Most efforts to trace the effects of
income inequality on growth have focused on redistribution.
However, empirical investigation has not substantiated
either the positive association of income inequality with
redistribution or the negative association of redistribution
with economic growth. The authors analyze the effects of
inequality in the broader context of social polarization.
They argue that social polarization, whether rooted in

James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank Group, addressed the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund. He discussed the context in which
the Bank operates today; the role of the Bank in
development now, and in the coming years; what the Bank can
do to achieve its objectives in an effective and accountable

In Burma, where 70 percent of people earn a living through agriculture, securing land is often equivalent to securing a livelihood. But instead of creating conditions for sustainable development, recent Burmese governments have enacted abusive laws, enforced poorly conceived policies, and encouraged corrupt land administration officials that have promoted the displacement of small-scale farmers and rural villagers.

A surge in land grabbing over the past decade has seen millions of people displaced from their homes and farmland, often violently, and pushed deeper into poverty. As demand for food, fuel and commodities increases pressure on land, companies are all too often striking deals with corrupt state officials without the consent of the people who live on it. Until now, there has been little analysis of the role that corruption plays in the transfer of land and natural resources from local communities to political and business elites.  

A submission from EarthRights International regarding the Paperwork Review Act approval process for the reporting requirements. On July 11, 2012, the U.S. Government announced a partial waiver of the ban on new investments in Myanmar. Americans are now allowed to invest in Myanmar but will be required to provide annual reports on their policies and procedures for human rights, environmental management, labor standards, land acquisition, and anti-corruption.

El clientelismo político en el campo
John Durston *

El texto analiza el levantamiento policial del 30 de septiembre pasado en Ecuador, planteando una tesis alternativa de acuerdo a la información que se tiene de los eventos sucitados ese día. El documento forma parte de la serie Análsis de coyuntura de Comité Ecuménico de Proyectos (CEP).

El documento describe el proceso de integración y las señales que da éste en el marco regional. Es una reflexión sobre el contexto latinoamericano, oportunidades, límites y desafíos, desde la perspectivas de las Organizaciones Sociales.

Entender los factores de la intermediación de partidos políticos (el ´clientelismo’) en la participación campesina en espacios públicos de concertación rural es una tarea básica aunque frecuentemente soslayada. Como fenómeno muy difundido en el mundo rural, debe ser parte del análisis de la exclusión (o, para ser más exacto, subordinación) campesina en la vida cívica de las municipalidades rurales, en América Latina hoy.

Land corruption affects women and men, but the impact is experienced differently by each gender. Packed with practical advice, this guide, produced by Transparency International, will help organisations understand these differences in order to design advocacy programmes that are both inclusive and effective.

Land in Afghanistan is an extremely complicated issue, proving a main source of conflict. Weak governing institutions and a lack of political will to tackle the issue seriously, however, have made it practically impossible to resolve disputes over land and property in an effective and fair manner.