Friday 29 August 2014

Vegan Documentary Film "Cowspiracy" (my comments on Youtube)



My face on Youtube: http://youtu.be/Frz_Q69UBCc

This is a ten minute discussion made with an awareness that most of the people who see it will (i) already be vegan, and (ii) already have seen the film being reviewed.  This is probably not what anyone is expecting to hear from "a political science perspective", nor from a vegan perspective, but I do reflect on what I feel is the core tension of the film; and, for me, it raises familiar questions about the NGO/Charity sector...

...although I've edited-out some long and bone-chilling anecdotes from my experience in Cambodia, Laos and elsewhere in Asia.

For a quick example of just how bone-chilling it gets (and a hint at how many bad experiences I've avoided mentioning this video) take a glance at the latest crack of light to fall on Cambodia's humanitarian sector:
(1) http://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/secrets-and-lies-44964/
(2) www.cambodiadaily.com/news/somaly-mam-steps-down-after-expose-60019/

I met many, many people who were in positions of executive power (in the charity sector) moments after stepping off an just airplane, with zero expertise that pertained to the issues they were intervening in, and zero interest in the culture/country concerned.  And, on the other hand, there are local players in the game who can be even more suspect (while being much more specialized!) as in the articles I've just provided a link to, above.

(Here's the link to the Youtube video again: http://youtu.be/Frz_Q69UBCc)