Development Blogs.com

Hamid Karzai’s presidency seems to be failing, and some polls show that his support is flagging. Karzai is perceived to be ineffective in reducing corruption weak on the Taliban, and making moves that question his democratic credentials. Several Afghans I spoke to in Kabul believe that the Taliban attack against a military parade on April 27 marked a turning point in public opinion against Karzai as he made the culturally unacceptable decision to flee the scene rather than lead his security forces. The result was a chaotic scene and there is much talk here in Kabul about firing those high officials in charge of security. The Taliban have claimed that they purposely spared Karzai’s life, and this would appear to be true as a sniper could have easily killed the president from the...

Last week I visited Egypt for the first time. As exciting as I found the ancient wonders to be, I discovered new sources of excitement in voluntary initiatives by business leaders to reshape the way economic policy gets made. Business leadership for change is flowing from different directions, particularly from two CIPE partner associations representing contrasting constituencies. The Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB)  represents over 400 young managers and business owners. Many of them have international education and experience and are responsible for large companies. This elite, forward-thinking group has been on the cutting edge of promoting ethical business and public service. Since 2004, EJB has issued an annual National Business Agenda based on the CIPE model, which...