[WSIS CS-Plenary] CIVICUS: State of Civil Society Survey
Rui Correia
correia.rui at gmail.com
Thu Feb 21 06:19:04 GMT 2008
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From: e-CIVICUS <e-civicus at civicus.org>
Date: 20 Feb 2008 19:31
Subject: [E-civicus] e-CIVICUS 376 HTML
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World Alliance for Citizen Participation*
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*A Free Weekly Newsletter Promoting Civic Existence, Expression & Engagement
*
*Please send contributions, comments and questions to editor at civicus.org.*
*
**20** February 2008
ISSUE No. 376*
*PUBLISHER*
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
*EDITOR-IN-CHIEF*
Kumi Naidoo
*COPY EDITOR*
Margaret Fish
*MANAGING EDITOR*
Eric Muragana
*OCCASIONAL
CONTRIBUTORS*
Carol Baloyi
Ciara O'Sullivan
Desire E. Stokkel
Guergana Petkova
Julia Sestier
Natalia Kiryttopoulou
Natasha Sawh
Katsuji Imata
Roberto Wohlgemuth
Rui Correia
Vicente García-Delgado, Esq
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*2008 CIVICUS World Assembly
*The World Assembly will take place between 18-21 June 2008, Glasgow ,
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the overall theme for this event is *Acting Together for a Just World*. This
overall theme will be explored through the focus theme of *People,
Participation and Power.*
<http://www.civilsocietywatch.org/>
*Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin*
The CIVICUS e-newsletter Civil Society Watch Monthly Bulletin is an
action-oriented newsletter distributed to over 7,400 people around the world,
featuring insightful interviews, updates on threats to civil society, and
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*CIVICUS blog*
What do you think? Have your say on the CIVICUS Blog! CIVICUS seeks to
amplify the voices and opinions of ordinary people and give expression to
the enormous creative energy within civil society. Our recently launched
blog gives you the opportunity to use your voice and engage with the rest of
civil society. Have your say by visiting http://civicus.civiblog.org
<http://www.whiteband.org/>
* *
*FROM THE DESK OF CIVICUS' SECRETARY-GENERAL**
*Send your comments and contributions to editor at civicus.org.
*CIVICUS issues call for statements of interest for the implementation of
the Civil Society Index (2008-2009 phase)*
By Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary-General
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
*
*It gives me great pleasure to announce that the CIVICUS Civil Society Index
(CSI) has issued a call for applications from partner organisations around
the world who would be interested in implementing a new phase of our
internationally renowned project. Many of you will know that the CSI has
recently concluded its first phase in over 50 countries across the world. I
am proud to say that CIVICUS achieved a great deal with the CSI. First of
all, the project collected an impressive amount of data, which was then
presented in numerous conference s and meetings and eventually analysed in
the two-volume, Global Survey of the State of Civil Society (Kumarian Press
2007). More importantly though, the CSI was a mobilisation machine. In the
past few years, we engaged over 7,000 civil society activists, government
representatives and other stakeholders to conduct an assessment of civil
society's strengths and weaknesses, which was participatory, inclusive and
culture-specific. The upcoming phase aims at repeating and extending the
experience to civil society organisations that are committed to
strengthening civil society in their own countries. To read more on this
week's column, click
here<http://www.civicus.org/new/content/deskofthesecretarygeneral.98.htm>
.
*Launch of the CIVICUS Global Survey of the State of Civil Society Volume 2:
Comparative Perspectives
*26* *February 2008 at 12:00 noon, Johannesburg, South Africa
The *CIVICUS Global Survey of the State of Civil Society *offers one of the
most engaging and comprehensive analyses of key issues facing civil society
worldwide. Comprising 24 chapters by prominent researchers and civil society
practitioners, the book draws on the information collected by the CIVICUS
Civil Society Index project in more than 45 countries. Through a diversity
of perspectives, it explores civil society's accountability, its
relationship to the state and corporate sector and its role in governance
and development, among other issues. The book also includes overviews of the
state of civil society in various regions. For more information about the
launch, click here<http://www.civicus.org/new/media/CIVICUS-Book-Launch_Global-Survey-State-CivilSociety.pdf>
.
* *
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*CIVICUS Poll Question*
*This week's question:*
Do you believe that CIVICUS Civil Society Index project is a meaningful tool
for improving the knowledge and strengthening the capacity of civil society?
To answer the question, click here<http://www.civicus.org/new/poll.asp?c=048451>
.*
Previous question: *Should civil society organisations pay more attention to
issues surrounding workers' rights in developing nations?
