Comments on: Easterly vs Sachs http://www.owen.org/blog/505 Thoughts on development and beyond Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:50:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: luis enrique http://www.owen.org/blog/505/comment-page-1#comment-2144 luis enrique Wed, 10 May 2006 13:36:17 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/505#comment-2144 I've always been rather baffled by Easterly, because it seems to me that his strongest arguments do not require him to also argue that "aid is no use" and when he does, he flounders (as I think that debate linked to by Jim at word is weapon illustrates) I’ve always been rather baffled by Easterly, because it seems to me that his strongest arguments do not require him to also argue that "aid is no use" and when he does, he flounders (as I think that debate linked to by Jim at word is weapon illustrates)

]]> By: Owen http://www.owen.org/blog/505/comment-page-1#comment-2143 Owen Tue, 09 May 2006 22:58:46 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/505#comment-2143 <p>Jim</p><p>I was persuaded by Celina Schocken, a colleague at the Center for Global Development.  When <a href="http://www.cgdev.org/doc/event%20docs/3.14.06_Sachs/Sachs%20transcript.pdf" rel="nofollow">Jeff Sachs presented the Millennium Villages idea at CGD</a>, Celina said this:</p><blockquote><p>I worked for you for two years in Rwanda and my question is about scalability and how these are going to be scaled up.  When I was in Rwanda recently I spoke to a number of ministers who said, “Well, you know we’re sending agricultural extension agents to Bugasera. We’re sending health workers to Bugasera. This is a real priority of President Kagame. And I’m sure that it’s a priority in all of the countries where you’re working that they really want to make these villages work. And I think there’s a huge value to what you’re doing and you going and meeting with the President and really telling them that you want this village to work and I—I guess I think that that might be worth probably more than $70.00 a year, in addition the value of your going there, and all of these experts coming in and this entrepreneurship that you’re creating. How are you going to scale that? Because I would suggest that it’s going to be very difficult to do beyond one or two villages in each country. </p></blockquote><p>I think that is exactly the right question. </p><p>Owen </p> Jim

I was persuaded by Celina Schocken, a colleague at the Center for Global Development.  When Jeff Sachs presented the Millennium Villages idea at CGD, Celina said this:

I worked for you for two years in Rwanda and my question is about scalability and how these are going to be scaled up.  When I was in Rwanda recently I spoke to a number of ministers who said, “Well, you know we’re sending agricultural extension agents to Bugasera. We’re sending health workers to Bugasera. This is a real priority of President Kagame. And I’m sure that it’s a priority in all of the countries where you’re working that they really want to make these villages work. And I think there’s a huge value to what you’re doing and you going and meeting with the President and really telling them that you want this village to work and I—I guess I think that that might be worth probably more than $70.00 a year, in addition the value of your going there, and all of these experts coming in and this entrepreneurship that you’re creating. How are you going to scale that? Because I would suggest that it’s going to be very difficult to do beyond one or two villages in each country. 

I think that is exactly the right question. 

Owen 

]]> By: Jim http://www.owen.org/blog/505/comment-page-1#comment-2142 Jim Tue, 09 May 2006 20:17:57 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/505#comment-2142 "Sachs’s villages will prove nothing, even if they are successful. They simply cannot be scaled. "That's certainly the key issue. Sachs et al seem to think they <a href="http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/mvp/about/index.html#scalingup" rel="nofollow">can</a> be scaled. What do you think the main obstacle would be - no money, no coordination, no monitoring, no TV cameras?  "Sachs’s villages will prove nothing, even if they are successful. They simply cannot be scaled. "That’s certainly the key issue. Sachs et al seem to think they can be scaled. What do you think the main obstacle would be – no money, no coordination, no monitoring, no TV cameras? 

]]> By: PSD Blog - The World Bank Group - Private Sector Development http://www.owen.org/blog/505/comment-page-1#comment-2140 PSD Blog - The World Bank Group - Private Sector Development Tue, 09 May 2006 17:10:25 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/505#comment-2140 <strong>Easterly vs. Sachs...</strong> Owen points us to the foreign aid face-off being run by the LA Times. Or is it Columbia vs. NYU subway-showdown? Easterly handily won an earlier round. Also see these two talks by Sachs and Easterly, given just a few days apart at the Center for Global... Easterly vs. Sachs…

Owen points us to the foreign aid face-off being run by the LA Times. Or is it Columbia vs. NYU subway-showdown? Easterly handily won an earlier round. Also see these two talks by Sachs and Easterly, given just a few days apart at the Center for Global…

]]> By: Pablo http://www.owen.org/blog/505/comment-page-1#comment-2141 Pablo Tue, 09 May 2006 16:51:33 +0000 http://www.owen.org/blog/505#comment-2141 "<strong>Which op-ed on foreign aid put you in a headlock?"... </strong>terrible title for the poll. I'm sure some reader's will misunderstand the question. It might mean (1) confuse you the most, (2) made you think the most, (3) you agree with the most, (4) you disagree with the most etc........ "Which op-ed on foreign aid put you in a headlock?"… terrible title for the poll. I’m sure some reader’s will misunderstand the question. It might mean (1) confuse you the most, (2) made you think the most, (3) you agree with the most, (4) you disagree with the most etc……..

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