Twenty years after he watched Nelson Mandela’s rousing launch speech in Trafalgar Square, Dominic Vickers reflects on the impact of the landmark Make Poverty History campaign for trade justice, debt relief and better aid – and wonders if a new generation can take up the cause again.
Public engagement with aid: What do we know from 10 years of research?
How do you persuade more people in rich countries to back increased funding for international development? Duncan Green on insights from the Development Engagement Lab
We worked so hard to win the climate loss and damage fund. But will it be an empty bucket?
One hundred days after COP27, Juliet Suliwa Kasito looks back on the hard road to winning a loss and damage fund. Now, she says, campaigners must confront their next big challenge: pushing rich countries to put enough cash in.
Four things the new UK Prime Minister must do to show she is serious about tackling poverty
Sam Nadel on Liz Truss’s to-do list – and how you can demand action
Gambling on development: why I’m (mostly) convinced by Stefan Dercon’s big idea
Duncan Green reviews a provocative new book, which argues that countries’ economic progress depends on a ‘bargain’ struck by the elite to push for growth and development
The UK’s new development strategy shows it’s in the midst of an identity crisis
Despite warm words about doing ‘what works’ for the world’s poorest, there are worrying elements in this new strategy, says Sam Nadel – including what looks like a shift towards aid for trade
They were promised a fair share of power and resources… so why are local humanitarian actors still waiting?
In May 2016, at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, world leaders, humanitarian actors and the UN pledged to share power and resources with the local, front-line organisations who are critical to saving lives in humanitarian crises. Five years later, have they delivered on their commitments? The answer, unambiguously, is no. The Istanbul summit promised to “empower national and local humanitarian …
Podcast: Robtel Neajai Pailey on racism in development
Let’s talk about racism and development. Dr Robtel Neajai Pailey is a Liberian academic, activist and author.In this conversation, Maria and Robtel talk about development as a racist construct. They discuss the academization of decolonization, the systems of power and decision-making that uphold racism, and Robtel asks us: how complicit are we all in upholding the notion that whiteness (often …
Does channelling aid into private sector partnerships always lead to the best development outcomes?
Aid donors increasingly assume that private sector partnerships are crucial for global development. Marc Cohen, Senior Researcher at Oxfam America, outlines why we need to proceed with caution. Back in 2014, the UN estimated that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require an additional $2.5 trillion per year over planned investments between 2015 and 2030. Just to get a sense of what a trillion dollars looks like, it …