Can official development assistance be reformed to help the poorest countries?

james Aid

The rules defining official development assistance, a key poverty reduction tool, are currently being revised by the OECD. But if governments and citizens from the South are not consulted more, this reform is likely to be in their detriment. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is currently revising the rules defining what can be counted as official development …

Brexit and trade: An opportunity to do better

Pooja Mall Aid

Pooja Mall explores how Brexit can have a positive impact on trade policy and why it’s important to development.  Over a decade ago, Oxfam’s ‘Make Trade Fair’ campaign made the argument that many people in developing countries have been made worse off because the rules are rigged against them. It centred on eliminating the practice of dumping highly subsidised developed-country …

Three ways cash is king for asylum seekers in Greece

Stefania Imperia Aid, Emergency, Refugees and IDPs

Stefania Imperia asks what cash assistance means in practical terms for asylum seekers in Greece.  With tens of thousands of refugees and migrants stranded in Greece for an undefined period, providing cash grants to asylum seekers living in the Epirus region of north-west Greece may represent not only an efficient and dignified means to provide humanitarian assistance – but also an …

Cash transfer programming in Zimbabwe

Khodeza Rume Aid, Food & livelihoods, ICT4D

Khodeza Rume, a Humanitarian Support Personnel in Food Security and Livelihoods, reflects on a recent electronic cash programme with the World Food Programme and Econet.  With the 2008 financial crash, Zimbabwe suffered a cash crisis and economic collapse which resulted in chronic food insecurity. The situation has since been exacerbated by the effects of El Niño with an estimated 4.1 million …

The SDGS, an opportunity for business to do better

Ruth Mhlanga Active citizenship, Aid

Over a year in, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) show no sign of losing momentum. Ruth Mhlanga reflects on how businesses can support the SDGs to create a world free from poverty without breaking the planet. he SDGs are ambitious, but in a world where 8 men have the same wealth as the poorest half of the world, nothing less would …

Editors’ choice: A look back at 2016

Harriet Trevor-Allen Aid

2016 has been a challenging year for both long-term development and humanitarian work, and yet another busy year for Oxfam. The Policy & Practice blog has covered some of the most diverse and varied content yet. Here are some of the teams’ favourite posts, covering topics from inequality to women’s rights. January: Our stats struck a nerve, now let’s hit back …

Ha-Joon Chang on How Change Happens

Duncan Green Aid

Ahead of the official release date, we introduce Duncan Green’s new book, How change Happens.  ctober is upon us, and with it the publication of How Change Happens on the 27th. I am already suffering about my levels of authorial self-obsession: I entered the personal shorthand of ‘Narcissistic Peak’ for launch day, unaware that my diary synchs with my wife’s …

Cash is the answer to change the global aid system

Rose Smith Aid

This blog, originally published by CaLP, examines the benefits of cash transfer programmes in response to recent calls for reform of the humanitarian sector, by the UK Secretary of State for International Development. The Guardian published an article describing how Priti Patel, new Secretary of State for International Development in the UK, plans to overhaul the aid system. There are …

Political decision on aid needs to take a more functional approach

Daniela Rosche Aid

While politicians grapple with setting course to achieve the SDGs, they need to look at the core function of development aid and the role it can and should play in leaving no one behind. ver the past few years, I have seen few policy instruments lose as much traction and commitment as aid, also known as Official Development Assistance (ODA), …

Women’s economic empowerment and cash transfer programming

Rose Smith Aid, Gender, Her Series, Women's Economic Empowerment

Cash Transfer Programmes (CTP) are increasingly becoming more popular in relief response, but how can they help women’s economic empowerment? Rose Smith from The Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) gives us her input. oth women’s rights and Cash Transfer Programming (CTP) have been subject to increased debate and interest over recent years. Women’s rights and gender equality have progressed to become …