(September 22, 2005) Arbitrary criteria have been used to exclude most countries from debt relief. While it may be politically expedient for powerful countries to pretend that only a small set of countries need debt cancellation, it is time to explode this myth." – Christian Aid.

(September 21, 2005) In the lead up to the annual meetings of the World Bank this weekend in Washington, where Africa will be high on the agenda, economist Korinna Horta and Lori Pottinger of the International Rivers Network Africa program claim the bank’s plan to pursue investment in large-scale infrastructure projects for the continent needs rethinking, based on the failure of past mega-projects in Africa, such as the corruption plagued Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

(September 12, 2005) In her analysis of the March 2005 UN Millennium Development Goals report, UK and South Africa-based economist and journalist Margaret Legum highlights a report recommendation urging developing countries to “recommit themselves to taking primary responsibility for their own development by strengthening governance, combating corruption and putting in place the policies and investments to drive private-sector-led growth and maximise domestic resources to fund national development strategies.”

(September 8, 2005) Transcript of proceedings, National Geographic / World Bank Special Presentation on Africa, Washington

(September 1, 2005) Corrupt businesses, politicians, and cronies are stealing hundreds of billions of dollars from the globe’ s poorest people but the World Bank and other MDBs routinely ignore this corruption and capital flight, despite numerous reform efforts.