-
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In reaction to news of brazen corruption in Afghanistan and the release of the new Corruption Perceptions Index, Daniel Kaufmann asks tough questions about the relationship between aid and corruption and suggests improvements in how development aid effectiveness is reviewed.
-
Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 10, 2009, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Every year, humanitarian crises threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 250 million people worldwide, and donor governments must make the best use of their resources, knowledge and capabilities to respond to these challenges. On November 10, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement will host the launch of the Development Assistance Research Associates Humanitarian Response Index 2009, which helps donor governments ensure that humanitarian assistance has the greatest possible impact for people suffering the effects of crises and disasters.
-
Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A striking gap has emerged in the United States between official government aid and private aid. As the U.S. government reviews its external development assistance, some believe the deliberations will not reflect how those outside Washington think about development. Homi Kharas discusses what motivates private aid donors and the impact they make.
-
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Official Development Aid grew significantly from 1992 to 2006; and transformed from mostly humanitarian aid and food assistance to financing the reforms and development of Tajikistan. In this case study, Rustam Aminjanov, Matin Kholmatov, and Firuz Kataev present Tajikistan's perspective of, experiences with, and challenges to foreign aid.
-
Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Rapid growth in private development aid raises a host of questions regarding the allocation of aid and its selectivity across recipient countries. Raj Desai and Homi Kharas analyze giving patterns from two large, internet-based non-profit organizations and discuss the need for private and official aid partnerships.
-
Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A topic of discussion at previous G-20 summits, IBRD resources are central to helping poor countries survive this economic crisis. Homi Kharas discusses the importance of making IBRD resources much more widely available to promote development and urges G-20 leaders to continue talks about this issue at the summit in Pittsburgh.
-
Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The key feature of President Obama's speech on September 22 at the Clinton Global Initiative was a call for a new spirit of global partnership, with respect to aiding the world's poor and countering transnational treats. Noam Unger discusses steps the U.S. government could take to advance global development efforts.
-
Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Pakistan has historically received large volumes of aid but it has also faced an increasingly difficult task of aid coordination. Abdul Malik examines aid quality and discusses its implication for the coordination and effectiveness of aid.
-
Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak recently visited Washington for the first time since 2004. Tamara Cofman Wittes and Michele Dunne examine how he and President Obama can achieve shared goals for the Middle East. Wittes and Dunn analyze areas in which the relationship could be improved and offer suggestions for strengthening the partnership with both the citizens and government of Egypt.
-
Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's multi-nation tour of Africa highlights America's development aid imbalance. Last year, the United States directed almost three-quarters of its resources to countries that are not among the poorest in the world. David Gartner argues that a greater focus on the least developed countries, especially those in Africa, would yield enormous progress toward reducing global poverty.
-
Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:44:47 GMT
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 11-day visit to select African nations wraps up this week, her longest overseas mission as America's top diplomat. Ernest Aryeetey says African nations view Secretary Clinton’s trip so early in her term as a smart move, adding her visit instills a sense of optimism about U.S.-Africa relations.
-
Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In August, high-level delegations of government, private sector and civil society representatives from the United States and sub-Saharan Africa met in Nairobi for the eighth annual forum on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Mwangi Kimenyi reflects on the success of AGOA and how the forum can be a chance to focus on making Africa competitive.
-
Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
It is now generally accepted that development interventions can only be successful and sustainable if they are accepted by stakeholders and implemented in accordance with local institutions, culture and norms. In this policy brief, Clifford Zinnes, answering the demand for foreign aid alternatives, assesses a new class of "tournament" approaches that promise to improve on the lackluster performance of conventional methods.
-
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
While many of the military objectives have been determined in Afghanistan, Michael O'Hanlon believes there are many crucial decisions ahead regarding economic matters. O'Hanlon explores options ranging from increased foreign aid to developing free-trade agreements, and he offers suggestions for the challenges ahead.
