It seems to me that we can only improve the practices of aid by being more aware of how our actions and inactions are perceived by those affected by aid – whether ‘beneficiaries’ or a wider group of ‘affected people’ (by which we generally mean affected by whatever conflict, natural disaster or crisis brought aid upon them, rather than being affected by the arrival of international aid agencies themselves).
It seems to me that we can only improve the practices of aid by being more aware of how our actions and inactions are perceived by those affected by aid — whether "beneficiaries" or a wider group of "affected people" (by which we generally mean affected by whatever conflict, natural disaster or crisis brought aid upon them, rather than being affected by the arrival of international aid agencies themselves).
There are three main routes we might pursue to gain an awareness of how we’re perceived: