Institute of Social Studies and Hivos
This is the Hivos annual report for 2008. It was a year in which we concentrated on innovating our approach and which produced good results. It was also a year that ushered in a new era and many uncertainties, but at the same time opened up new opportunities for the world. Hivos celebrated its fortieth anniversary and looked back on four decades of distinctive history with due pride.
The article is a review of Le Rendez-vous des civilisations by Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd (2007) and has been published in issue 12 of The Broker, the bimonthly magazine of the Foundation for International Development Publications (IDP) in Leiden, the Netherlands. This article is published within the framework of the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, which aims to disseminate and integrate knowledge on roles and responsibilities for democratization through Civil Society Actors (CSAs) in Iran and Syria. Demographic data suggest that the world is not facing a ‘clash of civilizations’ between the Muslim and western world, according to Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd. In their book, Courbage and Todd compare trends in Islamic nations with those of other countries. Parts of the Muslim world show a certain lag in the increase of literacy, a decline in the number of children born per couple, changing gender roles and shifting political ideologies. The overall pattern, however, is not much different from other parts of the world. The demographic development of Tunisia and Iran, for example, does no longer differ from that of France.
In many young democracies political parties are not well organized, this is partly due to a lack of (financial)support. Non-governementel organisations, however, do receive a lot of international support for their advocacy work. This has resulted in NGOs partly taking over the role of political opposition and political parties. In the long run this will curtail democratisation processes in Africa.
Since the late 1990s, the prospect of using ICT (Information Communication Technologies) to improve accountability, transparency, access to information, and monitoring authorities has attracted general optimism. However, early hopes that e-initiatives would be the panacea of all the problems have given way to more modest claims. An aspect that has not received much attention so far is the use of ICT in support to citizen agency; to involve and inform communities and interact with and influence authorities. There are quite a few examples of successful smaller projects in this realm, also in developing countries. But new emerging technologies (e.g. mobile phones) create new momentum for strengthening citizen agency at larger scale. This paper focuses on the how ICT is already being used for this, and where the possibilities for the future lie.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation whose work is based on humanist values. Together with local civil society organisations in developing countries Hivos wants to contribute to the creation of a free, fair and sustainable world: a world in which citizens – women and men – have equal access to resources and opportunities for development. In which they are able to take an active and equal part in the decisionmaking processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
Volgens de Iraanse regering en regeringsgezinde media zijn Nederlandse NGO’s uit op regime change in Teheran. Iraanse activisten en journalisten die steun ontvingen uit Nederland worden ervan beschuldigd westerse agenten te zijn. Dertig jaar na de Islamitische revolutie zitten ze in de hoek waar de klappen vallen. Letterlijk.
In Hivos’ vision, strengthening civil society is at the core of social transformation. Over the last 15 years, Hivos has defined its strategy in this respect as ‘civil society building’ (CSB). ‘Building’, though, does not mean working towards a clearly-defined end situation, or following a single, standard ‘construction plan’, and also not imposing these methods and formats from outside. The main drive is to facilitate or enable endogenous processes of association among citizens in the South and linking and mobilising support for these processes at the global and national levels. The aim of this paper is to elaborate upon the general vision on CSB as described in Civil Voices, building on experiences, lessons learned and contextual changes over the last five years. The paper provides the main guiding principles for Hivos policy in this domain, without going into detail at the level of specific (sub-) programmes.
2006 and 2007 were eventful years of transition for the world; Hivos was no exception. The India Regional Office of Hivos was unable to produce an annual report for 2006 but we are happy to present to you now a combined report for 2006 and 2007, which captures the highlights. As mentioned in the India Regional Office annual report for 2005, Hivos went through a major organisational re-structuring in July 2005 in order to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in building up quality partnerships. An important part of the new structure is the formation of international sector teams in each of Hivos#039; policy priority areas, which include Programme Managers at the Head Office and Programme Officers based in all the offices of Hivos. In this report, we share the results of the re-structuring, the sharper focus and greater coherence in each of the policy areas, while still retaining the required attention to country and regional characteristics and priorities. The re-structuring process was formally reviewed in 2006 and was assessed to have been a positive change overall.