-
Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 15, 2009, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- June 16, 2009, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
From June 15-16, 2009, around 40 participants gathered at a workshop in Berlin to discuss aid effectiveness. The diversity of the group reflects the changing and increasingly diverse landscape that is reshaping the key issues in aid effectiveness.
-
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Despite the pervasive challenges of poverty and illiteracy, the two strongest ties that bind the U.S. and the Muslim world are still military aid and oil. In the wake of President Obama's historic speech to the Muslim world from Cairo on June 4, Navtej Dhillon, Laurence Chandy and Geoffrey Gertz argue that a new foundation for engagement must include instruments such as trade, investment and human development.
-
Thu, 21 May 2009 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- May 21, 2009, 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Experts have called for U.S. foreign assistance—and specifically the U.S. effort to support global development—to be reformed in order to become more strategic, coherent and effective. On May 21, the Brookings Institution hosted Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for a discussion of U.S. foreign assistance reform and the importance of foreign relations authorization.
-
Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Tamara Cofman Wittes and Andrew Masloski argue that the Obama administration should invest in the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to advance America’s interests in a more stable, progressive and prosperous Middle East. By examining the record of MEPI, Wittes and Masloski show how it has overcome early deficits to create a small-scale, successful model of “democracy diplomacy” that integrates foreign assistance with foreign policy.
-
Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As the Obama administration and Congress work to reform an outdated foreign assistance system, they have an opportunity to adapt official U.S. efforts to more effectively and efficiently support global development in partnership with businesses and civil society. Jane Nelson and Noam Unger recommend ways the U.S. government can better position itself within the 21st century global development ecosystem.
-
Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
World leaders at the G-20 London Summit and the World Bank and IMF spring meetings responded to the urgent needs of the world’s poorest countries impacted by the global economic crisis with new financial commitments and pledges. Homi Kharas argues that full recovery from the crisis and future successful development ultimately requires reducing aid volatility and enhancing aid flow coordination.
-
Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
International aid has significantly impacted Ethiopia's development initiatives since the end of World War II, and Ethiopia has been a major recipient of foreign aid in recent times. Project consultant Getnet Alemu examines the country’s aid flows—predominantly assisting Ethiopia's health sector—and argues that although aid has been instrumental in the country's development, donor coordination has been challenging.
-
Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Critical stabilization and reconstruction missions abroad must not only be viewed through the lenses of short-term goals or military operations, but as a key step in supporting sustainable economic development. In a workshop report, Noam Unger and Frederick Barton explore ways to rebalance American statecraft by strengthening civilian stabilization and development capacity within the U.S. government.
-
Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The debate has heated up over whether western foreign aid has done Africa more harm than good. In an interview with Chicago Public Radio’s Worldview, Richard Joseph discusses the approach of "smart aid" and how a focus on incentives and accountability will lead to smart thinking about aid.
-
Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
While there is much to celebrate about the burgeoning aid landscape, there is also much to learn and do. In an article in InterAction's Monday Developments, Noam Unger and Abigail Jones argue that if new and traditional players collaborate effectively, their efforts could be more than the sum of the parts.
-
Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) countries met in London on April 2 for their second summit on the global financial crisis. In a new set of articles, Brookings experts addressed the critical issues for policy-makers and offered guidelines for more effective global coordination.
-
Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The effectiveness of development aid has historically been mixed. In a new article, Senior Fellow Daniel Kaufmann discusses recent aid effectiveness initiatives, the gulf between current aid strategies and the new reality of aid, and offers proposals for next steps to improve efforts.
-
Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Climate Change and Global Poverty: A Billion Lives in the Balance? draws on expertise from the climate change and development communities to ask how the public and private sectors can help the world's poor manage the global climate crisis.
-
Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Homi Kharas analyzes the impact of the financial crisis on developing countries—from declining economic growth forecasts to cutbacks in development assistance. He argues that greater attention should be paid to managing risk in low income countries and developing countercyclical instruments in the international institutions to aid the developing world.
