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451. Haiti: "A Gathering Storm"

Author:
Anita Swarup
Publication Date:
11-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
''The situation was bad before the hurricanes in 2008 – there was a drought - but after them it got worse and more complicated people lost what little they had – houses, crops, livestock – which creates a catastrophe of hunger in this area. We feel ashamed, we have to beg from the state and other international agencies'' Lissage Geneus, a local government official (CASEC) in Baie d'Orange.
Topic:
Climate Change and Poverty
Political Geography:
Caribbean and Haiti

452. Aid for Agriculture: Promises and the Reality on the Ground

Author:
Jean-Denis Crola
Publication Date:
11-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Between June 2008 and July 2009, over 40 billion dollars were pledged by the main donor countries to provide emergency response to the food crisis and to sustainably invest in agriculture in developing countries. In addition, the donor and beneficiary countries, the United Nations, the World Bank and other actors called for better coordination of interventions on the ground, as well as increased investment in national strategies and policies. These two elements were identified as essential points for action in the joint statement on food security made at L'Aquila, during the last G8 summit.
Topic:
Agriculture, Humanitarian Aid, and Poverty
Political Geography:
United Nations

453. No Other Life: Gangs, Guns, and Governance in Trinidad and Tobago

Author:
Dorn Townsend
Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Small Arms Survey
Abstract:
In the last decade, gun-related homicides in Trinidad and Tobago (T T) have risen about1,000 per cent. While higher rates of crime have permeated much of the island of Trinidad in particular, overwhelmingly violence is concentrated in relatively small, hilly, and dense urban areas on the east side of Port of Spain's central business district. On a per capita basis, the eastern districts of Port of Spain are among the most dangerous places on the planet and, as a whole, the murder rate for Port of Spain is comparable to that of Baghdad (Kukis, 2009).
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Crime, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Africa, Spain, and Island

454. Climate Shame: Get back to the table Initial analysis of the Copenhagen climate talks

Author:
Kate Raworth
Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Copenhagen was a unique opportunity to turn the world's course away from climate disaster, towards a safe future for all of us on this small planet. Massive global public mobilization demanded it. But leaders of the major powers negotiated for their national interests, instead of safeguarding our shared destiny.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Poverty, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:
United States

455. The Missing Middle in Agricultural Finance: Relieving the capital constraint on smallholder groups and other agricultural SMEs

Author:
Alan Doran, Ntongi McFadyen, and Robert C Vogel
Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
So far the private sector has made only small progress in responding to the needs of, and opportunities in, the market segment of small-scale agricultural enterprises, after the widespread withdrawal of the paradigm of government funded and controlled agricultural development. The unmet needs for finance of producer associations and other forms of SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) in agriculture, for transactions in the size range £5,000 to £500,000, constitute the missing middle. The crucial issue is how to overcome the barriers to scaling-up the private sector's response.
Topic:
Agriculture, Development, Poverty, and Third World

456. Underdevelopment, Resource Scarcity, and Environmental Degradation

Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Peace Institute
Abstract:
Underdevelopment, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation are cardinal, even existential, threats to human security. These challenges not only threaten human life and well-being, but also impact the global geopolitical and economic landscape. Chronic underdevelopment condemns more than 1 billion people to lives of poverty, illness, and poor political and economic prospects. Long-term goals of economic and human development are undermined by scarce, unreliable, or unaffordable supplies of vital resources such as food, water, and energy. Climate change threatens to exacerbate the effects of environmental degradation, putting land and livelihoods at grave risk.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Environment, Poverty, and Natural Resources

457. The Carter Center News: Fall 2009

Publication Date:
10-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Carter Center
Abstract:
President Carter tells the story of the inspiration for The Carter Center by recalling how in 1981 amid fundraising for his presidential library and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, he awoke one night and sat up in bed. Mrs. Carter, worried, asked him what was wrong. He replied that he wanted to create an institute similar to Camp David adjacent to the new library, where warring factions could go for mediation. And so The Carter Center was born.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, Poverty, and Foreign Aid
Political Geography:
Sudan

458. Haiti: the challenge of ending the transition to democracy

Author:
Tone Faret and Eduardo Colindres
Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
Abstract:
The political scene in Haiti will be dominated by elections in 2010. The challenge is significant for the international community, which plays a prominent role and has a notable presence in the country, and for national actors, especially the much disputed Provisional Election Council (CEP).
Topic:
Democratization, Poverty, and Governance
Political Geography:
Caribbean and Haiti

459. Lending a Hand: A Quantile Regression Analysis of Micro-Lending's Poverty Impact

Author:
Stephen W. Polk and Daniel K.N. Johnson
Publication Date:
12-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Department of Economics and Business, Colorado College
Abstract:
By one definition, the mean of the national poverty lines for the 10 poorest countries in the world or $1.25/day (2005 USD adjusted to purchasing power parity), the World Bank estimates that there are 1.4 billion people living under the poverty line (Chen and Ravallion, 2008). That represents a significant drop over the last twenty years, some due to policy and some due to concerted private action. Among private anti-poverty programs, none has become more publicized in recent years than micro-finance, or financial services targeting low-income clients.
Topic:
Economics, Gender Issues, and Poverty
Political Geography:
United States

460. From Master Plans to Stimulus Packages: Reflections on Urban Assistance to Rich and Poor Countries

Author:
Michael Cohen
Publication Date:
11-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The New School Graduate Program in International Affairs
Abstract:
The intensive efforts of the World Bank and other urban lending programs focused on the immediate physical needs of housing and urban services rather than considering cities as sites of value creation, income generation, or productivity—an urbanization model of high urban population growth shaped this focus. Such urban planning and policy need to be considered in terms of its intention and how objectives implicitly and explicitly address the issue of context. Moreover, lessons of policy and program assistance practice should be reflected in urban lending program design; their evolution and use suggest the need for more attention to context.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Poverty, and Third World