http://www.hivos.net Latest 25 publications http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Small-scale-farmers-in-China-in-the-face-of-modernisation-and-globalisation http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Small-scale-farmers-in-China-in-the-face-of-modernisation-and-globalisation Tue, 22 May 2012 09:30:13 +0200 China’s agricultural sector has changed dramatically since the late 1970s. It grew at about 5 per cent annually in the past three decades. While significant growth has occurred in almost all cropping sectors, the production of some crops has grown more rapidly (NSBC, 2011a). Hence, crop structure has been changing, diversifying out of staple grains into higher-valued crops (Huang et al., 2010). The same is occurring in terms of the shift out of cropping into livestock, aquaculture and off-farm employment (NSBC, 2011b). http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Agro-biodiversity-knowledged http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Agro-biodiversity-knowledged Fri, 18 May 2012 10:22:10 +0200 Biodiversity is important for the resilience of our planet. Smallholders depend on biodiversity for their livelihoods and survival, and they are its main guardians. Farming practices which use and enhance this diversity are common, yet agriculture can also be the greatest destroyer of biodiversity. Can we add insights and evidence to the debates? This is the basis of a knowledge programme that has recently been started by Hivos and Oxfam Novib. It aims to develop concepts and ideas about agricultural biodiversity, smallholder livelihoods and climate change, building on and adding value to existing resources, and also leading to change. This is a three-year programme that includes action research, network development and the establishment of a platform for public debates. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Markets-smallholders-and-empowerment http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/Markets-smallholders-and-empowerment Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:03:49 +0200 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 critical but largely neglected issue of producer agency: that is, the capacity of producers to make informed choices, and to act on those choices. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/News/New-Publication-Small-scale-farming-Youth-in-an-era-of-rapid-rural-change http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/News/New-Publication-Small-scale-farming-Youth-in-an-era-of-rapid-rural-change Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:16:41 +0200 This is the second in a series of papers from the Knowledge Programme Small Producer Agency in the Globalised Market. The paper focuses on developing and emerging economy regions of the world, providing an overview of trends in small-scale farming and agrifood markets, demographic changes and trends in employment – particularly that of youth. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/New-Donors-New-Investments-New-Development http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/Publications/New-Donors-New-Investments-New-Development Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:52:34 +0100 On January 27, 2012, International Development Studies of Utrecht University organised its eight knowledge for development seminar.1 The seminar aimed to critically assess the meaning of development in the context of contemporary transformations such as the increased involvement of giants like India and China in development cooperation and the increased role of southern countries in international investment flows. Some key questions were: How do these new relations influence the notion of development? What type of ‘development’ are they providing? What are the geopolitical implications of the new South-South and South-North relations? And: What do these new realities imply for development after the Millennium Development Goals? This document gives a summary of the presentations and discussions during the day.2 1 Organising committee: Joris Schapendonk and Annelies Zoomers (IDS, Utrecht University) in collaboration with SID, HIVOS, FNV Mondiaal, IOB (Antwerp University) and LANDac, the IS Academy on Land Governance for Equitable and Sustainable Development (www.landgovernance.org). 2 Report by Koen Kusters, WiW – Global Research and Reporting. 3 Next to China, India is also increasingly active in Africa. As Prof Adepoju puts it: “The Chinese are running into Africa while India is sneaking in.” http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Like-a-Bridge-over-Troubled-Waters http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Like-a-Bridge-over-Troubled-Waters Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:18:16 +0100 In the Think Piece LIKE A BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS: Dialogues of policy, practitioner and academic knowledges the author Wenny Ho deals with Cross-domain Knowledge Integration (KI) in International Development Cooperation (IDC). KI is understood as processes of knowledge co-creation linking domains particularly those of policy-making, science and practitioners. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-Building/Publications/Synthesis-studies/When-Civics-go-Governance http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-Building/Publications/Synthesis-studies/When-Civics-go-Governance Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:18:51 +0100 This paper provides an overview and critique of the role of NGOs in governance processes in Southern and Eastern Governance. Since the late 80s NGOs have flourished, yet the relevance and impact of their work deserves critical analysis. Drawing on an extensive literature review and ISS-case studies in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Brouwers pinches through the bubble of NGOs as key actors in the fostering of good governance in Africa http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-Building/Publications/Synthesis-studies/Social-Movements-and-Citizenship-in-Central-America-The-women-s-movement-and-the-struggle-for-their-rights-in-Nicaragua http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-Building/Publications/Synthesis-studies/Social-Movements-and-Citizenship-in-Central-America-The-women-s-movement-and-the-struggle-for-their-rights-in-Nicaragua Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:06:58 +0100 This study documents the evolution of the Nicaraguan Women's movement since from 1998-2009 and their struggle for basic human rights. The study reports on a two year participatory process in which diferent actors in the movement came together and shared their impressions and personal histories. The process was facilitated by Hivos and the Institute of Social Studies http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Beyond-Philanthropy http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Beyond-Philanthropy Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:53:15 +0100 In 2007, Hivos, an international non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values, formed a partnership with Logica, a global IT company, and the Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiua Foundation (MVF), an Indian organisation working to abolish child labour. We believe that documenting and sharing the experiences of this partnership is valuable for all individuals and organisations that are open to considering the merits of NGO–business partnerships in the non-governmental, public, and private sectors. In this case study we share the journey and experiences of the NGO–business partnership (Hivos, Logica & MVF) : from the rationale for engagement, field experiences and challenges, to issues of scale and sustainability. