Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity

Fresh Ideas for Haiti on Migration, Debt, Gender and More…

Jan 26, 2010

FEATURES

Help Haitians: Let Them Leave

"To help Haiti's earthquake victims, change U.S. immigration laws," CGD fellow Michael Clemens argued in an op-ed published in Sunday's Washington Post. The commentary called for a new Golden Door Visa for a limited number of Haitians and other people in the world's poorest countries. Angry commentators accused Clemens of being an "elitist" and "anti-American." In a blog post, Clemens reflects on the virulent push-back--and presses his idea yet again.

READ THE BLOG AND COMMENT

Haiti Debt Relief a Small Piece of the Puzzle

CGD fellow David Roodman examines the calls to cancel Haiti's debt. His conclusion: while suspending Haiti's debt payments is a no-brainer, debt relief would save the nation only $18–34 million a year through 2012--a trivial sum compared to Haiti's need, to the ongoing aid flow, and to the money sent home by Haitians abroad. The World Bank's offer to cancel debt while the IMF provides new loans in response to the quake highlights the need for better ways to help poor countries manage risk.

READ THE BLOG AND COMMENT

Mind the Girls: How to Take Care of the Adolescent Girls in Haiti

Even before the earthquake, it was hard to be young and female in Haiti. Ruth Levine, CGD senior fellow and vice president for programs and operations, suggests four simple steps to ensure the safety and health of teenage girls during Haiti's resettlement and recovery.

READ THE BLOG AND COMMENT

NEW FROM CGD

A Labor Mobility Agenda for Development - Working Paper 201 01/25/2010
CGD State of the Union BINGO - Interactive Online Cards 01/25/2010
From Predation to Production Post-conflict - Working Paper 200 01/20/2010
Development in Haiti: Q&A with Ruth Levine 01/14/2010
Precautionary Resources and Long-Term Development Finance: The Financial Role of the Bretton Woods Institutions after the Crisis 01/14/2010

Recent blog posts

Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Blog

Moldova Becomes 20th Country to Sign MCC Compact 01/26/2010
Through the Looking Glass: Haiti and U.S. Development Leadership 01/22/2010
Engaging the Private Sector -- Green Opportunities for MCC's new CEO 01/19/2010

Views from the Center Blog

Haitian Recovery, Sweatshop Jobs, and the Role of Trade Preferences 01/25/2010
Suspend Haiti's Debt--And Take Official Lenders beyond Lending 01/25/2010
Reactions to My Proposal for a New Visa to the United States 01/25/2010

Global Health Policy Blog

Scaling-up for Success: PEPFAR's Prevention Challenge 01/21/2010
The End of Exile for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 01/11/2010
Evaluation, Evaluation Everywhere: IOM Progress on Evaluating the Impact of PEPFAR 01/11/2010

David Roodman's Microfinance Open Book Blog

Weekly Tweets for 2010-01-22 01/22/2010
Harsh Words from South Asia 01/19/2010
Eavesdropping on a Microfinance Conference 01/17/2010

Davos: What's the Point? (Washington Post) 01/25/2010
CGD Media Coverage of the Earthquake in Haiti 01/25/2010
Better Forecasting Urged to Avoid Drug Waste (Nature News) 01/11/2010
AIDS: The Politics of Prevention (America Abroad Media) 01/06/2010
Nigeria: From Clash to Cash (Financial Times) 01/06/2010

Features
New From CGD
CGD in the Media
Meet an Expert

Upcoming Events

January 27, 2010
CGD State of the Union Bingo
February 4, 2010
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD: The Safety of Food and Drug Imports
February 5, 2010
The 2009 Commitment to Development Ideas in Action Award

More events

Stay Connected

About CGD

CGD is an independent think tank that works to reduce global poverty and inequality by encouraging policy change in the U.S. and other rich countries through rigorous research and active engagement with the policy community.

More about CGD

About this Newsletter

The CGD Development Update is a weekly e-letter that provides information about rich country development policies, CGD events, initiatives, publications, and media citations

Meet a CGD Expert

John Simon

Visiting Fellow

John Simon served on the U.S. National Security Council as special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for relief, stabilization, and development. This week, on the Global Prosperity Wonkcast, he expands on his recent article, "Six Important Lessons for Disaster Relief," and shares his thoughts on ongoing relief efforts in Haiti.