Category: International Economic Development

Debt’s Vicious Cycle – Part One

Over the past couple of years, developing countries have been trying to repay billions of dollars in loans. Many of these loans had been accumulated under corrupt Cold War regimes, and have now become a serious obstacle to overcoming poverty and acting as a hindrance to economic development. Governments of developing countries have been taking …

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Egypt Reborn

Economic Development in Egypt: The Next Step What’s next for Egypt? This is the one crucial question that people have on their minds. The Post-Mubarak era promises a lot, but can the new regime increase economic development in the country and get Egypt to its full potential? Don’t get me wrong. I am not proclaiming …

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Women and Sustainable Development

Women in many parts of the African continent perform up to 80% of the labor in their respective countries, yet are often denied basic rights, such as the right to own land, to access credit, and to operate their own businesses. They are the fundamental caregivers and providers of their families, yet many of them …

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Blood and Sweat

The Story of an Average Chinese Farmer Ever since Deng Xiaoping reformed China’s economy in 1978, the Communist country has been enjoying rapid economic growth. An industrial powerhouse, China has quickly established itself as a global player in international politics. But behind this veiled economic growth lie vast income inequalities that span across the majority …

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SMART Aid

In my research on sustainable development programs, I have always been interested in organizations that focus on efficient and effective aid strategies in their work. I was particularly impressed with The ONE Campaign’s clever acronym explaining what “SMART” Aid means to them: S – Sufficient in scale to achieve its intended goals. M -Measurable so …

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Dharavi – Beyond the Slum

Poverty and Economic Development in Asia’s Largest Slum. What is it about slum areas that intrigue people? Is it the constricted spaces that some call home while others call hell? Or the vibrant colors that fill the narrow alleys andshops? Slums have always had a certain aura that surrounds them, which makes people take a …

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What You Don’t Know About U.S. Foreign Aid

This week Congress has been debating the upcoming year’s budget, with the new Republican leadership in the House of Representatives vowing to cut spending as much as possible. Included in those spending cuts is US Foreign Aid, or Official Development Assistance (ODA). House Republicans proposed up to 50% cuts in the funding of critical development …

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“Poverty Trap” or “Dead Aid”?

For decades, economists, historians, scholars and the like have studied economic development on the continent of Africa, seeking to explain what factors account for the region’s slow growth. From my own research, two interesting schools of thought have emerged: the concept of the “Poverty Trap” as purported by venerated economist and director of the UN …

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Subsidizing Poverty (Part Two)

It’s not only poor subsistence farmers in developing countries who pay the price for agricultural subsidies—we all do. Literally. The subsidies paid to the agricultural industries in rich, Western countries are funded by we, the taxpayer. In the United States, this amounts to about $286 billion in taxes under the 2008-2012 Farm Bill, or approximately …

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World Economic Forum – Davos 2011

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization that encourages civil societies to collaborate with a view to improving the state of theworld. Every year, the Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland. This year’s team is “Shared Norm for a New Reality.” The Forum brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals …

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