*Results: *Yes - 89%%, No - 8%, Don't Know - 3%
------------------------------
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------------------------------
*e-CIVICUS DI
*
*Why civil society is an essential part of a truly vital world**
*By* *Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary
Organisations, UK
As we look towards the future, and the possibility of a new government, both
Labour and the Conservatives are vying to tell us the important role that
civil society will play in the UK of tomorrow. This comes at a time when
civil society is thriving. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations
(NCVO)'s first Civil Society Almanac shows that there are 865,000 civil
society organisations in the UK, with an annual income of £109bn. The
picture for charities, too, is rosy at face value - there are 164,000
general charities in the UK, with an income of £31bn. However, beneath the
prize garden of prosperity lies a bed of disparities between those growing
year on year and those that are struggling to keep afloat. The almanac shows
that although charity income increased by 10% in 2005/06 overall, nearly one
in five of the largest charities, rising to three out of every five of the
smallest charities, decreased their expenditure. For more information, click
here <http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/20/voluntarysector3>.
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*CIVIL SOCIETY NEWS*
*Civil society satisfied with election results in* *Pakistan*
Source: Daily Times, www.dailytimes.com.pk
Civil society members on Tuesday 19 February expressed their satisfaction
over the election results in Pakistan. They said the people of Pakistan had
clearly conveyed to the world that true democracy and an end to Musharraf's
rule were inevitable in Pakistan. The Daily Times talked to several human
rights activists, intellectuals and other civil society members. The
director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, I.A. Rehman, said that
the poll results show that the people of Pakistan want democracy. The people
have voted against the Musharraf rule; now the responsibility lies on the
shoulders of the elected government to do its job through the democratic
process. The poll results show that when the people begin to take decisions,
they can overcome every sort of rigging. The entire electoral process cannot
be termed 'credible', but the polling can surely be termed credible, because
the results show what the nation really wanted. For more information, click
here<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C20%5Cstory_20-2-2008_pg13_3>
.
*Labour movement and civil society in **Russian *
By Boris Kagarlitsky
Workers of the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk wrestled a compromise, but with the
invigorated labour movement, the struggle for the amendment of the Russian
Labour code is likely to become the most important political issue, writes
Boris Kagarlitsky.* *The confrontation between employees and the
administration of the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk ended in compromise.
Salaries were raised by 16-20% depending on the category of employee, rather
than by one third, as the trade union demanded. Using boxing terminology,
one may say that for strikers it was a "victory on points". The significant
outcome of the events at the Ford plant lies in the fact that the labour
movement has attracted public attention. For more information, click
here<http://www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?act_id=17955>
.
*Enacting a bill of rights for civil society in* *India* *
B*y Ashok Kapur
Democracy without education, an eminent political scientist has concluded is
hypocrisy without limitation. It is not known if he coined the adage in the
contemporary Indian context. However, it is very much the reality in our
country today. The wily Indian politician is accountable to no one. He is
playing havoc with the system and the rule of law, without any check or
restraint. Simply put, democracy is a system of checks and balances. The
moment the checks are removed, imbalance results. Thus, democracy is reduced
to a mere form, devoid of meaningful content. For more information, click
here <http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=022025>.
*Civil society asks bishops to lead 'communal action' in Philippines *
By Beverly T. Natividad
Civil society groups that have been organising 'communal action' against the
Arroyo administration are urging the country's bishops to lead the protest
movement. Groups from various sectors -- religious, business, politics and
academia -- gathered for a dialogue with Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo,
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, and Caloocan Bishop Deogracias
Iñiguez on Tuesday in a bid to ask for "clearer leadership" from them. The
civil society groups in the meeting included representatives from the Black
& White Movement, Bayan, the Makati Business Club, the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines, Kubol Pag-Asa, Gabriela, Muslim Legal Assistance Foundation
(MUSLAF), Bangon Pilipinas, National Council of Churches of the Philippines
(NCCP), United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), the Association
of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), Solidarity
Philippines and the La Salle Brothers. For more information, click
here<http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080219-119909/Civil-society-asks-bishops-to-lead-communal-action>
.
