In The News

US-China Duopoly Is a Pipedream

Christopher M. Clarke August 6, 2009
New terms like ‘Chimerica’ and G2 coined in recent years, describing ties between China and the US have acquired new currency as the world sought a way out of the global financial crisis. With China taking the spotlight during the G20 meeting in London and senior Chinese and American officials recently meeting for a Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, there is hope that working...

Just When Africa’s Luck Was Changing

Ron Nixon August 6, 2009
Contrary to the initial belief that Africa would escape the impact of the credit crisis because of its little to no investment in the global subprime market, the continent is feeling the pinch. According to the World Bank, African economies will grow at a meager 3 percent this year compared to 6 percent from 2004 to 2008. What the credit crisis has done is to force investors around the world to...

Armenians Struggle for Health Care and Medicines

Monika Mkhitaryan, Onnik Krikorian August 5, 2009
Faced with unemployment and lower remittances in the current global economic slowdown, Armenians face a vicious health care cycle. Since the country’s independence in 1991, the government has created numerous healthcare programs which generally succeeded in providing for the health needs of its people. About half of the total expenditure on health is financed through the private sector, of which...

The New Colonialism: Foreign Investors Snap Up African Farmland

Horand Knaup, Juliane von Mittelstaedt August 4, 2009
Expected population growth coupled with stable to dwindling agricultural land supply has led many an analyst to forecast an optimistic picture for agricultural investment for many years to come. The world needs more food. Throw in the high grain and food prices in 2008 with the resulting occasional food riot and both governments and investment funds catch a glimpse of what the future could look...

Southeast Asian Nations Risk Dissension by Ignoring Human Rights

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat August 4, 2009
ASEAN’s status as a successful association that fosters regional economic development and trade remains largely unquestioned. But the association has a poor record as a forum of modern democratic states upholding broader objectives such as human rights. In fact, human rights issues involving some of its members could undermine the relevance of the association, writes Indonesian editor Meidyatama...

US Immigration Policy Likely to Boost Population

Joseph Chamie July 30, 2009
Demographic trends, often ignored by policymakers, are clearly linked with the US’ immigration policy. If Congress and the Obama administration plan to implement an effective immigration policy, they need to understand how over time it will affect the country’s population figure. As demographer Joseph Chamie notes, policy makers should start by asking how large should the US’ population be....

China to the Rescue: Growing Out of the Financial Crisis

Joergen Oerstroem Moeller July 28, 2009
The global financial crisis is far from over, and Joergen Oerstroem Moeller argues for a stimulation in global demand. Unfortunately, the big drivers of demand growth in the past – primarily the US, but also Japan and Europe – each face major hurdles sufficiently large to suggest they won’t be the engines of growth in the immediate future. So Moeller recommends looking to China. Critics counter...