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SIPAnews winter 2001 / VOLUME XIv NO.1 1 From the Dean Renovations and Restructuring: A New Design for SIPA 2 Faculty Forum Seth Weissman Gives a Brief History of Debt Relief 3 Alumni Forum Matthew H. Murray Reports on Making an Honest Profit in Russia 4 Faculty Profile International Conflict Resolution Program Thrives under Andrea Bartoli 5 Alumni Profile Marie Charles: A Chance to Make a Difference 6 Ties That Bind: SIPA’s Connection to the United Nations 8 High-Profile Speaker Season at SIPA 12 SIPA’s New Energy Center 17 A New Improved SIPA Building 13 MIA Program News 14 MPA Program News 18 16 Faculty News 18 Class Notes SIPA Author Series 24 Development News From the Dean: Lisa Anderson Renovations and Restructuring: A New Design for SIPA he fall of 2000 was a busy Center and based partly at the Earth we do not expect to find anyone who time at the School of Institute’s Biosphere in Arizona, can do her job as it is currently config- International and Public marks a major University initiative in ured. We are therefore redesigning the Affairs. We inaugurated crafting new, interdisciplinary and administration of the School’s budget, the new Center for policy-focused research and training human resources and allied operations Energy, Marine Trans- platforms, designed to take advantage in the expectation that we will draw on Tportation and Public Policy with a of new distance-learning technologies several individuals to accomplish these conference on the energy issues facing as well as Columbia’s traditional tasks. Obviously it is difficult to con- the new Administration. We also cele- strengths in scientific research and template day-to-day life on the four- brated our newly refurbished fourth public policy. Vice Dean Steven teenth floor of the International Affairs floor classrooms, including two state- Cohen’s expertise in environmental Building without the good humor, not of-the-art electronic classrooms, with a policy and his demonstrated capability to say hard work, of Steve Cohen and reception at which we thanked Patricia as a program designer and manager Joan Turner, whose combined careers Cloherty ‘68, for the gift that made made him the obvious choice to lead at the School add up to nearly forty them possible. Advisory Board Chair this new initiative; he will take up the years. I am pleased to report, however, Michael Hoffman ‘73, was also recog- design work on this program at the that in part because they have done nized for the gift that permitted us to beginning of the year. their jobs with such care and dedication, refurbish the Stetten Lounge. Although Dean Cohen will there are waiting in the wings a number Later in the fall, we held a recep- continue to be associated with SIPA of very talented people who will take tion at which the donors of fellowships as director of the Executive MPA up their responsibilities in the newly were introduced to the fellowship program at the Picker Center, his configured School administration. recipients. This event has grown larger departure from the central School Just as heartening have been the each year I have been dean, and it is a administration has occasioned a major expressions of care and concern about delight to see how much the students restructuring of our administrative the School, its programs and its people and alumni donors are a source of operation. Rather than recruit another that I have received over the last few inspiration to each other. Finally, vice dean, we will be enhancing the months from the faculty and, particu- former dean Harvey Picker spent a role of the School’s faculty in its larly, from the alumni. Obviously, we day with the students in the Executive administration. Faculty program direc- rely on our alumni to provide financial MPA program as we showcased the tors, Professor Dan O’Flaherty (MPA) support, both through the Annual new office suite and seminar room and Professor Mark von Hagen (MIA), Fund and through endowments. of the Picker Center for Executive will be joined by a third faculty mem- Indeed, were it not for generous Education. ber who will serve as associate dean of alumni, we would not have had so It is not only the physical plant and the faculty. Professors O’Flaherty and many festive occasions this fall. Yet, curriculum which are being renovated von Hagen as well as Assistant Deans the generosity of our community is and redesigned; we are also reorganizing Nancy Degnan and Barbara Gombach expressed in time and care as well as the School’s administration. In mid- have been working with enormous money and many alumni give amply of October, Columbia’s Executive Vice care and thoughtfulness on the design their time and energy for the School. Provost (and member of the MPA of this new arrangement, and I am Alumni involvement is no small part of faculty), Michael Crow proposed that very grateful to them for both their what makes my job so gratifying, so SIPA collaborate with the