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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Global Prosperity Wonkcast
Haiti: Where Has All the Money Gone? – Vijaya Ramachandran and Julie WalzMay 15, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Aid Effectiveness Tags: Aid Effectiveness, Haiti, USAID
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »Leapfrogging Technology, the Case for Biometrics: Alan GelbMay 8, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Global Development Tags: Biometrics, Haiti
This show was originally posted on January 11, 2011 In developed countries, official identification systems are a fact of life, providing the foundation for a myriad of transactions including elections, pension payments, and the legal system. Without functional ID systems, citizens of many developing countries miss out on the benefits of official identification. On this week’s Wonkcast, I am joined by CGD senior fellow Alan Gelb who has been researching the potential for new biometric technology, such as computerized finger printing and iris scans, to help poor countries leapfrog the long and complicated process of setting up ID systems. In our conversation, Alan explains the depth of the problem in the developing world. “In most rich countries there are already identity systems that work more or less well,” he says. “In many poor countries, not only is there no consistent identity system but at least half of the people don’t have records of birth at all. They simply don’t exist.” Comment »Latin American Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis – Liliana Rojas-SuarezMay 1, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Finance, Latin America Tags: financial crisis
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »U.S. Support for Sustainable Energy for All—Nigel PurvisApril 23, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Climate Change, Private Investment Tags: Climate Change
My guest on this week’s Wonkcast is Nigel Purvis, CEO of Climate Advisors, a visiting senior associate at CGD, and the co-author of a new CGD report “Energizing Rio+20: How the United States Can Promote Sustainable Energy for All at the 2012 Earth Summit.” We spoke last Friday following the launch of the report at a CGD event that concluded with a keynote address by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 1 Comment »Key Challenges for Jim Kim, New World Bank President—Nancy BirdsallApril 17, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in International Financial Institutions, World Bank Tags: Fragile States, IDA, International Financial Institutions, World Bank
After an unprecedented competition, with three official nominees, the World Bank announced on Monday that the board had selected Jim Yong Kim, the Korean-born U.S. nominee, as the next president of the World Bank. My guest on this week’s Wonkcast is CGD president Nancy Birdsall, who discusses why it matters who leads the bank and sets out key challenges for the incoming president. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment » |
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Since the 2010 earthquake, $6 billion has been disbursed in official aid to help the people of Haiti. Nearly all of it has gone to intermediaries such as international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private contractors. Yet there has been a surprising lack of reporting on how the money has been spent. CGD senior fellow 
Conventional wisdom has it that when the United States catches a cold, Latin America gets pneumonia. But when the United States caught financial pneumonia in 2008, Latin America escaped with little more than a cold. What’s changed?
