April Email
Update
 |
Contents
|
Issue
No 90, April 2008
Our
Email update is to keep you informed of developments in the area
of sustainable livelihoods. This includes the new resources on
Livelihoods Connect from over the month of April.
Your
views are important to us. Whether you’re an academic, practitioner
or casual browser, we welcome any feedback or contributions you
have to sustainable livelihoods. Our next monthly update will
focus on Microfinance, and any suggestions on this theme are particularly
welcome.
Send
us your views and feedback on: livelihoods-connect@ids.ac.uk
Key
Documents
Producer
Organisations: A Guide to Developing Collective Rural Enterprises
Chris
Penrose-Buckley 2007
This
guide reviews Oxfam's experience of working with producer organisations
(POs). There are several case studies from a range of developing
countries. They highlight key factors necessary for success: developing
social capital to keep POs together and strong leadership for
effective governance.
Microcredit
in Rural Bangladesh: Is It Reaching the Poorest?
Dipankar
Datta 2004
Using
empirical evidence, Datta examines why the extreme poor are excluded
from microcredit initiatives. The membership criteria exclude
them on residence, age or ability to work, and they have a greater
fear of taking loans. The paper recommends that NGOs establish
branches in depressed areas and adopt policies of smaller and
more flexible loans.
|
|
| |
| Hot
Topic |
|
| Food
Security, Hunger and Social Protection |
|
| A
Framework for Assessing the Vulnerabilities of Communities in
the Canadian Artic to Risk Associated with Climate Change
The author reviews the existing literature on the important policy
issue of climate change for Artic communities, develops a conceptual
model of vulnerability, and presents an analytical approach to
assessing climate hazards and coping strategies in Arctic communities.
|
Feeding
Poor People While the Climate Changes
Its affects on agricultural production make climate change a key
issue in poverty reduction. Global trade policies in food will
become increasingly important as land in certain developing countries
becomes unsuitable for growing crops. The paper recommends agricultural
diversification to combat this threat.
|
A
Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Role of Cash Transfers
in Social Protection
Cash transfers can promote livelihoods in development and humanitarian
relief settings. The offered framework on cash transfers focuses
on three spheres: institutions, politics and governance; capacity
and implementation; and local economic and social impacts. In
addition, you'll get to read about issues common to all three
of these spheres.
|
| |
| Hot
Topic |
|
Community
Led Total Sanitation |
|
Taking
Community-Led Total Sanitation to Scale: Movement, Spread and Adaptation
This
IDS working paper looks at the important challenges to CLTS in scaling
up, or rather 'going mainstream.' It focuses on CLTS methodology
and innovation, and maintains scaling up entails both, widespread
coverage and pertinent adaptation to local contexts. In other words:
to grow without losing its local emphasis. The challenge lies in
balancing the two.
|
Improving
Sanitation for the Poor
Petra
Bongartz, in this recent article in a special edition of World Vision's
Global Futures Magazine, argues that behaviour change at the heart
of CLTS is the key to improved and sustainable sanitation. Merely
providing toilets does not ensure their use, as earlier approaches
assumed, here with CLTS we move beyond this limited view.
|
The
Way Towards an Open Defecation Free Future in Sierra Leone
Its
government, DFID and UNICEF are working to rebuild Sierra Leone's
devastated sanitation facilities. The paper explores how CLTS emancipates
communities from dependence on agencies and donors, and then empowers
them to self-analyse and develop their own low cost latrine designs.
|
Report
From the First Hands-on Training Workshop on CLTS in Sierra Leone
The
past approach in Sierra Leone has been subsidy led and top-down
in design, implementation and assessment. CLTS moves from dependence
to emancipation. This report documents the progress of two UNICEF
workshops at length to support its case.
|
Report
From CLTS Training in Tharaka and Kisumu, Kenya
These are reports of CLTS training in the Tharaka and Kisumu districts
of Kenya, respectively. The training addressed participants' expectations,
common diseases, toilet coverage and the extent of faeces produced.
The report on Kisumu, in addition, discussed methods for creating
disgust and shame through group discussions, role plays and presentations.
|
CLTS
Campaign Poster designed Integrated Regional Support Programme
This is a fascinating poster to bring attention to the International
Year of Sanitation, 2008. Basic instructions are provided on hygiene,
and instructions to keep polythene bags away from latrines and sewage.
Intended for a Pakistani audience, the poster is in both, English
and Urdu.
|
| |
| Hot
Topic |
| Agriculture |
|
Operational
Guidelines for Assessing Impact of Agricultural Research on Livelihoods.
Good practices from CIMMYT
This manual condenses
and enhances what is known about Impact Assessment for researchers
and managers of crop improvement projects and partners.
|
Livestock,
Disease, Trade and Markets: Policy Choices for the Livestock Sector
in Africa
Although seen
as a hindrance to growth for many years, African livestock are being
recognised as essential assets for livelihoods: as key to moving
out of poverty and a way into lucrative markets. This IDS paper
looks at the underlying debates, assumptions and trade-offs in this
shift.
|
|
| |
| Hot
Topic |
Migration
|
|
Rural
Employment and Migration: In Search of Decent Work
This ODI paper
considers the difficulty the rural economy is set to face in trying
to accommodate the 106 million joining the labour force from 2005
to 2015. These figures make migration inevitable; the report recommends
that the state assist vulnerable migrants in this move and that
the non-farm rural sector be strengthened to accommodate those staying.
