Blog

Blog

This blog offers you comments on recent events written by members of D+C’s editorial team. You’ll find one or two posts per week. The guiding question is whether something is good or bad for global development.

– by Hans Dembowski

An erratic superpower is dangerous

On Sunday, the US military shot down a Syrian aircraft. As a response, Russia has threatened to consider a target any plane that belongs to the US-led coalition fighting ISIS. Moreover, Russia has stopped the exchange of information with the US that served to prevent an escalation of the conflict. There now is a real risk of US forces clashing with Russian ones. The greater risk, however, is that the US may get involved in combat with Iranian forces and, ultimately, dragged into war in that country.
Add comment
0 comments
– by Hans Dembowski

Do not over-emphasise the role of ISIS in Mindanao

Fighting is still going on in Marawi, a town in the southern Philippines. The security forces are besieging Islamist militants. The battle has been going on for three weeks. The Islamist fighters overran the town on 23 May. More than 200 people have been killed since, according to the security forces, and two thirds were allegedly militants.
Add comment
0 comments
– by Hans Dembowski

Private donors must not be allowed to distort public policy

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is doing important work to stem diseases and enhance global food security. It relies on vast funding from billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The Open Society Foundations are promoting human rights, democracy and science in many countries, relying on vast funding from billionaire George Soros. The One Campaign is putting pressure on the governments of prosperous nations to increase official development assistance. Among its leaders is rock star Bono who launched it, involved other philanthropists and attracted support from the Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations.
Add comment
0 comments
– by Katja Dombrowski

What does it take to save a person’s eyesight?

In a rural area of Ethiopia that I just visited, almost one out of three people suffer from trachoma. This eye diseases is easily transmitted if the discharge of an infected eye is transferred by hand or a piece of cloth to another person’s eye. Flies can do that too. Small children are affected most, and they tend to infect their siblings and mothers. Unless treated, active trachoma leads to trachoma trichiarsis which causes blindness.
Add comment
0 comments
– by Hans Dembowski

Venezuela is in a depressing state

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s foreign minister, has declared that his country will withdraw from the Organization of American States (OAS). The reason is that the government of President Nicolás Maduro is angry about being criticised for its repressive stance towards the opposition, which has been staging huge rallies in recent weeks.
Add comment
0 comments