Links I Like (LIL's) #4

Ideas/Model/Paper
- Charter cities by Paul Romer, economics professor at Stanford University
Powerful, bold "outside of the box" idea/approach to economic development.
There are two parts to the idea: 1) uninhabited land and 2) a charter granted and enforced by an existing gov't or collection of gov'ts. With the right rules from the charter, the city attracts people, infrastructure, business. Hong Kong is a modern day example of city that has these characteristics. Romer gives three examples of possiblities: 1) Canada develops a Hong Kong in Cuba 2) Indonesians flock to a manufacturing hub in Australia
 3) States in India compete for the chance to build a charter city. #LAW #BUSINESS
http://www.chartercities.org/concept
http://www.chartercities.org/faq
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_romer.html (about 20 min)

Person/Thinkers
- Hernando de Soto - Peruvian economist famous for advocating property rights for the poor.
Main idea - impossible to have a strong market economy as long as most of the people remain on the outside looking in. There are two types of economies in a country: 1) legals - an elite minority who enjoy economic benefits from laws & globalization & 2) extralegals - majority of many possible entrepreneurs who are stuck in poverty. Assets of extralegals amount to almost $10 trillion worldwide and not fully utilized - "dead capital" in shadow of law. Extralegals create own rules to protect assets, but these are not enforceable. Property rights allow extralegals to have stake in economy, allow for information sharing, limited liabilities for businesses, access to credit and mortgages, provision of housing & infrastructure. Common framework/language/transparency of conducting business. #LAW # BUSINESS
de Soto heads Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD) located in Lima, Peru
http://www.ild.org.pe/who-we-are
Author of "The Mystery of Capital"
Newsweek interview from Feb 2009
http://www.newsweek.com/2009/02/19/slumdogs-vs-millionaires.html

Group/Organization
1. Doing Business - World Bank initiative to give investors/business people an understanding of a country's business regulations and practices. Doing Business issues pdf's on each country and breaks down barriers to doing business in the developing world. # LAW # BUSINESS
http://www.doingbusiness.org/
2. Books for Africa - since 1988, this nonprofit has worked with publishers, businesses, libraries, and individuals to bring books to Africa to fight illiteracy. Ship books in containers with a cost of $0.50/book. BFA selects books that are sensitive to Africa and do not perpetuate Western superiority. #EDUCATION
(aside - often wonder how ebooks will change literacy; imagine setting up "kindle libaries" in the developing world; through donations of amazon & publishers, set up small libraries of 20 tablets with basic books)
https://www.booksforafrica.org/about/about-bfa.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/06/17/impact.books.for.africa/
3. One Home Many Hopes - Many Boston people may be familiar with this nonprofit started by Thomas Keown who goes to Park Street Church. OHMH is a novel approach to orphanages and works with girl orphans in Kenya. Three distinguishing characteristics : 1) create family units for girls through emotionally devoted caregivers 2) stresses, values, incorporates education into program 3) vision is to support girls through college and hopes the girls will be agents for change for their peers. #EDUCATION
(aside - I have been impressed with their grassroots financing model to build the orphanage home and their next project of a school. People creates teams of fundraisers in big cities like Boston, New York, Washington DC, and London. Amazing financial mobilization)
http://www.onehomemanyhopes.org/faqs.html
http://breakinggroundkenya.org/about.html
4. Photoshare - service from public health nonprofit K4Health that uses photography to communicate health and development issues. #ART
http://www.photoshare.org/about.php
http://www.k4health.org/about
5. EMI - Engineering Ministries International; Christian development organization bring together teams of engineers, architects, and design professionals to help build schools and churches and help with other small development projects around the world. #ENG
(aside - I love this group. I heard about them during my senior year at MIT. Neat model of mobilizing volunteer students/professional on two weeks, one month, and longer project. Often the team goes to site area and produces drawings & plan for builders to carry out. Love it)
http://emiworld.org/

News/Prayer
Pray for Uganda and Somalia - there was a terrorist attack in Uganda two weeks ago. A Somalian terrorist group called Al Shabab were responsible.
Economist news article - http://www.economist.com/node/16592642?story_id=16592642
Nytimes news article - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/world/africa/13uganda.html?scp=4&sq=uganda&st=cse
Interesting opinion column from British reporter who interacted with Al Shabab in Somalia
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/opinion/25hartley.html?pagewanted=1

Opportunity/Grant/Contest
Photography competition with SevenFund - ongoing through 2010, $100 for monthly winner and $1000 for the 2010 winner. #ART
http://www.sevenfund.org/entrepreneur-image/

Random/Fun
- a fun/practical list of things to bring to development field; love the adventurous side : )
http://chrisblattman.com/2010/07/24/what-to-bring-to-the-field/
original list http://chrisblattman.com/2009/04/21/field-work-in-the-tropics/
- Nike concludes their "Write the Future" World Cup campaign with "The Future has been Written" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkNH-RZavms

