Global Policy Innovations: www.policyinnovations.org
Devin T. Stewart
Over the last decade, the development engine appears to have stalled in some regions. Many of the world’s poorest countries are experiencing falling growth rates, rising unemployment, and environmental degradation. Many in the developing world have come to view free trade and financial liberalization not as pathways to prosperity, but as tools of exploitation.
A growing body of innovative scholarship offers promising strategies for sustainable development and a fairer globalization. Yet, these proposals have not been disseminated in a coordinated fashion. In response to this challenge, the Global Policy Innovations program provides a forum for pragmatic alternatives to the current global economic order.
MISSION
To highlight the best new thinking on a fairer globalization.
PHILOSOPHY
Building a fairer global economy starts with protecting fundamental freedoms, and moves toward maximizing human fulfillment, potential, and innovation. This process must be guided by an ethical framework:
innovations + ethics = better globalization.
CONTEXT
Several factors contribute to the timeliness of our mission: the growing criticism of the development policies promoted by the major international financial institutions; the inequitable representation of the Global South in international institutions such as the WTO; the effect of global supply chains and the Chinese economy on labor, business, and environmental standards; the hybridization of business, nonprofit, and public operational models, manifesting in movements such as social entrepreneurship; and the empowerment of global civil society through the Internet.
METHOD
We develop and broadcast innovative ideas through:
Daily publishing – GPI publishes the critically acclaimed online magazine Policy Innovations, a companion blog, podcasts, video, and workshop summaries and analysis.
Regular convening – GPI convenes three levels of meetings: tactical meetings with partners on best practices in civil society; operational dialogues between businesses and NGOs on applied ethics; strategic workshops with scholars, ethicists, and practitioners on shaping the language and terms of the international debate on globalization.
Occasional research – GPI conducts occasional research projects on ethical issues in the global economy. Devin Stewart is currently conducting an interview-based survey with Carnegie Endowment scholar Josh Kurlantzick on the future of Asian economic integration and its effect on labor and environmental standards.
TESTIMONIALS
"There is so much policy-relevant information out there, and so little time to wade through it all. Where can we look for the most innovative approaches to our policy dilemmas? Policy Innovations is an answer. It crystallizes some of the best insights and enables us to see and to act in new ways." — Andrew Kuper, Managing Director, LeapFrog Investments
"Policy Innovations features some of the most cutting-edge ideas on shaping globalization in an accessible, hip, and technologically-savvy format." — Steve Clemons, New America Foundation
"I find Policy Innovations to be an invaluable resource. The site is essential for staying informed on the most provocative and salient thinking related to giving globalization a more human face. In addition, the depth and flexibility of the site makes it a powerful strategic planning tool." —Steve Rochlin, Head of AccountAbility
"Policy Innovations has the right tone—critical but not shrill." — David Callahan, Demos
Over the last decade, the development engine appears to have stalled in some regions. Many of the world’s poorest countries are experiencing falling growth rates, rising unemployment, and environmental degradation. Many in the developing world have come to view free trade and financial liberalization not as pathways to prosperity, but as tools of exploitation.
A growing body of innovative scholarship offers promising strategies for sustainable development and a fairer globalization. Yet, these proposals have not been disseminated in a coordinated fashion. In response to this challenge, the Global Policy Innovations program provides a forum for pragmatic alternatives to the current global economic order.
