Have you ever paid into a government pension plan? Invested in a mutual fund? Then you may have funded conflict around the world. Allison Smith examines the disturbing facts concerning global arms sales....
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About: Allison Smith
A news junkie and compulsive list-maker, Allison Smith is a communications professional in the Canadian non-profit sector. She is passionate about the Oxford comma, improving non-profit communications, and looking at everything with a critical eye. She also blogs over at www.allisonjanesmith.com.
Recent Posts by Allison Smith
Moving from stew to stewardship: eating sustainably in 2012
Food. It used to be so simple. Now we’re burning corn for fuel, making meat in tubes, subsidizing cattle for more than many people’s incomes, refusing food not grown locally, and swearing off meat altogether. Allison Smith reflects on her relationship with food and what it says about the intersection...
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Celebrating 200 posts: our favourite WhyDev posts of the past year
Three months after the second birthday of the blog, the WhyDev team celebrates its 200th post by choosing a few of their favourite posts from the past year, covering everything from sustainable development to international volunteerism to disaster relief and more. What are your favourite WhyDev posts?...
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Three reasons you may be dissatisfied with your job in development
Do you feel constrained, bored or disillusioned with your job in development? Whatever dissatisfaction you're feeling, it can be traced back to three needs for autonomy, mastery and purpose. Drawing on Daniel Pink's book "Drive," Allison Smith examines how you can meet these needs and rekindle the love for your...
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On dreams and those who live them
As part of a blog link-up on dreams with over 20 other bloggers from around the world, Allison shares her thoughts on how her dreams have found her, and what she’s learned from others living their dreams. Are you living your dream in aid and development?...
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Why I became involved with whydev and why you should too
By Allison Smith | Posted in: Blogs |
We have a very exciting announcement to make. We’ve been on the whydev journey for 2 years now, and the time has come to expand the team. When whydev was started in May 2010, we weren’t really sure about the direction in which the site would go. Fortunately, whydev has...
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The problem of donating to disaster relief efforts (and how NGOs can start to solve it)
It is inevitable that a major disaster will lead to an outpouring of donations in response. However, is this the best way for NGOs to utilise donor money? In her first post for whydev, Allison Smith explores why giving to NGOs post disaster can be problematic, and what NGOs can...
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Recent Comments by Allison Smith
- January 18, 2013 on The changing landscape of advertising on Aid & Africa: Oxfam’s new campaigns
- October 7, 2012 on Moving from stew to stewardship: eating sustainably in 2012
- October 7, 2012 on Moving from stew to stewardship: eating sustainably in 2012
- September 17, 2012 on 9 development phrases we hate (and suggestions for a new lexicon)
- September 14, 2012 on 9 development phrases we hate (and suggestions for a new lexicon)

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