Beyond Good Intentions by Tori Hogan - Book review

Beyond Good Intentions

A Journey into the Realities of International Aid

By: Tori Hogan

Published: September 25, 2012
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 158005434X
ISBN-13: 978-1580054348
Publisher: Seal Press







"I felt a deep obligation to share the truth about aid with others and to uncover how the 'helping industry' could be reformed", writes researcher, filmmaker, aid critic, and founder and director of Beyond Good Intentions, Tori Hogan in her eye opening and provocative book Beyond Good Intentions: A Journey into the Realities of International Aid. The author describes how as a young intern in Kenya, for Save The Children, she discovered how the aid industry was failing to achieve its goals, and shares her personal journey to reform the abuses and failures of international aid.

Tori Hogan recognizes that not all aid is wasted, and indeed some aid agencies do the right thing and perform good works. The author also points out that while well intentioned, too much international aid to the developing world often results in more harm than good. During her eight year odyssey through Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, Tori Hogan found enormous waste, inappropriate solutions pushed by outsiders, and counterproductive humanitarian activities that made the problems even worse.

The author shares her first hand experiences with the aid community, and reveals the failures of international aid and its often naive but well meaning volunteers and staff. At the same time, Tori Hogan presents a manifesto to others, to meet the challenges facing the people targeted for aid effectively, and to make a positive impact on their lives.



Tori Hogan (photo left) understands that the people, who are the intended recipients of the international assistance, are not always happy with the outcomes. Indeed, it was the story given to her by a young African boy that provided the impetus to the author's journey to reform the entire international aid effort. The harsh truth Tori Hogan learned in that fateful conversation transformed her life and her goals as a humanitarian.

Discovering that aid intentions are not always as they seem, and many being outright harmful to the recipients, Tori Hogan began a complete examination of the international aid process. To find out the real story, the author talked to the people who were the intended beneficiaries of the aid. The author was shocked to learn that aid was not only wasteful, but also given to the classic bureaucratic challenges of waste, entrenched elites, and mission creep. Tori Hogan traveled back to Africa, years after her initial epiphany, and visited Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In each country, the author's quest was the real truth about international aid.

For me, the power of the book is how Tori Hogan combines an overview of the challenges and problems resulting from international aid programs, with her own personal odyssey to uncover the real story from the recipients. The author shares the unvarnished story through her conversations with the people most affected by the aid efforts. Startling discussions are recounted of the failure of the aid to achieve even the most basic goals, and also how the recipients were actually harmed by the failures.

Along with the analysis of the shortcomings of international aid, Tori Hogan offers concrete recommendations for reforming the system to achieve positive results. The author offers the concept of involving local people in establishing their own goals, empowering the population, rather than maintaining the existing paternalistic programs. The author is both cautious, and optimistic, that tangible improvements can and will be made to really help the people in the developing world.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and deeply personal book Beyond Good Intentions: A Journey into the Realities of International Aid by Tori Hogan, to anyone involved in international aid programs, public policy making, non-governmental organizations, corporate leadership, and interested citizens who want to make a real difference in the lives of people in the developing world. This book will change forever your perspective on international aid programs, transform your thinking into that of questioning the organizations, and empower change in how aid agencies conduct their operations.