Family and Famine 7 min read
On 1 December 1942, with London still counting its dead, people queued outside His Majesty's Stationery Office to buy a government report on social insurance.
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31 articles
The Responsibility of Growing Up 5 min read
It takes a village to raise a child. That old African proverb is quite true: a kid would grow up with grandparents, cousins, teachers, neighbours, all keeping half an eye on them.
What is double materiality? 7 min read
High in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains, overlooking the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan, sits some of the most remote land on earth.
The price to pay 7 min read
Among the many things we are, we are transactional creatures. It's an uncomfortable thing to admit about yourself, but the truth is that you can stretch the logic of the trade across almost any part…
A map of the sea is not the sea 6 min read
For most of human history, controlling what people believed meant, among other things, controlling what they could read. The Spanish Inquisition burned books. The church suppressed heretical texts.
The floor that holds 5 min read
Writing a thesis on living wages as a legally enforceable human right taught me something: the further you dig into the law, the more you realise that law alone cannot explain whether people actually…
Oligarchs, but western 8 min read
We all know what a billionaire is, but you may also know the word oligarch, someone rich enough to have a seat at the table, and sometimes even a hand on the pen.
So… where do you sit: Left or Right? 8 min read
Have you ever wondered where the labels "left" and "right" actually come from? Over time, that physical divide became a political statement.
Trade in the New Global Order 4 min read
A European buyer delays placing orders until "tariff conditions clarify." Within weeks, a factory on the other side of the world cuts shifts, trims overtime, and quietly lets temporary workers go.
The end of complex thought 6 min read
James Marriott's recent essay The Dawn of the Post-Literate Society struck a nerve on me. He mentions that we might be seeing the gradual decline of literacy as the basis for advanced cognition…
Jobs, Borders and Blame 7 min read
What do shuttered factories in the American Rust Belt and struggling farms in rural India, have in common?
Detect “Social Alpha” 10 min read
People in finance often talk about “alpha”, a fancy word for doing better than the average market investor. Usually, they look for it in cutting-edge tech or business strategies.
Work Harder, They Said. You’ll Succeed, They Lied. 7 min read
I wake up late, open the app on my phone, and wait for the first order to come in. By midday I’ve already delivered meals across the city, earbuds in, half-listening to podcasts and scrolling through…
Building from the ground up: Microfinance for change 9 min read
Microfinance is known as the provision of small loans, savings, and other basic financial services to people that might be excluded from formal banking, often due to lack of providing necessary…
From Mines to Rivers: Corporate Impacts on Human Rights in Colombia and Mexico 9 min read
In many developing countries, large-scale corporate ventures often promise significant growth, new employment, and infrastructure investments.
The Middle-Income Trap: Policies and Practices That Propel Economies Past Middle-Income 10 min read
Chapter I: Introduction to the Middle-Income trap Few concepts in development economics have garnered as much debate in recent years as the so-called middle-income trap.
We should have tamed zebras 6 min read
When reading D. Wraight (2010), the economist made a striking thought: Africa's development trajectory might have been profoundly different if zebras had been domesticated.
Investment Protection or Policy Paralysis? Rethinking ISDS in a Climate-Driven World 9 min read
The European Climate Law, adopted in 2021 (European Climate Law, 2021), marked a significant milestone in global climate governance by setting a legal precedent at the regional level. It…
Raising the bar: the impact of minimum wages 7 min read
Minimum wage policies are among the most debated tools in modern economics. At their core, these policies aim to safeguard workers' earnings, reduce poverty, and address income inequalities.
Bridging Law and Economics: Living Wages 8 min read
Poverty is at the heart of both development economics and international law, each addressing it from distinct but complementary angles.
The Coherence of Development 9 min read
The complexities of global governance make policy coherence not just a desirable ideal, but an essential prerequisite for sustainable development.
Dismantling Capitalism: Cooperativism 6 min read
A cooperative, or co-op, is defined by its ownership and governance structure. It is owned and managed by its members, who also benefit from the products or services offered.
The Paradox of Plenty 6 min read
As the term implies, the Resource Curse refers to the paradoxical phenomenon where the discovery of natural resources, particularly oil and gas, presents significant challenges for host countries.
Understanding Sustainable Development, Chapter four 5 min read
To begin, it's essential to define well-being. It is inherently linked to social and economic factors, specifically our capacity to meet material needs and aspirations, as well as the range of…
Understanding Sustainable Development, Chapter three 9 min read
International organizations, including the World Bank, utilize a classification system to assess and summarize the development levels of countries worldwide.
Understanding Sustainable Development, Chapter two 6 min read
To understand the four pillars of sustainable development today—economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and good governance—is to recognize the key components driving…
Understanding Sustainable Development, Chapter one 8 min read
To grasp the basics of sustainable development, it’s crucial to trace its roots through human history. Not long ago, sustainability and development were seen as two separate concepts.
International Aid, but for who? 6 min read
In light of today’s global challenges, we must strive to be our best, not only for our own well-being but also to support local and regional businesses.
The Robin Hood of economics 7 min read
In the quest for sustainable development, innovative taxation strategies like the Google Tax and the Tobin Tax offer potential avenues for governments in developed countries to secure funding.
Why should poor people repay their loans? 6 min read
The lapse of time that we will focus is known as the lost decade (1980), this period of time has costed to South America and Africa greatly to their economies: basically, by 1983, Mexico…
Development in Asia, the Korean peninsula 6 min read
East Asia is home to three key regional powers: Japan, South Korea, and China. These countries exert significant influence in the region, both politically and economically.