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Policy-Brief-Gender-Mainstreaming-2.0 http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Publications/Pubs/Policy-Brief-Gender-Mainstreaming-2.0 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:50:00 +0100 A key insight gleaned from Taking Stock’s action-research and dialogues was the need to translate overall, rather abstract, gender objectives at the level of organisational principles or mission statements into more specific gender objectives at the programme level. Strengthening gender analysis can help to improve the link between gender equality and other development goals. By focusing specifically on the sector level, it is possible to make gender equality a programming goal. The commitment to gender equality often evaporates when moving through the different policy levels because gender mainstreaming policies tend to be insufficiently grounded in strategies and processes. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Pluralism-Civil-Society-and-Subaltern-Counterpublics http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Pluralism-Civil-Society-and-Subaltern-Counterpublics Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:00:31 +0100 The paper describes a lower caste Muslim movement (Pasmanda) as a new site of social transformation and situates this case study in the contemporary academic debates on pluralism, social change and the subaltern. The author argues for civil society to engage more with such new sites of social change to make their frames and strategies more inclusive and effective. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/The-Family-At-the-heart-of-managing-diversity http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/The-Family-At-the-heart-of-managing-diversity Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:53:41 +0100 The paper explores the role of the family in nurturing the value of pluralism in Uganda. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Instruments-for-Promoting-Pluralism.-Examples-from-two-Indonesian-NGOs http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Instruments-for-Promoting-Pluralism.-Examples-from-two-Indonesian-NGOs Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:46:28 +0100 The authors describe their engagement with the challenges they meet when trying to effectively promote pluralism in local communities in Indonesia. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/The-Hidden-Dimension-of-the-Secular.-Rethinking-Humanism-in-an-age-of-Religious-Revitalism http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/The-Hidden-Dimension-of-the-Secular.-Rethinking-Humanism-in-an-age-of-Religious-Revitalism Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:41:56 +0100 The paper describes the increasing role religion plays in politics globally and unpacks the notion of secularism as seemingly 'opposite of religion'. The authors wish to stimulate the debate within humanism on its relation to religion. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Rethinking-the-Secular http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Promoting-Pluralism/Publications/Rethinking-the-Secular Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:41:36 +0100 This paper presents An-Na'im's key ideas on secularism and Islam as well as responses from key thinkers of the Pluralism Knowledge Programme, taking into account implications for CSO strategy and the debate of the 'crisis of secularism' in India. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/News/Small-competitive-and-resilient-How-small-scale-producers-contribute-to-food-security http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Small-Producer-Agency/News/Small-competitive-and-resilient-How-small-scale-producers-contribute-to-food-security Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:23:02 +0100 For Hivos, food security has special significance. Our mission is to contribute to a fair, free, and sustainable world, where all people – male and female – have equal opportunities. Hivos supports initiatives and partners working to improve the position of the rural poor while advocating for sustainable use of natural resources. Hivos stimulates market-driven development in agriculture that also triggers broad economic development, with increased employment opportunities and incomes both inside and outside the agricultural sector. Environmental sustainability and resilience of agricultural production systems remain central to our approach. Hivos sees small-scale, resilient agriculture – which recognizes the limits of natural resources – as critical to solving the global problem of food insecurity and poverty. Only by looking at long-term, sustainable solutions will it be possible to nourish 9 billion people. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-1 http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-1 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:48:11 +0200 http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-2 http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-2 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:46:02 +0200 Crisis is a much-overworked word in social sciences generally and in politics in particular. Phrases such as ‘democracy promotion is in crisis’ or ‘civil society can never be a force for democratization’ are simplistic overstatements. However, one cannot deny that there are serious challenges on the road to democratization, both of a conceptual and of a practical nature. The second issue of the newsletter of Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia deals with the challenges faced by the concept of civil society and the much-debated concepts in the ‘democratization industry’. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-3 http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Newsletters/Newsletter-Civil-Society-in-West-Asia-Issue-3 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:40:23 +0200 The uprisings in the Arab world had not even been in full swing before various political agendas scrambled to appriopriate them. Many opinions appear to be caught up in clichés and analyses colored by blatant attemps to only see self-serving and worn-out world perspectives confirmed. It is against this background that sobering and thorough academic research on the origins and nature of the Arab uprisings gains urgent value. