Foreign Aid & Civil Society
Should taxpayers subsidize philanthropists?
The Huffington Post carries a rare critique of big-ticket philanthropy. As philanthropists gain more influence and tread on issues previously in the public space, does the taxpayer have to subsidize their view on how public financing should be spent?
The OLPC (should be) Dead, Let Live the Aakash
The OLPC project will launch its third iteration at this years CES, but 6 years after launch it may still not reach the elusive USD 100 target. Meanwhile, a small startup in Canada has orders to ship 2 million of its USD 50 tablets to Indian consumers. It is time the OLPC was put to rest.
Catalytic Philanthropy and the Delegation of Public Responsibility
The catalytic philanthropist seems to have arrived. But is that a good thing? By putting faith in individuals is society not delegating responsibility for improving its lot to wealthy individuals rather than to the elected representatives that are usually mandated that task?
The World Bank: Inventor of Last Resort?
Financing for global public goods remains dangerously low. Yet the Gates Foundation shows there is a case for an international institution to invest in the needs of developing countries. Subramanian suggests the World Bank should do this – will the developed world agree?
Debating Which Aid Works Best is to Miss the Point
The Economist debate on foreign aid and philanthrocapitalism entirely misses the point. Neither is perfect, but to switch one for the other is simply to change one benevolent patriarch for another.
What Case for a Vulnerability Fund?
The WSJ promotes a World Bank proposal to create a new “vulnerability fund” for poor countries to offset lost remittances. But such a fund would do more harm than good. A better idea would be to just pay the migrant workers this money and let them send it to their home countries.
Analyzing Google.org Grants
This article presents an analysis of grantmaking by Google.org – just how does Google spend its philanthropic dollars? And what does that tell us?
Revisiting WFP’s Purchase for Progress
The WFP’s Purchase for Progress has been called an innovation in food aid that promises to raise farmers incomes too. Yet, as the CGDev points out, there are unintended consequences that have been overlooked. What is the impact on the local consumer?
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