Saturday, June 25, 2011

What’s Wrong with Micro-Finance?: A Book Report

Edited by Thomas Dichter and Malcolm Harper
The idea of microfinance has been in existence for about six decades even before the ideology of development could be thought off.  Microcredit first kicked off momentum after the 1997 Microcredit Summit in Washington, D.C. and the concept reached its peak in 2005 and 2006. The United Nations declared 2005 as the year of Microcredit and the micro finance scheme became well known in 1983 when Mohamed Yunus and the Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize. This led to a change in the perception how microcredit is been viewed and conceptualize by the world; that is, the poor were now seeing as major entrepreneurs, who have the needed skills and expertise in business, but needed financial resources to initiate and jump start their own businesses. At the core of the micro-finance ventures, the poor are considered people who when provided with the right financial resources are able to removed themselves from the cradles of poverty.
The purpose of the book "What's Wrong with Microfinance?" is aim at policy makers, politicians and money philanthropists who have enthusiasts in the view that microfinance is one of the effective means of eliminating poverty in the world’s poorest regions. Another goal of the book is to re-examine the microfinance revolution and see how to delimit the growing expectations that are currently clouding the minds of development practitioners and those benefiting from the micro-finance scheme. It contains articles written by 22 authors in diverse fields related to microfinance and whose combined professional experiences account to about 300 years of specialty in microcredit and micro-finance.
The editors and authors talked about the issue of over-inflated expectations that are clouding the microfinance arena and how that has to be systematically addressed to be able to meet the needs of those who would benefit from such scheme. If these over-inflated assumptions are not addressed appropriately, this may likely result in more harm than good. The evolution of microfinance was a gradual and systematic process that evolved over time starting in the 1950s through the early 1970s. Development endeavors during this stage focused specifically bridging the gaps between the developed and the developing world by focusing on the issues of replication and imitation by developing countries based on the successes and weaknesses of the developed countries. As such, the introduction of direct aid in development agenda shifted the need to reconsider how development apparatus function and thus give birth to the introduction of ‘micro enterprises.’ In the 1970s, the progress of supplying capital to small-scale business entrepreneurs prepared the foundation upon which microfinance emerged. The term “informed sector” coined by Hans Singer in the International Labour Organization’s report in 1972 paved the way in the 1980s for the progressive, rapid growth and development of the microfinance scheme in the development agenda.
This led to a development paradigm shift in the target audience of funding for micro-finance ventures, because poor people were willing to engage in productive projects with funding they received. At a meeting in Washington, D.C. in 1988, it was suggested and debated that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) considering their scope of operation and proximity to the targeted population were best fit for initiating funding for poor communities to engage in microfinance ventures than the banks and governments because they claimed that these banks and international financial institutions could not reach the poor people effectively and efficiently. As a result of this process, a new financial atmosphere emerged and developed, which led to the establishment of the Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) responsible for coordinating the processes of getting funding opportunities for poor to engage in micro-business schemes. This led to the widespread establishment of diverse institutions responsible for making sure that poor people had access to financial resources.
The issues associated with why formal financial institutions such as banks did not lend money to the poor people is their inability to provide collateral and this issue became the discussion among the new leaders in the microfinance sphere. Discussions among the new microfinance institutions were centered on what could potentially replace the gaps in providing collateral by the poor in order to receive funding for their micro-projects. Several questions were raised to see how effective this new scheme could be in addressing the needs of the poor and these questions give rise to new ideologies one of which states that “women became the main clientele, because they are better repayers and they invest in their families welfare then men. This change in paradigm led to the development of several strategies that are geared towards microfinance lending to the poor and this gradually attracted the view and interest of the World Bank, which provided funding and research opportunities to engage in new approaches to enhance the delivery of micro-finance funds.
Nevertheless, as the scheme took shape on the local and global landscape, some malfunctions started to emerge in terms of its operations and efficiencies. Institutions became to be distracted from the core principles of microfinance; that is, providing financial assistance to the poor to being more business-minded and the need to become financially successful clouded their agenda and this led to the failures of the microfinance. Long on its table is the current and long debate between two relatively old schools of thoughts; that is, the issues of outreach versus sustainability on one hand and the issues of subsidizing microfinance versus commercially viable microfinance became the form. Other equally important questions surfaced in the debate relative to microfinance and that repayments rates were high, but these debates and questions did not prevent the microfinance field from expanding exponentially, receiving more growth in operators and funders.

Micro-Finance: A Reflective Essay

Micro-finance, Gender and Neoliberalism
     Micro-finance, Gender and Neoliberalism are some of the most important subjects in development today. Over the years, microfinance has long been considered as an instrument of development through which the provision of micro-loans to communities is considered to be unworthy of credit by the traditional financial institutions. The idea of microfinance has been in existence for about six decades even before the ideology of development could be thought off.  Microcredit first built momentum after the 1997 Microcredit Summit in Washington, D.C. and the concept reached its peak in 2005 and 2006. The United Nations declared 2005 as the year of Microcredit and micro-credit also became well known in 1983 when Mohamed Yunus and the Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize. This led to a change in the perception as to how microcredit is been viewed by the world; that is, the poor were now seeing as major entrepreneurs, who have the needed skills and expertise in business, but needed financial resources to initiate their own businesses. This led paradigm shift on how microcredit is been viewed by the world; that is, the poor were now seeing as major entrepreneurs, who have the needed skills and expertise in business, but needed financial resources to initiate their own businesses. At the core of microfinance ventures, the poor are now seen as people who when provided with the right financial resources  and technical support are able to removed themselves from the dumpster of poverty.
Microfinance is the provision of financial services, which include credit, technical assistance, savings and insurance to the “entrepreneurial poor”[1]  In this class, we learned the historical, developmental, operational, and methodological perspective of microfinance paradigm in development discourse and how that process developed over the last few decades providing microloans or credits to the rural poor that have been marginalized regular financial system. In this course we also learned that at the very core of microfinance are microfinance financial institutions (MFIs), which provide technical and financial services to rural and urban poor in both developed and developing nations. It is understood that while microfinance seeks to bridge the gap between the poor and the wealthy it also seeks to target a specific demographic population and in this case women most specially those that work in the informal sector who end up been marginalized and undocumented by the formal financial systems.
Over the years, microfinance through different techniques and strategies have achieved significant progress towards its overall goal; that is, the provision of financial capital to the poor especially women to engage in economic activities as well as enrich their own lives and the lives of those in their respective localities. However, this claim of the successes of microfinance ventures has been met with several critiques. Notwithstanding, these criticisms have yet to provide significant alternative in meeting the financial needs of the poor especially women and children who have been marginalized by the formal financial institutions.
           During the course, we explored the discourse of microfinance as a “development apparatus” from different but interrelated units of community engagements in development. These units of community engagement in development were divided into seven (7) sub-fields from which students’ groups researched, held groups’ meetings, developed annotated bibliographies on those topics, developed a strategic plan on how to carried out such project and also presented their work to the class. This process was engaging, because students took the lead in their educational processes and developed the needed skills necessary in developing and implementing a micro-finance project that is geared towards economic empowerment of the poor especially women and young adults in poor urban and rural settings.
         As stated in the preceding paragraph, micro-finance, gender and Neoliberalism was broken into seven distinct, but interrelated development project areas and these included: poverty alleviation, empowerment, micro-health insurance, housing, monitoring and evaluation, food security, alternative energy, climate change and post-conflict and post disaster. The next section of this paper will present reflections on our group work as well as presentations and strategic plans proposed by other students in the class in addressing the specific topic of their micro-finance development project.
Poverty Alleviation
        According to the United Nations (UN), poverty is defined as a condition that is characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, such as food, clean and safe drinking water, and sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and access to information. It is also noted that poverty is not limited to only access to financial resources, but also access to appropriate services and resources. Poverty on the global stage can be categorized under two main headings; that is, absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty can be classified as objective poverty or living standards. Relative poverty on the other hand by comparison between families or one individual against the other. This form of poverty is usually subjective in nature is susceptible to problems. According to the US Census 2010 it measures 48 potential poverty thresholds of which every individual or family member are classified. It is said that if families’ income is lower than that which is defined by their appropriate threshold they are considered to be poor. Internationally, the poverty line is $1.00 a day and in 2005 and 2008 this category was revised to $1.25 per day. In the United States however, the poverty line is around $11,161.00 a day for a single person under 65 years of age and about $21,756.00 for a family between 2-4 individuals.
          Socially, people are classified as poor because of their lack of access to resources and this include pregnant women who cannot afford prehealthcare, education and bureaucracy. Crisis risks that confront the poor centers around death and illnesses of close relatives and friends, natural disasters, fire and accidents as well as theft, robberies and other unexpected shocks. Life-cycle risk includes age, socio-cultural environment and prolongs illness. The group also presented some significant facts about poverty in India, a country in Southern Asia that was used as their case study. It is stated that economic problems in India are intensified by inflation, poor educational standards, and poor infrastructure, balance of payments deterioration, high levels of foreign and domestic debts, increase inequality, large budget deficit and rigid labor laws. The group proposed that the tools for poverty alleviation in India are building assets, mitigating risks and reducing vulnerability.
           Notwithstanding, the group proposed some significant microfinance tools that could be used by India in the process of alleviating poverty among the poor. These microfinance poverty alleviation tools include but are not limited to increasing the income of the poor and broaden their assets base, diversification of the sources of income and the establishment of insurance mechanisms to make sure that the poor can have access to these resources. It is also estimated that in India MFIs gross loan portfolio in USD account for about 4.4 billion as of 2009 and of which about 27 million individuals are active borrowers. It is also asserted that the average loan size is $144.40 and initial deposits in USD are around 204.9 million. Almost the top ten micro-finance institutions in India SKS Microfinance Ltd, Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd, and Share Microfin Ltd are the predominant microfinance institutions in the country among the top three.
           In the process of poverty alleviation, microfinance institutions in India and the world over have developed and implemented different microfinance models. Each of these models of region specific; that is, one model has to be tested based on the demographic characteristics of the targeted population of that region. These proposed microfinance models include individual model, group lending, and partnership or intermediaries’ model. The most commonly practiced microfinance model used in India is the Selp-Help Group model and Joint Liability Group/Grameen Model. Each of these models have yield different results, but there are still criticisms that these models still robes off the earnings of the poor which end of profiteering at the expense of the poor.
            The strategic plan on the page 5 details that group conceptual framework in implementing micro-finance initiatives that will reduce the levels of poverty in India. The conceptual framework divides the services of the micro-finance project into non-interest based source funding and interest based source of funding and how that process interplay with poverty alleviation in India. Another aspect of their strategic plan that needs to be pointed out here is that partnership in healthcare and education. This is significant because the micro-finance institution by itself cannot solve India’s problem, but will rather need to network in partnership with other institutions to achieve this goal.