-
Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Affected by the financial crisis, the world’s poorest countries are facing a development emergency. Cutbacks in foreign aid and devalued currencies are wiping out aid contributions that supply the world’s poor with basic necessities—food, education, and healthcare. Billions of aid dollars are sitting in Washington, ready for disbursement but hindered by bureaucracy. Homi Kharas outlines steps to accelerate the disbursement of this aid so that poor countries can receive the help they need.
-
Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Climate change and global development are two of the most critical challenges facing global policymakers. In a new report, "Double Jeopardy: What the Climate Crisis Means for the Poor" Brookings experts detail these interrelated issues based on discussions at the most recent Brookings Blum Roundtable on Poverty, featuring Dr. Steven Chu and former Vice President Al Gore, among others.
-
Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 30, 2009, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Although civilian assistance programs will play a crucial role in Iraq's long-term stabilization, the public debate on U.S. policy toward Iraq has focused on the redeployment and withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted a discussion with a panel of leading experts on civilian assistance programs, including those who have worked on the ground in Iraq, to examine the work of civilian aid agencies, including the experiences of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq, the role of humanitarian assistance in U.S. foreign policy and the potential role of the United Nations.
-
Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Because foreign aid to Kenya is highly volatile and fragmented, efforts are being made to coordinate and harmonize aid allocations. Project consultant Francis M. Mwega analyzes these efforts and focuses on the health sector to compare and contrast trends and experiences. This case study highlights the innovations and competencies that have developed over time to respond to the challenges in development aid.
-
Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- January 12, 2009, 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM
On January 12, Foreign Policy Studies and the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings Institution hosted a workshop to examine Development in Fragile States: The Toughest Cases. The event engaged experts in a discussion of how the U.S. and its partners can more effectively sustain development in autocratic states and states in transition.
-
Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Cambodia received over $5 billion in development assistance within the past decade, yet the country faces unpredictable donor flows and duplication of technical cooperation and funding for more than 400 donor missions. Ek Chanboreth and Sok Hach from the Economic Institute of Cambodia analyze these challenges and the government’s actions to strengthen aid coordination and management systems—most notably by developing an online database to better coordinate official development assistance.
-
Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Lex Rieffel and James Fox propose seven recommendations the next administration can take to strengthen the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which they call one of the best innovations of the George W. Bush presidency. However, severe budget constraints and the MCC’s inability to show results could jeopardize the agency’s existence.
-
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is one of the outstanding innovations of the eight-year presidency of George W. Bush. Lex Rieffel and James Fox offer recommendations to strengthen the MCC for better results.
-
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
America cannot afford to retreat from the fight against global poverty in a world where remote challenges can rapidly metastasize into global threats. Instead the United States must demonstrate renewed leadership and showcase its national spirit by investing wisely through more effective global development cooperation.
-
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 10, 2008, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
The fight against global poverty has become a fight for global security. But after an awkward entrance into the 21st century, America must redefine its role in the world, including its relations with developing countries. Colin Bradford offered a public memo to the president-elect with recommendations how to modernize U.S. aid efforts and address the global development challenges of the new century effectively and with accountability.
-
Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The recent Doha Financing for Development Conference reviewed promises to increase the volume and quality of aid; yet, with the global financial industry in meltdown, aid to developing countries is expected to fall. Raj Desai and Homi Kharas argue that volatility in aid disbursements can send poor countries spinning into recession that then needs far more aid to reverse in the future.
-
Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami killed more than 150,000 people and displaced an estimated 700,000 inhabitants in Aceh, Indonesia. With unprecedented damage to the region, Aceh received an influx of aid and assistance—the largest reconstruction program in the developing world at the time. Project consultants Harry Masyrafah and Jock MJA McKeon analyze the aid effectiveness by examining the international community’s response to the disaster, challenges in reconstruction, and coordination of the aid agencies involved.
-
Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Despite increasing aid volume and ministerial promises and commitments, there are gaps in the effectiveness of development aid. Using a two-pronged approach, Homi Kharas and Johannes Linn analyze these gaps and provide useful recommendations so that the aid architecture can be strengthened, aid flows coordinated and development sustainable—ultimately making aid better.
