Michael Holmes on International Relations, Development, Political Economy, and Private Sector Issues
I am generally fascinated by institutional structure, economically and politically (the name of this site as a whole is a reference to the late Douglass North). So I've often been captured by political scientists and economists who write heavily in the field. In graduate school, I read a work by James Robinson, Daron Acemoglu, and … Continue reading Favorite Books of 2019: Kgosis and Botswana
A brief study of insurgent movements, rebellions, and rebel organizations shows a common pattern, fracture. For those engaging in counter-insurgency this could seem like a good thing. However, if an organization splinters during peace negotiations, it can nullify progress. In Insurgent Fragmentation in the Horn of Africa: Rebellion and its Discontents, Michael Woldemariam explores "why, and under what conditions, do rebel organizations fragment?"
When most of us think of refugees, we probably consider the recent crisis stemming from Syria's civil war, the resettlement debates in the United States and Europe, or we might even have a mental picture of a prison-like refugee camp in a remote part of a country.
In 2012, Joyce received a $3,000 loan to start her business selling kitchen tiles in Lusaka, Zambia. This was no small feat in a country where 27.4% of small business owners recognize access to finance as a major or severe obstacle to business operations. While Joyce lacked the collateral she would have needed for a loan only a few years earlier, Zambia’s newly established credit bureau had a documented record of her overall creditworthiness. When she applied for the loan, the bank verified her reputation and provided the loan within just a few days.
