Keyword: civil
Whatever Happened to Civil Society?
Is 'civil society' now just a development buzzword? INTRAC’s international conference will re-examine the concept and role of civil society and focus on its significance in relation to current debates and practice in development, human rights and democracy promotion.› read more...
Date: 3 December until 5 December 2008 Location: KDK Conference Centre, the Netherlands
Date: 3 December until 5 December 2008 Location: KDK Conference Centre, the Netherlands
The Power of Civil Society (2)
The aim of these seminars is to better understand the power of civil society to influence the state around issues such as HIV/AIDS, women’s rights, reproductive rights, and intellectual property rights. The four case studies in Kenya, Tanzania, Peru and India explore the diversity of roles and strategies employed by civil society organizations based on the recent field research of four ISS MA students supported by the Knowledge Programme in 2008.› read more...
Date: 9 December : Location: Institute of Social Studies, Kortenaerkade 12, The Hague
Date: 9 December : Location: Institute of Social Studies, Kortenaerkade 12, The Hague
Facing the Future: 30 years Islamic Republic of Iran
On 20 February a symposium and a roundtable will be organized to reflect on 30 years of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Zem Zem has recently published a special edition entitled Khomeini's erfenis. 1979-2009 (in Dutch).The symposium includes a public lecture and two workshops at the University of Amsterdam (daytime). In the evening a public debate will be held at De Balie in Amsterdam. Speakers include Homa Katouzian, Touraj Atabaki, Anoush Ehteshami, Shervin Nekuee.
Launch Publication Beyond Orthodox Approaches
Within the framework of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, Hivos in collaboration with NIMD ad University of Amsterdam, will launch on 26 March 2010 the policy paper ‘Beyond Orthodox Approaches, Assessing Opportunities for Democratic Support in the Middle East and North Africa. The launch will take place at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.› read more...
Date: 26 March : Location: VOC hal, Oost Indisch Huis E0.02, Kloveniersburgwal 48, University of Amsterdam
Date: 26 March : Location: VOC hal, Oost Indisch Huis E0.02, Kloveniersburgwal 48, University of Amsterdam
Winds of Change: does development intervention help or hinder community action?
Are capacity development projects needed that support local leaders to enable social action to demand citizen rights? "Yes!", argue the organizers of the roundtable 'Winds of Change: Will they Bring a new paradigm to Development Assistance?'. Indeed, we wrote before that citizen action matters. But research findings from the Participation, Power and Social Change research team from IDS, Sussex, say that international (outside) actors at best can play a facilitat...
Food for Thought // Knowledge Lunchbox #1
This box will provide you find Food for Thought via links we have gathered for you in our first "Knowledge Lunchbox". The aim of the Lunchbox is to quickly inform you about the latest online discussions and publications related to the fields of civil society, theories of change and development effectiveness. Topics range from people to politics, and from power to.. poop. It is up to you what you would like to digest, dislike, or disc...
The End or the And?
Can civil society organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa succesfully advocate, lobby and mobilize to fight poverty and corruption, and to bring development and democracy? Have citizens’ organizations in the new roles of policy making and participation in service delivery been able to realize the high hopes and aspirations surrounding their explosive growth. And how has international assistance promoted or hindered their struggle to catalyze social change and pro-poor development?...
The End or the And?
Can civil society organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa succesfully advocate, lobby and mobilize to fight poverty and corruption, and to bring development and democracy? Have citizens’ organizations in the new roles of policy making and participation in service delivery been able to realize the high hopes and aspirations surrounding their explosive growth. And how has international assistance promoted or hindered their struggle to catalyze social change and pro-poor development?...
State, society and nature in Ecuador: the case of the Yasuní-ITT initiative
This paper critically analyses the emergence and development of the Yasuní-ITT initiative, which is built on the idea of leaving oil underground in exchange for financial contributions from the international community .Development politics in Ecuador has experienced major changes since the election of Correa in 2007.
