Annual Editions: Developing World 11/12

Annual Editions: Developing World 11/12

Preface

Correlation Guide

Topic Guide

Internet References

UNIT 1: Understanding the Developing WorldUnit Overview1. The New Face of Development, Carol Lancaster, Current History, January 2008The nature and emphasis of development has shifted as some progress on reducing poverty has been achieved. While poverty continues to be a challenge, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, development has increasingly come to be identified with human development, civil and political rights, security, and sustainability. Government to government aid programs are increasing through the efforts of civil society organizations, philanthropists, and multinational corporations. Technology has also helped shift development emphases.2. How Development Leads to Democracy: What We Know about Modernization, Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2009A reinterpretation of modernization theory in a way that emphasizes the cultural changes that accompany this process helps to explain how pressures for democracy push societies toward greater openness and political participation. A key component is the connection between economic development and changes in society, culture, and politics that promotes tolerance, encourages self-expression, and fosters political participation.3. The New Population Bomb: The Four Megatrends That Will Change the World, Jack A. Goldstone, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2010Declining fertility rates will stabilize world population in the middle of the twenty-first century. Shifting demographics will bring about significant changes in both rich and poor countries, however. The industrial countries will account for less of the world's population, their economic influence will diminish, and they will need more migrant workers. Meanwhile, most of the world's population growth will take place in the developing world, especially the poorest countries. Those populations will also be increasingly urban.4. The Ideology of Development, William Easterly, Foreign Policy, July/August 2007William Easterly argues that the development model advocated by international financial institutions and the UN amounts to a discredited ideology. He criticizes the view that development is a problem that can be solved by externally imposed technical plans, which often fail to take the local politics and economics into account. Instead, development should rely on the ability of people to make their own choices, benefit from their successes, and learn from the failures.5. The Case against the West: America and Europe in the Asian Century, Kishore Mahbubani, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2008Kishore Mahbubani argues that the West is declining and is unable to recognize that a new era is underway. This failure to recognize its diminishing influence is evident in the West's approach to intervention, nuclear non-proliferation, international trade, international law and organization, and the environment. The West's positions on these issues represent an effort to preserve the status quo rather than usher in a more just and stable world order.Unit 2: Political Economy and the Developing WorldUnit Overview6. Industrial Revolution 2.0, Antoine van Agtmael, Foreign Policy, January/February 2007Emerging markets are rapidly becoming major economic players in the global economy. Multinational corporations headquartered in developing countries are increasingly challenging western companies in technology, marketing, and design. Moreover, emerging market economies will be larger than the economies of the United States, Western Europe, and Japan by 2035. The West will have to formulate a response to this global shift in economic power.7. A Tiger Despite the Chains: The State of Reform in India, Rahul Mukherji, Current History, April 2010India has enjoyed significant annual economic growth, in excess of six percent, particularly since the economic reforms of 1991. Nevertheless, there are several obstacles to higher growth rates. Powerful actors such as the unions, wealthy farmers, and politicians as well as bureaucrats block reforms that would increase growth even further. The benefits that many have enjoyed have not filtered down to the poorest despite programs targeted at literacy and job creation.8. The Poor Man's Burden, William Easterly, Foreign Policy, January/February 2009The recent world financial crisis may result in greater government intervention in the economy, especially in poor countries. William Easterly argues that a return to policies reminiscent of the early years of development economics would have an adverse effect on the prospects for prosperity among the poor. The response to the financial crisis should be to avoid protectionism, resist extensive regulation, and be wary of top-down development strategies.9. Cotton: The Huge Moral Issue, Kate Eshelby, New African, January 2006Cotton production in poor countries is threatened by the subsidies paid to farmers in industrialized countries. Cotton subsidies in the United States exceed the GDP of Burkina Faso, a poor cotton-producing country. Because of these subsidies, there is overproduction that in turn results in lower prices for poor farmers. Although WTO rules prohibit subsidies that distort trade, rich countries have yet to eliminate them.10. R.I.P., WTO, Paul Blustein, Foreign Policy, January/February 2010A successful conclusion of the Doha round of trade talks looks unlikely. Failure