In The News

Slowly, But Surely, Trade Erodes Global Poverty

Edward Gresser November 2, 2011
Small, everyday purchases can have far-reaching effects on poverty in distant lands, especially those on the least-developed country list from the United Nations, those with per-capita incomes averaging less than $3 a day. Only a few years ago, the outlook for this group with ineffective governments and stagnant economies was bleak. However, the first decade of the millennium shows marked...

World Will Miss Economic Benefit of 1.8 Billion Young People

Fiona Harvey October 31, 2011
As the population hits the 7 billion mark, the world contemplates the challenges in providing adequate education, jobs and other opportunities for growing numbers of youth. The largest cohort of youth in the world’s history can represent great potential or missed opportunities. A UN report warns that the potential economic benefits of having such a large global population of young people could go...

Colliding Forces

James Crabtree October 25, 2011
Widening inequality, easy proximity between poor nations and rich, exacerbate the many temptations of undocumented immigration. Angst is building in immigration hotspots – the Italian island of Lampedusa or along Mexican borders, both north and south – because citizens recognize that immigration pressures will only expand, explains James Crabtree for the Financial Times. He explains that citizens...

Mongolia Opens Doors for Foreign Investment

Steven Borowiec October 21, 2011
Foreign investment in Mongolia’s mining sector – coal, copper, gold and more – is fueling rapid growth. Like other developing nations, Mongolia wrestles with how to control the development and spread wealth throughout a dispersed population of 2.7 million in sustainable ways rather than passing it on to a handful of elites or creating a welfare state, explains journalist Steven Borowiec. He...

Haiti: Tailor-Made for South-South Cooperation

Jonathan Glennie October 20, 2011
With a history of colonization, debt, US trade boycotts and domestic corruption, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. Recent natural disasters, including hurricanes, storms and the 2010 earthquake compounded the challenges. Writing for the Guardian, Jonathan Glennie recommends that Haiti explore South-South cooperation, adding that “no amount of aid from the west can make up for...

The UN’s Battle with NCDs

Sheri Fink and Rebecca Rabinowitz October 19, 2011
Sheri Fink and Rebecca Rabinowitz of the New America Foundation call attention to rising danger of non-communicable diseases, or NCDs. Such diseases, including heart and lung disease, cancer and diabetes, now account for two out of every three deaths worldwide. A UN meeting signals new priority on the challenges of such diseases. Non-communicable diseases, many preventable, have become prevalent...

The Women Bringing Solar Power to Sierra Leone

September 15, 2011
Developing renewables to meet the growing demand for energy is a top priority in the 21st century. So is enhancing collaboration among developing countries. By training semi-literate women from rural Sierra Leone in solar-energy techniques, Barefoot College in western India works towards achieving both these goals. Twelve women attended and then returned to villages in Sierra Leone to assemble 1,...