Framing and Claiming Reproductive Rights: A Case Study of Civil Society Actors in Tanzania
How do grassroots organizations engage with, understand and use human rights discourses? In the current development context many civil society actors have adopted a ‘rights based approach’ (RBA). However, ‘human rights’ are often articulated at the international level, but understood, experienced and practiced in a local context. What does this dynamic imply for the way local civil society actors lobby the state to implement global human rights at a national policy level?
The Power of Civil Society
Hivos and ISS jointly organised a Network Seminar for the fourth time on 27 November and 9 December 2008. The case studies presented explored the diversity of roles and strategies employed by civil society organizations based on the recent field research of four ISS MA students supported by the Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme in 2008. The aim of these seminars was to better understand the power of civil society to influence the state around issues such as HIV/AIDS, women’s rights,...The End or the And?
Can civil society organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa succesfully advocate, lobby and mobilize to fight poverty and corruption, and to bring development and democracy? Have citizens’ organizations in the new roles of policy making and participation in service delivery been able to realize the high hopes and aspirations surrounding their explosive growth. And how has international assistance promoted or hindered their struggle to catalyze social change and pro-poor development?...
The End or the And?
Can civil society organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa succesfully advocate, lobby and mobilize to fight poverty and corruption, and to bring development and democracy? Have citizens’ organizations in the new roles of policy making and participation in service delivery been able to realize the high hopes and aspirations surrounding their explosive growth. And how has international assistance promoted or hindered their struggle to catalyze social change and pro-poor development?...
Claims to Success: ICT based Advocacy for the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa
How can the internet be used to promote the advocacy efforts by civil society organizations? In this paper, Karoline Kemp reflects on this question by examining the Solidarity for Women’s Rights Coalition (SOAWR) and their work towards promoting the Protocol for Women’s rights in Africa. The African Union adopted this protocol in 2005, but to date the ratification, popularization and implementation by member-states has been a slow process. SOAWR been instrumental in civic efforts to promote t...
Claims to Success: ICT based Advocacy for the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa
How can the internet be used to promote the advocacy efforts by civil society organizations? In this paper, Caroline Kemp reflects on this question by examining the Solidarity for Women’s Rights Coalition (SOAWR) and their work towards promoting the Protocol for Women’s rights in Africa. The African Union adopted this protocol in 2005, but to date the ratification, popularization and implementation by member-states has been a slow process. SOAWR been instrumental in civic efforts to promote t...
Contemplating civil society
On 29 and 30 July, a delegation of the knowledge team from HIVOS and ISS visited South Africa. The purpose of the visit was to attend a stocktaking workshop of the ongoing research projects in the region and to prepare for a civil society conference, scheduled for November this year. The visit took place amidst a wave of strikes and (violent) protest in several townships of Johannesburg and Cape town, allegedly caused by public dissatisfaction about public service delivery and stalling wage...
The impact of legal mobilisation on the Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF)
Under the South African Constitution, reinforced by a national Free Basic Water policy, all South African citizens have a right to water. In practice however, local governments continue to trade water as a commercial service, with perverse effects for the poorest. A case in point is Phiri, a poor suburb in Soweto. In 2004, Against the will of the residents, Johannesburg Water installed a prepaid water system. The system delivered a generally insufficient quota of water free of charge. If hous...Knowledge & Change Spotlight: When civics go 'governance'
The ‘spotlight session’ provides a daily preview of key events of our upcoming Knowledge Dialogue. Today we highlight a workshop hosted by the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme. Reflecting on recent research projects in a number of African countries, the programme analyses what has happened with ‘civics gone governance'.
Knowledge & Change Spotlight: When civics go 'governance'
The ‘spotlight session’ provides a daily preview of key events of our upcoming Knowledge Dialogue. Today we highlight a workshop hosted by the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme. Reflecting on recent research projects in a number of African countries, the programme analyses what has happened with ‘civics gone governance'.
When Civics go Governance
In ‘When Civics go governance’ Ria Brouwers analyses the stormy ascent of African NGOs in the field of good governance. Tracing the tracks of the NGO-boom in Africa, Brouwers brings together key academic writings with ISS led field on NGO interventions in Zambia, Uganda, Kenia and Tanzania conducted under the banner of the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme.