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6902. Haiti: "A Gathering Storm"
- Author:
- Anita Swarup
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- ''The situation was bad before the hurricanes in 2008 – there was a drought - but after them it got worse and more complicated people lost what little they had – houses, crops, livestock – which creates a catastrophe of hunger in this area. We feel ashamed, we have to beg from the state and other international agencies'' Lissage Geneus, a local government official (CASEC) in Baie d'Orange.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Caribbean and Haiti
6903. Climate Change, Poverty and Environmental Crisis in the Disaster Prone Areas of Pakistan
- Author:
- Zehar Abbass
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- This study was commissioned by Oxfam GB to review the impact of climate change on Pakistan's rural communities. The findings of the study are remarkably consistent with global, regional national climate change projections, and alarming.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Environment
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and South Asia
6904. The Cost of War: Afghan experiences of conflict, 1978-2009
- Author:
- Ashley Jackson
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- The past three decades of war and disorder have had a devastating impact on the Afghan people. Millions have been killed, millions more have been forced to flee their homes and the country's infrastructure and forests have all but been destroyed. The social fabric of the country is fractured and state institutions are fragile and weak.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, Human Welfare, Humanitarian Aid, and War
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan
6905. Bridging the Divide: The reform of global food security governance
- Author:
- Chris Leather
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Another World Food Summit is being held in Rome to discuss world food security, in the midst of a chronic global food crisis in which one billion (one in six) people go to bed hungry every day of their shortened lives. During the two-and-a-half days of the Summit, more than 60,000 people, 70 per cent of them children, will die of hunger-related causes.
- Topic:
- Security, Agriculture, Food, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Rome
6906. Resilience: Working with vulnerable farmers towards climate change adaptation and food security
- Author:
- Jules Siedenburg, Kimberly Pfeifer, and Kelly Hauser
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Worldwide, 1.7 billion small-scale farmers and pastoralists are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. They live on marginal rural lands characterised by conditions such as low rainfall, sloping terrain, fragile soils, and poor market access, primarily in Africa and Asia. Such farmers are vulnerable because their farms depend directly on rainfall and temperature, yet they often have little savings and few alternative options if their crops fail or livestock die.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Climate Change, and Food
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Asia
6907. Bolivia: Climate change, poverty and adaptation
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Bolivia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change for six basic reasons: It is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and suffers from one of the worst patterns of inequality. Low-income groups in developing countries are the most exposed to climate change impacts. It is the country in South America with the highest percentage of indigenous people, where much of the poverty and inequality is concentrated. It is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, with a wide variety of ecosystems that are vulnerable to different impacts from climate change. More than half of the country is Amazonian, with high levels of deforestation which adds to the vulnerability to flooding. Located in a climatically volatile region, it is one of the countries in the world most affected by 'natural' disasters in recent years. It is home to about twenty per cent of the world's tropical glaciers, which are retreating more quickly than predicted by many experts.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Development
- Political Geography:
- South America, Latin America, Bolivia, and Amazon Basin
6908. Turkey's "Soft Power" Strategy: A New Vision for a Multi-Polar World
- Author:
- Cengiz Çandar
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
- Abstract:
- There is a lively debate centered on whether Turkey is undergoing an axis shift, meaning Turkey is drifting away from the Transatlantic system and heading towards the Middle East in the most acclaimed dailies and journals of the Western world. One may witness a flurry of commentaries, appraisals and op-ed articles published in these media outlets. Taking notice of the vibrant debate on Turkey's orientation in the international sphere, Turkey's leaders underlined Turkey's position with varying degrees of emphasis. Despite the statements of Turkey's policymakers, which argue against the idea of shift of axis, the debates over Turkey's identity and foreign policy orientation has not lost steam. The shift should not be attributed to Turkey's departure from its Western ties to be replaced by those with the East but rather, a shift of power as the inevitable outcome of the end of the Cold War and a fact of the new millennium.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East
6909. Afghanistan: Elections and the Crisis of Governance
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- President Hamid Karzai's re-election on 2 November 2009, following widespread fraud in the 20 August presidential and provincial polls, has delivered a critical blow to his government's legitimacy. The deeply flawed polls have eroded public confidence in the electoral process and in the international community's commitment to the country's nascent democratic institutions. Concentration of power in the executive to the exclusion of the legislature and judiciary has also resulted in a fundamental breakdown in governance while strengthening the hand of the insurgency. To restore stability, vigorous constitutional reform under the aegis of a loya jirga must be undertaken; an impartial commission of inquiry into the flawed elections should be formed; the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) should be restructured to restore credibility; and prompt steps must be taken to strengthen institutions.
