Collective for Research and Training on
Development Action (CRTD-A)
Independent Resource and Information Services (IRIS)
Development e
-Brief
August
6, 2004: Issue 11
IN THIS ISSUE:
EVENTS
1. Gender
2. ICT
3.
NGO Work
NEWS
1. Middle - East
2. Disability
REPORTS
& BOOKS & ARTICLES
1.
Trade/Economics/Microfinance
2. Youth
3.
NGO Work
4. Poverty
5. Gender
EVENTS
1. GENDER:
Gender & Media
(GEM) Summit - Sep 12-15 2004 - Johannesburg, South Africa. Lead: “The
purpose of the Summit is to provide a forum to actively challenge and advocate
for gender equality in and through the media. The Summit programme will aim to
cover a variety of issues including mainstreaming gender in media content and
training, media monitoring, and skills training”. Contact:
info@genderlinks.co.za
https://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2004/2937-event.html
2. ICT:
NAWeb 2004 - The
Web-Based Learning Conference - Oct 1619 2004 -Fredericton, New Brunswick,
Canada. This conference aims to “focus on innovative and practical uses of
the World Wide Web in teaching and learning, extending the reach of existing
campuses and creating "virtual" campuses of a new and unique nature.
https://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2004/2775-event.html
Contact:
hall@unb.ca
3. NGO WORK:
Call for
Submissions: National Endowment for Democracy New Arabic Resource Database. “The
Middle East and North Africa Program at the National Endowment for Democracy is
soliciting submissions to a new Arabic-language resource database that will
serve as a resource for democrats and nongovernmental organizations in the
Middle East and North Africa. The Program is in the process of identifying and
cataloguing how-to manuals, reference publications, and other related materials
(mainly online) that address a wide array of democracy topics, including freedom
of information, political processes, democratic ideas and values, strengthening
political institutions, accountability, human rights, rule of law, civic
education, NGO strengthening and capacity building, freedom of association, free
markets, and conflict resolution. NED welcomes submissions, including addresses
of Web sites and/or documents, preferably in Arabic”. To make a submission,
e-mail:
http://ned.org./
1. MIDDLE - EAST:
Palestinian
Authority: “The United States is losing interest in the Middle East peace
process with the result that the prospects of creating a viable Palestinian
state are gradually disappearing, a new British government assessment of the
Palestinian crisis warns”.
http://www.developmentex.com/index.jsp
Egypt's "Torture Epidemic"
Prompts Fine for Minister. Lead: “A Cairo court fined Egyptian
Interior Minister Habib el-Adli after a prisoner was tortured in a Cairo prison,
the Egyptian Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners (HRAAP)
stated. Adli was fined for the torture of Mostafa Ibrahim Amin, detained for
membership of an Islamist group”.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21485436.htm
2. DISABILITY:
Unleashing Hidden
Talents. Lead: “The Bank has embarked on an institution-wide push to foster
more inclusive policies toward people with disabilities in developing countries.
Integrating issues related to disability involves incorporating the needs of
disabled people into existing Bank projects as well as those that are in the
planning stage. Part of the challenge is to demystify disability as an issue in
development, says Judy Heumann, advisor on disability and development in the
Bank’s Human Development Network. "The aim is to make sure the needs of disabled
people are addressed across the board -- in education, housing, transport, the
environment, across all the sectors," she says”.
http://web.worldbank.org/ WBSITE /EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,conten
tMDK:20230052~menuPK:34457~pagePK:64003015~piPK:64003012~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Breaking the
Cycle. Lead: “Many people in developing countries are locked in a
vicious cycle of poverty and disability, says Daniel Mont, a social protection
specialist with the Bank’s Disability and Development group. He and other
members of his team are part of an international program to improve the
collection of data on disabilities in developing countries. While the "best
guess" estimate puts the level of disability at about 10 percent in most
developing countries -- or about 400 million people --the lack of
data makes it difficult to
measure. The Bank is working in partnership with other organizations to improve
collection of data on disability issues by producing survey questions and
working with national statistical offices to create more detailed measurements.”
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,conten%20tMDK:20230076~menuPK:34458~pagePK:64003015~piPK:6400%203012~theSitePK:4607,00.html
1.
TRADE/ECONOMICS/MICROFINANCE:
Recruiting,
Training, and Retaining Excellent Staff. Lead: “In order for microfinance
institutions to successfully attract clients, recruiting, training, and
retaining excellent staff is extremely important. You must have well-motivated
staff who are really interested and passionate about their work.”
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/rc/ItemDetail.%20do~1008654~intcmp=00001
2. YOUTH:
Vulnerable Youth
in a Volatile Region. This is article from the World Bank concerning extreme
poverty in the Middle East and North Africa region. It is said to be low,
whereas, infrastructure development is high, and there are visible signs of
progress in social development. “Yet the region faces many challenges, among the
greatest of which are increasing the inclusion of young people and improving the
welfare of vulnerable children. In a learning workshop organized by the Bank’s
regional office, staff and regional representatives shared information on
children and youth, presenting new analytical work on risks related to their
welfare; and discussing collaborative strategies for moving forward. The
program, titled “Reaching Vulnerable Children and Youth in MENA,” brought to
Washington development partners from Egypt, Morocco, Yemen and Jordan, who
shared experiences on education, unemployment, social protection and HIV/AIDS,
as well as other issues affecting youth and disadvantaged children in the
region.”