Empowerment
       This group presented their work on microfinance and empowerment with the motto “Let’s Empower and Develop” (LEAD). The vision of their work is to strive for effective microfinance institution to create endless opportunities for disenfranchised women throughout the world social and economical empowerment. The mission of their work is to empower women in rural villages in India by providing them with small loans. The goals of their project is to link women to existing services and infrastructure, build information networks, increase women’s economic activities and set up large programs to enable funding from international donors as well as develop sustainable livelihoods, community development and social services and at the same time increase women’s contribution to household income. Empowerment was defined in their work as a “process by which individuals’ and groups gain power, access to resources and control over their own lives thereby gaining the ability to achieve their highest personal potential and collective aspirations and goals. Chart 1:2 shows the links between microfinance initiative and women empowerment and how that has led to economic growth. The chart also demonstrates that woman’s decision making capacities can be enhanced and improved if they have access to financial resources in which they can also have a saying in the family decision-making process and also contribute to the larger community.
The group also proposed five essential steps that are relevant in the process of implementing the micro-finance framework for women empowerment and this process include training, facilitation, advocacy, illumination and liberation which is the final stage of the general framework. However, they also proposed several steps in reaching these essential steps and those include taking stocks, setting goals, developing strategies and documenting processes.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Microfinance
         The presenters assert that microfinance which understands the economic activities of women and knowing the difficulties they are in can help to empower women. Building the empowerment focus in to the microfinance project or program also can help to empower women. Moreover, concentrate in empowerment will lead the microfinance lenders maintain high levels of operational and financial sustainability. However, focusing on women’s empowerment limits microfinance lenders to access funds from bilateral and multilateral donor agencies. They also point out that microfinance impacts the decision making of women for their lives and their families. Microfinance also makes women more confident in lives and improves their status and gender relation in their homes.
Furthermore, microfinance can improve women’s family relationship and reduce domestic violence. In addition, microfinance improves women’s status and involvement in their communities. In political pint of view, microfinance can help to enhance women’s rights. Besides, they also portrays some negative impacts limitation to empowerment of microfinance such as controlling of loans, burden that microfinance activities place on women.
For example in Rural India the focal point with a particular survey of 6000 people with the aim to analyze the access poor people have to finance and the reasons behind it. There is a discussion surrounding the Self Help Group linkage model (SHG) and the various pros and cons that are associated with the model. Also there is a focus on the need to ‘scale up’ the approach so that more poor will be reached and have access to microfinance.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of microfinance initiatives are relevant in checking the “bottom line” of development work; that is, checking to see if the MFI making a profit and what difference is that process creating? It is only through M&E that we are able to review our progress and make significant changes to our projects for desire outcomes. We are also able to identify problems and challenges through M&E during the planning and implementation stages. Through this process we make adjustments to on-going projects and future projects to minimize shortages or risks. It is essential to conduct M&E because it allows us to determine if we are reaching our objectives or not, review progress, makes assertion about our methodology, improve best practices and document credibility and legitimacy of programs’ objectives and scope.
         In order to conduct an effective M&E for microfinance initiative, there are some relevant questions that need to be asked during the M&E process and they include whether or not the program is gender sensitive, how is it addressing issues of a specific community, what is the host environment of the relevant MFIs, how many jobs have been created, what is the relationship to the local environment in which the project is been implemented, how open is the program to others, how accessible is it to members of the community, are the goals and objectives been met? These are some of the many questions that need to be asked during the M&E processes.
It should however be noted that monitoring and evaluation is an on-going process of the MFIs. It could be quarterly or done at the end of the year. The decision as to when to conduct the process is organizational specific and also depends on other factors. It must be a part of an organizational strategic plan. The M&E process include impact assessment, learning and action, empowerment, utilization and Meta Evaluation. All IAs have a conceptual framework at their heart. There are three main elements to a concept framework:  A model of the impact chain that the study is to examine, the specification of the units, of levels, at which impacts are assessed, and the specification of the types of impact that are to be assessed.
 Microfinance for Housing

This group presented their research on micro-finance for housing and looked at specific references to MFH in Ghana, Afghanistan and India. They presented a specific model of housing micro-finance as a model for improving housing units for poor people. They are also presented information on the scope and objectives of micro-finance for housing initiatives, which are aim at providing affordable housing units for poor people, loans to purchase land and provision of technical support in the process of attaining the right legal documentation for their land.
This presentation explored the issues of providing finance to individuals and families who can’t afford the current global crisis with the increase in mortgage finance for their homes. It is “estimated that about one-sixth of humanity-1 billion- currently lives in slums.” Thus, the need to provide microfinance availability to individuals and families for housing is the focus of the study. Microfinance is a tool that can be used in reaching this goal, which developed over several decades ago. In most cases, microfinance loans and enterprises were used explicitly for financing housing, but there were no framework and structure for microfinance for housing (MFH). Microfinance for Housing has two parents’ initiatives and these are: “microfinance institutions and group advocating and supporting low income housing.” Microfinance for Housing (MFH) first started in Latin and Central America and spread throughout the world. 
MFH is a subset of microfinance, which is designed to meet the housing needs of the poor, especially those without access to the banking sector or formal mortgage loans. It is strategically designed for low-income households who wish to expand or improve their dwellings, or to build a home in incremental steps, relying on sequential small loans.

The above conceptual framework provides a detail of how micro-finance for housing can be developed and implemented to yield potential results. According to this model, micro-finance for housing products includes housing construction, housing improvement, land acquisition. The legal aspects include lending requirements, beneficiaries profile, relevant government policies, norms and procedures. The repayment factors include technical assistance, loan disbarment, repayment records, and interest rate; while, the institutional factors include organizational structure, funds mobilization and actors.
Microfinance in Post-Disaster Haiti
This group presented on how micro-finance can be used as a development tool in post-disaster settings. Plagued by tropical storms, floods, and hurricanes, Haiti has a long history of struggling with Mother Nature. Every two years, and sometimes more often than that, the country is inevitably struck by a serious natural catastrophe.  On January 12, 2010, Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The quake took the lives of 222,570 people, left over 1,000,000 homeless, and destroyed most public service buildings, ranging from schools to hospitals to the presidential palace. The country was devastated by the historic earthquake.
Haiti currently has over about 196 formal micro-finance institutions yet the poverty rate in the country remain very high and it is even increasing at a fast pace. A total of about 240,000 Haitian are involved in some kind of micro-finance initiative from one or more of the above MFIs lenders. The credit portfolio of MFIs in Haiti is around 82% petty commerce, 5% services, 4% consumption and 4% housing.
Most Haitian like any other citizens of developing countries that were stroke by natural or human–made disaster cannot be qualified to get loan from the formal financial sector, thus their peculiar situation to rely on MFIs for the needed microcredit or loan to engage in some sort of micro-business.
The Staircase Model-Haiti
The model helps clients to gradually climb up the stairs as they build their micro-loan portfolio by taking loans and paying off the loans on time. This model was developed in response to the earthquake and they have scaled up the first two steps as a direct response in order to expand and retain our clientele, bolstered by our cash grants It was impossible to continue with our group lending focus Scaled down the staircase model to focus on individual grants to circumvent the problem.
Microfinance for Health Insurance
This group presented on microfinance for health insurance and look specifically at micro-health insurance. Microfinance for health insurance can be defined as the protection of low-income people against specific perils in exchange for regular premium payments proportionate to the likelihood and cost of the risk involved and they specifically looked at full service approach to coverage, partner agent linkages and social health insurance.
There is a link between microfinance and health insurance and this is such that low-income people do not have access to private health insurance plans for a variety of reasons. The provision of microfinance health insurance coverage and services to the poor has the potential to decrease risks associated with health shocks, smooth consumption patterns, and increase savings as well as improving their overall health.
 Full Service Model
This group also focused their work on Nepal as a case and recommends that in order for the health needs of the poor people to be address the “Full Service Model” is essential towards that direction considering the country’s history, geography and sociopolitical climate. This model involves MFIs having a dual role in the process of providing healthcare and running the insurance process.
Social Health Insurance Model
They also recommended that considering the status of the poor people in Nepal the social health insurance model is the ideal strategy, because government run; price-scaling system. This process will ensure economic security which will involve the payment of higher premium and poor pay low-premium.
The Partner Model
This model will involve other national and international actors in the process of providing microfinance health insurance coverage to rural and urban poor people. By this process, the cost of the services will be shared by all major players and not only rest on the MFIs.






