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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for economic development
13 results foundAuthor: Fox, Sean Title: The Political Economy of Social Violence: Theory and Evidence from a Cross-Country Study Summary: Why are some countries more prone to social violence than others? Drawing on theoretical and empirical insights from the fields of political economy, sociology and criminology, the authors develop and empirically test a holistic theory of social violence that accounts for political-institutional, socio-economic and socio-demographic factors. The study finds that hybrid political regimes, political-institutional volatility, poverty, inequality and ethnic diversity are associated with higher rates of social violence. Unexpectedly, higher rates of economic growth are also found to be robustly correlated with higher rates of social violence. Details: London: Crisis States Research Center, 2010. 24p. Source: Crisis States Working Papers Series No.2; Working Paper No. 72 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118431 Keywords: Economic DevelopmentInequalityPovertyViolence |
Author: Barnes, DeEtta Lachelle Gray Title: Drug Trafficking in Haiti Summary: This thesis examines Haiti’s role in international drug trafficking, how it impacts Haiti’s political and economic development, and how Haiti and the United States are combating the drug trade. The thesis argues that Haiti’s geographic location, political culture, illegal immigrants, entrepreneurial class and weak institutions have made it a major transshipment point for drugs to the United States from South America. Haiti’s weak democratic institutions, dysfunctional judicial system and fledgling police force present South American drug traffickers with a path of little resistance. Drug trafficking has contributed to violence, corruption, political instability, poor economic development and lack of democratic consolidation in Haiti today. Finally, the thesis examines Haiti and the United States’ efforts to combat drug trafficking in Haiti. Although Haiti has made steps to adhere to the measures the UN drug convention set forth, Haiti’s counternarcotics initiatives have suffered due to a long political crisis between the executive and legislative and economic instability. Despite the lack of a bilateral counternarcotics agreement between the U. S. and Haiti, the two countries cooperate and the DEA maintain a permanent staff of seven agents in Port-au-Prince. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2002. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 29, 2011 at: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA404648 Year: 2002 Country: Haiti URL: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA404648 Shelf Number: 122228 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Haiti)Drug Trafficking ControlEconomic Development |
Author: Yikona, Stuart Title: Ill-gotten Money and the Economy: Experiences from Malawi and Namibia Summary: Over the last 20 years, the international community has significantly stepped up its efforts to prevent, detect, and deter money flows related to criminal activities and terrorism financing. Since the early 2000s, this drive has extended to developing countries, with most of them introducing anti-money laundering (AML) policies. The primary driver behind this is law enforcement; these policies are aimed at detecting and tracing flows of ill-gotten money, which would enable authorities to fight and prevent crime and recover assets of crime, corruption, and tax evasion. Insufficient attention has been paid to the economic side of ill-gotten money and the efforts to combat such flows, particularly in developing countries. Why is it critical for them, and what is the case for combating the flows of ill-gotten money in countries severely constrained by a lack of resources and limited technical capacity to implement a full AML-framework? Moreover, why are ill-gotten proceeds relevant to the issue of economic development? What is the magnitude of the ill-gotten money flows from activities that generate such flows? Added to this are concerns that anti-money laundering policies may at times actually jeopardize certain development objectives, such as access to finance for poor people. The core objective of this study is to introduce economics into the international debate about anti-money laundering, and to introduce the idea of the usefulness and effectiveness of such policies. We also hope that we might be able to bridge the gap between the law enforcement and economist communities. Indeed, the 2011 World Development Report (WDR) on conflict, security, and development provides us with a critical framework to think through the link between organized crime and development from an economic perspective. The study focuses on two developing countries: Malawi, a low-income country, and Namibia, a middle-income country. The central questions asked are: Why are “proceeds of crime” relevant for economic development? Do “proceeds of crime” and related policy responses help or harm economic development? One critical step in such analysis is to obtain a better understanding of the magnitude of the domestic or cross-border sources of ill-gotten money in a country: how it is recycled through the economy and across its borders or spent and invested. Only then is it possible to discuss the economic effects of the circulation and allocation of ill-gotten money in developing countries and the economic impact of the underlying activities. While not intended to be exhaustive or definitive, this study is meant to contribute to a better understanding and quantification of the issues relevant to the proceeds of crime and economic development. For practical and operational purposes, and to be grounded in country specifics, this study only focuses on Malawi and Namibia. However, it is hoped that the approach developed in this study will be useful to