-
Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
William Easterly reviews Paul Collier's recent book The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It.
-
Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Scaling up—expanding, adapting, and sustaining successful projects, programs, or policies over time—can substantially reduce poverty. To improve the effectiveness of development programs, Arntraud Hartmann and Johannes Linn outline the key aspects that allow for scaling up to occur. This framework includes the implementation phases of development interventions—monitoring, evaluating, planning and effective management. Hartmann and Linn also reflect on lessons learned, case studies, and implications for aid and aid donors.
-
Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In a new working paper, William Easterly examines Western efforts to “save Africa” through development policies and interventions. He assesses the performance of aid efforts to date and examines successes and failures.
-
Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In a speech delivered before the Department of Political Science, Faculty of the Social Sciences at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria prior to the U.S. presidential election, Richard Joseph reflects on what a win by Barack Obama could mean for Africa, with regard to aid and smart growth.
-
Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Scaling up—expanding, adapting, and sustaining successful projects, programs, or policies over time—can substantially reduce poverty. Johannes Linn and Arntraud Hartmann outline the actions that bilateral and multilateral donors and private aid agencies need to take in order to support scaling up for effective, sustainable development.
-
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- October 15, 2008, 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
On October 15, 2008, Brookings hosted Sadako Ogata, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for a briefing on the topic of foreign aid effectiveness and the future of aid.
-
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As President-Elect Obama prepares to lead the United States, what are the top global economic challenges facing the new president and his advisors and how should the new administration address them? A new report by Brookings global economic and development experts ranks the top 10 issues and details specific ideas for how to tackle the toughest challenges.
-
Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The bilateral Pakistan Policy Working Group, of which Brookings Senior Fellow Stephen Cohen is a member, issued a new report on the U.S.-Pakistan relationship moving forward. The report recommends commissioning a new National Intelligence Estimate upon which to base U.S. policy. It also advocates greater economic aid, public diplomacy, market access and assistance with counterinsurgency, assuming Pakistan can deliver results against extremism in the tribal areas and adequately oversee its intelligence services.
-
Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Although private aid from philanthropies and NGOs deliver a larger share of total development assistance than official aid agencies, they are rarely included in development policy-planning meetings, particularly at today’s UN High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals. In order to improve the MDGs implementation and monitoring process, and ultimately the effectiveness of aid, Raj Desai and Joshua Hermias urge for better inclusion of private aid donors.
-
Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Sixty years following the creation of the IMF and the World Bank, the nature of global financial, emerging markets and poverty aid has changed dramatically. Lex Rieffel argues that if the institutions were to be created today they would be structured differently and located outside of Washington. His case and recommendations for reform are contained in a new working paper.
-
Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In the wake of the attack on the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, Yemen, Navtej Dhillon emphasizes that human development, resource management, and the productive use of a fast growing youth population are of utmost importance to Yemen’s future, the poorest country in the Arab world. The international community must now do more than ever to invest in sustainable economic development and institutional capacity-building to ensure the country’s prosperity and stability.
-
Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
On the seventh anniversary of September 11, Lael Brainard and Noam Unger examine how the global development agenda has changed and how the U.S. can take critical steps to lead on efforts to reduce global poverty.
-
Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bruce Riedel reviews The Duel, by Tariq Ali. Riedel concludes that the author is correct in noting that the U.S. should back Pakistan's civilian leadership, even if it is somewhat flawed, because we cannot afford Pakistan to become a failed state governed by terrorists.
-
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Following the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the High Level Forum will resume for its third gathering in Accra, Ghana on September 2, 2008. Homi Kharas examines the coordination of development aid and the addition of new donors since the Paris Declaration and questions whether this Forum’s ministerial declaration of an Accra Agenda for Action can provide improvements to the $170 billion aid system.
-
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The rise of private aid donors—foundations, NGOs, corporations, and individuals—is changing the landscape of development assistance. As private aid has doubled within the past decade, the developing world welcomes these new players, and Raj Desai and Homi Kharas argue that they have the potential to be more effective in ending global poverty than the traditional bilateral and multilateral aid agencies.
