Policy makers are good at thinking up policies for all sorts of development problems. But what happens to them in the process of implementation? Why is it that some policies are successful, while others simply fail? This new series will examine the daily practice of development, focusing on specific policies and projects in order to identify the real obstacles to improving the effectiveness of aid.   read more >>

Join the online follow-up discussion! After an initial round of general opinion (Dutch | International) on the report Less Pretension, More Ambition by the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), The Broker is now launching an online follow-up discussion on the future of aid and foreign policy under the aegis of a global development strategy. This follow-up discussion will concentrate on the following questions: On what basic principles s...   read more >>

The global crises have prompted calls for new ways of thinking about what can be done to steer economic development in a greener direction. Since, in politics, one should ‘never let a serious crisis go to waste’, this is the time to take bold steps. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and Peter May, past president of the International Society for Ecological Economics, offer their views on the possibility and necessity to develop a new, green economics.   read more >>

By 2030, nearly 60% of the world’s population will live in cities. Megacities with over 10 million inhabitants are appearing in developing countries and will include Cairo, Dhaka, Jakarta, Karachi, Lagos and Mumbai within 20 years. The implications for slum dwellers are devastating.   read more >>

Global value chains – the production, processing and marketing of products ‘from farm to fork’ – now link together producers, traders, processors, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Due to changing market conditions and consumer demands, entrepreneurs in developing countries are increasingly becoming integrated into the world trading system.   read more >>

Since the emergence of the web 15 years ago, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become indispensable for most researchers. Email and online access to public or restricted databases have become essential tools, allowing academics to keep in touch with their peers and up to date with the latest developments. Widely dispersed research groups can now easily coordinate their work online by means of Skype conference calls.   read more >>

Violent conflicts in states such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and the Balkans are at the centre of global politics. Big battles have been fought, enormous sums of money have been spent and troops have been deployed to end these conflicts. But is trying to defeat the supposed enemies – be they ‘freedom fighters’, ‘terrorists’ or state armies – the right approach? Or do these conflicts require other policy solutions?   read more >>

Shrinking reserves of fossil fuels and growing anxiety over future energy security have boosted investments in renewable energy worldwide. Alarming climate change scenarios have also increased the focus on creating sustainable energy economies. It is common knowledge that a sustainable future for both the world economy and the planet are inconceivable without renewable energy sources, such as solar energy. (1)   read more >>

Despite major advances in knowledge and unprecedented gains in global wealth, health inequities between the rich and poor are increasing, both within and among countries (1). Poverty, poor living and working conditions and the inability to influence these conditions are directly related to poor health. The 2008 report of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health observes that ‘social injustice is killing people on a grand scale’ (2).   read more >>

For many decades, the main driver of progress in developing countries was considered to be either the state or the market. Civil society existed only in relation to, and by the grace of, these forces. But people-centred development requires that individuals take control and address the problems in their communities. People and organizations should acquire a stronger position in relation to both the state and the market. Real change can only be achieved through challenging dominant political...   read more >>