IN THIS ISSUE:
EVENTS
1. Gender
NEWS
1. ICT
 2. NGOs
REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
1. Gender
2. Health
  3. ICT
4. Machreq/maghreb
5. NGOs
6. Trade/Economics/Microfinance
7. Youth
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
 1. Gender
2. NGOs
  3. Trade/Economics/Microfinance

EVENTS
1. GENDER:
Video Meeting -- Jobs, Trade, Gender and Governance. Lead: “A growth strategy for the Middle East and North Africa region was addressed by speakers from the Bank and academia in this B-SPAN event. They offer analysis and solutions to regional development issues, such as employment challenges, described as the “overriding issue,” and trade and investment. A “paradox” exists regarding gender, says one speaker, since women have benefited greatly from improvements in education and health, but their participation in the labour force remains low. Governance approaches are also explored for the region, where the aggregate index of quality has been characterized as lower than any other”.http://info.worldbank.org/etools/bSPAN/presentationView.asp?%20EID=577&PID=1137 

When Women Gain, So Does the World. This is the Institute for Women's Policy Research's 8th international conference it will be held in Washington, D.C. 20-21 June, 2005.  The theme of the conference will centre on the issue that investing on women not only improves women's status alone but is critical to the economic and social realms. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do%20~1024760~intcmp=700?itemId=1024760&intcmp=700 

1. ICT:
IT4Youth in West Bank Wins Award as Best Practice Program.
It has been reported in a  OneWorld article that:
"IT4Youth, a joint initiative between the Welfare Association, a Palestinian foundation,  and the  International Youth Foundation (IYF), will be awarded  a  US$30,000 prize for being a best practice program”.

http://topics.developmentgateway.org/youth/rc/ItemDetail.do~%201024243~intcmp=700

2.   NGOs:
Winners of the 2004 UNESCO Literacy Prizes. Lead: “Winners of the 2004 UNESCO Literacy Prizes, including the International Reading Association Literacy Award, have been announced. For its focus on culture, the most interesting winner was L’Edikasyon pu Travayer, a non-governmental organization in Mauritius”.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do%20~1024222~intcmp=700 

1.   GENDER:
Diversity Makes the Difference!: Gender Considerations for Promoting An Equitable Access to and Fair Sharing of Benefits Arising From the
Utilisation of Biodiversity. This paper aims to “understand the interlink ages between societies and biodiversity. The paper discusses gender considerations basedon the principle that social equity means that the costs and benefits of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity will be equitably shared and evenly distributed. The paper highlights the fact that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) stresses the importance of gender equity in connection with the use and distribution of genetic resources”. http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16229

Quick Guide: CEDAW. Siyanda has posted a number of articles related to CEDAW. In sum:  “How can the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) continue to serve as an instrument for the protection of women's human rights worldwide twenty-five years after its adoption?” One such article is “Gender, the Millennium Development Goals, and Human Rights in the Context of the 2005 Review Process” http://www.siyanda.org/

Mainstreaming Gender in Urban Development: Activity Description and Synthesis.  Lead; “This is a discussion of urban development in the Middle East and Northern Africa revolving around the dynamics of gender. The primary goal of the organization’s compilation of this project was to create a tool kit for those involved in development decisions”.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do%20~1024314~intcmp=700?itemId=1024314&intcmp=700
 

Gender, Education and Child Labour in Lebanon. Lead: This study examines the topic of gender, education and child labour in Lebanon, and argues that despite the limited availability of related information at the national level, there are indications of the existence of some factors and variables that impede the full realisation of the development of children in Lebanon. These include: cultural and socio-economic factors; gaps in the existing educational system; existence of child labour; and gender inequality. You can also find on the Eldis website a similar study regarding Egypt. http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16374
 

2.   HEALTH:
Lebanon - Health Sector Development. New World Bank project information is now available regarding Lebanon and the health sector. From the introduction: “Despite in overall public health status life expectancy over the decades, Lebanon still faces a number of significant health challenges. Over half the population still lacks formal health insurance coverage …”
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details%20&eid=000104615_20041026094450

3.   ICT:
Access to ICT by young people: Issues and recommendations. Lead: This presentation confronts the myth that children are Masters of Technology, uncovering various misconceptions associated with children and ICT use and replacing them with empirical findings and specific concerns recently expressed in public debate. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/ItemDetail.do~102%204496~intcmp=700?itemId=102%204496&intcmp=700

