PAST EVENT
Friday, November 14, 2008
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
With escalating tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more than 200,000 displaced civilians are living in camps seeking refuge from the violence. Given the ever-worsening situation in the DRC, what are the options to prevent a humanitarian disaster? Will the international community organize an effective international response? On November 14, the Brookings Institution will host a discussion on the crisis in Congo. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William Easterly, October 2008, The Brookings Institution
In a new working paper, William Easterly examines the Western efforts to “save Africa.” He argues that little has been learned over the years with the aid to Africa effort and that it has merely been a cycling of aid ideas. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alex Mundt and Elizabeth Ferris, October 28, 2008, Enhancing Protection of Civilians in Protracted Conflicts, ARC/Austcare Symposium
Though there are important similarities in the impact of prolonged displacement on the lives of IDPs and refugees, there are also significant differences in their situations -- particularly when it comes to solutions. While return is often the desired solution for both IDPs and political actors, Alex Mundt and Elizabeth Ferris argue that local integration and return should not be seen as mutually exclusive alternatives, as they can encourage IDPs to build new lives elsewhere without having to give up the possibility of an eventual return. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Richard Joseph, October 24, 2008, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Richard Joseph, October 22, 2008, The 14th Nigerian Economic Summit
Speaking at the 14th Nigerian Economic Summit, Richard Joseph reflects on governance and institutional capacity building in Nigeria, with respect to how Nigeria can confront its economic challenges and move to sustained growth. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Richard Joseph, October 21, 2008, The 14th Nigerian Economic Summit
Speaking at the 14th Nigerian Economic Summit, Richard Joseph reflects on governance and public service in Nigeria, with respect to how Nigeria can maximize its economic potential. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
October 2008, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, September 26, 2008, Searching for Peace and Justice in Sudan: The Role of the International Criminal Court
At first glance, the reaction of humanitarian actors on the ground in Darfur to potential indictments of the Sudanese president Omar Bashir seems pretty obvious. Darfur's 2.5 million internally displaced people, the 4.2 million in need of food assistnace and the 17,000 or so humanitarian workers would make easy targets for an angry Sudanese government. But like everything in Darfur, Elizabeth Ferris explains, the situation is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, September 2008, The Brookings Institution
When those working with IDPs develop programs and policies without taking the time to listen to those most affected — the IDPs themselves — plans often go wrong. In order to ensure their needs not only are met but also that lasting solutions are found for their displacement, Roberta Cohen explains that it is critical to listen to the voices of IDPs. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Homi Kharas, August 27, 2008, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Raj M. Desai and Homi Kharas, August-September 2008, Survival, vol. 50, no. 4 (August-September 2008)
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Khalil Al-Anani, August 14-20, 2008, Al-Ahram Weekly
Khalil Al-Anani considers the question of the internal practice of democracy among Islamist groups in the Arab world. He concludes that Islamist parties often demonstrate a greater respect for democratic practice than secular and liberal parties. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Lael Brainard and Nigel Purvis, August 2008, The Brookings Institution
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. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Khalil Al-Anani, August 12, 2008, Daily Star Egypt
Khalil Al-Anani writes about the recent coup in Mauritania and about its ramifications for the Arab world. He argues that the country’s recent political history is proof of the need for the broader region to commit to democracy as the best means of achieving political balance and economic prosperity. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Homi Kharas, August 04, 2008, Economist.com
As part of an Oxford-style debate hosted by The Economist, Homi Kharas provides further reasoning that there is “an upside for humanity in the rise of food prices.” Higher prices provide incentives for increased food production and opportunities for raised incomes among the poor, and international donor support for the developing world has been accelerated due to this global crisis. Read More