Contenu du sommaire : Débat

The Public Space between People's Economy and Inequality How can we determine the places suitable to the construction of public spaces that are necessary for making the livelihood of populations safe on an actual territory? Answering the question forces us to confront the non-egalitarian reproduction related to the globalization and the functioning of peoples's economy, i.e., the socioeconomic strategies developed by the actors at a local level.

Resource wars and globalisation Resource wars are often considered as local conflicts threatening, through "spillovers" or contagion effects, to erode the benefits of globalisation for developing countries. This contribution challenges this view. Taking globalisation as the starting point of the analysis, it considers that resource wars are a visible face of globalisation, involving transnational organisations and reflecting sweeping changes in the boundaries between State and markets.

"Failing" States: the forestry sector in Central Africa Reforms implemented to improve forest sector governance in Central Africa have yielded mixed results. There cannot be effective market-based sector regulation without the strict enforcement of a regulatory framework and a neutral administration. To improve governance, it would be more clear-sighted to abandon the postulate of a "neutral and benevolent State" and to support the emergence of institutionalized checks-and-balances within and on the side of government institutions.

The role played by the government in the Indian economy:liberalization and reforms in the public sector This article studies the role played by the government (State) in the dynamics of regulation of the Indian economy. Seen from a historical perspective the economic reforms launched since 1991 show that India's decision to liberalise the economy did not affect in whatsoever way the fundamental role of the state in India's economy. A study of the reforms particularly in the public sector reveals the systematic importance of the State in various ways in the productive field, irrespective of the increasing internal or external liberalisations. Our study on the role of the State in the Indian economy allows us to conclude that the cultural model of India remains that of a country highly dominated by a strong state which, nevertheless, is open to criticism.

Urbanization, stages of development and openness We analyze the main determining features of the evolution of the urbanization rate and of the urban primacy rate in developing countries, which is a bone of contention in the literature. We show that urbanization rate and urban primacy present specific trajectories according to the different stages of economic development. We also discuss the particular impact of openness on urban concentration.

In world foreign direct investment and development:how much does absorptive capacity matter? This paper deals with the concept of absorptive capacity and shows how much it matters for analysing the inward foreign direct investment spillovers on host countries. By leaning on the endogenous, competences and agglomerations theories, two aspects of the absorptive capacity are brought forth: an individual one, represented by human capital, and an organisational one, which comprises the level of the firm and the level of its environment. The possible governance structures should be appraised in accordance with their respective ability to release the learning potential of human capital and firms.

When development prevails on environment : deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia rises mainly from planning and development policies. These policies created great agricultural exploitations and pastures which contribute to the development of Brazil but generate environmental consequences. In this context, development opposes environment. This paper reports on this deforestation and its evolution in Brazilian Amazonia. It shows that development and planning policy which have generated this deforestation during recent decades have been against forest and environment conservation even if initiatives such as creation of protected areas and indigenous territories try to reconcile socio-economic development and forest protection.