A New Quota System for Syria

The different quotas introduced in this analysis are meant to provide a  more stable, progressive, and efficient future for Syria.

Islamic thugs attack academic debate on liberal Islam - and university backs down

That Irshad Manji was denied permission to set foot for the second  time on the grounds of Gadjah Mada University (May 9, 2012) must make  us, especially those of us in academia, think again. There is no need to  hide the fact that the cancellation of this event was precipitated by  threats from some mass organizations, although it is not always clear  exactly who they are.  Doesn’t this make us think about the future of the academic environment here at Gadjah Ma...

The Relevance of a Presidential Electoral System in Syria

Based on the political needs of Syria, a Presidential system is still the best for the future of the country. That said, people’s demands can best be met with a customized Presidential system.

Fair ideas: Solutions for a sustainable planet

Hivos will co-host three sessions at Fair Ideas entitled:Changing mindsets: small-scale farmers in the globalised mindset, Agricultural biodiversity acknowledged and Financing Access to Energy. More information will be available soon at this site and the conference website.

An Anatomy of the Onset of Syria's Popular Uprising

The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs held a lecture series as part of the AUB Arab Uprisings Research Initiative that was launched under the aegis of the AUB Provost's office in December 2011. This open-ended, multi-sectoral initiative  harnesses  AUB's research, analysis and convening resources to engage   constructively with the historic changes taking place across the Arab World. The lecture entitled: "An Anatomy of the Onset of Syr...

Impunity, freedom of expression and social justice

There is an apparent low profile war going on against progressive circles in Honduras, and this edition of Envio magazine demands that the international community take notice. It reports on an international expert meeting in which Hivos teamed up with CEJIL, ERIC and Jueces por la Democracia to talk about impunity, freedom of expression and Justice. The goal of the event, held in october 2011, was to support Honduran human rights activism with reflextions and lessons from neighbouring countries.

NGOs need a third way: collaboration

NGOs need a third way: collaborationWhen times are hard, NGOs should eschew competition and compromise and instead co-operate to achieve better results, argues Jonathan Glennie in the Guardian.Times are pretty hard for international development NGOs. Like most other organisations, western NGOs grew in times of plenty. But now, whether funded primarily by private donations (including big ones from the likes of Bill Gates and small ones from the likes of you and me) or government grants, NGOs...

Markets, smallholders and empowerment

With the global population expected to rise to 9 billion by 2050, there has been growing attention at the highest policy circles to the contribution of small-scale agriculture to food security and poverty eradication. However, the creation of an enabling framework towards this end has been hampered by contradictory approaches and policy ''pendulum swings" alternately on 'rights-based' and 'market-based' support strategies. This issue of  Capacity.org aims to refocus attention on the...

Hivos launches Resource Portal on Theory of Change

New on this site: the Hivos ToC resource portal, making selected resources on Theory of Change thinking and its use in practice available. If you always wondered what people meant using this term, or searched for examples or guidelines, please take a look, maybe the portal can help you in answering your questions.

Stories of Freedom

Read this interesting personal account of Amjad Baiazy, the Syrian human rights and civil society activist, who was imprisoned by the Syrian authorities on May 12, 2011 and released on June 30, 2011. While in prison, Amajd Baiazy engaged in discussions with inmates on the myths and realities surrounding the Syrian revolution. In this personal account and analysis, Amjad Baiazy addresses the topics of sectarianism, start of the revolution in Daraa, role of Islamists and ‘conspiracy theories’....