02 Apr 2009 /
Kizzy Gandy
The current media discourse around the G20 summit can broadly be divided into two camps: There are those who are critical of the agenda because it neglects issues such as climate change and international development; and there are those who doubt whether any substantive agreement can be reached amongst such a diverse set of nations with diverse interests. A worrying trend lamented by both camps is the 47 major measures to restrict trade which have been implemented by several countries since the last G20 leaders’ summit in Washington.
What is missing from the discourse and what underpins all of these concerns is the endogenous nature of the global financial crisis.
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07 Dec 2008 /
Kizzy Gandy
Would revising the ‘Make Poverty History’ slogan to ‘Make Poverty Slightly Less’ reduce public cynicism about development aid? At a recent London conference (28 November, 2008) on ‘Giving for Development’, held at Cass Business School, City University, it was argued that the current development narrative is too ambitious. Qualitative research presented at the conference showed many Britons believe the government’s development efforts are largely driven by celebrity activists like Bono and Bob Geldof. Thus, it was suggested that a more modest development narrative could assist in lowering public expectations about what the government is able to achieve with regards to poverty alleviation in Third World countries.
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22 Nov 2008 /
Kizzy Gandy
Why have Italy and Ireland announced cuts to their foreign aid budget? Which other countries might reverse their UN commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance by 2015 because of public pressure?
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21 Nov 2008 /
Kizzy Gandy
A report just launched by the Terrestrial Carbon Group makes an important contribution to the global climate change debate. The authors include dozens of eminent scientists, economists and public policy specialists such as Joseph Stiglitz and Tim Flannery. The report comes just in time for the next round of international negotiations – to be held in Poznan, December 2008 – which will advance the agenda for a post-Kyoto agreement.
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