other developing-country governments in identifying the main sources and magnitude of the flows of ill-gotten money, and the main recycling patterns and their effects on the economy. Such a framework will help governments in developing countries to systematically analyze the potential impact of AML and design and prioritize AML policies. The findings presented in this study are based on an extensive literature research; World Bank discussions with numerous public- and private-sector officials and representatives of the Governments of Malawi and Namibia during a Bank mission in November 2010; and workshops conducted in both countries in February 2011 to obtain feedback on the preliminary findings. In conducting this study, the team adopted an interactive approach. This was critical because mobilization of local expertise is essential not only in establishing a complete picture of current and future AML challenges, but also in designing policy considerations that subsequently are widely supported. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2012. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2012 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/10/31/000386194_20111031015900/Rendered/PDF/651760PUB0EPI100money09780821388877.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Africa URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/10/31/000386194_20111031015900/Rendered/PDF/651760PUB0EPI100money09780821388877.pdf Shelf Number: 124132 Keywords: CorruptionEconomic DevelopmentEconomics and CrimeFinancial CrimesMoney Laundering (Malawi, Namibia)Organized CrimeProceeds of crimeTax Evasion |
Author: Bayne, Sarah Title: Preventing and Reducing Armed Violence. Development Plans and Assistance Summary: The paper provides an overview of some of the emerging lessons learned about how armed violence reduction and prevention (AVR) priorities can be integrated into local, national and donor development plans and assistance strategies. AVR is driven by the humanitarian and development imperative to accelerate global development by reducing the global burden of armed violence. The AVR approach responds to contemporary challenges of violence by addressing the risk factors for crime, interpersonal violence and conflict. Local and national governments experience armed violence most directly and have pioneered a range of preventive responses, often with the support of local communities. The donor community and UN system are also increasingly aware of the potential of targeted preventive measures. They have begun to adapt their strategies and instruments to better assist countries in their struggle to prevent and reduce all forms of violence. Details: New York: United Nations Development Program; Oslo: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Background Paper, Oslo Conference on Armed Violence Achieving the Millennium Development Goals 20-22 April 2010: Accessed April 2, 2012 at: http://www.osloconferencearmedviolence.no/pop.cfm?FuseAction=Doc&pAction=View&pDocumentId=24294 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.osloconferencearmedviolence.no/pop.cfm?FuseAction=Doc&pAction=View&pDocumentId=24294 Shelf Number: 124798 Keywords: Armed ViolenceEconomic DevelopmentGunsPoverty ReductionViolence Prevention |
Author: Michaelsen, Maren M. Title: Mental Health and Labour Supply: Evidence from Mexico's Ongoing Violent Conflicts Summary: In Mexico, conflicts between drug-trafficking organisations result in a high number of deaths and immense suffering among both victims and non-victims every year. Little scientific research exists which identifies and quantifies the monetary and nonmonetary consequences of ongoing violent conflicts on individuals. Using the Mexican Family Life Survey for 2002 and 2005, the causal effect of mental health (symptoms of depression / anxiety) on the extensive and intensive margin of labour supply for work-ingaged men and women is estimated. Measures of the ongoing drug-related violent conflicts both at the macro level using intentional homicide rates by region, and at the micro level indicated by the presence of armed groups in the neighbourhood, serve as instruments for mental health. The results show a significant adverse impact of the conflicts on anxiety for men and women. Based on IV-Tobit model results, a worse mental health state decreases individual labour supply strongly and significantly for men. The findings demonstrate that Mexico's population not only suffers from the violent conflicts between drug-trafficking organisations by anxiety or even depression but also indirectly from less household income through less work which in turn has consequences for Mexico's social development and economic growth. Details: Brighton, UK: Households in Conflict Network, The Institute of Development Studies - at the University of Sussex, 2012. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 16, 2012 at: http://www.hicn.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HiCN-WP-117.zip Year: 2012 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.hicn.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HiCN-WP-117.zip Shelf Number: 126046 Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Mexico)Drug ViolenceEconomic DevelopmentHomicidesLabor SupplyPoverty |
Author: Marenin, Otwin Title: Policing Reforms and Economic Development in African States: Understanding the Linkages: Empowering Change Summary: The notion that economic development in African states requires minimal levels of security has become widely accepted in the international development community. Reforming nonfunctioning policing systems is an important step toward achieving security, yet the experience of changing policing systems in Africa is disappointing. Only South Africa and a few post-conflict states (Sierra Leone, Liberia) have achieved some measure of success. Many of the political, social, and economic contextual conditions that would support reforms of policing are absent. Recommendations on what policies could work, drawn from the general policing reform literature and African case studies, are suggested. Details: Helsinki, Finland: United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: WIDER Working Paper No. 2013/013: Accessed March 5, 2013 at: www.wider.unu.edu Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: Shelf Number: 127826 Keywords: Economic DevelopmentPolice ReformPolicing (Africa) |
