Hometown:
Fort Smith Arkansas USA, but now living in Northern Virginia
About Me:
I'm a specialist in international development service delivery. I was trained in British social anthropology. I focus on vertical linkages and political decisions guiding social change processes in complex societies, particularly in South Asia and Latin America. I retired from USAID after 28 years, and consult on program/project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. I have designed and managed agriculture, natural resources, and multi-sectoral rural development programs. I am active in WAPA, a Sustaining Member of SfAA, and a Life Member of AAA. I am a Mentor with NAPA. I have taught courses on development anthropology and globalization issues at the George Washington University in DC. Most recently I worked as a Water User Association/Capacity Building Specialist for a large irrigation project based in Herat, Afghanistan.
Area(s) of Training
anthropology, applied anthropology, cultural anthropology, ethnography, ethnology
Area(s) of Expertise
development anthropology, organizational analysis, monitoring and evaluation, development program service delivery
Current Area of Employment
Retired US Foreign Service - USAID, and consultant.
Comments
Check out AU's Public Anthropology Conference on October 9-10:
http://american.edu/cas/anthropology/public
Hope you can make it!
-Mahri
I can't find the message I sent either. Don't know what happened to it. Anyway, I was telling you that I hoped you and yours had enjoyed the holidays. I was in Panama and Costa Rica for 5 weeks -- part vacation and part research -- and just returned on Monday evening.
Cheers,
Phil
Let's keep talking, bopth about the Development Anthropology course you're doing, and about the Human Terrain stuff. If you want to email me directly, it's rwnolan@purdue.edu, although I don't mind doing it this way, either.
I share your perspective on the Human Terrain stuff. The blog that AAA is running has some very thoughtful contributions on it, in addition to the usual blanket condemnations. One of the issues for me is that of complicity with the war machine. I have no issues with the military, and few with the intelligence people, but I am deeply disturbed at what the politicians have done to both our military and to our society, in recent years. I've tried to get a discussion going of how anthropology relates to this, but there has been no response -- literally, none. In the AAA blog, several of the contributers pointed out that unless we do something to inform, guide, nudge and otherwise influence field outcomes, we are complicit in the war effort as it presently stands. I tend to agree.
But I still don't know how to get this out there in any meaningful way. I will be at AAA for only a couple of days, and I may not make the business meeting, but if I do, I will be listening hard for constructive suggestions for engagement.
Riall
I'm obviously happy that you're using the Development Anthropology book, and I would be very interested in your comments and suggestions after you get through with it. It seems to fill a niche, but I am always looking for ways to improve things, and although a second edition is not yet in the cards, at some point one might be.
I will indeed be in Washington for AAA, although not for the entire thing. I will be there mainly for the SfAA board meetings, of which I am a member. I actually dropped my AAA membership last year; I have been very frustrated by the lack of interest shown by AAA in applied and practicing people, and in the issues and opportunities that practice presents. SfAA does a much better job with this. So unless AAA changes fairly drastically, they won't get me back as a member any time soon.
That said, yes, let's get together.
Riall
"APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY: If you're above the battle, you're probably beside the point" is a truly wonderful phrase. Let's get T-shirts made. (I'm serious).
The photo is great, too, and it can only get better with time.
What else are you up to?
Riall Nolan
It's been a long time since we were in touch. Nice to hear from you. I live in Portland, OR, now and travel quite a lot -- to Bangladesh, NYC, and Los Angeles, where my children live.
Thanks for the message.
Suzanne
Steve Maack
Warm Regards,
Steve