Topics Knowledge Platform
Civil Society Building
Promoting Pluralism
Small Producers Agency
Civil Society in West Asia
Digital Natives
Knowledge Management
Post-Conflict Participation
Urgency Required
New Paper on Promoting Pluralism
Professor Henk Manschot and doctor Caroline Suransky (Kosmopolis Institute, University for Humanistics, the Netherlands) have written an article entitled Promoting Pluralism: an International Collaboration of Academics and Development Practitioners. The paper gives an understanding of the concepts pluralism and fundamentalism and how these are shaped in today's world. The situation in Indonesia is explored as an illustration of how pluralism can be approached in society. You can download the...
Three papers on women & fundamentalisms
AWID, the Association for Women's Rights in Development, launched an initiative that focuses on fundamentalism in 2006. The project is entitled "Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms: An advocacy-research project". It explores various forms of fundamentalism and the effects on the position, rights and freedoms of women. From all over the world, AWID has gathered examples from women organisations and activists about how they approached the situation in their own countri...
Centre for the Study of Culture and Society
The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS, Bangalore) was launched in 2004. Amongst other initiatives, the two organisations have organised an annual International Summer School for Human Development and Human Rights for development scholars and cso professionals. CSCS was established in 1996 by a group of scholars interested in developing new approaches to studying culture in India. The need was felt to reframe the social sciences and humanities disciplines to be able to de...Kosmopolis
The Kosmopolis Institute (Kosmopolis, Utrecht), the Humanist Institute for Global Ethics and World Citizenship was founded in 2004 by the University for Humanist Studies in cooperation with Hivos and other partners of the Dutch Humanist Alliance. Kosmopolis activities are project-based and include educational- and research programs on human development and human rights, international and intercultural dialogue and sustainable development.Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda is an NGO that promotes the recognition of culture as vital for equitable and sustainable development, and to respond to national identity and diversity. CCFU therefore carries out studies and documents initiatives where taking culture into account has made a positive contribution to development efforts. These include studies on harnessing the positive aspects of culture in the fight against HIV/AIDS, on gender and culture, herbal medicine a...
Civic action for Human Rights accountability
Southern Africa, and South Africa in particular, has seen innovative efforts and leadership on the part of lawyers and other civic advocates to promote greater human rights protection on other issues as well. Examples of effec-tive civic advocacy that are deserving of a critical analysis in order to better understand the nature of this advocacy include advocacy on the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS as well as access to water and shelter. Other examples include efforts to end impunity...Civic action for poverty eradication
04/11/2008 Poverty reduction is paramount to the present aid agenda. The renewed focus on poverty issues is a response to failures of aid strategies in the past, including the structural adjustment programmes, the huge build-up of debt in many developing countries, and the failure by many governments in the South to ensure welfare and prosperity for their citizens. New aid mechanisms have been arranged in a series of international agreements, including the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), the...Anti-Free Trade movement in Costa Rica
04/11/2008 The case of Costa Rica showed a remarkable mobilisation of people - from a variety of sectors and backgrounds - against thye Free Trade Agreement with the US. Although the mobilisation was not successful in blocking the Agreeement, it was very successful in raising awareness and organising civic action.Indigenous movement in Guatemala
04/11/2008 The indigenous people of Guatemala have a long history of struggle and resistance for autonomy. What process have they undertaken and what was and is the role of the international community?The women's movement in Nicaragua
04/11/2008 A need has been identified for dialogue within the women's movement in Nicaragua. The movement will reflect on its achievements, gains and losses, lessons learned and pending tasks. The movement also needs to analyse the challenges and define its future actions.Contact
The Hivos-ISS Knowledge Programme team is always happy to share its findings and experiences and discuss potential possibilities for cooperation. Also, for any information on the Knowledge Programme Civil Society Building, please contact the following persons.Ute Seela
Ute Seela works as Knowledge Officer for Hivos. She is co-chair of the knowledge programme and takes care of relating the output of the Knowledge Programme on Promoting Pluralism to the work of Hivos and its partner organisations. She is therefore responsible for organising knowledge management activities and knowledge dissemination. She also advises relevant Hivos bureaus on how to support pluralism-related activities in their workfields.
Contact
Are you interested in joining our initiative or looking for more information? Please do not hesitate to contactJosine Stremmelaar, Coordinator Knowledge Programme at info@hivos.net.New Partner in Uganda
Hivos and Kosmopolis will cooperate with the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) to start up the Promotig Pluralism Knowledge Programme in East Africa. Starting from September 2008, CCFU will look for academics and practitioners that have experience and that are active in the field of pluralism. Together they will identify major themes and formulate the first research questions. Up to four mapping studies will be carried out. In the beginning of 2009, a permanent team of academics and...
Civic Pluralism
There are many ways to think and talk about pluralism. ‘Civic pluralism’ may be helpful to find practical solution to approaching diversity in society. Within the Indonesian Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme this concept will be further explored by the academic partners and civil society organisations. This has to result in improved strategies and activities to deal with diversity in society, in such a way that it is conducive to development.
Pluralism mapped in Indonesia
The study by Zainal Bagir (Centre for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies, Yogyakarta) provides a portrait of Indonesian Muslims in terms of their views and attitudes towards the 'other'. It also analyses the discourse of pluralism by the supporters and opponents of the idea. Lastly it reviews governmental policies with regard to religion, especially the freedom of religion.This mapping is expected to be the ground to build knowledge about pluralism in Indonesia further as well as guide us i...