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Showing posts for "Technology and Development"

New From CFR: Thomas Bollyky on Drug Patents in the Developing World

by Development Channel Staff
A man buys cancer drug Glivec for a relative who is suffering from cancer at a pharmacy in a government-run hospital in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on April 2, 2013 (Amit Dave/Courtesy Reuters). A man buys the cancer drug Glivec for a relative who is suffering from cancer at a pharmacy in a government-run hospital in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on April 2, 2013 (Amit Dave/Courtesy Reuters).

In light of an Indian court’s refusal to grant a patent to the leukemia drug Gleevec, CFR senior fellow Thomas Bollyky wrote yesterday about the tension between pharmaceutical firms seeking compensation for their products and developing countries seeking to make drugs more affordable to their populations. As he argues: Read more »

Afghanistan’s Overlooked Economic Transition

by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
An Afghan vendor deals with customers at a local market in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, December 2, 2012 (Ahmad Nadeem/Courtesy Reuters). An Afghan vendor deals with customers at a local market in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, December 2, 2012 (Ahmad Nadeem/Courtesy Reuters).

Much attention has been devoted to Afghanistan’s upcoming political and security transition, with Secretary of State John Kerry arriving in Kabul today for meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. But one critical piece of the stability equation has been largely overlooked to date: economic transition. As 2014 approaches, a great deal of progress will either be built upon or lost.

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New From CFR: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon on Tech Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan

by Development Channel Staff
A boy stands on a ridge at a road near the northern city of Kunduz on December 11, 2011 (Thomas Peter/Courtesy Reuters). A boy stands on a ridge at a road near the northern city of Kunduz, Afghanistan on December 11, 2011 (Thomas Peter/Courtesy Reuters).

In a post yesterday on Isobel Coleman’s blog and an October article in Fast Company, CFR fellow Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses tenacious Afghan entrepreneurs who are building successful technology businesses in the face of daunting challenges. As Lemmon writes on the blog: Read more »

Emerging Voices: Tae Yoo on Broadband Investment in Afghanistan

by Development Channel Staff
Afghan women work at Aghanistan's first all-female Internet cafe in Kabul on March 8, 2012 (Mohammad Ismail/Courtesy Reuters). Afghan women work at Aghanistan's first all-female Internet cafe in Kabul on March 8, 2012 (Mohammad Ismail/Courtesy Reuters).

Emerging Voices features regular contributions from scholars and practitioners highlighting new research, thinking, and approaches to development challenges. This article is from Tae Yoo, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cisco. She discusses the importance of developing broadband infrastructure in Afghanistan and Cisco’s contributions to this effort.

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Emerging Voices: Nicole Tosh on Empowering Girls Through Cash Transfers

by Development Channel Staff
Malian refugee children attend a school in the Mbera refugee camp, about 40 km (25 miles) from the border with Mali on May 24, 2012 (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters). Malian refugee children attend a school in the Mbera refugee camp, about 40 km (25 miles) from the border with Mali on May 24, 2012 (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters).

Emerging Voices features regular contributions from scholars and practitioners highlighting new research, thinking, and approaches to development challenges. This article is from Nicole Tosh, a program associate with the Global Assets Project at the New America Foundation. She discusses how cash transfers can empower girls living in poverty and the technological innovations that stand to facilitate cash transfers.

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Democracy in Development: Cell Phones, the Internet, and Development in Africa

by Isobel Coleman
A delegate checks a Blackberry handset at an exhibition stand during the West & Central Africa Com conference in Nigeria's capital Abuja on June 18, 2009 (Afolabi Sotunde/Courtesy Reuters). A delegate checks a Blackberry handset at an exhibition stand during the West & Central Africa Com conference in Nigeria's capital Abuja on June 18, 2009 (Afolabi Sotunde/Courtesy Reuters).

Last week on my blog, I wrote about the potential of internet-enabled cell phones to take existing mobile innovation in Africa even further. As I argue: Read more »

Democracy in Development: Mobile Phones and Business in Africa

by Isobel Coleman
A man uses his mobile phone as he walks past a Zain customer care shop in Nairobi on February 15, 2010 (Thomas Mukoya/Courtesy Reuters). A man uses his mobile phone as he walks past a Zain customer care shop in Nairobi on February 15, 2010 (Thomas Mukoya/Courtesy Reuters).

Yesterday on my blog, I discussed new developments in mobile technology that support business and entrepreneurship in Africa. As I wrote about one initiative, called Zidisha: Read more »

Democracy in Development: Food Security and Innovations for Africa’s Agriculture

by Isobel Coleman
A farmer uses one of KickStart's pumps to irrigate farmland in Africa (Courtesy KickStart). A farmer uses one of KickStart's pumps to irrigate farmland in Africa (Courtesy KickStart).

Yesterday on my blog, I wrote about Africa’s unrealized agricultural potential and the efforts of KickStart, a non-profit that is working to boost yields through low-cost irrigation technology. As I write: Read more »

Emerging Voices: Oshry, Bradlow, Miller, and Hansen on Technology for Agriculture in Africa

by Development Channel Staff
This graph shows the impact of 1 percent GDP growth in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors on the incomes of people in different income deciles. The study, based on data from 42 countries from 1981 to 2003, measures people's expenditures, which are typically correlated with income. (Ligon and Sadoulet, "Estimating the Effects of Aggregate Agricultural Growth on the Distribution of Expenditures." Background paper for the World Development Report 2008.) This graph shows the impact of 1 percent GDP growth in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors on the incomes of people in different income deciles. The study, based on data from 42 countries from 1981 to 2003, measures people's expenditures, which are typically correlated with income. (Ligon and Sadoulet, "Estimating the Effects of Aggregate Agricultural Growth on the Distribution of Expenditures." Background paper for the World Development Report 2008.)

Emerging Voices features regular contributions from scholars and practitioners highlighting new research, thinking, and approaches to development challenges. This article is from Nadia Oshry, Adam Bradlow, Robin Miller, and Angela R. Hansen of Dalberg Global Development Advisors. Oshry, Bradlow, and Miller are based in Dalberg’s Johannesburg office; Hansen is the director of the Johannesburg office and leads the firm’s Agriculture and Food Security practice. In the article, they evaluate the potential of information and communications technology to boost agricultural production and the incomes of small-scale farmers in Africa. Read more »

Democracy in Development: The Slow Shift from Cash Economies to Mobile Banking

by Isobel Coleman
A man leaves an M-Pesa booth after a transaction in Nairobi, Kenya on May 12, 2009 (Noor Khamis/Courtesy Reuters). A man leaves an M-Pesa booth after a transaction in Nairobi, Kenya on May 12, 2009 (Noor Khamis/Courtesy Reuters).

Today on my blog, I discuss how mobile money stands to reduce poverty by making financial services more inclusive and accessible–as well as the obstacles to fulfilling this possibility. As I write: Read more »