to reach a new trade agreement would not only have an adverse impact on the international trade system but may also undermine the WTO. This could result in slowing the pace of trade barrier reductions and weakening the WTO's ability to mediate trade disputes. The Doha Round's goal of eliminating subsidies has fallen far short and also calls into question the WTO's role as a negotiating forum.11. Taking the Measure of Global Aid, Jean-Michel Severino and Olivier Ray, Current History, January 2010The concept of official development aid is outmoded and should be replaced by programs that better promote global public goods and recognize the challenges of globalization. Rethinking development aid requires recognition of the expanded goals of development, the existence of a wider range of actors, and a larger number of ways to both provide assistance and measure its effectiveness.12. The New Colonialists, Michael A. Cohen, Maria Figueroa Kuepcue, and Parag Khanna, Foreign Policy, July/August 2008Non-governmental organizations are taking on increasing responsibility for humanitarian aid and development. As a result, state capacity to deal with these challenges is being undermined and the safety net that these organizations provide may allow incompetent governments to avoid accountability. An increasing amount of aid is being both provided by and channeled through NGOs. The trend toward greater NGO responsibility is controversial.13. A Few Dollars at a Time: How to Tap Consumers for Development, Philippe Douste-Blazy and Daniel Altman, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2010HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis account for one in eight deaths in developing countries. Because these diseases reinforce one another, an effort is under way to fight all three together. The funding for these efforts comes from innovative financing, which involves small taxes on airline ticket purchases and voluntary contributions through product purchases. Innovative financing will provide millions for fighting disease and help increase economic activity in developing countries.14. The Politics of Hunger: How Illusion and Greed Fan the Food Crisis, Paul Collier, Foreign Affairs, November/December 2008The sharp increase in food prices since 2005 has had an enormous impact in the developing world, triggering food riots in some countries and threatening longer-term consequences for the poor if prices remain high. Noted economist Paul Collier argues that to address the food crisis, the world needs to shift the emphasis from small- to large-scale farming, embrace new technology, especially genetic modification, and stop subsidizing biofuel production.15. The Micromagic of Microcredit, Karol Boudreaux and Tyler Cowen, Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2008Since Muhammad Yunis founded the Grameen Bank some three decades ago, microcredit has become a worldwide phenomenon. Although it has attracted some criticism, the success of microcredit has been touted as a major contribution to poverty reduction. Critics claim microfinance loans have exorbitant interest rates and that they help finance consumption more than business expansion. Boudreaux and Cowen argue that despite the criticism, microloans can have a signif
icant impact on the lives of the poor.16. Many Borrowers of Microloans Now Find the Price Is Too High, Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times, April 14, 2010The popularity of microfinance has many of its proponents concerned about the direction in which the practice has headed. Large banks and financial institutions have come to dominate microloan providers and interest rates have been driven up. The industry is pushing for more transparency to make sure that those institutions offering loans to the poor are not exploiting them.17. Haiti: A Creditor, Not a Debtor, Naomi Klien, The Nation, March 1, 2010Naomi Klein argues that in the aftermath of the earthquake not only should Haiti have its debt eliminated, but the West should pay reparations for the consequences of that debt. Slavery, dictatorship, and climate change have made especially vulnerable to the consequences of this disaster. Reparations would help change the country's prospects for the future.Unit 3: Conflict and InstabilityUnit Overview18. Fixing a Broken World, The Economist, January 31, 2009Weak and failed states pose both obstacles to development as well as security challenges. Although there may be some debate over terminology, it is clear that the lack of state capacity results in widespread poverty and deprivation while also providing space for terrorists and criminals to operate with impunity. Moreover, problems in weak and failed states can spill over into neighboring states, damaging their economies and expanding insecurity.19. Afghanistan's Rocky Path to Peace, J. Alexander Thier, Current History, April 2010There are indications that an effort is under way to engage the insurgents in Afghanistan in peace talks. The path to peace is uncertain, however, and requires not only the cooperation of the insurgents but also the United States and its allies, Pakistan, India, Iran, and China. Even then, the effort will have to overcome the challenges posed by non-state actors like al Qaeda, Pakistani radicals, and drug traffickers.20. A Nation on the Brink, Christopher Boucek and David Donadio, The Atlantic, April 2010Yemen has become a focal point in the campaign against international terrorism. Efforts to combat terrorism are complicated by a civil war in