Devex: The American Dream in an interdependent world – At the center of every election is America’s prosperity. How we can grow and progress socially and economically as a nation is a constant priority in politics, but in an interconnected word, could some of the answers actually lie in the prosperity of other nations, particularly the developing world? (Michael Trainer)
HuffPo: To Our Next President: Global Leadership Begins With Foreign Aid – As we have seen from this election season, there is still much debate on how an American president can better lead the world through trying times. While discourse typically lands somewhere between armed and economic power, there may be an easier answer: foreign aid. With research showing that “for every 5 percent drop in income growth in a developing country, the likelihood of violent conflict or war within the next year increases by 10 percent,” one cannot deny the imperative role aid can play in leading the world into a new future. (David Weiss)
CNN Money: What Obama’s win means for fiscal cliff – Although it took a backseat in the election, the fiscal cliff is set to become one of the most prominent issues facing America in the coming months. While both parties are set on preventing it, as to whether they will work together to come to an agreement, is another question. (Jeanne Sahadi)
NYT: State Dept. Official Visits Somalia Amid Signs of Recovery – For the first time in 20 years, a high ranking US official has visited Somalia. Despite famine and conflict, Wendy Sherman, undersecretary of state for political affairs for the United States, has claimed that Somalia is “now a place of hope, not of despair,” with progress being made every day. (Jeffrey Gettleman)
CNN: How Africa could feed the world – While the continent of Africa may still hold an image of hunger and malnutrition in many people’s minds, Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, is convinced it not only has the potential to feed itself, but also become a major food provider for much of the world’s produce. With around 600 million hectares of uncultivated arable land, making up roughly 60 percent of the global total, he believes that by investing in Africa’s smallholder farms, we can lift Africa to become not only its own solution, but a vital partner in the fight against world hunger. (Olusegun Obasanjo)
WSJ: Hidden Sub-Saharan Boom is African Growth “Miracle” – It is no secret that Africa’s economies are among the fastest growing in the world. But in rural areas, economic growth can be difficult to document and record. Economist Alwyn Young of the London School of Economics is tackling that challenge, by estimating economic growth based on more reliable data, such as housing quality, children’s health, mortality and schooling, the ownership of durable goods, and the use of women’s time. What he is finding, is that sub-Saharan countries may be growing faster than we think. (Daniel Akst)