Links I Like (LIL's) #3

Ideas/Model/Paper
- Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra in Kinshasa, Dem Rep of Congo. Basic orchestras in poor areas of DRC. I saw this on a BBC docum & was blown away. This might seem unusual & maybe impractical, but music & art provide some of the intangibles to development, culture, & life. Interviews share about how the orchestra has united blacks & whites, allowed for a starting pad for creating Africa's own classical music, & brought an avenue for the expression of passion & life. #ART #MUSIC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8709592.stm BBC docum
http://www.solokinshasa.com/?p=175 short description & video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pURObHVM8JM video w/commentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFDdSTjwS0c extended performance

Person/Thinkers
- Paul Polak – proponent of developing small appropriate technologies to serve poor. Author of “Out of Povery: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail” & founder of International Development Enterprises (http://www.ideorg.org/) & D-Rev (http://www.d-rev.org/) #ENG #BUSINESS http://paulpolak.com/html/paul.html

Group/Organization
- Kick Start (HANDS DOWN favorite organization this week; Amazing five-step process (1. Identify opportunity, 2. Design product, 3. Establish a supply chain, 4. Develop the market, 5. Measure & move along) I love this group. Kickstart has a growing portfolio of technologies that are given to indigenous entrepreneurs to start businesses. Amazing model. #ENG #BUSINESS
http://www.kickstart.org/what-we-do/
- Three Groups that use business to serve the poor
1. Technoserve (approach – empower entrepreneurs, build businesses & industries, transform lives) #BUSINESS
http://www.technoserve.org/who-we-are/our-approach.html
2. CDC development solutions (engages MBA’s in supply chain development, tourism development, global citizenship & volunteerism w/ "MBA’s w/o borders", & stability and economic recovery); great way of mobilizing volunteer MBA’s to serve. #BUSINESS
http://www.cdcdevelopmentsolutions.org/about-us
3. Enterprise Works (work in Energy, Water & Sanitation, Natural Resources, & Agribusiness) #ENG #BUSINESS
http://www.enterpriseworks.org/display.cfm?id=2&sub=2
- Relevant magazine “Reject Apathy” - a channel devoted to serving the poor & social justice. It’s a bit trendy, but it’s encouraging to hear from Christians trying to grapple through these issues & seek the Lord. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/reject-apathy #GOSPEL

News/Prayer
- YEMEN “Is Yemen the Next Afghanistan?” Fantastic 10-page nytimes piece on Yemen
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/magazine/11Yemen-t.html
Basic primer on Yemen from Good Magazine
http://www.good.is/post/what-you-should-know-about-yemen

Opportunity/Grant/Contest
- Ashoka Changemakers (fantastic list of ongoing competitions & grants)
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/competitions/browse/all
Ashoka recently partnered with G20 to look for solutions/models for SME’s (small & medium enterprises). Deadline August 25, 2010
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/SME-Finance

Random/Fun
- For the dorks out there, here’s a comic about depth-first search applied to dating: http://xkcd.com/761/
- The World Cup is almost over, but keeping in the spirit here are some amazing World Cup soccer visualizations & infographics from Umbro.
http://blog.umbro.com/2010/06/30/football-as-art-the-vital-stats-as-youve-never-seen-them-before/

What I’m currently reading:
Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden
Journalist who has spent over 30 years in Africa looks at almost each of the major countries in Africa providing history & his own experiences and anecdotes. I’m slowly getting through the 500+ page book, but I just love it. Just helps me with praying for Africa, learning about the history in an engaging way, and growing a heart for it, especially when I can’t be there in person right now to learn myself.

Links I Liked (LIL's) #2

Ideas/Model/Paper
- Nicholas Kristof – similar to making choices about blood diamonds & fair trade products, Kristof suggests changing thinking about “blood” materials used to make cell phones in the Congo. #ENG
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/opinion/27kristof.html?hp

Person/Thinkers
- David Kelley & Tim Brown – leaders at Ideo (design thinking firm); big ideas - inspiration, ideation, implementation; love that it uses art, story-telling, theatre & other fields to provide tools to boost creativity & innovation. #ART #ENG
Harvard Business Review article with an overview of his work –
http://www.ideo.com/news/design-thinking1//?press/item/design-thinking/
TED talk by Tim Brown
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tim_brown_urges_designers_to_think_big.html (16min lite version of talk below)
MIT Sloan Talk “Innovation Through Design Thinking” by Tim Brown
http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/mit.edu.3597670572 (57 min use itunes – fantastic talk with a overview of thinking) search itunes
Method Cards example of an Ideo tool for creativity
http://www.ideo.com/work/item/method-cards/
- Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business
http://www.fastcompany.com/100/2010
includes Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Jamie Oliver, Spike Jonze, and others : )

