In the early 2000s, Africa’s future seemed grim. The Economist’s May 13, 2000 cover declared “Africa: The Hopeless Continent.” But over a decade later, when The Economist again devoted a feature stor…

On my blog yesterday, I profiled several women who made headlines this year with their courageous stories. One of them is Malawi’s president, Joyce Banda, who is working to put her country on a susta…

Yesterday on my blog, I discussed the current outlook for food security in the Sahel. While a large humanitarian response and welcome rainfall have averted an immediate crisis, the region continues t…

Last week on my blog, I wrote about the potential of internet-enabled cell phones to take existing mobile innovation in Africa even further. As I argue: Increased internet connectivity could make mo…

Microfinance undoubtedly figures among the most important development innovations in the past several decades. Beginning in the 1970s, microfinance pioneers promoted the radical idea that it was poss…