-
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
For years, global poverty eradication and climate change mitigation have been two prominent but separate struggles yet in order to solve both challenges, policymakers will need to consider linked issues across both fields and understand how solutions for one might affect the other. In a new paper for the 2008 Brookings Blum Roundtable, Lael Brainard and Nigel Purvis examine the issues facing climate change and global development and offer recommendations for how to address the urgency of both policy imperatives.
-
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As the aftermath of cyclone Nargis becomes clearer, Lex Rieffel and David I. Steinberg argue that the best hope for tangible improvements in the daily lives of Myanmar's people is the newly adopted charter of the 10 ASEAN member countries. The charter has a weak human-rights provision, but it will provide a stronger basis for dialogue with the Myanmar government.
-
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
An unprecedented explosion of development players heralds a new era of global action on poverty. Global Development 2.0 celebrates this transformative trend within international aid and offers lessons to ensure that this wave of generosity yields lasting and widespread improvements to the lives and prospects of the world’s poorest.
-
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- August 01, 2008, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- August 03, 2008, 8:00 AM to 9:30 PM
In its fifth annual gathering, the Brookings Blum Roundtable addressed the challenges of climate change and development and convened leaders from both the development and climate change communities to discuss and debate policy ideas that could benefit both fronts. By examining common challenges—accountability, effective deployment of resources, agenda-setting, mobilizing the public and financial resources, and achieving scale and sustainability—the roundtable established a solid foundation for collaboration among the climate change and development communities and fostered ideas for policy action.
-
Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Aid volatility, caused by various reasons including shifts in the donor’s economic and political landscape, can negatively affect development growth. Homi Kharas measures the cost of aid volatility using a financial metric, which if used by policymakers, can create a better system of aid flows and effective development. At times, recipient countries can incur negative income shocks, and Kharas calculates that in recent years about 16 billion USD in development assistance has been lost to aid volatility.
-
Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Poverty, climate change, and the food crisis were at the forefront of the G8 Summit held in Hokkaido, Japan this week. Johannes Linn assesses the G8 meeting outcomes, and explores the implications of their commitments and other pending issues, including potential enlargement of the group.
-
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In a recent article written for a 2008 project of the Stanley Foundation and the Center for a New American Security, Noam Unger and Craig Cohen, associate vice president for research and programs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, examine recent efforts to modernize U.S. civilian international affairs agencies.
-
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:00:37 GMT
Homi Kharas offers some insight about the G8 summit with a particular focus on poverty and global food prices. Kharas argues that G-8 nations need to address short-term solutions as well as the broader issues of imbalances in the global economy in order to have a more comprehensive set of solutions for the global food crisis.
-
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Rising food prices may reduce the extreme poverty often found in rural agricultural areas, argues Raj Desai. However, due to the continuous neglect of agricultural investment from bilateral donors and rich stakeholders, the poor farmers will not find this escape from poverty and actions taken to ease the effect of growing food prices will keep the wealth in urban areas.
-
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In this new working paper on the best (and worst) practices in foreign aid, Easterly and Pfutze compare 48 bilateral and multilateral aid agencies across five dimensions and rank the agencies according to these criteria of “best practice.”
-
Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Lael Brainard and Noam Unger discuss how the global food crisis showcases America’s limited current capability to respond effectively to global development challenges, and argue that the U.S. must modernize its foreign aid system in order to effectively offer solutions to poverty and lead internationally.
-
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 10, 2008, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
With its hard power stretched thin and facing 21st century threats from poverty, pandemics, and terrorism, the United States needs to revitalize its foreign aid infrastructure to ensure it effectively executes on America’s aspirations and aid dollars. On June 10, Lael Brainard from Brookings joined other leading global development experts, and Reps. Berman and Lowey and Senator Hagel, to discuss how the U.S. foreign aid system must change. A new consensus proposal for reform was also issued, which contains a number of Brookings’ recommendations.
