It seems only fitting to end this blog on the theme that surrounded this entire book. People have rights and civil liberties that should free from famine, however political situations often times have seen otherwise. Most places have no political contract of which to speak, which makes the situation even worse. In addition, donors, governments and humanitarian organizations have their own agendas that dictate what they endorse, spend money on and plan programs around. de Waal ends the book in talking about the delusions that exist in governments and organizations, in thinking that they can still give effective aid and save lives when not being fully committed to changing the process. He admits that resources can be delivered and be some sort of aid delivered, but that without policy change and political empowerment nothing can truly be done. He again voices these sentiments in his 2006 book, AIDS and Power.
In AIDS and Power, de Waal stresses that there has been no change in the fight against AIDS because people are doing just enough, giving just enough money to do a little, but that until people and organizations and GOVERNMENTS fully commit to the fight against AIDS, we will see no change.
As for agendas, they are ubiquitous in the world of international aid. Donors often times have a clear idea as to where they want their money to go. Whether it be directed at a certain cause, country or resource. Fair enough, I might want to know exactly what my money was doing if I donated millions of dollars to an NGO. Organizations also have agendas. They want to appear that they are able to do exactly what the donor wants, even though they have certain programs they want to do or are already doing. Sometimes, as we have seen, organizations just tack on certain buzz words to projects in order to get them funding, which is certainly an agenda. Governments have agendas too- unfortunately I don't know much about them, except for the fact that they are very slow to uncover and get things done. PEPFAR has really strict requirements for where there allocated money can go. And lobbyists (with their own agendas) try to pass legislation for protection and policy that would benefit local people, but because of time and money in addition to conflicting agendas, can't always do that.
It seems a downhill fight after writing that paragraph. But hopefully agendas will overlap at some point. Or things will get so bad that change will be imperative? But how bad must things get? I want to be around to see progressive change. And feel that it will cost much less to start now than when everything is lower than rock bottom. One thing is for sure though, that the AIDS epidemic and famine have far more in common than I originally thought. They are both ruled by a certain type of industry that exists called humanitarian aid. Fueled by good intentions and little accountability, aid organizations are trying hard, but missing a key ingredient- political support.
"...while fighting famine remains entrusted to today;s humanitarian international, famine will continue." (Famine Crimes, page 217)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Media Whores and Ethics
One chapter of Famine Crimes is a case study of the 1996 crisis in the Congo (then called Zaire). During the 1996 genocide in Rwanda, people fled across the border into Zaire. Over one million externally displaced people (EDP's) were inundating refugee camps in Zaire and the media had a field day proclaiming that all of these people were in severe states of malnutrition and hunger. More than likely, the numbers were exaggerated (as there was no counting of people as they crossed the border), and in addition, people in this area had learned how to live in camps and the camps were thriving according to African standards. It was estimated that people could live for about a month before aid was desperately needed.
Aid organizations and the media made a huge mess of this situation, proclaiming that people were dying left and right and that "aid was needed yesterday" (as quoted by an MSF doctor in Famine Crimes). Organizations, military and countries were planning their mobilization and aid
The most interesting part of this, was that there weren't ANY journalists on the ground in Zaire, giving no evidence to the sensationalist news that was hitting every international paper around.
After a week of being displaced, over 600,000 Rwandans crossed back into their country having been little afftected by the food shortage. As they met journalists on the border, the journalists were shocked that there were no signs of starvation and that while some people were ill or unhealthy, the vast majority of displaced people were no worse for wear.
The above situation put the credibility of disaster relief and humanitarian organizations in question, which in my opinion, makes the entire aid community suffer. It is relevant to the "whores" comment in my last blog entry. The media are whores; sensationalizing stories to increase readership. Aid organizations can be whores too; accepting money from donors that can only be used in certain programs. Will there ever be a time when the truth evokes just as much money, support and attention as things that are exaggerated?
