I am seriously thinking in change the name of this blog and call it "the road to hell is paved with good intentions", since every time I think there is something worthy to be written, this dreadful proverb is the first click in my mind.
Of course the target now is KONY 2012. Let me just say that this video comes very timely after the last post, about the use of audiovisual as tool for academic research and impact evaluation. When I was talking about the dangers of soap operas for serious policy design in development issues, it was KONY 2012 what I had in mind... but maybe is even worse. This can be poverty pornography 3.0:
v1.0 Bag man (bogeyman, el hombre del saco)
This is the oldest and a classic still nowadays. If you don't eat your food, the bag man will come and take you with the children of the street...
v2.0 Live Aid: Rockstars take pictures with starved kids.
It is a very good thing to create awareness on these issues, revolve the conscience of nihilists teenagers and unite people to donate money to problems like famine and post natural disasters. But the view is simplistic and usually do not address the roots of the problem, often creating massive support for the wrong policies, causing more harm than good. More on this here and here.
v3.0 KONY2012: V for vendetta, facebook and the good cowboys.
Already too many people have write about this, so I just want to refer you to Chris Blattman's analysis of the topic: yesterday and 3 years ago. In the case you are new in the blogosphere, he is not just the best academic blogger in aid and development issues, but also an expert in child soldering in Uganda.
Of course the target now is KONY 2012. Let me just say that this video comes very timely after the last post, about the use of audiovisual as tool for academic research and impact evaluation. When I was talking about the dangers of soap operas for serious policy design in development issues, it was KONY 2012 what I had in mind... but maybe is even worse. This can be poverty pornography 3.0:
v1.0 Bag man (bogeyman, el hombre del saco)
This is the oldest and a classic still nowadays. If you don't eat your food, the bag man will come and take you with the children of the street...
It is a very good thing to create awareness on these issues, revolve the conscience of nihilists teenagers and unite people to donate money to problems like famine and post natural disasters. But the view is simplistic and usually do not address the roots of the problem, often creating massive support for the wrong policies, causing more harm than good. More on this here and here.
Already too many people have write about this, so I just want to refer you to Chris Blattman's analysis of the topic: yesterday and 3 years ago. In the case you are new in the blogosphere, he is not just the best academic blogger in aid and development issues, but also an expert in child soldering in Uganda.
No comments:
Post a Comment