In The News

Consumer Mouse That Is Roaring

Peter Kell October 29, 2007
The marketing of some products, particularly those targeting children, is irresponsible. Some firms make outlandish claims, all to make a profit. As a result, global consumer trust has declined both in rich and poor countries. Still, some countries regulate products and marketing more heavily than others. "As consumers we face the reality that product standards in other countries can have a...

Amber Light From the Party

Pierre F. Landry October 29, 2007
Transfer of power in Chinese politics is both undemocratic and uncertain. The Chinese Communist Party's highest leading body is the National Congress, which meets every five years to set policy and choose new leadership. But most decisions are finalized in secretive negotiations well before the meeting. The leadership lineup that emerged with the 17th Congress is not one of "monolithic...

The Globalization Index 2007

October 26, 2007
In the seventh annual assessment of the progress of globalization, Foreign Policy magazine and consulting firm A.T. Kearney rank the 20 most globalized nations in the world and seek to explain some of the recent shifts. Using data from 2005, they compared states along four dimensions: economic integration, personal contact, political engagement and technological connectivity, with particular...

UN Warns of Environmental Threats

James Kanter October 26, 2007
A report released by the United Nations Environment Program warns that the planet’s resources are not enough to provide for the current consumption patterns of the world population. Highly industrialized regions have developed habits of living beyond their means and pass these habits on to people in every corner of the globe. The rapidly expanding world population has increased the speed of...

Bloodstained Rubies Fund Burmese Regime

Beat Balzli October 25, 2007
It is well known how the proceeds from sales of diamonds or oil can subsidize civil war and corrupt regimes, but less well known is how the international ruby trade sustains the Burmese junta. The United States and Europe each responded to Myanmar's violent repression of peaceful protesters with tightened trade limitations in their relations with the pariah in Southeast Asia, but were easily...

Chasing the Chinese Dream

Ariana Eunjung Cha October 25, 2007
Business entrepreneurs seeking security, opportunity and religious tolerance are turning away from traditional immigration destinations like the United States or Europe, and instead finding themselves on China's shores. The number of internationals in China with long-term visas has nearly doubled since 2003, about 450,000 people, including about 20,000 Muslims and 1,000 displaced Iraqis. The...

EBay: The Place for Microfinance

Catherine Holahan October 24, 2007
Ebay, the internet auction site, is getting into the micro-loan business, by which investors can provide loans for $50 or more to small businesses. “The key to micro-lending is that it fosters self-reliance and, eventually, sustainable economic growth in a way that charity does not,” says Tracey Pettengill Turner, as reported by Catherine Holahan in Businessweek.com. Turner started MicroPlace.com...