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This monthly Newsletter brings you news for international co-operation professionals on economic and social development.
Edited by Karsten Weitzenegger, http://www.weitzenegger.de. Free subscription by sending an eMail to subscribe @ weitzenegger.de. Web version: http://www.weitzenegger.de/new/today.html. Get mail whenever this page changes:
CONTENT
- Germany made Africa one of the key themes for their dual presidency
- Global Economic Prospects: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization
- Yens slates 'financial apartheid' against poor
- Global Corruption Barometer 2006
- Trade Related Assistance: What Do Recent Evaluations Tell Us?
- Differential impacts of trade policy for men and women
- ILO Decent Work Research Prize 2007
- ADB blacklists 37 companies for corruption
- MEPs: Objectifiable criteria needed for budget aid support
- Survey on Change Management in Development Assistance
- Training and Events
- Publications
- Websites of the Month
1. Germany made Africa one of the key themes for their dual presidency of the EU and G8
The German Presidency's development co-operation priorities will include Africa (delivering on the G8's promise, at the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005, of an extra 50 billion dollars per annum in development aid by 2010), work on a proposed EU-Africa energy partnership, progress towards economic partnership agreements and measures to combat AIDS and malaria. Resuming the Doha international trade negotiations will be one of the German Presidency's priorities, but the EU should not focus on Doha to the exclusion of its important bilateral or bi-regional trade agreements (such as those with Mercosur, the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Andean Community). Industrial competitiveness, the drive for better regulation, and the need to build on the success of the so-called ''New Approach'' to standardization in ensuring product safety will be high on the German Presidency's agenda. Official Website: http://www.g-8.de
VENRO, the federal association of more than 100 development organisations in Germany, together with the African partner organisations of its members, worked out a manifesto ''Prospects for Africa – Europe’s Policies''. The NGOs call on the German Federal Government to campaign for a poverty-oriented European development policy focusing on the Millennium Development Goals. http://www.prospects-for-africa.de
2. Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization
Globalization could spur faster growth in average incomes in the next 25 years than during 1980-2005, with developing countries playing a central role. However, unless managed carefully, it could be accompanied by growing income inequality and potentially severe environmental pressures, predicts the World Bank. According to Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization, growth in developing countries will reach a near record 7 percent this year. In 2007 and 2008, growth will probably slow, but still likely exceed 6 percent, more than twice the rate in high-income countries, which is expected to be 2.6 percent. On how globalization will shape the global economy over the next 25 years, the report’s ‘central scenario’ predicts that the global economy could expand from $35 trillion in 2005 to $72 trillion in 2030. ''While this outcome represents only a slight acceleration of global growth compared to the past 25 years, it is driven more than ever before by strong performance in developing countries,” said Richard Newfarmer, the report’s lead author and Economic Advisor in the Trade Department. ''And while exact numbers will undoubtedly turn out to be different, the underlying trends are relatively impervious to all but the most severe or disruptive shocks.” http://econ.worldbank.org
3. Yunus slates 'financial apartheid' against poor
Nobel Laureate and Grameen Bank founder Prof Muhammad Yunus has criticised the existing international financial institutions for shutting out the world's poor from receiving their credit. While delivering the keynote address at the international conference to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' form of political movement here yesterday, Prof Yunus also advocated the concept of social business to address socio-economic problems. ''Two-third of the world's population do not have access to the financial services of these institutions. This is a form of financial apartheid,'' he said. Prof Yunus said the significance of his getting the Nobel Prize for Peace was the relation between peace and poverty. ''Poverty is a threat to peace,'' he said adding ''it is impossible for us to think of peace when 60 percent of the world's population lives in poverty.'' Referring to the menace of terrorism, he said, ''we have to fight terrorism but not through military action, but by addressing its root cause, which is poverty.'' (Contributor: Monjur Mahmud)
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/01/30/d7013001044.htm
4. Global Corruption Barometer 2006
Millions of people around the world come face-to-face with corruption in their daily lives, and urgently want their government to take action to stop it. This is the conclusion of Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer 2006, launched on December 7. The 2006 Barometer, a public opinion survey conducted for TI by Gallup International, looks at the extent of corruption through the eyes of ordinary citizens around the world. It explores the issue of petty bribery in greater depth than ever before, highlighting people’s personal experience of bribery, and identifying the sectors most affected by corruption, its frequency, and how much people must pay. (Contributor: Boris Demidov) http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/gcb_2006