|
|
|
| |
| Hot
Topic |
|
| Information
Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D) |
|
| Innovative
ICT Practices and Future Directions in Promoting Rural Information
Networks
This workshop document captures innovative practices in the application
of ICT towards addressing food security and sustainable agricultural
development. It focuses on gender, rural youth and farmers with
a local and national emphasis.
|
|
|
| |
| Organisational
Links |
|
|
HelpAge
International New
HelpAge
International advocates
the vital importance of livelihoods to the fundamental requirements
of older people globally. This is possible through key policy
themes and areas of action globally: emergencies, HIV, older people's
rights and social protection. Resources include: briefing papers,
research and policy reports, manuals and DVDs.
|
Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Update
The
SDC has updated its 'Empowerment Notes.' This series of notes provides
information related to the operationalisation of empowerment. Topics
include: the linkages between rights-based approaches and empowerment,
and it discusses the Power Cube as a tool to map out power relations.
|
Khanya
Aicdd: Sub Saharan Africa e-Bulletin Update
Each
edition of the SLSA bulletin features summaries of relevant publications,
such as examples of the ways different organisations operationalise
SL. On this update they offer the Cata story, an integrated approach
to improving livelihoods based in one of the poorest areas of South
Africa.
|
| |
| Events
and Training |
|
|
MA
in Science, Society and Development at the Institute of Development
Studies
This
programme provides a solid grounding to a number of development
concepts and theories, in combination with an understanding of the
politics and governance of scientific knowledge and policy processes.
The course asks how science and technology can contribute to poverty
reduction, social justice, environmental and livelihoods sustainability
in the developing world. Location: IDS, Brighton. Start
Date: October 2008
|
Growing
Inclusive Markets Forum
The
key areas of this forum include: post-conflict livelihood creation,
micro-credit, human capital development and private infrastructure
projects. Scholarships are available, though there's no given deadline.
Location: Halifax, Canada. Date: 20 - 21 June 2008
|
Business
Training for Livelihoods
Most
livelihoods interventions fail due to a lack of knowledge of potential
markets for products, poor feasibility, improper management of capital
costs and poor risk coverage plans. This workshop, through introducing
the basic concepts of business planning, marketing and production
plans, attempts to resolve these issues. Location: Andhra
Pradesh, India. Date: 23 - 26 April 2008
|
| |
| Tools |
|
|
Social
Capital Measurement Tools
As
a result of the World Bank's Social Capital research, their Social
Capital Thematic Group has devised two measurement tools for assessing
social capital: the Social Capital Assessment Tool (SOCAT) and the
Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire (SOCAP IQ).
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
Sustainable
Livelihoods for Disaster Risk and Poverty Reduction
Duryog
Nivaran, a south Asian Network for Disaster Risk Reduction, is compiling
a review of progress on Sustainable Livelihoods for disaster risk
and poverty reduction for the South Asia region. They are calling
on those with experience in the area. Please fill in the short questionnaire
relating to practical experiences in Sustainable Livelihoods. Deadline:
21 April 2008
|
Natural
Resources Highlights from id21
id21's
research highlights offer practical policy solutions to development
problems and direct the reader to the original researchers and
research reports.
The Updated topics are: Agriculture; Conservation; Fisheries;
Forestry; Land; Rural Livelihoods; Water
|
|
|
| Vacancies |
|
|
Global
Advisor, Climate Change Adaptation: Oxfam
The
appointed adviser will support country programmes in developing
and implementing strategies that help communities and national governments
adapt to climate change; and provide linkage between programme experience
and Oxfam's communications on climate change. Location:
Oxford, UK. Deadline: 23 April 2008
|
Senior
Livelihoods Specialist: Save the Children
The
Specialist will provide technical support for the Bangladesh Country
Office's food security portfolio, particularly in the areas of:
reaching the ultra poor, disaster risk reduction, livelihood recovery,
income generation and food security assessment Location:
Dhaka, Bangladesh. Deadline: N/A
|
Technical
Advisor: Youth and Livelihoods: International Rescue Committee
The
Advisor will take a lead role in providing technical support, guidance,
and training to a number of IRC country programmes, to improve and
develop IRC's work with children and youth in conflict affected
populations. Location: Bangkok, Thailand.
Deadline: N/A
|
|
| About
Livelihoods Connect |
|
|
 |
The
Livelihoods Network is a global list of practitioners, researchers
and policy makers interested specifically in sustainable livelihoods.
It invites members to share thoughts and experiences and develop
their ideas around Livelihoods Approaches by networking through
our email discussion list and participating at an annual face to
face workshop. |
The
purpose of Livelihoods Connect is to facilitate the practical
implementation of sustainable livelihoods approaches. Visit Livelihoods
Connect on the web at: http://www.livelihoods.org/index.html
Comments
on Livelihoods Connect are welcomed by the Livelihoods Connect
Manager, Helen Schneider at:
Email:
livelihoods-connect@ids.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)1273 878 351
Fax: +44(0)1273 621 202
This
Email Update is currently distributed to over 3,900 subscribers
including: practitioners, policy makers, consultants and researchers
within organisations such as DFID, FAO, IFAD, World Bank, UNDP,
WFP, CGIAR, ActionAid, WHO, AusAID, UNFPA, IIED, ODI, CARE, Practical
Action, Concern and Oxfam.
Send
a blank email message with the words
"subscribe livelihoods-update" in the subject
field to: lyris@lyris.ids.ac.uk
or subscribe online at http://www.livelihoods.org/emailupdate/emailupdate.html#2
(c)
IDS April 2008
Livelihoods
Connect
Institute of Development Studies
at the University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK
IDS, a charitable company limited by guarantee: Registered Charity
No. 306371; Registered |
|
|
|