Global Palestine, Connected Gaza
This is a vision of what Gaza can be, short, medium and long-term, built by a core group of Palestine’s leading private sector leaders, expertly crafted by AECOM, one of the world’s largest infrastructure consulting firms. Connected Gaza presents key findings, technical recommendations and proposals, working objectively through some of the Gaza’s complex challenges to create a […]
Palestinian Tech Ecosystem
This first in a series of “Thinking Portland” policy briefs provides a digestible snapshot of what the Palestinian tech ecosystem looks like today, from its initiation through its movement up the value chain, to become a significant driver of the economy. The Thinking Portland covers obstacles and opportunities, access to markets, talent and capital, policy, […]
Political Risk Insurance
The second instalment in our “Thinking Portland” series examines the options for political risk insurance available to businesses and organisations operating in Palestine. Formulated in close consultation with insurance industry insiders, this breifing surveys the challenges to traditional PRI cover in the region and provides an overview of some of the non-traditional alternatives on the […]
Monetary Reform
This paper “A Currency Board for Palestine” by Åke Lönnberg, IMF Consulting Expert, was prepared for a Portland symposium with Palestinian and international monetary policy experts. It explores the feasibility and implications of establishing various alternative frameworks for Palestine, including in particular a currency board, which emerges as a strong option for medium-term monetary stability […]
Beyond Aid
This seminal private sector initiative for investment, growth and employment provides a robust economic roadmap of which sectors and clusters are most likely to create long-term value for the Palestinian economy. It was put together by international experts, with contributions from over 250 Palestinian stakeholders. The five sectors with the most economic potential identified were agriculture, information technology […]
Investing for Peace: The Private Sector and Challenge of Peacebuilding
Portland partnered with the International Institute for Strategic Studies on ‘Economics and Conflict Resolution, including publication of “Investing for Peace: The Private Sector and the Challenges of Peacebuilding” and the subsequent ‘Ending Wars, Consolidating Peace: Economic Perspectives’, published by Adelphi.
Beyond Conflict
This early Portland report examines the economic underpinnings of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. In particular, it focuses on the pivotal role the Palestinian private sector can play in generating growth, sustainable employment levels and better living standards, estimating the quantifiable impact of peace on different aspects of the economy and for the Palestinian […]
Financing Palestinian SMEs
This report, prepared by the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, examines the needs and supply of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for credit, and how they are affected by a loan guarantee scheme which reduces the onerous collateral requirements restricting their growth. The analysis examines both the demand for, and expected supply of, credit over […]
Economics and Peacemaking: Northern Ireland
This study examines the economic dimension of the peace process in Northern Ireland. The main finding of the report is that economic disparity was a principal aggravating factor, e.g. in 1985, Catholic unemployment was 14% higher than Protestant unemployment and violence was high. By 2004 the gap had fallen to 3.5% and violence was low. […]
Economics & Peacemaking: Bosnia and Herzegovina
This study reviews the important economic lessons of post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular examining the impact of the political settlement on the post-conflict economy and the hurdles posed by a fragmented and ethnically divided state, the efficacy of the international recovery and reform programme, the consequences of a weak investment and trade strategy and […]