5. Trade Related Assistance: What Do Recent Evaluations Tell Us?
This report draws on key findings and recommendations emerging from available donor evaluation reports, assesses factors that have contributed to the success (or failure) of past programmes, and provides guidance for enhancing the effectiveness and impact of future trade-related assistance. It argues that despite some positive results, further improvements are necessary, in particular, with regards to donor programming, donor harmonisation and donor-recipient partnerships. Donors can enhance the effectiveness of trade-related assistance by better taking account of the basic principles of the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. http://www.oecd.org/dac/trade/evaluation
6. Differential impacts of trade policy for men and women
Trade and trade liberalisation have very different impacts on women and men - which can result in fundamental shifts in gender roles, relationships and inequalities. Moreover increasing claims that countries should be enabled to ''trade their way out of poverty'' means that there is an urgent need to address how trade can promote gender equality and development. This Development Gateway highlight with its related links aims to support trade specialists in bringing a gender perspective into their work, and to help gender specialists to understand the broad implications of trade policy and practice. Women all over the world are increasingly joining the bottom rungs of the global supply chain. It can be argued that increased opportunities to join the cash economy are a positive development for women, whose additional income has the potential to increase both their status and the well-being of the family. But what are the costs of new trade regimes, and do they outweigh the benefits? How can development practitioners promote gender equality and better support women's access to the benefits of trade? What policies are likely to have an effect on gender equality and how can such policies be influenced? http://topics.developmentgateway.org/trade/
7. ILO Decent Work Research Prize 2007
The ILO’s International Institute for Labour Studies has created a research prize to annually reward outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge on the ILO’s central goal of decent work for all, and calls for the nomination of candidates. The prize will be awarded during the next International Labour Conference (to be held in June 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland) where the winner will be invited to give a lecture to a global audience of government, employer and worker representatives. There will be a financial award of USD 10,000. The winner will be made Honorary Fellow for 2007-08. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/nom.pdf
8. ADB blacklists 37 companies for corruption
Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced having blacklisted 37 companies from dealings with it for up to 10 years for violating the bank's anti-corruption code. The bank does not disclose the identities of those it debars. It banned 34 firms for one to seven years and three firms for 10 years from competing for ADB contracts. Fourteen individuals were banned indefinitely and 17 for periods ranging from one to seven years, while one person was reprimanded, the ADB said in a statement. (Contributor: Boris Demidov) http://www.adb.org/Integrity/
9. MEPs: Objectifiable criteria needed for budget aid support
The rules under which EU development funds are allocated directly to developing countries' national budgets should be tightened up, says the European Parliament Committee on Development, in a report adopted on Tuesday 19 December. The report, drafted by Michael Gahler ( EPP-ED , DE ), calls on the European Commission and European Union Member States ''to use budget support only under clearly objectifiable criteria and only after a full assessment of the risks involved''. This entails respecting the eligibility criteria for the use of budget support with ACP states, as provided for in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. These criteria require sound public expenditure management and public procurement practices. Donors and recipients must make sure that adjustment is economically viable, and socially and politically bearable, says the report.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu
10. Survey on Change Management in Development Assistance
The Change Management Toolbook (http://www.change-management-toolbook.com) is the leading information portal on Change Management. They are requesting your cooperation in a simple survey that has the potential to further reinforce the impact of development assistance. It is helpful to look at development related work as a process of change management, which should of course be owned and lead by the people and government of the respective country. One of the roles of supporting organizations consists in facilitating such change process in the direction of a positive development outcome. If one accepts such position the question arises to what extent change management methods, which are well developed in some areas, are applied in the practice of development cooperation. The objective of the survey is to find out about the popularity and the future of Change Management methods in development assistance. The completion of the survey can be done on-line and does not require more than 10 minutes. The outcome of the survey will be shared with you. We also ask you to inform all your contact persons in relevant organizations about this survey. This is the link to the survey: http://cf.humap.com/tool/quoutli.htm, Password: devsurvey
11. Training and Events
Conference: Capital Markets Forum - Integration of Arab Capital Markets: Prospects & Challenges
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC23419
Muscat, Oman, 17-19 February 2007
The Forum gives you the opportunity to experience and learn more about: The significance of the Integration of Arab Capital Markets; The impact of globalization and privatization in the light of international experience; Impact of the investment climate and flexible legislation in the integration of Arab Capital Markets; significance of transparency, disclosure and joint brokerage services; Role of joint IPO and listing of securities, and the formation of joint investment portfolios; Significance of electronic networking and market indexes; Role of reciprocal clearance, central depository and registry operations.
