Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - International development

The High Cost of Incompetent Governance

Rami Khouri — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:27:47 -0500

In times like this -- global economic crisis -- the dominance of exclusively oil-fueled economies in the Arab World expose a regional lack of competent governance.

Climate of Security

Joseph S. Nye — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:41:24 -0500

"...Climate change will put stress on weak governments in poor countries and may lead to an increase in the number of failed states and become an indirect source of international conflict. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon argued in 2007 that the Darfur conflict 'began as an ecological crisis, arising in part from climate change.'

Such direct and indirect effects from human activity, while not malevolent in intention like terrorism, argue for a broadening of our concept of security and the adoption of new policies...."

Net Access for African Universities Would Boost Continent

Calestous Juma — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:48:25 -0500

"African universities could be the continent's gateways into the global knowledge economy for local diffusion of new technologies. But this potential remains unrealized because universities and research institutes in Africa remain digitally isolated from the rest of the world. This is partly because of government neglect and lack of strategic policies on Internet access....Providing low-cost, high-speed Internet access to African universities will help Africa build the capacity it needs to solve its own problems. It is one of the most strategic investments that the G-8 countries can make in Africa in the coming few years."

Toward a Liberal Realist Foreign Policy: A Memo for the Next President

Joseph S. Nye — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:57:15 -0600

"On January 20, you will inherit a legacy of trouble: Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, North Korea for starters. Failure to manage any one of them could mire your presidency and sap your political support—and threaten the country’s future. At the same time, you must not let these inherited problems define your foreign policy. You need to put them in a larger context and create your own vision of how Americans should deal with the world."

Recovering American Leadership

Joseph S. Nye — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:06:03 -0600

"Leaders are those who help groups create and achieve shared goals. Traditionally, the leaders in international politics have been the most powerful states. However, while hard military power counts for more in the context of international politics than it does in democratic domestic politics, even in international relations conquest, or pure coercion, is not leadership, but mere dictation. Disproportionate power, sometimes called 'hegemony', has been associated with leadership, but appeals to values and ideology also matter, even for a hegemon...."

Bali Climate Change Conference: Key Takeaways

Robert N. Stavins and Joseph Aldy — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Bali climate change conference was a qualified success. Before we went to Bali, we observed that it will be good news if there’s no bad news coming out of the negotiations. This was achieved, and then some.

How Europe is Losing Africa

Calestous Juma — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"Haphazard summits aimed at responding to China's challenge are a poor substitute for thoughtful relations with Africa. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade is right is saying that Europe is close to losing the battle for influence in Africa."

Riding New Technological Waves

Calestous Juma — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"The real test will be on the extent to which African leaders, entrepreneurs and development agencies can harness the power of emerging educational technologies and modernise the continent’s educational systems....Africa's early entry into content development will help to put the technologies to effective use. A delay will either render the technologies irrelevant or will condemn Africa to dependence on ill-adapted educational material."

Political Actors on the Landscape

Robert Paarlberg and Carl Pray — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:33:32 -0600

"Efforts to introduce novel agricultural crops or foods are welcomed and supported by some politically important groups in the developing world, ignored by others, and at times opposed by a significant few. When considering the political actors on the landscape most likely to take active positions either for or against novel foods, there is little or no evidence of political resistance to any of the biofortified foods developed thus far using conventional crop-breeding techniques, yet resistance to GMO crops has been widespread for much of the past decade. Which actors on the landscape are opposing GMOs, how powerful are they, and will their opposition weaken if the current generation of GMO crops carrying improved agronomic traits is followed by a second generation of GMOs carrying improved nutrient traits?"

Afterword: Election '08, Smart Power '09

Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:12:43 -0600

"We believe that the United States must become a smarter power by reinvesting in the global good — providing things people and governments in all quarters of the world want but cannot attain in the absence of U.S. leadership. Providing for the global good helps America reconcile its overwhelming power with the rest of the world's interests, values, and aspirations. It is not charity. It is effective foreign policy."

Africa Should Bank on Innovation

Calestous Juma and Ismail Serageldin — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"Biotechnology offers a wide range of economic growth opportunities for Africa. But as “Freedom to Innovate”, a biotechnology report on Africa’s Development shows, the continent needs to locate biotechnology policy in the context of wider economic strategies. Technological development goes hand in hand with overall economic growth and not as an isolated activity."

CSIS Commission on Smart Power: A Smarter, More Secure America

Richard Armitage and Joseph S. Nye — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:48:12 -0600

In 2006, CSIS launched a bipartisan Commission on Smart Power to develop a vision to guide America's global engagement. This report lays out the commission's findings and a discrete set of recommendations for how the next president of the United States, regardless of political party, can implement a smart power strategy.