*MFA* *Forum contributes to release of labour rights investigator in* *
Bangladesh* *
*Source: AccountAbility, www.AccountAbility21.net
Last week the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) Forum Bangladesh Buyers decided
collectively to take action regarding the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC)
labour rights investigator Mehedi Hasan who has been interrogated by the
Bangladesh intelligence service since 24 January. The MFA Forum Bangladesh
Buyers Group sent a letter to the Bangladesh government on 2 February
requesting fair treatment of Mehedi Hasan and a full investigation into his
arrest. It had been reported that Mr Hasan was only allowed limited
communication with his family and employers, and brief contact with a
lawyer. There was also great concern over his treatment in prison. The
letter was signed by Wal-Mart, Tesco, M&S, H&M, Inditex, Next, Nike, Levi
Strauss, Gap, Walt Disney company, Jones Apparel, Tchibo and Carrefour. For
more information, click
here<http://www.civicus.org/new/media/MFA-Forum-labour-rights.doc>
.
*Civil society wants action against poll officials in Kenya*
By Odhiambo Orlale
Kenya's civil society groups are pushing the Attorney-General Amos Wako to
prosecute top Electoral Commission officials over the disputed presidential
election. In a petition to the A-G, representatives of 25 civil society
organisations give him 14 days to take the poll managers to court or they
would institute private prosecution against the officials. They want the
chairman of the Electoral Commission, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, his 20 fellow
commissioners, returning officers and staff investigated and charged with 12
electoral offences. Some of the organisations pushing for the action include
the Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, East African
Law Society, Kituo Cha Sheria, Centre for Multi Party Democracy, Media
Institute, Muslims for Human Rights, International Commission of Justice -
Kenya Chapter, and the Africa Centre for Open Governance, among others. For
more information, click
here<http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=116901>
.
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*ACCOUNTABILITY*
*Online philanthropy markets: From '**f**eel-**g**ood' giving to effective
social investing?*
Source: Keystone, www.KeystoneAccountability.org
Online platforms like GlobalGiving, Kiva, Network for Good, GiveIndia,
HelpArgentina, and so many more are promising to transform the quality and
quantity of resources available for domestic and international development.
But do they keep their promises? Are they really revolutionising
philanthropic practice? Keystone has recently launched a breakthrough study
that examines the rapidly expanding phenomenon of online philanthropy
markets and details the opportunity that they have to create the
informational basis for results-oriented giving and serving as a lever for
greater accountability and effectiveness of social purpose
organisations. Keystone's study finds that online philanthropy markets are
relentless innovators. Some of their innovations are helping advance
longstanding gaps in the performance of nonprofit organisations, such as
accountability to beneficiaries and other constituents of their work. For
more information, click here<http://www.keystoneaccountability.org/node/159>
.
*Challenging Orthodoxy on Governance and Corruption*
Lessons from Worldwide Empirics, John Hopkins SAIS, Washington DC
Governance is a subject of growing importance in the literature on
development and economic growth. At the same time, measurements of
governance and their practical policy implications have never been more
controversial. Drawing on years of research and experience as a pioneer in
the area of governance metrics, Daniel Kaufmann, Director of Global
Governance at the World Bank Institute, discussed the analytics, empirics
and implications of the ongoing efforts in measuring governance. His
presentation also showcased applications of the empirical work and addressed
some of the debated issues in this evolving field. For more information, click
here<http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWBIGOVANTCOR/Resources/SAIS_presentation.pdf>
.
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*GET* *INVOLVED!*
*GCAP* *campaign on International Women's Day
*Submitted by the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP)
On 8 March, GCAP actions will include an e-card campaign which will be
circulated to all GCAP national coalitions for adaptation and distribution
and calling for further action on gender justice. The Arab region hopes to
issue a parallel statement to the global one and GCAP is currently working
to disseminate this message widely. For more information, click
here.<http://www.internationalwomensday.com/>
*New UN campaign seeks to combat hunger among millions of children*
Source: World Food Programme, www.wfp.org
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) unveiled a new global
fundraising and awareness campaign to benefit the nearly 60 million children
around the world who go to school hungry. Health and education interventions
are less effective when given to people who lack basic nourishment, the
agency noted. The new initiative "Fill the Cup" aims, literally, to fill a
cup with food for hungry school children, increasing their chances for
health, education and a better future. According to WFP, it will take about
$3 billion per year to feed all 59 million children who go to school hungry
worldwide, while $1.2 billion can provide meals for the 23 million children
in 45 of the neediest African countries. To participate in the campaign, click
here <http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2756>.
*A letter from the world's Nobel laureates to* *China: You must act on* *
Darfur*
Source: The Independent, www.independent.co.uk
"We, the undersigned Nobel laureates, Olympic athletes, current and former
government officials, business leaders, human rights activists and public
advocates, are writing to urge for the intensification of diplomatic
engagement in support of a peaceful resolution to the situation in Darfur.
