In The News

Agreeing on Africa, Up to a Point

June 8, 2005
As incoming president of the G-8, Tony Blair has made reducing African poverty the focus of his agenda, aiming to pardon the continent's staggering debt and increase aid by US$50 billion. But he faces opposition from Germany, France, and Japan – who propose focusing efforts on just five developing countries – as well as the United States, reluctant to double its aid. With Africa's...

Bush Touts Trade, but US Bid to Empower OAS Stalls

Pablo Bachelet June 7, 2005
Concerned over political turmoil and threats to free trade emerging from many Latin American states, President Bush emphasized on Monday that democracy and trade liberalization will put troubled OAS member states on the path to greater prosperity. But the nature of recent difficulties in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela underscore the many problems with the US approach. Both countries and...

A Race to the Top

Thomas L. Friedman June 3, 2005
According to columnist Thomas L. Friedman, while French workers – who voted down the EU constitution – strive to preserve a 35-hour work week, Indian engineers are "ready to work a 35-hour day." In Europe, workers whose 50-year system of benefits is collapsing blame capitalism and outsourcing for their problems. However, writes Friedman, the story is not so cut-and-dry. Jobs are...

Marching in Europe Will Not End African Poverty

DR Tajudeen June 3, 2005
Sir Bob Geldof, organizer of the 1985 Live Aid concert to benefit famine in Africa will be reviving the event under the moniker "Live 8," in reference to the G-8 summit. Live 8 differs from its predecessor in that it seeks to facilitate action – encouraging demonstrations against poverty in Africa and in favor of free trade, debt write-off and more aid – not simply raise awareness....

"In Larger Freedom": Decision Time at the UN

Kofi Annan May 31, 2005
The wide range of threats afflicting different regions today complicates international collaboration. In an interconnected world, however, these threats are often more closely related than we realize. Extreme poverty and civil conflict in one country, for example, encourage terrorist groups to strike in another; the outbreak of disease in a region with poor health care may spread to wealthier...

How to Jump-Start the WTO

Susan Ariel Aaronson May 26, 2005
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Organization. One of the tenets of the organization is to use trade as a means to achieve sustainable development for the world's emerging economies, but after several rounds of talks, the WTO seems stalled. As Susan Ariel Aaronson and Jamie Zimmerman write, there is yet hope for the organization and its goals. The key: Policymakers...

Washington and the Chavez Question

Patrick Esteruelas May 25, 2005
Many fear that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez may successfully create a substantial leftist, anti-American political bloc in South America. But as the Financial Times notes, Chavez's strategies – combining populist rhetoric, left-leaning militarism, and natural resource manipulation – may not be quite so successful. Venezuela's oil has been a key tool in shaping regional politics:...