[1] Fernando, Jude (2011). “Course Description of Microfinance, Gender and Neoliberalism.” Spring 2011.

Project Management: A Personal Perspective


In January 2004 I established the Sustainable Agricultural Program for Liberia (SAP-Liberia) a non-profit, community-based organization in Liberia to address the felt needs of returnees and internally displaced people created as a result of the fourteen (14) years civil crisis. I decided to establish this local community-based organization, because I believe that grassroots community-based approach to development, which encourage and promote local participation, is an effective way of engaging a community in the process of addressing their own problems. The organization was established with the purpose of rendering services at the frontline of community-based recovery developmental programs without discrimination to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, and political affiliation. SAP-Liberia seeks to achieve the above stated purpose by collaborating with local institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), schools and religious organization as well as international agencies such as the Germen Technical Cooperation (GTZ), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Government of Liberia in implementing the below listed goals: to engage in sustainable agricultural programs; promote environmental conservation; engage in sanitation programs; participate in the rehabilitation and construction of roads and bridges; facilitate the process of formal, non-formal and informal skills training programs; renovate and construct  public facilities that were damaged as a result of the civil war; collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the repatriation, resettlement, and reintegration process of returnees; to promote and participate in the distribution of relief items (food and non-food items) to returnees and internally displaced people and to encourage academic research in the areas of social change, environmental sustainability and education .
As a result of this project, SAP-Liberia is one of the well-known community-based organizations located in the Southeastern of Liberia that is touching and rebuilding the lives of internally displaced people, returnees and refugees from the Ivory Coast. A total of ten community based vegetable crops production sites were established throughout the City of Zwedru by local farmers who participated in our micro-agricultural loan initiative funded by the United Nations Development Programs. Please see enclosed project brochure for more details on current projects. SAP- Liberia also trains teachers in local primary, junior and senior schools through partnership with the Ministry of Education of Liberia and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). To date, a total of 50 teachers in have been trained in effective teaching strategies, lesson plan formation and classroom management techniques.
Personally, I learned a lot not only from this project, but also from my previous experiences working in Ghana at the Buduburam refugee camp with RESPECT Ghana a non-profit, community-based organization as the Program Coordinator and as the one time representative selected by local organizations at the camp to be a part of the UNHCR and Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) annual meetings to discuss development issues confronting refugees in Ghana.
Throughout my work as a development agent in Ghana and Liberia, I came to the realization that in order for development to be efficient and effective in achieving its goals the holistic participation of the local community in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation is paramount to its successes and failures. Development projects based on my previous experiences should take the bottom up approach as oppose to the conventional approach of project formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation which tend to ignore local participation and belief systems. When the local community is fully involve in the project development process as well as implementation and evaluation they tend to take ownership of the project and that minimize the possibilities of failures.
The Fundamentals of Economics for International Development is a course that not only exposed the economic aspects of development initiatives and theories or frameworks that shaped these initiatives, but it also created a new ideology in my perception as to how development projects should be carried out in developing countries so as to achieve sustainable livelihoods and create economic stability for individuals, communities and the nation at large. My quest to learn and understand how international development theories are formulated and the discourses associated with these theoretical frameworks was significantly shaped by this course and other courses most especially Development Theory with Dr. Ellen Foley.
This section of my paper provides an overview of what I have learned and understood throughout this semester in relations to International development theories and how that has changed from my previous understandings of how development is carried out and how I anticipate to use these theories and concept in the construction and implementation of development agenda in meeting the felt and real needs of communities that I will be working with as development practitioner and agent of social change. Throughout this course, I have come to the realization that development or “international development” as we know it to be has failed to bridge the gap between poor and rich countries. It has failed to break the barriers between the “West” holding about 80% of the world’s wealth with only 20% of the world’s population and the “Rest” holding 20% of the world’s wealth with about 80% of the world’s population.
I learned how Development discourses shape the way in which development projects and initiatives are implemented and how those discourses are Eurocentric in their scopes and operations alienating local knowledge, belief systems and traditions, which significantly contributes to their failures. The concept of an alternative development as a possible option for replacing development discourse to me is possible if and only if these alternative forms of development acknowledge local knowledge, belief systems and traditions and encourage the local participation of community members and community-based organizations. Participatory grassroots development strategies to me are the best forms of discourse that will be effective in addressing local needs of the targeted population in developing countries.






Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Term "Africa" at a Crossroads of Misconceptions and Reality?

To some, the term Africa is at the crossroads of becoming a "single country" among university and college students in the US and other western countries as oppose to a continent with 52 distinct countries with culturally different peoples, languages, governments, geography, and economies.

To some Africa is considered Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, surprisingly enough Iraq and Afghanistan and most recently ebola...what a bumber! This is partly due to the fact that what makes the headlines for that day, week or even month constitutes the definition of Africa among western university students. Yet to others the word "Africa" can be associated with their travel plans even though they might be traveling to a single country that is part of a huge, diverse, geographically different area.

We usually hear statements on diverse social, political, economic, development, tourism, and other issues such as "in Africa" this is like that, or "when I was in Africa" or something like "ebola in West Africa is sporadic." I experienced that or you sometime hear "people in Africa" speak lot of difference languages. These are just few cases. I think you get the bigger picture here.

Now, what is responsible for this naivism among western students about referencing Africa as a single country even though their discussions or experiences may be associated with just a fraction of the entire continent? Is it that their secondary educational systems do not focus too much on learning geography to be able to distinguish that Africa is a continent of 52 countries? Or could it be that most of these western students are using the term "Africa" to mean a single country out of the love to see the continent as the United States? Well, the fact is and will always be that those thinkers who felt that Africa could be well governed under the banner of the "United States of Africa" are all dead, primarily their deaths were facilitated by detractors from the west who felt that Africa, if united would put their national security interests at stake? Sounds familiar. Yes, it does because we all know that most of the world's natural resources are not manufactured into usable goods on the continent, but are exported abroad, processed and resold  back to them are significantly huge prices (the development nightmare). So, if Ivory Coast (one of the world's largest producer cocoa), Ghana (Gold), Congo DRC (diamond & minerals), Liberia (used to be rubber, but now timber), Guinea (bauxite), etc. Or are they just using the word out of just total ignorance? Well, the answer to these questions remain unclear.

Fortunately for us, we still have a small proportion of western university students that use the word "Africa" in its appropriate context specifically stating their experiences in individual countries on the continent. I was fortunate enough to have share courses at the department of International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) here at Clark University with few of these domestic students. An example of the misappropriate use of the word "Africa" to be considered as a single country or even a fraction of the continent (either West, South, East, Central or North Africa) was highlighted at the 2011 Undergraduate Clark University Gala held few years ago.

I must first applaud the excellent performances of the team that represented a "fraction of Africa" portrayed in the music and dance. In the issue of "The Scarlet: The Student Newspaper of Clark University" that followed after the event it was stated that their performances represented "Africa." In this case, the issue referenced the performance to be a totality of African cultures, music and dance, which I can state is misleading and did not appropriately represented the continent. This is because the music that were played and the dances that were performed are from South Africa (the country not Southern Africa), and mostly Ivory Coast and Ghana. Now, so how could this very little fraction of Clark's students performance at the 2011 Gala capture in just three countries represented in their music and dance the totality of African music and dance? You could say, well, you are just making a deal of this thing. Well, it is a deal because this mentality resonates into behaviors that are acted upon and if these misconceptions aren't address at the undergraduate and graduate levels, they would translate into policy construction in the future by those of today.

It will make the world a better place if we explicitly state our experiences about issues in Africa in context with specific countries and region on the "mother continent" and stop generalizing issues.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Liberian Student Seeks to Empower Refugees Through Education


Much like fellow students at Clark University in Worcester, MA, Jenkins Macedo (pictured right) spends most of his time attending class, completing research projects, and studying.  But what makes the 24-year-old graduate student stand apart from most of his classmates is his past: He spent 14 years living as a refugee in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. 

That’s why instead of going to parties and other social events, like many college and graduate students do in their free time, Macedo dedicates his spare hours to working with local youth, volunteering, giving lectures on the importance of diversity, blogging about social and economic change, and otherwise doing his part to make this world a better place.  He is especially passionate about protecting the rights of refugees, a cause that’s very near and dear to his heart. 

“As a refugee myself, I have decided to devote my life to creating awareness about refugee issues and creating change in the process,” he said.  He is collecting educational materials to send to African countries affected by war.  His goal is to open community resource centers in Liberia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Ghana, which would give local residents, schools, and community workers access to textbooks, computers, Internet, printers, scanners, and fax machines.  He believes that making education accessible to refugees would drastically improve their quality of life and prospects for the future.  

Macedo attributes his passion for education to his mother, who single-handedly raised her five children.  “My mother didn’t complete middle school” he said.  “But she fought hard to make sure that all her children got the education she didn’t receive.”  