*case study taken from Famine Crimes, by Alexander de Waal, (1997)
Aid organizations and the media made a huge mess of this situation, proclaiming that people were dying left and right and that "aid was needed yesterday" (as quoted by an MSF doctor in Famine Crimes). Organizations, military and countries were planning their mobilization and aid
The most interesting part of this, was that there weren't ANY journalists on the ground in Zaire, giving no evidence to the sensationalist news that was hitting every international paper around.
After a week of being displaced, over 600,000 Rwandans crossed back into their country having been little afftected by the food shortage. As they met journalists on the border, the journalists were shocked that there were no signs of starvation and that while some people were ill or unhealthy, the vast majority of displaced people were no worse for wear.
The above situation put the credibility of disaster relief and humanitarian organizations in question, which in my opinion, makes the entire aid community suffer. It is relevant to the "whores" comment in my last blog entry. The media are whores; sensationalizing stories to increase readership. Aid organizations can be whores too; accepting money from donors that can only be used in certain programs. Will there ever be a time when the truth evokes just as much money, support and attention as things that are exaggerated?
*case study taken from Famine Crimes, by Alexander de Waal, (1997)
"The Wisdom of Whores..." an HIV/AIDS Monitor update
I was sent this via the HIV/AIDS Monitor listserve and when I started reading it I realized how pertinent it was to this blog.
http://www.sundayherald.com/life/people/display.var.2246078.0.0.php
"... what she is trying to emphasise is that the more treatment we provide, the more we need prevention."
-Support for funding going to prevention which was iterated in a previous blog entry. The article says that the author of the book, Elizabeth Pisani, believes that since people have been receiving treatment, they start to engage in riskier behaviors and can infect others, which also supports a previous blog entry. Prevention needs to not be forgotten even when treatment is being provided because it is important to tackle the problem from both sides. Treatment gives a band-aid to the problem to keep it under control until it can be eliminated from prevention techniques such as education and awareness.
"The Wisdom Of Whores, hints at the idea that in what she calls the Aids industry, "we are all whores", doing whatever it takes to get money..."
-Dr. Thurman alluded to this in her lecture. How AIDS is considered a hot topic by donors and it is necessary to add 'HIV/AIDS' onto a program or study in order to receive funding. I'm just finishing reading about the 1996 food crisis in Zaire right now, and it the use of the word "whores" applies to that as well, but in the media spectrum. I am going to talk about that in the next blog entry, but I find it interesting.
""If HIV is spread by poverty and gender inequality," she says, "how come countries that have plenty of both - such as Bangladesh - have virtually no HIV? How come South Africa and Botswana, which have the highest female literacy and per capita incomes in Africa, are awash with HIV?""
- We debated in class, especially after Dr. Thurman's lecture that both of these points, but primarily poverty, were one of the largest predictors of HIV/AIDS. I agree that poverty plays an enormous part in HIV- simply in terms of access to health care, education and food, but Pisani brings up a valid point... why is there such small numbers of HIV in Bangladesh? It isn't because the virus hasn't gotten there yet. I wonder what the rate of condom usage is there? Or sexual activity with multiple partners?
http://www.sundayherald.com/life/people/display.var.2246078.0.0.php
"... what she is trying to emphasise is that the more treatment we provide, the more we need prevention."
-Support for funding going to prevention which was iterated in a previous blog entry. The article says that the author of the book, Elizabeth Pisani, believes that since people have been receiving treatment, they start to engage in riskier behaviors and can infect others, which also supports a previous blog entry. Prevention needs to not be forgotten even when treatment is being provided because it is important to tackle the problem from both sides. Treatment gives a band-aid to the problem to keep it under control until it can be eliminated from prevention techniques such as education and awareness.
"The Wisdom Of Whores, hints at the idea that in what she calls the Aids industry, "we are all whores", doing whatever it takes to get money..."
-Dr. Thurman alluded to this in her lecture. How AIDS is considered a hot topic by donors and it is necessary to add 'HIV/AIDS' onto a program or study in order to receive funding. I'm just finishing reading about the 1996 food crisis in Zaire right now, and it the use of the word "whores" applies to that as well, but in the media spectrum. I am going to talk about that in the next blog entry, but I find it interesting.
