Tuesday 4 September 2007

The winds of change, Algerian Refugees in Tunisia

".....the indispensable transmission belt between the international interest stimulated by our office....and measures of practical aid in the field......

The United Nations connection made substantial government fund available for League operations - with both beneficial and detrimental effects. On the one hand, Beer had the money to recruit field staff quickly. On the other, there was little additional finance to cover the increased workload in the Secretariat and the field personnel could be retained only so long as the UN grants continued. Therefore a period of rapid expansion commenced, followed by sudden retraction, a pattern that was to characterize the League for many years. The long-term view was that capacity must be built up in the newly emergent National Societies, but for that - unlike emergency operations - the money was always tight. Decolonization could be a protracted and bitter business, as in Algeria." (Beyond Conflict: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 1919-1994, Daphne A. Reid and Patrick F. Gilbo)

1 comment:

Bob McKerrow - Wayfarer said...

Good stuff you are posting Santi, keep it up.

Bob