YPFP development series
Rogue Donor? Chinese Aid and African Development
RSVP required
China has gone from the ranks of the developing countries to becoming a major player in Africa. China's entry into international development provides new resources for developing countries, as well as leverage with regimes in challenging regions. However, it also provides an alternative approach to development that challenges Western philosophies. Is China a rogue donor? What do we know about Chinese aid in Africa? Journalists and foreign policy pundits have jumped to conclusions on very little evidence.
To address these issues, YPFP presents a roundtable with Deborah Brautigam, an associate professor at American University and author of the book, Chinese Aid and African Development. Professor Brautigam has just returned from visits to Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia and China, and will provide her analysis of China's aid and what it means for Africa and the West.
"A New Era for Foreign Aid? The Millennium Challenge Corporation," Matthew McLean
The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) signified a shift in U.S. international development policy. The MCA is based on statistical evidence showing that foreign aid promotes economic growth in good policy environments, including solid fiscal, monetary and trade policies. Under the stewardship of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the MCA has now become a major pillar of U.S. foreign assistance. While the MCA has been lauded by President Bush and many U.S. policymakers, it has also faced criticism—for example, for concentrating funding on middle-income countries and spending funds too slowly.
Global Development Series: The Future of US Democracy Promotion
with Thomas Carothers , Vice President for International Politics and Governance, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
In recent years, the international standing of democracy has faced challenges from myriad directions: from the troubled state-building attempts in Iraq to the meteoric economic growth of authoritarian China. These realities have caused many in both the developed and developing worlds to question the validity of democracy promotion as a tool for development. Such questions become especially important in the context of the fragile democracies in the developing world and post-conflict states. In the 21st century, where does "democracy" intersect with "effective governance"? Should democracy promotion still be considered a central tool for development?
Top Down, Bottom Up: Searching for New Ways of Financing Development
Arthur Wood, Ashoka, Social Financial Services
The funding of international development efforts is all too frequently inefficient and ineffective. Donors operate in a fragmented system with disparate worldviews and methods, while corruption and capital flight siphon resources away from those that need them most. Are there better ways of financing social development programs? And can innovative financing structures better allocate development resources to where they are most useful and most needed?
Assessing HIV/AIDS in the Developing World: Film and Discussion
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed at least 20 million of the more than 60 million people it has infected thus far, leaving 14 million orphans worldwide. Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus.
On Monday, August 13th, the Student Movement for Real Change (SMRC) and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) will host a viewing of Yesterday, an Oscar-nominated film about a community's experience with HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa.
This internationally acclaimed film has been endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and has gained wide recognition as a must-see film in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition to receiving the Human Rights Film Award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival, Yesterday was featured at the International HIV/Aids Conference in Bangkok and became the first South African film to receive an Oscar Nomination at the 2004 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
Inside PEPFAR: A Look at the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed at least 20 million of the more than 60 million people it has infected thus far, leaving 14 million orphans worldwide. Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus. In his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, President Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR/Emergency Plan). The Emergency Plan is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease -- a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease around the world. How has this funding been used? How much success has it had? And what will happen when the five-year program ends in 2008?
Pro-Poor Food Policy with Joachim von Braun
The issue of global hunger has recently received increasing levels of attention, and has been the target of several important international initiatives. Large countries such as China, India, and Brazil have launched or expanded food policy programs for the poor. Non-traditional actors such as the business sector have also become more engaged in efforts to achieve development goals, reflecting both a new sense of corporate social responsibility and a better understanding of the potential of the poor in terms of business opportunities. However, benefits of the initiatives and of economic growth often fail to reach the poor. Action on the ground is required and must involve a wide set of actors including civil society and the private sector. Joachim von Braun is an expert in development economics and food policy, and he is author of an IFPRI Paper on the topics described above. His talk will address the challenges ahead including the potential for public- private partnerships. We hope you will join us for this engaging event.
The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN FOREIGN POLICY Global Development Series Presents The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with Ambassador Mark R. Dybul, Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State
June 27 | 6:30 - 8:00pm
Post-Conflict State Building & Development with Ashraf Ghani, Chancellor of Kabul University
On Monday, March 5, YPFP Global Development Series and YPFP Middle East will host Post-Conflict State Building & Development with Ashraf Ghani, Chancellor of Kabul University and Afghan Former Minister of Finance.
This meeting will be held from 7:00 to 8:30pm at 1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW.
Do No Harm: The Social and Economic Effects of African Health Professional Emmigration
What happens to developing countries when their most skilled workers depart for overseas? African doctors and nurses are emigrating at increasing rates to take high-paying jobs abroad. Both African countries of origin (such as South Africa) and rich countries of destination (such as the UK) have taken steps to impede these movements. Such measures have been justified by the the impact of health worker emigration on the availability of primary care in health systems facing a human resource crisis, and consequently on health outcomes for those most in need, and by the economic impact on the sending nation's when publicly-trained professionals depart.
Michael Clemens has conducted a study that brings a fresh perspective and new data to an often emotional debate dominated by anecdote. He has compiled a new database on the size of African health worker diasporas and uses it to explore whether decreases in emigration -- all else equal -- raise the number of domestic health professionals, increase the mass availability of basic primary care, or improve a range of public health outcomes.
