The rise of populism and what it means for international development
By Ryan Coppack Over the past two decades, democracies across the world have witnessed a considerable growth in the appeal of populist parties and...
The future of development aid after COVID-19: four necessary shifts
By Grace Avila Casanova For decades, Official Development Assistance (ODA) agencies have been operating under a post-World War II “aid” narrative, an often patronising...
The threat of COVID-19 to developing countries
By Andrew Fryer On the 11th March 2020, coronavirus or COVID-19 was officially characterised as a pandemic by the Director-General of the World Health...
Can blockchain transform foreign aid?
By Jesse Hope The UK’s foreign aid budget continues to improve millions of people’s lives around the world. Over the past year funding has...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #10 “Aid money is spent on the wrong things”
There is a widespread belief that overseas aid money is either handed over to corrupt dictators and never reaches the people it is supposed...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #9 “They’re poor because they’re lazy”
A common attitude nowadays is that people are rich because they work hard and deserve to be wealthy, whereas people are poor because they...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #8 “Why has nothing been achieved?”
The fight to eradicate global poverty has been going on for decades. Yet despite all the money that has been donated and all the...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #7 “I’d rather give them the money myself”
Widespread concerns about dodgy and unscrupulous overseas aid charities not sending donations where they’re supposed to have led some people to instead express a...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #6 “Their own government should help them”
It is without a doubt true that governments should help their own people. However, this phrase is often used to mean that the welfare...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #5 “Foreign aid fuels overpopulation”
Concerns about overpopulation, or the ‘population explosion’ as it’s sometimes called, are widespread at the moment. The logic surrounding these concerns is understandable –...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #4 “Overseas aid charities are fraudulent”
We’ve all been there – you’re walking down the high street and someone in a brightly coloured t-shirt stops you to ask for donations...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #3 “We send too much money abroad”
Given the significant amount of coverage which the UK foreign aid budget receives in the press, in political discussion, and in charities’ external communications,...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #2 “Foreign aid should be cut to pay for public services”
In any given episode of Question Time, especially during episodes in which the NHS funding crisis is discussed, there is a high chance that...
Foreign Aid FAQs – #1 “Charity begins at home”
The original meaning of this proverb was that a person’s first responsibility is for the needs of their own family and friends. However, nowadays...
Exit Priti Patel
International Development Secretary Priti Patel was forced to resign on 9th November. Has Theresa May made the right choice appointing Penny Mordaunt to replace...
Will the detaining of Zambia’s opposition leader put Zambia at risk of losing development funding?
Zambia as a democracy often attracts minimal attention from the development sphere, because it is not necessarily successful as a democracy but is also...
USAID: An Institution Fighting for Survival
Established in 1961 by John F. Kennedy, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was designed to advance America’s interests while fulfilling a...
General Election 2017: Where does each party stand on development spending?
With less than 24 hours before the polls open for the UK General Election, Ed Matthews highlights the pledges on overseas aid made by...
The Role of Aid Theft in Africa: A Development Question
Across Africa more than a trillion of dollars of aid and investment remains unaccounted for due to corruption and theft, leaving doubts about the...
The impossible task: building popular support for immigration
Brexit has been built on the promise of immigration control. But as Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50, could she be making a...