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...
World Patient Safety Day: The impact of fake and poor quality medicines in developing countries
By Tallulah Gordon In December 2014, several patients arrived at health centres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ituri district experiencing shivers, stiffness,...
Training youth for employment: How young women in India are still falling through the cracks
By Ria Chauhan Every year on 15 July – World Youth Skills Day – nations around the world echo the importance of ‘skilled youth’...
Communication: why two-way dialogues in development practice are necessary for sustainability
By Lucy Porter Recently, national and international development agencies, governments and consultancies have placed considerable focus on drafting projects to improve environmental sustainability in...
Ensuring girls’ access to education during Covid-19
By Natasha Tariq According to UNESCO, of the 743 million girls around the world out of school and universities due to the Covid-19 pandemic,...
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...
The unseen dilemmas of the sudden rise of Asia from a Southeast Asian perspective
Bridget Jeanne shares her experience growing up in Singapore, and discusses the costs and the dilemmas her Asian neighbours and herself fight to establish...
How can technology support development?
Recently UNDP’s (United Nations Development Programme) Innovation Facility released its “2015 Year in Review report”. Here, Kris Gulati draws upon the report to look...
Private entities in the development sector
The International Development sector has grown considerably in recent years. Here, Jesus Rodriguez argues that despite the much needed extra funds, greater accountability and...
The Soviet Union: Lessons in Dissolution, Development & Discovery
The USSR should never be viewed through rose-tinted glasses. In the voyage for utopia, a sea of blood was crossed and a workers’ paradise...
The Role of Tax in Developing Countries
Increasing the amount of tax collected in developing countries is crucial for development. Here, Joanne Rolling argues that tax revenue has a wide array...