Development Connections

David Tennant Damien KingMichelle RobinsonBiman PrasadKaymara BarrettAltricia Dawson Sidonia MackenzieKario-Paul BrownColin Bullock Christine ClarkeAbdullahi Abdulkadri

"This book takes a refreshingly candid look at the role of Information and Communications Technology interventions for development. It starts off with a simple yet unpopular premise: that a technology may sound cool, but that does not mean it alleviates poverty. We need more than good intentions. We need to measure the impact of interventions to know what works, what does not, and why. And in the case of Information and Communications Technologies, it is not hard to imagine that technology still needs humans, and good human intentions, in order to generate positive social change." - Dean Karlan, Professor of Economics, Yale University and President and Founder, Innovations for Poverty Action "Computers, mobile phones, and the Internet are frequently touted as miracle-working tools in the battle against global poverty. This book brings a welcome dose of realism to these claims, through experimental case studies of several information and communication technology interventions in Latin America. The conclusion? While technology has great potential, its value emerges only with the proper institutional support. No amount of technology makes up for deficient political commitment, human capacity, or institutional integrity. A must-read for anyone considering ICTs for international development." - Kentaro Toyama, Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley and Co-Founder of the IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD)

• 1. Introduction; David Tennant and Damien King PART I: THE PROBLEM - PAST, PRESENT, AND PROSPECTS 2. he Developmental Impact of Debt; David Tennant 3. The Debt Experience of SIDS in the Caribbean; Michelle Robinson 4. The Debt Experience of SIDS in the Pacific; Biman Prasad 5. The Debt Experience of SIDS in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIMS); Kaymara Barrett, Altricia Dawson and Sidonia Mackenzie 6. Prospects for the Growth of Debt in SIDS; David Tennant and Kario-Paul Brown PART II. CAUSES OF DEBT ACCUMULATION IN SIDS 7. The Sources of Debt in SIDS; Damien King 8. Institutional Causes of Debt in SIDS in the Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS Regions; Colin Bullock and Christine Clarke PART III AN AGENDA FOR DEBT SUSTAINABILITY IN SIDS 9. An Assessment of Recent Remedial Action Taken by Selected SIDS; Michelle Robinson 10. Debt Sustainability and Sustainable Development in SIDS; Abdullahi Abdulkadri 11. Elements of an Agenda for Debt Sustainability in SIDS; Damien King 12. Conclusion; Damien King and David Tennant