Mar 05, 2008

Ethiopian Exchange Looks Promising

A group of donors, including the Ethiopian government, the World Bank and a few countries, such as the US, are funding the creation of a grain exchange in Addis Ababa

Feb 25, 2008

China’s Role in African Infrastructure Development

It’s important to understand the reasons for the differences between Western aid/philanthropy and Chinese aid in Africa. While “fashion” in aid plays a role, Western donors have largely moved away from infrastructure projects because of the way in which they have been historically mired in deep corruption; and Western-funded buildings and roads have rarely been maintained once they’ve been built. Because of Chinese insistence on using Chinese firms and labor and the lack of transparency in many of these deals, there is reason to be concerned that China is undermining Western philanthropy’s investment in good governance and human development.

Feb 13, 2008

The Bottom Billion in the News

Recent news events from some of the world’s poorer regions are providing more real-life examples of Paul Collier’s main theories from The Bottom Billion. In his book, and illuminated in our recent interview, Collier argues that there are four under-researched “traps” that lock a handful of the world’s countries, with a total population of close to one billion, in a cycle of despair. 

Jan 03, 2008

Top Five: Books about Africa

With so much on offer, and so little of it high quality, how can one learn about the real Africa? The following books represent some of the most readable and instructive we know of covering the African continent. They are certainly not the only good books out there – for one they are all non-fiction. Still, they offer history, context and insight into the continent and its variety and can function as a Master Class in Africa for anyone who wants to learn.

Dec 10, 2007

Recent Themes Roundup

There has been a spate of stories recently covering a few recurring themes at Beyond Philanthropy: business development in sub-Saharan Africa, food policy, and effective giving. 

Dec 04, 2007

Cheetahs, Free Trade, Growth and Subsidies: Is this African Boom Different?

There is plenty of good news coming from Africa these days—not least of which is that average economic growth on the continent exceeds the world average growth. Much of the growth in sub-Saharan Africa is being driven by a new generation of African entrepreneurs, powered by business reforms, access to credit and such programs as the U.S.’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (which allows for free trade with U.S. for African manufactured goods). George Ayittey, a Ghanain economist, refers to these entrepreneurial leaders as “cheetahs”—fast, flexible, and aggressive in exploiting newfound opportunities.

Nov 13, 2007

The Pervasive Role of Markets in Malaria Treatment

Even when things such as bed nets or hydration salts or medications are given away for free, there are still market dynamics at work. This can be seen in how they are packaged, how they are priced, and even in how incentives are built in to ensure they are used properly. 

Nov 12, 2007

Darfur Now

Jul 27, 2007

An Outbreak of Truth About AIDS in Africa

A new generation of intelligent, well-informed literature about the AIDS epidemic in Africa is trumpeting the need to better “know your epidemic.”

Jul 18, 2007

Celebrities, Influence, and Listening to Africans

The challenge for anyone looking to make a measurable difference is that the dynamics that help and harm in each country are so diverse. It is legitimately difficult to know who to listen to, because equally informed, stake-holding Africans have conflicting ideas about what will work in their respective countries or communities.