Politics of Poverty
Ideas and analysis from Oxfam America's policy experts
Politics of Poverty
Local humanitarian leadership in Kenya: a conversation about the food-crisis response
Ever since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, there’s been a concerted push to shift from the traditional methods of delivering aid, with responders from wealthy countries parachuting into scenes of disaster and delivering goods and services, to a model in which international actors support from the sidelines while NGOs and governments from disaster-affected countries take the lead. A model that involves shifting power and resources to the countries most affected by humanitarian emergencies. In the following interview with communications officer Elizabeth Stevens, Matthew Cousins, humanitarian director of Oxfam in Kenya, offers his perspective on prioritizing the leadership of Kenyan organizations.
Politics of Poverty
Indigenous leaders call on companies to respect their right to say “no” to mining
The International Council on Mining and Metals should heed their call as it revises its standard around company engagement with Indigenous Peoples.
Politics of Poverty
The spending of the US and other rich countries on foreign aid is up, but nowhere near where it should be
While spending on foreign aid reached a record high in 2023, a lot of it isn’t actually going to the poorest countries. And not enough is going to basic services to help the poorest and reduce inequality.