Commodity Export Diversification in Rwanda - Many Export Discoveries with Little Scaling-Up

Increased diversification of commodity exports, and increased numbers of high-value commodity exports, are needed to generate employment and meet the Government of Rwanda´s targets for poverty reduction. This chapter presents evidence that increased diversification of exports is linked to increased export and GDP growth. Yet, commodity exports in Rwanda are concentrated in a few commodities. The relationship between export diversification and export growth in SSA confirms that for stable, sustainable, and higher export growth, export diversification is necessary. In addition to export promotion policies such as those which attract FDI, decision makers need to design policies to accelerate diversification of the export mix. The effect of diversification on export growth will be maximized if diversification shifts the export mix in the direction of manufactured or resource-based products (low or medium technology). This implies both sector specific public strategies that can influence the export mix; and second, public investments in human capital and supporting infrastructure.Rwanda; economic growth; export diversification; structural transformation

Political Islam’s relation to capital and class

The last three decades have witnessed a relentless growth of Islamic movements, so that, today political Islam is an undeniable reality on the world scene. The events of September 11, 2001 and since have given it further prominence. From the Middle East to North Africa and South Asia, it has, in its various manifestations, become a major player that needs to be analysed both politically and theoretically. The contradictory nature of political Islam means that such analyses must deal with it not only in relation to the interests of capital, but also in relation to the challenge it poses to socialist ideas

The Energy Charter Treaty, investment arbitration and the Spanish solar crisis: A recipe for disaster?

Spain is a world leader in solar energy production and until 2009 operated a feed-in tariff policy that provided solar energy producers with a preferential price for the electricity they fed back into the grid. This policy was scaled back in 2009 when Spain found itself facing severe economic downturn. It has now been repealed entirely. While domestic investors in solar energy had to absorb the resulting loss in profits, foreign investors sought compensation under the Energy Charter Treaty. They alleged that Spain had breached its obligations as a signatory state and commenced arbitral proceedings accordingly. These arbitral proceedings signal the first time that the Energy Charter Treaty has been used to resolve a dispute over renewable energy investment as well as the first time that the treaty has been used by multiple investors to claim against a host state. The novelty of this situation has tested the efficiency of the established rules and procedures of investment treaty arbitration and has put a spotlight on the issues that arise when multiple investor claims are arbitrated separately. This paper examines the precise nature of those issues, reflects on the evolution of arbitration into the investor-state arena and proposes a number of ways in which the system might be better streamlined to handle multiple-investor claims

Responding to Cross Border Child Trafficking in South Asia: An Analysis of the Feasibility of a Technologically Enabled Missing Child Alert System

This report examines the feasibility of a technologically enabled system to help respond to the phenomenon of cross-border child trafficking in South Asia, and makes recommendations on how to proceed with a pilot project in the selected areas of Bangladesh, Nepal and India. The study was commissioned by the Missing Child Alert (MCA) programme which is an initiative led by Plan. MCA is an initiative to address cross-border child trafficking in South Asia, led by Plan. The aim of the programme is to link existing institutions, mechanisms and resources in order to tackle the phenomenon from a regional perspective. To achieve this, Plan propose to implement a technologically equipped, institutionalised system of alert that can assist in the rescue, rehabilitation, repatriation and reintegration of children who are at risk of, or are victims of, cross-border trafficking

Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook

The purpose of the Sourcebook is to act as a guide for practitioners and technical staff in addressing gender issues and integrating gender-responsive actions in the design and implementation of agricultural projects and programs. It speaks not with gender specialists on how to improve their skills but rather reaches out to technical experts to guide them in thinking through how to integrate gender dimensions into their operations. The Sourcebook aims to deliver practical advice, guidelines, principles, and descriptions and illustrations of approaches that have worked so far to achieve the goal of effective gender mainstreaming in the agricultural operations of development agencies. It captures and expands the main messages of the World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development and is considered an important tool to facilitate the operationalization and implementation of the report's key principles on gender equality and women's empowerment

Motivational determinants among physicians in Lahore, Pakistan

Introduction: Human resource crises in developing countries have been identified as a critical aspect of poor quality and low accessibility in health care. Worker motivation is an important facet of this issue. Specifically, motivation among physicians, who are an important bridge between health systems and patients, should be considered. This study aimed to identify the determinants of job motivation among physicians, a neglected perspective, especially in developing countries. Methods: A stratified random sample of 360 physicians was selected from public primary, public secondary and public and private tertiary health facilities in the Lahore district, Pakistan. Pretested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires were used. For the descriptive part of this study, physicians were asked to report their 5 most important work motivators and demotivators within the context of their current jobs and in general. Responses were coded according to emergent themes and frequencies calculated. Of the 30 factors identified, 10 were classified as intrinsic, 16 as organizational and 4 as socio-cultural. Results: Intrinsic and socio-cultural factors like serving people, respect and career growth were important motivators. Conversely, demotivators across setups were mostly organizational, especially in current jobs. Among these, less pay was reported the most frequently. Fewer opportunities for higher qualifications was a demotivator among primary and secondary physicians. Less personal safety and poor working conditions were important in the public sector, particularly among female physicians. Among private tertiary physicians financial incentives other than pay and good working conditions were motivators in current jobs. Socio-cultural and intrinsic factors like less personal and social time and the inability to financially support oneself and family were more important among male physicians. Conclusion: Motivational determinants differed across different levels of care, sectors and genders. Nonetheless, the important motivators across setups in this study were mostly intrinsic and socio-cultural, which are difficult to affect while the demotivators were largely organizational. Many can be addressed even at the facility level such as less personal safety and poor working conditions. Thus, in resource limited settings a good strategic starting point could be small scale changes that may markedly improve physicians' motivation and subsequently the quality of health care