Brendan O'Donnell

Oiling the springs of democracy

Natural resources provide the greatest potential for financing development in some of the world’s poorest countries, far outweighing other sources of funding. In 2008, for example, the value of exports of oil and minerals for South and Central America, Africa and Asia was over 12 times the value of aid to those regions. These resources – if properly used – can help the countries in the Arab region make the transition from revolution to good governance.