RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon, July 01, 2009, The Washington Times
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Navtej Dhillon, Laurence Chandy and Geoffrey Gertz, June 01, 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, May 21, 2009
12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Washington, DC
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Tamara Cofman Wittes and Andrew Masloski, May 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jane Nelson and Noam Unger, May 2009, The Brookings Institution
As the Obama administration and Congress work to reform an outdated foreign assistance system, they have an opportunity to adapt official U.S. efforts to more effectively and efficiently support global development in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.
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Homi Kharas, April 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Getnet Alemu, April 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Noam Unger and Frederick Barton, April 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Richard Joseph, April 07, 2009, Chicago Public Radio's Worldview
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Noam Unger and Abigail Jones, March 2009, InterAction's Monday Developments
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
March 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Daniel Kaufmann, March 17, 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
BOOK
Lael Brainard, Abigail Jones and Nigel Purvis, March 01, 2009
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Homi Kharas, February 16, 2009, The Growth Blog
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Homi Kharas, February 11, 2009, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More