Fortnightly links: aid stinginess, neoliberalism, Vanuatu, Prof Jolie-Pitt, fairy dust financing, and more

A columnist in the Sydney Morning Herald this week laments Australia’s aid stinginess.

In its magazine Finance and Development the IMF provides good evidence of development’s changing intellectual landscape with an interesting critique of aspects of ‘neoliberalism’ (meaning the Washington Consensus in this instance). Two of the article’s authors are senior IMF employees.

An interesting ABC article and radio interview suggests that there is enthusiasm as Vanuatu paves the way for women’s seats in parliament, although it remains to be seen if statements will be followed by action.

The announcement that Angelina Jolie was made a visiting professor at the London School of Economics made waves in the development blogosphere. Lots of reactions to the appointment are collected here.

An interesting World Bank blog discusses some of the challenges of field experiments and how to overcome them. And in case you missed it: the World Bank is eliminating the terms “developing” and “developed countries” from its vocabulary.

Human Rights Watch issued a deeply worrying report last week on the use of child labour in Indonesia’s tobacco industry; the accompanying 8.5 minute video is recommended viewing.

This photoessay from CARE International is fascinating, showing the content of relief packages given to refugees in response to different crises over time and around the world.

And finally, in Foreign Policy Laurie Garrett critiques the World Health Assembly’s “fairy dust financing” approach to funding the WHO.

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Camilla Burkot

Camilla Burkot was a Research Officer at the Development Policy Centre, and Editor of the Devpolicy Blog, from 2015 to 2017. She has a background in social anthropology and holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and has field experience in Eastern and Southern Africa, and PNG. She now works for the Burnet Institute.

Terence Wood

Terence Wood is a research fellow at the Development Policy Centre. His research focuses on political governance in Western Melanesia, and Australian and New Zealand aid.

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