Strategic Relations, Coalition Building, and Networks
http://www.intrac.org/training.php?id=62
London, UK, 28 February – 2 March 2007
The aim of this INTRAC course is to examine the different ways of working together for development. Networking, building coalitions, social partnerships are processes which are evolving, and assuming a bigger role in social development, and fulfilling criteria for EU accession. Over a period of three days, participants will learn about the nature of the different processes, and using examples from different contexts, look at the advantages and issues from a strategic perspective.
Integrating Environment, Development, and Conflict Prevention – European and National Approaches and Challenges
http://www.adelphi-consult.com/ECC2007/
Berlin, 29-30 March 2007, European Conference hosted by the German EU Council Presidency 2007.
The conference is intended to facilitate a dialogue among key officials from EU member states and the European Commission, civil society, the private sector, and the scientific community to identify and discuss key issues, policies, and best practices. It will provide recommendations for the European Commission / European Union and individual Member States to address interdependencies between environment, development, and conflict prevention in policies and programmes. Interdependencies between environment, development, and conflict prevention have gained significant importance on the international agenda over the past years. Energy and climate policy and responsible resource management are priorities of the German EU Council and G8 presidencies in 2007. Putting climate, energy, and natural resource management into the broader context of foreign and security policy opens up new perspectives for environmental and development policy making. A comprehensive strategy on environment, development, and conflict prevention should address not only root causes and triggers of conflicts, but also their governance context.
Conference: CSR Delivery, Engagement & Leadership
http://www.csrleadership.com/tracker.asp?magazineid=556
London, UK. 19-20 April 2007
At CSR Delivery, Engagement & Leadership you will hear useable and valuable advice, genuine experiences and practical case studies from a number of companies including Procter & Gamble, The Body Shop, Microsoft Belgium, Vodafone UK and many others. Next to a number of presentations and panel discussions, the event also offers practical sessions aimed at finding strategies for engaging employees on CSR and sustainable development issues. There is also plenty of room for round table discussions and delegate feedback. Info: mariame_lindell @ osneymedia.co.uk
Self-evaluation: illusions, confusions, solutions and fusions
http://www.unifr.ch/formcont
University of Fribourg, Switzerland, 26-27 April 2007, Continuing Education Centre
Continuing Education of University of Fribourg in collaboration with the Swiss Evalutation Society, SEVAL
Self evaluation is gaining acceptance as an approach to evaluation in some circumstances. This growing acceptance is due to a variety of contextual factors including the under-utilisation of external evaluations and dwindling resources available to commission external evaluations. But what are the circumstances in which this shift in the culture of evaluation can deliver on the promise of self-evaluation? Info: formcont @ unifr.ch
Capital Markets and Financial Instruments for Development
http://www.iadb.org/biz/
Washington, DC, 7 June 2007, IDB Headquarters
Topics include: Detailed look at the financial products of the Private Sector Department and the Inter-American Investment Corporation, including loans and the Financial Guarantee Program, aimed at helping to expand local capital markets. Discussion of the Regional Trade Finance Facilitation Program. Background on the Latin American debt market. Risk assessment and mitigation. Discussion of rating agencies and the current evaluation of credit enhancements by Multilateral Agencies, with comments by rating agencies and other parties related to the local capital markets (such as institutional investors and investment banks). Discussion of mortgage-backed securities, both local and international placement.
