Communities in developing countries are facing increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, according to new studies by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increasing emissions of mercury into the environment, due mainly to the use of the toxic element in small-scale gold mining, and through the burning of coal for electricity generation. more[...]
This report speaks directly to governments involved in the development of the global treaty on mercury. It presents updates from the UNEP Global Mercury Assessment 2013 in short and punchy facts and figures backed by compelling graphics, that provide governments and civil society with the rationale and the imperative to act on this notorious pollutant. more[...]
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Transition Fund recently received $37.7 million from Canada, the United Kingdom, and France to support good governance, sustainable growth, and greater employment opportunities for youth. more[...]
The Trouble with the Congo suggests a new explanation for international peacebuilding failures in civil wars. Drawing from more than 330 interviews and a year and a half of field research, it develops a case study of the international intervention during the Democratic Republic of the Congo's unsuccessful transition from war to peace and democracy (2003–2006). Grassroots rivalries over land, resources, and political power motivated widespread violence. However, a dominant peacebuilding culture shaped the intervention strategy in a way that precluded action on local conflicts, ultimately dooming the international efforts to end the deadliest conflict since World War II. Most international actors interpreted continued fighting as the consequence of national and regional tensions alone. UN staff and diplomats viewed intervention at the macro levels as their only legitimate responsibility. The dominant culture constructed local peacebuilding as such an unimportant, unfamiliar, and unmanageable task that neither shocking events nor resistance from select individuals could convince international actors to reevaluate their understanding of violence and intervention. more[...]
Resource conflict is one of several destabilizing phenomena commonly cited as defining many of the extractive economies of the global south. Our Tutorial discusses all aspects of the issue with a special focus on US laws, SEC and Dodd-Frank Act regulations. more[...]
According to a new report from The Conference Board, China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan (FYP), encompassing 2011–2015, signals a new focus in the country’s development on “human factors” — from improving education to boosting consumer spending and reducing inequality. Reading the Tea Leaves: The Impact of China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan on Human Capital Challenges investigates the latest FYP, finding strategic planning and program implementation lessons for multinational corporations preparing for the Chinese economy and Chinese workforce of the future. more[...]
In the Report author Jorgen Randers raises essential questions: How many people will the planet be able to support? Will the belief in endless growth crumble? Will runaway climate change take hold? Where will quality of life improve, and where will it decline? more[...]
Many of the problems in the world today persist because of a too-narrow interpretation of capitalism. Most businesses today are run based on the assumption that people are selfish and interested solely in maximizing their own profit. This is a very one-dimensional view of humans who in reality are very multidimensional. As much as selfishness is part of us, so is selflessness, but the selfless dimension is not taken into account in economic theory. more[...]
Eleven-year-old Sharda and half a dozen friends beat drums and chant slogans as they walk through the narrow lanes of Lalapur. Their message is: make the remote village in Uttar Pradesh free from open defecation. more[...]
In recent years, there has been an increasing international focus on conflict minerals emanating from mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries. Armed groups engaged in mining operations in this region are believed to subject workers and indigenous people to serious human rights abuses and are using proceeds from the sale of conflict minerals to finance regional conflicts. more[...]
Improvement in labor market conditions has been the main explanation behind many of the poverty success stories observed in the last decade – that is the primary conclusion of an analysis of changes in poverty by income source. Changes in labor earnings were the largest contributor to poverty reduction for a sample of 16 countries where poverty increased substantially. more[...]
In 2013, there will be more than 200 million people aged 60 or over in China. This is more than the total population of countries like Indonesia, Japan, Brazil or Russia, which are some of the world’s most populous nations. By 2050, the number of elderly people in China is expected to reach 487 million or about one third of the entire population. more[...]
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