Peoples´ Voices on the Crisis (June 23, 2009). Roberto Bissio, Social Watch. Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch: "The world is caught in the “perfect storm” of the economic crisis and additional crises brought on by the depletion of natural resources, climate change, and unsustainable models of food production and energy consumption. The global financial architecture needs to be reformed so that developing countries recover policy space and the United Nations is the organization with the legitimacy and capacity to introduce the changes required. Investing in the poor is not just an ethical imperative but also the best stimulus package to rescue the world economy." Roberto Bissio is the co-chair of the Civil Society Advisory Committee to UNDP.
Interview with Roberto Bissio on the financial and economic crisis and its impact on development. June 23, 2009.
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Implications for Development Policies and Programming (May 20, 2009). James Anaya, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The historic adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples entails the principles of "free, prior and informed consent". According to these principles, “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them”. This and other principles also have an impact on the action of inter-governmental organizations when they carry out projects that affect indigenous peoples. The seminar focused on what these principles mean for UN programming. Read a short note on the seminar >>
Legislating from below: Experiences and Lessons on Establishing Peoples' Entitlements to
Information and Employment in India (May 13, 2009). Nikhil Dey, MKSS. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS; Collective for the Empowerment of Peasants and Workers) has led to one of the most progressive legislations in the world on the transparency and accountability of the state in India, and has also played a crucial role in the Right to Food and Employment Guarantee campaigns. These campaigns have successfully sought legal entitlements through the Indian Parliament and the Supreme Court. THe MKSS continues to strive for effective implementation of these laws and are fostering processes of democratic participation and decision making across the country today.
On Family Violence Prevention Strategy: A Civic Response to Domestic Violence (March 5, 2009). Ani Pitman and Di Grenell, Amokura. The Amokura Family Violence Prevention Strategy is an integrated community based initiative to address
family violence in Taitokerau/Northland, (northern region of the north island of New Zealand). The initiative is led by the Family Violence Prevention Consortium which is made up of the Chief Executives of seven iwi (tribal) authorities: Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngati Kahu, Whaingaroa, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua and Ngati Wai.
Civil Society Index: Towards a Better Understanding of Civil Society (February 2, 2009). Katsjui Imata, CIVICUS. The CIVICUS Civil Society Index is an action-research project that aims to assess the state of civil society in countries around the world. Between 2003 and 2006 the Civil Society Index was successfully implemented in over 50 countries worldwide. The study measures five key dimensions of civil society: civic engagement, level of organization, practice of values, perceived impact and external environment. The Civil Society Index is an important entry point for developing national civil society strategies and forms one of the main flagships in the global UNDP strategy to strengthen civil society and civic engagement. View the presentation of Katsuji Imata >>
