International literacy day on September 8th offers a new opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of literacy to individuals and society. Being able to read and write can impact people’s lives on many levels. It can enable a person to read a sign on the street, enjoy reading a book, complete an education, land a job, earn an income to provide for his or her family and … [Read more...] about The Beauty of a Bedtime Story
The Land May Be Dry, but the Flood Goes On
The immediate effects of floods are well known and frequently devastating. Lives are lost and homes and possessions destroyed or damaged by water, while crops can be ruined or washed away, affecting livestock as well as people. Workers and firms alike lose irreplaceable days of productivity, and they can incur crippling expenses in the absence of adequate insurance—a … [Read more...] about The Land May Be Dry, but the Flood Goes On
From Oliver Twist to Harry Potter: The Story of Children’s Rights
Samuel Berlinski and Florencia López-Boo What do Harry Potter and Oliver Twist have in common? They’re both orphans, yes. But also —centuries apart— they embody the concept of childhood in the respective times and societies of the authors who created them. The idea of what it means to be a child has evolved throughout history to reach its present version, in which children … [Read more...] about From Oliver Twist to Harry Potter: The Story of Children’s Rights
A Climate for Infant Health
Exposure to extremes in weather during childhood and adulthood has increasingly well-known effects. Since those extremes are becoming more frequent, researchers and policymakers are working on ways to ameliorate their effects. But what about the effects of weather extremes on human gestation and infancy? Although the womb provides a degree of protection from the outside world, … [Read more...] about A Climate for Infant Health
Who Decides Social Policy?
Why do bureaucracies get so bloated? Why have efforts to improve education struggled? Why have attempts at administrative reform failed? Such questions confound Latin American nations as they strive to make their social and economic programs more effective. They frustrate donor agencies as they watch their carefully-tailored technical assistance come up short. But they also … [Read more...] about Who Decides Social Policy?