An Excellent New Aid Blog

by Michael Bear · 2009-01-28 16:46:00 UTC
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Just a quick one, that William Easterly recently launched a new blog called Aid Watch.  According to Easterly, a professor of economics at New York University and the Co-Director of NYU's Research Development Institute, "The objective is to be brutally honest when aid is not helping the poor, but also praising it when it is."

And, for those looking for their daily dose of absurdity, definitely check out his most recent post, about the Davos "Refugee Run".  (See invitation above.)  As Easterly writes:

"Of course, I understand that there were good intentions here, that you really want rich people to have a consciousness of tragedies elsewhere in the world, and mobilize help for the victims. However, I think a Refugee Theme Park crosses a line that should not be crossed."

Which seems self-evident, or at the least should have seemed self-evident to UNHCR, which organized the event.

Michael Bear
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