UK Budget 2023: What the Big Red Box leaves out  Links I Liked Book Review: Lives Amid Violence: Transforming Development in the Wake of Conflict Evidence-informed policy FAQs: dinner party edition What can a Water Project in DRC tell us about Adaptive Management in fragile/conflict affected settings?

This might have to be my new email signature ht Irene Guijt Some excellent-looking content on localization, evidence-informed policy making, markets and more in the latest Development Policy Review (Open Access). Otherwise apologies for UK centrism, but it was that kind of week: The UK government lays out its new development objectives. ‘U.K. development policy “past its nadir”’. Here’s hoping.

Links I Liked x2Bread and roses – why Oxfam is shining a light on feminist movements this MarchWhite Saviorism in International development. Theories, Practices and Lived ExperiencesHow could a Funder help Promote Research for Impact?Does digitalised social protection worsen exclusion for women?Remembering Robin Palmer, a giant in defence of land rights in Africa and beyond

Some cracking gallows humour from India ‘Aid, corruption, & neighbours in need: A reporter reflects on Somalia’s drought.’ Brilliant piece: ‘When I asked a woman at a camp recently what it felt like being dependent on NGO handouts for years on end, she replied “We feel like we have no soul.” And one for UK readers… Ministerial Whatsapp exchange during

Russia is now the biggest arms exporter to Africa, but what’s going on in Algeria? Can a systems change approach improve disaster management? Really interesting case study from Indonesia Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse: ’ Taliban bans contraception calling use a ‘western conspiracy’ The rise and fall of innovation labs in the aid sector. ‘German ballet

Talking you through this week’s posts, while you do the washing up/walk the dog Links I LikedFive types of humanitarian influence Upshift: Turning Pressure into Performance and Crisis into Creativity 

Apologies for the initial dose of anglocentrism in today’s LiL. Just couldn’t help myself….. Kieran Hodgson does (all of) Happy Valley. Priceless. ht James Norton Pope Francis’s visit to the DRC: The Congolese are divided over the Pontiff’s pronouncements Oxfam GB boss Danny Sriskandarajah gets grilled on BBC Hardtalk. Video and podcast. Don’t think they laid a glove on him

Links I LikedIs Class the Missing Dimension in the Aid Sector’s search for Diversity? Great New Guide to ‘Systems Thinking and Practice’Book Review: The Systems Work of Social Change

When to (not) ask a question. Thanks Makarand for this great addition to last week’s top tips for seminars ‘NIMBYism is just the lefty-approved version of a border wall.’ Bit of gentle cage-rattling in this thoughtful interview with Oxfam America Director of Campaigns Ben Grossman Cohen Yes, British arms are killing innocent civilians in Yemen. Why is the UK government

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After the Zoom years, lots of us are now back in the lecture theatre/other forms of real life contact and exchange. Intoxicating, in many ways. But I’m also struck that it feels the same, but different, to the pre-Covid world, so I thought I’d jot down a few thoughts about getting the most out of these encounters, partly for readers,

Crisis as Opportunity. Big oil making out like bandits right now, acc to FT ‘Blogs and social media have sparked a perpetual open and public conversation around new ideas, methods, pre-prints, funding, ethics, and technology that ranges across the research lifecycle.’ Andy Tattersall argues that research bids should include 5% for comms. Checking in with Joseph Stiglitz on the state