Development

South Africa is creating its own USAID! Set to launch before the end of the SA fiscal year…

I recently finished reading The Spirit Level, a book which presents statistical evidence that more equal societies nearly always do better in every measure of social cohesion and human well-being.  Check out this table on infant mortality.  The vertical axis represents the level of infant mortality in developed countries; the horizontal axis represents levels of […]

This weekend’s New York Times Magazine features an article by Nick Kristof on the “new” phenomenon of “do-it-yourself” foreign aid work. The idea of young, idealistic Westerners leaving behind a life of privilege to try to fix the many problems of the developing world isn’t a new one: it’s what drove the Peace Corps revolution […]

Yesterday I went to CSIS downtown to hear Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson talk about the Administration’s “Dual-Track” approach to Somalia. The speech was good, but I didn’t hear anything that sounded particulary new when it came to foreign policy. The introduction was along the lines of, “no one has an […]

A quick post to highlight an event coming up in New York from the FPA: Infectious Diseases and Global Health: Challenges and Priorities   The Foreign Policy Association cordially invites you to attend the inaugural Dame Jillian Sackler Distinguished Lecture with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who will […]

Today, the New York Times launched an excellent series called Fixes, co-written by veteran storyteller of social entrepreneurs, David Bornstein.  (A thank you to my colleague, Carey, for referring me here.)  The inaugural article highlights the use of motorcycles by healthcare workers to reach people in rural areas, a significant challenge in some of the […]

So, apparently there was a contest in South Africa to decide what to do with old vuvuzelas following the World Cup this summer. Possible ideas include hearing aids (because now you’re deaf), lampshades, and 200 other ideas, all competing for a 10,000 Rand prize. My mother uses hers to keep deer out of the garden.

Interesting news of the day: Prime Minister Zenawi doesn’t believe the world is taking a tough enough stance on global warming, and his remarks anger other African heads of state (though personally I agree with him) The top 400 charities in the U.S. see billions less in donations Senegal offers free education to children from […]

I am crazy jealous not to be able to vote in South Sudan’s upcoming referendum after seeing this video: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Hz2HObYuO9A” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

This Friday, I went with some colleagues to the STAR-TIDES demonstration at Ft. McNair in Washington, DC. The exposition allowed professionals in the development field to interact, see, and discuss the policies, practices, technologies, and organizations that affect Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief, Stabilization and Reconstruction, Building Partnership Capacity, and Defense Support to Civil Authorities. My colleagues […]

I talk to cab drivers in D.C. It’s part of the reason I take cabs instead of the Metro sometimes, I like hearing where they’re from, what brought them to the U.S. and what they think about current affairs in their home countries (especially the Africans). And, since living in Ethiopia, there’s the added inducement of […]

An article in the Economist last week profiled the progress that has been made on the Millennium Development Goals since 1990.  The chart below shows selected targets and global progress:    I was interested (though not surprised) to learn that China and India are responsible for the bulk of the progress that has been made.  The article states: Take […]