As the primary economic, military and political partner of the government of
Sudan, and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,
China has both the opportunity and the responsibility to contribute to a
just peace in Darfur. Ongoing failure to rise to this responsibility
amounts, in our view, to support for a government that continues to carry
out atrocities against its own people…" To act on *Darfur, *click
here<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/a-letter-from-the-worlds-nobel-laureates-to-china-you-umustu-act-on-darfur-782008.html>
.
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*MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS & GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION AGAINST POVERTY*
*Womens Tribunals outcomes to launch GCAPs International Women's Day (IWD)
activity*
Submitted by the Global Call to Action against Poverty
Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) activity at this year's
International Women's Day (IWD) on 8 March will kick off at the 52nd session
of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters in New York on
28 February. It was at this same event three years ago that GCAP's important
work on gender began and women's organisations joined the call to action.
The outcomes of the 2007 International Women's Tribunals on Poverty,
organised in the framework of the 17th of October, International Day for the
eradication of Poverty, and 15th of October, International Day of rural
women, will be presented. The tribunals were held in New York, Malta, Cairo,
Bosnia - Herzegovina, Lima and Delhi highlighting the feminisation of
poverty, racism, violence against women and discrimination among other
factors leading to women's poverty. For more information, click
here<http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/52sess.htm>
.
*<http://www.oecd.org/document/32/0,3343,en_2649_33721_40056608_1_1_1_1,00.html>The
Aid debate*
Submitted by the Global Call to Action against Poverty
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published
its 2007 Development Cooperation report. The report shows that in 2006, the
total Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by the members of the
DAC fell to USD$104.4 billion, 4.5% lower than in 2005. In real terms, this
is the first fall in ODA since 1997. The report does suggest that there have
been some improvements in the way aid is delivered, and the way it is
managed in the health and basic education sectors. GCAP has been involved in
civil society discussions in the build up to the Aid Effectiveness meeting
in Accra, Ghana, in September. For more information, click
here<http://www.oecd.org/document/32/0,3343,en_2649_33721_40056608_1_1_1_1,00.html>
.
*Baha'i International Community issues statement on poverty eradication*
"Eradicating Poverty: Moving Forward as One"
Source: Baha'i International Community (BIC)
A new statement from the Baha'i International Community calls for a
coherent, principle-based approach to the eradication of global poverty. BIC
representatives introduced the statement, "Eradicating Poverty: Moving
Forward as One," at a lunch held at their offices across from the United
Nations. About 40 representatives from various non-governmental
organisations and UN agencies gathered for the presentation. Tahirih Naylor,
a representative of the BIC to the United Nations, said the statement was
released to coincide with the 46th Commission for Social Development at the
United Nations, held on 6-15 February 2008. For more information,
click here<http://serv04.news.bahai.org/story/604>
.
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*CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISM **AND* *GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS*
*Global growth fails to increase prosperity*
Source: India Infoline News Service
Although the number of official democracies is growing, many people are
still excluded from political decision-making or are even being suppressed,
according to the third Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI). Despite the
continuing worldwide economic growth of the past few years, mass poverty
remains the central problem in most developing countries, and the majority
of people have no lasting share in this prosperity. Although the number of
official democracies is growing, many people are still excluded from
political decision-making. This is the conclusion reached by the third
Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) an international comparative study of
125 transformation countries recently published by the German Bertelsmann
Foundation. Among the transformation countries with the most successful
governance in the past few years are Chile, Estonia and Botswana. The
countries with the worst governance are Somalia, Myanmar and Zimbabwe. For
more information, click
here<http://www.indiainfoline.com/news/innernews.asp?storyId=59303&lmn=1>
.
*GPPAC: Mobilising civil society response to prevent conflict*
The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) is a
global civil society network focused on preventing conflict and building
peace. The network was created following an appeal from UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan in his report, "Prevention of Armed Conflict" (2001). GPPAC is
built on regional networks in 15 regions world-wide and in July 2005 it
organised the historic global conference "From Reaction to Prevention: Civil
Society Forging Partnerships to Prevent Violent Conflict and Build Peace" at
the UN Headquarters in New York. This global conference brought together the
largest group of civil society and policymakers working on conflict
prevention and peacebuilding ever at the United Nations and approved a
Global Action Agenda that is currently being implemented through global and
regional work plans. The European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP)
serves as the International Secretariat for GPPAC. For more information, click
here <http://www.oneworld.nl/index.php?page=10&jobopeningId=2901>.* *
* <http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4970>Africa-based civil society groups: **W**ho
owes whom?*
Editor: John Feffer
*As President Bush embarks on his journey to* *Africa* *he is looking to
secure his legacy, in part through his administration's development
initiatives on the continent. One of those initiatives is the
administration's support for expanded debt relief for the continent. *A
closer look at this administration's record on debt should begin with the
question often posed by Africa-based civil society groups: Who owes whom?
