01 Feb “Act Local.” Please

Question
Week 1 discussion

“The Other Half.” Please respond to the following:

According to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), over one billion people in the world today are caught in the poverty trap. Identify key economic, social, or political reasons why some people within the developing world live on $1 a day. Next, determine at least three (3) possible economic, social, or political steps that developing countries overall can take to extricate their poor citizens from this dilemma.

Week 2 discussion

“International Finance.” Please respond to the following:

The IMF and World Bank are the world’s two leading lending institutions, but much of their monetary assistance disappears once it enters the banking systems of developing countries. Cite concrete evidence that supports the assertion that much assistance to developing countries is simply stolen by officials. Determine other main factors that account for the misuse of these funds.

Week 3 discussion

“War and Peace.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Discuss substantive ways in which armed conflict can contribute to or distract a developing economy and infrastructure. Analyze specific reasons why developed nations do not experience the same kinds of social upheaval. Note: Consider discussing a country you will use for Assignment 1 next week.

Week 4 discussion

“Institutions.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Every country in the world is constructed around the same set of institutional frameworks that differ only in how governments manage them. Identify the specific components of an institution. Next, use two (2) examples of institutions —such as a financial system, a judicial system, or the armed forces — to illustrate what developing countries overall have done to weaken or strengthen such institutions.

Week 5 discussion

“Growing Cities.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Examine the main reasons why people are attracted to urban areas in the developing world, and select the key issues that make this rural to urban migration such a difficult problem for governments to deal with.

Week 6 discussion

“Education.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Outline the most significant obstacles to obtaining an education in developing countries. Suggest at least two (2) reasons why education should be a priority in the developing world. Next, propose significant overall strategies – aside from building more schools – that those in leadership positions in developing countries may use in order to help their people escape poverty through education.

Week 7 discussion

“Health.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Describe your understanding of the north / south divide as it relates to the health of populations in developing counties. Determine specific steps — aside from building more clinics — that the leadership in developing countries can take to improve their health care systems and, as a consequence, the health of the population.

Week 8 discussion

“The Trouble with Aid.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Identify the most significant problems with the way foreign aid is presently dispensed by international lending institutions. Then, discuss at least three (3) recommendations that you would make to remedy this situation so that food, medical, and financial assistance actually reaches the poor.

Week 9 discussion

“Rocky Road.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Some of the most serious abuses taking place in developing countries deal with child labor, human slavery, sweatshops, bad governance, and environmental degradation. Select one (1) developing country, and examine the extent to which two (2) of these five (5) issues are occurring. Support your response with specific examples.

Week 10 discussion

“Act Local.” Please respond to the following:

Based on the lecture and Webtext materials, address the following:

Select one (1) developing country, and discuss the fundamental actions that the leadership of the selected country is — or is not — taking to improve the living standards of its people. Next, using this same country, cite one (1) specific example of progress or regress that its government is making in terms of the economy, the political system, and the environment.

Week 11 discussion

“Application and Recommendations.” Please respond to the following:

Determine two (2) ways to apply what you learned in this course in your current or a future position.

Create a list of three (3) best practices to follow that would improve the quality of life in developing countries.