In The News

Immigration’s Role Often Overlooked in Global Economy

Leif Brottem February 21, 2006
The flow of immigrants from the global south to North America and Europe in search of work is often overshadowed by the flow of goods, capital and information. The financial support immigrants provide to developing countries once they settle elsewhere is 50 percent greater than the development aid to those same countries from all other sources. Increasingly, however, the US and the EU are...

¿Vender crisis humanitarias?

Clifford Bob February 21, 2006

Marketing Humanitarian Crises

Clifford Bob February 21, 2006
In an era of human rights accords and global benefit concerts, international tribunals and rubber wristbands for any cause, attention to humanitarian crises seems both pronounced and profuse. Yet, as political scientist Clifford Bob writes, the world has far more crises than what catch the proverbial eye, and he questions why certain “hot zones” receive more attention than others. An entire...

Used Cars for the Third World

Eric Wiedemann February 17, 2006
“El Dorado” is commonly known as the mythical city of gold. In Hamburg and other German cities, however, used-car scrap yards, known as “dorados,” challenge the traditional meaning. The “dorados” are huge fields, divided by fences, where dealers sell German cars that no longer meet safety or emissions standards, most destined for Africa and Eastern Europe. Despite appearances, there is nothing...

The World’s Drinking Glass Is More Than Half Full

G. Jeffrey Macdonald February 14, 2006
Throughout the developing world, about 700 million people have acquired household access to drinking water since 1999. According to the WHO and UNICEF, more than half of people around the globe now have drinking water piped into their homes. In rural developing regions, women typically collect household water. Eliminating the trek to and from the nearest water source, sometimes up to ten miles...

China's Powerhouse Vision for 2050

Jonathan Watts February 13, 2006
China released a report from its leading research institute with an optimistic vision for the nation’s next 50 years. The projections depend on China undergoing a transition from a predominantly agricultural society to a suburban knowledge-based economy – and moving 500 million people closer to the cities. China would also have to maintain a strong growth rate, now at 9 percent. Noting that China...

Poor Nations Complain Not All Charity Reaches Victims

Stephanie Strom February 1, 2006
Aby Ibrahim Niger’s health minister late last year voiced dissatisfaction with international aid groups. Now other poor nations and those affected by disaster are also expressing mistrust about NGO reliability - how money is raised versus how it is spent. Leaders, including those from Indonesia and Sri Lanka, charge that NGOs rely on specific crises to collect funds and then spend the money...