The Bush administration has supported debt cancellation in Africa. Does
Africa owe President Bush a debt of gratitude? In 2005, the Bush
administration, together with the UK, took strong leadership at the G-8
summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, and agreed to provide the possibility of
100% debt stock cancellation of eligible debts for eligible countries. For
more information, click here <http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4970>.
*Scotland* *must not let its lead in renewable energy slip through its
fingers
*By George Kerevan, Between the lines
The recent National Economic Forum, a coming together of the Scottish
Government with the business community and civil society, spent time
discussing how climate change might afford Scotland significant economic
opportunities, particularly in the realm of renewable energy technology.
This theme has been developed on a number of occasions by the First
Minister, Alex Salmond, who used his visit last week to the Irish power
company Airtricity (soon to be absorbed by Scottish & Southern Energy) to
argue that Scotland's "natural environment provides us with a clear,
competitive advantage in developing clean, green energy". For more
information, click
here<http://business.scotsman.com/business/George-Kerevan--Scotland-must.3794094.jp>
.
*Whistle-blower site taken offline in US
*Source: British Broadcasting Corporation News*
*Wikileaks.org, as it is known, was cut off from the internet following a
California court ruling, the site says. The case was brought by a Swiss bank
after "several hundred" documents were posted about its offshore activities.
Other versions of the pages, hosted in countries such as Belgium and India,
can still be accessed. However, the main site was taken offline after the
court ordered that Dynadot, which controls the site's domain name, should
remove all traces of wikileaks from its servers. The court also ordered that
Dynadot should "prevent the domain name from resolving to the
wikileaks.orgwebsite or any other website or server other than a blank
park page, until
further order of this Court." For more information, click
here<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7250916.stm>
.
*How to make the system work: **global economy and African governance**
*Ferial Haffajee of the Mail & Guardian in South Africa spoke to George
Soros, philanthropist of the Open Society Initiative
Billionaire philanthropist George Soros made his fortune on the markets and
is giving a lot of it to Africa . Last week he hosted an Africa Forum in
Dakar on whether the continent is moving closer to his open society ideal.
Ferial Haffajee asked him about the global economy, African governance and
the role of China in Africa . For more information, click
here<http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=332581&area=/insight/insight__comment_and_analysis/>
.
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*PROFILE**S*
* <http://www.astraea.org/Main.php4>DONOR: Astraea Foundation*
The Astraea Foundation is a dynamic global foundation providing critically
needed financial support to lesbian-led, trans, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transexual and Intersexual (LGBTI) and progressive organisations. It raises
funds and issues grants based on the belief that all women can participate
in the philanthropic process. Separated by continents, language and culture,
Astraea grantees are seizing opportunities and laying the groundwork
necessary for LGBTI people to claim their human rights. In the face of scant
resources and, at times, physical danger, Astraea grantees are fuelling the
movement for social change in villages, cities and towns around the world. A
miniscule 0.3% of all foundation dollars is directed toward lesbian and gay
issues. Astraea exists to fund these issues. For more information, click
here <http://www.astraea.org/>.
* <http://www.awepa.org/>MEMBER: Association of **European Parliamentarians
for **Africa* *(AWEPA)*
The Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) is an
international non-governmental organisation, which strives to reduce poverty
and protect human rights by supporting the healthy functioning of
parliaments in Africa and by keeping Africa on the political agenda in
Europe . With its roots in the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa,
AWEPA now works in Africa from a development perspective to strengthen the
core functions of parliaments: oversight, representation and legislation. It
believes that strong parliaments are fundamental for Africa's development;
for peace, stability and prosperity. AWEPA's work focuses on* *African
parliaments: capacity building and parliamentary exchange;* *European
parliaments: mobilising European parliamentarians for Africa ; Thematic
programmes: mobilising parliamentary action on development issues,
and* *Research
and publications on development related issues and parliamentary democracy. For
more information, click here <http://www.awepa.org/>.