-
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 10, 2008, 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Homi Kharas and Johannes Linn of the Wolfensohn Center for Development co-hosted a dialogue on global development aid strategies with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. By outlining the evolving aid architecture with a complex financial system and a vastly growing number of private aid donors, and introducing Homi Kharas’ measurement of aid volatility costs, leading development experts discussed recommendations to make development aid more effective and efficient.
-
Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT
At least 77 million children worldwide do not attend primary school, a problem which is often fueled by a lack of resources but also by a lack of political will. In a new Brookings Global policy brief, Stephen Kosack examines the issue of political will and its affect on primary education access.
-
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As the scope of tropical cyclone Nargis becomes clearer, Elizabeth Ferris and Lex Rieffel recall that the 2004 tsunami, which struck Aceh provice in Indonesia among other places, was both a human tragedy and a political blessing. They argue that this experience is not likely to be replicated in Myanmar because the regime will continue to refuse much of the assistance offered by foreign governments and international NGOs.
-
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As the disaster caused by tropical cyclone Nargis continues to unfold in Burma, Michael O'Hanlon offers suggestions for dealing with the crisis. He believes the UN should appoint an aid coordinator to Burma, and that political activities against the government should be put on hold during this time of great need.
-
Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT
With more than a million people killed, missing, or uprooted by the cyclone that struck Myanmar/Burma on May 3, international aid groups and foreign governments are mobilizing food, water and other assistance for the country. Lex Rieffel, who is currently studying the Asian perspective on Myanmar/Burma, addresses some of the key policy challenges.
-
Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT
President Bush recently called on Congress to increase U.S. food aid and development programs by $770 million. In a recent op-ed, Noam Unger, senior manager of Brookings’ Foreign Aid Reform Project, discusses how U.S. assistance programs should be strengthened in order to improve the effectiveness of America’s aid during the global food crisis and beyond.
-
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
There are unprecedented challenges for humanitarian actors today, demonstrated by the fine line between promoting humanitarian principles and advocacy. In this statement to the Global Communications Forum of the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent, Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris examines these challenges and discusses ways to address them while maintaining key humanitarian principles.
-
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
While the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings made recent headlines, the Global Philanthropy Forum, gathering top private aid donors, fell in the shadows. These private aid donors will likely give more aid to the world’s poor this year than the institutions that convened the Spring Meetings. Raj Desai and Homi Kharas compare these two events and discuss how private aid can help to relieve global poverty.
-
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Rising food prices partly reflect the spillover from high energy costs, and are causing major problems for poor people. Homi Kharas argues for more development assistance for agriculture production to increase food supplies in the long run as well as for more assistance for sustainable development projects to create jobs and higher wages so that poor people can afford the rising costs of food.
-
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As the world faces security threats from impoverished states, the global community searches for solutions to poverty. Lael Brainard offers Congress recommendations for modernizing the U.S. aid infrastructure.
-
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Susan Rice and Stewart Patrick offer suggestions for policymakers to examine state weakness and prioritize efforts to address it based on their recent report titled "Index of State Weakness in the Developing World."
-
Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The effectiveness of foreign aid is reduced by the low share of aid going into country programmes, donors’ fragmentation into small and often disconnected projects, and by significant volatility over time. Joshua Hermias and Homi Kharas discuss the key role that competition can have in spurring efficiency in aid agencies, which would asist aid harmonization.
-
Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The Index of State Weakness in the Developing World provides policy-makers and researchers with a credible tool for analyzing and understanding the world's most vulnerable countries. Co-directed by Brookings Senior Fellow Susan Rice and Center for Global Development Research Fellow Stewart Patrick, the Index ranks and assesses 141 developing nations according to their relative performance in four critical spheres: economic, political, security and social welfare.
-
Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
President Bush recently concluded a trip to Africa, where he was received warmly throughout the five-nations he visited. During his administration, U.S. economic assistance to African nations has more than doubled and has been targeted, with some success, toward HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention—diseases that take a terrible toll on Africa's people. Homi Kharas analyzes U.S. prioritization and allocation of the pledged aid to put these accomplishments into perspective.
