Lawrence McMillan (BIRC): Foreign Aid and Economic Development. BM Fikre (Addis Ababa): The Politics Underpinning the Non-realisation of the Right to Development. From International Politics and Society, Michael Cichon, Christina Behrendt, and Veronika Wodsak on the UN Social Protection Floor Initiative: Moving Forward with the Extension of Social Security. The first chapter from Solomon's Knot: How Law Can End the Poverty of Nations by Robert D. Cooter and Hans-Bernd Schafer. From Christianity Today, a cover story on the best ways to fight poverty — really (and a series of responses). Why economics — the dismal science — is far too pessimistic when it comes to analyzing the amazing gains in poverty eradication. Esther Duflo explains to John Gapper why the empowerment of women will not solve poverty. It's shocking to learn how many people live on less than $1 day — but could the statistic actually have done more harm than good? Bill Gates has pushed global philanthropy onto the agendas of the super-rich; more money for good causes — that's got to be a good thing?