- Topic:
- Democratization, War, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan
6910. Somaliland: A Way out of the Electoral Crisis
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- The stalled electoral process has plunged Somaliland into a serious political crisis that presents yet another risk of destabilisation for the region. If its hard-won political stability collapses under the strain of brinkmanship and intransigence, clan leaders might remobilise militias, in effect ending its dream of independence. The political class must finally accept to uphold the region's constitution, abide by the electoral laws and adhere to interparty agreements such as the electoral code of conduct and memorandum of understanding signed on 25 September 2009, so as to contain the crisis and permit implementation of extensive electoral reforms. International partners and donors should keep a close watch on developments and sustain pressure for genuinely free and fair general elections in 2010.
- Topic:
- Political Violence and Democratization
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Somalia
6911. Combating illicit financial flows from poor countries. Estimating the possible gains
- Author:
- Jakob Vestergaard and Martin Højland
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- If the UN Millennium Development Goals are to be reached by 2015, development aid needs to be tripled – which is most unlikely. Instead, countries should unite in a concerted multilateral effort to combat illicit financial flows: for every dollar poor countries receive in development assistance, more than eight dollars are illegally transferred back to rich countries, most of it in order avoid local taxation. Effectively combating these illicit financial flows would generate more financial resources for development than foreign aid is likely to ever do – and help build a sustainable tax base in developing countries for the benefit of future development efforts.
- Topic:
- Corruption, Crime, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, Europe, London, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, and Luxembourg
6912. Venezuela: Accelerating the Bolivarian Revolution
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- President Hugo Chávez's victory in the 15 February 2009 referendum, permitting indefinite re-election of all elected officials, marked an acceleration of his “Bolivarian revolution” and “socialism of the 21st century”. Chávez has since moved further away from the 1999 constitution, and his government has progressively abandoned core liberal democracy principles guaranteed under the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The executive has increased its power and provoked unrest internally by further politicising the armed forces and the oil sector, as well as exercising mounting influence over the electoral authorities, the legislative organs, the judiciary and other state entities. At the same time, Chávez's attempts to play a political role in other states in the region are producing discomfort abroad. The September 2010 legislative elections promise to further polarise an already seriously divided country, while unresolved social and mounting economic problems generate tensions that exacerbate the risk of political violence.
- Topic:
- Political Violence and Armed Struggle
- Political Geography:
- Latin America and Venezuela
6913. Central Asia: Islamists in Prison
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- The number of Islamists in Kyrgyz and Kazakh prisons is small but growing, in both size and political significance. Well-organised Islamist proselytisers, mostly imprisoned on charges of religious extremism, are consolidating their position within the informal structures of power behind prison walls. Incarcerating determined activists is providing them with the opportunity to extend their influence among convicts, at first inside prison and then on their release. Problems within jails in Central Asia have been known to seep outside the prison walls; the expansion of radical Islamist thought within prisons is likely to have serious consequences. The paradox of the situation is that, in private at least, political leaders in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are intensely aware that the best way to defeat extremism is to address woeful social and economic conditions, fight the systemic top-to-bottom corruption that besets all the region's regimes, and in the words of one regional leader, “give people a future”.