Childhood interrupted by war

Growing up in Zwedru, a town in Grand Gedeh County in southeast Liberia, Macedo and his siblings attended a local Catholic school.  His favorite after-school activity—apart from soccer!—was helping tend the gardens in the back of the guest house for the European Economic Community in Zwedru, where his mother worked as a manager.  He didn’t know it at the time, but his love of gardening would help him survive during one of the toughest periods of his life. 

When not gardening, Macedo could be found fishing or playing soccer.  He remembers his friends and family always sharing meals, eating with their hands from a large, communal dish.  “It’s not that we didn’t have spoons or forks to eat with,” he explained.  “But we felt connected to nature when we ate with our hands.”

On Dec. 22, 1989, when Macedo was five, he went with two of his older siblings to Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve with their oldest sister, who lived there.  Their mother stayed in Zwedru with her youngest child.  Two days later, the Liberian civil war started, separating the mother and her children for the next 14 years.  

Monrovia became a ghost town, its streets and drainage system a burial ground for fallen soldiers, rebel fighters, and innocent civilians.  Stray dogs roamed the abandoned alleys, feeding on corpses.  “You could not even hear birds chirping,” remembered Macedo. “Only the noise of flies on dead bodies and the sounds of rifles.” 

Macedo and his sibling sought refuge in downtown Monrovia at the Olympic Hotel.  The capital’s leading hotel became a shelter for thousands of displaced people.  They stayed there for nine months, not knowing whether they would survive from one day to the next.  Fearing for their lives in the rebel-occupied city, the siblings were eventually forced to flee the capital. 

When they arrived at the St. Paul Bridge checkpoint, they were instructed to join a single-file line of men, women, and children.  The line seemed to go on for miles.  Macedo remembers seeing elderly people pushed in wheelbarrows because they were too weak to walk and hearing babies cry.  Each person going through the checkpoint had to state his or her ethnicity.  Innocent people who belonged to certain ethnic groups, including Krahn and Mandingo, were taken out of the line.  Some were killed with machetes, others shot to death or tied and thrown into the St. Paul River.  Piles of human bodies were visible  behind a building just a few feet away from the checkpoint.  Macedo recalled, “I can still remember my sister placing her hand over my eyes to prevent me from seeing the horrifying scene.” 

He and his siblings, despite belonging to a tribe targeted by the rebels, were lucky enough to make it through the checkpoint alive by lying about their ethnicity.  From there they walked another three weeks to Bomi Hills, where they stayed for about a month before continuing across the border to Sierra Leone. 

Growing up in refugee camps

For the first three years after leaving Liberia, Macedo and his siblings stayed in refugee camps in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. They were separated in 1995 during an attack on thousands of Liberian refugees living in Ivory Coast.  Macedo fled to Ghana, where he remained for the next 11 years at the Buduburam refugee camp. 

Life at the refugee camp in Ghana was very difficult, to say the least.  “You have to have a strong heart to live and survive at a refugee camp,” he said.  “You are discriminated against by the host country.”

Macedo remembers going to bed hungry almost every night.  “Sleep was the only way to stop worrying about hunger and thirst,” he said.  But thanks to his love of gardening as a child, he was able to start growing vegetables.  He survived off the fruits of his labor and even sold some.  He used the money to pay for school fees required to attend the Buduburam Refugees Community Schools.  

Mother and son reunite

After more than a decade of struggling to survive in the refugee camp, Macedo came to the United States through the U.S. Refugees Resettlement program.  He learned that his mother was alive and well and living in the United States.  The two were reunited in Worcester, MA, after being separated for 14 years.  His siblings still live in Ghana, Benin, and Niger.  

One of the most difficult aspects of acclimating to life in the United States for Macedo was getting used to the brutal east-coast winters.  Mastering the American accent was a close second. “At first, a lot of Americans found it difficult to understand me when I speak, because of my accent,” he said.  “While I may never be able to speak like a typical American, I’m doing my best trying.” 

His favorite things about the United States? “Having a warm place to sleep,” he said, adding “and endless educational opportunities.”  Macedo earned his bachelor’s degree in 2010 from Worcester State College, where he received a community engagement award for volunteering with the African Community Education program as a mentor and math instructor.  He is currently pursuing a master’s in international development and social change.  His academic research focuses on refugee issues, such as local integration, anti-warehousing, and sustainable development. 

He said of his dedication to education: “I want to make my mother proud!”

Giving back

Throughout his life as a refugee in West Africa, Macedo helped other refugee youth gain self-confidence through skills training and education.  As a volunteer for an organization that focuses of refugee education, he helped spread awareness of refugee issues among local and international students by sharing his personal experiences as a refugee.  He also established a non-profit organization in Liberia called Sustainable Agricultural Program for Liberia (SAP-Liberia), an endeavor inspired by the vegetable garden he started as a refugee in Ghana. 

“I understand that refugees are humans and humans have rights,” he said.  “Therefore, refugees should not be denied their rights. They need the support of everyone to make their lives worth living.” 

Photos from top to bottom: Macedo giving a lecture at Worcester State College about his experience as a refugee; Liberian refugees at Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana (source: RESPECT Ghana); Macedo working on his agriculture project in Ghana; on campus at Worcester State College; working with Liberian refugee youth in Ghana (source: RESPECT Ghana).


Source: USCRI: http://www.refugees.org/refugee-voices/ Accessed: 03/21/2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tentative Research Topics for Master Thesis in International Development and Social Change at Clark University

Research Topic Brainstorming List



By: Jenkins Divo Macedo,
Institution: Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
Department: International Development Community and Environment (IDCE)
Program: Master of Arts in International Development and Social Change (IDSC)

Tentative Research Topics of Interest

The Roles of Non-Governmental Organizations in Development Projects in Ghana and Liberia.


 The United Nations Refugee Agency in Ghana: A Case Study of the Social, Economic, Political and Environmental Impacts of Liberian Refugees in Ghana.


 From Refugee Camps to the US: The Untold Stories of Liberian Refugees Living in the Diaspora.


 The Emerging State of Environmental Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Relief Aid: A Case Study of the 2010 Haitian Earthquake and Beyond.


 Reconsidering the Past of Development Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Colonialism, Post-Colonialism, and Pan-Africanism in Ghana.


 The Environmental and Social Impacts of Warehousing Refugees in Camps: The Roles of the State, Development Organizations, Civic Institutions and Religious Organizations in Ghana.


 From the Farm to the Markets: Trends, Challenges, Impacts and the Organization of Small-scale Vegetable Growers in Western and Central Ghana.


 The Emerging Economies at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana: How Western Union, Vegetable Crops Production, Microfinance Ventures and Businesses Revolutionalized the Local Ghanaian Economy.


 Successes, Challenges and Trends in the Educational Needs and Development of Refugee Students in the Worcester Public School Systems: The Enrolment, Placement, Evaluation and the Special Education Program.

Monday, January 03, 2011

An Open Essay on Development Theory: A Critical Perspective



Over the past fifty years there has been significant shifts in development paradigms throughout the world. The sole intent of these paradigm shifts is to provide humanity with a better system of addressing issues concerning the social, cultural, economic, political and environmental wellbeing of its people. Development practitioners the world over have established several theoretical frameworks upon which development projects and organizations operate sometimes with limited or no connections or contributions from local systems in developing countries to which these development projects target. This essay evaluates the establishment of yet a new theoretical framework within the development discourse such as gender, participation, the rights movements, and how these processes interplay within the context of mainstream development operations building on the ideological framework of "Common Sense" proposed by Gramsci and expanded by Philip McMichael in his work about "Green Neoliberalism" and how these processes interact with the state, international financial organizations, and development agencies, such as non-governmental organizations in the collapse of the development project.

Development theorists and practitioners in the late 20th century formulated a new paradigm in the field of international development by providing a unique experience and opportunity for restructuring the development discourse through the industrialization of the agricultural sector. This process led to the subsequent replacement, subordination, and exploitation of the rural population with a higher form of authoritative regime; that is, the globalized industrialization development paradigm (McMichael 1996 in Robert & Hite 2007). This new shift in the development paradigm and discourse significantly impacted rural populations of developing countries as their agricultural sectors improve to a more capital-intensive industry, thus marginalizing local issues, which also points to the fall of the development discourse associated with this new theoretical construct.

According of McMichael (1996), “firstly, development as a master conception of social sciences promise to give rise to improve standard of living; secondly, that development project as a political agenda in the process of instituting and managing national economic growth; thirdly, that the applicability of developmentalism as a tool for organizing states and international institutions with the purpose of maximizing national welfare through technological advances in both the industrial and agricultural sectors; fourthly, with the 1980s debt crisis this development paradigm collapse and lastly, the perpetuation of the globalization project as a new alternative to the development project with the goal that nation-state no longer “develop;” rather proposing that nation-state should position themselves in the global economy.”

The agenda upon which the formation of the development project was constituted was for the systematic stabilization of the global capitalist economic system. The shift in development discourse from the development project to the globalization project had a global impact affecting every binary within the development sphere ranging from the North to the South, and from developed countries to developing countries. This new shift in development paradigm promises a future, which globalists theorized would be dominated by efficiency in trade, which has been exponentially influenced by technological advancements in the process of alleviating the burdens that are associated with time and space (Levitt 1998:99 in McMichael 1996). With this new development paradigm came the issue of financialization, a system which provides liquid assets as oppose to fixed capital in the domains of the private and institutional sectors link to their historical context in decline to the power of the state (McMichael 1996 in Robert & Hite 2007). This gives rise to the ideological formation for the process of restructuring the state through which globalization as a historical globalist economic management system seeks to achieve perceive failures of the development project through the “powerful global elite financiers, national and international bureaucrats, and corporate leaders” (McMichael 1996 in Robert Hite 2007:218).

