May 08, 2008

Burma’s Recovery Can Gain from Recent Lessons in Disaster Relief

In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina a number of organizations conducted evaluation studies to determine what aid organizations did well, what they failed to do and what could be done better in the future. Studies conducted by the Fritz Institute and the World Bank, to name two, provide interesting insights into the recovery process, and can help aid organizations as they engage in the current relief effort in Burma.

Mar 04, 2008

War Imminent in South Sudan

The international community has had its attention deflected from South Sudan since Darfur erupted in late 2003, allowing Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to piece by piece renege on the commitments he made under the North-South peace agreement, which was brokered with the help of the Bush administration.

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.

Nov 12, 2007

Darfur Now

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.

May 30, 2007

Colombia Sees an Upsurge in Investing, and a Chance for Change

New investment in Colombia business may be signalling a move toward stability for the country as a whole. And stability is great, because it opens the way for reinvestment in infrastructure which will benefit the poor.

Apr 14, 2007

Little More Than Warnings for Darfur

The conflict in Darfur between Darfurian rebel groups and the government-backed janjaweed militia has been raging since early 2003. Since that time Western governments have been almost universally reluctant to create clear consequences for Khartoum.

Apr 02, 2007

One Thing Leads to Another, in AIDS Treatment Too

If there is a core truism to aid work it might be that all things are connected.

Oct 25, 2006

Nicholas Kristof Sees Hope for Darfur

The New York Times columnist and Darfur activist Nicholas Kristof does not see Darfur as one of the world’s intractable problems. He proposes world leaders make a greater effort at political settlement by pressuring the Sudanese government to come to an agreement with Darfuri rebels.

Oct 19, 2006

Giving in the Wake of a Disaster Means Money Arrives Too Late

Increasingly, nonprofits are saying disaster aid donations do very little to help afflicted communities; instead, nonprofits need to change the way they ask for money and donors need to change the way they give.