In The News

Dangerously Unique

Moisés Naím September 20, 2005
In this Foreign Policy article, Moisés Naím highlights the discrepancy between the expectations of "normalcy" held by a small number of privileged citizens and the realities of the rest of the world. Despite what many in Western nations may believe, their concept of "normal" is not, in fact, universal. In fact, gross income discrepancies, health care inadequacies, and...

A Pocket-Sized Famine Fighter

Esha Bhandari September 14, 2005
Last year, reports of an impending famine in Niger did little to rouse action within the global giving community. Though thousands have died from the predicted food shortage, many thousands have been saved, thanks to the work of one woman's company. Until recently, Fatchima Cissé ran a small nutritional food company in her native Niger, selling to relief agencies at no profit. With help from...

International Cooperation at a Crossroads

September 7, 2005
This month, world leaders will gather to review progress since the 2000 Millennium Declaration, a pledge to eliminate global poverty. Though much progress has been made, according to the United Nations 2005 Human Development Report, much work remains – particularly in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The report focuses on three "pillars of cooperation,"...

The Legacy of Lee Kyung Hae

John Feffer August 29, 2005
The organic farms that line the Han River in South Korea may be the country's agricultural future – and sadly, they tell the story of its troubled past and present. More broadly, the Korean agricultural crisis is a story of small farmers forced to negotiate among the shifting currents of globalization. The industrialization of South Korea's agriculture, the Green Revolution, rendered...

Africa Needs Fair Trade, Not Charity

Mary Robinson August 23, 2005
Since the July G-8 summit and Live 8 concerts, the topic of African development has received unusual public attention. While the conversations have focused primarily on aid and debt relief, according to Mary Robinson, one topic has received inadequate treatment in international policy circles: free trade. Recalling her travels to cotton producer Mali and sugar producer Mozambique, Robinson...

The Creative Evolution of World Trade

Susan Esserman August 23, 2005
Often subject to accusations of inadequate transparency and insufficient accountability, the World Trade Organization took a big step toward more open practices. A dispute panel on hormone-fed beef in the EU has decided to open hearings to the public – allowing closed-circuit television cameras to record the proceedings. Many delegates oppose the move, contending that some level of secrecy is...

Dodging the Curse of Diamonds and Gold

Desha Girod August 11, 2005
As the G-8 unveiled an ambitious plan to lift Africa from the mire of debt and double foreign aid, a debate concerning the efficacy of aid has re-emerged. Many critics contend that additional aid money will merely benefit the corrupt leaders of a troubled continent, rather than support the reforms those nations sorely need. Desha Girod counters that, in certain circumstances, aid can be highly...