WINNIPEG, Man. – It was snowing on Greg Melchior’s farm near Battleford, Saskatchewan in early January – and he couldn’t have been happier. For Melchior, who has 114 head of beef cattle, the snow meant there might be better times ahead. “If we get enough snow, maybe things can return to normal,” he said. “Maybe […] Read more
Stories by John Longhurst
Media must put famine on front burner
“If you are planning a famine, don’t hold it in summer — we’re on vacation then. Also, avoid U.S. election years.” That old and sad joke is one relief workers used to tell years ago to explain the lack of media attention for some disasters in the developing world. It came back to me as […] Read more
Policy change could improve foreign aid
United States President Donald Trump is proposing to cut millions of dollars from the U.S. aid budget. How will this affect the world’s poor? The impact will be, to quote the President, “huge.” The U.S. is the world’s biggest foreign aid donor, contributing nearly a quarter of development assistance provided by all major governments. Drastic […] Read more
