IN THIS ISSUE:
EVENTS
1. Gender/Machreq-Maghreb
NEWS
1. Environment
2. Gender
3. ICT
REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
1. Development/Machreq-Maghreb
2. Disabiltiy/Machreq-Magreb
3. Gender
4. ICT
5. Research and Policy
6. Social Development
7. Trade and CSOs
WEBSITES & RESOURCES
1. Communication
2. Knowledge for Development
3. NGOs/Development

EVENTS
1. Gender/Machreq-Maghreb:
Gender and ICT Workshop
"A two day workshop on Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM*) for ICT Initiatives, to be held from
7-8th of May 2005 in Cairo, seeks to bring participants who are interested in gender issues on ICT4D." The workshop is a way to provide the opportunities to exchange experiences, insight and knowledge in gender and ICT issues. The workshop is hosted by the Global Knowledge Program and the Association for Progressive Communications through its Women's Networking Support Program.
http://www.globalknowledge.org/gemworkshop2005/

Lebanon: Course on "Gender and Communication"
CRTDA is organizing its second regional training seminar on "Gender and Communication." The course
will be held in Beirut from 27th to the 30th of June, 2005. Information and application form can be downloaded from:
http://www.iris-lebanonorg/inner/com&gender.htm

NEWS
1. Environment:
Tunisia: Gulf of Gabes Marine and Coastal Resources Project
"The World Bank's board approved a GEF grant amount of $6.31 million to contribute to the protection of
important Mediterranean and international biodiversity and promote economic development by sustaining managing marine and coastal natural resources."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/environment/rc/ItemDetail.do~103329...

2. Gender:
Kuwait: Parliament to Speed Up Votes for Women
"The report says that parliament has agreed to speed up moves towards a law to grant women
the same political rights as men. The decision came amid street rallies led by women activists. The cabinet has allowed women to vote and stand in elections but it has been delayed by the strong conservative bloc in parliament."
http://www.aviva.org/mideast.htm

Iraq: Demanding Justice for Giuliana Sgrena and Iraqi Women
The report explains how US troops shot and injured Ms. Sgrena, and shot and killed Nicola Caliperi whose sacrifice released Sgrena from a kidnapping. Ms. Sgrena had published in her paper testimonies of Iraqi women who had been raped and sexually abused in Abu Ghraib and other prisons.
http://www.aviva.org/mideast.htm

Qatar: Woman Forcibly Detained
The report says that Hamda Fahad Jassem Ali Al-Thani, a member of Qatar's ruling family, is
forcibly being held at her family's home in the capital Doha. Her father's disapproval of her choice of husband has reportedly led her to being detained by members of security forces for a year. She is also said to have been beaten by her family. Amnesty International has brought the case to the attention of the authorities.
http://www.aviva.org/mideast.htm

Turkey: Police Beat Women's Day Protestors
"The European Union has expressed shocked and concern at the "disproportionate force" used by
Turkish police during a protest in Istanbul to break up an unauthorized demonstration on March 6th,
ahead of International Women's Day demanding equal rights for women. 100 out of 300 protestors refused to disperse and were attacked by guards with tears gas and truncheons."
http://www.aviva.org/europe.htm

3. ICT: Blogging Growing in the Middle
East "Arab countries are notorious for governmental control of the media. The advent of blogging
opens up a new era in the battle between free expression and censorship. In Iraq there are hundreds of blog sites mostly run by Iraqi, some by US and other coalition soldiers.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/ItemDetail.do~1033845?intcmp...

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
1. Development Goals/Machreq-Maghreb:
Egypt: Millennium Development Goals, Second Country Report
"This is the second country report published by the United Nations and the Egypt tian government
on Egypt's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. The country appears on track to meet most of the goals but also faces challenges."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/mdg/rc/itemDetail.do~1034448?intcmp...

2. Disability/Machreq-Maghreb:
Disability Statistics in the Western Asia Region
"According to the UN-ESCWA, cases of disability in Western Asia are relatively high compared
to those in the rest of the world, with an estimated 4% of the people in the countries of ESCWA region being disabled. This elevated level, said, ESCWA is due to the number of wars in the region."
http://www.escwa.org.lb/

3. Gender:
Arab Women Ten Years After Beijing
"UN-ESCWA Executive Secretary Mervat Tallawy launched a report prepared by ESCWA entitled "Arab
Women: Beijing+10" which documents the most important  achievements of Arab women and highlights the obstacles and challenges they have faced in the ten years following the Beijing Conference." The report documents major obstacles and achievements that women have been facing due to recent
political and social developments and challenges that they have dealt with on a long term basis.
http://www.escwa.org.lb/

Developing Power: How Women Transformed International Development
This report was put out by the Feminist Press in New York. It argues that women, all over the
world, have long occupied a pivotal place in social and economic life yet the international development programs of the mid-twentieth century have largely ignored women’s ideas and contributions.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/mdg/rc/ItemDetail.do~1031795?intcmp...

