is an Ottawa-based development consultant and writer. He has lived and worked widely in Africa and Asia, and his knowledge of Bangladesh spans more than three decades. Author of several books on international development, he was a founder of the Canadian development organization, Inter Pares, and was Executive Director of CUSO. In addition to his other work, he is associated with the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University and serves as Research Coordinator on Partnership Africa Canada's 'Diamonds and Human Security Project'. He is a participant in the intergovernmental 'Kimberley Process,' which has developed a global certification system for rough diamonds.

directed Tufts University’s Humanitarianism and War Project. He has worked on humanitarian and development issues since 1972. A posting in the Southern Sudan was followed by advocacy work in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Church World Service and Lutheran World Relief. Over the years he has served as a consultant to governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and the Red Cross movement. Since co-founding the Humanitarianism and War Project in 1991, he has conducted and coordinated research on many humanitarian crises and written extensively for specialized and general audience. His most recent book, The Charity of Nations: Humanitarian Action in a Calculating World (Kumarian Press, 2004) probes the reasons behind governmental and nongovernmental responses to urgent human need.