Politics & government
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Development in Latin America
In Development in Latin America, Maristella Svampa explores the contemporary development and resistance dynamics of capitalist development — the workings (on people and societies) of the world capitalist system — in the context of Latin America, where these dynamics have had their most notable outco...
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Politics Rules
Whether we like it or not, we are subject to politics wherever we go and in whatever we are doing. Development is always and everywhere political, and frequently occurs with the interests of the powerful at the forefront. Can we hope to better understand the politics that shapes and controls our liv...
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The Battle of Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugh Chavez inspires hatred and devotion in equal measure in his country. Historically one of South America's more stable democracies, since 2000 Venezuela has become increasingly polarised politically, as the divide among the pro- and anti-Chavistas has grown ever wider. Chavez...
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Post-war Reconstruction in Central America
A detailed account of the formal and social processes that ended years of conflict in Central America, this study analyses various aspects of conflict resolution: forms of intervention, local participation and international cooperation. It evaluates the negotiations that took place in El Salvador, G...
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Conflict and Development
This paper was prepared as a background document for a workshop on Development in Conflict, held in Birmingham, UK, convened by ACORD, Birmingham University’s School of Public Policy, and Responding to Conflict. The growing incidence of armed conflicts in Africa and Eastern Europe, and their devasta...
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The Somali Conflict
Oxfam carries out original research on various aspects of its overseas programme, as part of a constant monitoring process, and in an effort to gain greater understanding of development programmes and practice. Although primarily a tool for institutional learning, some of the resulting reports are o...
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The Dominican Republic
"The Dominican Republic is the land Columbus loved best" runs the advertising slogan. In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the explorer's arrival on the island of Hispaniola, the government has spent a reported US$40 millions on building a bizarre commemorative lighthouse. In the process, it h...
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Cuba the Test of Time
As Cuba enters its fourth decade of revolution, much has been achieved in health, education and culture. Yet, economic and political obstacles to the island’s development remain. US-orchestrated embargo and destabilisation, together with frequent policy switches, have created a society where nobody...