Philanthropy Action

Category: Foreign Aid

There are 53 entries in this category.

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.

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 05, 2007

Will more agriculture in Africa help Africans eat?

The importance of a well-fed population to growth and prosperity is obvious. What does not seem clear, however, is the direct link these reports – and the reporting done on them – seem to draw between agriculture as a sector and large-scale decreases in poverty.

Oct 10, 2007

Commodities and their Discontents

The American farm bill is perpetuating a deeply broken system that hurts everyone. There is some hope that the subsidies system will be curtailed as the Senate modifies the current version but we have a long way to go before the farm bill does what it is meant to: protect both farmers and those who consume their products. 

Oct 10, 2007

Tipping the Balance on Food Aid

US agriculture is intimately linked with food scarcity around the world. The impact is personal for the subsistence farmer: not only has her product been devalued by the flooding of her market with US-farmed commodities, but if she lives in or near a community that is the recipient of in-kind food aid she might find she doesn’t have any local buyers at all, since all her potential customers are now receiving their food for free. Thus she gets hit twice by US farm practices, a dynamic which is effectively putting her – and millions like her – out of business.

Sep 27, 2007

More Money Does Not Always Lead to Better Education

The 2007 Education at a Glance report, published by the OECD, shows that among the world’s wealthiest countries, those who spend well more than average on education (the US included) do not see proportionate increases in the number of students who finish secondary school, or indeed go beyond.

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.“

May 30, 2007

Cheap Instead of Free: Lessons in Effective Aid

In an attempt to curtail the phenomenon in aid circles in which materials distributed for free are thrown away or never used, some groups are experimenting with making the poor pay for certain interventions, such as bed nets. The goal is to determine whether payment will increase use.

May 22, 2007

Decrease Yields, Increase Food Security

A recent Associated Press article cited a Danish study which concluded that food security in sub-Saharan Africa would not be negatively impacted if 50 percent of the agricultural acreage in Western food-exporting countries were converted to organic by 2020. 

May 08, 2007

Overselling Results

Effective investment in development continues to be handicapped by overselling of results and false expectations. The greatest danger is that such overselling makes cynics of a whole generation of donors.

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