Hello from Victoria Falls! Here’s your Saturday Morning Reading…
1. Why Germany is probably doing more for Syria than the UK | Lee Crawfurd – Roving Bandit
Lee Crawfurd runs the numbers on accepting refugees versus aid spending…
“The UK is spending somewhere between £200 million and £400 million on Syria this year. For comparison, whilst Germany is ramping up aid spending, it is still less than 0.4% of GDP overall.
But in terms of numbers of refugees, Germany expects to take 800,000 this year (compared to just a few thousand in the UK), though fewer than that have been documented so far, and not all will be Syrian. Let’s assume for a moment that the total will be 400,000 from Syria, and they will be quickly processed so that they are able to work. If every Syrian refugee in Germany was able to send home £1,000 to family and friends, that already equal Britain’s aid budget for Syria.”
2. Syrian Refugees Are Not Coming to Live in Your Craft Room | – Wronging Rights
Here are the basics on refugees starting with “Refugees are not blood-sucking monsters from outer space.”
3. ‘How can I turn a journalism degree into a job with an NGO?’ | Global Development Professionals Network
Probably relevant to some of you. Basic advice includes:
– ‘There are many opportunities, but a master’s alone won’t open the doors to them’
– ‘Try a volunteer or junior position in an NGO’
– ‘Tap into your social and professional networks’
But there are more nuanced ideas in there too.
4. How the tax fight is being won | Alice Macdonald – Global Dashboard
Key lessons for future campaigns:
- Persistence pays off
- Change your tactics and targets
- Nothing is too complicated to campaign on
- Small targeted campaigning works