* Minister Niebel's Leitmotiv: "German Interests". Provincialism instead of political farsightedness Barely in office, German development minister Dirk Niebel unambiguously mapped out the road: he wants to ensure that development cooperation once again focuses on German interests. This position provoked—probably intentionally—protest from the greater part of the German development community. For them the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is supposed to be the advocate of the developing countries within the chorus of ministries. A comment by Roger Peltzer
* The Baltic Future of Greece. Likely consequences of IMF and EU conditionalty Latvia and Estonia show us what Greece may look forward to if it follows the advice it gets from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union. As noted previously, Latvia has experienced the worst two-year economic downturn on record, losing more than 25% of GDP, a study (see reference) shows. A comment by Mark Weisbrot
* IEG Evaluated World Bank's Gender Support. Findings of the new Gender and Development report The evaluation of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank’s support for gender issues between 2002 and 2008 is of significant relevance in the light of the Beijing+15 review, meaning 15 years after the landmark 4th World Women´s Conference 1995 in Beijing and its launching of gender mainstreaming as crucial strategy for all institutions and organizations. Comment by Christa Wichterich
* Pressure on Workers Grows as Crisis Hits Jobs. 101 trade unionists murdered in 2009 The International Trade Union Confederation’s Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights (see reference) has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings – an increase of 30% over the previous year. The new Survey also reveals growing pressure on fundamental workers’ rights around the world as the impact of the global economic crisis on employment deepened. A WDEV summary
The Superiority of the Financial Transaction Tax + Global Unemployment on Record Levels + New Beginning in European Development Policy? + Clean Development for the South
Global Economic Prospects for 2010 + Does Copenhagen Really Matter? + Quo Vadis, German Development Cooperation? + Mapping Social Protection in South Asia
"Natural disasters have invariably been transformed into man-made disasters, through the unpreparedness and dysfunction of government institutions, the incompetence of its politicians, the greed of its economic agents, the tenuous nature of support from civil society..."
The summit meeting of the Group of 20 most important industrialised and emerging countries (G20) in Toronto on 26-27 June 2010 reminded us that even extended informal management bodies in the global economy can only be as good as their member governments.
It was not long ago that we could say, "We are all Keynesians now." The financial sector and its free-market ideology had brought the world to the brink of ruin. Markets clearly were not self-correcting. Deregulation had proven to be a dismal failure.
Love for Africa was the motto at Tchibo-World, which took place in the third week of June in 2008. In addition to fair coffee and African furniture, 700,000 tops, skirts and table cloths bearing the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) label have been sold in the 900 (app.) Tchibo retail stores.
The ITUC's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings - an increase of 30% over the previous year. The new Survey also reveals growing pressure on fundamental workers' rights around the world as the impact of the global economic crisis on employment deepened.