Geopolitics
Sahel: are donors out of touch with on-the-ground knowledge?
In a recent article, the academic Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan pointed out that donors lack on-the-ground knowledge in the places where they operate. But isn’t the problem above all the inability of development operators to make proper use of their on-the-ground knowledge when designing and...
Other news
Opinion
Commons, the way forward for Africa
In the face of growing health, climate and social crises, the solidarity-based governance model for commons is becoming increasingly relevant. On the continent, there have been some encouraging precedents.
Opinion
Is a demographic disaster unavoidable in Niger?
Current data suggests “a confirmed demographic explosion” in Niger, with alarming short and medium-term consequences. The examples of Kenya and Bangladesh, however, suggest that we should put this forecast into perspective and delve deeper into the analysis of the population-growth link.
Opinion
Statebuilding, an approach that needs rethinking
Faced with contemporary social conflicts, the answer given by international stakeholders is a combination of “security and development” through, in particular, the reconstruction of the State. However, statebuilding, through its technical and apolitical approach, fails to address the social...
Opinion
The difficult course set for Yemeni sports, between human success and setbacks
In Yemen, a country broken by years of conflict, sports reveal internal social dynamics. Football is one of the rare sources of national unity.
Opinion
For a new global pact on sustainable development adapted to demographic change
Demographic trends differ across the globe, with some countries experiencing high fertility rates and others societal aging. Future development models will have to adapt to these contradictory and increasingly marked trends.
Opinion
The “population bomb”: a barrier to sustainable development?
Is the increase in the world population really a “population bomb”? Beyond the number of inhabitants of the planet, it is our mode of development and its limits that first and foremost need to be questioned.
Opinion
Migration as seen from developed countries: demographic realities, ideology and political choices
Academic Yves Charbit explains that control of migration flows by a purely numbers-based approach–a practice preferred by developed countries–is not only ineffective, but also counter-productive for Europe. The second episode in our series: “Tomorrow, 9 billion people”.
Opinion
Worldwide demographic change: new horizons for development
At the start of 2021, iD4D has chosen to analyze the big demographic trends at work in the world. This first episode of our series “Tomorrow, 9 billion people” gives an overview of these major developments.
Opinion
Conflicts: The multilateralism crisis has caused the failure of international interventions
In a geopolitical context in turmoil and faced with the failure of international interventions, there is an urgent need to change the approach to try to resolve the conflicts of today.
Opinion
Informed and responsible narratives on migration, a common cause
By producing quality content and fighting against disinformation, media coverage of migration can help inform public debate and strengthen social cohesion.
Press Review
In Argentina, a major legislative win
Argentina lawmakers have passed a bill to legalize abortion. A major and unprecedented step for the fourth country to make abortion legal in Latin America. As issues around climate, democracy and human rights are being fought over, solutions are also implemented.
Opinion
How to move from humanitarian aid in Africa to African humanitarian workers
Based on its own experience, the NGO ALIMA is advocating for a real localization of humanitarian aid. An emergency brought to the fore by the COVID-19 crisis.
Interview
International humanitarian aid needs transformation to avoid paralysis
International humanitarian aid relies on voluntary contributions from a small number of Western countries—a model that puts the capacity for action by NGOs into jeopardy. In his latest book, 0.03%! (published in French by Éditions Parole), Pierre Micheletti, President of Action Contre la Faim...
Opinion
Providing aid to Lebanon, an impossible mission?
What can be done to help Lebanon recover from the devastating explosion on August 4, amid a serious political crisis and the collapse of its banking system?
Opinion
Diversity and domination: for a paradigm shift in international aid
The current identity of the international aid sector is still structured, in both the North and South, by a Western approach to how funds are allocated and controlled.
Opinion
Armed forces in the Sahel face challenges of transparency and corruption
For lasting stability in the Sahel, better democratic control of the defense and security sector in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger is crucial. It requires more transparency.
Interview
How COVID-19 boosts China’s power
Does the COVID-19 crisis signal the advent of Chinese hegemony? The communist regime is emerging from this momentous health episode stronger than ever, says Alice Ekman, China expert at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).
Development news
Defusing the “Demographic Timebomb”:Overpopulation, Growth and Anthropogenic Pressure
According to the UN, the world’s population will exceed 8 billion in 2025. This figure has alarmed some experts, who have alluded to a ‘demographic timebomb’ for global warming. But is anthropogenic pressure on the environment solely a demographic issue? And isn’t demography...
Opinion
In Mali, the first victim of the coup of 18 August is politics
Could the forced resignation of President Keïta offer a fresh start for Mali? Thomas Hofnung, editor-in-chief of iD4D, sees above all a long-term danger of increasing people’s mistrust of politicians.
Opinion
Aid Workers in Conflict Zones: not heroes, not spies
In areas disputed by various armed groups, aid workers must constantly make practical trade-offs. This article presents two examples from the troubled conflict zone of the Sahel.
Opinion
Schools under attack in Anglophone Cameroon
In Cameroon, 850,000 students have been deprived of school since 2016 due to the conflict that is shaking up the country and dividing the population.
Opinion
Consensual power-sharing as a way out of endless crises
How can we help those seeking a way out of endless chaos? Éric Beugnot (AFD) and Jacques Levard propose consensual power-sharing for a limited duration in exchange for massive and sustainable aid.
Opinion
The ICRC in Mali: going beyond humanitarian aid, to development?
Jean-Nicolas Marti is now serving his second field position in Mali for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Here he talks about the ICRC’s operational doctrine in areas of armed conflict and mentions its development actions, a turning point for this institution.
Opinion
Pastoralism: a crucial factor of stability in the Sahel
The dynamics of livestock markets in West Africa are still poorly understood and rarely studied. Yet, pastoralism is crucial for resilience and economic stability in the Sahel region, as climate specialist Lucie Royer and economist Stéphanie Brunelin explain here.