Seminar on ''Globalisation, TNC's and Industrial Policies in Developing and Transition Countries''
http://www.eadi.org/detail_page.phtml?page=wg_tnc_call_2007
Strasbourg, France,15 June 2007, EADI Working group on Transnational Corporations
Eschborn Dialogue, Capacity Development - empowering partners, promoting potentials
http://www.gtz.de/en/
Eschborn, Germany, 28-29 June 2007, GTZ
Expertise and technology are key factors in the quest to find sustainable solutions to global challenges like climate change, environmental pollution and poverty. More than 400 representatives of politics, industry, research and the civil society will discuss with development experts the many facets of capacity development in the light of the international debate on this approach.
Panel ''The role of China and India in Africa”,
http://www.eadi.org/detail_page.phtml?page=wg_industrialisation
Leiden, the Netherlands, 11- 14 July 2007
Panel 76, European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) 2007, EADI Working group on Industrialisation Strategies. Deadline for abstracts: 21 January 2007.
MA in Urban Management and Development
http://eadi.org
Erasmus University Campus Rotterdam, Start and finish date: October - September, every year
Master Programme of Advanced Studies in Development Co-operation
http://eadi.org
Zürich, 2008/2009 - 2010
Master of Arts in Development Management
http://eadi.org
Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Germany, August 2008 - March 2010
International Microenterprise Development Distance Learning Course
http://www.snhu.edu/856.asp
In response to the increasing demands for flexible academic program delivery, the School of CED is offering online courses in International Microenterprise Development. These courses are an expansion of the educational and training opportunities the School offers. The School currently offers international training through its Microenterprise and Development training institutes in New Hampshire and South Africa along with SCED's low-residency summer intensive Master's program. Each online course is 12 weeks long and taught by experts in the field. Upon completing this program a student will earn a Certificate in Microenterprise Development or the option of obtaining graduate credits towards a Master's in International CED. With the continuous support of SCED faculty, courses utilize case studies and other applied tools that create a highly interactive learning environment. This online certificate program is a unique opportunity for busy working practitioners who cannot leave their work/communities and wish to acquire new skill sets and benefit from the option of earning academic credit.
Free Online Course in Action Research
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/areol/areolind.html
As with earlier programs, the theme of areol 25 is the integration of effective change with rigorous research. In some respects, it is a combination of the principles of community and organisational change with those for change-oriented qualitative research, sometimes with use of quantitative research too. The on-line sessions are supplemented by archived files on various aspects of action research and evaluation.
MFMI To Offer Principal CGAP Training Programs
http://www.themfmi.org
Two of CGAP's most popular training programs -- Skills for Microfinance Managers and the CGAP/UNCDF Donor Training Course -- have been spun off into the CGAP/OSI Microfinance Management Institute. The Institute has worked with universities in the developing world to introduce microfinance as a specialization in graduate programs. Bringing the microfinance manager financial courses and the donor courses under one roof with a network of universities offering academic courses will create synergies and cost savings for all courses, strengthening academic institutions and the skills of microfinance managers, and helping donors support the sector.
UNITAR 2007 e-Learning Course Calendar 2007
http://www.unitar.org/dfm/DFMelearning/Index.htm
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research will be conducting at least seven online courses intended for a global audience of finance-sector officials. May we request you to kindly share this information with your colleagues whom you think may benefit from the suite of online courses for 2007. As you may already know, UNITAR courses are based on a decade-long experience in public debt management training. Over the past four years, thousands of finance-sector officials have already benefited from our e-Learning courses.
12. Publications
Safe and Accessible: Bringing Poor Savers into the Formal Financial System
http://www.cgap.org
Poor people's savings often remain in mattresses, piggybanks, or even holes in the ground. But a new CGAP Focus Note turns the spotlight on those savings and examines why they are so often invisible to financial institutions, while formal deposit services remain inaccessible to most poor savers. The answers have to do with weak institutional capacity, but also incomplete financial infrastructure, unhelpful donor practices, and unbalanced policy frameworks. The good news? Financial institutions, donors, and policy makers all have a role to play in increasing poor people's access to quality savings services.
Budget support in the EC's development cooperation
http://www.die-gdi.de
By German Development Institute (DIE)
Designing for Results: Integrating Monitoring and Evaluation in Conflict Transformation Programs
http://www.frient.de/materialien/detaildoc.asp?id=420
Cheyanne Church, Mark Rogers | Search for Common Ground, United Stated Insitute for Peace, Alliance for Peacebuilding | 2006
Women in education and employment 2010
http://www.etf.europa.eu/
Report by the European Training Foundation (ETF)
Guidelines on group formation and management
http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/bld-grp.htmCo-operatives among small farmers to grow out of poverty
This document describes what groups are, strategies of formation, training, group management and providing other hints on the formation of successful groups. It provides a list of traits of mobilizers engaged in group formation and leadership qualities. Committees to ensure successful group management are also recognized. The section on methods of group formation however, needs some modifications to reflect on the lessons learnt in the past few years. At least the three steps of group formation will have to be revised. The document gives the impression that groups are ''formed” by an outsider. This conveys a wrong signal! Groups are actually formed by the local people to meet their identified and unidentified benefits. If a group is formed by an outsider, it belongs to the outsider! What is more appropriate is an outsider to facilitate the group formation process while the actual formation itself becomes the responsibility of the local people. (Contributor: Anura Widanapathirana)
Does Africa really benefit from trade?
http://www.hwwi.de/8_Consequences_of_E.1127.0.html
We empirically analyse the impact of trade on income levels in the sub-Saharan African countries. The results indicate that the linkage between these two variables is negative for these countries. This outcome may explain the negative sign of the Africa dummy in income (or growth) regressions. HWWI Research Paper.
Consequences of Economic Partnership Agreements between East and Southern African countries and the EU for inter- and intra-regional integration
http://www.hwwi.de/8_Consequences_of_E.1127.0.html
HWWI Research Paper by Axel Borrmann, Matthias Busse, Manuel de la Rocha
Environment and trade: a handbook
http://topics.developmentgateway.org
This handbook published by the United Nations Environment Program and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in 2006 explains how trade can affect the environment, both positively and negatively, and how environmental concern can work through the trading system to foster or hinder development in both rich and poor countries. The publication is addressed to those who have some knowledge about trade, environment or development, but who are not expert on the intersection of the three. It should serve as a practical reference tool for policy-makers and practitioners, and be equally useful to the media and civil society. With this in mind, the handbook uses clear language and a minimum of jargon to foster a greater understanding by all segments of the public.
Afrika Spectrum
http://www.giga-hamburg.de/english/index.php?file=news.html&folder=news
Afrika Spectrum is an inter-disciplinary refereed academic journal focusing on social science dealing with Africa, first published in 1966 by the Institute of African Affairs in Hamburg. The journal is dedicated to promote a deeper understanding of African peoples and cultures. It contains contributions of empirical and problem-oriented nature from all social science disciplines. Afrika Spectrum is the only academic journal in Germany exclusively devoted to Africa. The journal is published thrice a year with articles written in German, English, and French.
