WhyDev was started by Brendan Rigby and Weh Yeoh in 2010, when they were Masters students at the University of NSW. At the time, there was a lack of student voices and critical discussion online about development theory and practice. While completing an internship with the Centre for Refugee Research on the borders of Myanmar/Burma, Brendan created the domain name – thewhyofdevelopment.com – and W
eh published the first blog post. Thankfully, a good friend (thanks Mike Clay!) gave us our Facebook moment, when he suggested: “Why not just ‘WhyDev’?”
Since 2010, WhyDev has published over 500 blog posts, hosted events online and in Melbourne, piloted a peer support program for aid workers and built a global community of practice. We believe in collaboration, participation and the capability of students and young professionals around the world who are dedicating their lives to getting development right.
