CSM: How a mobile phone vendor became Zimbabwe’s fastest-growing bank – In a country where foreign currency was legalized to prevent the economy from complete desolation, monetary transactions can be very difficult to handle. But with cellular technology, all that is changing. Now, money from bank accounts can be transferred instantly with a few touches of a phone. (Erik Mandell)
IPP: Economic growth alone can’t reduce poverty, says expert – Economic growth is essential to lifting any country out of poverty, but according to many experts, growth alone isn’t the cure. Instead, in order to prosper, accountability and social services must be available to insure inclusive growth for all.
Forbes: $4.6 Trillion Later, Foreign Aid Remains An Economic Somnolent – While foreign aid aimed at HIV/AIDS, starvation and immunization is a prime example of programs that work, aid that has been set aside to stimulate economic growth has yet to live up to expectations. While the World Bank may encourage freer markets to boost growth, many of the impediments still lie in the hands of local governments. (Philip Harvey)
AllAfrica: UN Chief Unveils $1.5 Billion Initiative to Achieve Universal Education – While the number of children without an education has dropped by over 40 million in the past 20 years, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that number must drop, and fast. The UN has announced that in order to meet Millennium Development Goals by 2015, $1.5 billion has been secured to increase the access and quality of education in developing nations.
Devex: In New York, aid politics and practice collide – New York City this time of year is a busy place for governments and NGOs alike, scrambling to get their ideas heard. One thing many were able to agree on this year, was the need to focus on meeting the Millennium Development Goals, and move on to the next stage of development. (Rolf Rosenkranz)
