Words like ‘human-centred’ and ‘grassroots’ aren’t helping communities,they just make donors feel better approximately patronising neo-colonialist practicesInternational development professionals love their buzzwords. Empowerment. Agency. Community-based. Human-centred. Equal partnership. Grassroots. I work for an NGO in sub-Saharan Africa that uses all of these words on its beautifully designed website, full of tall-resolution photos of smiling African babies. We are all approximately “empowering the community” with a battle scream of “Healthcare for everyone!” We purchase every chance we can find to let you know that we, or like apparently no other humans on earth,believe that health is a human right. Related: Secret aid worker: by not measuring impact, NGOs are abusing their power Related: Secret aid worker: why I camouflage my Israeli identity Related: Secret aid worker: we need to listen to humans, and not follow programmes Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com