{UAH} FW: New DfID chief plans aid for trade, and Rio hopes for the best: This week in development news

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Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2016 16:16:13 -0500
From: info@devex.com
To: georgeokello_8@hotmail.com
Subject: New DfID chief plans aid for trade, and Rio hopes for the best: This week in development news

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To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book. Aug. 4, 2016 THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ DEVELOPMENT STORIES New DfID chief plans aid for trade, and Rio hopes for the best: This week in development news By Michael Igoe @AlterIgoe The 2016 Olympic Games kick off in Brazil, a Chinese billionaire wants to use Bitcoin technology to make charitable giving more transparent, and U.K. aid-watchers greet the new DfID chief with mixed reviews. This week in development news. Priti Patel, the United Kingdom's new secretary of state for international development, said she wants to "leverage" the country's $14.6 billion aid budget to secure trade deals with emerging economies. Patel's statements — and her general stance on tying aid more closely to U.K. economic interests — has divided development professionals grappling with what to make of the post-Brexit foreign assistance landscape. Many remain skeptical of Patel's intentions, and some have pointed out that linking aid to trade could be a violation of international law. Others have expressed optimism that Patel could encourage better coordination among the various government agencies now tasked with spending U.K. aid dollars. "We've seen the aid strategy push a lot of aid money to other departments, and we want to see a cross-government approach to development that has tax, trade, migration policy working together," Charlie Matthews, head of policy at ActionAid International told Devex. The world turns its attention to Brazil Friday as the opening ceremonies kick off a fraught 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the first South American city to host the international competition. A presidential impeachment trial, environmental pollution and the Zika virus outbreak have cast a shadow over the host nation and city and drawn attention away from more optimistic headlines, such as the inclusion of a refugee olympic team in this summer's games, and the fact that Rio is, by many accounts, a captivating place. Critics point to Brazil's investment of billions of dollars in preparation for the games, which they say have benefited luxury real estate developers at the expense of neighborhoods in need of better infrastructure. Jack Ma, a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur, is planning to use the same technology that records Bitcoin payments to improve the transparency of charitable donations to philanthropic organizations. Ma's company Ant Financial plans to use blockchain technology, a system for tamper-proof distributed databases that continuously expand as new data records arrive, to track online payments to Chinese charities. Chinese philanthropy has seen a rapid increase in recent years, but the sector has been plagued by scandals and mismanagement, according to the Financial Review. UNICEF is also reportedly looking for a developer to research applications of blockchain technology to the organization's work in the developing world. Devex will be exploring additional applications of this technology to development challenges. Just five months after the Millennium Challenge Corp. suspended a $473 million compact with Tanzania over concerns about elections in the Zanzibar archipelago, the U.S. government pledged $407 million in aid to the country. Some Tanzanians are taking the aid commitment as a sign the U.S. government is pleased with the direction Tanzania is heading. "Although the MCC initiative and this new funding are two separate programmes, this new aid commitment is a sign that Tanzania is heading in the right direction," Haji Semboja, an economics professor at the University of Dar es Salaam, told Reuters. Hillary Clinton became the first woman in American history to accept a major political party's nomination for president. Clinton has a long track record of support for U.S. development programs, and many in the U.S. aid community are asking what her development agenda, appointments and priorities would look like as president of the United States. With less than 100 days remaining until the presidential election, Devex spoke with insiders and experts to ask what they would expect a Clinton presidency to mean for U.S. development programs and partners. FROM THE EDITOR Top picks this week By Devex @devex Two influential women take center stage at Devex this week: U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and the newly appointed U.K. aid chief Priti Patel. Senior global development reporter Michael Igoe made rounds in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to shed light on the possible Clinton administration while reporter Molly Anders talked to development insiders in London about a potential shift in focus of U.K. aid agenda. Other top stories this week include a profile on a human rights advocate using Twitter to further her cause, and a look at how social networks can boost smallholder agriculture. And on the final week of Devex's campaign Data Driven, key development personalities give their take on big data — is it hype or hope? What would Hillary Clinton's US aid agenda look like? There has never been a U.S. presidential candidate more knowledgeable about global development than Hillary Clinton. That's a good thing, right? Devex tracked down Clinton insiders, skeptics, and aid experts from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia's historic convention to find out. New DfID head divides UK aid community over trade focus The new head of the U.K. Department for International Development under Theresa May's new government is hoping to put trade at the heart of the U.K.'s aid agenda. Development insiders are unsure whether that's a good first step toward a successful cross-government aid strategy or a move to devalue DfID. The woman behind two development 'justice' Twitter campaigns Gry Tina Tinde's advocacy has taken her everywhere: Facebook, Periscope, Scribbd, Audioboom and Soundcloud. But she likes Twitter best. Devex caught up with the social media savvy human rights advocate to learn more about two of her "justice" Twitter handles. How social networks can boost smallholder agriculture Social networks and crowdsourced information have changed the face of global industries. Can it do the same for rural agriculture? Hype or hope? What you should know about data-driven development While new technology offers tools to collect and sift through data more efficiently, challenges still remain when it comes to collecting accurate data and disseminating it in a way that is easily accessible to policymakers and other stakeholders. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Earn your Master's in Program & Portfolio Management at Georgetown Georgetown University's Executive Master of Professional Studies in Program & Portfolio Management prepares you to lead organizational strategy and change in today's complex business landscape. Featuring a blend of online learning and on-site workshops, the program emphasizes the technical knowledge and advanced managerial insights needed to maximize resources, minimize risks, and drive results. Learn more about our program. Global Development Briefing - Your inside guide to the week's must-read development stories. Copyright 2016 Unauthorized commercial reapplication, reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Manage your newsletter subscriptions |  Read the latest Devex News |  RSS Feed Connect with us Devex is the media platform for the global development community. Corporate Headquarters: 1341 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA Main +1.202.249.9222  |  Fax +1.202.318.2456   www.devex.com

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