Congo’s political crisis finds hope in a “New Year’s miracle,” while Burundi’s descends further into violence. The Rockefeller Foundation’s future is in the hands of a familiar development figure, and the U.N.’s new chief takes the reins. This week in development news:
Rajiv Shah has been named the new president of the Rockefeller Foundation. The former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development will take over on March 1, replacing outgoing President Judith Rodin, who has led the foundation since 2005. “Raj was the unanimous choice of the trustees after a very competitive search process,” said Richard Parsons, the chair of Rockefeller’s board. The Rockefeller Foundation is one of the world’s oldest philanthropic foundations and in 2015 issued $196.6 million in contributions, grants and gifts, and maintained assets of more than $4.2 billion, Devex’s Amy Lieberman reported. During his tenure at USAID, Shah led a high-profile reform effort called USAID Forward, intended to better align the agency with local partners positioned to sustain development initiatives in their own countries. He also oversaw the creation of the Global Development Lab, a new USAID entity designed to tap science, innovation and private sector partnerships.
President Joseph Kabila and his political opponents reached a deal that could end the Democratic Republic of Congo’s political crisis in what some called a “New Year’s miracle.” Kabila, who has so far delayed elections under the auspices of voter registration concerns, has agreed to step down after elections are held before the end of 2017. The peaceful, democratic transition of power would be the first in Congo’s history. In the weeks preceding the deal — which relied heavily on Congolese Catholic bishops bringing parties together — government forces cracked down on protesters and killed 26 people, according to Human Rights Watch. Many feared the constitutional crisis would unravel into widespread conflict. Devex spoke to former U.S. envoy Tom Perriello — who this week announced his bid for Virginia governor — about the role that preventive diplomacy played in curbing violence and creating space for political discussion.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
