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A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the resurgence of the sexual misconduct allegations against former Oxfam staff in Haiti. Although the story originally surfaced in 2011, it has taken on an entirely new perspective in 2018 unfolding against the backdrop of the #MeToo and #AidToo movements.
The lens from which I observe the world around me is very specific — woman, black woman, many might say angry black woman, Caribbean born, raised in Brooklyn, with a profound belief that humanitarian development is in dire need of a wider lens that includes my voice and those of many other people.
I often wondered about the presumptuousness of aid organizations proclaiming that somehow they could “build back better” in Haiti? What did that mean? How do you fix history when there was almost no understanding of the cultural and social constructs that gave birth to this island nation and its place in Caribbean history?
I said and I believe that the core issue for humanitarian and development aid is racism because we accept as legitimate only aid modalities that come from donor countries and then we impose it on recipients. And here is the kicker: we send people from donor countries to lead the imposition because we are convinced that local people are not qualified to manage themselves.
As we move through this time of #AidToo, let us step back from the quick defense of individuals and organizations. We have a problem in the development sector — aid mechanisms and organizational models that come from white, Western culture that render “locals” as recipients, rather than whole and dignified people, with full agency in their own lives.
Read the full article about racism in the development sector by Angela Bruce Raeburn at Devex.