I once spent three weeks in a humid warehouse outside Goma, staring at a stack of “capacity building” manuals that were never going to leave …
Justice After a Conflict Ends
The Pay Gap Between National and International Staff
I remember sitting in a humid, corrugated metal office in Goma, staring at a thick stack of “standardized regional compensation frameworks” that had just been …
The Under Five Mortality Rate
I spent most of my years in South Sudan and the DRC staring at cargo manifests, not colorful infographics. I’ve sat in enough donor briefings …
What a Large Operation Does to Rents
I remember sitting in a dusty compound outside Goma, staring at a manifest for three tons of imported grain while the local vendor across the …
Prosecuting a Crime Committed Elsewhere
People love to talk about universal jurisdiction as if it’s some grand, sweeping moral triumph, a legal magic wand that cleans up the world’s messes. …
What the Icc Can and Cannot Do
People love to talk about the International Criminal Court in terms of grand moral victories and the lofty pursuit of global justice, but that’s just …
Giving Money to a Government Directly
I remember sitting in a humid, windowless office in Goma, staring at a stack of donor reports that claimed millions had been “allocated for systemic …
Reading a Maternal Mortality Ratio
I remember sitting in a humid corrugated shed outside Goma, staring at a spreadsheet that claimed a 15% reduction in regional deaths. On paper, it …
The Village That Doubled in Size
I remember sitting in a dusty compound outside Goma, watching a group of local elders stare at a fleet of white Land Cruisers that had …
Why Idps Have Fewer Protections
I once sat in a humid warehouse outside Goma, staring at a stack of manifests that didn’t match the reality on the ground. The NGOs …