University’s dedication and their insight. keep those cards and letters coming! Earth Institute to develop an innovative We are also planning for the day set of new executive and professional at the end of June when Associate degree programs in earth systems, Dean Joan Turner fulfills her threat to science and public policy. This program, retire. Like Steve Cohen, Joan Turner which will be housed at the Picker has been a fixture at SIPA for decades; SIPAnews 1 Faculty Forum: Seth Weissman A Brief History of Debt Relief: From Y0K to Y2K and Beyond injunction, advocated in Deuteronomy this the “Y0K problem.” The proximate 15:1, which admonishes lenders that cause of the collapse was a period of “every seventh year you shall practice population growth and urbanization remission of debts.” The Bible is neither that exacerbated the moral hazard the first nor only ancient legal system problem by making it more costly for to include a systematic program of lenders to monitor borrowers. The debt forgiveness. The Hammurabi financial crisis ultimately forced Hillel Code provides for the practice of the Elder, a judge in Jerusalem, to andurarum (liberty from debt), and effectively repeal the Sabbatical debt contracts uncovered from ancient forgiveness law in order to stabilize Mesopotamia contain clauses whereby credit markets. the borrower waived any right to The legitimate intellectual inheri- advantage from a royal proclamation tor of the ancient tradition of debt for- of debt forgiveness. The reforms of giveness can be found in the recent Solon in Athens during the 6th cen- explosion of micro finance enterprises, tury BC provided for the cancellation which also function on the individual o the profound relief of of overly burdensome debt as well. level. Micro finance loan agreements many an observer, the Reducing poverty is an integral are designed to address the vulnerabil- West’s end-of-the-millen- part of the current debt relief agenda. ity of loan forgiveness to information nium obsession to look HIPC applicants must submit a concerns such as moral hazard. The back at the past 100 years “Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper,” Grameen Bank, for example, issues has irretrievably faded. outlining how the savings from debt group loans. The logic behind this TYet one interesting idea did emerge relief will be used to alleviate poverty. system is that a borrower’s reputation from the collective fixation: the hope However, one can ask whether provid- within his or her group functions as a that the year 2000 might become a ing the governments of HIPCs with form of “social collateral” and replaces “Jubilee year” of debt relief for heavily debt relief is the most effective mean the traditional asset-based collateral indebted poor countries (HIPCs). of alleviating the crushing burden of used in banking. Other micro finance In 1996, when the Jubilee 2000 poverty on the individual level. organizations use face-to-face contact campaign was launched, both the Ancient policymakers encoun- between lenders and borrowers coupled tered a moral hazard problem when with the threat of loss of access to The legitimate intellectual inheritor of the ancient tradition of implementing debt relief—the knowl- future loans to encourage repayment. edge of possible debt forgiveness Finally, like in micro finance, the debt forgiveness can be found in the recent explosion of micro encouraged borrowers to rely on this ancient laws of debt forgiveness suc- and accumulate unsustainable debt ceeded when applied within the social levels. And perversely, the ancient debt context of small, stable populations. finance enterprises, which also function on the individual level. relief programs often harmed the very Because urbanization and population poor as fears of debt relief dissuaded mobility provided borrowers with a World Bank and the IMF identified 41 potential lenders from issuing loans. degree of anonymity, these social poor countries with unsustainable debt This was not always as much of a forces undermined a four-century old levels. Four years later, on November 6, problem as one might anticipate. The practice of debt forgiveness. President Clinton signed legislation historical and archaeological record Applying the model of debt relief providing $435 million for debt relief indicates that debt forgiveness was suc- to the governments of the HIPCs to for the HIPC, and the IMF is cur- cessfully practiced in Roman Palestine fight poverty raises important moral rently proceeding with plans to sell every seven years from approximately hazard questions. For example, con- some of its gold reserves to finance the 5th century BC through the first sider two HIPC borrowers. The first further relief. century AD. Only in the early years of misuses the borrowed funds to buy Let us examine the historical first century AD did lender anxieties weapons to finance a devastating motivation for debt relief.

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