The development project was significantly influenced by the eurocentric ideologies and discourses categorizing their outputs as advanced living standards in opposition to the “Rest.” The creation of the Bretton Woods financial institutions following the agreement in 1944 serves as the landmark for the formation of fixed exchange rates and the mechanisms through which the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) could maintain a stable currency exchange through the process of extending loans that are short termed to nation-states with imbalances in payments (Block 1977 in Robert & Hite 2007). This shift created a system of the stabilization of national economies and the provision of state-based subsidies, which significantly increase employment rates and job stabilization, thus increasing consumptions. This process was later reinforced by the US introduction of the Marshall aid, a “program that redistributed dollars to capital-poor regions of the world, which included parts of Europe, East Asia and Africa” (McMichael 1996 in Robert & Hite 2007:219). As a result of this initiative another economic barrier was created in which the US currency (Dollar) became the “international-reserve currency”, which also symbolizes the freedom of enterprises that became the hegemonic litmus test of the free world. During this postwar period, developmentalism emerged from within the center of institutional frameworks at which time goals associated with the development project were centered around “raising and protecting living standards and through this effort massive military and economic assistance programs emerged” (McMichael 1996 in Robert Hite 2007: 220).

The development project, as we know it to be, was a construction of the world order to stabilize the world capitalist economic system and thereby promise to bridge the gap between the “West” and the “Rest.” However, development projects failed to enclose the increasing gap between the First World and the Third World, because of its eurocentric discourses and approaches in addressing the needs of the targeted population, which fails to acknowledge local systems and disregard local participation in decision-making processes of development agenda (Escobar 1995). It failed in its universal terms and as such created the opportunity or platform for a new paradigm that could later shift how development initiative are carried out and this new development paradigm is what McMichael classified as the globalization project. Development project, which was a system created and understood in the process of ordering the world systematically through institutionalization, thereby recreating and restructuring the nation-state, globalization project on the other hand, in its historical context is also a systematic process of ordering the world systems. Globalization seeks to accomplish this process through the “stabilization of capitalism through global economic management through the lenses of specialization rather than replication” (McMichael 1996 in Robert & Hite 2007: 220). The issue of specialization as a core aspect of the globalization project is differentiated between states and regions with specific reference to marginalization as a paramount part of the project’s cores and objectives. The globalization project encourages the formation of analogies of views among key players and how they share similar understanding of a particular institutional form of capitalism. Unlike the development project, which elites were basically, state managers and bureaucrats who essentially share similar interest in stabilizing the global capitalist economic system, the globalization projects added a new group of elite; that is, financial and corporate elite combined with the IFIs such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Center (WTO) (Goldman 2005).

Moreover, Goldman’s expansion on Gramsci’s work of Common Sense and how that process interplays with the mainstream development thoughts taking into account how gender, participation and the rights movements speak into the process of knowledge production within the World Bank system and how it has established itself and created a power relations between the North and the South bringing into existence a new hegemonic regime in development. Gramsci once wrote that “Common Sense is not rigid and immobile, but it is continually transforming itself, enriching itself with scientific ideas and with philosophical opinions, which have entered ordinary life” (Gramsci 1971 in Goldman 2005: 32). His argument is that popular belief systems and scientific ideas are paramount ingredients in shaping the universe. He asserts that these ideologies and thoughts commonly accepted by the populace should not be merely overlooked, because they contain powerful forces and energies that have the potential of serving as obstacles to achieving our goals for change (Goldman 2005). These common thoughts and perceptions become powerful, because of civil hegemony; that is, “the dispersal of power through civil society, such as, through schooling, religious life, scientific, cultural and voluntary organizations, and popular forms of communication and the media” (Goldman 2005:33). The acceptance of popular knowledge and opinion as a general rule of thumb either forcefully or by consent according to Gramsci is significant to understand the issues of hegemony. After carefully considering the arguments that Gramsci raised one is left with series of thoughts about who are the benefactors of such hegemony. For the World Bank and the from the perspective of Green Neoliberalism, the issues of state restructuring, good governance, and an active civic society as well as environmental sustainability are constituted within the parameters of what the World Bank classified as capital-driven, hydra-headed and authoritative.

Moreover, the issue of grassroots movements and activism has also play a significant role in challenging major institutions of development such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO) with respect to some of its Neoliberal development agenda such as the privatization of water, electricity, public transportation, communication, forestry and the healthcare system (Goldman 2005). These actions were taken by people of different socio-economic, political, and cultural backgrounds all aiming at one goal; that is, challenging the status quo “to the right-to-livelihood, against military repression, environmental destruction or degradation and the privatization of natural resources and public goods” (Goldman 2005:44). These grassroots social movements form against the development giants swept throughout the global sphere representing diverse population in terms of nationalities, languages, cultures, and traditions. Transnational networks of activists and agents of change and social justice whose interests include, but are not limited to mega dams, human rights abuses, genetically modified foods imports, food sovereignty, corruption, cronyism and development lead projects supported their efforts. As a result, Gramsci states that these institutions and grassroots organizations and networks become at war with each other leading to a new form of hegemony. Just as one critiques the other a new system of hegemonic sphere emerge and becomes dominant for that time which will later become criticized yet by another (Asher 2009).

The World Bank’s system of economic and ethical style is always changing and this process is based on external pressures from wide range of political atmosphere. The shift in development paradigm from previous development theories to Green Neoliberalism by the World Bank arises as a result of “series of events and practices centered on professionals working in government, firms, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the scientific community” (Goldman 2005:33). Just as Goldman rightly put it that these institutions and grassroots transnational and national networks are engage in “wars of positions” which he borrowed from Gramsci’s famous phrase, which are “not so much a matter of creating movements outside the hegemonic order but rather on its terrain, radicalizing the meaning of democracy, appropriating the market, democratizing sovereignty, and expanding human rights” (Burawoy 2000 in Goldman 2005: 45). Green Neoliberalism as a new development framework instituted by the World Bank in partnership with other actors such as professionals in governmental offices, multilateral corporations, NGOs and the scientific research community thought that for the gaps between the developed and developing nations to be bridged

To conclude, since the end of World War II there has been significant changes in development paradigm. Most development discourse has been influenced by Western ideologies and perceptions, which shape the way in which development projects are initiated. Development project failed to achieve its objectives, because it created a divide between developed and developing countries instead of bridging that divide. The failure of the development project gives rise to the globalization project, encourages the formation of analogies of views among key players and how they share similar understanding of a particular institutional form of capitalism. The World Bank after receiving several complains of how their projects were negatively impacting communities in developing countries developed the Green Neoliberal development framework, which functions on these key elements or principles, which include but not limited to the privatization of water, electricity, public transportation, communication, forestry and the healthcare system (Goldman 2005).


2. This semester has been an adventure for me in my quest to learn and understand how international development theories are formulated and the discourses associated with these theoretical frameworks. The search for a better way of life has always been for people throughout the ages. Development theories are instituted or established within the context of major world events, which help shape how these theories are formulated and constructed. It involves the tearing down of traditional structures and institutions for the sake of modernity and human progress (Lemert 2004). The purpose of this essay is to provide an overview of what I have learned and understood throughout this semester in relations to International development theories and how that has changed from my previous understandings of how development is carried out and how I anticipate to use these theories and concept in the construction and implementation of development agenda in meeting the felt and real needs of communities that I will be working with as development practitioner and agent of social change.

The end of World War II left the world at the mercy of the United States of America whose power both economically, politically and militarily stood at the peak of the world’s powers with its physical and economic infrastructures in place (Robert & Hite 2007). As a result of this, the need for a market was paramount for the United States to market her industrial products as well as continue to have access to raw materials for her industries to keep functioning. However, this could only be possible if functioning economies to buy these products were available in other countries as the continual existence and stability of the US economic growth rested on these factors (Robert & Hite 2007). This led the US to formulate several policies and institutions that could assist bridge these gaps in an effort to create a sustainable future for the US economic prosperity and the development of other countries. Some of such policies included, but are not limited to the Marshall Plan and the Bretton Wood, which give rise to significant structural changes in providing aid to developing countries as well as other developed countries. All these institutional restructuring took place at the epicenter of major world historical events, which trigger significant movements in shifting development paradigm to meet the needs of those events.

Throughout this course, I have come to the realization that development or “international development” as we know it to be has failed to bridge the gap between poor and rich countries. It has failed to break the barriers between the “West” holding about 80% of the world’s wealth with only 20% of the world’s population and the “Rest” holding 20% of the world’s wealth with about 80% of the world’s population. It has failed to bridge the imbalances within the market economy where there continue to be dependency between industrial nations and developing nations in foreign exchange rates, import and export, and the marketing of their produce (raw materials) and products (manufactured goods and services). This imbalance has led to the increase dependence of developing countries on developed countries, international corporations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loan, which comes at a high cost, because most of the developing countries borrowing these loans end up paying more than they actually received (Goldman 2005).

