International Human Development
The Rise of the BRICS
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision not to attend the G8 summit later this week can be read as a sign of Mr. Putin’s displeasure with those who question the legitimacy of his return to the Russian presidency, writes Senior Fellow Gregory Chin.
CIDA, NGOs and mining companies: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In an op-ed to iPolitics, CIGI Senior Fellow Barry Carin argues that "public private partnerships will be easier to promote if CIDA picks unimpeachable NGO partners who operate with complete transparency."
Time to update the Millennium Development Goals
In an op-ed to The Toronto Star, CIGI Senior Fellow Barry Carin argues that "Canadians should pay attention and influence the coming debate" on the future of United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Jobs and Inclusive Growth: the IMF finally catches up to reality
Last year, the IMF created a working group to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the global economy and development today: jobs and inclusive growth. The problem exists in both the developed world and the developing world. Indeed, the Arab Spring and protests throughout southern europe have brought this issue to greater light. The working group reported its preliminary findings today at the IMF World Bank Spring Meetings, seeking the feedback of civil society actors and think tank fellows like yours truly.
Capital controls: a panacea to global imbalances?
At the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington, D.C., there continues to be great talk about the merits of capital controls. Particularly because we live in a time where developed countries continue to have low interest rates and developing countries have high interest rates that effectively cause a rapid and large influx of capital moving into developing and emerging market economies.
Is Dr. Jim Yong Kim right for the job?
CIGI Senior Fellow Bessma Momani says Dr. Jim Yong Kim comes to the role of World Bank president "without understanding both the policy side and the economic side" of development.
Canadian grant programme supports research in Africa
CIGI's Andy Best, research coordinator for the Africa Initiative, speaks to Radio Canada International's The Link about one of the 15 recent grants announced by the Africa Initiative. Canadian-based researcher Shishir Shahnawaz will be exploring the engagement of emerging powers in Africa.
Is Happiness Just As Important As GNP? And How Do You Measure It?
CIGI Distinguished Fellow Louise Frechette speaks to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the link between happiness and well-being and the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
Insights on Inclusive Order from Singapore
I have been spending the last few days in Singapore at a very interesting conference sponsored by Nanyang Technological University and the Asian Development Bank Institute on the theme of the Evolving De-centralized Global Economic architecture. Such a theme highlights the interest that a small but smart state such as Singapore has in maintaining a balance between the need for rules and regulations in the global order, and the space for innovative practices at the domestic level to keep up its competitive status.
Inside the Issues 2.23 - North Korea and Regional Security
With a new leader installed in Kim Jong-un and fresh negotiations underway with the United States, some think that North Korea may finally be coming in from the cold of international estrangement. To test this theory, Inside the Issues talks to Seung Hyok Lee, adjunct assistant professor at Renison University College and South Korean national.
Zimbabweans see a future in South Africa
In an op-ed to The New Age, CIGI Chair in Global Migration and Development Jonathan Crush explains why so many Zimbabweans see their immediate future in South Africa, not Zimbabwe.
Ladies First (or until now, Last): Achieving MDG 5
The UN and the World Bank recently celebrated the “achievement” of two important targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): access to clean water and halving poverty[1]. While we are reflecting on these accomplishments, it’s important to note that the same success story doesn’t extend to all MDGs.
Undernutrition and Overnutrition: Who is Feeding Whom?
We live in a world today where one billion people – that is one in every seven people on the planet – are undernourished. At the same time, more than one billion people are overweight, including some 300 million people who are obese. Both undernutrition and overnutrition are forms of malnutrition, and both harm human health and impose enormous costs on society.
Is the Division of Labour Limited by the Extent of Social Capital?
The U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, gave a thoughtful, entertaining talk at the CIGI Signature Lecture series event at the CIGI Campus last week. It was one of those speeches that is enjoyable at the time and, because it makes you think, which you appreciate even more afterwards.
When Humanitarian Relief Doesn't End and Development Assistance Doesn't Begin
When emergency relief turns into a protracted crisis, what happens to the aid that falls between short-term humanitarian relief and development assistance over the medium-term?
Who should deliver it? Who should oversee it?
In the current aid architecture, it’s not always clear who is responsible for ensuring funding and resources in complex humanitarian situations.
Closing the Gap Between Humanitarian and Development Aid
In an op-ed to IDN, CIGI Research Officer Meagan Kay argues that clarifying the distinction between humanitarian and development assistance is fundamental to addressing challenges in the current aid architecture.
HIV and food security
In an op-ed to The New Age, CIGI Chair in Global Migration and Development Jonathan Crush looks at the impact that HIV-AIDS has on food security within households and communities in Africa.
Inside the Issues 2.19 - International Migration and Development
While international migration and development are oft-discussed topics in global governance, the nexus between the two receives far less attention. Not so for Jonathan Crush, the newly-appointed CIGI Chair in Global Migration and Development, our guest this week on Inside the Issues. He argues against the notion of economic development "stopping migration," saying that the relationship between flows of wealth and people are not so straight-forward in today's complex global arena.
New Development Thought: An Introduction
This blog is a space to discuss and debate new lines of development thinking, as the realm of global development is undergoing fundamental change. As the global development architecture continues to become more complex, development goals and modalities evolve, traditional assumptions about international development no longer necessarily hold. It’s time to rethink global development, how development is practiced, best practices and lessons learned.
Jean-Claude Duvalier should be tried for more than corruption
In an op-ed to The Toronto Star, CIGI Distinguished Fellow Jorge Heine argues that "the last thing (Haiti) needs right now is a resurfacing of Duvalierism."