Many recent trends threaten to reframe global policies on agriculture. These trends include climate change, rapid urbanization, economic growth, increasing meat in the global diet, and decreasing purchasing power of the poor. Recently, rising oil prices, harvest failures, animal diseases and low levels of stock have colluded with the longer-term trends to push food and feed prices upward, bringing the topic of agricultural policies to the fore. From mid-2007 to early 2008 Hivos partnered with Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) to assess the state of knowledge on competing food, feed and fuels pressures on land use. The goal was to delineate knowledge needs in the field of sustainable economic development with a special focus on the economic position of marginalized groups. This publication showcases the results of this knowledge survey.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
Women Unlimited is Hivos third GWamp;D policy document. It responds to the current challenges and new momentum in a changed and changing world, and notably, in the context of international co-operation. It reflects new priorities, strategies and focus. It is based on lessons learned in the course of implementing the previous GWamp;D policies. Hivos’ vision on the root causes of poverty and gender inequality has not fundamentally changed. Unequal access to and control over material and non-material resources result in unequal participation of women in decision-making processes that shape their lives and opportunities.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
The Media, Information and Communication for Development (MIC) programme will empower citizens in developing countries – especially the poor and marginalized and their organisations – to express their voices and make them heard. The programme will enable access to information and communication resources that can help improve livelihoods and stimulate other development opportunities. The programme will also open up and broaden opportunities for a free flow of information, for networking and sharing knowledge and for public and democratic spaces for political debate and participation. Making Civil Voices Heard is divided in 5 main components and respective purposes: Strategic use of ICTs among Hivos partners Knowledge sharing opportunities among Hivos partners, New Media (civil media amp; communication platforms, Lobby for inclusive and human rights based ICT amp; Media policies, Research and innovation.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
In its attempts to address the cycle of access, representation and decision making, Hivos has become specialised in two main policy domains: Civil Society Building (CSB) and Economy and Sustainable Development (ESD). Civil society building focuses on the reinforcement of and conditions for inclusive and democratic decision-making. This policy domain is based on the idea that inclusive decision-making is a human right, as laid down in international treaties and national legislation. The policy domain of civil society building uses what is called a rights-based approach. The present policy paper focuses on the second main policy domain at Hivos: Economy and Sustainable Development. This domain focuses on the economic aspects of development within the perspective of social and ecological sustainability. Activities implemented within this policy have one main target group: poor and marginalised groups in developing countries. Given that this group is integrated in the market to a considerable extent, this policy domain and the present policy paper use a market-based approach. Many issues in the policy area “Economy and Sustainable Development” have an important civil society building or empowerment component. This paper discusses issues from a market perspective.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
In 1995, Hivos launched the Hivos Culture Fund (HCF) to support cultural and artistic expression in the South.2 The arts and culture play a vital role in society, as they open the way for critical reflection and provide a space for members of society to enjoy beauty, and express their thoughts and feelings. Culture and the arts also have the potential to build bridges between communities. These needs are as basic as life#039;s material necessities, and may contribute to a society#039;s shape and direction. This policy document is a revision of the first policy document entitled quot;Culture and Development,quot; published in 1995. This revision stems from the need to address recent developments in the wider global context, as well as in the sphere of culture and development. The practical lessons from the past seven years, as well as a recent external evaluation provide us with sufficient material for a new policy document.
Hivos’ ultimate goal is to contribute to a democratic, pluriform world society where all people – women and men – have equal rights and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, and where justice and sustainable development are ensured. Justice and sustainable development cannot be achieved without gender equality, and have different dimensions – social, political, economic, ecological, and cultural – that need to be addressed coherently.
In this policy paper, Hivos indicates how it positions itself in this changed - and changing - perspective and what this means for the direction of its activities. The paper reflects a shift in focus of Hivos’ policy from an emphasis mainly on activities in the South, to a more balanced range of interrelated activities in the South amp; East and the North, both internationally and in The Netherlands. This shift is not due to an abrupt or recent change of policy, but is the result of the process of programme development of the past years. As such, the paper stands for both continuity and innovation, two aspects of ‘quality’ Hivos feels comfortable with. As innovation also implies room for the unforeseen, Hivos prefers to keep some space and rather indicate the main direction and contours of its strategy than going into a high level of detail. Other documents will fulfil the need of operationalisation and specification.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
This policy paper serves to update Hivos’ policy on support for AIDS programmes in the South, as it has been applied since the early 1990s. The first reason for this update is the growing impact of AIDS on socio-economic conditions in large parts of the countries in the South, where AIDS has been disastrous for the development process. Moreover, the context and field in which players operate in AIDS prevention in the South has clearly changed over the years, although governments continue to take insufficient responsibility in providing prevention and care facilities. The third reason for this update is the obvious need to co-ordinate AIDS policy with the sector policy that Hivos introduced in the mid-1990s.
Hivos is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future.
development of the poor. This support from Hivos is aimed at improving access to credit and supporting services, stimulating organisational development and encouraging forms of production that are environmentally sound and respecting human dignity. The aim of this paper is to define the economic objective and develop it within the framework of Hivos#039; overall policy. This paper also provides information on Hivos#039; basic points of departure in taking decisions concerning economic activities.