During this course, I learned how Development discourses shape the way in which development projects and initiatives are implemented and how those discourses are Eurocentric in their scopes and operations alienating local knowledge, belief systems and traditions, which significantly contributes to their failures. The concept of an alternative development as a possible option for replacing development discourse to me is possible if and only if these alternative forms of development acknowledge local knowledge, belief systems and traditions and encourage the local participation of community members and community-based organizations. Participatory grassroots development strategies to me are the best forms of discourse that will be effective in addressing local needs of the targeted population in developing countries.

Reference

McMichael, Philip. (1996). “Globalization: Myths and Realities” in The Globalization and

Development Reader, Roberts and Hite, Eds. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 216-232.

Roberts, Timmons J. and A. Hite (2006). The Globalization and Development Reader: Perspectives on Development and Global Change. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Escobar, Arturo. (1995). “Encountering Development.” Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Asher, Kiran (2009). “Black and Green: Afro-Colombians, Development, and Nature in the Pacific Lowlands.” Durham: Duke University Press.

Goldman, Michael (2005). “Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization.” New Haven: Yale

Lemert, Charles (2004). “Modernity’s Classical Age: 1848-1919” and “Social Theories and

World Conflict 1919-1945” IN Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. Charles Lemert, Ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press













Wednesday, December 29, 2010

My Vision for International Development and Social Change in Africa (Liberia)

The Fundamentals of Economics for International Development is a course that not only exposed the economic aspects of development initiatives and theories or frameworks which shape these initiatives, but it also created a new ideology as to how development projects should be carried out in developing countries in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods and create economic stability for individuals, communities and the nation at large.

My quest to learn and understand how international development theories are formulated and the discourses associated with these theoretical frameworks was significantly shaped by this course and other courses most especially Development Theory with Dr. Ellen Foley. Mankind has always been in plight for a better and sustainable way of life. This process can also be traced as far back as the period of the hunters and gatherers when man sought out food and other materials by hunting and gathering. As humans created settlements and became to make farms and gather wealth the idea of sustaining these resources becomes unquestionable. Thus, immediately after World War II the issue of development became a paramount concern to most countries, especially countries of Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. This paper is a reflection of my personal vision of development and my specific role in making sure that said vision becomes a reality.

Development theories the world over is constructed based on the context of major global events, which interplay with how these theories are formulated and constructed. This process involves in almost all cases the tearing down of traditional structures and institutions for the sake of modernity, globalization and progress (Lemert 2004). Most scholars in the development arena including economists argued that development projects have failed to bridge the increasing gap between rich and poor countries, developed and developing countries, and the “West” with the “Rest.” Does this means that development projects have not provided any significant advancement in human existence including economic stability, food security, progresses on the eradication of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, poverty reduction and so on? No, through development projects other countries are able to produce more agricultural produce, provide microfinance opportunities for females to encourage financial empowerment, massive reduction in the spread of Malaria and HIV/AIDS (the case of Senegal) and universal primary education in the case of Ghana. Development projects in some countries in Africa and Southeast Asia contributed to economic recovery. So, the argument that development projects has failed is vague and does not take into account all the good things that has been generated in other areas as a result of the direct link between development projects and national economic growth.

In January 2004 I established the Sustainable Agricultural Program for Liberia (SAP-Liberia) a non-profit, community-based organization in Liberia to address the felt needs of returnees and internally displaced people created as a result of the fourteen (14) years civil crisis. I decided to establish this local community-based organization, because I believe that grassroots community-based approach to development, which encourage and promote local participation, is an effective way of engaging a community in the process of addressing their own problems. The organization was established with the purpose of rendering services at the frontline of community-based recovery developmental programs without discrimination to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, and political affiliation. SAP-Liberia seeks to achieve the above stated purpose by collaborating with local institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), schools and religious organization as well as international agencies such as the Germen Technical Cooperation (GTZ), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the government of Liberia in implementing the below listed goals: to engage in sustainable agricultural programs; promote environmental conservation; engage in sanitation programs; participate in the rehabilitation and construction of roads and bridges; facilitate the process of formal, non-formal and informal skills training programs; renovate and construct public facilities that were damaged as a result of the civil war; collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the repatriation, resettlement, and reintegration process; to promote and participate in the distribution of relief items (food and non-food items) to returnees and internally displaced people and to encourage research.

SAP-Liberia is a development agency with grassroots connections that encourage local participation of stakeholders to create substantial social change. We are able to provide about 20 hectares of agricultural lands to local farmers, provision of educational materials to six primary schools, and facilitated series of training sessions in environmental sustainability and awareness campaign for the eradication of HIV/AIDS. You can learn more about SAP-Liberia at: http://www.wix.com/sapliberia/sap-liberia and we also do have a facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1423224869.

Reflective Response to Colleagues Presentations in Fundamentals of Economics for International Development

Fundamentals of Economics for International Development involve the study of basic micro and macro economic concepts and ideologies in the field of economics and how they interplay with international development. This involves the integration of the discipline of economics as well as political economy (Todaro & Smith 2009). Over the past few decades, economic development has become a central and significant agenda in development strategic planning both at the local, national and international levels. Some scholars argued that, development economics is no difference from other related fields of studies, which include but are not limited to “macroeconomics, labor economics, public finance, or monetary economics” (Todaro & Smith 2009:7). Nevertheless, they argued that development economics is rather an integrated field of study, which is basically an individualized study of economics in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This paper seeks to present a reflective analysis of presentations that were made by students of the Fundamentals of Economics for International Development class specifically looking at employment, food security, water, health, energy and transportation, microfinance, gender and empowerment, good governance and emerging economies as they interplay with economic development. The other half of the paper will address a reflective summary of Todaro and Smith’s book “Economic Development” that was published in 2009 by the Pearson Education Limited in the United Kingdom of which half of the course materials were based on.


According to the World Development Report (2009), the current world population is around 6.8 billion people with about 40% of that population living on less then $2 a day most of which is situated in developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. There continue to be disparities between developed and developing countries concerning their access and availability to resources. Critiques of development argued that development projects has not been successful in bridging these gaps or breaking these barriers between developed and developing countries, but they continue to increase exponentially.

However, critics of development failed to acknowledge the improvements that development has proven to be successful in some regions. After taking a closer look at the differences in living standards both in developed and developing countries one is left with the question as to how can these differences be settled or significantly minimized so that the gaps between developed and developing countries can be bridged. This points to the fact that understanding how to bridge these gaps between developed and developing countries become a major focus for proponents of development economics (Todaro & Smith 2009). This is because, with the rise in globalization and modernization and human’s pursuit for progress and a happy life, the earth is becoming a global village in which what affect one person at one point of the universe can directly or indirectly affect another person at the other edge of the universe in completely different ways. This also suggests that we are all becoming interdependent on each other for existence. For example, the incident of 9/11 even though it directly impacted the United States economically, politically, socially and culturally had a global impact on all spectrum of the universe touching the lives of a native farmer in South Africa, the live of a school child in Mexico and the family of a soldier in Iraq. This incident had both a local and global impact. This proves that we are all interconnected one way or the other. What happens on the cocoa producing plantation in Ivory Coast affects the chocolate manufacturing industry in the United States, as well as, what takes place within the Nike shoe company in Thailand impacts the market globally. Now that I have established the need for global awareness of the importance to recognizing the role that international and national development have played in economic growth and development let me know shift the discussion to a reflection of specific domains or topics that were explored in class during the course.

Employment

This section of the students’ presentation looked at the issue of employment as it relates to development economics with specific reference to unemployment, inflation and trade, wage differentials between developing countries, youth and employment. They also looked at the trade-off between inflation and unemployment that is associated with the New European Union and its member states specifically referencing Philips’ Curve, which suggests that decreases in inflation rates and unemployment rates are directly proportional. The decrease in one aspect affects the other. Philips’ analysis was based on the fact that he added and subtracted variables to predict and explain the relationship between inflation and unemployment. He derived at the conclusion that an effort to control or restrict unemployment in anyway would significantly increase the inflation rate and subsequently lead to economic and political instability. He also suggested that it is natural to undergo a period as a nation during which unemployment rate would exceed the natural rate to promote a lower inflation rate. He also proposed that each country has its own distinct characteristics, which set it apart from other country as such, policies formulation should be country specific. He also argued that there is a tradeoff that governments have to encounter in the process of dealing with unemployment and inflation rates. These tradeoffs include the ability of governments to rapidly reduced unemployment rate and thereby inducing inflation rate to increase or sustaining unemployment rate and thereby promoting small decreases in inflation. Research has shown that in order for a country to improve its trade, policies to be instituted must be centered around the following core points: facilitation of transition after trade, provision of security and insurance against diverse events, policies that promote the redistribution of resources, and education.

Employment and Youth

The question of why youth should be employed was significant to this session of their presentation directing the audience to the connection between youth and economic development and how youth are also one of the disadvantage groups within the labor markets. According to the United Nations definition of youth, there are about 1.2 billion people who are classified as youth who fall between the ages from 15-24 years old, which constitutes about 17% of the world’s population. It is also estimated that 87% of the world’s youthful population live in developing countries where access to employment opportunities is difficult and rarely possible. It is estimated that in 2005 about 62% of Africa’s population fell below the age of 25. This means that the population in Africa is relatively young and also points to the fact that high unemployment rate leads to high poverty rate, because bulk of the continent’s population is unemployed. It is also important to recognize that the issues of regionalism, gender, age, level of educational, ethnicity and health pose a significant amount of impact on the issue of employment for youth in these areas.

