I spent a decade in the back of Land Rovers, watching IMF economists argue over fiscal multipliers while my drivers argued about which bridge had …
Structural Adjustment in Retrospect
War Crimes With Examples
I remember sitting in a dusty office in Goma, staring at a stack of requisition forms while the radio hummed with news of a nearby …
A Term With No Legal Definition
I remember sitting in a humid warehouse outside Goma, staring at a stack of waybills that didn’t add up, while a radio announcer in Geneva …
Crimes Against Humanity Defined
I spent a decade watching NGOs spin grand narratives about justice, but I learned early on that legal jargon doesn’t feed anyone. When people ask …
The Legal Test for Genocide
I spent nine years in the back of Land Cruisers across East Africa, watching people debate the finer points of international law while my drivers …
The Sphere Standards and Reality
I remember standing in the dust outside Goma in ’08, watching a group of shiny-shoed consultants debate the optimal square footage for a communal latrine …
What Blue Helmets Are Allowed to Do
I remember sitting in a dusty compound outside Goma in 2012, listening to the crackle of my shortwave radio while a UN convoy sat idling …
Getting New Practice to Actually Spread
I spent a decade watching NGOs pour millions into “capacity building” workshops, where experts in crisp khakis sit under shade trees and lecture farmers on …
Setting Up a Camp in Three Weeks
I remember sitting in a humid office in Goma, staring at a glossy brochure from a major NGO that detailed the “holistic community-building frameworks” required …
Conditions Attached to a Loan
I spent most of my years in East Africa watching people in air-conditioned offices in Geneva or DC argue over the fine print of a …