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,conten%20tMDK:20230011~menuPK:34457~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~th%20eSitePK:4607,00.html
Children & Young
People as Citizens - Partners in Social Change. This is a free publication
that examines children's different backgrounds in South and Central Asia and
demonstrates a diversity of ways children have organ wised themselves and
influenced their own situations. “It highlights the many ways in which children
let their voices be heard and create change in their lives”.
http://www.comminit.com/ma2004/sld-9544.html
3. NGO WORK:
Making the Most of
the Media: Tools for Human Rights Groups Worldwide. This is an Arabic
language media guide for human rights organisations in the Middle East and North
Africa. This was initially a Forefront publication, a network of recipients of
the Reebok Human Rights Award. It compiles “the practical experience of human
rights leaders and journalists from around the world who shared their
strategies, successes and lessons for improving media coverage of human rights
issues”. Topics that are included are; organising press conferences, conducting
interviews, writing press releases, participating in talk shows, and using the
Internet for promoting human rights issues. There are other Forefront
publications, available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic, such as:
"Institution Building for Human Rights Groups," "Practical Strategies," and
"Generating Local Resources." Contact
Publications@forefrontleaders.org
to learn more about other publications,
or visit:
http://www.forefrontleaders.org/
Culture Matters:
Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organisations: Case Studies from
Country Programmes. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This paper
reports on efforts by UNFPA's to develop culturally sensitive programming in the
area of gender equity and equality, and reproductive health and rights. It
specifically examines the more “inclusive programming approaches that encompass
culture and religion and the roles played by local power structures and
institutions in mobilising
communities to become active partners in development”. There are separate
chapters relating the experiences of the UNFPA in Brazil, Ghana, Guatemala,
India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Uganda and Yemen.
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC15292
4. POVERTY:
Strategies and Tools
against Social Exclusion and Poverty. This article discusses STEP, a global
programme for combating poverty and social exclusion in the framework of the
follow-up of major world social development summits. “The ILO/STEP programme
contributes to the extension of social protection, the fight against social
exclusion and poverty”.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~10085%2082~intcmp=00001
Tunisia Country
Assistance Strategy. Lead: “although Tunisia continues to make
progress in economic and social development, this strategy document says that
key challenges remain in the areas of unemployment, education and social
programs as the country works to meet the goals of the Tenth Economic
Development Plan” (2002-06). http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&ei%20d=000012009_20040713125947
5. GENDER:
Gender Gulf in
the Gulf. In the latest issue of the “Arab Reform Bulletin” it is noted that
despite the fact that women have made considerable progress toward equality of
political rights in some Gulf States, they are held back by continued
discrimination and strong social sentiment against women's participation in
politics. The survey further explains, that, while the ruling elite in the Gulf
states generally supports political rights for women, "social customs make it
particularly difficult for women to be elected" with the result that prospects
for women's political emancipation in the GCC countries "remain slim.
http://www.ceip.org/publications/ARB-7-19-04.asp?p=18from=pubdate
Press Release:
“Women’s right to Adequate Housing Land”. Summarized in this three page
press release is the consultative meeting between the UN Special Rapporteur on
adequate housing, Mr Miloon Kothari and women’s rights defenders in the Arab
World. This meeting was held in Alexandria and will be followed by another such
meeting in November 2004 in the Pacific Rim Consultation in Fiji. For more
information, regarding the press release contact Joseph Schechla at:
http://hic-mena.org/
Interim Report of Task Force
3 on Education and Gender Equality: Executive Summary. Produced by:
Millennium Project (2004). This paper relates the main issues raised by the
United Nation's Taskforce on Gender and Equality report. “It is designed to
facilitate consultation with civil society, experts and the international
community on the priorities and strategies of the United Nations' Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) on education for girls, in preparation of the final
report to be completed in December 2004.
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC14650
Gender Management
Systems Series, Gender and Development Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat
(2004). Lead: “This series of booklets provide a variety of gender
mainstreaming resources for use by governments, policy makers, development
workers and others. Information available in the booklets include discussion and
analyses of gender issues, practical information etc”.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do~10%2008480~intcmp=00001
Development e-Brief
Information Sources
Development e-Brief
receives and comprises of
material from various sources for its publication. Should you wish to refer to
these sources/ sites directly, (NB: some sites could not be found), the list
includes publications from: AVIVA,
www.aviva.org , AWID:
www.awid.org
, Democracy Digest:
www.freedomhouse.org
, Development Gateway:
www.developmentgatway.org
, Dignity:
www.dignity.org ,
e-Civicus: www.civicus.org , Eldis:
www.eldis.org , ESCWA:
www.escwa.org.lb,
GDB:
www.developmentex.com
, IGTN: www.IGTN.org ,
ILO:
www.ilo.org One
World:
www.oneworld.net ,
Siyanda:
www.siyanda.org
, The Daily Star:
www.dailystar.com.lb,
The Drum Beat:
www.comminit.com, The Soul
Beat: www.comminit.com,The
World Bank:
www.worldbank.org, ,
UNDP:
www.undp.org
, Wicejilist:
www.wicej.addr.co,
WLP:
www.learningpartnership.org
.
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