Much has been written about the need to build local capacities in emergency and postemergency situations. Many relief programs, however, remain characterized by externality: in their funding, accountabilities, approach to management, and dependence upon expatriate staff. Reality often flies in the face of stated policy and good intentions. In reality, strengthening local capacity is easier said than done, and there are real tradeoffs between outsiders doing something right now in the midst of an emergency, on the one hand, and building longer term local skills, on the other.

This book examines this dilemma from various local perspectives, through eye-opening case studies from Bosnia, Guatemala, Haiti, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Sri Lanka. In doing so, it finds real hope and real possibilities amidst the prevailing rhetoric and confusion.

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