China Needs Help with Climate Change

Kelly Sims Gallagher — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Gallagher articulates China's need for institutions, policies, and enforcement mechanisms that can foster technology transfer and environmental protection, and she charts a path forward for how the United States and China can work together to meet tomorrow's climate challenges.

Power and Sanctions or Law and Life?

Rami Khouri — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

September 8, 2007

The United Nations should thoroughly review its optimum role in a transforming world, because its existing contradictory policies risk damaging its credibility and efficacy for years to come.

Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline: Is It a Peace Pipeline?

Abbas Maleki — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A major natural gas pipeline that would stretch from the fields of southern Iran to Pakistan and India — itself a remarkable prospect — is being planned. But it faces serious hurdles, not least the fierce opposition of the U.S. government.

Putting Remittances to Good Use

Calestous Juma — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

August 30, 2007

"For decades India bemoaned the migration of its skilled expertise to industrialised countries. Today it is benefiting from their knowledge and connections, largely because it has over the years built a strong intellectual and commercial infrastructure through which émigrés are operating."

Fuelling a Sustainable Economy

Calestous Juma — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"In response to long periods of neglect, African countries are starting to invest in new energy production facilities...."

Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa's Development

Calestous Juma and Ismail Serageldin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"This report is about biotechnology and the role it can play for development in Africa. The report suggests specific and practical measures to advance development, quality of life and environmental sustainability using biotechnology."

Saving the Peace Pipeline

Abbas Maleki and Kaveh L. Afrasiabi — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"...in light of the IPI’s potential contribution to regional development, complementing the North-South corridor under consideration by the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), it may be a good idea to revamp the IPI into a consortium that opens the possibility of a future role by other regional parties, both in terms of investment as well as linkage with the regional gas network."

Innovation System Needs Reforms

Calestous Juma — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

African countries are increasing the allocation of funds to scientific research. But such investments will be wasted if they are used for basic research rather than product innovation.

Managing Technological Risks

Calestous Juma — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 27, 2007

Recent comments by former United nations secretary General Kofi Annan over the role of genetically modified seed in African agriculture have reopened debate over the risks posed by new technologies....

How to Squeeze Jihadi Culture Out of Pakistan

Vali Nasr — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

July 20, 2007

Putting faith in President Musharraf hasn't worked. But here's what the US can do.

Food Security, Agriculture, and Economic Growth: Opportunities for Cooperation between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa

Calestous Juma — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Testimony of Calestous Juma before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Hearing on Food Security in Africa: The Impact of Agricultural Development

Build Africa's Economic Foundations First

Calestous Juma — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"African presidents have now returned home from Accra, Ghana, after discussing a critical issue for the future of Africa: the creation of a United States of Africa at the urging of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi....Col Gaddafi has the right vision, but can correct his faulty strategy by helping to support the effective functioning of regional integration bodies, starting with northern and western Africa."

A Joint Workshop on IGCC & Co-Production and CO2 Capture & Storage

Lifeng Zhao — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Report on a workshop jointly organized by the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Power to the People

Calestous Juma — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Innovation can help secure the universal access to modern energy and sustainability that Africa so sorely needs, says Calestous Juma.

Japan's Valued Role in Promoting Public Goods

Joseph S. Nye — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This commentary comprises excerpts from a keynote speech Joseph S. Nye delivered May 26 in Tokyo at an Asahi Shimbun symposium on its 21 "Proposals for Japan's New Strategies" that ran in May 3 editions of The Asahi Shimbun and on May 23 in IHT/Asahi.

China: Good or Evil in Africa?

Robert Rotberg — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500

June 11, 2007

China is transforming Africa, for good and ill. The United States and other traditional trading and aid partners of Africa need to pay closer attention than they are, and with Africans craft bold new policies that welcome Chinese investment and trade but condemn the taking of African jobs and the destruction of African industries. Click here to read the full text, which discusses China’s emerging controversial role in Africa as investor, trader, buyer, and aid donor.

Implications of a Future Global Biofuels Market for Economic Development and International Trade

Henry Lee, William Clark, Robert Lawrence and Gloria Visconti — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Summary report from a joint ENRP/Sustainablity Science Program workshop convening experts from academia, international institutions, government, and the private sector to explore possible implications of emerging global biofuels markets for economic development and international trade.

Nigeria Neglect Carries Cost

Robert Rotberg — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500

April 20, 2007

By neglecting Nigeria, the Bush administration has missed repeated opportunities to strengthen democracy in Africa's most populous, most fractured and most important country.