Waste not, want not
In which I am sceptical about a proposed new public-private partnership to tackle hunger.
What has aid ever done for anyone?
This will make most sense to people familiar with Monty Python. Nice video from Save the Children
Will CIDA’s demise hurt the world’s poor?
I’m quoted in a couple of Canadian newspapers today about the demise of CIDA.
Bob Geldof: from activist to investor [podcast]
Celebrity activists who campaign about development are often sneered at by development economists and by commentators; they are variously accused of ignorance, of exploiting a cause to further their own career, or even of wanting to perpetuate poverty to justify their own public profile. Bob Geldof has given an extended interview on Development Drums about his work over three decades; you can judge for yourself if this criticism of celebrity activists is fair. (But beware: the language is colourfully and characteristically explicit in places.) You can listen to the 35 minute version here, or listen to the entire extended interview.
Britain joins the G-0.7
Britain overtakes Germany to become the world’s second largest aid donor, and the first G-8 member of the 0.7% club.
From poverty to power – Duncan Green on Development Drums
In the second of a series of three Development Drums podcasts about the relationship between citizens, states and development, Duncan Green talks about effective states and active citizens. Duncan is widely known for his terrific development blog; he is also the author of an ambitious book, From Poverty to Power, which is now out in its second edition.
Give money or the polar bear gets it
If Coke thinks about this long and hard, I think they will find that making a concerted effort to tackle climate change is the best way to ensure the continued well-being of polar bears, rather than a bear sponsorship scheme.
Accountability and open government [podcast]
In the latest edition of Development Drums, Rakesh Rajani and Martin Tisné discuss accountability and open government.
Complexity and development
Here is the video of my lecture on Complexity and Development, given in Washington DC on February 5th, 2013.
We can be the generation …
David Cameron said today “We can be the generation that eradicates absolute poverty in our world.” We are not the first generation to think that we are the first generation that can eradicate poverty.