Israel: Women Trafficking Soars
"The report describes how 3,000-5,000 women, in the past four years are being smuggled
into Israel and sold a public auctions for as much as $18,000 and forced to work 18 hours a days. On average women only earn 3 percent of the money they earn on prostitution."
http://www.aviva.org/mideast.htm

Palestine: Intifada- Palestinian Women Have Suffered the Most
This report highlights how women have suffered in the occupied territories criticizing both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli military for failing to safeguard women's basic rights. Women have been denied access to medical care across checkpoints. The report blames the PA for being unable and willing to "confront abuses of women such as honor killings and says that it is impossible for women who are threatened by their families to escape." The report also says that "women bear the brunt of the anger by male relatives who feel helpless and humiliated as a result of the economic devastation caused by Israeli blockades.”
http://news.independent.co.uk

The Impact of Guns on Women's Lives
This report  produced by Oxfam, co-authored by Amnesty International, International Action Network on Small Arms and Oxfam International looks at the impact on women of guns in the home, in communities, the role women play in gun use and the violence committed with guns against women. The report sets out
international legal framework that informs and underpins campaigns to stop violence against women and to control arms.
http://sea.search.msn.com/dnserror.aspx?FORM=DNSAS&q=www.eldis.og%2fcf%2...

4. ICT:
ICT for Community Development:
Collaborative Partnerships Between Universities, Governments and Communities
"This article by Stewart Marshall (The University of the West Indies) and Wal Taylor (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa) argue that there are relatively few examples of sustained community networks built around ICT when compared to commercial networks."
http://topics.devlopmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/itemDetail.do~103430?intcmp=7...

5. Research and Policy:
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Policy
This article poses the argument that policies tend to be more successful when they are based on
research findings, "but yet policy makers often disagree on the research reports they are given or simply fail to read them."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/knowledge/rc/ItemDetail.do~1034663?...

6. Social Development:
Safety in the West Bank and Gaza
The Social Safety Net Reform Document on the West Bank and Gaza is available  at: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,menuPK:247...

or try:
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servelet/WDS_IBank_Servelet?pcont=details&e...

7. Trade and CSOs:
The WTO and Civil Society
"In line with a general trend in contemporary global governance, the World Trade Organization has been developing links with civil society groups. If conducted well, these contacts can make important contributions towards greater effectiveness and democracy."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/trade/rc/ItemDetail.do~1034655?intc...

Trade and Civil Society: Toward Transparency in the Policy Process
"The involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the trade policy process has become
the central issue in the lively and often acrimonious debate on the "democratic deficit" held by many to exist in the functioning of multilateral trade."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/trade/rc/ItemDetail.do~1034321?intc...

WEBSITES & RESOURCES
1. Communication:
International Freedom of Expression exchange
"International Freedom of Expression eXchange is a website that promotes freedom of expression in the media. This webpage contains links to its resources on anti-terrorism laws, defamation laws, freedom of information, impunity, internet censorship, journalism etc."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/culture/rc/ItemDetail.do~1034600?in...

2. Knowledge for Development (K4D):
Knowledge Share Toolkit
"The draft kit contains tools designed to make it easier to benefit from the collective experience, knowledge and expertise of your peers, co-workers and partners. The knowledge sharing techniques described in this toolkit are a selection of Knowledge Share (KS) tools that are simple, quick and proven to be
effective methods for providing and promoting open transparent discussion on issues and topics and can be effectively used as training/facilitation techniques for workshops." To download the toolkit:
http://tinyurl.com/415k3%20www.trainonline.org/itrainonline/itoannounce/...

3. NGOs/Development:
NGO Manager Organizational Assessment Tool
"The purpose of the Organizational Assessment Tool is to help organizations to improve their performance. It helps to find out their strong and weak points. The OAT is a learning tool on problems and questions concerning the organization's strategy."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~1033762?intcmp...

How to Build a Small NGO
"This manual is useful for either starting an NGO or for improving systems in existing NGOs. Best practices and examples are provided that allow one to prevent, recognize and fix problems."
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~1034123?intcmp...