The Challenge of Politics
Web Resources
The following links will help you explore the themes of Chapter 14 on the Web.
Oxfam is an independent organization that battles poverty on a global scale. It is an international confederation of twelve nongovernmental organizations operating in more than eighty countries. Oxfam helps to strategically fund development projects, provide emergency relief in times of crisis, and campaign for social and economic justice.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
UNCTAD was formed in 1964 to deal with trade, investment, and development issues. It now has a membership of 191 countries. Its primary mission is to assist developing countries in their efforts to integrate into the world economy. This Web site is particularly helpful in describing the many programs sponsored by UNCTAD.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Unlike the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, a specialized U.N. agency, does not dispense large development loans. UNDP is in the business of development planning based on the principle of helping countries to develop their own solutions to development problems. The organization operates in 166 countries and has set as its millennium development goal the cutting of poverty in half by the year 2015.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID is the United States’ lead agency in implementing foreign economic and humanitarian assistance programs throughout the developing world. In addition to attacking poverty, the agency assists countries recovering from disasters. Of particular interest on this site are the links to USAID programs in particular countries.
The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance, providing loans in excess of $17 billion (U.S.) a year to over one hundred developing countries. Program support covers a wide range of areas, including education, HIV/AIDS prevention, other health programs, support of private business, social development, and governance.
The World Food Programme was established in 1963 by the United Nations with the express purpose of fighting global hunger. In 2001, the WFP provided food assistance to 77 million people in eighty-two countries, including thousands of refugees and other displaced people. The WFP Web site provides valuable information on the WFP’s history, organization, programs, and funding.