Volume 9, No. 1, Fall 2005

China and India: Partners or Rivals?
Pramit Mitra

Pramit Mitra is the research associate in the South Asia program at The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Before coming to CSIS, he worked at the 'Far Easter Economic Review', where he wrote extensively on political and economic affairs of South Asia. He holds a master's degree in public policy from the Johns Hopkins University and a certificate in emerging markets studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Delhi. His articles have been published in the 'Baltimore Sun', the 'International Herald Tribune', 'Far Eastern Economic Review', 'SAIS Review', and other publications.

Agile Communities: Breakthrough Success by Design
Craig Baker, Simon Bell, Emily Christensen, Ashley Harshak, and Jay Sheerer

The challenges that national, regional, and local authorities face are becoming ever more complex. Increasingly, citizens expect national and local leaders to provide them with better, "joined up", and constantly available services without increasing taxes. Why, in this challenging and competitive environment, do some communities thrive and grow, attracting people and businesses, while other communities decline? To answer this question, the authors examine a number of successful communities to determine the common factors that made them desirable places where people want to work and live: committed leadership; a compelling case for change; broad partnerships; realistic priorities and contextualization; strong institutional capabilities' and continuous renewal. Their results show that communities adopting this framework see benefits ranging from economic growth and new investment to less tangible "process" benefits such as consensus building and greater alignment among stakeholders.

Craig Baker leads A.T. Kearney's Government Practice globally. He has been working with national and local government departments and agencies for more than twenty years. He has advised on the design and development of major transformation programs in areas including social security and welfare, taxation and revenue collection, criminal justice, policing and prisons, emergency services, and defense. Simon Bell is a Director of the Global Business Policy Council, a strategic service designed to help corporations and governments anticipate and capitalize on global geopolitical, socioeconomic, and technological change. Over the last fifteen years, he has worked with governments and industry groups in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas to enhance competitiveness and stimulate investment and exports in various industry sectors. Emily Christensen is the Government Practice Research Manager for A.T. Kearney. She has worked as a consultant on a series of transformation programs within the UK, and has researched many others globally. She also administers A.T. Kearney's Agile Government Survey which provides insights into trends in public sector performance across 300 government agencies in twenty-three countries around the world. Ashley Harshak is a Principal with A.T. Kearney's Global Government Practice. Based in London, he has advised governments on issues related to organizational design, governance, large scale transformation and people development. Prior to joining A.T. Kearney he was an economist in the Israeli Ministry of Finance. Jay Scheerer works at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government organization that works throughout the developing world to achieve poverty reduction through economic growth. He was previously an associate with A.T. Kearney's competitiveness, and foreign direct investment and trade promotion.

Challenges and Opportunities for Caribbean Countries in an Era of Globalization
Glenn A. Bowen

This essay explores the challenges posed by globalization as well as the opportunities it offers to Caribbean countries. Drawing on recent research, the essay specifically assesses the impact of globalization on the region's economies in general and on the tourism and agricultural sectors in particular. The role of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the regional integration movement is examined. Finally, the author recommends eight strategies to meet the challenges of globalization and calls for a more equitable international economic system in which globalization becomes more consonant with developing countries' needs and priorities.

Glenn A. Bowen is an independent researcher and the new director of service learning at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. He recently earned his Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Bowen's research interests include poverty, Caribbean development, and voluntary activity in community-based human services.

The Internet and Less Developed Countries: Expanding Access, Improving Markets, and Protecting Human Rights
Daniel M. Rothschild

The author argues that the expansion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) into less developed countries (LDCs) improves the economic standing of LDCs and the global human rights system. This paper offers critiques of both liberal and conservative scholars who have argued that LDCs do not have the human capital to exploit ICTs. It also synthesizes scholarship between discrete disciplines in order to add a more interdisciplinary voice to the debate on development, globalization, and technology. Special attention is paid to the social, technical, and economic considerations inherent in ICT network planning. The author makes recommendations about specific technologies and economic and regulatory policies in LDCs to create a roadmap where ICTs enhance market operations, respect cultural differences and local autonomy, and improve human rights conditions worldwide.

Daniel Rothschild is a master of public policy candidate and graduate student research assistant at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and the legislative coordinator for Michigan for Amnesty International USA. His research interests include civil and human rights, technology policy, and the social impacts of economic liberalization. He has more than fifteen years experience in information technology development, deployment, and support. He holds a B.A. in history from Grinnell College and an M.A. in modern British history from the University of Manchester, England.

Endgame Taiwan
Steven Yarger

The United States should adjust its Taiwan policy to take advantage of obsession of the People's Republic of China (PRC) with the issue of Taiwanese reunification. Given the PRC's inevitable increase in both power and wealth, American interests are best served by adopting a clear, unequivocal accession to Chinese demands for a "one-China" policy reuniting Taiwan with the Chinese mainland. By assuming this position, the United States can secure Chinese cooperation on several matters more crucial to its long-term interests, including securing military hegemony, trade liberalization, and lasting influence in East Asian affairs.

Steven Yarger is a third-year graduate student pursuing a joint MBA/MPP degree at the Ross School of Business and the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Prior to returning to graduate school, Yarger spent six years working in the private sector as a technologist and financial analyst in New York City and Duesseldorf, Germany.

Eradicating Child Labor: Should international law remain the vehicle for implementing policy objectives?
Alexandra A. Forter

This paper offers a brief analysis of the policy tools available to eradicate child labor in informal markets. The analysis utilizes two case studies from Central America to suggest the distinct manifestations of informality within general work activities. By expanding upon recent work to document specific factories utilizing informal arrangements for child labor, this paper seeks to establish the limitations of international law and the need for local, redistributive approaches.

Alexandra A. Forter graduated with dual master's degrees in international relations and public policy from the University of Chicago. She focused her studies on economic development and democratization in Latin America. Previous to her graduate studies, Forter worked for non-profit organizations both in the United States and Latin America. Her undergraduate degree from Haverford College was in anthropology and Latin American and Iberian studies. Forter currently works in London, England, on a government contract to promote inclusion.

Book Reviews

Strong Medicine: Creating Incentives for Pharmaceutical Research on Neglected Diseases (2004) by Michael Kremer and Rachel Glennerster; Princeton University Press
Heather Brown-Palsgrove