Debt Reduction for Poverty Eradication in the Least Developed Countries: Analysis and Recommendations on LDC Debt

Debt , Poverty, Economic development, Foreign aid , Debt sustainability

Debt reduction for poverty eradication in the least developed countries: Analysis and recommendations on LDC debt

This paper reviews the main obstacles to human and social development posed by the current external debt burdens of the least development countries. In particular, it analyses the shortcomings of the mechanisms and thresholds used to assess the sustainability of debt levels in the HIPC Initiative. An alternative needs-based approach analysis of debt sustainability is proposed. The methodology explicitly emphasizes the need to prioritize poor countries’ social and poverty reducing expenditures over external debt servicing. Such an ‘affordable debt service’ analysis of debt sustainability shows clearly that additional debt reduction is required if the HIPCs are to achieve minimum levels of human development by 2015. – debt ; poverty ; economic development ; foreign aid ; debt sustainabilit

Project Proposal: The Global Food Database and EAT Report: The State of the Global Food System

State of the Global Food System: Global Food Database & EAT Report - Project Summar

Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems

Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems: Integrated Indicators, GlobalFood Database and EAT Report Frank Rijsberman, CEO CGIAR Consortiu

Community Economic Development Opportunities in Alberta

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) and Momentum, a Calgary, Alberta based community economic development (CED) organization, have issued this brief in Alberta. The brief is directed to the Alberta government. The Government of Alberta is committed to investing in job creation, economic diversification, renewable energy, and being the best place to start and grow a small business. The innovative tools of community economic development (CED) can amplify these economic initiatives by enabling the creation of more social and co-operative enterprises, providing jobs for disadvantaged Albertans, and advancing community-owned renewable energy. The following three strategies can most benefit Albertans given the current economic challenges and opportunities in Alberta: Investing in a Community and Coop Business Secretariat, supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, and hosted at a community based agency. A focus on technical support and connecting businesses to capital and resources. Providing technical, regulatory, and financial support to community-owned start-ups and projects focused on renewable energy development. Creating a market exemption for everyday Albertans (unaccredited investors) to invest in local businesses, social enterprises and co-operatives, and ensuring they benefit from the Alberta Investor Tax Credit.Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet); Momentum; Alberta Community and Co-operative Association; Athabasca University; Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation; Edmonton Community Foundation; Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers; REAP - Respect for the Earth and All People; Social Enterprise Fund (Edmonton); and Thrive - Calgary's Community Economic Development Network

The international symposia on career development and public policy: retrospect and prospect

Between 1999 and 2011, seven international symposia on career development and public policy were held at various venues across the world, and an International Centre was established to support and maintain continuity between these events. These developments were closely intertwined with a number of other significant international developments. The origins of the symposia are described; their core design features are defined; their evolution is outlined and reviewed; and their impact is assessed. This article concludes with a discussion of the prospects for future symposia and for the International Centre

Advantages of Bayesian monitoring methods in deciding whether and when to stop a clinical trial: an example of a neonatal cooling trial.

BackgroundDecisions to stop randomized trials are often based on traditional P value thresholds and are often unconvincing to clinicians. To familiarize clinical investigators with the application and advantages of Bayesian monitoring methods, we illustrate the steps of Bayesian interim analysis using a recent major trial that was stopped based on frequentist analysis of safety and futility.MethodsWe conducted Bayesian reanalysis of a factorial trial in newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy that was designed to investigate whether outcomes would be improved by deeper (32 °C) or longer cooling (120 h), as compared with those achieved by standard whole body cooling (33.5 °C for 72 h). Using prior trial data, we developed neutral and enthusiastic prior probabilities for the effect on predischarge mortality, defined stopping guidelines for a clinically meaningful effect, and derived posterior probabilities for predischarge mortality.ResultsBayesian relative risk estimates for predischarge mortality were closer to 1.0 than were frequentist estimates. Posterior probabilities suggested increased predischarge mortality (relative risk > 1.0) for the three intervention groups; two crossed the Bayesian futility threshold.ConclusionsBayesian analysis incorporating previous trial results and different pre-existing opinions can help interpret accruing data and facilitate informed stopping decisions that are likely to be meaningful and convincing to clinicians, meta-analysts, and guideline developers.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01192776 . Registered on 31 August 2010