As of March 2026, this website is no longer being updated. I now work mainly on climate issues, especially in Brighton and Hove, and new work can be found on the website of Climate:Change, our independent think-tank on socially inclusive action in the City: www.climatechangebh.org.uk.
Meanwhile, however, this website has over 850 entries, mostly representing my work on international development from 2010-2025. Among much else, there are over 50 book reviews, more than 20 papers and training cases on bridging research and policy and on managing think-tanks, nearly 100 articles on climate change, and many papers on other topics, including aid, food security and nutrition, and the future of international development. See ‘Topics and Themes’ for more details. I can be reached at sm@simonmaxwell.net.
The Africa Commission’s ‘Big Push’
The Africa Commission’s ‘Big Push’ , ODIOverseas Development Institute (London) Opinion 38, May 2005
The Africa Commission is an exhilarating, exhausting and intriguing read. Exhilarating because of its breadth and political impetus. Exhausting because of the comprehensive nature of its proposals. Intriguing because of the intellectual challenges. It is the intellectual challenges which will extend the life of the Report. The biggest of these is the model of the big push. Consider: the report is exhilarating and exhausting precisely because it is so comprehensive. Culture; faith; politics; governance; human development; social protection; agriculture; industry; rural development; urban development; trade. The ambition is great. So is the bill: $US 75 billion a year. The observer may ask: are there no priorities?................ (see link in title for full article)