IN THIS ISSUE:
EVENTS

1. Gender
2. NGOs
3. Sustainable Development

NEWS

1. ICT

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES

1. Trade/Economics/Microfinance
2. Youth
3. NGOs
4. Sustainable Development
5. Gender

WEBSITES

1. NGOs
2. Gender

EVENTS

1. GENDER:

Workshop: Curriculum for Change: An educator Institute to stop Violence against Women. This workshop which will start from July 21-24 at Seattle University, USA, has as aim to explore ending violence against women. The workshop will include members from all areas of life including community members, teachers and students, who will work together in an attempt to find a solution. www.amnestyusa.org/events/western/educatorsinstitute/

2. NGOs:

‘Associations Make A Better World” 2004 Awards Program. “The Associations Make A Better World Awards seek to recognize outstanding examples of association programs, projects and activities that make a significant contribution to societies and economies worldwide.”
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~10053%2098~int...

3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

August 17-21: Universal Forum of Cultures, Barcelona. This biannual conference will be held in Spain to assist vulnerable collectives in addition to promoting the volunteer action as a way that everybody can use to contribute to the growth of communities, to build participative processes and to promote democracy and social justice. www.iave2004barcelona.org

March 13-17, 2005: Energy and Environment Conference. The th International conference on energy and environment will be held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Full details about the conference can be found on the website. http://ee9.sat-eng.com

G8 Summit on Mid -East Democracy: A glass Half Full or Half Empty? At the G8 summit a program for promotion reform in the Middle East and North Africa was adopted. However many expressed their cynicism about democracy in these two regions. The program does however include provision for a democracy dialogue, a scheme for ‘willing partners’ amongst G8 and Arab states. This dialogue will also raise issues ranging from election procedures to human rights. Article dated 11/06/04, http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=1

G8 Sea Island Documents Available: The Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the Region of the Broader Middle East and North Africa can be found at: www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/fs/33375.htm

G-8 Plan of Support for Reform: www.whiehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/0620040609-29.html

NEWS

1. ICT:

Workshop on National e-Strategies in Lebanon was held on May 27 and 28 by the office of the Minister of State for Administration Reform and the UNDP. And its regional program ICTDAR. The main aim of the meeting was to share regional and international experiences. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/ItemDetail.do~100438 0&intcmp=00001

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES

1. TRADE/ECONOMICS/MICROFINANCE:

Crisis in World Trade Must be Addressed at UNCTAD XI. In this Oxfam report it is claimed that “six of the ten poorest countries in the world are less prosperous than they were twenty years ago”. As a result Oxfam is calling for change so that world trade rules can work for the poor, such as an end to export dumping, and the introduction of mechanisms to achieve price stability in the commodities market. www.oxfam.org/eng/pr040610_trade-unctad_report.htm

2. YOUTH:

World Youth Report 2003: The Global Situation of Young Peoples. In this UN publication an overview of the global situation of young people is given. It explores both the hopes and aspirations of youth today in addition to those elements of vulnerability and lost opportunities that are so relevant today. Main topics that are covered include; education, employment girls and young women in addition to several more. www.un.org/publications

3. NGOs:

Exploring the Role of Development Cooperation Agencies in Corporate Responsibility. This paper, which was produced by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), examines the role that donors have in promoting and enabling corporate social responsibility. Findings reveal that donors can play more significant roles in five main areas, including simplifying policy documents, and developing closer links between government and industry representatives.
www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC14949

Doha Declaration. This past June 3- 4, the Doha Conference on Democracy and Reform in the Arab World was held. The conference comprised of more than 100 thinkers and political leaders from states in the Arab world. As a result a declaration has been produced and this can be found in this article. Article dated 11/06/04, www.freedomhouse.org

Who is Driving Development? Reflections on the Transformative Potential of Asset Based Community Development. This paper discusses how asset based community Development has the ability to mobilise and sustain community development. The paper concludes with several findings amongst which are that “many development practitioners work in hierarchically structured environments where development practice is not only NGO driven, but driven also by a donor agenda”. www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC14849

The Levi Strauss Foundation. This article describes the Levi Strauss Foundation., an organisation which focuses on the immediate needs of communities around the globe in which its employees and contractors are employed. The foundation has supported social change for over fifty years.
ttp://topics.developmentgateway.org/hiv/rc/ItemDetail.do~100464 98

4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

Europe’s “Third Way” Approach to Mideast Reform. Lead: The European “third way” approach to promoting Arab democracy and human rights has been “ineffectual” in changing the region’s power relations, states a new Carnegie report from the European democratization expert, Richard Youngs.” www.freedomhouse.org

5. GENDER:

Development, Women, and War: Feminist Perspectives. This is a new book published by Oxfam. The book takes a look at several conflict regions including the Middle East, and asserts that there are flaws in peace-making processes that do not include women. www.oxfam.org.uk/publications

Gender-Related Indicators of Well –Being. “This paper discusses the rationale as well as the challenges involved when constructing gender related indicators of well being” http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do~10 05185~intcmp=00001

Women and Men in Rural Finance in the Syrian Arab Republic: State–Owned Banking vs. self-managed microfinance. This document states that there is a serious concern about social equality, equal opportunities and the effectiveness of financial institutions to provide service outreach. One of the things it examines is access of men and women to rural finance. http://topics.developmentgateway.org/businessenvironment/rc/Item Detail.do~1005234~intcmp=00001

Global Action Plan for Women’s Political Inclusion. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) has launched a new initiative to increase women’s political participation. This includes its Global Action Plan, produced in 2003, as its central feature. It is a global advocacy tool that focuses on political parties’ role to increase leadership opportunities. www.winwithwomen.ndi.org (the document can also be found in Arabic).

WEBSITES

1. NGOs:

UNDP Evaluation Office: Enhancing Development Effectiveness. The evaluation office works to enhance the development effectiveness of UNDP to help both men and women build a better life. It strengthens accountability and learning through evaluation and partnership.
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/knowledge/rc/ItemDetail.do~1005401~...

Listening to Israeli and Palestinian Voices. In this website Daniel Moss and Jennifer Lemire from Grassroots International share in images and through stories the lives of the people they met in Palestine and Israel. The pictures and adjoined comments are a powerful reminder that a peaceful and just settlement must be found soon. www.grassrootsonline.org

2. GENDER:

Newsletter: ‘The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality: This is a free downloadable newsletter that can be downloaded at: www.Internationalalert.org/pdf/pubgen/Gender%20&%20Peacebuliding%20-...