434 research outputs found
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Land tenure and mining in Tanzania
Full text linkTanzania is a relatively new mining country, and mining has become a hotly debated issue in the country. There is a feeling among both local people and human rights advocacy groups that the government has betrayed ordinary people. This empirical study looks at Tanzanian land and mining legislations, recent mining conflicts, and the existing consultation and conciliations mechanisms which can be used to attenuate these conflicts. The study argues that since there was poor coordination between the lawmakers when new land and mining laws were put in place, the legislations disagree on central issues like conflict resolution. Conceptual differences between local people and investors on how land and mining rights are to be perceived, also contribute to considerate conflict in the country
Hvordan gjøre gode ting bedre? Norske bedrifters CSR aktiviteter i utviklingsland
Full text linkNorske bedrifter opererer i en rekke utviklingsland, hvor problemer med fattigdom, dårlig styresett og brudd på menneskerettigheter ofte er store. Når man går inn i denne typen land, stilles man overfor store utfordringer knyttet til bedrifters samfunnsansvar. I møtet med denne typen utfordringer, har mange norske bedrifter etter hvert satt i gang ulike typer aktiviteter knyttet til samfunnsansvar, eller CSR (corporate social responsibility). Denne rapporten ser nærmere på norske bedrifters CSR-aktiviteter i fire utvalgte utviklingsland; Angola, Kina, Nepal og Brasil.
Rapporten viser at norske bedrifter har en lang rekke CSR aktiviteter i de fire utvalgte landene. På tross av mange velmenende tiltak, addresserer bedriftene i liten grad sentrale utfordringer i hvert av landene, slik som styresett-problematikk i Angola eller menneskerettigheter i Kina. Det er også et betydelig forbedringspotensiale i måten bedriftenes CSR-aktiviteter velges ut og drives på. Utviklingseffekten bedriftene mener deres CSR-aktiviteter har, er stort sett udokumenterte, og det er lite fokus på å dokumentere denne. Det gjøres lite eksplisitt behovsvurdering som grunnlag for bedriftenes CSR aktiviteter. Selv om de fleste bedriftene ser ut til å ha etablert systemer eller prosedyrer for kontakt med målgruppen for CSR tiltakene, varierer disse mye i omfang, grad av systematikk, og utforming. Bedriftene forholder seg i liten grad til nasjonale myndigheter og deres planer for utvikling.
Vanlige forslag for å forbedre bedriftenes CSR-aktiviter, er å legge til rette for kunnskapsoverføring om utviklingsspørsmål til bedrifter, samarbeid eller koordinering mellom bedrifter og andre utviklingsaktører, eller utarbeidelse av frivillige internasjonale standarder. Det er imidlertid lite trolig at svakhetene ved bedrifters CSR aktiviteter utelukkende skyldes manglende kapasitet eller evne blant bedriftene, slik denne typen tiltak forutsetter. Mye av det fokuset selskaper har i sitt CSR arbeid skyldes at de i utgangspunktet ikke er ment å bidra til utvikling, men heller til å forbedre bedriftens lønnsomhet. Det er med andre ord ikke evnen det står på, men viljen til å gjennomføre tiltak som retter seg først og fremst mot samfunnets interesser. Skal man få selskaper til å opptre bedre i utviklingsland, må man gjøre det i deres interesse å forbedre sin aktivitet innen CSR området. Man må altså gi selskapene incentiver til å opptre på en måte som bidrar til utvikling. Dette innebærer at man eksempelvis bør bruke statens eiermakt og innkjøpsmakt, og på andre måter påvirke bedriftenes økonomiske rammevilkår, for å drive frem mer ansvarlige bedrifter
"How can the Elections Help us Quell Hunger?" Mid-Term Review of Norwegian Support to UNDP's Trust Fund for Civic Education
Full text linkThis report is the mid-term review of UNDPs trust fund for civic education in Angola. The trust fund was set up in late 2006, with support from the embassies of Norway, Sweden and USAid, topped up with UNDP’s own funds. By late 2007, 22 CSOs or umbrella organisations had been selected and supported with grants to carry out civic education activities throughout the country. The most common activity is civic education sessions, where a specially trained promoter talks to a popular gathering.
The review generally commends the outstanding performance of the UNDP project support unit (PSU) – which in a short time managed to set up and implement M&E routines for the many involved organisations, as well as an impressive schedule of training sessions on substantive civic and human rights issues.
Improvements were recommended by the reviewers to enhance the programme’s impact: To sharpen the message to the recipients’ needs for empowering information, to redouble training in participative methods, and to prioritise target groups.
The report argues that for the continuation of the programme some strategic choices should be made: Maximising impact in terms of social/political change; building CSOs; maximising the roll out of civic education “knowledge packages”; or rolling it out to specific (needy) sections of the citizenry
The Norad Programme in Arts and Cultural Education. A Mid-Term Review of the Programme Period 2006-2008/9
Full text linkThis report is a review of the Norad Programme in Arts and Cultural Education (ACE). ACE is a programme for cooperation between institutions for cultural education in the South and partners in Norway, established to contribute to the strengthening of cultural education institutions in the south and to the professionalization of artists and art forms.
In the programme period 2006-2008/9, seven projects have received funding, benefitting students from Mali, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. By the end of the programme period, if all plans are successful, 50 students, close to half of them women, will have received a degree in Dance, Music, Drama, Ethnomusicology, or Visual Cultural Studies. A central element of the programme is to encourage students to work at their home institution (or at another cultural institution in their home country) upon completion of their degree. This will contribute to the strengthening of cultural education institutions in the south. The review finds that four to five of the seven projects are likely to fulfil this goal.
