Our May 2010 Issue: Development
The May issue of Foreign Policy Digest tackles the multi-faceted theme of “Development.” As this month’s articles make clear, the concept is far from monolithic. Both the challenges associated with development across the globe and those actors involved in development activities are diverse and varied.
A snapshot of the challenge is staggering: half of humanity continues to live on less than $2 per day, and the global recession has made matters even worse, pushing an estimated 64 million additional people into extreme poverty in 2010 alone. This month’s feature articles explore in-depth the numerous development challenges that plague societies around the world, the multiple governmental and non-governmental actors invested in tackling these issues, and the trailblazing strategies adopted by those confronting the development problems of our day.
Our Americas section contains an article co-written by Sean Bartlett – FPD’s new Americas regional editor – and Neil Ghosh a leader at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. Their piece explores strategies to spur private sector contributions to development and poverty alleviation, such as the use of inclusive business models. The article sheds important light on the increasing effectiveness of public-private partnerships to facilitating investment in global development through the identification of opportunities to engage low-income communities.
Our South Asia regional editor, Mahanth Joishy, authors the first monthly article for FPD’s new South Asia section, which analyzes the modified approach to direct foreign aid between the United States and Pakistan. Joishy examines the key tenants of the Pakistani foreign assistance legislation passed by Congress last year which shifts the focus of aid towards development, strengthening democratic governance, and a longer-term approach to the bilateral partnership.
The feature for the Asia Pacific section is written by Marcy Nicks Moody, a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar in China. The article assesses the uneven nature of China’s economic development and the accompanying social pressures which such income disparity brings to bear on Chinese society. Ms. Moody dissects the key factors behind the imbalanced trajectory of China’s economic rise and offers insight into strategies to lower inequality and boost the living standards of China’s households.
This month’s Europe/Russia feature selection focuses on the impact of the recent bailout of Greece’s faltering economy on the prospects for Europe’s continued development assistance to poorer nations. Authored by FPD’s Russia/Europe regional editor Matthew Lamm, the article makes important observations about the less-reported victims of the developed world’s financial crisis: countries in the developing world heavily reliant on foreign aid that will be forced to find new sources of assistance as European nations increasingly direct their limited aid resources to shoring up vulnerable economies much closer to home.
D. Marko Cimbaljevich, an attorney in Washington, D.C., pens this month’s Africa feature article which examines China’s growing influence in Africa precipitated by massive foreign direct investment in areas such as infrastructure and natural resource extraction. Although economically beneficial to many African nations, because China’s development assistance lacks many Western-style preconditions – such as human rights protections, anti-corruption measures, and political reforms – Mr. Cimbaljevich posits that additional steps must be taken to encourage the development of democratic systems in Africa and further integrate China into the fabric of international institutions.
And rounding out our trip around the world, Vanessa Zuabi authors this month’s Middle East feature article highlighting the importance of self-starting enterprises, as well as the expansion of the private sector through small medium enterprises, on prospects for development across the Middle East. Although small medium enterprises may hold the key to alleviating development problems in the region such as soaring unemployment rates, Ms. Zubai identifies a number of key challenges which stand in the way of realizing the full potential of these poverty reducers.
We at FPD hope that our feature articles this month illustrate that the theme of development touches a myriad of individuals, businesses, governments, and international institutions. And ending global development challenges – such as extreme poverty – is beyond the reach of any single sector or actor. We hope that you will consider new ways in which your talents may be utilized to aid in the enormous development challenges that lie ahead.
Robert Friedman is the Managing Editor of Foreign Policy Digest, a non-resident Fellow at the Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law and a Principal in the Truman National Security Project.