Group/Organization
- Breakthrough Collaborative – enrichment program for US students with a neat educational model with two prongs 1) teaching students but also 2) providing teacher training opportunities for high school & college students. Great sustainable element of teacher training providing future teachers that can in turn teach the students. Former housemate Andy Shin runs SF branch. #EDUCATION
http://www.breakthroughsf.org/about-us/our-impact
http://www.breakthroughcollaborative.org/learn/about
- Singularity University – new model of university started by Ray Kurzweil, Google, & other tech firms in Silicon Valley to push new technologies. #EDUCATION
http://singularityu.org/about/
- Ripple Effect Global – group started by Ideo (above) and the Acumen Fund. Uses Ideo’s principles in the development realm to improve access to water in India & Kenya. #ENG
http://www.rippleeffectglobal.com/?cat=3
- Kito International – new startup in Kenya, helping street children start up small businesses, interesting 3 part model; interesting but i don't know how i feel about it. #BUSINESS
http://whatgives365.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/taking-hope-to-the-streets-in-nairobi/
- Redeemer City by City – Tim Keller’s church planting center has a new name, & are planting churches allover the world from London to Pretoria. #GOSPEL
http://redeemercitytocity.com/

News/Prayer
- Pray for homeless – Obama’s plan to tackle homelessness (esp families &veterans)
http://www.economist.com/node/16436385?story_id=16436385

Opportunity/Grant/Contest
- MIT Global Ideas Challenge – MIT launching a competition this fall for teams that bring new technology/innovations to the developing world. Begins 15 Oct 2010 #ENG #BUSINESS
http://beta-globalchallenge.mit.edu/about
- Essay contest – faith & development two $5,000 prizes
http://www.sevenfund.org/faith-and-development/deadline 15 Oct 2010

Random/Fun
- Lastly, still in the spirit of the World Cup, I can’t get enough of the “waka waka” dance by shakira : ) So catchy : )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0

Links I Liked (LIL's) #1

Ideas/Model/Paper
- McKinsey Report – Africa’s path to growth: Sector by Sector; quick read – two page summaries on agriculture, banking, consumer goods, infrastructure, mining, oil & gas, and telecommunications; found agriculture, con goods, & infra most interesting; requires free registration, I can email you the pdf also. #BUSINESS https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Economic_Studies/Productivity_Performance/Africas_path_to_growth_Sector_by_sector_2602
- Stanford business news – “D.Light’s Lofty Goals Meet Practical Challenges” Hands down favorite article; Student group builds highly useful light technology to serve poor; however, must address distribution, adoption,& financing challenges. #ENG #BUSINESS
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm1005/feature-dlight.html

Person/Thinkers
- Stuart Hart – Cornell University; into sustainability/design /innovation; “disruptive technologies” & “building native capability” #BUSINESS
http://www.stuartlhart.com/philosophy.htm

Group/Organization
- 100cameras – photography in development #ART
http://www.100cameras.org/
- Trickle Up – alternate model to microfinance; uses grants to build small businesses #BUSINESS
http://www.trickleup.org/ourwork/whatvdo.html
- UNDP Initiative on Legal Empowerment of the Poor; shows how law can be used in development; four main areas: property rights & tenure security, labor rights, rights to livelihood & entrepreneurship, and rule of law & access to justice. #LAW
http://www.undp.org/legalempowerment/

News/Prayer
- Pray for Kyrgyzstan
http://www.economist.com/node/16377279?story_id=16377279

Opportunity/Grant/Contest
- Photography contest – related to MDG’s (Millen Dev Goals) #ART
http://picturethis.undp.org/about/more deadline 16 July 2010
- Essay contest – improving food security in rural areas
http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/essay-contest deadline 31 July 2010
- Essay contest – faith & development two $5,000 prizes
http://www.sevenfund.org/faith-and-development/ deadline 15 Oct 2010

Random/Fun
- Lastly, in spirit of Word Cup, hilarious world cup puppet comedy w/Mourinho, Rooney, Sven, Fabio, & Ronnie.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Doitchampions

some rough ideas for purpose of this blog

I never thought I would do a blog, but here it is.

The blog is called "economic development thoughts". I'd like to do two things with this blog:

1. Links I Like
Each week I'd like to post links about international economic development that have caught my interest. Links might include new ideas, new papers, neat examples/models, neat organizations, and new articles.

Most of the links come from a twitter list I created a few weeks ago. Here is the list if you want to follow it - http://twitter.com/michaelsyates/econdev.

2. An Occasional Column
From the links above, I'd like to put some ideas together into an occasional column. It's just a way of synthesizing something concrete from all information out there.


So why does this all matter? What's the point of all these links and columns?

I'd like this blog to be an online depository of nuggets and broad strokes of some new thoughts in international economic development. I'd like it to be a bit of a place/forum for people to create and hash out new ideas to serve. There are many collaborative tools on the web - Facebook groups, Gmail Buzz, and Google Wave, and this is partly a bit of test to see how well blogs work. Maybe down the road it could be a launchpad to get something started. Below is a figure with a bit of this vision:

Figure #1

Lots of information on the web -->
Twitter list plucking sorting & filtering & abstracting the interesting -->
"Links I Like" highlighting some of the best -->
An Occasional Column synthesizing new ideas, models, & examples -->
Possible discussion & creative forum -->
Launch pad? : )

However, if in the end it's just an online depository for quick reference, I'll be pretty happy : )