Author Archives: Alessandra Pigni
“Moving home”, because everything changes
Dear friends, The time has come for me to set up a new website, those of you who subscribe to this blog by email will have received my new newsletter today or yesterday depending on your time-zone. If you have seen … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' mental health
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Workplace violence and abuse of power
Sexual harassment and abuse of power in aid: a brief reflection on the culture of silence, “machismo” and impunity A recent article told us about sexual abuse within UN organisations: “The United Nations has allowed sexual harassment and assault to flourish … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, organizational culture in aid
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I wish you time
Another year is coming to an end, a new one is approaching. My wish for us all is captured in the words of the German poet Elli Michler – her poem “I wish you time” is a reminder that the way … Continue reading
Posted in Letters to the field
Tagged poems for humanitarians, reflection and action
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#MeToo in aid
‘Me too’ is about using the power of empathy to stomp out shame. ~Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement* People “doing good” around the world are also “doing harm”. No, I’m not talking about the “unintended consequences” of aid, but about … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged #MeToo, aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, burnout in aid work
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Past, present, future
Random reflections on walking, burnout, resilience, meaning and “raising awareness”, from Gaza to San Francisco. Winter is approaching and I find myself reflecting on another intense year gone by. I was in Jerusalem in September, a time when both the Jewish … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged burnout, meaning, poems for humanitarians, post-traumatic growth, resilience
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Aid to Zen: X/Y/Z – Xanax, Yoga and Zen
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. Today I’m serving you a trio of common (or not so common) practices among do-gooders: drugs, yoga and…Zen. … Continue reading
Aid to Zen: W – Wounded Healer
This post is part of Aid to Zen – A Quick Guide to Surviving Aid Work from A to Z by Alessandra Pigni. I’ve always been a rather poor student of Latin and Greek back in high school, but I did love … Continue reading
Posted in Aid to Zen
Tagged aid workers' mental health, aid workers' wellbeing, reflection and action
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When ‘working from home’ isn’t as nice as it sounds
In countries where INGOs are seen with suspicion, some agencies choose to operate “informally” so they can assist people in need. When this happens aid workers are forced to “work from home”. I reflect on the impact this can have on our mental health, … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' mental health, duty of care, staff care in aid
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Black humour in crisis
The most recent chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria acts as a reminder of what the Syrian people have been enduring in these years of war. How can one cope with all of that? If you watched the … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' mental health, humanitarian ethics, reflection and action
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I don’t have time
Scenario: A friend and fellow aid worker based in Sudan sends me a link to a website that runs an online course on Essential Principles of Staff Care Me: Have you done it? Her: Of course not. I am too busy to … Continue reading
Posted in Burnout
Tagged aid workers' burnout, aid workers' mental health, humanitarian wellbeing
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