Down-and-dirty politics and political roadblocks have thwarted the success of agricultural development projects for decades. To achieve greater success, we need to consider how we can better understand and break down such blocks. Whether we like it or not, international development efforts are inherently political. Within the agriculture sector, the relationships and power dynamics among…
Susan Kemp is the former global practice lead on the Democracy and Governance Practice.
Sharon Van Pelt is the former lead for Chemonics’ Democracy and Governance Practice.
On March 15 and 16, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, along with Georgetown University’s Center for Financial Markets and Policy, hosts the D.C. Blockchain Summit. Taking place in Washington, D.C., the summit brings together government leaders, organizations, and innovators to discuss the blockchain technology and its applications across many contexts. Blockchain is rapidly emerging as one…
This piece originally appeared on ASU Now. For coastal residents of the east African country, Mozambique, severe floods that endanger their health and lives are a frequent reality. Helping communities cope with extreme weather events is a challenge for locals and development agencies alike. Taking the cultural attitudes of those served into account, however, could…
On October 17, 2016, international development consulting firm Chemonics and technology company BanQu established the Blockchain for Development Solutions Lab. The lab represents the first concerted effort by a development company to build, test, and scale blockchain solutions to reduce poverty and increase aid effectiveness. “Blockchain technology represents a game-changing opportunity to alter the pace, scale, and…
Over the past few decades, international development actors have sought models from outside of the traditional donor-implementer paradigm, understanding that innovation in development comes from cooperation and learning. In an attempt to tear down the silos of business, government, and NGOs, the international development community has called on strategies employed by tech incubators and accelerators…
On September 29, more than 100 countries and representatives of civil society attended the Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism at the UN General Assembly to further the global discussion about the importance of combating violent extremism (CVE) around the world. The meeting was preceded by the White House Summit to Counter Violent…