Final thoughts for 2010

I've spent the last few hours perusing global health and development websites. I wish that I had more time to do this on a regular basis.

A few comments and suggested readings from the web:

This is a blog that Bill Easterly just turned me onto: Good Intentions are not enough. I am all about people trying to start a dialog on how to improve aid and the mechanisms of how donor dollars reach the intended recipients. Great to find such a thoughtful author who is able to dedicate so much time to tackling these issues.
In particular, I wanted to highlight this series of posts:
I know a lot of students and recent graduates who are using the economic situation as an excuse to go abroad. While it's exciting that the climate may lead to a boom in interest in global health, it's important to seek responsible opportunities and think through what impact your travel and volunteering may have on organizations and their communities. Saundra does a great job of laying out some basics for the commitments you should be willing to make, the questions to think through, and common pitfalls. I'm learning a lot from this myself--I've wanted to go abroad for some time and have been wrestling with a lot of the issues that she mentions (most prominent in my internal dialog--what jobs exist that I can do better than a local? Where can I add value rather than be in the way?). These questions are not meant to be discouraging so much as a deep, honest look at what you're getting yourself into. It's okay to conclude that you're going for selfish reasons (to clear your mind, have fun before you're saddled with real-world commitments, etc.), but better to admit that up front and plan your trip accordingly.