http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/international-development Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Mon, 25 May 2026 12:24:33 -0400 Mon, 25 May 2026 12:24:33 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia By Melale G. Hailu - This article explores the political relationship between nation-building, ethnicity, and democracy in the context of Ethiopia. It traces Ethiopia's poltical history, explores the consequential role ethnicity has played in the formation of the modern Ethiopian nation-state, and analyzes the manner in which democracy (or some form of it) has materlaized in the country post 1990. It argues that the politicization of ethnicity, in an already weak and culturally pluralistic state, further reinforces the existence of a repressive state and becomes a considerable impediment to democratic maturation and... Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1802/improving-medical-humanitarianism-pitfalls-and-best-practices-for-international-aid By Casey Kozak - The necessity of international relief is unending as new crises continue to emerge across the world. International aid plays a crucial role in shaping how affected communities rebuild after a crisis. However, humanitarian aid often results in a variety of unanticipated consequences and negative outcomes. Inadequate aid leaves behind substantial and foundational problems that the local community or healthcare system is not equipped to handle. There exist a number of hurdles to the success of international medical aid, including those posed by medical pluralism, short-term aid, lack of coordination... Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1802/improving-medical-humanitarianism-pitfalls-and-best-practices-for-international-aid http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania By Samuel W. Singler - Following the failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in the 1980s, and the liberal triumphalism caused by the end of the Cold War, development discourse underwent a significant transformation. Key to the new development paradigm was the promotion of “good governance,” stressing the role of governments in providing a sound legal and institutional framework for economic growth and development, and conversely locating the failures of past development programmes in the “poor governance” of aid recipient states (World Bank, 1992: 9). According to the good governance... Wed, 01 Feb 2017 11:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1451/rethinking-microcredit-in-bangladesh-does-grameen-bank-serve-the-neoliberal-agenda By Mehran Shamit - Grameen Bank, translated as "rural bank" in the Bangla language, is a grassroots microcredit organization founded in 1983 by Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus to provide new financial opportunities to the poor. Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their development efforts through microcredit. As of October 2011, Grameen Bank has over 8 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women (Grameen Bank, n.d.). The Bank provides services to more than 97% of villages in Bangladesh with 2,565 branches across the country and is especially well known around... Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:07 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1451/rethinking-microcredit-in-bangladesh-does-grameen-bank-serve-the-neoliberal-agenda http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1425/a-community-approach-to-education-in-the-luang-prabang-region-of-laos By Jennifer C. Langill - Laos ranks quite poorly by most development indicators. Laos is one of 48 countries on the United Nations’ list of Least Developed Countries and ranked 141st out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index (United Nations 2016; United Nations Development Programme 2015). Economic growth has been unevenly distributed, leaving over 20 percent of the country below the international poverty line (CIA World Factbook 2014; Estudillo et al. 2013; Howe and Sims 2011; The World Bank 2016). This percentage has been declining, however improvements have been quite slow. While there are over 100... Thu, 23 Jun 2016 07:10 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1425/a-community-approach-to-education-in-the-luang-prabang-region-of-laos http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1420/the-rise-of-global-health-how-did-health-become-a-matter-of-global-concern By Samuel W. Singler - Global health governance is often traced back to the mid-nineteenth century, when European states participated in the International Sanitary Conference of 1851 in order to standardize quarantine regulations, constituting one of the earliest multilateral responses to an international health issue (McKee et al., 2001: 7). Technological innovations and the confirmation of germ theory contributed to increased international cooperation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in order to prevent the spread of disease across national borders, leading to the creation of the International... Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:33 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1420/the-rise-of-global-health-how-did-health-become-a-matter-of-global-concern http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development By Cynthia Kwakyewah - In their search for a new development paradigm, many African governments and international organizations have reverted to cooperatives, a distinct business model that manifest a turbulent history ranging from pre-colonial to colonial and post-independence Africa. Owing to their ethical and democratic features as well as their dual pursuit for social and economic yields, cooperatives have come to be perceived as the solution to the enigma of underdevelopment. But a critical examination indicates that African cooperatives face profound encumbrances deriving from their historical background and the... Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1397/china-and-india-in-africa-implications-of-new-private-sector-actors-on-bribe-paying-incidence By Sankalp Gowda - This paper seeks to address one of the most common critiques of Asian firms doing business in Africa: that low levels of corporate governance and poor managerial practices have undermined anti-corruption efforts throughout the continent. The paper first details and analyzes the managerial practices of Indian and Chinese firms to distinguish what factors might make these firms more likely to pay bribes. Next, it uses data from the 2006-2014 World Bank Enterprise Surveys to empirically test the claim that the presence of Indian and Chinese firms has increased bribe-paying incidence in African countries... Mon, 25 Apr 2016 08:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1397/china-and-india-in-africa-implications-of-new-private-sector-actors-on-bribe-paying-incidence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1382/the-development-agenda-after-the-millenium-development-goals-is-the-post-2015-agenda-truly-transformative By Florence Lee - In 2014, the United Nations called for "a truly transformative agenda to follow the Millennium Development Goals." This study applies a critical qualitative discourse and textual analysis to examine the first priority of the agenda—to end extreme poverty and hunger—set fourth in The Action Agenda for Sustainable Development Report (SDSN) and assesses the extent to which this ‘transformative agenda’ is likely to be achieved. This study found that the report's goal of ‘ending hunger and poverty’ encouraged implementation strategies that were conceptually narrow... Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:49 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1382/the-development-agenda-after-the-millenium-development-goals-is-the-post-2015-agenda-truly-transformative http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production By Mary L. Kleinpeter - Developing states with large natural resource industries have an inclination to become over-reliant on one source of capital, causing other industries to fail, promoting corruption, and stimulating crime. Nigeria is one such case, as their booming oil industry has lead to the creation of new militant groups who target petroleum production sites to either loot oil, kidnap for ransom, or damage infrastructure. In the past decade, major international drilling companies such as Royal Dutch Shell have begun to focus their drilling operations offshore in the Niger Delta in result of the increasing attacks... Wed, 09 Mar 2016 01:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1371/book-review-planet-of-slums-by-mike-davis-2006 By Florence Lee - In essence, Davis blames neoliberalism for these problems. The ‘villains’, or driving forces behind modern slum creation, are the World Bank and the IMF. And Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) – conditions attached to provisional loans that poor countries are subjected to whereby neoliberal market policies (opening up of the market, removing trade barriers and excess state control) are promoted – have been the reason. By encouraging less trade subsidies and privatization, SAPs lead to borrowers having to cut back on public taxation and spending. Davis states that millions... Sat, 27 Feb 2016 02:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1371/book-review-planet-of-slums-by-mike-davis-2006 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/983/the-remittance-effect-do-remittances-help-development By Sabrina Singh - In 2013, developing countries were expected to receive $414 billion in remittances – money sent back home by migrant workers. Remittances have been extolled in academic literature for having a substantial positive impact on development and poverty reduction. This paper will explain the link between remittances and development and argue against a quick, causal link between the two. There are three crucial factors that affect the development potential of remittances: Firstly, the literature suffers from a lack of remittance data in developing countries. Secondly, domestic and international... Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/983/the-remittance-effect-do-remittances-help-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1533/do-civil-society-organizations-undermine-state-building By Benjamin S. Osenbach - In spite of the long-standing debate among economists on the optimal level of government involvement in economic development, little has been said on an optimal level of involvement by non-governmental "Civil Society" Organizations (CSOs). In particular, little has been said to address the potential trade-off between the influence of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the influence of government. Using datasets such as the World Values Survey and the World Bank's World Governance Indicators, a multinomial logistic model is presented to model "political legitimacy" (a proxy for governmental... Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1533/do-civil-society-organizations-undermine-state-building http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 By Benjamin S. Osenbach - On May 18th, 2000, the United States enacted the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), dramatically expanding trade between itself and Sub-Saharan Africa over the following decade. Yet whereas previous studies in the literature have often sought to confirm the significance or investigate the welfare effects of AGOA, this article considers the incentives generated by AGOA in relation to its sustainability, particularly in light of its impending expiration on September 30, 2015. Drawing upon a review of the relevant literature, these effects are considered in terms of AGOA's rules of origin... Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/917/the-great-divergence-redefined-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-west-and-the-recovery-of-china By Molly B. Kroker - Up until the 19th century, China held a position as a great world power. However, for the last two hundred years the West has dominated the world technologically, economically, and politically. The point at which the West began its relative dominance over all other world civilizations is known as "the Great Divergence." Currently, a steady change has been developing in China. Not only has China caught up to the West but also China's economy is continuing to accelerate at a rapid rate and may even surpass the West in the near future. One of the main reasons for the "Great Divergence" was an underlying... Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/917/the-great-divergence-redefined-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-west-and-the-recovery-of-china http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1185/diplomacy-and-debt-us-attribution-of-status-resulting-from-ida-graduation By Karinne Smolenyak - With one fifth of the world’s economy and the world’s only global military force, American diplomacy is critical to the future despite the lack of a ‘grand strategy.’ For example, Henrikson proposes ‘Americanism’ (2006) as one potential future. He does not mean America exerts hegemonic control over the world, but future world diplomacy may become a response to American action and American domestic politics (2006). If the United States’ diplomatic strategy (i.e. attribution of status to states) plays a critical in the world’s future, is it possible... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1185/diplomacy-and-debt-us-attribution-of-status-resulting-from-ida-graduation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/880/state-building-in-somalia-in-the-image-of-somaliland-a-bottom-up-approach By Kenneth C. Upsall - The creation of western-style government institutions has been unsuccessful in Somalia. This is a direct result of colonial administrations not laying the proper foundation for western government institutions to achieve legitimacy in a culture of clan and kinship based identity. In post conflict Somalia the top down approach to state building has been ineffective and a lack of government structure at the time of independence created an environment in which clan based fracturing of the government was inevitable. The existing clan and kinship examples of local governance replaced the central government... Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/880/state-building-in-somalia-in-the-image-of-somaliland-a-bottom-up-approach http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1598/on-global-order-south-africa-as-a-case-study-for-the-validity-of-city-specific-research-in-international-development By Janetta Deppa - This study provides an overview of the international development field's attention to urbanization. Despite cities being proven the largest hubs of development for the industrializing world, patterns in urban areas often behave much differently than when assessing aggregate-level data. Assessment of cities as their own spheres of development is necessary. Currently, the development field fails to implement measures addressing the enormity of this phenomenon: while it acknowledges city-specific growth projects are important, very little raw data is available for analysis, and studies comparing... Tue, 31 Dec 2013 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1598/on-global-order-south-africa-as-a-case-study-for-the-validity-of-city-specific-research-in-international-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia By Reuben NS. Tang - This report examines the Chinese economic model, the potential for future Chinese growth, and the implications for Australia. An examination of factors that have contributed to the rise of the modern Chinese economy including demographic factors and productivity gains is conducted via a review of existing literature. The pattern of Chinese economic development and the basis for its GDP growth is considered within the context of this literature and the prospects for future Chinese economic growth are discussed while raising and addressing potential imbalances in China. These imbalances principally... Tue, 20 Aug 2013 05:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/579/somali-piracy-causes-and-consequences By Miles G. Kellerman - These accusations are actually quite legitimate. The United Nations estimates that illegal fishing companies from Europe and Asia rob Somali coastlines of over $300 million a year, mostly in the pursuit of yellow tuna.[17] In addition, a 2005 UN Environmental Report highlighted a long history of illegal dumping off the coast of Somalia, most notably from “'Ndrangheta”, an Italian criminal organization.[18] According to the report, it costs European companies $2.50 to dispose of one ton of waste off the horn of Africa, as opposed to $250 a ton to dispose of such material cleanly in... Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/579/somali-piracy-causes-and-consequences http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development By Eve R. Hill - Development is closely linked to the idea of progress. Therefore the way in which progress is quantified, whether through economic, social or spiritual values, determines the way in which we conceptualize development (Power 2005). Religious beliefs are similarly ambiguous, although this arises from the sheer diversity of faiths present in the world today. Consequently the relationship between development and religion is hauntingly complex and so variable that it eludes simple definition (Alkire 2007). Nevertheless, since the first missionary endeavors of the colonial era, religious-based ethics... Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/413/ungoverned-space-fragile-states-and-global-threats-deconstructing-linkages By Chloe A. Diggins - It is widely recognized that state security is no longer contingent upon a balance of power or the threat of conquering states, but global stability is now instead jeopardized by weak or fragile states. Fragile states represent chaos, disorder, and underdevelopment, and their very existence threatens not only the security of the developed world, but the capitalist, consumer-driven lifestyle to which the Western world is accustomed. Of critical concern are the global circulatory flows affiliated with poverty, conflict, and migration, which carry the potential to destabilize and undermine Western... Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/413/ungoverned-space-fragile-states-and-global-threats-deconstructing-linkages http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/318/the-equivocal-nature-of-exploitation-how-poor-workers-in-developing-nations-exploit-capitalist-greed-for-a-profit By Colin R. Fraser - Learning to play guitar is painful. For the first months, the coarse steel of the guitar strings shreds the soft skin of the player’s fingertips into a disgusting bloody mess. A reasonable person who does not play guitar would be entirely justified in thinking that the guitar student ought to take it a little bit easier on his poor fingers. Nonetheless, if the guitar student wants to some day be able to play without the pain, his best move is to play as much as possible. In the developing world, sweatshop labour might be viewed in a similar light as the mutilated fingertips of the guitar... Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/318/the-equivocal-nature-of-exploitation-how-poor-workers-in-developing-nations-exploit-capitalist-greed-for-a-profit http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/284/health-care-utilization-in-the-kenyan-health-system-challenges-and-opportunities By Dustin R. Turin - The prevalence of communicable disease in Kenya is a major factor in determining health outcomes. HIV prevalence among urban adults is estimated at 10%, versus an estimated 5.6% for rural adults.[vi] HIV prevalence is not evenly distributed throughout the country, with prevalence rates in Nyanza province nearly double the national average.[vii] Compounding the challenge presented by high HIV positive rates, there were in excess of 100,000 cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in 2008, with co-infection rates for TB and HIV of 45%.[viii] Malaria represents another significant burden, with 13.6% of deaths... Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/284/health-care-utilization-in-the-kenyan-health-system-challenges-and-opportunities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/278/crime-and-development-in-kenya-emerging-trends-and-the-transnational-implications-of-political-economic-and-social-instability By Samuel L. Aronson - The porous borders between countries as well as the extensive coastline make it difficult to accurately track and pursue criminal activity. The median age in East Africa is between16 and 19 years old, which is directly in the center of the average criminal demographic worldwide. This means that there is little likelihood for a decline in crime rates anytime in the near future (UNODC, 2009). In addition to the above factors that offer little hope for crime experts worldwide, there has been a significant decrease in active policing and law enforcement in Kenya, while criminal behavior is steadily... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/278/crime-and-development-in-kenya-emerging-trends-and-the-transnational-implications-of-political-economic-and-social-instability http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/273/the-millenium-challenge-account-foreign-aid-and-international-development-programs-of-the-bush-administration By Ashley R. Notini - The United States presidency is a complex role, encompassing both domestic and foreign policy responsibilities. As a major world power, the United States has a large role in the realm of foreign policy, and it is the duty of the president to assume the role of an international figurehead. Aside from being one of the most politically powerful nations, the United States enjoys its status as one of the wealthiest nations in the international system. However, immense political power and wealth have resulted in the need for the United States to devote a significant amount of its resources toward the... Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:13 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/273/the-millenium-challenge-account-foreign-aid-and-international-development-programs-of-the-bush-administration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1261/no-guts-no-glory-essential-elements-for-post-war-reconstruction By William Way - Joint forces commanders have successfully contributed to the formation of democratic nations in the aftermath of modern wars.1 Where joint force commanders and governments focused on the four essential elements of long-term U.S. commitment, education, rearmament and reindustrialization, democracies have been produced. This is proven true by a century of United States joint and combined post-war operations in Germany, Japan, and Korea. Today, joint and combined forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are contributing to the U.S. goals of bringing freedom and democracy to those nations. By focusing its efforts... Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1261/no-guts-no-glory-essential-elements-for-post-war-reconstruction http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/223/major-development-challenges-facing-the-republic-of-angola-completing-the-democratic-transition-and-making-government-work By Dustin R. Turin -  Contemporary Angola must be regarded as the product of a deeply conflicted history. From the moment independence was declared in November 1975, the country was launched into an intense civil war that in the end claimed up to a million lives, destroyed most legitimate economic activity, and rendered vast swathes of the country useless, inundated with landmines. As a result of this legacy, there now exists a “generation of mutilados”—‘mutilated ones’—within the Angolan populace (Meredith 2006: 610). Indeed, Angola’s post-independence history reveals... Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/223/major-development-challenges-facing-the-republic-of-angola-completing-the-democratic-transition-and-making-government-work http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/134/the-beijing-consensus-chinas-alternative-development-model By Dustin R. Turin - Recently a new strategy started to surface, defined in contrast to the Washington Consensus as the Beijing Consensus; and indeed, the Beijing Consensus has little in common with Washington’s model. Instead of prescribing rigid recommendations for the problems of distant nations, the Beijing Consensus is pragmatic—much like China in the post-1979 world—and recognizes the need for flexibility in solving multifarious problems. It is inherently focused on innovation, while simultaneously emphasizing ideals such as equitable development and a “Peaceful Rise” (Ramo, 2004... Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/134/the-beijing-consensus-chinas-alternative-development-model http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1144/breaking-third-world-debt By Robyn Munn - Jubilee 2000 is an international campaign involving over 40 countries advocating a debt-free start to the Millennium for a billion people. They are calling for a one-off cancellation of the unpayable debts of the world’s poorest countries by the year 2000, under a fair and transparent process. It is vital that this campaign is successful. At present over 50 countries in the world have debts that can never be paid back but continue to be paid daily with peoples lives. How can countries such as the UK continue to demand money from countries such as Uganda where more than &pound... Fri, 01 Jan 1999 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1144/breaking-third-world-debt