If there is one thing on which today’s Expat Aid Workers unanimously agree, it is the need to be and look ready for any environment. And by “any environment” we specifically mean the kinds of places where you can be hardcore, take selfies with war junk, and possibly even see burqas. In other words, large, complex humanitarian crises, where the possibility of having to actually run with your Quick Run Bag (QRB) is higher than in a “development context” of yesteryear. Now of course many EAWs are famous for creating their own fashion. But in such environments (in the “Kevlar Belt”), it is critica ..read more

If there is one thing on which today’s Expat Aid Workers unanimously agree, it is the need to be and look ready for any environment. And by “any environment” we specifically mean the kinds of places where you can be hardcore, take selfies with war junk, and possibly even see burqas. In other words, large, complex humanitarian crises, where the possibility of having to actually run with your Quick Run Bag (QRB) is higher than in a “development context” of yesteryear. Now of course many EAWs are famous for creating their own fashion. But in such environments (in the “Kevlar Belt”), it is critica ..read more

After a decade of research, monitoring and evaluation, and international conferencing, EAWs (and even some donors) have finally accepted that mobile apps are not a silver bullet that fixes deeply rooted issues in development and humanitarian contexts. A good toolkit, though…. Now, that’s another story! Any complex issue can be easily broken down and resolved with a well-designed toolkit. Men dominating the discussions at community meetings? Drop a gender toolkit with some best practices. Private sector tech partners contributing to genocide by weaponizing information? An advoca ..read more

After a decade of research, monitoring and evaluation, and international conferencing, EAWs (and even some donors) have finally accepted that mobile apps are not a silver bullet that fixes deeply rooted issues in development and humanitarian contexts. A good toolkit, though…. Now, that’s another story! Any complex issue can be easily broken down and resolved with a well-designed toolkit. Men dominating the discussions at community meetings? Drop a gender toolkit with some best practices. Private sector tech partners contributing to genocide by weaponizing information? An advoca ..read more

“The field” or possibly “HQ” (Inconclusive) — photo by author For as long as there have been Expat Aid Workers (EAWs), they have understood and expressed their own relevance in terms of location. It’s not about what you do; it’s all about where you do it. And before you get all indignant in the comments thread, think about how much meaning EAW derive from Bitching About HQ, Establishing Field Cred, or Blogging for the Folks Back Home, and how dependent all of those things are on distinctions between the field and, well, everywhere else. But now that has-been celebs can start their own NGOs&nb ..read more

“The field” or possibly “HQ” (Inconclusive) — photo by author For as long as there have been Expat Aid Workers (EAWs), they have understood and expressed their own relevance in terms of location. It’s not about what you do; it’s all about where you do it. And before you get all indignant in the comments thread, think about how much meaning EAW derive from Bitching About HQ, Establishing Field Cred, or Blogging for the Folks Back Home, and how dependent all of those things are on distinctions between the field and, well, everywhere else. But now that has-been celebs can start their own NGOs&nb ..read more

If there is one thing on which today’s Expat Aid Workers unanimously agree, it is the need to be and look ready for any environment. And by “any environment” we specifically mean the kinds of places where you can be hardcore, take selfies with war junk, and possibly even see burqas. In other words, large, complex humanitarian crises, where the possibility of having to actually run with your Quick Run Bag (QRB) is higher than in a “development context” of yesteryear. Now of course many EAWs are famous for creating their own fashion. But in such environments (in the “Kevlar Belt”), it is critica ..read more

If there is one thing on which today’s Expat Aid Workers unanimously agree, it is the need to be and look ready for any environment. And by “any environment” we specifically mean the kinds of places where you can be hardcore, take selfies with war junk, and possibly even see burqas. In other words, large, complex humanitarian crises, where the possibility of having to actually run with your Quick Run Bag (QRB) is higher than in a “development context” of yesteryear. Now of course many EAWs are famous for creating their own fashion. But in such environments (in the “Kevlar Belt”), it is critica ..read more

After a decade of research, monitoring and evaluation, and international conferencing, EAWs (and even some donors) have finally accepted that mobile apps are not a silver bullet that fixes deeply rooted issues in development and humanitarian contexts. A good toolkit, though…. Now, that’s another story! Any complex issue can be easily broken down and resolved with a well-designed toolkit. Men dominating the discussions at community meetings? Drop a gender toolkit with some best practices. Private sector tech partners contributing to genocide by weaponizing information? An advoca ..read more

After a decade of research, monitoring and evaluation, and international conferencing, EAWs (and even some donors) have finally accepted that mobile apps are not a silver bullet that fixes deeply rooted issues in development and humanitarian contexts. A good toolkit, though…. Now, that’s another story! Any complex issue can be easily broken down and resolved with a well-designed toolkit. Men dominating the discussions at community meetings? Drop a gender toolkit with some best practices. Private sector tech partners contributing to genocide by weaponizing information? An advoca ..read more