Where Enterprises Lead, People Follow? Links between Migration and German FDI
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/businessenvironment/
The aim of this paper is to analyze the interaction between different channels of integration empirically. More specifically, we use state-level German data to answer the question whether and how migration and FDI decisions and thus integration of labor and capital markets are linked. Our findings suggest that FDI and migration have similar determinants. Moreover, there is substantial evidence that factors cluster. (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
Manual Exporting to the European Markets
http://www.cbi.eu/marketinfo/cbi/?action=showDetails&id=2584
Basic information for all exporters from developing countries to the European markets on recent market developments/trends and pointers on doing business in the EU. The manual addresses the EU, its members, enlargement, its role in world trade and EU trade rules and agreements; demographic, social and cultural developments in the EU and important trends in consumer and industrial markets; and doing business in EU markets, cultural differences, different forms of business etiquette and business practice. The manual can be downloaded from the website of CBI (www.cbi.eu) by registered users. Registration is free. (Contributor: ton lansink)
Determinants of German FDI: New Evidence from Micro-Data
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/businessenvironment/
This paper provides new evidence on the foreign direct investment stocks of German firms. We use firm-level data for the years 1990-2000 to describe the regional and sectoral patterns of German FDI through gravity-type equations. (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Instruments of economic growth and development in a South African regional dispensation
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/businessenvironment/
The South African economy is currently characterized by high levels of unemployment, abject poverty, high illiteracy, low productivity and low international competitiveness. It is also struggling to attract and retain foreign direct investment and portfolio investments. Amidst this situation, the formal sector is also continuously shedding jobs. Furthermore, the formal sector absorption capacity is steadily declining as is apparent over the past three decades, where formal the absorption capacity declined from approximately 75 per cent to about three per cent currently. Related to this is the fact that although the South African economy is growing, even at the currently low levels, it seems to be one that can be described as 'jobless growth'. (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
Competition for Aid and Trade Policy
http://www.sciencedirect.com/
This paper considers the optimal allocation of a given amount of foreign aid between two recipient countries. It is shown that, given consumer preferences, a country following a more restrictive trade policy would receive a smaller share of the aid if the donor country maximises its own welfare in allocating aid. If, on the other hand, the donor country allocates aid in order to maximize the sum of the welfare of the two recipient countries, the result is just the opposite. Finally, we analyze the situation where the recipient countries compete with each other for the given amount of aid. It is shown that this competition tends to lower the level of optimal tariffs in the recipient countries. (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
Aid, Governance, and Private Foreign Investment: Some Puzzling Findings and a Possible Explanation
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/aideffectiveness/
Does official aid pave the road for private foreign investment or does it suffocateprivate initiative by diverting resources towards unproductive activities? In this paperwe explore this question using data for a large number of developing and emergingeconomies. Controlling for countries’ institutional environment, we find that, evaluatedat the mean, the marginal effect of aid on private foreign investment is close to zero. (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
How trade, aid, and remittances affect international migration
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/aideffectiveness/
Policymakers typically assume that trade liberalization and foreign aid ultimately reduce international migration - that is, that trade and aid are substitutes for migration. In the Heckscher-Ohlin framework, too, trade liberalization (by reducing international price differentials between factors) leads to a decline in international migration. The author's model shows that trade liberalization in either the sending or the receiving country is likely to increase migration in the long run. In the short run, the effect is ambiguous. The author maintains the Heckscher-Ohlin framework but adds two features found in developing economies of the south and east that affect migration: migration costs and imperfect capital markets. He assumes that migration costs may be a constraint on migration, especially when combined with imperfect capital markets. Poor migrants without collateral may have trouble getting loans at reasonable rates, especially if they plan to emigrate. And for most migrants, the cost of migration is not negligible. They must pay for transportation and for living expenses until they find a job in the new country, and illegal immigrants must make payments to intermediaries for services and information (to reduce the chance of being caught). (Contributor: Brian Wilcox)
Can Private Sector Action Tackle Corruption?
http://www.worldbank.org/afr/findings/english/find270.htm
Corruption is an impediment to growth and poverty reduction. As the authors in this issue of Development Outreach well document, corruption limits opportunities, creates inefficiencies and forms additional barriers to the smooth delivery of services. Crucially, from the perspective of the World Bank Group, corruption cumulatively undermines progress towards achieving development objectives, not least as its impact is most adversely felt by the world’s poor. The World Bank has taken a clear public stance—based on exhaustive research—to seek ways to combat corruption. Paper by Frannie Léautier, Djordjija Petkoski, and Michael Jarvis.
