About my Work

Blog & weblink of the week

Blogs I Follow

Datalinks of the Week

Governance Maps

Selected Papers

Some Brief Articles

Some Sites I Like

Corruption

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Beijing Olympics and Worldwide Governance: Eyes Wide Shut?

Monday, August 11th, 2008

The majority of the world’s population watched the magnificent opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.  Many are sports fans, yet many wanted to witness China’s ‘coming out Party’, showcasing to all (in case some did not know) that China is a world power, and its people are capable of great things. One of the […]

‘Governance-on-the-Go’, or GonGo: the citizen at the center of an IT-enabled governance breakthrough?

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

I am now at the Fortune BrainstormTech, which aims to relate innovations in technology to larger world problems it can solve.  The event just started, featuring fascinating evening panels with tech leaders (here).  One of the sessions I will co-lead tomorrow, with Ross Mayfield of Socialtext, is on governance.  In this forthcoming interactive lab we will try to advance the […]

Democracy and Development: Rejecting the Extremes

Friday, July 18th, 2008

     We recently released the new Governance Matters study, with its accompanying set of Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI),  covering 212 countries since 1996.  It is no secret that this research project that I started with Aart Kraay over a decade ago is not uncontroversial, having generated  debate among academics, some government officials, and within the World Bank.  The data […]

Introducing first guest blogger: Joel Hellman

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

I have asked a few select guest bloggers to join me on this blog. They will no doubt enrich it by bringing in their own various perspectives and experiences from different horizons.  Today I am pleased to introduce Joel Hellman as the first guest blogger on this blog…

‘Governance Matters’: A new blog on governance at the World Bank

Monday, May 26th, 2008

     With the just launched ‘Governance Matters’ blog, the World Bank has now fully joined the governance blogosphere.  The idea was afoot for many months. There was initial pushback by a few higher ups.  But support from many quarters and persistence prevailed, helped by the growing recognition of the importance of blogging in today’s world.  And this personal blog I have hosted for a […]

Human Rights, Aid Effectiveness, and Development: a few findings for debate today, and tomorrow…

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

     Today, May 15th, an initiative called Bloggers Unite for Human Rights, was launched. The international NGO on Human Rights, Amnesty International, is partnering with BlogCatalog.com, the bloggers’ social network, so to raise global social awareness on this important issue.  Bloggers around the world are being asked to post about human rights.  Hundreds of postings […]

Threat to sports: corruption or politics?

Monday, May 12th, 2008

     Corruption in sports has often been big news.  Whether related to match-fixing in soccer, involving referees, goalies or other players — be them in Italy, Germany, Kenya, Brazil, China, or elsewhere —, or in cricket, or in other sports.  Or buying the votes of some members of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), so to give the award to the the briber’s city.  Or judges making backroom deals in figure […]

Blogging responsibly for Good Governance: does the market work?

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

     Last couple of blog entries where on blogging and good governance, the first focused on IFIs, the second on countries and governments, providing recent illustrations from Africa.  
     In fact the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) recently had an interesting article which called blogging the ‘Africans’ newest form of dissent’.  Like in my previous blog entry, this article also referred to […]

Blogging for governance: on countries and governments

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

     In my last blog entry a couple of days ago, I discussed the importance of watchdog NGOs for IFI accountability and transparency, and also gave a list of some NGOs that blog, and of some that do not.  Yet nowadays blogging is also of paramount importance for making governments and their actions more transparent and […]

Blogging for Transparency & Good Governance: on IFIs

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

      Blogs are playing an increasingly important role for improved governance.  Blogs do not face the restraints of commercial print media.  The blogosphere is a planet apart from traditional PR departments of public institutions, enabling citizens to share unfiltered information, expose misdeeds, and freely express views.  Blogs help make governments and public institutions more accountable.  In real time. 
     Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were also involved during the […]

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