Engagement between UNEP and civil society is necessary, both for UNEP and for the protection of the planet’s fragile web of life. In this engagement lies the potential for resurgence of democracy and ecological awareness.” (Dr. Vandana Shiva, Natural Allies, 1st edition, 2004). Indeed, responding effectively to today’s pressing environmental challenges will require the full and effective participation of all sectors of society. UNEP has placed particular emphasis in recent years in reachin more...

The Institute for Education Policy Studies is an independent Radical Left/ Socialist/ Marxist institute for developing analysis of education policy. It is at www.ieps.org.uk . The Institute seeks to develop Marxist analysis of policy, theory, ideology and policy development. It also seeks to develop Marxist transformative education theory, analysis and policy analyse and develop socialist/Marxist transformative policy for schooling and education from a number of Radical Left perspectives, includ more...

'In many transition economies, the state has surrendered its direct involvement in agricultural production and the rural economy, focusing on rural public goods and a greater regulatory role, particularly in food safety and plant and animal health. However, the exact definition of and appropriate financing for rural public goods remain unclear. In response to this conceptual gap, the rules and procedures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the European Union (EU) are increasingly determini more...

Le Prix Nobel de la Paix, Dr R.K. Pachauri, revient sur le rôle des sociétés civiles des pays du Nord pour compenser l'incapacité du Capitalisme à gérer ses externalités négatives.
Venez en débattre avec lui sur le blog collectif : Ideas for Development !

This article offers a brief look at how some civil society organisations in the developing world have had a growing influence over public revenues and spending. Through a range of advocacy activities these groups can prove heavily influential in promoting greater transparency, accountability and effectiveness. The paper suggests the importance of civil society organisations establishing links with similar advocacy groups and the media if they are to successfully influence policy. Full paper in P more...

This background note aims to identify organizations that are working to influence policy and build capacity around pro-poor trade in Latin America. This mapping provides an important baseline for the work of Comercio y Pobreza en Latinoamérica (COPLA, www.cop-la.net), a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) on trade, poverty and social exclusion in Latin America, and may also be useful for others concerned with the pro-poor dimensions of Latin American trade a more...

This briefing paper focuses on why and how Civil Society Organizations (CSO) can engage more effectively in policy processes in international development. Section 1 sets the scene and highlights the opportunities and challenges facing CSOs policy work. Section 2 focuses on why evidence matters for CSOs’ work in international development. Section 3 provides a framework that matches the engagement mechanisms and evidence needs to the critical stages of policy processes. Section 4 summarizes stra more...

'Access to essential goods at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) is limited by high prices, and inadequate rural distribution, which also restricts the poor in distributing their produce. This paper examines specific strategies for reaching the BOP using three socially responsible distribution case studies of multinationals, government and NGO initiatives in India. It identifies how socially responsible distribution can be achieved by strategies that take cost out, reinvent the distribution channel more...

'Closing emergency relief and recover missions should be considered as a project in itself and is best planned when there is a certainty and clear schedules for closing a programme. This document, originally conceived for the British Red Cross Recovery Programme in the Maldives, can also be used as a practical guidance tool for others about to embark on a similar process. It should be considered as an office closure guide for all support services (finance, administration, human resources (HR), l more...

'Whether scaling down operations or phasing these out completely, international agencies engaged in relief and recovery programmes should ensure that their exit strategies are sustainable. This presentation, originally conceived for the British Red Cross Recovery Programme in the Maldives, can also be used as a practical guidance tool for others about to embark on a similar process and should be read in conjunction to the documents outlined below.'