The review concludes that the programme has been economically efficient and that it should be continued. The review recommends that in the future, the programme should:
- Fund post-studies employment at institutions in the south
- Reduce scholarships during studies/fieldwork in the south
- Clarify responsibilities of each institution
- Revise the accounting system and streamline conditions
- Consider the possibility of research components
- Consider the possibility for south-south cooperation
- Introduce web-based information sharin
Applied Social Science Research in Afghanistan. An Overview of the Institutional Landscape
Full text linkThis report is a preliminary mapping of Afghan institutional capacity in the field of applied social science research, as well as an assessment of the interest in, and potential for, further capacity building. The report focuses on independent research centres and development NGOs that have research activities, and also includes institutes linked to government ministries, the public university sector and (in one case) to a UN agency. At present these are the principal sources of policy relevant social research
Opposition Parties and the Upcoming 2008 Parliamentary Elections in Angola
Full text linkParliamentary elections will be held in Angola on 5th September 2008, as the first elections in the country since 1992. There are now 138 political parties registered in Angola, and fourteen parties (including four party coalitions) have recently been approved for the elections.
This study gives a background to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Angola and provides an overview of the political situation, the ‘playing field’, the election system and last, and most importantly, the opposition parties of Angola.
The study is based on interviews with party officials of the most important political parties, newspaper articles and a review of the few reports available on politics and political parties in Angola
'Mucupuki'. Social relations of rural-urban poverty in central Mozambique
Full text linkThis is the third in a series of six qualitative studies monitoring and evaluating Mozambique’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, PARPA. Many communities in Mozambique find themselves in the rural-urban interface, either by being small towns or rural settings in the vicinity of cities. There is increasing evidence that households and individuals who manage to establish and maintain rural-urban linkages are those experiencing improved living conditions and upward social mobility, while those being ‘captured’ in rural villages and urban slums are experiencing impoverishment. The apparently increasing inequalities in Mozambican society can only be dealt with by stopping relate to rural and urban areas as separate entities and rather see them as intricately linked together and part of the same social formation
Mid-term review of the country programme (MoU: 2003:2008) between Norway and Bangladesh
Full text linkThis report provides an assessment of Norway’s bilateral development assistance to Bangladesh, covering the period 2003 to 2007, based on information collected on a selection of projects within the country programme. A mid-term review commissioned by the Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka and Norad, it analyses relevance and impacts with reference to the overall objectives stated in the Memorandum of Understanding (2003-2008) between the two governments and to current development challenges facing Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has been an important development partner for Norway for more than 30 years. Poverty is still widespread and Bangladesh is currently in a critical political situation with a caretaker government having operated for the last 18 months. A key feature of the new government has been the emphasis it has put on fighting corruption.
The review concludes that the Norwegian aid programme is relevant. It focuses on key sectors, such as education, human rights, gender and private sector development. These are all of particular importance for poverty reduction in Bangladesh. It should be noted that this conclusion is not based on a rigorous impact assessment (with baseline data) and draws on reviews of a selection of projects rather than the whole portfolio. There is one exception to the overall positive assessment. The review questions the justification for the private sector support (SEDF) as it does not appear to be targeting the poor.
Norway is generally perceived as a reliable aid donor and one with a strong emphasis on human rights and gender issues. In several cases, Norway has served as a bridge-builder between the GoB and multilateral institutions through its emphasis on recipient responsibility.
The review team is concerned that future aid to Bangladesh seems to have been determined by a recent decision to downsize the Embassy rather than by a careful assessment of past experience, impacts achieved and the needs of the country. It is of concern that this approach stands in sharp contrast to the perception of Norway as a transparent development partner with a high regard for recipient ownership.
The review recommends continued support to the education sector but this requires that the total aid budget to Bangladesh is kept more or less at the current level. Norway should continue its support to human right organisations in Bangladesh. Norway has also played a critically important role on gender issues – and should continue to do so. Regarding private sector support, the review suggests that Norway should develop a clearer strategy for its involvement and consider targeting more of its aid to micro-enterprises or to energy development
The Mapuche People's Battle for Indigenous Land. Litigation as a Strategy to Defend Indigenous Land Rights
Full text linkLand is the foundation for the economic sustenance of indigenous peoples and for the continued survival of their cultures. One of the major problems faced by indigenous peoples is the dispossession of their traditional lands and territories. The activities of business interests and economic development projects in indigenous territories – such as forest logging and infrastructure projects - and the environmental implications of such activities, often constitute a great threat to the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. Securing rights to land and natural resources therefore remains a priority issue.
The paper examines the situation of the Mapuche people in Chile with respect to their rights to land, territories and resources, and discusses the role of litigation as a strategy to defend these rights. Litigation is seen as part of a broader strategy comprising political mobilisation and legal mobilisation, and the paper focuses on the interaction of these strategies in the Mapuche’s struggle to defend their rights to land. The success of litigation depends on factors impacting on the voicing of land rights claims and courts’ responsiveness to such claims. A major problem regarding the Mapuche’s possibilities for redress through courts is the low status of international legal instruments on indigenous rights and the insufficiency of national legislation on indigenous peoples’ land rights. The formalities of the legal system provide a disincentive towards pursuing a legal strategy. Lack of confidence in the judiciary and perceptions of racism are other barriers. Other problems relate to the legal culture, composition of the bench, conservatism and insensitivity towards the rights of indigenous people. The focus of the paper is a case involving the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Bío Bío River in Southern Chile, causing the forced relocation of 500 people pertaining to Mapuche-Pehuenche communities and the flooding of their ancestral lands. This case is only one of many environmental conflicts in which the land rights of the Mapuche have been violated. In this case, litigation proved to be unsuccessful in the sense that the most of the lawsuits filed by the Mapuche litigants were ultimately lost, and construction on the dam was completed. However, the value of litigation as a strategy may be assessed in terms of the broader impact it had on Mapuche mobilisation and on public debate