{UAH} FW: 100 days after Haiyan: How to build a better Philippines

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Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:01:18 -0600
From: info@devex.com
To: georgeokello_8@hotmail.com
Subject: 100 days after Haiyan: How to build a better Philippines

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To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book. February 20, 2014     QUOTABLE     "Zero-tolerance for corruption needs strong advocates. If we fail to join our efforts, governments and business will stop making the fight against corruption a priority, leaving the poor to suffer the consequences." - Huguette Labelle, chair of Transparency International Be the first to see and share each week's Quotable by liking Devex on Facebook     DEVELOPMENT BUZZ     100 days after Haiyan: How to build a better Philippines By Carlos Santamaria I've seen it happen, time and time again. Ever since I arrived in the Philippines over seven years ago, when a natural disaster strikes, local officials, supported by the international aid community, promise that they'll rebuild the affected areas so the new structures will be more resistant to calamities in the future. Scores of experts are called in to share their knowledge, donors pledge millions of dollars in funds, and the government insists that this time it will follow through and coordinate reconstruction efforts to make sure the dwellings are up to standard. Sadly, the high hopes then turn into empty promises. As foreign aid dwindles after media attention goes somewhere else and local officials skim off their share from the remaining reconstruction budget, there's not enough money to build the houses — or at least build them well — and the survivors are given a small handout before they are left to fend for themselves, while the detailed plans submitted by architects and disaster resilience experts rarely reach the communities they were targeting in the first place. What replaces the rubble is thus the same ramshackle shanties made of thin plywood and corrugated iron roofs, that of course get swept away with the next storm — and this is precisely what's happening three months after Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines. READ more ON DEVEX.COM  |       8 pivotal foreign aid moments in post-Gadhafi Libya Today, Libyans head to the polls to elect members of the constituent assembly, the body that will write the country's constitution, an exercise supported by the United Nations. Since the downfall of Moammar Gadhafi's 42-year rule in October 2011, engagement by the global development community has increased, though it has been bumpy. Click this slideshow to take a look back at some of Libya's most important development milestones since Gadhafi's fall.     PHOTO OF THE WEEK     A game changer This mother from Zambia is all smiles. Why? Check out the photo here and share your own with us on Facebook.     #INNOV8AID     One step to saving a million lives In Nigeria, the government has partnered with an international NGO to improve health services in order to reduce its maternal and child mortality rates, one of the world's highest. So what's their plan?       VUVUZELA     Sounding off on the struggles of LGBTI development professionals Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex development professionals around the world — no matter their sector of work — are faced with challenges and safety concerns above and beyond those faced by their peers. While programmatic support of LGBTI individuals and groups in developing countries is becoming more common and better documented, Devex Assistant Editor Kelli Rogers tackled the story from an angle much less publicized: that of the personal and professional challenges LGBTI development workers face while working in the field, and where internal policy stands to either support the resolution of these issues or sweep them under the rug. "Although many donors and aid groups are pushing LGBTI rights and trainings internally, there is often a gap between headquarters policy and implementation in the field, especially in countries like Mauritania and Sudan, where being gay is still punishable by death," Rogers wrote. "Even in the case of inclusive policies and safety measures, every LGBTI aid worker or ally must still judge for themselves how open they want to be in order to function in potentially life-threatening environments." A story that perhaps hadn't yet been told from this perspective garnered extensive reader feedback on social media platforms. A stand-up interview with Rogers on her findings prior to publishing the article got more than 500 likes on Facebook, and LGBTI allies around the world grabbed and retweeted the story once it was published, calling it "thoughtful," "timely," and "well-informed." Several followers from the U.N. Globe, the U.N.'s LGBT staff association mentioned in the article for its progressive thinking, thanked Devex for bringing such sensitive issues to the forefront. American TV actress Debra Messing also joined the conversation. Read more and join the conversation!    GDB - The Weekly Global Development Briefing for the Devex Community | Copyright 2014 | Unauthorized commercial reapplication, reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Manage your newsletter subscriptions | Read the latest Devex News Devex News RSS Feed | Connect with us Devex is the world's largest community of international development professionals, companies and NGOs. Corporate Headquarters: 1341 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA | Main +1.202.249.222 | Fax +1.202.318.2456 | www.devex.com

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