Pulse Poll topic: The Internet is a force that destroys cultural diversity. Comment: "On the web distance and culture are bypassed and a human experience is what matters and connects one person to groups or to another individual. Ultimately it is beneficial in [that] cultural fusion is already taking place on many levels...the net further enhances the fusion and creates a united world community...on the downside it enhances disconnected and mechanically minded communities."  http://www.comminit.com/pulse/pulsecomments/sld-2789.html

4.   MACHREQ/MAGHREB:
New ESCWA Publication Economic and Social Developments in the ESCWA Region. ESCWA has published the “Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Region: 2003-2004”, it aims to promote regional dialogue with “a view to retaining human and financial resources within the region and repatriating funds for the purpose of economic development”. ESCWA Weekly News 46 (http://www.escwa.org.lb)

Agreement Supports Training for Iraq’s Senior Civil Service. From the article : “The Bank signed a $7 million grant agreement with Iraq’s Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation to support training to will help Iraq’s civil service play a leading role in the reconstruction and development process and set the stage for economic reforms, including social protection measures, in the medium term. The Second-Capacity Building Project builds on the first phase of a training program, launched in February, that aimed at building procurement and fiduciary skills, considered critical to managing internationally financed development projects”. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,co%20ntentMDK:20279370~menuPK:34464~pagePK:64003015~piP

Education in the Middle East and North Africa: the current situation and future challenges. Lead: “this paper investigates the educational development in the Middle East and North Africa. The paper reviews similarities between countries within the region, as well as comparisons between other developing countries”.  http://topics.developmentgateway.org/poverty/rc/ItemDetail.do%20~1024250~intcmp=700?itemId=1024250&intcmp=700

5.   NGOs:
NGO Strategies to Engage Business: Trends, Critical Issues and Next Steps. This report is based on 33 interviews with NGO leaders and thinkers as well as a meeting of 13 NGO leaders, and explores the current issues and challenges confronting the engagement of NGO's with the corporate sector. “The report aims to identify trends, future strategies for engagement and competencies that need to be developed”.  
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16332

Linking Corporate Social Responsibility, Good Governance and Corporate Accountability through Dialogue. This paper “examines the possibility of developing an international institutional arrangement for the CSR agenda. It argues that this is needed because there is not yet any forum in which the full range of actors (governments, civil society and businesses, big and small, rich and poor) can come together to explore and build understanding on some of the most difficult areas within the CSR agenda, and that this holds back progress in some important areas and therefore the potential for CSR to contribute positively to the pursuit both of public policy and business goals”. http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16254

6.   TRADE/ECONOMICS/MICROFINANCE:
Rating ABSA, Egypt. Lead “The microfinance industry started in Egypt in the early 1990s with support from several sources, notably the Social Fund for Development (SFD), the US development agency, USAID, and the Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC)...”
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/rc/ItemDet%20ail.do~1023967~intcmp=700

7.   YOUTH:
Youth InfoNet. This is “a one-stop monthly electronic source for new publications and information on youth reproductive health and HIV prevention, presented in two parts: Part I. Program Resources. Summaries of tools, curricula, program reports, unpublished research findings, and other”.  http://topics.developmentgateway.org/youth/rc/ItemDetail.do~1024113~intcmp=700

1.   GENDER:
Country Focus: Lebanon. Siyanda has access to key gender resources on its website: http://www.siyanda.org/search/qlinx-countryfocus.cfm?code=Lebanon
 

2.   NGOS:
Civil Society Toolbox: Innovative Practices. This is a toolbox that is part of the Civil Society Organizations and Participation Programme (CSOPP) of the United Nations Development programme (UNDP). Lead “As part of the Bureau Resources and Strategic Partnerships (BRSP), the Civil Society Division works with CSOs…”http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~10%2023885~intcmp=700

3.   TRADE/ECONOMICS/MICROFINANCE:
2005 International Year of Microcredit Website This is the official website of the 2005 International year of Microcredit. “The purpose of the year is to further include financial sectors and increase the public's awareness and understanding of microcredit and microfinance”. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/rc/ItemDet%20ail.do~1024237~intcmp=700