Some solutions suggested by the presenters in addressing the issue of unemployment within the context of youth throughout developing countries are as follows: the provision of job opportunities in rural areas, improving investment and macroeconomic environment, improving access to education and skills development, addressing demographic characteristics, improving youth caught up in violent and post-violent crisis, and the advancement of the labor markets and the conditions associated with these ventures.

The group summarized their presentation by considering the relationships between employment opportunities and educational demands and made some fruitful recommendations to bridge the gaps between the two. In order to satisfy the demand for employment, educational needs must be fulfilled and this involves creating a system that will produce a well-educated workforce that will be absorbed by the job markets, because of their qualifications, institution of an educational cost system that is affordable by the parents, the depoliticizing the educational systems; that is, the availability of a school in a rural area should not be a factor of political ideologies or agenda.

The Economics of Food Security

The issue of global food insecurity is paramount to economic development. However, food insecurity could also be a product of the capitalist modern markets or capitalist modern markets can be a solution to food insecurity. The group started their presentation by looking at the adverse relation stated above and seeing how that relationship is connected with the issue of food security.

According to the World Bank (2010), food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life. It is also considered “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (World Food Summit). The issue of food security is centered on five basic and interrelated principles, which include: availability, accessibility, stability, utilization and quality of food.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the highly undernourished countries in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. However, Central and Southern Africa has the high density of undernourished population. As of 2009, it is estimated by the FAO that the global population of hungry people will increase to about 1020 million a figure that is exponentially increasing every year. The United States, European Union and Japan are said to be the world’s major donors in food aid to developing countries where food insecurities are a major concern. In 2001 global food aid was about 10.9 metric tons, but as of 2008 global food aid significantly dropped to 6.3 metric tons. This can also be pointed to the increase in global population. As population increase there is a significant decrease in food supply, thus creating an issue of food insecurity. This is because land that should have been used for agricultural productivities are not been used to built new cities and homes to contain the increasing population thus leading to less agricultural productivity.

The major causes of food insecurity include the lack of technological innovation, trade barriers, changes in markets trends, lack of economic growth, natural and human-made disasters, poor health, gender inequality, lack of good governance, and poor or inadequate agricultural infrastructures. The group in their presentation also discussed the issue of food insecurity and poverty and they defined poverty as the lack of basic things such as food, shelter, water and health.

The impact of food insecurity and women was also discussed. It is estimated by the World Food Programme (WFP) that about 60% of the world’s hungry population are said to be women. Some of the issues stipulated that contributes to food insecurity among the women population global is: unequal access to resources (such as land and capital), lack of education (formal and informal education), and lack of participation in the decision making process at the family, local, community, regional, national and international levels.

Africa is one of the regions in the world where the issue of food insecurity in a major concern and this is intensified as a result of conflicts. It is estimated that about 218 million people who constitute about 30 percent of the population suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition. In Africa, it is also estimated that about 35% of the population are children under the age of 5 years old who are affected by chronic malnutrition. The issues of access to natural resources, lack of appropriate technology, dependence on the importation of foreign goods and services, challenges posed by changes in the climate, and the linkages between agriculture and nutrition.

The questions about what role do multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) play in food security and their policies in the implementation of strategies was also addressed in their presentation. These questions are significant because these institutions are key players in the development atmosphere when it comes to humanitarian aid in terms of the supply and distribution of food.

They also talked about the sustainable livelihood index as a tool for analyzing and identifying future possible methods of development. This is a framework that assists in understanding the multiplicities of poverty. It is also considered as sets of principles that direct actions leading to overcoming poverty.

Some of the proposed food security strategies include livelihood provisioning which involves that the protection of basic human needs such as food aid, livelihood protection and livelihood promotion.

Water

This group assessed this topic by basing their analysis and presentation on evaluating the hypothesis that water privatization is the only solution to the global water crisis. They further assert that water privatization significant and essential in the process of economic productivity and which also conserve this natural resource, which is scarce. They further suggested that the purpose for the privatization of water is for the equitable distribution of this scarce resource while at the same time making sure that it is sustained. The key questions to assist them test their hypothesis is that how can clean, safe water be supplied to the billion and more people who lack assess to clean and safe drinking water, without at the same time interfering with the resources for future generations. Some ethical questions also aroused from their analysis and those include universal question of who own waters to set a price to it, who is going to operate it, who will be responsible for pay for it, how much should water be priced for, who decides on who pays and how much, and by what criteria are they basing their price? All these ethical questions are what are being debated upon today in relations to the global water crisis.

Started in the early 1990s, privatization became to gain global attention with do’s and don’ts associated with this ideology. At present, about 3% of the world’s poor mostly in developing countries have access to clean and safe drinking water through private vendors. The issue of the global water crisis refers to global shortage in water supply as a result of increase in global population. The term water scarcity has reference to the shortage of water when the demand for water exceeds water supply, which involves both the physical water and economic scarcities of water. Some of the paramount issues presented by the group during their presentation that significantly underlie the idea of water privatization include poverty, financial crisis, and political corruption.

The major sources for the world’s water include the rain, surface water, and ground water. The uses of water supply include residential, public institutions, businesses, agricultures, and ecological or environmental uses. It is estimated that the 53% of the Europe’s water is being used by for industrial purposes followed by agricultural productivity, which constitute 42% followed by water for domestic activities, which takes about 8% (World Resources Institute 1992). However, it is also estimated that 88% of water use in Africa is for Agricultural production whereas, only 7% and 5% are dedicated to domestic and industrial use respectively. The unequal distribution of water led to about 1.1 billion people worldwide who go thirsty everyday without access to clean drinking water. An example of the inequalities in the water crisis can be seen from India and Bangladesh. Accessibility and availability of water has also become the epicenter of conflicts globally between groups and even nations.

In most developing countries, women play a significant role in making sure that their family has access to water supply and this process takes a significant amount of their time and energy, which is rarely accounted for. If they were to invest their time and energies in something else like in education and work that would have increase their income.

Water has very special characteristics as a commodity. It is essential for human survival; it is a finite and vulnerable resource. Water supply and distribution is time bound; that is, water supply can differs over time and space. In terms of geographic space, the availability of water differs irrespective of geographic locality; that is, certain area has water than others. The issue of access to water in certain areas is determinant based on gender, class and race.

There are shortages in water supply and distribution, because there is under investment in the water industry and this process is also enhanced by inadequate maintenance practices. In some areas, there are little or no infrastructures to a sustainable water management system. If they exist, locals do not have the technical knowledge to operate the equipments and they rely on foreigners for such technical knowledge and expertise. Also, the issue of water investment is paramount to the process of making this resource available to a wider range of the population. This is important because, the provision of the right technology for the right population is equally important for project management aspects. Some of the reasons that can be attributed for the shortages in water supply and distribution are the weaknesses associated with water authorities; that is, lack of competence, increasing political control, and deliberate incentives structures and laws and regulations governing the water industry.

Health Economics

The central thesis for this group work is that economic liberalization is the most promising and effective model for the maximization of the efficiency of a healthcare system from the perspective of economic growth and equity. However, it is suggested in their analysis that under certain conditions state-public sector-NGO partnership are significant in achieving this goal. Globally, the state of health care is very important and some of the areas that are very important in assessing healthcare are costs, diseases, gender disparities and reproductive health, Human Development Index indicators, and the relationships between HDI, GDP and productivity.

There are different approaches within the healthcare field specific to different gender, race, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. There are population specific differences in the presence disease, health outcomes, or access to healthcare. For example, overall most men have better access to healthcare services, but women in general live longer than men. Access to healthcare in rural areas verses access to healthcare in urban communities. In most developing countries, access to health is better in urban areas as oppose to rural areas where there are limitations in terms of staff, infrastructures, roads and transportation and income. Also worth considering in this section are the different aspects of the healthcare system and how they interplay with the overall economic progress of the state and the individuals citizens. These aspects include healthcare services as commodities for making profits, inputs necessary for the implementation of an effective healthcare system, healthcare products industries, human capital; that is, clinical or hospital staff and other professional personnel, human rights, and growth and employment.

The healthcare product industries these are industries specifically established to manufacture healthcare products and equipments that will be used in the effective operation of hospital staff functions. Human capital on the other hand refers to the skilled labor force that is healthy to produce maximum outputs in the industry. The human rights component of the healthcare systems promote activism that healthcare in a basic human rights that must be provided by the state and such rights must be given to all humanity irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, financial status and level of education. Another component of the healthcare system that was discussed in their presentation has to do with healthcare services as a commodity. The healthcare industry in the United States and in most countries is the heart of employment opportunities for the massive. Technological advancements in the healthcare industry also create opportunities for new for employment and also assist in the efficient treatment of illnesses. Property rights for patented materials are also paramount in the healthcare industry.

In relations to input and output in the healthcare industry one percent increase in the survival rate substantially increase labor by 2.8% and as such productivity also increase by 1.68%. Just as in any other specialization higher productivity leads in the healthcare system leads to higher wages for the labor force and thus promotes growth in the economy. The more people make the more they are able to invest and at the same time purchase goods and services. Also, increase in wages lead better accessibility to healthcare. There is a correlations between a good healthcare system and Gross Domestic Product (GDP); that is, a workforce that has better healthcare and are paid well are able to invest their savings into income generating investment ventures and are also able to use their spending money to buy goods and services from vendors within the market-system.

