The SF Chronicle has another article on Montgomery McFate, the war, and anthropology — this one very much worth reading. The response from the anthropologists is, I think, kind of astonishing. Read on…
Here is an interesting critique of the work of NGO’s in the field of global health: The Challenge of Global Health
Apparently, there are now more than 60,000 AIDS-related NGOs alone. The piece, published in Foreign Affairs, also includes an exchange between journalist Laurie Garrett and medical anthropologist Paul Farmer.
What does it mean to move ‘global warming’ into the domain of security? - Here is an article in today’s New York Times.
An interesting theme that has come across my radar in a variety of contexts recently is the threshold between emergency response and longer-term engagements with a field. Peter Redfield’s paper at the biosecurity workshop touched on this question in humanitarian work, looking at how the exigency of HIV/AIDS treatment regimes — which are long-term — have raised questions about Doctors’ Without Borders tool kit, which is oriented to medical emergencies. A student of mine, Caroline Nichols, is examining how emergency relief organizations like the International Crisis Group are reorienting their activities now that the Russian Government has declared that the “war” in Chechnya is over and the period of reconstruction has begun. This issue also comes up in interesting ways in an article in today’s New York Times about reconstruction in New Orleans, and the efforts of a former Dean of the Milano School at the New School who has become a key player in reconstruction. He has been involved in the post-”event” recovery in New York (after 9.11), in Oakland, California (after Loma Prieta), and now in post-deluvian New Orleans (check out his bio at the Center for Sustainable Suburban Development). There is a particular universe of expertise in post-disaster reconstruction just as there is one (emerging) in post-conflict reconstruction. The question is: what are the norms, forms, and styles of reasoning in this domain?
Bob Herbert in today’s times has an op-ed on our decaying infrastructure that sounds like the late-1970s/early 1980s discussion. The column is not of much interest in itself, but refers to a CSIS Commission on Public Infrastructure that has been active (or has existed, at any rate) since 2004. There is a link to a 2006 panel on Guiding Principles for Strengthening America’s Infrastructure, and Herbert refers to recent testimony by Felix Rohatyn, the head of the Commission (who some will remember as a key player in negotiating New York City’s way out of financial crisis in the 1970s; sounds like a pretty interesting guy on other fronts as well). In any case, the interesting questions would obviously be: How do these proposals — classic questions of population security — relate to the substantial work in CSIS on Critical Infrastructure Protection? And is there any chance that these issues will get a different kind of hearing now that the democrats have more voice in the government? I wasn’t able to find the recent Rohatyn testimony, but this is one interesting possible space of movement in a shifted set of security emphases under new political conditions.
NIAID unveiled today a multicenter flu research initiative.
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Here’s an excellent article in today’s New York Times on the drugs that are in your water.
From the website of the Centers for Disease Control: “The theme of the 12th Annual National Public Health Week is “Preparedness and Public Health Threats.” CDC, the American Public Health Association (APHA), and hundreds of partner organizations will encourage Americans to prepare effectively for public health threats, from bioterrorism and natural disasters to disease outbreaks.”
One of the events perhaps worth ‘attending’ is a satellite broadcast and webcast on pandemic influenza planning designed for “state and local preparedness partners, emergency responses specialists, public information officers, hospital and community-based health organization planners, and any other public health professionals interested in pandemic influenza planning and exercising.”