Hard Road Ahead for New States
March 2, 2011
The list of 195 independent countries in the world is about to be joined by the 196th — South Sudan. Residents of southern Sudan were nearly unanimous in expressing their desire to
Category: Development
In this blog, we discuss cognitive computing and other technologies with a focus on supply chain management and innovation. Other topics of discussion include digital enterprise transformation, marketing, the Internet of Things, and smart cities. Our goal is to advance the public discussion about how cognitive computing and other advanced technologies affect the world in which we live.
Bradd C. Hayes is the active editor of this blog.
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Update on Global Poverty
February 14, 2011
Some truths are not self-evident. For example, the belief that “poor people — the destitute, disease ridden and malnourished ‘bottom billion’ — live in poor countries” seems self-evident (i.e., “that has been
Disaster Relief, Development, and Supply Chains: The "Last Mile" Challenge
January 19, 2011
Yesterday’s earthquake in Pakistan along with recent flooding in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Australia remind us that disasters come as regularly as trains in Switzerland. The floods in Australia had the government
Looking for Economic Growth Among African Lions
December 22, 2010
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the passage of The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. scheme aimed at ending Africa’s trade isolation. To put it mildly, the act
Knowing Your BRICs and CIVETS
December 21, 2010
As emerging market countries increase in importance with regards to the global economy, identifying them has become an interesting game of acronyms. First there were the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and
In the Pursuit of Happiness — Part 2: Personal Happiness
December 6, 2010
In my last post, In the Pursuit of Happiness — Part 1: National Happiness, I discussed a number of articles about how researchers are trying to measure national happiness. One study concludes
In the Pursuit of Happiness — Part 1: National Happiness
December 3, 2010
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” Normally we think about happiness in terms of individual happiness;
An Update on Microfinance
November 19, 2010
Having written a number of posts concerning the benefits and pitfalls of microfinance, I continue to monitor the subject with some interest. Muhammad Yunus, who is credited with developing the microfinance sector,
Lake Kivu: Exploiting One of Africa’s Exploding Lakes
October 25, 2010
Three lakes in Africa (Lake Monoun, Lake Nyos, and Lake Kivu) are infamous for being subject to limnic eruptions. A limnic eruption, sometimes called lake overturn, is a natural disaster during which
Two Views of the Millennium Development Goals
October 15, 2010
An editorial in the New York Times last month noted that “ten years ago, leaders of rich and poor countries pledged to build a better world by 2015. Among their vital goals: