Rigorous evaluation is crucial

Annette Pereira | 31 August 2010

A few years ago in America, some bright spark had the idea that troubled young delinquents needed to be shocked onto the straight and narrow by being shown where their errant behaviour was likely to lead. A programme was developed called "Scared Straight," which took young people into prisons to see the harsh realities of prison life. It sounded like a great idea—the only problem was, it didn't work.

A "Decent Life" in the Pacific

Jane Silloway Smith | 18 August 2010

"You can never deliver enough charity to give poor people a decent life." This is the conclusion that Columbia University professors R. Glenn Hubbard and William Duggan came to recently in their critically acclaimed book The Aid Trap. It is a conclusion that many other aid and development experts have also come to in the past decade. Charity and humanitarian aid to help those affected by natural disasters and other emergencies—such as New Zealand's recent contributions to flood victims in Pakistan—are necessary, but aid alone will not result in sustainable development in poor countries.

A "symbol" should reflect a real intention

Annette Pereira | 4 May 2010

A lot of ink has already been spilled over the recent signing of the United Nations declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Appropriate concerns about potential legal implications of have been raised, as have been concerns about whether or not it will have any tangible affect. Some are concerned it will, others are concerned it won't, so either way large groups of New Zealander's are going to be troubled by the outcome.