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Viewpoint: Buzzwords and tortuous impact studies won’t fix a broken aid system
Fifteen leading economists, including three Nobel winners, argue that the many billions of dollars spent on aid can do little to alleviate poverty while we fail to tackle its root causes.
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Looking Past the Buzz: Here’s How to Make Blockchain a Pragmatic Force for Good
Blockchain is often associated with extreme wealth and a disregard for environmental realities, such as electricity use. But Will Szal of Regen Network holds a different view: one that sees the technology's potential to offset carbon emissions and transform the lives of the next billion, particularly the one-fourth of the world's population employed in agriculture. He outlines some ways that blockchain could reach its full potential, for the benefit of the environment and the global poor.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Technology
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Viewpoint: Achieving Nigeria’s financial inclusion
Despite the country’s economic growth, in February this year, it was reported by the AfDB that over 150 million Nigerians (81% of the population) live on less than $2 a day – a 20% increase in people since 2014.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mini-grids could be a boon to poor people in Africa and Asia
Vijay Bhaskar of Mlinda says a big mistake in development has been to assume that, once people are hooked up to electricity, businesses will automatically flourish. People have to be taught how to make the most of power, he says. “Bringing energy is the easy part. The hard part is finding productive ways to make use of it.”
- Categories
- Energy
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Climate-Proofing Poverty Graduation Programs: A New Study Explores Solutions
Imagine building a business from the ground up – only to see it literally washed away with every drought and flood due to the effects of climate change. These weather-related cycles, which disproportionately impact women, keep millions in poverty and threaten millions more. Nicole Mills with The BOMA Project and Alex Russell with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab detail a new project pairing poverty graduation programs with livestock insurance – and discuss the randomized control trial designed to see if it actually works.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Impact Assessment
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Press release: IFC invests $100 million in Mahindra Finance for loans to farmers
“Since its inception in 1991, Mahindra Finance has been working in the rural and semi-urban areas of India, catalyzing financial inclusion of the unbanked and under-served communities and also partnering with them in their difficult times. Our focus has been on enabling these customers with innovative financial solutions, tailor made to their evolving needs” said Ramesh Iyer, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Mahindra Finance.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
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Adversary to Ally: Why My Social Enterprise Joined Forces with a Competitor
"Collaboration" is a popular buzzword in the social impact sector, but many energy access firms ventures invariably find themselves vying with one another for customers and resources. Anya Cherneff, founder of Empower Generation, chose a different direction to grow her business' mission of empowering rural female entrepreneurs: She joined forces with Pollinate Energy – a key competitor. Cherneff discusses the decision – and its ongoing impact on both companies – in this insightful post.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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Viewpoint: The Future of International Development: South-South Cooperation
The Western development system has largely been premised on the flow of knowledge and financing from the “Global North” to the “Global South” with the goal of assisting in driving economic development and poverty alleviation. Ironically, the expertise flowing from the “developed” world represents best practices from countries that have never been able to solve their own poverty.
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