Author: Petrarca, Ilaria Title: The Historical Roots of Corruption and Economic Development in Italy Summary: We claim that a sequential mechanism linking history to development exists: first, history defines the quality of social capital; then, social capital determines the level of corruption; finally, corruption affects economic performance. We test this hypothesis on a dataset of Italian provinces, and address the possible endogeneity of corruption by applying an IV model. We use three sets of historical instruments for corruption: 1) foreign dominations in 16th-17th century, 2) autocracy/autonomous rule in the 14th century, and 3) an index of social capital between in the 19th-20th century. The results indicate a significant impact of historically-driven corruption on development. Details: Munich: Center for Economic Studies (CES), the Ifo Institute and the CESifo GmbH, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: CESifo Working Paper No. 4212; Accessed May 1, 2013 at www.cesifo.org/wp Year: 2013 Country: Italy URL: Shelf Number: 128581 Keywords: Corruption (Italy)Economic DevelopmentEconomics of CrimeSocial Capital |
Author: Islam, Asif Title: Economic growth and crime against small and medium sized enterprises in developing economies. Summary: Several studies have explored the relationship between economy-level crime rates or individual-level crime and economic growth. However, few studies have examined the relationship between economic growth and crime against firms. This study uses data for about 12,000 firms in 27 developing countries and finds that economic growth is negatively associated with crime. This relationship is stronger for small and medium firms than large firms. The study also explores several economy-wide factors and their influence on the growth-crime relationship for small and medium enterprises. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 6768: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: Several studies have explored the relationship between economy-level crime rates or individual-level crime and economic growth. However, few studies have examined the relationship between economic growth and crime against firms. This study uses data for about 12,000 firms in 27 developing countries and finds that economic growth is negatively associated with crime. This relationship is stronger for small and medium firms than large firms. The study also explores several economy-wide factors and their influence on the growth-crime relationship for small and medium enterprises. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Year: 2014 Country: International URL: Several studies have explored the relationship between economy-level crime rates or individual-level crime and economic growth. However, few studies have examined the relationship between economic growth and crime against fir Shelf Number: 134574 Keywords: Crimes Against Businesses Developing Countries Economic DevelopmentEconomics and Crime |
Author: Khanna, Gaurav Title: Guns and Butter? Fighting Violence with the Promise of Development Summary: There is growing awareness that development-oriented government policies may be an important counterinsurgency strategy, but existing papers are usually unable to disentangle various mechanisms. Using a regression-discontinuity design, we analyze the impact of one of the world's largest anti-poverty programs, India's NREGS, on the intensity of Maoist conflict. We find short-run increases of insurgency-related violence, police-initiated attacks, and insurgent attacks on civilians. We discuss how these results relate to established theories in the literature. The main mechanism consistent with the empirical patterns is that NREGS induces civilians to share more information with the state, improving police effectiveness. Details: Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper no. 9160: Accessed July 15, 2015 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp9160.pdf Year: 2015 Country: India URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp9160.pdf Shelf Number: 136053 Keywords: Counter-TerrorismEconomic DevelopmentPolice EffectivenessPovertySocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeTerrorism |
Author: Schultze-Kraft, Markus Title: Organised Crime, Violence and Development. Topic guide Summary: It is increasingly recognised in the international aid community that organised crime hinders inclusive and sustainable development in many ways. Today's universe of organised criminal activities and of the individuals, groups and networks involved in them is virtually infinite. Spanning the whole globe, organised criminal operations range from illegal protection economies and extortion rackets to cybercrime, oil theft, money laundering, counterfeiting, maritime piracy and the trafficking and/or smuggling of illicit drugs, humans, firearms and wildlife. In 2009, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that transnational organised crime generated $ 870 billion, the equivalent of 1.5% of global gross domestic product (GDP). All criminal proceeds worldwide amounted to an estimated 3.6% of global GDP, equivalent to about $2.1 trillion. Organised crime is not an "alien", external threat. Criminal operations are planned, designed and implemented by mafia bosses, drug kingpins, paramilitary and insurgent commanders, warlords and gang leaders ‒ but also by, and with, politicians, military and police officers, civil servants, investment bankers and accountants, among representatives