Topic » Security and Governance
Countries that lack the means to provide for basic needs of their people face greater risk of instability and conflict. When limited access to family planning contributes to high fertility, it creates a high percentage of young people with fewer economic opportunities. While there is not a direct causal relationship between age structure and conflict, eighty percent of all outbreaks of civil conflict between 1970 and 1999 occurred in countries in which at least 60 percent of the population was under the age of 30.
PAI identifies links between demographics and security to highlight strategies for governments and global institutions to combat poverty, ensure growing nations develop sustainably, and create a more stable world. PAI believes programs that promote demographic transition — such as family planning, girls’ education, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment—must be an integral part of development assistance.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
The Shape of Things to Come – Why Age Structure Matters To A Safer, More Equitable World
Updated Report available: The Shape of Things to Come: The Effects of Age Structure on Development By Elizabeth Leahy with Robert Engelman, Carolyn Gibb Vogel, Sarah Haddock and Tod Preston What follows is the result of more than two years of … Continue reading
Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Security
Demographic trends influence political stability and security. Over the past several decades, countries in which at least 60 percent of the population is younger than 30 have been more likely to experience outbreaks of conflict than countries with a more … Continue reading
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Policy Brief
Why Population Matters to Food Security
Almost one in seven people around the world are chronically hungry, lacking enough food to be healthy and lead active lives. This is despite the fact that enough food exists for all of the world’s people. Agricultural policies, the prices … Continue reading
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Food Security for 7 Billion
This week, the birth of a baby somewhere took the world population past the 7 billion mark. That’s something to celebrate. Few thought the world could sustain that many people, ever – yet here we are.
Report
Why Population Matters
Why Population Matters, a new publication, explains how population is connected to other development issues such as maternal health, poverty, security and climate change. Continue reading
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The Demographics of Revolt
Originally posted on the Huffington Post In explaining the uprisings in the Middle East this past month, commentators have discussed demography almost as much as democracy. And though most focused on the number of young people in the streets from … Continue reading
Policy Brief
The Shape of Things to Come: The Effects of Age Structure on Development
Update of The Shape of Things to Come (2007): The Shape of Things to Come – Why Age Structure Matters To A Safer, More Equitable World Today, the world has the largest generation of young people in history, with 3.6 billion … Continue reading
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Report
The Effects of a Very Young Age Structure in Yemen: A Country Case Study
Elizabeth Leahy Madsen Yemen has broken into the global political scene, with periodic terrorist attacks against foreign targets and its location as a base for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula highlighting the country’s geopolitical significance. Yemen has the most youthful … Continue reading
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The Effects of a Very Young Age Structure on Haiti: A Country Case Study
by Beatrice Daumerie and Karen Hardee The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in early January 2010 adds to the string of misfortunes in a country used to fighting adversity. Political instability and repeated natural disasters have compounded a failure to … Continue reading
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Pakistan’s Demographic Challenge Is Not Just Economic
Originally published in The New Security Beat In a meeting with business leaders in Lahore in late October, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pointedly warned of the potential economic impacts of Pakistan’s rapidly growing population: “There has to be…in … Continue reading
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Pakistan’s Daunting–and Deteriorating–Demographic Challenge
First published in The New Security Beat Every day it seems the headlines bring new worries about the future of Pakistan. But among the many challenges confronting the nation–including a growing Taliban insurgency–one significant problem remains largely undiscussed: its rapidly … Continue reading