Devex Newswire: Will the earthquake refocus the world on Syria?

Monday’s powerful earthquake brought Syria back onto the world’s front pages, with rescuers still combing the wreckage for survivors and aftershocks rattling buildings already scarred from 12 years of bombings. But will the international community be moved enough by the tragedy to reconsider its long-term approach to the country? Also in today’s edition: A philanthropic pioneer retires — and reflects on the industry she helped shape. Plus, a philanthropic movement tries to weather another PR blow. + Join us on Feb. 9 at 8 a.m. ET (2 p.m. CET) for a Twitter Spaces conversation with Save the Children US CEO Janti Soeripto on what’s next for NGOs in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s employment ban on female aid workers. Tragedy upon tragedy March will mark 12 years since civil war engulfed Syria, effectively obliterating what was once a thriving, or at least functional, state. Since then, millions of Syrians have been stuck in refugee camps and bombed-out cities while the attention of the rest of the world has long since moved on. But their plight was thrust back into the headlines after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and northern Syria, killing more than 5,000 people. Unlike Turkey, northern Syria is controlled by a mix of rebels and, further south, President Bashar al-Assad — complicating already-complex rescue efforts. I talked to Joshua Landis, a veteran Syria hand who teaches at the University of Oklahoma, about how the humanitarian situation might unfold and the role that the United Nations, Turkey, and the United States might play. On the latter, Landis didn’t mince words, blasting the U.S. for its “contradictory” policy of slapping sanctions on Assad that wind up starving ordinary Syrians, while at the same time trying to feed them with aid. That’s partly why Landis is under no illusions on what this latest crisis portends, saying the earthquake “is of course going to put pressure on the West to soften that stance on reconstruction because there is so much humanitarian need, but my hunch is that there will be some short-term money thrown at this, but people will forget it pretty quickly.” Read: Earthquake thrusts Syria back in the spotlight, but for how long? ICYMI: Top Republican urges State Department to rethink Syria aid Retiring from Rockefeller She revolutionized the role of advisory firms in philanthropy after being tapped by the Rockefeller family to start up a firm that now manages more than $400 million in annual giving. Now, Melissa Berman is retiring after two decades of helming Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, where she helped redefine how foundations do business by, among other things, measuring the impact of donor dollars. Berman sat down with my colleague Stephanie Beasley to reflect on her own impact on philanthropy, where she worked to broaden its scope to take on issues such as climate change and human rights that entail systemic change — while oftentimes being the only woman in the room. But the spectacular growth in advisory firms has sparked questions about undue influence over wealthy funders such as MacKenzie Scott. Berman dismisses the notion that advisors are all-powerful: “The idea that a consulting service that [donors] pay can tell them what to do and how to do it and they will simply say, ‘Yeah, sure, whatever,’ that would be a myth.” Melissa Berman: Philanthropy pioneer leaves Rockefeller after 20 years (Pro) + Not a Devex Pro member yet? Start your 15-day free trial of Pro today to read the piece. Was altruism all fake? Effective altruism, or EA, is having another PR disaster. The philanthropic movement, which takes an evidence-based approach to maximize the impact of every donated dollar, took a big hit when one of its most prominent disciples, Sam Bankman-Fried, was charged with multiple crimes after his cryptocurrency exchange imploded. Now, several women have spoken to TIME magazine alleging a culture of sexual abuse and harassament within the EA movement. The article doesn’t pull any punches: “They say that effective altruism’s overwhelming maleness, its professional incestuousness, its subculture of polyamory and its overlap with tech-bro dominated “rationalist” groups have combined to create an environment in which sexual misconduct can be tolerated, excused, or rationalized away. Several described EA as having a ‘cult-like’ dynamic,” it says. Alexander Berger, co-CEO of Open Philanthropy, one of the biggest funders among effective altruists, vowed to take action if “any of our grantees were involved” and urged anyone with information to email him directly. Not everyone was a fan of Berger’s approach. “This is what Open Philanthropy, the BIGGEST funder of the cult, has to say,” tweeted Timnit Gebru, a former Google AI ethics co-lead and now vocal tech industry critic. It’s unclear what Open Philanthropy would actually do if grantees come forward. “Not much to say yet about the range of possible actions, which as you'd expect will depend on what OP learns,” spokesperson Mike Levine tells Stephanie in an email. At least one Twitter user suggested the organization provide grantees a way to respond anonymously. Do you have thoughts to share? Send them to our philanthropy reporter, Stephanie Beasley, at stephanie.beasley@devex.com. Related: Tech entrepreneurs bring new approaches, challenges to philanthropy Next chapter, but same story The Biden administration announced the “next chapter” in its fight to address the root causes of migration from Central America, though you’d be forgiven for thinking it sounds like the same old playbook. As vice president in the Obama administration, Joe Biden was charged with curbing migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, collectively known as the Northern Triangle. Now, he’s handed the monumental task over to his own vice president, Kamala Harris, who like her boss has struggled to find answers to such a multifaceted conundrum. On Monday, the Biden administration took another stab at it by announcing a series of new commitments to help deter migration from the region, including investing in infrastructure, good governance, workforce development, and labor rights. My colleague Teresa Welsh reports that it’s part of the Root Causes Strategy, released in July 2021, and will include programs by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. While the concept is hardly new, a senior administration official says the White House’s “comprehensive strategy” is bearing fruit, with a 71% drop in arrivals from Central America in the last eight months. But the White House couldn’t pinpoint a direct correlation between the numbers and the programs, with another senior administration official stressing that it wasn’t possible to “precisely disaggregate all of these efforts and determine which of these efforts is responsible for which part of the reduction.” Read: US announces new steps to deter Central America migration In other news Norway is planning to donate $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine as part of a five-year support package, making it one of the world’s largest donors to the country. [PBS] Mali's military government ordered the U.N. peacekeeping mission's human rights chief to leave the country due to allegations of biased choice of civil society witnesses at a U.N. Security Council briefing. [AP News] Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Venezuela have pledged aid for Chile's fight against destructive and drought-driven forest fires, which have affected thousands of people and homes. [VOA] Sign up to Newswire for an inside look at the biggest stories in global development.