Last month, I was invited to speak at the York Festival of Ideas, an annual forum for debating alternative, predominantly progressive policy goals. I talked about my work on asset-price stabilization. Andy Wood of the consultancy Grant Thornton spoke about inclusiveness in business, Neil McInroy of the Center for Local and Economic Strategies discussed local organizing, and Ander Etxeberria of the Mondragon Corporation told us about their employee-owned cooperatives in the Basque Country. But, most importantly, Wanda Wyporska of The Equality Trust gave a fascinating talk about the principle of “equality for all.”

US President Donald Trump’s erratic unilateralism represents nothing less than abdication of global economic and political leadership. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, his rejection of the Iran nuclear deal, his tariff war, and his frequent attacks on allies and embrace of adversaries have rapidly turned the United States into an unreliable partner in upholding the international order.

In July 2018, while presenting a three-month report to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) addressed the nation and the diaspora community. In his address, he spoke about the role of the diaspora in the development of the country and promoting Ethiopia to foreigners. He mentioned that the diaspora has the responsibility to convince potential tourists and investors to flow to the country. As a foreign resident, who has been living in a Scandinavian country for nearly 15 years, my reaction to his address was mixed. I have been coming to Ethiopia every year and I would like to speak about what the country needs to address before it starts to attract tourists, and what the role of the diaspora should be in promoting the country and creating a positive narrative of the nation.

In early June 2018, the Ethiopian government announced it would allow domestic and foreign investors to take stakes in Ethio Telecom, the state-owned telecoms firm and Ethiopian Airlines, the state-owned carrier. Other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) up for grabs are Ethiopian Power and Maritime Transport and Logistics Corporation. The state would still retain majority stakes in them, however. Regardless, it is a huge change in policy. In a speech to parliament in June, Abiy Ahmed suggested that any sale would be gradual, however; over 10 to 30 years. He was probably being mindful of political sensibilities. A serious plan could not be that long winding certainly.

Argentinian President Mauricio Macri’s government has asked the International Monetary Fund for a loan that it hopes can stem a peso rout that has driven up interest rates, will slow the economy, and threatens the reform program. This reversal of fortune for the economy partly, though far from fully, reflects broader pressure created by the US dollar’s recent appreciation – a process that is set to accelerate, because both monetary-policy and growth differentials are now favoring the United States.

Corruption is a pervasive and very complex global phenomenon. The practice is as old as humanity itself. Although the magnitude and effect varies across history and geography, it affects all nations indiscriminately. With a view to curbing corruption, the UN and other international organizations have devised national anti-corruption strategies including the UN Anti-Corruption Convention. There are also international institutions that measure countries’ level of corruption. The most commonly cited corruption index is Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which ranks the perception of corruption of public bodies using pre-determined criteria. According to the 2018 Annual CPI, Ethiopia is ranked 107 out of 180 countries. Ethiopia is considered among the most corrupt countries in the world.

Throughout history, it has become apparent that women have been overlooked by society, whether they were considered the possession of their husbands and fathers, or being denied a voice in the society they are part of. In the 19th and early 20th centuries women sought to fight for the rights they deserve. This movement, also referred to as the first wave of feminism, mainly focused on the right to vote. The second wave (1963- 1980’s) movement tackled the issue of patriarchal society. This phase was considered to include only middle income white women.