Read on Twitter
Hi all. You may have heard about Mercy Corps' #AidToo scandal that broke last week in @Oregonian.
I had the privilege of co-authoring an op-ed exploring how the aid sector can move forward with @Cindy_Y_Huang @AngelaBruceRaeb + @modonnell1231.
[THREAD] https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2019/10/opinion-the-mercy-corps-scandal-has-rocked-the-aid-sector-again-what-now.html
I had the privilege of co-authoring an op-ed exploring how the aid sector can move forward with @Cindy_Y_Huang @AngelaBruceRaeb + @modonnell1231.
[THREAD] https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2019/10/opinion-the-mercy-corps-scandal-has-rocked-the-aid-sector-again-what-now.html
The Mercy Corps scandal feels like the most visceral kind of betrayal. A premier humanitarian agency charged with saving lives of vulnerable people buried sexual violence accusations against its co-founder, Ellsworth Culver — twice. https://projects.oregonlive.com/no-mercy/
Just to twist the knife: They were brought by his daughter, who had mountains of documented physical, psychological and legal evidence to show she had been systematically abused by him from pre-school through her teenage years.
The op-ed acknowledges this truth: Culver's behavior is not the result of one bad, particularly flawed person. It's enabled by the toxic power dynamics that persist within the #globaldev sector as a whole.
See this op-ed from @AngelaBruceRaeb in @Devex: https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-systemic-racism-and-sexism-undermine-efforts-to-make-aid-sector-safer-93608
As much as the development sector is predicated on working toward economic and social progress, it's also polluted by the white savior complex and built at the expense of historically-marginalized groups.
This includes women and people of color who work within the sector. It also, often, includes the people humanitarians and development professionals are trying to "help."
(re: white savior complex)
https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/10/mercy-corps-ceo-neal-keny-guyer-to-resign-amid-turmoil-following-sex-abuse-allegations-against-co-founder.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/10/mercy-corps-ceo-neal-keny-guyer-to-resign-amid-turmoil-following-sex-abuse-allegations-against-co-founder.html
This is a horrible case. There are many horrible cases. But no sector nor institution is perfect. This is the same sector that IS saving lives, eradicating diseases, spurring economic progress and working to halt the existential creep of dangerous climate change.
We should be angry — but anger isn't enough. It's the system we have, and those of us operating within it have a responsibility to change it and make it better.
In the piece we're calling for ideas to move forward. The ideas we collect will, at minimum, be made public for organizations and individuals.
At maximum, they could serve as the basis for a new initiative that brings about stronger coordination across the sector enact new policies, support equitable leadership and build the momentum needed to make the sector safer.
If you have ideas (doesn't matter if you work in the development sector - all ideas welcome), you're welcome to share with me directly or with [email protected].
What we can't do is give up.
What we can't do is give up.