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Policy-Papers/Beyond-Orthodox-Approaches http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Policy-Papers/Beyond-Orthodox-Approaches Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:36:39 +0200 The Middle East and North Africa are known to be one of the least democratic regions in the world. The authoritarian regimes in the region have demonstrated their adaptability to changing political circumstances, and aspirations for a democratic transition have so far failed to materialise. Yet the lack of democracy in the region should not be mistaken for a rejection by its citizens for such reform. Various opinion polls show that the majority of the population in the region are in favour of democratic government and want their voice to be counted. Furthermore, requests for support from political and civil organisations in the region - for increasing public and political democracy in their societies - underscore this desire. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Policy-Papers/Resilient-Authoritarianism-in-the-Middle-East http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Policy-Papers/Resilient-Authoritarianism-in-the-Middle-East Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:31:44 +0200 While celebrating a historic turning point in Egypt and Tunesia, it is also clear that authoritarianism will remain a prominent feature of Middle East politics. The spectrum of regime types in the region will expand. It may even come to include democracies. Yet as the cases of Syria and Iran demonstrate, not all regimes will experience political openings. Eventhough the region might be transformed in the years ahead, the cases of Syria and Iran remind us that the political landscape of the Middle East will retain familiar and troubling features. This paper presents some key parameters for a rethinking of democracy and reform promotion in this part of the region. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/1-Moth-or-Flame-The-Sunni-Sphere-and-Regime-Durability-in-Syria http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/1-Moth-or-Flame-The-Sunni-Sphere-and-Regime-Durability-in-Syria Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:26:43 +0200 This paper investigates relations between the Syrian regime and the Sunni sphere by providing a brief policy oriented analysis of regime - sphere relations and their role in the resilience of the Syrian authoritarian regime. It adds to the emerging appreciation amongst scholars and practitioners in the field of civil society that civil activism does not necessarily have a positive impact on processes of democratization and/or socio-political liberalization. It does this by questioning the extent in which civil actors are independent in the Syrian authoritarian context and assessing what influence this has on stabilizing the Syrian authoritarian system. It argues that Sunni civil activists can (unintentionally) support authoritarianism by being drawn to the very regime that suppresses them – mimicking a moth drawn to a flame. Second, based on the outcomes of the research it provides recommendations aimed at international NGOs that hope to engage with civil actors in Syria. The paper focuses on the Sunni sphere as this has proven to be the largest and most resilient sphere of civil activism in Syria and in the Middle East in general. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/2-Civil-Society-Activism-in-Morocco-Much-Ado-About-Nothing http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/2-Civil-Society-Activism-in-Morocco-Much-Ado-About-Nothing Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:35:03 +0100 This working paper outlines the current theoretical debate about civil society and democratisation and examines how such general debates have informed studies of civil society in the Arab world. It analyses in depth the case of Morocco, where civil society activism has greatly increased in the course of the last decade, coinciding mainly with the arrival to power of King Mohammed VI. More specifically, this study examines three areas of civil activism in the Kingdom: women’s rights and the 2004 reform of the family Code; human rights and specifically the rights of political prisoners in the aftermath of the Casablanca bombings; the developmental issues related to the National Initiative for Human Development. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/3-Civil-Society-and-Democratization-in-Contemporary-Yemen http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/3-Civil-Society-and-Democratization-in-Contemporary-Yemen Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:37:03 +0100 Working paper 3 discusses Civil Society en Democratization in Yemen. One part describes and analyzes the persistence in Yemen of what could be called a traditional civil society comprising of tribal and religious actors, who traditional as they may be, are also engaged in modernization processes. The second section will highlight the emergence of more modern actors since unification who, often benefiting from foreign support, are developing a new agenda and, in their own way, are responding to a specific framing of issues (development, Human rights, gender) produced internationally. Finally, the focus will shift to the different challenges and prospects facing the various civil society actors and how these often limit their capacity to take an active part in the democratization process. http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/4-The-Downfall-of-Simplicity http://www.hivos.net/Hivos-Knowledge-Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-in-West-Asia/Publications/Working-Papers/4-The-Downfall-of-Simplicity Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:01:32 +0200 Many articles have been written on democratization. The focus often lies on the ‘pluralist’ notion, in which civil society is believed to be the most important stimulus for democratization. Much less, though increasing, attention is paid to the ‘critical’ notion, in which political society is considered to be the main driver of democratic reform. Recently however, scholars have come to understand that both notions, in which concepts are studied isolated, fall short in explaining democratic transition. Following that insight, researchers have begun to focus on the link between civil and political society within the democratization process. The relation between both concepts is the core of the ‘hybrid’ notion. Although both civil and political society are considered important concepts in processes of democratization, it is argued in this working papers that all three mentioned notions are (too) simplistic. In reality democratization is more complex and many concepts are involved in the process. This article introduces a fourth notion, called the ‘complex’ notion, in which attention is given to more (explanatory) variables in relation to each other.