In The News

Can the Doha Round Be Salvaged?

Ernesto Zedillo May 9, 2006
The Doha Round began in 2001 as an attempt to eliminate trade barriers and encourage global commerce among developing nations. But countries submitted lengthy wish lists to the negotiators. With collective agreement required among 149 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it’s no surprise that the round has stalled. The Doha Round struggles from an inherent contradiction –...

Not Out of the Woods Just Yet

Don Melnick May 5, 2006
Forests are an essential part of the earth’s delicate ecosystem. But corporations and governments promote rapid cutting for profits, and more than a billion acres of forestland have been lost since 1970. Forests not only provide fuel and building products, but also protect water supplies and mitigate the effects of global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide. Biology Professor Don Melnick and...

Worries about the WSF

Saleem H. Ali April 28, 2006
The World Social Forum (WSF), intended to promote a “democratic debate of ideas,” emerged as an alternative to the more exclusive World Economic Forum, and in March Karachi hosted 30,000 lively WSF delegates. The young activists from around the world who attend WSF expect that global leaders will resist relying on short-term economic parameters alone in making decisions that can have consequences...

Africa Emerges as a Strategic Battleground

Frederick Kempe April 28, 2006
Africa suffers from a series of humanitarian crises, but the continent also offers tremendous opportunity. Oddly enough, it’s the US general in charge of the Europe Command and NATO who insists that the US must pay more attention on Africa. The Bush administration, distracted with war in Iraq, faces three urgent issues in Africa – Islamic terrorism, energy security and growing Chinese influence...

World Bank Falsified Information on Malaria Treatment, The Lancet

Christian Nordqvist April 28, 2006
The World Bank has been accused of wasting funds on useless malaria treatment and falsifying treatment results. The major aid organization that provides loan and resources for ending poverty retorts that the accusation is unfounded. The accusation first appeared in the UK medical journal "Lancet," written by a Canadian physician and UN consultant who argues that the World Bank approach...

The Silent Globalization of Remittances

Richard Reeves April 26, 2006
When immigrants work in wealth countries like the US, they often send money back home to families. Such remittance income far exceeds foreign aid or direct foreign investment in Central America and the Caribbean region. The World Bank estimates that such foreign exchange is on the rise, with more than $223 billion transferred from rich countries to poor in 2005. The distribution is direct and...

Mothers Want Hope for Their Children

Sonia Nazario April 19, 2006
The tide of illegal immigrants to American shores has become unmanageable, with numbers far outstripping those at any other time in US history. Immigrants take jobs that are unpopular with native US workers, often at reduced wages, thus allowing US firms to compete globally. The immigrant workforce reduces US food and clothing costs and makes child-care readily available for US families,...