Across the global South, countries are embarking on remarkable development pathways. Large swathes of people are being lifted out of poverty. Misery and squalor are being pushed back. The middle class is expanding and new consumer preferences and lifestyles are gaining a foothold. The current shift has no historical precedent in speed and scope. It is altering the global power dynamics, giving rise to a new, multipolar system of international governance.
At the same time, formidable global challenges remain. With unprecedented environmental pressures showing few signs of abating, development achievements run the risk of being undermined, unless concerted action is taken. Climate change, ecosystem losses and resource scarcity are likely to dominate the global agenda for years to come. The wide disparities and income inequalities between and within countries have yet to be forcefully tackled. The transnational spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases and the growth of antibiotics resistance are vastly increasing global health insecurity.
In this volume of Development Dialogue, we embark on a journey across the world – from Mongolia via Kenya to Brazil and many other places – showcasing emerging practical solutions to critical development problems.
The main author of the volume is David Isaksson, a Swedish journalist. It also features special contributions by Martti Ahtisaari, Gunhild Stordalen, Mariama Williams, Thomas Weiss, Henrik Hammargren, Anna Zorzet, Maria-Teresa Bejerano and George Kioko.