Globalisation

“Your kool-aid is not my kool-aid”: ideologies on microfinance within an INGO culture

Development investigations focus on synergies of institutional cultures for policy and practice. International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) currently enjoy a privileged position as harbingers of world culture unity. While there is contestation on INGOs as monolithic entities, few studies delve into the voices of actors within INGOs to provide for a more pluralistic perspective. This paper separates the actors from their institution by examining their different socio-cultural takes that drive them. This emphasises that as projects and visions come and go, institutional actors draw on their own philosophy that does not necessarily mirror their institution's stance. Here, the focus is on one of the most important current development initiatives – microfinance – revealing individual understandings of what is sustainability, the role of external actors, indicators of success, exit strategies, and ethical action. In spite of situating this in the microfinance area, what is revealed is that actors are motivated by their own constructed ideology, often alluding peripherally to the specifics of microfinance. This opens another avenue of enquiry as to why organisational ideologies and popular development visions such as microfinance take on such diversity of forms and outcomes. Contrary to the world culture unity model, such communication disjunctures can be useful in understanding diverse development outcomes.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696583

 

Author: 
Arora, Payal
Page: 
1000

The banking sector intervention in the microfinance world: a study of bankers' perception and outreach to rural microfinance in India with special reference to the state of Punjab

Microfinance has been evolving as an indispensable tool of poverty eradication and rural improvement. At present, almost all the commercial banks have delved into the microfinance foray and offer various lucrative schemes designed for the rural poor, specifically, to carry out their own small economic activities. This paper attempts to study the extent to which the commercial banks are participating in the microfinance business. An empirical study has been carried out in the state of Punjab. The objective is to analyse the nature and extent of microfinance services provided by the banks in the rural areas of Punjab. The study also highlights the bankers' perceptions of microfinance.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696092

 

Author: 
Arora, Sangeeta
Author: 
Meenu
Page: 
991

Do organisational forms of the coffee supply chain matter in poverty reduction?

This paper compares the economic effects of two organisational forms of the coffee supply chain (cooperative and private processors) in Rwanda and assesses quantitatively which form has benefited producers the most. The paper uses panel data from 148 coffee-producing households. Results based on a combination of the instrumental variable method and first differencing show that there is no indication that farmers who sell to cooperative factories get more benefits than farmers selling to private processing plants.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.697127

 

Author: 
Murekezi, Abdoul
Author: 
Jin, Songqing
Author: 
Loveridge, Scott
Page: 
962

Debt-for-development exchanges in Australia: past, present and future

Debt-for-development exchanges are one technique through which to address the ongoing debt crisis in the less-developed world. This paper discusses how Australia's first debt-for-development exchange, with Indonesia, came into being, and explores future possibilities for Australian debt exchanges. It is an interesting example of how activists and advocates can successfully pursue innovative public policy solutions to development problems. More importantly, however, this paper explores the link between debt accumulation in less-developed countries and trade policies of industrialised countries like Australia.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696582

 

Author: 
Fletcher, Luke
Author: 
Webb, Adele
Page: 
932

Fostering “Why not?” social initiatives – beyond business and governments

In this article, we challenge the notion that complex and resilient problems – such as global warming and poverty – will have to be resolved by governments or responsible corporations. Instead, we argue for the potency of social initiatives promoted by communities of engaged people. A variety of experiences from around the world, and especially from Brazilians with their “Why not?” temperament, suggest characteristics of the origin, development, and diffusion of these initiatives. We conclude that social initiatives, by addressing local problems of a global nature, using networks connected across communities, may be the greatest hope for this troubled world.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.696585

 

Author: 
Mintzberg, Henry
Author: 
Azevedo, Guilherme
Page: 
895

Gender, health, and Fairtrade: insights from a research-action programme in Nicaragua

The present article provides evidence from a collaborative research programme in Nicaragua that suggests that Fairtrade is falling short of its equity-promoting potential. Providing an alternative framing of Fairtrade based on the gendered social determinants of health, it suggests how Fairtrade can be optimised towards equity. The programme is based on experiences of community-based organisations and women coffee producers who perceive contradictions in the rhetoric of gender equity in Fairtrade.

Author: 
Hanson, Lori
Author: 
Terstappen, Vincent
Author: 
Bacon, Christopher M
Author: 
Leung, Jannie
Author: 
Ganem-Cuenca, Alejandra
Author: 
Flores, Sandro Raúl Díaz
Author: 
Rojas, María Asunción Meza
Page: 
164

NGOs and Western hegemony: causes for concern and ideas for change

Since their rise to prominence in the post-World War II period, NGOs have grown exponentially in size and stature. This growth has occurred most notably under the New Policy Agenda, with Western donor states emphasising the role of NGOs in democratisation and service provision. Donors have gained the power to set the development agenda and NGOs have slowly become Trojan horses for global neo-liberalism. The present review surveys the principal ways in which NGOs have become a part of the promotion of Western hegemony in the developing world and presents some ideas for change.

Author: 
Wright, Glen W.
Page: 
123

Mainstreaming globalisation in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers in the Asia-Pacific region

This paper examines the extent to which the key elements of globalisation, such as international trade, investments, foreign aid, transnational labour migration and tourism have been mainstreamed into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Using a content analysis, the paper finds that trade openness gained the highest priority in the PRSPs, followed by foreign investment, aid, tourism and, lastly, migration.

Author: 
Sapkota, Jeet Bahadur
Page: 
999

Microfinance in online space: a visual analysis of kiva.org

Microfinance practices were originally developed in offline contexts. Modern microfinance practices were based on development models for the financial and social empowerment of the poorest of poor in developing countries. Several of these practices drew from existing traditions of money lending within local communities that were reformed to be in sync with rural development and the empowerment of the underprivileged individual.

Author: 
Gajjala, Venkataramana
Author: 
Gajjala, Radhika
Author: 
Birzescu, Anca
Author: 
Anarbaeva, Samara
Page: 
880

International food prices, agricultural transformation, and food security in Central Asia

This study addresses the impact of global food prices on domestic food prices, the short-term policy responses taken by national governments, and major constraints on long-term food security in Central Asia. A surge in domestic food-price inflation in Central Asian countries was almost perfectly simultaneous with the spike in international food prices. Food-price inflation was spurred in part by adverse weather conditions in 2007, and exacerbated by the decision of the government of Kazakhstan to temporarily impose export tariffs and suspend wheat exports.

Author: 
Akramov, Kamiljon T.
Page: 
741
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