- Topic:
- Political Violence, Islam, and Armed Struggle
- Political Geography:
- Central Asia, Asia, and Kyrgyzstan
6914. Counting Carbon in the Marketplace – and at the Border
- Author:
- Simon Bolwig and Peter Gibbon
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- Carbon labelling or 'footprinting' of products poses several challenges for developing countries including costs, the availability of relevant data, and the implicit bias of Northern standards against labour-intensive manufacturing. Donors can help alleviate these problems through supporting Southern research institutions in calculating footprints for locally-produced products, by helping to develop comprehensive and user-friendly open access databases, and by insisting that emerging standards in the area are non-discriminatory
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Environment
- Political Geography:
- Europe
6915. Sudan: Preventing Implosion
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Sudan is sliding towards violent breakup. The main mechanisms to end conflicts between the central government and the peripheries – the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Darfur Peace Agreement and the East Sudan Peace Agreement – all suffer from lack of implementation, largely due to the intransigence of the National Congress Party (NCP). Less than thirteen months remain to ensure that national elections and the South Sudan self-determination referendum lead to democratic transformation and resolution of all the country's conflicts. Unless the international community, notably the U.S., the UN, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council and the Horn of Africa Inter-Government Authority on Development (IGAD), cooperate to support both CPA implementation and vital additional negotiations, return to North-South war and escalation of conflict in Darfur are likely.
- Topic:
- Political Violence, Islam, Peace Studies, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Africa, United States, Middle East, and South Sudan
6916. Reducing poverty through low carbon development: Recommendations for development cooperation in Least Developed Countries
- Author:
- Helle Munk Ravnborg, Henrik Egelyng, Mikkel Funder, and Jacob Fjalland
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- Development cooperation between the North and the Least Developed Countries should not just focus on adaptation to climate change. There are real and sustained benefits to be had for Least Developed Countries from engaging in approaches and practices that mitigate future emissions and at the same time support poverty alleviation and economic development. However, not all low-carbon development is pro-poor, and some options offer far better benefits for the poor than others.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, and Globalization
6917. Migrants and the Global Financial Crisis
- Author:
- Uri Dadush and Lauren Falcao
- Publication Date:
- 12-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- More than 200 million people reside in a country that is not their birthplace. This “diaspora nation” of migrants outranks all but four of the world's countries in population. These migrants make an immense economic contribution both to their host country and to their home country, primarily through transfers of money they earn back to their home country, which are known as “remittances.” About 82 percent of migrants originate in developing countries, and their remittances, which amounted to an estimated $305 billion in 2008, represent an essential source of foreign exchange for these countries, as well as a major instrument in the fight against poverty.
- Topic:
- Economics, Globalization, Migration, Immigration, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Russia, America, and Dubai
6918. Sharing the Pain: The Global Struggle Over Savings
- Author:
- Michael Pettis
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- In September, the Obama administration imposed tariffs on Chinese tires. In October, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it would launch an investigation into imports of seamless steel pipes from China. That same month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.–China Business Council, two groups that in the past have defended Chinese policies, testified to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that Chinese contracting rules, technical standards, and licensing requirements were protectionist.
- Topic:
- Economics, Globalization, Foreign Direct Investment, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- China, Middle East, and Asia
6919. Middle East Democracy Promotion Is Not a One-way Street
- Author:
- Marina Ottaway
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- The U.S. administration is under pressure to revive democracy promotion efforts in the Middle East, but momentum toward political reform has stalled in most of the region. Opposition parties are at low ebb, and governments are more firmly in control than ever. While new forms of activism, such as labor protests and a growing volume of blogging critical of government and opposition parties have become widespread, they have yet to prove effective as means of influencing leaders to change long-standing policies.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Islam
- Political Geography:
- United States, Middle East, and Arab Countries
6920. Manmohan Singh Visits Washington: Sustaining U.S.–Indian Cooperation Amid Differences
- Author:
- Ashley J. Tellis
- Publication Date:
- 11-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, will come to Washington on November 24, 2009, for the first state visit hosted by President Barack Obama. This event will be widely viewed as evidence of the importance attached to maintaining the upward trajectory in U.S.–Indian relations. By all accounts, the two leaders have already established a good working relationship—something skeptics feared was impossible given the prime minister's warm regard for President George W. Bush and the differences between Bush and Obama on many issues involving India. The global economic crisis, however, appears to have enhanced the personal collaboration between the two leaders, as many of Singh's ideas for stimulating the global revival have been backed by Obama in various forums, including most recently at the Group of Twenty's summit in Pittsburgh.
- Topic:
- Arms Control and Proliferation, Climate Change, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Washington, and India