------------------------------
*BOOKS, REPORTS & RESOURCES*
*In the name of 'Civil Society'*
By Helen Colwell Adams
Don Eberly's new book shows how private sector initiatives outshine
government's response to needs around the world.*
*When a tsunami struck Indonesia and other Indian Ocean nations the day
after Christmas in 2004, the deadly wave unleashed a tsunami of its own: a
tsunami of compassion. Don Eberly was trying to ride the compassion tsunami,
coordinating private sector aid in the wake of the devastation. In
theUnited Statesalone, businesses, nonprofits and individuals gave
more than $2 billion for
tsunami victims - more than three times what the U.S. government
contributed. What Eberly saw then confirmed trends that he thought he'd
begun to see through three previous years in the Bush administration.
"Everywhere I went in the developing world I found the most fascinating
people - I call them wildcatters - who are out on the frontiers of
development, promoting some creative solution to housing, food production,
energy or health," Eberly said. For more information, click
here<http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/216783>
.
*Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05 users survey*
Source: Chronic Poverty Research Centre
The Chronic Poverty Research Centre will be launching its second Chronic
Poverty Report 2008-09 in June 2008. In anticipation of the forthcoming
launch, the Research Centre is contacting those who have shown an interest
in their work to ask for assistance in evaluating the impact of the first
Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05. The report contained an in-depth review and
analysis of the 'what', 'where', 'who' and 'why' of chronic poverty, and
aimed to push chronic poverty and the priorities of chronically poor people
further up the agendas of government, donor, research and NGO communities.
The survey comprises 20 questions and should take no longer than 15 minutes
to complete. The deadline for responses is Sunday 6 March 2008 . For more
information, click
here<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gR8oodcbloAmm5gpGm6PKQ_3d_3d>
.
*Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world*
UN Human Development Report occasional paper by political sociologist Roman
Krznaric
This paper aims to reveal the common ground shared by the world's major
religions in their approaches to environmental issues in general, and
climate change in particular. It begins with an analysis of the three major
Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and then examines
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and indigenous cosmologies. For each
religion, the paper considers the evidence for an environmental ethic within
its beliefs and teachings, and highlights statements from religious leaders
and organisations that explicitly address climate change. The conclusion
draws together the underlying themes and principles that unite the world's
major religions in their thinking about climate change and the planet's
ecological future. *For more information, click
here<http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/papers/krznaric_roman.pdf>
.
**Unique online fundraising techniques for Nonprofits
*Social Networking
*By Lance Trebesch and Taylor Robinson**
*Every nonprofit knows that fundraisers are critical to their existence.
Without donations, no resources are available to support the primary cause
or purpose of the organisation. While most traditional media channels have
been exhausted, new opportunities have arisen in the online sector. By
tapping into cutting-edge online resources, your organisation can achieve
fundraising objectives that far exceed established boundaries. But what are
these mysterious online tools and how do you put them to work for your
organisation? This series attempts to answer these questions and more by
breaking down the vast online resources into six manageable categories. For
more information, click
here<http://www.imakenews.com/ephilanthropy/e_article001020741.cfm?x=bc9H4pR,b2kNlDBr,w>
.* *
------------------------------
*CONFERENCES & EVENTS*
*Performing the World '08
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow*
2-5 October 2008, New York, US
The conveners of Performing the World, the conference /festival of the
growing international performance movement, are excited to announce the
fifth Performing the World '08. The event will showcase innovative practice
and scholarship and provide a rich context for learning and performing
together. Performing the World '08 (PTW '08) builds on the momentum of
2007's PTW 4, which brought together 300 practitioners, scholars and
community activists, educators, youth workers, researchers, psychologists
and therapists, health and helping professionals, business people, artists
and activists from 27 countries. PTW '08 is bringing the international
performance movement to the streets of New York and introducing the
performance movement to the communities of New York City. For more
information, click here<http://www.civicus.org/new/media/Performing-World08.doc>
. *
Environment and Governance in the Commonwealth conference*
8-10
...
[Message clipped]
_______________________________________________
e-CIVICUS mailing list
e-CIVICUS at elists.civicus.org
http://elists.civicus.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/e-civicus
--
________________________________________________
Rui Correia
Advocacy, Human Rights, Media and Language Consultant
2 Cutten St
Horison
Roodepoort-Johannesburg,
South Africa
Tel/ Fax (+27-11) 766-4336
Cell (+27) (0) 84-498-6838
_______________
áâãçéêíóôõúç
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