-
Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In a world facing 21st century threats from global poverty, pandemics, and terrorism, foreign aid has assumed renewed importance as a critical instrument for advancing American values, interests, and national security. Lael Brainard offers Congress recommendations for urgent reform since U.S. foreign aid policy has become incoherent and its implementation fragmented.
-
Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT
From climate change to international aid, better rules of engagement are mandatory to resolve global issues and sustain the current cycle of prosperity and wealth, Homi Kharas argues. Managing globalization well is being held hostage to the absence of productive engagement between rich and poor countries.
-
Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:31:38 GMT
On December 10, Brookings hosted the Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People around the Globe (HELP) Commission for their release of “Beyond Assistance,” the commission’s recommendations for foreign aid reform. Brookings Vice President Lael Brainard examines critical points in the report and discusses next steps for the reform effort.
-
Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 10, 2007, 1:00 PM to 4:00 pm
On December 10, the Global Economy and Development program hosted the HELP Commission for the official release of its report on foreign aid reform, Beyond Assistance. Mary Bush, chair of the HELP Commission, announced the commission’s recommendations during remarks. Additional commissioners discussed their views on reform priorities and next steps. The second panel of independent experts led by Lael Brainard, vice president and director of Global Economy and Development, offered analysis of the HELP Commission’s report and discuss steps to move reform forward.
-
Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
In a new Brookings Global working paper, William Easterly analyzes the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and argues that the initial definitions of “success” or “failure” have made attainment of the MGDs less likely in Africa than in other regions.
-
Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
By examining the trends in aid flows and the changing aid architecture, Homi Kharas, Brookings Visiting Fellow at the Wolfensohn Center for Development, discusses the shortfalls in the dissemination of billions of dollars in development assistance.
-
Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings Scholar William Easterly discusses foreign aid with Fareed Zakaria on his show Foreign Exchange.
-
Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The United States is the world’s largest foreign aid donor. But foreign aid encompasses a bewildering array of programs, both bilateral and international, that address issues like economic development, fighting disease, supporting a friendly government and providing disaster relief. The ability to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs is elusive. Kenneth Dam says that the next President should follow a strategy which will serve to produce a much-needed discussion on this important issue.
-
Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Development projects, programs and policies are often limited in scale, short-lived and don't have lasting impact. Arntraud Hartmann and Johannes Linn argue that scaling up-- expanding, adapting, and sustaining successful projects, programs, or policies over time—can substantially reduce poverty in this focus brief for IFPRI’s 2007 Conference, "Taking Action for the World's Poor and Hungry People" on October 17-19 in Beijing.
-
Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
This working paper by William Easterly shows that the record on aid agencies indicates little evidence of progress in response to political changes, experience or new knowledge.
-
Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT
-
Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
It would be an enormous shame to abandon the focus on foreign assistance reform as the administration's specific proposals come under fire. A glance at the many agencies involved in pursuing the dizzying array of objectives embodied in U.S. foreign assistance should convince even the most diehard skeptic we have a problem.
-
Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- July 27, 2007 at 12:00 AM
On July 27, 2007, Brookings hosted an event in the U.S. Capitol on the need to fundamentally reform U.S. foreign aid. As a critical instrument of American power and a key determinant of the face of America seen by people around the world, foreign aid must be up to the task of addressing 21st century challenges.
-
Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by William Easterly, LATimes.com (07/06/07)
-
Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Noam Unger, InterAction's Monday Developments (July 2007)
-
Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Testimony by Lael Brainard before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (6/12/07)
-
Tue, 05 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 05, 2007, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
-
Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
The Marshall Plan was America's first full-blown foray into the enterprise of development and a turning point for our engagement in foreign lands. Sixty years later, what are the lessons we can draw to reinvigorate our foreign assistance mission and programs to mitigate global challenges while sharing America's spirit of goodwill and generosity?