This is an interview with Benoît Fontaine (Advisor with the King Baudouin Foundation) who is working on developing GuideStar in Belgium. He talks about:

* The civil society sector in Belgium
* The reason for GuideStar interest in Belgium
* The main partners for the initiative
* Where the data for GuideStar Belgium will come from

'Many of the poorest countries in the world are affected by insecurity and violence. Over 50 countries have experienced violent conflict within the last decade. Where a government cannot assure the security of its citizens it is rarely able to tackle poverty effectively and insecure countries are lagging behind other developing countries in their progress against poverty reduction goals. Insecurity has human and economic impacts, both for affected countries and their neighbours.

This report more...

Climate change threatens to undo any progress towards the Millennium
Development Goals, with the world's poorest people suffering the most
from its impacts. Development agencies already advocate for cuts in
greenhouse gas emissions, but they must also adopt a new role, focusing
on helping people to adapt to climate change. Source: Id21

What credibility can we afford such gloomy words that portray Africans as fundamentally traumatized beings incapable of acting on their own behalf and in their own recognized interests? What is this so-called historicity of the continent which totally silences the long tradition of resistance, including that against French colonialism, along with today’s struggles for democracy, none of which receive the clear support of a country which, for many years, has actively backed the local satrapies? more...

Le paysage de l'ensemble du continent africain se transforme. Les cimes enneigées des monts Kilimandjaro, Kenya et Elgon fondent. Les rivages des lacs Tchad, Tanganyika et Victoria reculent; la superficie du lac Tchad est actuellement le vingtième de celle d'il y a 35 ans. Les changements climatiques, qu'on présume être la cause du problème, sont un phénomène bien concret pour la population africaine. Ces changements et bien d'autres encore ont déréglé les saisons de culture et réduit more...

In recent years, more armed conflicts than ever before have been resolved by peace processes centred on talks and agreements.1 The number of state and non-state organisations involved in mediation and peace-building has increased at all levels of society. Alongside this growth in organisations, a newly self-conscious discipline and profession of peace-making and peace-building is emerging locally and internationally across different cultures.
The potential role of mediation as a means of ending more...

Our mission at Razoo is simple: to promote social good and to inspire others to get involved by making giving and serving fun, easy, and meaningful.

This mission is at the heart of our name. A "razoo" is a coin of the smallest value. The idea behind naming our company after what might seem insignificant to some, is that when combined, small contributions have great value. This word "razoo" is the root of what our business is all about--small actions coming together to change your life and to more...

TransformArte is non-governmental organization whose objective is to implement strategies for the prevention of risks related to sexuality and the violation of human rights, and to create health-promoting artistic activities with youth and community members in poor neighborhoods.

Over the years, TRANSFORMARTE has established multiple training and information outreach activities in STI/AIDS as well as the prevention of tuberculosis, using the theater, dance, video, and community radio projects more...

The 106-page report is divided into five sections: policy dialogue and consultations; civic engagement and participation; operational collaboration and institutional partnerships; global, regional, and country-based engagement; and outreach to civil society constituencies. In each section the Review describes, with rich details, how the Bank has reached out and involved civil society in its policy formulation, research, training, funding, and implementation initiatives. There are also two anne more...

The Social Development Note (SDN) describes the World Bank's conceptual framework for analyzing the enabling environment for civic engagement. Under the right conditions civic engagement can promote development and improve the economic and social conditions of the poor. How civil society can maximize its potential in alleviating poverty and promoting social accountability, and what types of laws, regulations, governance and cultural norms are needed to create the most conducive environment in wh more...