It is 3am and my left index finger taps involuntarily on the laminate desk because I’ve been told by someone I respect that I am wrong or just crazy (but oh so politely) to find it very strange that the distinction between what is “humanitarian” and what is “developmental” in terms of aid is so arbitrary and from my point of view illogical because (stay with me here) there is a “Humanitarian Imperative” that obliges international actors to provide tents for Palestinians in Gaza and food so they don’t starve, at least not quickly, but there is no “imperative” for those same actors to demand – I’m talking about actions not words – that Israel allow building supplies and equipment in through the checkpoint which they control or that they allow yummy, beautiful, quality Gaza products into the world market so that Palestinians in Gaza can support themselves rather than be 80% dependent on aid (that was a pre-war figure) and please don’t start now about Egypt because OF COURSE Egypt has control over t

The story is borrowed from Sagar Prasain’s facebook and is located in Kathmandu.

This is a follow up of a post on www.p-sj.org by FRIDA stating reasons why their grants are unique. Reading FRIDA’s post, we at the Dalit Foundation were inspired to think about why our grants, which lie at the centre of our work for the Dalit Movement in India, are unique. Here are six reasons we came up with.

1. BUILDING DALIT LEADERSHIP: We believe that the best solutions to Dalit problems lie within the community. We are therefore committed to building and supporting exemplary Dalit leadership, with a special focus on Dalit women. As a first step toward this commitment, our proposal submission process is very flexible and without any rigid format. Proposals are accepted in any language and the applicants decide and identify their own solutions in the proposal.

On March 22, 2014, at the age of 69, we lost our friend and colleague, and an unrelenting crusader for social justice and human rights, Sithie Tiruchelvam.

We wanted to share with you a moving tribute to Sithie from the website of the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust (which Sithie founded in memory of her husband, Neelan Tiruchelvam). The tribute is a compilation of testimonies and stories of Sithie, shared by her friends and colleagues from around the world. They all speak of the magnanimity of her spirit and love for those around her.

Click here to watch the film.

By Avila Kilmurray

By Celia McKeon, Assistant Trust Secretary, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

We all know that it’s not money that builds peace, but people. The complicated process of moving from violent conflict to what might conceivably become sustainable peace only happens if people take risks to enable that transition. It is the actions of people at all levels of society that make the difference, often over many years, and with many set-backs and false dawns along the way.

What does this mean for the role of philanthropy in contested societies? This was the topic I was asked to speak on at a workshop at the recent European Foundations Centre conference in Sarajevo. There are many possible approaches, but as the grants officer for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust’s (JRCT) programme in Northern Ireland, I focused on identifying lessons from the Trust’s experience of funding there for the last four decades.

By Hania Aswad

This quote by Suzanne Siskel, also a member of the PSJ&P working group, sums it all for me;

“… I don’t think you can talk about social change or social justice – if that includes affecting changes in behavior, belief and attitude – without considering the cultural dimensions of the ways in which people experience and filter the world. And artistic expression - voices, rhythms and visions – are tangible and visceral ways in which resistance to new influences may be mediated and change and adaptation can be shaped.” Suzanne Siskel, Asia Foundation (San Francisco, US)

Heading the Naseej Foundation which aims at achieving justice for communities and supporting a good number of ‘Arts & Culture’ programs and artists amongst many others from various sectors, I often find myself having to defend the direct relevance between our mission and the Arts. 

By Mary Ann DeVlieg

This post was first published on the World Policy Blog on July 9, 2014

I’m a critic of “poverty porn,” the selling of poverty to increase donations. It dehumanizes “beneficiaries” (a word that itself is dehumanizing), but even worse, it’s a slippery slope. Engaging donors on the basis of crisis means you always need a new crisis to keep them engaged; successful philanthropy becomes dependent on having a steady stream of victims.

The European Foundation Conference this year was held in Sarajevo, 15-17 May 2014. It was entitled “Rethinking Europe: Solidarity, civil society and political governance”.  Why was the conference held in Sarajevo? Erik Rudeng, The Chair of European Foundation Centre said that: “Sarajevo provides a very special location, in relation to the centenary anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, allowing us to take a critical look at the past, discuss issues affecting communities across Europe today and look to the future and the role of foundations in building and sustaining vigorous and peaceful societies within Europe and worldwide”.