Links on a Slow Saturday. Including, Of Course, Iran

[Footage from today's demonstrations in Tehran]

Just a few quick links from the past week:

- Like everyone else, I can't stop following the developments in Iran.  Granted, this has little to do with humanitarian issues, but impossible to ignore.  The two sources I've been turning to are the Vigilante Journalist (amazing photos and video) and, of course, Andrew Sullivan.

For an excellent analysis of the overall situation, see this piece by Farhang Erfani.  (In the interests of full disclosure, Farhang is a friend.  But, more importantly, he's also a) Iranian, and b) brilliant.)

- Steve Bloomfield at Things Seen and Heard responds to Gordon Brown's recent assertion that "You cannot have Rwanda again because information would come out far more quickly and public opinion would grow to the point where action would need to be taken."  According to Steve:

"It’s a nice thought, but as Darfur activists would point out we’re not short of information on what happened there and very little of the action which Brown talks about has taken place. [Let's leave aside for now the issue of whether it's a genocide or not.]

Here’s the problem. There is no direct correlation between us knowing about a tragedy and us doing something about it. Make Poverty History was one of the most popular grassroots campaigns in Europe since the anti-apartheid movement, but that hasn’t stopped countries backsliding on their commitments."

- Chris Blattman has an interesting review of Michela Wrong's latest book It's Our Turn To Eat, about corruption in Kenya.

- Following through on her recent post about ten ways to make development better, Alanna Shaikh at Blood and Milk explains what we can learn from missionaries.  She also has a great piece on what preventing malnutrion actually means on the ground.

- Finally, Harry Rud's take on protecting the aid worker:

"[I]it seems we too have joined the ranks of the endangered (for evidence, read this report) and general wretched of the earth, and so it is time to act!

...

What’s more, is it fair and right to objectify Aid Workers in such a fashion? I’m not sure I care for the use of the definite article in the campaign title. We are all individuals with different needs. Who has the right to offer me their protection, to speak on behalf of all Aid Workers?

Seriously, no disrespect to the Stephen D. Vance Foundation. I salute you, and may even sign your pledge. It might be a start to also get international aid organisations to themselves do more to protect their national staff, who bear the brunt of all attacks. Or how about a year of actively demilitarising aid? (I have no idea how.) But anyways, ‘Protect Me!’"

The idea of aid worker security is something I hold near and dear - as seen by my (perhaps compulsive and slightly morbid) listing of aid worker fatalities.  That said, I agree with Sahib Rud that slogans mean little, or nothing, if we're not willing to ask some hard questions.  And any campaign that ignores national staff isn't a campaign at all.