Stopping the 'Brain Drain' from government
Banyar Aung argues that capping the wages of local staff in aid agencies is not the solution. From my point of view, for donors and...
Wages and aid dependency: The issue none of us want to talk about.
Is there a ‘brain drain’ away from the government because aid agencies pay higher salaries? There was an interesting article in Devex...
Myanmar is in danger of being aid dependent.
Salai Maung John argues that the way international NGOs work with local groups, and especially the model of competition, may contribute...
Do you want to work for PK Forum?
The PK Forum is looking for an editor and writer to join our team part time to work on our Burmese language content. It is a very...
It is ‘time for change’ in Myanmar. But what about in our own strategies?
Pyae Phyo Maung reflects on the new NLD government and rapid changes in the country- and what this means for the strategies of aid...
Struggles for local organizations’ self-reliance
Drawing on recent research in Myanmar, Dave McClintock argues that self-reliance can be a healthy focus, but local groups should not be...
Is Myanmar in danger of being aid dependent?
There is common concern that if countries receive large amounts of international aid it can actually undermine, rather than help,...
When communities challenge our assumptions about vulnerability
An elderly village man in the Delta was asked ‘what types of people would be more vulnerable when a disaster strikes?’ Surprisingly he...
What do aid workers say when they leave their jobs?
PK: You have worked for several years in Myanmar for an international NGO, if you could change one thing in the wider aid sector in...
“Workshops, workshops, workshop…”: what other options are there?
Joanne Lauterjung Kelly explores alternatives to the “capacity building” obsession with workshops. Nearly every colleague I talk to, both...