of many other professions. Organised crime promotes "non-development" across four distinct dimensions: Economic: Huge proceeds from illicit and criminal activities are siphoned away from the legitimate economy, and lawful markets are distorted. Political and governance: Organised crime alters the political economy of developing countries, as illegal- criminal interests that span the public-private divide and involve non-state and state actors transform economic, political and social institutions. Social: The social cohesion of communities and societies is fractured as criminal subcultures emerge and replace traditional values and norms. (Human) security: The security of both citizens and states is endangered by organised crime. Organised crime is sometimes associated with violence, even with warlike forms of violence. But there is no strong correlation between organised criminal activities and violence. Measures of stability and relatively low levels of violence can be compatible with huge high-value criminal operations, such as transnational drug trafficking and oil theft on an industrial scale. Such "stability" in crime-permeated environments may be due to the existence of state or elitesponsored protection rackets and effective corruption rings. But it may also arise from other types of (local) governance arrangements and agreements involving both criminal organisations and legitimate political, economic and social groups. Conventional law enforcement and security approaches to tackling organised crime are insufficient, and at times also unrealistic and counterproductive. Such approaches are not useful where states do not have sufficient law enforcement capacity and do not hold the monopoly on the use of force. Things are complicated further because in such settings the rule of law is weak or non-existent, corruption and human rights violations are rife, and political and social institutions, both formal and informal, are not separated by the membrane of legality from organised criminal activities. Wider society --affected by rampant inequalities in income and well-being --may not even consider such activities illegitimate. The evidence shows that conventional law enforcement and security approaches can have unintended consequences for security, governance, social cohesion and so on, including by boosting violence and disrupting the fragile political equilibrium between criminal organisations and state agents Details: Birmingham, UK: GSDRC, International Development Department, College of Social Sciences University of Birmingham, 2016. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2017 at: http://www.gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Org_crime_violence_dev.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Org_crime_violence_dev.pdf Shelf Number: 145137 Keywords: Drug Trafficking Economic DevelopmentEconomics of Crime Oil Theft Organized Crime Violence Violent Crime |
Author: Reitano, Tuesday Title: Mitigating the threat of organised crime in Africa's development Summary: Organised crime presents a manifold threat to sustainable development. This is recognised by the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063. However, policy statements which recognise the cross-cutting threat of organised crime have not been translated to the implementation framework in a systematic way, and policy tends to focus on the fight against organised crime at the sectoral level. Development actors need to understand not only how organised crime will undermine their objectives, but also that development itself presents opportunities for organised crime to flourish. As Africa focuses on stimulating economic growth, investment and infrastructure, the danger is that development goals will be subverted. Development actors need to both crime-proof existing interventions and ensure future investments are crime sensitive. Key points - Organised crime threatens all aspects of the continent's sustainable development. - Too much of the response to organised crime is crafted as policies to counter specific illicit markets rather than examining the issue and its impacts holistically. - The illicit economy can be a source of livelihoods and a resilience strategy for the poor and vulnerable. There is thus a development paradox at play. - Both the SDGs and Agenda 2063 emphasise economic stimulus and investment through public-private partnerships. However, without proper oversight, organised crime reinforces negative governance patterns that create an unhealthy alliance between crime, government and business. - Development itself comes with organised crime risks, which can facilitate the growth of illicit markets. - If SDG goals are to be achieved, development must be crime-sensitive and crime-proof. Details: s.l.: ENACT Programme, 2018. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed March 15, 2018 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018_02_20_PolicyBrief_OCinAfrica_OCSDGs.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Africa URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018_02_20_PolicyBrief_OCinAfrica_OCSDGs.pdf Shelf Number: 149471 Keywords: Development and Crime Economic Development Organized Crime Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime |
Author: Troyano Sanchez, Dora Lucila Title: Coca Industrialization: A Path to Innovation, Development, and Peace in Colombia Summary: For decades, Colombia has faced the challenge of promoting economic development and peace in its coca growing regions while quelling the flow of coca for unlawful purposes. During this time, the country has rarely considered promoting economic development with coca, partly because the national and international conversation has written off coca growers as one of the main drivers of the drug trade. Coca Industrialization: A Path to Innovation, Development, and Peace in Colombia seeks to challenge this perspective, primarily by conceiving of coca as an agricultural product with ample industrialization opportunities that fit within the existing national and international legal arrangements. This report explores coca's diverse potential in applications as varied as nutrition, natural medicine, personal care, and agro-industry-as well as coca's historical cultural uses. The report addresses the following questions regarding this controversial plant and its use in economic ventures: What are the benefits of coca leaf for nutrition? What examples are there in Colombia of initiatives that advance coca industrialization? Is there a legal framework for developing enterprises in Colombia based on coca? What would need to be true to expand the horizons for coca industrialization? The report suggests seeing the coca plant (Erythroxylum spp) as an agricultural product. It proposes building a coca leaf industry that, firstly, guarantees a sound income for farmers; secondly, provides good quality, sustainable raw materials for manufacturers; and, thirdly, ensures traceability, and control across the supply chain, with adherence to international laws. The report is divided into four sections. The first chapter, "What Does the Coca Leaf Offer," considers the coca leaf 's value and uses. It describes the results of a recent bromatological study that explores coca's nutritional value, applying the national regulator's standards for food products. This chapter concludes that coca indeed appears to have significant nutritional potential and offers a research agenda to help fully confirm this hypothesis. The second chapter, "Coca Industrialization Experiences," describes Colombian entrepreneurship surrounding coca leaf. It maps the business initiatives that have sprung up in the gray area of the current normative framework. This chapter briefly reviews Bolivia and Peru's coca leaf markets, and examines how these countries facilitated the development of new products across coca's traditional and modern uses. The third chapter, "The Normative Framework for Colombia," outlines and analyzes the laws and regulations relating to coca. Despite Colombia's political changes, industrializing coca leaf for non-drug uses remains challenging. The current policy framework tolerates a gray area where small businesses can operate, but has failed to define norms that would promote industry growth from farmer to end user. We scan the laws passed since colonial times right up to the State Council ruling issued in the first half of 2015, which widened the narrow legal window that allows coca manufacturing and distribution. The final chapter, "Horizons for Coca Industrialization," offers approaches for building a coca leaf industry around non-narcotic uses. We describe the experience of the National Training Service (SENA) partnership with the southern Cauca village of Lerma. This state-community partnership (which we call the Lerma Model) offers a process to incrementally build the coca leaf industry and gradually reform Colombia's coca control framework. The Lerma Model focuses on advancing community well-being via technological innovations that benefit the entire supply chain. Drawing from experiences in Lerma and the Andean region, we conclude with a proposal that reinforces the Colombian state's rural development policy stemming from the 2016 Peace Agreement framework. This proposal scales the Lerma Model into a social and technology innovation program based on sectoral pilots that accelerate coca industrialization while building a system of local social control. This strategy contributes to a more legitimate and effective drug and rural development policy via a process based on science, innovation, and mutual benefit, which invites all social and political sectors of a polarized country. Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2018. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Lessons for Drug Policy Series: Accessed May 25, 2018 at: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/path-to-innovation-evelopment-and-peace-in-colombia-en-20180521.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Colombia URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/path-to-innovation-evelopment-and-peace-in-colombia-en-20180521.pdf Shelf Number: 150368 Keywords: CocaineDrug MarketsDrug Policy ReformDrug TraffickingEconomic DevelopmentIllicit Drugs |
Author: Bergeron, Insiyah Mohammad Title: Delinking Economic Development and Mass Incarceration: imagining new futures for rural communities Summary: Until recently, prisons were considered an economic development strategy particularly in rural communities struggling with the loss of manufacturing jobs. However, many studies have shown that prisons often have weak linkages to the host community, and sometimes have negligible or even negative impacts on rural economies. A combination of factors including changing sentencing laws, inadequate conditions in older facilities, fiscal conservatism, and increasing reliance on community based alternatives to incarceration are now leading to prison closures all around the country. In this changing context, this thesis explores: (i) What are the real and perceived impacts of prison closures on local economies in small rural counties?; and (ii) Where communities are redeveloping old prisons to boost their economies, how are local needs, politics, and project constraints (related to design and finance) shaping the transformation of these sites? By focusing on two cases where former prisons are being reused for community and economic development, this thesis explores how rural communities might transition to new ways of employing people and generating wealth after a local prison closes. Details: Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 19, 2018 at: https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/111260 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/111260 Shelf Number: 150591 Keywords: Economic DevelopmentMass Incarceration Prison Closures Rural Areas |