Business and international humanitarian law
http://www.icrc.org/eng/business-ihl
Business enterprises increasingly operate in unstable environments or areas affected by armed conflict. Some of them have already declared a commitment to conducting their activities in a conflict-sensitive way. Most of them have become fairly familiar with human rights law. However, businessenterprises are generally less familiar with IHL.
The Cluster Initiative Greenbook
http://www.cluster-research.org
The Cluster Initiative Greenbook, prepared for the 6th Global TCI Conference, takes a closer look at CIs around the world, mainly in OECD countries. It is built on a unique data-set of over 250 cluster initiatives, derived from the 2003 Global Cluster Initiative Survey and a series of case studies. Industrial clusters have important knowledge sharing implications, and their development marks movement towards a knowledge economy.
Microinsurance: A public-private partnership to combat the poverty spiral
http://www.deza.admin.ch/index.php?langID=1&navID=26465&itemID=151090
Although they are among those who are at greatest risk, few poor people have access to insurance services. This fact only serves to further exacerbate the poverty spiral. How can this vicious circle be broken? After the microcredit, made famous by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus one of its ''spiritual fathers'', microinsurance is another useful financial service for risk management, and hence poverty reduction.
Microfinance as business
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/content/article/detail/36514
How do some MFIs succeed in covering costs, earning returns, attracting capital and scaling up? By Roodman, D. & Qureshi, U., Center for Global Development (CGD).
Transformation of micro-finance operations from NGO to regulated MFI
http://www.microfinancegateway.com/content/article/detail/36733
This paper identifies key issues and challenges in transforming NGOs delivering microfinance to commercial organizations. By Hishigsuren, G., Institute for Development, Evaluation, Assistance and Solutions (IDEAS).
UNCTAD: 'China Syndrome'
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=4063&lang=1
China´s economic achievements over the past two decades have made its development experiences distinct in many ways from those of many other economies. This UNCTAD feature examines key issues in the country's development. (Contributor: Persephone Economou)
Does Foreign Direct Investment Help Emerging Economies? by Anil Kumar
http://dallasfed.org/research/eclett/2007/el0701.html
The gap between the world’s rich and poor countries largely comes down to the financial and physical assets that create wealth. Developed economies possess more of this capital than developing ones, and what they have usually incorporates more advanced technologies. The implication is clear: A key aspect of economic advancement lies in poorer nations’ capacity to acquire more capital and scale the technological ladder. Emerging economies undertake some capital formation on their own, but in this era of globalization, they increasingly rely on foreign capital.
13. Websites of the Month
Development Gateway Foundation | Development Gateway
http://www.developmentgateway.org
The Development Gateway Foundation has launched a new portal to better serve the development experts that use it on a daily basis. The portal will be divided into two separate Web sites. One of the Web sites, www.developmentgateway.org, will offer direct access to the services provided by the foundation, including dgCommunities, AiDA, Country Resources and dgMarket. The other Web site, www.dgfoundation.org, will highlight the goals and strategies of the foundation, and include success stories that highlight its work. It will include access to the Aid Managment Platform and the E-government Grants program.
Aotearoa New Zealand International Development
http://www.devnet.org.nz
DevNet websitenlook and functionality will change. New features will include a page on
which much of the content of these updates can be viewed (and through
which you can submit content). Also included will be revitalised DevNet
forums.
Co-operative College's International Development Programme
http://www.internationaldevelopment.coop
The college and the wider UK co-operative movement have been involved in international work for many years. From the earliest days of the original UK co-operators (the Rochdale Pioneers) the co-operative vision has not simply been about retailing but also about how, through self-help, people can improve their working and living conditions. This model of democratic, practical self-help is relevant both in the UK and in poor communities in developing countries. A growing number of national and international organizations are now in agreement that co-operatives are vitally important in the fight against global poverty. For example the United Nations estimates that the livelihood of over three billion people is made more secure by co-operatives.