the north, a secessionist movement in the south, rapidly depleting natural resources, corruption, unemployment, weak government, and looming economic collapse.21. Africa's Forever Wars, Jeffery Gettleman, Foreign Policy, March/April 2010Several of Africa's continuing conflicts are the product of the emergence of a new type of war. No longer the product of liberation struggles or ideology, these conflicts are increasingly fought for plunder, often by child soldiers abducted by militias headed by warlords who are more concerned with profit than political power.22. The Most Dangerous Place in the World, Jeffrey Gettleman, Foreign Policy, March/April 2009Without a functioning government since 1991, Somalia has become a haven for pirates, warlords, Islamist extremists, and a variety of other dangerous actors. The emergence of the Islamic Courts Union brought a brief period of reduced chaos, but concerns about their ties to Islamic radicals led the United States to first back discredited warlords and then support an Ethiopian invasion of the country. Now that the Ethiopians have withdrawn, the weak transitional government faces renewed fighting.23. Africa's New Horror, J. Peter Pham, Foreign Policy January/February 2010While the conflict in Darfur has eased, there is a looming crisis as Sudan gets closer to a 2011 referendum in which the South is expected to vote for independence. The referendum is likely to prompt conflict in the run-up to the vote which is unlikely to be free and fair, or without bloodshed.24. Behind Iran's Crackdown, an Economic Coup, Fariborz Ghadar, Current History, December 2009Iran's political upheaval after the June 2009 elections has overshadowed a shift in economic power toward the Revolutionary Guards and religious organizations. The protest that took place after the 2009 elections were as much about economic mismanagement as they were about electoral manipulation. Economic growth has slowed recently and Iran continues to struggle with high unemployment and these economic problems may accelerate repression.25. Mexico's Drug Wars Get Brutal, Francisco E. Gonzalez, Current History, February 2009The violence related to Mexican drug cartels has intensified as the government has taken steps to reduce drug trafficking. Corruption and jurisdictional overlap have complicated the government's efforts to reduce the drug trade. As the crackdown has produced arrests, competition to take over this lucrative business has fueled mounting violence between the cartels and brazen attacks against government forces.26. Call in the Blue Helmets, The Economist, January 6, 2007The number of peacekeeping troops and military observers worldwide has grown dramatically since 1998. Although some of this growth suggests that conflicts are winding down, the conflict in Darfur illustrates the continuing need for peacekeepers. This proposed operation demonstrates the challenges of mounting a successful peacekeeping operation. A proposal to create a standing force to respond more quickly to crises has made only slight progress.Unit 4: Political Change in the Developing WorldUnit Overview27. Crying for Freedom, The Economist, January 16, 2010Freedom House's annual assessment of democracy and human rights found that these qualities declined worldwide for the fourth consecutive year. Perhaps most troubling about this decline is the intellectual challenge to liberalism. China's rapid economic growth has created more interest in an authoritarian path to prosperity while the West's willingness to promote democracy has waned, as has the willingness of other countries to listen to that message.28. In Sri Lanka, the Triumph of Vulgar Patriotism, Nira Wickramasinghe, Current History, April 2010Sri Lanka's January 2010 elections resulted in a victory for the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa. Having presided over the defeat of the Tamil insurgency, the president enjoyed widespread support and after his victory turned to cracking down on his opposition, including his rival General Fonseca who led the army in its victory over the Tamil Tigers. Fonseca has been arrested on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government. Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa seems intent on consolidating power and establishing a family dynasty.29. Bring Me My Machine Gun, Scott Johnson and Karen MacGregor, Newsweek, April 27, 2009South Africa's April 2009 elections again provided the ruling African National Congress(ANC) wih an overwhelming victory. Unlike his predecessors, new president Jacob Zuma has no formal education and identifies strongly with his Zulu ethnic roots. Imprisoned for ten years and then rising to the post of ANC chief of intelligence during the struggle against apartheid, Zuma more recently has been accused of corruption and in 2006 he was acquitted on rape charges. It remains to be seen whether Zuma can manage the various competing interests in South Africa.30. Free at Last?, Bernard Lewis, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2009Bernard Lewis contends that the Arab world consists of two types of regimes: those that depend on loyalty and those that depend on obedience. Both of these models are becoming less effective as people begin to seek new forms of government not based primarily on loyalty and even less on repression. Prospects for greater democracy in the Middle East will depend on the outcome of the struggle between those who blame the region's ills on outside actors and those who hold the current leadership