IN THIS ISSUE:
EVENTS
1. Gender/Machreq-Maghreb
2. Iraq/NGOs
NEWS
1. Iraq/Relief
2. Egpyt/Development and Environment
REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
1. Machreq-Maghreb/Gender
2. Gender/ICT
3. ICT
4. World Trade
WEBSITES & RESOURCES
1. E-Government
2. Iraq/Government

EVENTS
1. GENDER/MACHREQ-MAGHREB:
MEDITERRANEAN WOMEN AND THEIR RIGHTS- APRIL 28-30 2005- PALAIS DES CONGRESS, FES
This was a follow-up to the International Conference for Mediterranean Women which was comprised by the Fes-Saiss Association on April 24-26 2003 in Palais des Congress, Fes. The event sought to promote equality between men and women and to fight all types of discrimination against women.
http://www.comminit.com/events_calender/2005-events/events-2728 

2. IRAQ/NGOs:
NGO COORDINATION COMMITTEE IN IRAQ
NGO workshop and conference in Amman, Jordan took place from June 6th-7th & 9th,
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/iraq/rc/ItemDetail.do~1040163?intcm...

NEWS
1. IRAQ/DEVELOPMENT:
PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN IRAQ
IMMAP, which is the acronym for Information Management & Mine Action Program, set up by the Vietnam Veterans of American has been chosen among one of the six finalists for the Development Gateway Award 2005. iMMAP received particular attention for their unique and exemplary work in Humanitarian Information Management. Since 1999, iMMAP, in partnership with the United Nations, the European Union and many
international and national agencies has been a primary information management/technology stakeholder in a number of countries such as Kosovo, Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan and Iraq. To read about the project see: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/iraq/highlights/viewHighlight.do~ac...
d=105641?intcmp=918

3. EGPYT/DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT:
VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT (VEAP) – EGYPT
This project aims to extend access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation in Egypt. The strategy includes ensuring a safe water supply, working to improve sanitation and providing education and communication to improve hygienic and environmental awareness. To find out more see:
www.comminit.org/africa/experiences/pds62005/experiences-3210.html Â...

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
1. MACHREQ-MAGHREBGENDER:
WOMEN AND ELECTIONS: GUIDE TO PROMOTING THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN ELECTIONS
Produced by the Office of the Special Advisor to the secretary General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) in 2004.This paper is based on the concept that democratic elections are key to peace building in post-conflict situations and that women's participation is vital  to ensuring sustainable
democracy. Given the acknowledged women in peace-building , enhancing women's participation in elections in post-conflict countries is essential to peace building and democracy and ensuring the equality of men and women in society.
www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr/cfm?doc=DOC17678 

WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE ARAB WORLD
This working paper, available in English and German, has been written by Wurth, A. and published by Duetsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). “It offers an overview of the legal status of women in select Arab countries. It addresses the various rights of women: when entering marriage, within marriage, to divorce, maintenance after dissolution marriage, custody of children and the transfer of citizenship to children. The paper begins by explaining Islamic law, its main sources and the status of women living under it. It clarifies how difficult it is for women to assert their rights due to their often limited access to the judicial system. The paper concludes with a description of discriminatory legislation in some Arab states, with special reference to the status of Islamic law. The report does not claim to represent the complete picture. It is instead an attempt to throw light on sections and examples taken from the very complex subject of women’s rights in the Arab world that are relevant to development cooperation. (summary by author) See: http://www.siyanda.org

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIA, KENYA, SUDAN AND TUNISIA (FRENCH)
This paper was written by Morrison, C. and published through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). The institutional framework of a country plays a determining role in the well being of the women who live in it. This paper examines the status of women from four countries: India, Kenya, Sudan and Tunisia. It brings to light several obstacles in the institutional framework such as age old traditions, economic interests, political and social opposition. Key factors enabling positive change include parliamentary and legislative reform and the existence of powerful women’s associations and pro-reform coalitions, advances in the education of girls and women’s role in the labor force. The diffusion of progressive information and exchanges in populations, (study exchanges) would encourage the evolution of new and progressive mentalities. See: http://www.siyanda.org

2. GENDER/ICT:
GENDER AND ICTS FOR DEVELOPMENT: A GLOBAL SOURCEBOOK: Produced by the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in 2005 and written by L. Guihuan. This book is a collection of case studies about women and their communities in developing countries and how they have been influenced by ICTs. The book proposes that ICTs encourage development and have profound implications for men and women in terms
of employment, education, health, environment and community development.
www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr/cfm?doc=DOC18856

MOBILE PHONES FOR MOTHER AND CHILD CARE
This article evaluates the strategy of using mobile phones as a tool for promoting matrernal, newborn and child health in developing countries, using Egpyt as a case study. Information presented in this article is based on a qualitative study conducted by the author in Minia Governate, Egpyt 2002-2003, and uses a framework developed for the UK Partnership for Global Health and the Nulifoed Trust in 2002 entitled "Integrating Information and Communication Technology to Improve Global Health: A Conceptual Framework." http://www.comminit.com/evaluations/eval12005/evaluations-92.html

3. ICT:
ACCESS TO ICTs FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Written by Willie Currie this article argues that in using Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to connect rural agricultural producers to markets through global information networks is the key to helping advance rural development in developing countries. The worldwide effort to have ICTs brought to rural areas is being address at The World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) which declared that in 2003 it would seek out ways to make ICTs accessible to more than half the world's inhabitants. Another phase of this process will take place in Tunis, Tunisia in November, 2005. To read more about this development see: http://www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/st2005/thinking-1052.html

4. WORLD TRADE:
TWO PERSPECTIVES: 2-TEN YEARS OF THE WTO: SUBORDINATING DEVELOPMENT TO FREE TRADE
This paper has been written by Bullard, N. and Chanypate, C. and produced by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
e.V (FES) 2005. This paper looks critically at the 10 years of the WTO. It argues that the WTO's impact on the world's poor has been overwhelmingly negative. In this context the paper assesses the unbalanced power relationships with the organization as well as the failures of the WTO so far. Available online at: http://www.eldis.org     

TWO PERSPECTIVES: 1- TEN YEARS OF THE WTO: A SUCCESS STORY OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE This
paper has been written by Moore, M. and produced by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. (FES) 2005. This paper is a part of a series that mark the 10 years of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is supportive of the WTO, arguing that it is the most democratic international body in existence today and the key to managing a globalizing world when democracy remains rooted in the nation-state. Available online at:
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC18815

WEBSITES & RESOURCES
1. E-GOVERNMENT:MOROCCO: SET TO BOOST E-GOVERNMENT
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/e-government/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~13381~~?&intcmp=906

4. IRAQ/EDUCATION: IRAQ'S EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS 2003-2004
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/iraq/rc/ItemDetail.do~1023045?intcmp=918