Youth Employment Gateway - PathFinder Framework
http://www.youthemploymentgateway.org
''Create opportunities by spreading ideas, inspiring creativity and innovation and facilitating opportunities to take shape''. An organisational culture of innovation is a source of inspiration as well as a driver of opportunity. Effective leaders inspire and create a dynamic environment for innovation to flourish. They tend to frequently discuss matters with team members, solicit their feedback and seek to develop new ideas through them. This approach promotes a sense of ''anything is possible”, erases conventional boundaries of thinking and triggers new opportunities for the organization. Young men and women facing livelihoods challenges are often restricted by both perceived and very real limitations on the opportunities that are available to them. When practitioners use creative possibility thinking they set an example that can inspire young people to break down the barriers created by their limited belief in their own possibilities. It is thereafter that their perspective on possibilities widens. When their perspective opens up opportunities emerge. This is a direct result of effective leadership that inspires a culture of open learning, sharing and innovation. (Contributor: Anuradha Bhattacharjee)
3C - Combat Climate Change - A Business Leaders' Initiative
http://www.combatclimatechange.org/
The 3C Initiative aims at forming a global opinion group consisting of companies showing leadership by demanding an integration of climate issues into the world of markets and trade facilitated by means of a global framework coming into force in 2013. The goal is to underline the need for urgent action by the global community and to influence the post-Kyoto process by demanding a global framework supporting a market based solution to the climate change issue. This can be achieved by getting as many companies as possible aboard and by getting our common platform well known and well understood. (Contributor: Giulia D'Amico)
Innovation Network
http://www.innonet.org
This is a nonprofit organization working to share planning and evaluation tools and know-how. We provide consulting, training, and online tools for nonprofits and funders. The website provides an assortment of online resources.
New BDS Internet Portal for Senegal
http://www.senegal-entreprises.net
A new BDS website for small and medium enterprises (SME) in Senegal has just been published: www.senegal-entreprises.net . The website design is user friendly offering almost all information on the first navigation level. On the right navigation bar you will meet all necessary information on business creation, business registering, bookkeeping and cost calculation, business planning, import-export, trade fairs, guide for access to credit, taxation procedures and support for business associations. Give your comments to info @ senegal-entreprises.net
EXPERTS Blog des experts en coopération technique internationale
http://experts.hautetfort.com
Claude Guillemain's Blog will become The Strategic Platform in Brussels this year. The Strategic Platform, besides its founding members and the instigators who are an association, RBE, and experts network, intends to widen its scope to other partners (SME, Associations, NGOs, European officials and representative personalities), in order to foster networking and better relationship between all members.
Monitoring and Evaluation Library
http://www.globaldev.org/m%26e/
This website supported by a consortium of NGO's provides a well indexed set of resources on monitoring and evaluation. I find 49 resources in English, 14 in French, and 9 in Spanish on the site in January 2007. (Contributor: John Daly )
World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies (WDR)
http://www.regulateonline.org
The World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies is concerned with regulation and governance for network economies. It conducts research, facilitate online dialogue and discussion among experts, and publish and distribute papers, reports and other relevant information. The dialogue theme for the current research cycle is ''Indicators and Benchmarks of Performance in ICT Development''. Project initiated by infoDev, Global Information and Technologies Department, World Bank.
World Bank Website for Financial Sector Evaluations
http://www.worldbank.org/ieg/financialsector?intcmp=5321183
Financial sector development is essential for mobilizing resources, channelling them to productive investments, managing risks, and thereby contributing to economic growth and poverty reduction. IEG has completed evaluations of different aspects of World Bank support to the financial sector during fiscal years 1993-2005. Available now are three reviews and a synthesis report of this work.
Project Gutenberg online catalogue: over 20,000 free books
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/
There are over 20,000 free books in the Project Gutenberg online catalog. Gutenberg is an Open Library project of free ebooks whose copyright has expired. According to the project, 2 millions books are downloaded each month. The online book catalog allow visitors to search and download among this ''Open Library''. According to Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg (often abbreviated as PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. Founded in 1971, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books. The project tries to make these as free as possible, in long-lasting, open formats that can be used on almost any computer. (Contributor: Thomas Bekkers)
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