March 26, 2009 • 10:09 am
Over a year ago I joined twitter, posted a few tweets, and then abandoned it. I didn’t know anyone else using Twitter, and I was happy using Facebook as my social networking tool. But life online never stays still for long and after months of hearing about Twitter and seeing how others are using it I have returned. Doing research that is primarily Internet-based with participants in at least three different countries (none of which I am currently resident in!); and with family, friends and colleagues scattered all over the globe, it just makes sense to utilise all the networking tools I can. Even more so when a major theme of my research is networking!
So, I’m on Twitter, as Sharon_Mcl. I’ve put a badge in the sidebar on the left- a particularly ugly one but WordPress won’t allow flash widgets. I’m still very much a Twitter newbie, and don’t really know how this particular tool will work out but I’m enjoying it. Please feel free to ‘follow’!
Filed under: Uncategorized
I am confirmed! I presented my PhD research proposal at a department seminar this afternoon, answered some questions, discussed the research with a panel and am now pleased to announce that after a year of provisional registration I have met the requirements and am officially a fully confirmed PhD candidate! This is a major step in the PhD process. It means the university is confident I have the ability to do the work, and I can officially get on and do the research. Unfortunately I won’t be getting into the research work immediately, but will be doing some paid consultancy work for the next couple of weeks, just to help keep food on the table. But on that table tonight will also be a celebratory bottle of bubbly! One year complete, two to go!
Filed under: life, phd, study , phd
March 12, 2009 • 10:34 am
Pepe does not believe that he is doing anything special. He feels that everything consists of being on the side of the people, listening to them, learning, and not telling them what they should do. “The idea is not to make them become aware of the fact that they need to liberate themselves, but to listen and watch what they do; understand the people, not lead them. Listen up …”
Read the rest of this very interesting article here.
Filed under: Christianity, Latin America, development, poverty , Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholicism, Father Pepe, Villa 21
New Zealand’s National government would like to merge NZAid back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT). This would be a major step backwards. The two were seperated by Labour in recognition that NZAid should remain independent of Government foreign policy (particularly trade), so that aid could be directly more effectively to poverty alleviation rather than to reinforce the interest of business elites.
Murray McCully’s statement that dropping money out of helicopters = poverty alleviation is evidence of the governments ignorance of aid and development issues. However it appears that the review of NZAid will be done without public consultation or advice from development experts. Being a grad student in development studies I know more than a few experts in the field whose advice on the merger would not be what the government would like to hear so I’m guessing there’s good reason why thier opinions are not being sought. Which is sad, but not entirely surprising for this government. Once again it seems that knowledge and expertise are being sacrificed on the altar of political philosophy.
Filed under: Uncategorized
