Opinion Articles

5 Jul 2010 - 6:22pm

The G20 reaffirmed in Toronto recently their commitment to development aid even though it has rarely been shown to develop anything and has frequently been shown to do harm. The only way poor countries have developed is by allowing their people to make things, sell things and trade with other countries.

29 Jun 2010 - 5:55pm

At the G20 summit in Toronto this weekend, the world’s richest countries reaffirmed their commitment to increasing development aid. This is both unrealistic and unhelpful.

4 Jun 2010 - 5:09pm

Julian Harris supports the decision to look again at DfID's "Development Awareness" funding.

21 May 2010 - 1:57pm

Andrea Marchesetti discusses how much change a new government can bring to DfID

18 May 2010 - 5:41pm

A wishy-washy agenda at the Department for International Development (DFID) saw millions of pounds squandered on applauding Government policies at home, rather than on helping poor people overseas.

18 May 2010 - 7:01am

Bad medicines don't just threaten lives, they undermine the entire medical system.

17 May 2010 - 7:02am

Official statistics are routinely and disingenuously used by governments to promote political agendas that are at odds with inconvenient reality.

30 Apr 2010 - 4:49pm

As world delegates tried in Bonn (9-11 April to revive the climate-change talks that collapsed in Copenhagen, the USA and other rich countries were working on protectionist carbon tariffs that will harm their own economies and harm the poor even more. On top of that, these "border measures" or "adaptation mechanisms" will not even have much effect on emissions.

28 Apr 2010 - 12:47pm

Earth Day is now 40 but the environmental movement is still fighting old and pointless battles, such as the one against life-enhancing pesticides. On the other hand, it is not fighting battles that really do need fighting to allow the poor to improve their lot all over the world.

28 Apr 2010 - 10:24am

Despite an unsustainable deficit at home, all three parties want to continue an aid binge abroad.