""If HIV is spread by poverty and gender inequality," she says, "how come countries that have plenty of both - such as Bangladesh - have virtually no HIV? How come South Africa and Botswana, which have the highest female literacy and per capita incomes in Africa, are awash with HIV?""
- We debated in class, especially after Dr. Thurman's lecture that both of these points, but primarily poverty, were one of the largest predictors of HIV/AIDS. I agree that poverty plays an enormous part in HIV- simply in terms of access to health care, education and food, but Pisani brings up a valid point... why is there such small numbers of HIV in Bangladesh? It isn't because the virus hasn't gotten there yet. I wonder what the rate of condom usage is there? Or sexual activity with multiple partners?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
in reference to earlier IRIN updates
"It is simple hypocrisy to make a claim that one million people will die unless aid is provided, and then complain that no coherent political action is forthcoming." Famine Crimes, page 221.
In response to the governments of Somalia, Sri Lanka and Burundi that are urging for aid organizations to help them out of their respective crises.
What is the answer?
In response to the governments of Somalia, Sri Lanka and Burundi that are urging for aid organizations to help them out of their respective crises.
What is the answer?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
WFP and UNAIDS
I wanted to look into the two UN organizations that focus on the two topics on which I am doing some multimedia research. Both include a Millennium Development Goal, including stopping extreme poverty and halting and reversing the spread of HIV by 2015.
World Food Programme
www.wfp.org/english
The WFP website says that hunger is "the number one risk to global health," and that they helped 87.8 million people in 78 countries in 2006. Their main goals are to help meet emergency food needs and to support social and economic development.
Recent work includes food aid to victims of the cyclone in Myanmar and that President Bush asked Congress to give $770 million to help alleviate the pressure of the increasing food prices around the world.
UNAIDS: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
http://www.unaids.org/en/
"UNAIDS helps mount and support an expanded response to AIDS – one that engages the efforts of many sectors and partners from government and civil society."
The work of UNAIDS includes cultural, health, social and economic issues related to HIV. Programs vary and include programs not limiting to HIV prevention, counseling and testing, humanitarian response to HIV in emergency settings, the concurrence of HIV and TB, gender and reproductive health. Programs are all over the world, but primarily centered in Africa because it is the site of the largest epidemic.
World Food Programme
www.wfp.org/english
The WFP website says that hunger is "the number one risk to global health," and that they helped 87.8 million people in 78 countries in 2006. Their main goals are to help meet emergency food needs and to support social and economic development.
Recent work includes food aid to victims of the cyclone in Myanmar and that President Bush asked Congress to give $770 million to help alleviate the pressure of the increasing food prices around the world.
UNAIDS: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
http://www.unaids.org/en/
"UNAIDS helps mount and support an expanded response to AIDS – one that engages the efforts of many sectors and partners from government and civil society."
The work of UNAIDS includes cultural, health, social and economic issues related to HIV. Programs vary and include programs not limiting to HIV prevention, counseling and testing, humanitarian response to HIV in emergency settings, the concurrence of HIV and TB, gender and reproductive health. Programs are all over the world, but primarily centered in Africa because it is the site of the largest epidemic.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Does it do more harm than good?
Just a quick thought. One concept that I have found interesting is the ethics behind giving aid when you know that it might be causing more harm than good in the long run.
An example is given in Famine Crimes that food aid was given to Cambodians during the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. The aid actually rebuilt and helped to re-mobilize the Khmer Rouge army. Some people became very cynical about giving aid at this point when they realized that their aid wasn't being used with the same good intentions with which it was given.
This is also a problem with HIV/AIDS. Often times, ARV's and condoms are given out to people, and it gives them a false sense of security, and often times causes them to engage in more risky behaviors, thus perpetuating the problem.
I know there are lots of other examples of this... but just something I was thinking about when I was reading.
