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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
Posts Tagged: TechnologyJenny Aker: Mobile Phones for Development—Hope vs. HypeAugust 2, 2011Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Africa, Private Investment Tags: Africa, Private Investment, Technology
Mobile phone use has spread across Africa at a stunning pace. The percentage of Africans who could access a mobile phone leapt from only 10% in 1999 to more than 60% by 2008—far outstripping improvements in other infrastructure (roads, clean water, or indeed landline telephones). In a new CGD working paper, to be published later this summer in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jenny and her co-author Isaac Mbiti describe four main ways phones have been applied to the problems of the poor. In the Wonkcast, we discuss these four applications: Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »Jenny Aker: Mobile Phones for Development—Hope vs. HypeJune 1, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Africa, Global Development, Private Investment Tags: ICT4D, Jenny Aker, Mobile Phones, Technology
Mobile phone use has spread across Africa at a stunning pace. The percentage of Africans who could access a mobile phone leapt from only 10% in 1999 to more than 60% by 2008—far outstripping improvements in other infrastructure (roads, clean water, or indeed landline telephones). In a new CGD working paper, to be published later this summer in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jenny and her co-author Isaac Mbiti describe four main ways phones have been applied to the problems of the poor. In the Wonkcast, we discuss these four applications: Podcast: Play in new window | Download 1 Comment »Connecting Citizens: Twaweza’s Rakesh Rajani on Public Accountability in East AfricaMarch 30, 2010Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Africa, Globalization, Governance/Democracy Tags: Africa, Democracy, Governance, Rakesh Rajani, Tanzania, Technology
Rakesh tells me that cellphone use has exploded in the last decade in Tanzania, rising from perhaps 200,000 users to over 14 million today. Except for the most remote areas of the country, he says, just about everyone can access a mobile phone. That new connectivity, Rakesh explains, has opened new channels for reducing corruption in government. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 3 Comments »Benchmarking America: The 2009 Commitment to Development IndexOctober 22, 2009Posted by Lawrence MacDonald in Aid Effectiveness, Global Development, Private Investment, Trade Tags: Aid, Commitment to Development Index, David Roodman, Environment, Investment, Migration, Security, Technology, Trade
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The Wonkcast is taking a brief summer vacation. We’ve selected this show from our archives- it was originally posted on June 1, 2010.
Has technology boosted the ability of citizens in African countries to influence their governments? This week, I’m joined by Rakesh Rajani, founder and head of 
Congratulations to Sweden for ranking first in CGD’s 2009 Commitment to Development Index (CDI) for the first time since the creation of the Index in 2003. The United States, meanwhile, manages only a meager 17th place among the 22 wealthy countries ranked. In Benchmarking America, our second Global Prosperity Wonkcast, I ask CDI architect David Roodman to tell us why Sweden ranks first, why the United States gets such a mediocre score, and why Japan and Korea once again fall at the bottom of the list. Whether or not you are a podcast listener, I urge you to take a look at the greatly enhanced 2009 CDI 
