Humanitarian Unknown 017.
1. Is “Purpose” Always A Good Thing?
As the range of organizations claiming to have a social purpose widens, this article explores some of the potential challenges and unintended consequences.
Long read, from the indefatigable Rhodri Davies .
2. Should God Be Allowed A Bigger Role In Peacemaking?
“As conflicts worsen globally, and calls for localization build to a clamor, is it time for policymakers to give God – or tradition – more of a chance?”
An interview with Mohamed Elsanousi , executive director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.
3. The Highway to NIMBYism
“San Francisco’s history of collective decision-making helped prevent the city from being carved up by highways. Today, that same legacy prevents the city from building what it desperately needs: more housing… The logic is that of the tragedy of the commons: If every neighborhood or town in a region says, “We don’t want this development in OUR backyard,” development stalls”.
From Devon Zuegel .
4. That Time When Marc Andreessen Said That Mosquito Nets Are Dangerous To People.
“Largely to stick it to the people who want AI regulation, Andreessen has committed himself to attacking one of the best methods of preventing malaria. If that doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry; you’re not the one acting ridiculous.”
领英推荐
Dylan Matthews explains.
5. The Obscure Federal Intelligence Bureau That Got Vietnam, Iraq, And Ukraine Right (or: how to do innovation).
“The flat structure, combined with the agency’s tiny size, means analysts get a great deal of freedom. Vic Raphael, who retired in 2022 as INR’s deputy in charge of analysis, notes that analysts’ work “would only go through three or four layers before we released it. The analyst, his peers, the office director, the analytic review staff, I’d look at it, and boom it went.” Very little separates a rank-and-file analyst from their ultimate consumer, whether that’s an assistant secretary or even the secretary of state.”
Same author as above, with the first (!) double booking on the #HumanitarianUnknown.
6. OpenAI’s Mega WSJ Licensing Deal Could Reshape News As Publishers Choose Sides On AI
Everything you need to know about the current state of affairs in the clash (or non-clacsh) between the Big Tech and the news industry.
Short and sweet by Max Knoblauch.
7. A Sliver of Hope On The Deadly Route To The Canary Islands
“Like Papa Africa, my days are focused on the needs of migrants. My phone even rings at night. Yesterday, I took a woman who was about to give birth to the hospital by taxi at 3 in the morning.”
In the Sahara, Rabat, Marrakech, Tangiers, a few humanitarians unknown devoted to helping and protecting migrants who try to reach Europe?through the deadliest migratory route in the world. Their story told by Stéphane Kenech .