Links I liked
Paul Romer on science on the Internet “These Peace Corps volunteers are such hippies” and other Sh*t Peacebuilders Say Udacity My new favorite donation campaign Kristof on the increasing repression in Ethiopia
Search Results for: ethiopia
Do you know who made your iThing?
Mike Daisey was a self-described “worshipper in the cult of Mac.” Then he saw some photos from a new iPhone, taken by workers at the factory where it was made. Mike wondered: Who makes all my crap? He traveled to … Continue reading
Research
Below is my academic research. Jump to my Policy writing, Projects, or Data. Also see my Google Scholar profile. Working papers & papers under review “The Logic of Child Soldiering and Coercion“, with Bernd Beber (Revised & Resubmit, International Organization) “Economic Shocks and … Continue reading
Do men have better spatial intelligence? Nurture 1, nature 0
…would the difference persist in a world of educational and professional equality? Or—if women ruled? Researchers administered four-piece jigsaw puzzles to nearly 1,300 members of two closely related tribes in Northeast India with little to no experience with such puzzles. The … Continue reading
Work for me in Ethiopia?
The project description is here. The question is simple: “More sweatshops for Africa?” We are working with firms to randomize who gets low-skill factory and farm jobs from the pool of applicants. Some of the unsuccessful applicants get training and … Continue reading
Away for a week or two…
I’m in Ethiopia this week and Liberia next. Beyond being uncommonly busy, it’s no simple matter to access my site in Ethiopia. Censorship? The Chinese are apparently lending the technology. Hard to believe it’s Internet speed since I can video Skype with … Continue reading
Infant travel bleg
So we’re planning to cart Amara around the globe while she’s still portable. I’m pretty sure there’s some golden advice out there from experienced parents who took the adventurous route. Any advice to offer? The best airlines? The magic travel … Continue reading
Africa blog to watch
Ken Opalo agrees with my South Sudan post today, but with a caveat: the security hawks should be watched. They tend to overstay their welcome. Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia needed security more than a decade ago. Now their saviors, Kagame, … Continue reading
More sweatshops for Africa?
Field interviews reveal that subjects perceive their alternatives, including agricultural work and street vending, as less desirable when compared to sweatshop labor. Non-monetary benefits are an important part of this appraisal. The interviews provide information about the margins along which subjects’ compensation improves … Continue reading
Random and inexpert thoughts on Addis
I’m in Ethiopia for a week to check in on my industrial job experiments. Everything is going wonderfully except for the pesky fact that many of the businesses have yet to open. The next few months look pretty good, though, especially … Continue reading
Memories of Pai
From my blogging this week you would not guess I was in Thailand. One reason: my visit has been a peculiar one. I spent much of my time in the north, in a little town called Pai. Close friends run … Continue reading
Hoisted from comments: Cote d’Ivoire insights
The Cote d’Ivoire open thread drew in excellent comments. Some highlights: From Joseph Lake and Random African, a rightful pointer to Jeune Afrique (tweeting at @Jeune_Afrique) for deeper reporting on the Françafrique. Tom Cushman reminds us that other African regimes are watching … Continue reading
Blogging in fits and starts
Right now I’m en route to Vietnam. The next month will be a busy one as I flit next to Thailand, England, Ethiopia and Liberia before settling home in New York. For the most part this should mean new blog … Continue reading
Be a researcher at IRC
In the interests of spending more time with my wife, I am hoping many excellent people will apply for these jobs and take some research projects off her hands: The International Rescue Committee seeks a full-time officer to support research … Continue reading
I am very disappointed…
…by Dinaw Mengestu’s new book. Most of his stories explore the immigrant or second-generation experience in America, typically Ethiopians. His recent New Yorker short story was terrifically engaging. His Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears was one of my favorite books … Continue reading
The future of African economic development?
With respect to the destination of Ethiopia’s exports, some surprising shifts are taking place. Switzerland has (just barely) surpassed China as the top destination for Ethiopia‟s exports. In what is probably the start of a longer-term trend, neighboring and regional … Continue reading
Ethiopia’s experiment (continued, by someone actually knowledgable)
This is a guest post from CGD’s and IIE’s Arvind Subramanian. Chris drew attention yesterday to Ethiopia’s currency devaluation. What was surprising and interesting about this move is that the devaluation was not undertaken under the usual duress of “macroeconomic adjustment.” … Continue reading
Why you should pay attention to the Ethiopian devaluation
Yesterday Ethiopians received a September surprise when the central bank devalued the currency by 20 percent. Even if you don’t work on anything Ethiopia-related, you should be interested. Why? Here’s the reaction from a leading bank and investment firm in … Continue reading
Is philanthropy killing business in Africa?
Todd Johnson asks his Ethiopian friend, an IT entrepreneur, his greatest business challenge. His answer? NGOs. “Africans don’t see a reward system in place for being entrepreneurial. In fact, they view it as a matter of survival, not an opportunity … Continue reading
Will Ethiopia be the next African lion?
Without much notice,agriculture recently ceased to be the largest sector in the economy for the first time in Ethiopia’s history. This heralds a major structural transformation of the economy and we forecast that the services sector—which covers real estate, hotels, … Continue reading