Friday, July 17, 2009

[EQ] Development in Dangerous Places - A forum on global poverty and intervention

Development in Dangerous Places
A forum on global poverty and intervention

Boston Review – July/August 2009

Website: http://bostonreview.net/BR34.4/ndf_development.php

Paul Collier If richer states provide security, the poorest can finally grow

“The world's poorest countries have diverged from the rest of mankind. They will never tap their vast reservoir of frustrated human potential unless the international community provides basic public goods that go beyond the typical aid agenda.”

Stephen D. KrasnerIf third parties play a more decisive role, there is some hope.”

William Easterly
Collier wants to de facto recolonize the ‘bottom billion.’ ”

Larry Diamond  “Instead of imposing policies, reward states that invest in well-being and institutions.”

Edward Miguel “The premise that the poorest countries cannot grow ignores a decade of modest successes.”

Mike McGovernStrategies that might work in one state should not be applied generally to the bottom billion.”

Nancy BirdsallConsider other interventions, less exciting but better grounded in experience and evidence.”

Paul Collier RespondsMy hope is to open discussion on an issue that has been too uncomfortable to face.”

“…..Structural difficulties in providing key public goods run so deep in certain countries that, in the coming decades, some of those countries will probably continue to diverge from global living standards. In this context, what international public action would be legitimate and effective? It will take a decade of debate to build a consensus answer to this question. While the policy discussion proceeds, citizens in the developed democracies should strive to better understand these issues: a more informed citizenry would improve the effectiveness of international action…..”

 

 *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMS Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website


Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eqpaho

 

Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html  

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.  

[EQ] Climate change and children: a human security challenge

Climate change and children: a human security challenge. Policy review paper

 

Series: Innocenti Publications Date of Publication: 2008 Pages: 51

ISBN: 978-89129-83-8 Thematic area: Child Protection

Descriptors: child survival and development - environmental degradation - environmental effects

 

Available online : http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/climate_change.pdf

 

“….The study reviews the implications of climate change for children and future generations, drawing on relevant experiences in different sectors and countries of promoting child rights and well-being. It traces in considerable detail the pathways through which shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns create serious additional barriers to the achievement of the child survival, development and protection goals embraced by the international community. The role of children as vital participants and agents of change emerges as a key theme….’

 

Global climate change and child health:
a review of pathways, impacts and measures to improve the evidence base


Author(s):   Akachi, Yoko ;   Goodman, Donna ;  Parker, David

Date of Publication: 2009 Pages: 22 Series: Innocenti Discussion Papers, 2009-03 Thematic area: Child Protection

Descriptors: child health - environmental degradation – environmental effects - malnutrition

 

Available online : http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/idp_2009_03.pdf

 

“….This paper reviews the published evidence of pathways and impacts of global climate change on child health. The review was occasioned by the recognition that most of the work to date on climate change and health lacks clear focus on the children's dimension, while the climate change and children literature tends to be brief or imprecise on the complex health aspects.

 

Studies were identified by searching the PubMed database for articles published before April 2009. Publications by agencies (e.g., UNICEF, WHO, IPPC) were also included based upon review. A list of references was developed that provide evidence to the linkages between climate change and health outcomes, and on specific health outcomes for children. The analysis explores the hypothesis of disproportionate vulnerability of children’s health to environmental factors, specifically those most closely related to climate change.

 

Based upon scientific and policy research conducted to date there is found to be substantial evidence of disproportionate vulnerability of children in response to climate change. The diseases likely to be potentiated by climate change are already the primary causes of child morbidity and mortality, including vector-borne diseases, water-borne diseases and air-borne diseases. For this reason further research, assessment and monitoring of child health in respect to climate change is critical. Proposals are made for governments to integrate environmental health indicators into data collection in order to accurately assess the state of child health in relation to other age groups and its sensitivity to climate change….”

 

Patrizia Faustini Senior Communication Assistant

Innocenti Research Centre, Communication and Partnership Unit - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Piazza SS. Annunziata 12, 50122 Florenze, Italy

phone: +39-055-2033 253 fax: +39-055-2033 220 email: pfaustini@unicef.org website: www.unicef-irc.org

 

 

 

 

 *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMS Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website


Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eqpaho  

 

Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html  

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.  

[EQ] Instruments of development: Randomization in the tropics

Instruments of development:
Randomization in the tropics, and the search for the elusive keys to economic development

 

Angus Deaton -Research Program in Development Studies - Center for Health and Wellbeing

Princeton University - January, 2009

 

Available online PDF [56p.] at:
 http://www.princeton.edu/~deaton/downloads/Instruments%20of%20development%20v1d_mar09_all.pdf

 

“……….There is currently much debate about the effectiveness of foreign aid and about what kind of projects can engender economic development. There is skepticism about the ability of econometric analysis to resolve these issues, or of development agencies to learn from their own experience. In response, there is movement in development economics towards the use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to accumulate credible knowledge of what works, without over-reliance on questionable theory or statistical methods.

 

When randomized controlled trials RCTs are not possible, this movement advocates quasi-randomization through instrumental variable (IV) techniques or natural experiments. I argue that many of these applications are unlikely to recover quantities that are useful for policy or understanding: two key issues are the misunderstanding of exogeneity, and the handling of heterogeneity.

 

I illustrate from the literature on aid and growth. Actual randomization faces similar problems as quasi-randomization, notwithstanding rhetoric to the contrary. I argue that experiments have no special ability to produce more credible knowledge than other methods, and that actual experiments are frequently subject to practical problems that undermine any claims to statistical or epistemic superiority.

 

I illustrate using prominent experiments in development. As with IV methods, RCT-based evaluation of projects is unlikely to lead to scientific progress in the understanding of economic development. I welcome recent trends in development experimentation away from the evaluation of projects and towards the evaluation of theoretical mechanisms…..”

 

Development Experiments: Ethical? Feasible? Useful?
http://blogs.nyu.edu/fas/dri/aidwatch/2009/07/development_experiments_ethica.html
William Easterly on July 16, 2009

 

 

 *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMS Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website


Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eqpaho



Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.