Archive for December, 2009
Poverty is About More Than Material Well-being
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009A responder to my blog post about the relationship between religious extremism and poverty asks if my argument holds when a young, educated, affluent, elite such as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , the Nigerian who attempted to blow up a Delta airliner over Detroit, turns to violence. Why do young people who have achieved advanced degrees [...]
Real Religion Would Never Tell Anyone to Burn or Kill Others
Sunday, December 27th, 2009"Real religion would never tell anyone to burn anything or kill others. We condemn them (Islamic extremists). And we’re afraid of them," a Malian imam told Washington Post writer Karin Brulliard.
As news breaks of the attempt to destroy a Delta airliner by a Nigerian Muslim the imam’s words seem more pertinent. The New York Times [...]
Are Fewer Children Dying of Malaria?
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009Are fewer children dying of malaria today? I’ve been involved in a number of conversations about this recently. On one hand, some say it’s helpful to show progress so that the effort to end deaths by malaria is not seen as insurmountable. On the other hand, some contend it’s urgent to remind people of the [...]
Entrepreneurs vs. Scale
Monday, December 14th, 2009Does entrepreneurial energy trump traditional development models reaching for scale? In their recent book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide , Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn draw a distinction between the older traditional model of development that attempts to reach the greatest number of people and the entrepreneurial model that concentrates [...]
Will Talk of Eradicating Malaria Lead to Failure to Control It?
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Will talk of eradicating malaria lead to failure to control it? Will we repeat the experience of the 1950s when malaria was significantly reduced worldwide only to return stronger and more resistant than ever when the world slackened its commitment and failed to finish the task of eradication?
The disease, which is preventable and treatable if [...]
Nothing But Nets Third Anniversary
Friday, December 4th, 2009Just returned from a partners meeting of Nothing But Nets , the movement to provide bednets to prevent malaria. It was an inspiring meeting, almost like a religious experience. Progress is being made in the battle against this disease that kills a child every thirty seconds. We’re at a hinge point in history. It is [...]
Novice Journalists Take Life-threatening Risks
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009A story about the two journalists held hostage in Somalia sent chills down my spine and spurred memories I’d almost put to rest about my own experiences in Somalia almost 15 years ago. Ian Austen writes in the NY Times about Amanda Lindhout who was recently freed with a companion, Nigel Brennan, after six months [...]