Aid & development linkage

by Danielle Cave - 15 October 2010 2:30PM

India emerges as an aid donor, yet according to the 2010 Global Hunger Rankings, India is ranked below Sudan, Pakistan and North Korea.
Craig Wilson, Executive Director of the Foundation for Development Cooperation, writes that Australia needs a dedicated Parliamentary Secretary for Aid. It is unclear whether Foreign Minister Rudd will be able to handle his additional role as Super Aid Minister. To lighten the multi-billion dollar load, Rudd has recruited a young former TV journalist as his new foreign aid advisor.
Continuing their reform agenda, USAID has launched a Department of Innovation. This press release says ideas will be sought from inside and outside USAID and, borrowing from the private venture capital model, USAID will be looking to invest resources in high-risk, high-return projects. More detail here.
Princeton Ethics Professor Peter Singer holds developed countries accountable for failing to match their words with adequate action in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The Gates Foundation has given a $1.5 million grant to US TV station ABC to conduct a year-long report on global health, with ABC contributing $4.5 million of its own money. This has raised questions as to why the Gates Foundation is increasingly giving money to journalists. This development blog delves into further analysis, and links to a must-see 60 Minutes segment on the Gates Foundation.
The Guardian has been ranked the top media outlet for social media engagement, beating out heavy hitters BBC, CNN, Fox News and the Washington Post. This is good news for the Guardian's recently launched global development section, also Gates Foundation initiative.