responsible.31. "Moderates" Redefined: How to Deal with Political Islam, Emile Nakhleh, Current History, December 2009Islamic political parties have changed their political ideologies over time, moderated their demands for Sharia, and are more inclined to participate in electoral and legislative politics. Political pragmatism has come to characterize the Islamization of politics in several Muslim-majority countries in the Middle east and beyond. The radical politics favored by al Qaeda and its supporters are on the wane but extremism will continue to be a problem.32. The Islamists Are Not Coming, Charles Kurzman and Ijlal Naqvi, Foreign Policy, January/February 2010While some Islamist parties have done well in a few elections, a study of voting patterns indicates that Islamist parties have not fared well in elections over the last forty years. Add
itionally, evidence suggests that the more open and free the elections, the worse Islamic parties do. Participation in the electoral process also helps moderate Islamic parties' platforms.33. The Transformation of Hamas, Fawaz A. Gerges, The Nation, January 25, 2010Although regarded by the West as a radical Islamic organization, Hamas may be evolving into a more willing negotiating partner. While it has already indicated some flexibility, it is unlikely to give further ground without an end to sanctions and the Israeli hard line on Gaza. As the most powerful organization in the Occupied Territories and deriving its legitimacy from strong popular support, the West should look for opportunities to engage.34. Adios, Monroe Doctrine: When the Yanquis Go Home, Jorge G. Castaneda, The New Republic, December 30, 2009The United States has traditionally had a large presence in Latin America but in recent years, the American presence has diminished substantially. With Washington's retreat, it has become more difficult to blame the region's difficulties on the United States. Indeed, the new U.S. policy has been popular in several countries in the region, but events will probably prevent an indefinite disengagement.35. The Return of Continuismo?, Shelley A. McConnell, Current History, February 2010Recently, several Latin American countries have decided to allow presidents to extend their terms or make them eligible for re-election. This has raised questions of presidential manipulation of the constitution and highlighted the region's tradition of strong presidentialism. Whether this trend will continue to spread to more countries remains unclear.36. Perilous Times for Latin America, Theodore J. Piccone, Current History, February 2010Although Latin America is a politically diverse region, there are indications that democratic gains are under increasing pressure. The impact of the recent financial crisis is likely to fuel calls for a strengthened state, raising concerns about how democratic such a state would be. Corruption and ineffective leadership are also likely to lead to populist challenges to existing governments while a preference for short-term over long-term goals may lead to the entrenchment of autocrats.Unit 5: Population, Resources, Environment, and HealthUnit Overview37. Is a Green World a Safer World?: Not Necessarily, David J. Rothkopf, Foreign Policy, September/October 2009As the world seeks alternative energy sources, there is a distinct possibility that a greener world will not necessarily be a more peaceful one. Trade disputes, resource scarcity, and the dangers of alternative energy sources threaten to make the shift to more environmentally sound energy production a security challenge for both industrialized and developing countries.38. The Last Straw, Stephan Faris, Foreign Policy, July/August 2009As dangerous as the current situation is in Pakistan, the potential for wider conflict in South Asia could increase with climate change. Competition for water resources that originate in Kashmir may further ratchet up tensions between India and Pakistan. By some estimates, one in four countries, including some of the world's most unstable and volatile, will be at risk for climate change induced conflict. Poor, unstable countries will be particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.39. The World's Water Challenge, Erik R. Peterson and Rachel A. Posner, Current History, January 2010A substantial portion of the world's population lacks access to potable water and adequate sanitation. A recent report forecasts as much as a forty percent gap between global water demand and reliable supply over the next twenty years. Despite this, there has been little effort to establish a value for water that will promote more efficient use of increasingly scarce water resources. Consumption patterns and climate change are likely to both sharpen competition and increase the likelihood of conflict and have a detrimental impact on development prospects.40. Water Warriors, Maude Barlow, The Nation, April 14, 2008A serious controversy has developed over the control of vital water resources. On one side are those who view water as a commodity to be privatized and marketed. Pitted against these often powerful interests are grassroots organizations and NGOs who oppose privatization and sale of water. Across Latin America, and in many other parts of the world, opponents of the large companies that market water are demanding that governments say no to privatization and treat access to water as a basic right.41. Soot from Third-World Stoves Is New Target in Climate Fight, Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, April 16, 