An example is given in Famine Crimes that food aid was given to Cambodians during the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. The aid actually rebuilt and helped to re-mobilize the Khmer Rouge army. Some people became very cynical about giving aid at this point when they realized that their aid wasn't being used with the same good intentions with which it was given.
This is also a problem with HIV/AIDS. Often times, ARV's and condoms are given out to people, and it gives them a false sense of security, and often times causes them to engage in more risky behaviors, thus perpetuating the problem.
I know there are lots of other examples of this... but just something I was thinking about when I was reading.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
HIV/AIDS and food security in emergency situations
The Humanitarian Policy Group discusses the relationship of HIV/AIDS and food security in a 2004 research report, which is one of the few pieces of literature that attempts to look at the relationship between the two topics. In their report, two questions are posed about the food security and it's impact on HIV/AIDS.
1. How additional food insecurity related to HIV/AIDS interacts with all of the other factors that contribute to food insecurity?
2. How HIV/AIDS contributes to the mechanisms by which chronic poverty tips over into acute emergency need?
The report states that HIV/AIDS does not appear to have ever led to a famine, but that it does affect food security on many levels. People infected with HIV must pay closer attention to their nutritional intake, which is virtually impossible in food insecure times. Coping mechanisms are also much more difficult to find because of the support needed to go adjust to having such a physically and mentally tiring disease. Overall health is affected as well as people with AIDS are more likely to contract secondary infections due to their lessened immune systems, and in emergency settings, secondary infections are often prolific. This could also increase mortality and transmission of the disease.
I think that this piece of literature is important to address because of the presence of HIV that does exist in food insecure settings/emergencies. I think someone in our class said that they were interested in HIV/AIDS in complex emergencies on the first day of class. In that situation, it would be very important to maintain health of the entire population, not only to be sure that people with HIV remained in good health, but to also make sure that they did not spread the disease.
Famine Crimes does not talk about HIV/AIDS at all, but it does talk about nutrition at one point. Nutrition is a very important part of HIV/AIDS in maintaining health of and quotes nutritionists saying that famine has been made a business due to anthropometric measures, where "high rates of malnutrition equal famine equal food distribution." (page 71) The nutritionists are disgusted that it has become so formulated and think that more actions should be taken early on to prevent the bureaucratic actions of famine and malnutrition.
*Humanitarian Policy Group
HPG Research Report 16
Paul Harvey
April 2004
1. How additional food insecurity related to HIV/AIDS interacts with all of the other factors that contribute to food insecurity?
2. How HIV/AIDS contributes to the mechanisms by which chronic poverty tips over into acute emergency need?
The report states that HIV/AIDS does not appear to have ever led to a famine, but that it does affect food security on many levels. People infected with HIV must pay closer attention to their nutritional intake, which is virtually impossible in food insecure times. Coping mechanisms are also much more difficult to find because of the support needed to go adjust to having such a physically and mentally tiring disease. Overall health is affected as well as people with AIDS are more likely to contract secondary infections due to their lessened immune systems, and in emergency settings, secondary infections are often prolific. This could also increase mortality and transmission of the disease.
I think that this piece of literature is important to address because of the presence of HIV that does exist in food insecure settings/emergencies. I think someone in our class said that they were interested in HIV/AIDS in complex emergencies on the first day of class. In that situation, it would be very important to maintain health of the entire population, not only to be sure that people with HIV remained in good health, but to also make sure that they did not spread the disease.
Famine Crimes does not talk about HIV/AIDS at all, but it does talk about nutrition at one point. Nutrition is a very important part of HIV/AIDS in maintaining health of and quotes nutritionists saying that famine has been made a business due to anthropometric measures, where "high rates of malnutrition equal famine equal food distribution." (page 71) The nutritionists are disgusted that it has become so formulated and think that more actions should be taken early on to prevent the bureaucratic actions of famine and malnutrition.
*Humanitarian Policy Group
HPG Research Report 16
Paul Harvey
April 2004
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