The healthcare system is also challenged with some conflicting goals, which may tend to create balance in some instances in the system. The issue of equity and economic growth, and efficiency are some of the challenges that the healthcare system is being challenged with. For example, the formulation of the Structural Adjustment Program by the World Bank emphasized on efficiency producing economic growth over equity. The Free Market system also needs to be supportive by providing opportunities for everyone; however, it discourages equity and does favor certain groups over the other. The issues of prevention verses treatment of major illnesses need to be tackled substantially. In most developing countries there seems to be avenues for cheap production over safety concerns. This posse a serious challenge to the healthcare system, because people who are poor may seem to be considering cheap form of production and treatment over their safety concerns, which can lead to future health issues.

Energy and Transportation

This group started their presentation based on their theses that energy and transportation are major drivers of economic growth both of which serves as separate industrial warehouses and at the same time serve as inputs to other industrial components of the economy. The other argument that the group proposed was that poor or insufficient allocation of energy and transportation resources can be a major impediment economic growth and development specifically on Third World Countries. They were also able to defined major terminologies associated with energy and transportation in the process of creating an academic platform to deliberate their concepts and ideologies.

Energy according to the presenters can be categorized into two broader contexts; that is, non-renewable energy such as crude oil, natural gas, coal and uranium and renewable energy (Storable and Non-Storable energies), such as biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal (storable energy) and wind and solar (Non-Storable energy). According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy in 1965 oil was the major source of energy globally followed by gas and then coal.

The global energy consumption shows that demand for energy is derived from wishes to use energy to obtain desired services, not from preference for the energy commodity itself. Therefore, increases in energy prices reduced the demand by reducing use of energy equipment. There is always substitute for something. Energy commodities are typically economic substitutes each other.

Consequentially, there are also environmental impacts for how we use or consume energy. The environmental implications or damages are a result of the processes through which flow from the production site, to the conversion site to the consumption sites (homes, offices, malls, etc). Throughout this linear process energy is eliminated in the and that has significant amount of damage to the environment plus taking into account how much was invested into the initial production process and how much is being generated. The issues of greenhouse gas emission, land subsidence and water pollution are some of the key implications of energy production and use.

According to Tolley et al (1995), motor vehicles account for about 66% of the world’s energy use by transportation followed my energy generation, which accounts for about 17% of energy consumption. There is also a close link between transportation and energy in reference to the impacts of transportation on energy consumption. The impacts associated with firstly manufacturing a vehicle, maintenance and disposal, operation, the development of the infrastructures and maintenance, etc all creates a system of flow in which the consumption if energy is inescapable.

Microfinance, Gender and Empowerment

The distinction between microcredit and microfinance were made at the beginning of their presentations while establishing their thesis. Microcredit refers to small loans given to groups of individual that is a subset of broader approach of microfinance ventures. On the other hand, microfinance involves the provision of financial services, such as savings, loans and or insurances to poor people in rural or urban settings with the hope of creating or investing that money into income generating ventures for financial empowerment. Usually those who benefit from these programs and services are marginalized in the formal financial sector. The presenters outlined some of the problems or challenges associated with lending to poor people and these include: adverse selection, moral hazard, collateral, risk assessment, monitoring and transaction costs, and political patronage.

There are specific conditions that once they occur could be used as means to launch a microfinance project in a specific areas and some of these include: the exclusion of the poor from participation in the formal economy, the vast majority of poor people live in informal sectors, the issue of gender mainstreaming, the increasing gaps in rural-financial intermediation, political realities and neoliberal economic reforms.

Microfinance started back in the 1970s by Muhammad Yunus, an economist and professor at the University of Bangladesh. He came up with this idea as a result of consistent flooding, famine and the impacts of civil wars within the country. The purpose of this project was to lend out money to poor households in Bangladesh. As a result of this goal; that is, to provide poor households the financial capital to engage in micro-business ventures to sustain their lives lead to the establishment Grameen Bank was established. The Grameen Bank currently has about 2.50 million in membership since its establishment in the early 1970s. The Grameen Bank accomplishes its objectives by getting involve in reversed conventional banking practices, provides credit to the poorest of the poor, views credit as a cost effective weapon, and innovates the process of group lending. In the group lending business scheme the process of facilitated by peer pressure, constituting group of four to seven members, who collectively agreed to repay the loan after it has been taken, the availability and accessibility to future loans depends on the repayment of any outstanding loans and contracts as well as group members’ recommendation of a particular member. Why it is true that credit loans can be empowering to the poor they do come with burdens that tend to increase the stress and anxiety of most poor people. However, most of the time those taking the loans are able to repay the loan within the require time frame. These credit loans have the following aspects that make very difficult for poor people to follow through, which include high interest rates, very strict repayment schedules and single use allocation; that is, the loan can not be transferred to a third party. These issues can create high default rates in loans repayment.

Good Governance

The stability of the market is most vulnerable when there are imperfections in structure and operations. Through Good Governance markets are able to maximize private and social benefits.

The importance or significance of good governance is can not be underemphasized, because in order for the economy and other sectors of the country to function governments must demonstrate an excellent knowledge and applicability of the rule of law in the process of managing and allocating resources for national economic development. An efficient economy and market systems rely purposefully on institutional preconditions, which are often according to the literatures, missing in most developing countries. It is within this scope that good governance comes in to bridge the gap by serving as a mechanism to combat this absence through accountability and transparency for the maximum good for the private and public sectors. The conditions that most developing countries lack in their institutional frameworks are divided into two broad categories and these include socio-cultural practices and legal and economic practices.

However, with the global capitalist economic system, most developing countries also encounter significant amount of challenges as they forge their way through the global economy. Some of these problems include, but are not limited to: lack of transparency and accountability, substantial externalities, investment in infrastructure and Capital formation, income distribution and structural change.

Between 1980s and 2008, Washington D.C. and her collaborators met and discussed about developing a strategy to address the issues that developing countries were encountering. Through this meeting institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds (IMF) were established to address the issues that developing countries were encountering with their economy. As a result, the institution developed and embarks on the free market approach to development with specific focus ten aspects of economic reformation, which include: fiscal policy discipline, redirection of public spending from subsidies, tax reform, interest rates that are market determined and positive, competitive exchange rates, trade liberalization, liberalization of inward foreign direct investment, privatization of state enterprises, deregulation and legal security for property rights. These are the code factors of the structural adjustment program used by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

However, a call for a new consensus is in place that promotes market-based development approaches, which eliminates the government’s control of direct production but through stable macro environment, infrastructure, public health system, educational and training opportunities, technology transfer, environmental sustainability and protection of the ecosystem, export incentives, facilitate the process of coordination in the private sector, sharing growth thereby reducing poverty and eliminating inequality, the promotion and enhancement of regulation and support in the financial sector, enforce the legal structure and strengthen property rights regulations. Therefore, to summarize good governance is to ensure that corruption is minimized, point of views of minority groups are heard and their concerns are addressed, and the ability to hear the voice of the voiceless and after that addressing their needs.

Good Governance in Vietnam

Good Governance in Vietnam is looked at from two specific domain by the presenter and those areas are economic freedom and corruption. Vietnam has a history of domination by the Chinese, which lasted for about 1,000 years. About a century ago, Vietnam was colonized by the French and in 1945 became an independent nation after which she participated in two very important wars: American war and Vietnam civil war followed by the renovation of the country in 1986.

According to the World Bank rankings freedom, Vietnam ranked 60.7 in business freedom, 68.9 in trade freedom, 68.4 in labor freedom and 20 in investment freedom. Vietnam also ranked 49.8 in economic freedom.

Links Between Good Governance and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region that is located south of the Sahel including Western Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa with the exception of Northern Africa. Most developing countries in this region of Africa is stricken by absolute poverty, malnutrition, increasing rates of HIV/AIDs, Malaria, and other diseases, civil and political upheavals, environmental degradation and bad governance practices, which significantly fuel the above factors pointing to the fact that most countries in this region contains government were good governance is non-existence thus leading to the increasing rate of poverty, because the allocation and distribution of resources by the government is imbalance. Corruption in government is high in Sub-Saharan Africa leading to the misappropriation of public taxes a

Reference

World Development Report (2009). World Bank Website: http://web.worldbank.org
Accessed: 11/02/2010

Santiso, Carlos 2001 “ Good Governance and Aid Effectiveness: The World Bank and Conditionality Georgetown Public Policy Review Volume 7 pp 1-22

Smith, Stephen and Todaro, Michael 2009 Economic Development Pearson

United Nations Development Program 1997 “Governance for Sustainable Human Development”

http://mirror.undp.org/magnet/Docs/!UN9821.PDF/!GOVERNA.NCE/!GSHDENG.LIS/Front.df Accessed December 4 2010

United Nations Development Program “ Fast Facts: UNDP and Civil Society” www.undp.org/partners/cso Accessed November 30 2010

United Nations Economic and Social Commission 2010 “What is good governance?” United Nations http://www.unescap.org/pdd/prs/ProjectActivities/Ongoing/gg/governance.asp
Accessed December 2 2010

Woods, Ngaire 2001 “The Challenges of Good Governance for the IMF and the World Bank Themselves” World Development Vol 28, No. 5 (May 2000)

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