2009Until recently, the effect of soot from cooking fires in developing countries was not recognized as a major contributor to climate change. The damage from this pollution could be reduced relatively quickly by providing the poor with more efficient cookstoves. Reducing black carbon emissions would also help to reduce the health impact of this pollution. Obstacles to dealing with this problem include the cost of replacing these stoves and resistance to changes in the way food is prepared.42. Population, Human Resources, Health, and the Environment: Getting the Balance Right, Anthony J. McMichael, Environment, January/February 2008The 1987 Brundtland Report emphasized the connection between the environment and development. That connection remains important, but if the report were to be updated, Anthony J. McMichael argues that health issues should be added to impact of the environment. A sustainable environment is essential to reducing poverty, providing safe drinking water, fighting undernourishment, and preventing the spread of diseases.43. Reversal of Fortune: Why Preventing Poverty Beats Curing It, Anirudh Krishna, Foreign Policy, May/June 2006Recent research suggests that the success in reducing poverty has been offset by large numbers becoming impoverished. The biggest contributor to this trend is the lack of adequate and affordable health care. Illness rapidly deletes resources, often sending families into poverty and debt. Economic growth has to be accompanied by gains in health care to truly reduce poverty.Unit 6: Women and DevelopmentUnit Overview44. The Women's Crusade, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, The New York Times Magazine, August 23, 2009The marginalization of women and girls throughout large portions of the developing world not only holds these women back but contributes to global poverty and political extremism. Educating girls and providing access to credit through microfinancing can have a profound impact on poor families. Directing more foreign aid toward women, improving reproductive health, and focusing on keeping girls in school should guide foreign aid policy.45. Gendercide, The Economist, March 6, 2010A preference for male children has resulted in an unnaturally large discrepancy between boys and girls in several countries in the developing world. The problem is especially pronounced in China and India but is also found in other East Asian countries. The disparity is based on traditional preference for sons, a desire for smaller families, and the availability of ultrasound technology to determine the gender of a fetus. There are serious consequences from this trend.46. Women in Developing Countries 300 Times More Likely to Die in Childbirth, Sarah Boseley, The Guardian, January 15, 2009Women in poor countries are far more likely than women in wealthy countries to die during childbirth. In many cases, these women die of preventable causes or lack of access to health care professionals during childbirth. The underlying cause has to do with the status of women and a failure to adequately secure women's rights.47. Educating Girls, Unlocking Development, Ruth Levine, Current History, March 2006The education of girls has the potential to improve not only their lives, but also those of their family and the broader society. Educating girls has been shown to contribute to growth of household and national income, improved health for women and children, and lower fertility rates. These contributions to development make it even more important to focus on girls' school enrollments and completion, especially for those belonging to ethnic and linguistic minorities.48. Girls in War: Sex Slave, Mother, Domestic Aide, Combatant, Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Chronicle, No. 1&2, 2009Girls and women are particularly vulnerable in armed conflicts. They may be subject to rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking, recruited as child soldiers, displaced or turned into refugees, or become
orphans, often managing child-led households. The international community has responded by creating a framework to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable and the UN Security Council has established a Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.49. Remember the Women?, Ann Jones, The Nation, November 9, 2009Despite talk about equal rights for women in Afghanistan conditions have deteriorated for women. A recent family law approved by President Karzai contains provisions reminiscent of rule under the Taliban. Even though Afghanistan is a signatory to international human rights agreements, Afghanistan's women are not only at risk for violence and abuse, but may face death for speaking out.50. Women in the Shadow of Climate Change, Balgis Osman-Elasha, UN Chronicle, No. 3&4, 2009Women are particularly vulnerable to climate change. They make up the majority of the world's poor and are proportionally more dependent on increasingly scarce natural resources. Moreover, women have less access to resources such as land, credit, agricultural inputs, decision-making, technology, and training and extension programs that might help them adapt to climate change.51. Recession Hits Women in Developing Countries, Olivia Ward, The Toronto Star, March 8, 2009Already struggling with the consequences of poverty, women are much more likely to be affected by the global recession. Women who work as domestic workers and in the service sector are at greater risk of losing their jobs. Rising food prices also dispro