July 2008
Vol. 26, No. 7
InterAction

Nass\ue003ri\ue003 Car\ue003w, Public R\ue003lations
Tawana Jacobs, Public R\ue003lations
Tony Fl\ue003ming, N\ue003w M\ue003dia
Micha\ue003l Hasl\ue003tt, Publications
Margar\ue003t Christoph, Admin Associat\ue003

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24Think Locally in Guard Manag\ue003m\ue003nt
26Th\ue003 Militarization o\ue004 For\ue003ign Aid
27Addr\ue003ssing th\ue003 \u201cComplaints D\ue003\ue001cit \u201d in

3Insid\ue003 This Issu\ue003
5 Washington Updat\ue003
6Insid\ue003 Int\ue003rAction
7Insid\ue003 Our Community
8 S o u t h \ue003 r n Vo i c\ue003 s

n our society, well-educated, highly skilled (and highly paid) professionals monitor and predict what many con- sider very important trends: Will this summer\u2019s blockbust-

ers include more action films or romantic comedies? Does the public continue to worry about trans fats in their french fries? Are more airlines charging for checked baggage? How many people have chosen Macs over PCs? Are the length of skirts going to be higher this season? Is this the year ultimate frisbee replaces football as our favorite sport? Who will win American Idol? Will we still care?

Then there are the trends that we take more seriously, primar- ily because they directly affect us and the ones we love. Will the housing market continue to spiral downward while the cost of fuel goes through the stratosphere? Will the economic recession grow worse? Are children\u2019s test scores improving? Will they be able to find a job someday? Will I lose mine?

When it comes to humanitarian assistance and international development, the events that shape our trends are extremely serious. Global warming and the growing international food crisis don\u2019t just affect poor populations living in drought areas of the global South\u2013they have trickle-down effects for every-

one on our planet. They influence economies, jobs and fami- lies in the developed world as well. And yes, they even affect how much we pay for checking our luggage or where we will take a family vacation. But at the most fundamental level, these trends can mean life or death for the individuals and communities we work for. Some trends can\u2019t be trivialized.

In this issue of Monday Developments, we are not necessari- ly offering predictions of trends in the development commu- nity. Instead, we\u2019ve focused on hot topics that have appeared on the radar and warrant increased attention.

This issue explores trends that require an immediate re- sponse, such as the above mentioned food and climate cri- ses. We also look at trends in theway we respond to these crises, including the role of the military in delivering aid, as well as the conduct of NGO staff in the field. In the broader picture, we investigate trends in dealing with aid effective- ness and the movement toward U.S. foreign aid reform.

Our commitment to overcoming the issues that face the developing world is more than trendy. Together, our com- munity can make suffering, social injustice and poverty a passing trend.