Category: Asia
There are 43 entries in this category.
May 26, 2008
When Do We Start Calling It Genocide?
When will we start calling the willful and purposeful actions of the Burmese government to kill hundreds of thousands of Burmese through starvation, exposure and disease genocide?
May 22, 2008
Silver Linings and Dark Clouds Surround the Food Crisis
It seems that everyone except for the US Congress has woken up to the food crisis. The topic has made the cover of many magazines, and is featured almost daily in major national newspapers. Most debate has now turned to the causes and solutions, if any, to the situation. While there are some silver linings, the biggest dark cloud of all is centered over Washington, DC this week where the US Congress will overturn a presidential veto and pass the 2008 farm bill.
Apr 16, 2008
Global Food Inflation: What Can Be Done?
Rapidly rising food prices around the world are capturing front page headlines daily. The problems in the agricultural sector of been decades in the making and will take several years to fix.The biggest danger is that in the rush to short-term fixes, we’ll simply create more distortions that don’t deal with the real issues and make future food crises even worse.
Apr 11, 2008
Cash Is More Addictive than Nicotine
Economists from Innovations for Poverty Action and the World Bank have found that money might be the most powerful tool to help smokers quit.
Apr 07, 2008
Grim News From Afghanistan
Poppy cultivation and wasted foreign aid are like twin sisters perpetuating the cycle of poverty within Afghanistan.
Mar 14, 2008
Legalization and Criminalization of Illicit Trade
Experts in a variety of fields passionately debate how to combat illicit trade in everything from drugs to endangered species to, worst of all, people. There are rational, credible arguments for both criminalizing and aggressively prosecuting those engaged in illicit trade and for legalizing and regulating the trade.
Sep 27, 2007
An Opportunity in Burma?
If Burma’s nascent ‘saffron revolution’ can ultimately lead to the ouster of the military junta which has ruled for more than 40 years, there will be a tremendous opportunity for international philanthropy.
Jun 25, 2007
Tolerance a Boon to Slavery
While poverty is certainly one of the main factors driving the persistence of slavery it is by no means the only one. In fact, while India and China have succeeded spectacularly at reducing poverty, slavery persists and is quite possibly growing. At root is a tolerance for slavery, whether from corrupt government officials, cultural apologists or passive business partners.
Jun 08, 2007
The Role of Cell Phones in Poverty Alleviation
The fishing industry in Northern Kerala in the south of India, as reported in The Economist, has become an example of how simple tools of information exchange can transform a local industry.
May 02, 2007
How Do You Empower Women?
Some recent efforts focused on empowering women have in fact had the opposite effect.