Full Coverage: Development

27.07.2007 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) legislators have recommended the establishment of a Parliamentary Forum ICT policy and strategy to guide the development and adoption of ICT at the regional level. The development, widely seen as a move to harness and promote effective use of ICT in the legislative assemblies was adopted following a three-day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

25.07.2007 Indian civil society The Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation (NJKF) is inviting applications for the Indian Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award. The Award seeks to recognize social entrepreneurs who are pragmatic visionaries and the winner will be announced in December at a ceremony coinciding with the India Economic Summit.

20.07.2007 Many initiatives have been undertaken, mostly by civil society organisations, towards the bridging of the digital divide between the north and the south. The pressing concerns have been on the ability of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve the standards of living of the poor in societies.

20.07.2007 Civil society fears that the imminent introduction of legislation aimed at regulating non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will severely compromise their work and independence, and could even result in their operations being closed down.

20.07.2007 "We are the first generation that can look extreme poverty in the eye, and say this and mean it – we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science. Do we have the will to make poverty history?" Words of Bono in September 2004.

20.07.2007 The summits in Geneva and Tunis are behind us, but the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is being actively followed up. The main thrust of the follow-up work concerns the eleven action lines described in the Geneva Plan of action (WSIS 2003).

20.07.2007 This year, on Africa Malaria Day,Roy Innis, national
chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality, writes an informative and provocative commentary on the dreaded but useful eradicator of malaria-DDT.

Every year, over 400 million African mothers, fathers and children are stricken by acute malaria. That's as many victims as there are people in the United States and Mexico combined.

Fevers, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, delirium and
unconsciousness leave them unable to work, cultivate
fields, attend school or care for their families,for weeks on end. Many are permanently brain damaged. Nearly 1 million die.

No wonder sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most
impoverished regions on Earth.

Every year, Africa Malaria Day (April 25) is marked by promises to bring malaria under control. But every year calls for action turn out to be mere bombast, as healthcare agencies refuse to go beyond bed nets and "capacity building," radical greens continue to obstruct proven strategies, and disease and death rates climb.

19.07.2007 The summits in Geneva and Tunis are behind us, but the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is being actively followed up. The main thrust of the follow-up work concerns the eleven action lines described in the Geneva Plan of action (WSIS 2003). For each action line a United Nations organisation (e.g. ITU or UNESCO) has been appointed as a "facilitator" or "moderator", with an individual being designated as the "focal point". Starting in 2006, various "facilitation" and consultation meetings have been taking place to set the follow-up activities in motion. A second series of meetings took place 2007.

16.07.2007 BRIDGE, part of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in the UK, has developed a range of Cutting Edge packs examining gender and development issues. In this article, AWID reviews their recent Cutting Edge pack "Gender and Indicators".

16.07.2007 The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has opened a new office in the central province of Ghor. UN’s Special Representative says the new office will help local communities with development, humanitarian efforts, human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

13.07.2007 The Fourth Annual Conference on Electoral and Political reforms will be held in the north Indian city of Lucknow on 18 – 19 August, 2007 on the topic Reform of Political Parties. Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami will be amongst other concerned citizens and organisations at the meet.

12.07.2007 UNITED NATIONS, Jul 12 (OneWorld) - When the world's poor nations ask for more foreign aid for development, the rich ones often tell them to ensure good governance first. But the findings of a new study by the World Bank Institute indicate that denying the development needs of poor countries on the grounds of "bad governance" may no longer be valid in many cases.

11.07.2007 JOHANNESBURG, Jul 11 (IPS) - What is a common factor in ensuring that women do not marry too young, do not have more children than they can cope with, do not die giving birth -- and contract HIV in smaller numbers? Men.

03.07.2007 WASHINGTON, Jul 3 (OneWorld) - The growth of cities will be the single largest influence on human society in the 21st century, according to a new United Nations report, which argues that urbanization can be a much more powerful force for positive change than many currently believe.