? Get ready, I’m quoting you even more in the next post (if I ever write it – since I’ve just taken on some actual paid work, that seems unlikely). You make a good point – their presentation is excellent, and that’s definitely important (cough cough looks at own blog doubtfully). It would be nice, however, to see some real futures work – Humanitarian Futures Programme are doing some interesting work but it doesn’t seem to have the necessary traction in the sector. Alertnet + HFP = win?

]]> Comment on The Future of Aid? by Noah Raford http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/06/the-future-of-aid/comment-page-1/#comment-259916 Noah Raford Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:21:41 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1584#comment-259916 Hi Paul, Nice post and thanks for the shout-out. +1 to AlterNet for giving such a difficult and important issue a shot. "A" for effort and, I have to say, "A" for presentation as well. Both are important. But I agree; "B-" or even "C+" for method and findings. You said it well. Onwards and upwards to future (improved) versions, we hope! Hi Paul,

Nice post and thanks for the shout-out. +1 to AlterNet for giving such a difficult and important issue a shot. “A” for effort and, I have to say, “A” for presentation as well. Both are important.

But I agree; “B-” or even “C+” for method and findings. You said it well.

Onwards and upwards to future (improved) versions, we hope!

]]> Comment on The unbearable complexity of peacekeeping by Greg in Mexico http://www.humanitarian.info/2012/02/02/the-unbearable-complexity-of-peacekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-259886 Greg in Mexico Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:15:13 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1568#comment-259886 Hi Paul, Excellent article. I'd really like to see this published (or linked) on the Small Wars Journal blog. Is there any way you could submit it over there? Here's the link: http://smallwarsjournal.com/content/submit-content Cheers. Hi Paul, Excellent article. I’d really like to see this published (or linked) on the Small Wars Journal blog. Is there any way you could submit it over there? Here’s the link: http://smallwarsjournal.com/content/submit-content

Cheers.

]]> Comment on Observe my rapid reaction by The unbearable complexity of peacekeeping | humanitarian.info http://www.humanitarian.info/2010/07/03/observe-my-rapid-reaction/comment-page-1/#comment-259772 The unbearable complexity of peacekeeping | humanitarian.info Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:06:29 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=905#comment-259772 [...] Posted on February 2, 2012 by Paul Currion | Leave a comment This week I recovered the note I wrote for the NATO ARRC, having lost it in the great Power Cable Calamity of ’09. One of the topics I discussed in [...] [...] Posted on February 2, 2012 by Paul Currion | Leave a comment This week I recovered the note I wrote for the NATO ARRC, having lost it in the great Power Cable Calamity of ’09. One of the topics I discussed in [...]

]]> Comment on Interesting but Wrong vs Right but Obvious by Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2011/11/20/interesting-but-wrong-vs-right-but-obvious/comment-page-1/#comment-259640 Paul Currion Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:06:38 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1311#comment-259640 Hi K. - thanks for the comment. I agree that the international system rests on institutions designed by the powerful, and thus usually (but not always) operates to maintain the interests of the powerful. However I do think that the line between top-down and bottom-up efforts is more blurred than we generally think, and is in a constant process of negotiation (although unfortunately the negotiation favours the powerful). It's also the case that in a humanitarian context - and here I am using the word in the global sense - there is no other choice. Those affected by disasters (and to a lesser extent, conflicts) simply need support to re-establish their lives and livelihoods, regardless of the power politics involved. We might believe that this support simply perpetuates their weaker position but, when it's life-or-death, it's hard to see any other option. Hi K. – thanks for the comment. I agree that the international system rests on institutions designed by the powerful, and thus usually (but not always) operates to maintain the interests of the powerful. However I do think that the line between top-down and bottom-up efforts is more blurred than we generally think, and is in a constant process of negotiation (although unfortunately the negotiation favours the powerful).

It’s also the case that in a humanitarian context – and here I am using the word in the global sense – there is no other choice. Those affected by disasters (and to a lesser extent, conflicts) simply need support to re-establish their lives and livelihoods, regardless of the power politics involved. We might believe that this support simply perpetuates their weaker position but, when it’s life-or-death, it’s hard to see any other option.

]]> Comment on One Assessment to Rule Them All by Paul Currion http://www.humanitarian.info/2011/12/07/one-assessment-to-rule-them-all/comment-page-1/#comment-259639 Paul Currion Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:00:09 +0000 http://www.humanitarian.info/?p=1400#comment-259639 Paul - I wouldn't call it an argument, more of an assumption. I share that assumption, with the caveat that I haven't seen any evidence that strongly backs it up. Admittedly I haven't been looking very hard, so any examples would be welcome. I also think that we have to accept a certain minimum level of crappiness in the data, simply because that's how things are in a sudden-onset disaster (obviously no excuse in the case of protracted disasters) and that's how things are in countries with poor information-related infrastructure. That leads into discussion about how to improve that infrastructure, but that takes us out of the "humanitarian" and into the "development", which is where I get off the bus :) Paul – I wouldn’t call it an argument, more of an assumption. I share that assumption, with the caveat that I haven’t seen any evidence that strongly backs it up. Admittedly I haven’t been looking very hard, so any examples would be welcome.

I also think that we have to accept a certain minimum level of crappiness in the data, simply because that’s how things are in a sudden-onset disaster (obviously no excuse in the case of protracted disasters) and that’s how things are in countries with poor information-related infrastructure.

That leads into discussion about how to improve that infrastructure, but that takes us out of the “humanitarian” and into the “development”, which is where I get off the bus :)

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