MICHAL KAPLAN

diplomacy is not a zero-sum game
welcome to my website

Rozvojová pomoc řeší příčiny, nejen důsledky, migrace

Téma migrace otřásá Evropou. Diskutují o něm politici, úředníci, ba i lidé doma či na ulici. Kladou si přitom otázku: „Co se s tím dá dělat a lze vůbec migrační vlnu zastavit?“. Odpovědi expertů spadají do dvou táborů. První vidí problém v cílových zemích, v tzv. pull faktorech. Evropské sociální systémy jsou příliš štědré. Vnější hranice […]

Peak Oil

Fossil fuels are limited and non-renewable. Around 2010, the world migh have passed the peak in oil production. However, human ingenuity and new discoveries of shale oil and gas have postponed the peak. For how long?

Development Day

More than 3,000 visitors attended the festival Czech Development Day, held in September 2015 in Prague. I launched the event in the presence of the Foreign Minister and the Head of European Commission Office in Prague.

Review of Portugal

In 2015, I was a member of an international team that visited São Tomé and Príncipe as part of the OECD review of Portuguese development cooperation. It doesn’t look so, but it was a serious job.

Productivity and Labor Income

Since 1970s, labor income (wages) have decoupled from productivity gains. This suggests than higher share of economic benefits goes to capital holders than to workers.

Poverty in the World

Global poverty rate has been cut in half since 1990. East Asia (mainly China) was the most successful region, followed by South Asia (mainly India) while Sub-saharan Africa is lagging behind.

Income Inequality

The share of 1% richest people in total US household income doubled over the last 50 years. If we zoom we  find even more extreme rises in the share of 0.1% and 0.01%.

Winners and Losers of Globalisation

Who benefited the most from globalisation in the last decade? Not only rich people in rich countries but also the middle class in middle-income countries. And who lost the most? Not only poor people in poor countries but also the middle class in rich countries.

Vize udržitelného rozvoje pro naši generaci (3. díl)

Při pohledu dozadu se tok dějin zdá vysvětlitelný. Je pochopitelné, že průmyslová revoluce začala zrovna v Anglii. Je vysvětlitelné, proč velká hospodářská krize usnadnila nástup nacizmu v Německu. Je logické, že zdevastované evropské velmoci nemohly po válce udržet své koloniální panství. Je zřejmé, proč ropný šok vedl k energetické a ekonomické revoluci, která později pomohla uzbrojit Sovětský svaz. […]

Planetary Boundaries

One third of planetary boundaries have already been crossed according to some scientists. This concerns in particular to climate change and the loss of biodiversity.