Smartfolder on Democracy

Cross Sectoral Initiatives in Democracy and Environment: Chetumal Bay, Mexico — by Rubinoff, P. — last modified 2007-07-07 23:52

2001. Cross Sectoral Initiatives in Democracy and Environment: Chetumal Bay, Mexico. InterCoast #40. Coastal Management: In Search of Success. University of Rhode Island, Coastal Resources Center. Narragansett, Rhode Island USA. 40pp.

WRI Publication: Waiting for Democracy — by JESSE C. RIBOT — last modified 2007-06-24 22:18

Report from the World Resources Institute's Decentralization Research Program by Jesse Ribot entitled: "Waiting for Democracy: The Politics of Choice in Natural Resource Decentralization." The report examines several developing nations' claim to be undertaking some form of decentralization involving natural resource management. Case countries presented in this report include Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, India, Indonesia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The report assesses the degree to which proclaimed decentralizations involving natural resources are being established in law and in practice; evaluates how these decentralization reforms affect social and environmental outcomes; and recommends ways that these reforms could be designed and implemented to improve their social and environmental outcomes. The document has been obtained from the WRI website at {http://pdf.wri.org/wait_for_democracy.pdf}

Rural Governance and Citizenship in post-1994 South Africa: Democracy Compromised? — by Lungisile Ntsebeza — last modified 2007-06-24 20:29

I [Dr. Ntsebeza ] argue that the promulgation of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act and the Communal Land Rights Bill (CLRB) runs the risk of compromising this project. The Framework Act establishes traditional councils which are dominated by unelected traditional authorities and their appointees, while the CLRB gives these structures unprecedented powers over land administration and allocation.By Lungisile Ntsebeza (Phd) Associate Professor Department of Sociology University of Cape Town South Africa ntsebeza@humanities.uct.ac.za.

Workshop Summary: Greening Democracy & Governing the Environment: Managing for Cross-Sectoral Results — by Nancy K. Diamond — last modified 2007-07-07 21:58

75 To bring to light the synergies between environmental (ENV) and democracy-governance (DG) issues, BSP initiated a workshop entitled ""Greening Democracy and Governing the Environment: Managing for Cross-Sectoral Results,"" held in Washington, DC. The three objectives of the workshop were to 1) increase awareness of the diverse opportunities to create ENV-DG synergies, regardless of the activity scale and scope or level of management; 2) demonstrate how attention to ENV-DG synergies has led to better results for both ENV and DG sectors; and 3) provide an opportunity for dialogue about how to operationalize ENV-DG cross-sectoral programming. Date: 2000. Author: Nancy K. Diamond

Global Campaign on Urban Governance (August 2004) — by UN-HABITAT — last modified 2007-06-24 20:07

UN-HABITAT is mandated by the UN General Assembly and the Habitat Agenda, adopted in 1996, to pursue the twin goals of sustainable human settlements development and adequate shelter for all. In order to achieve these goals, UN-HABITAT launched two Global Campaigns on Urban Governance and Secure Tenure in 1999. The Campaigns are closely inter-linked, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing.

Group Latin America Fundamentals — by Jean Brennan — last modified 2006-09-26 21:58

 

PLACE PPT 2 - TRENDS — by Roberta Hilbruner — last modified 2008-04-01 18:08

Session two of the PLACE workshop

Remarks on the Launch of President Bush's Initiative Against Illegal Logging — by webadmin — last modified 2006-02-23 19:08

Remarks by Secretary of State, Colin Powell on the Launch of President Bush's Initiative Against Illegal Logging. 2003.

Africa - public participation — by Victor Phillips — last modified 2006-10-13 14:19

Wingspread small group discussion notes on Africa - public participation

UN-WTO Sustainable Tourism Forum presentation (1.897MB PPT) — by Rose Hessmiller — last modified 2006-09-26 18:13

UN-WTO Sustainable Tourism Forum presentation (1.897MB PPT)

Introduction to USAID for the Private Sector — by USAID — last modified 2007-06-24 19:28

An introductory document to introduce the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Public-Private Alliance (PPA) model to private sector entities that are interested in partnering with USAID in global development activities. The PPA model was introduced in 2001 to harness the resources, skills and creativity of the private sector in generating unique approaches to global development issues.

UNCHS (Habitat) - the global campaign for good urban governance — by UNCHS — last modified 2007-06-24 20:14

The aim of these campaigns is to reduce urban poverty through policies which emphasize equity, sustainability and social justice. Strategic and operational partnerships with government, local authorities, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, the private sector and UN agencies are crucial to the success of these campaigns.

A New Weave of Power, People and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation — by Lisa VeneKlasen — last modified 2008-03-31 15:40

By Lisa VeneKlasen and Valerie Miller, © 2002 World Neighbors This excerpt contains the introductory chapter of the book A New Weave of Power, People and Politics, a guide for learning, exploration, and adaptation in the context of citizen participation and advocacy. This guide offers tools and best practices for citizen participation, advocacy, rights-based approaches, good governance, gender analysis and women's political participation. 7-A.pdf

Country Profile: Namibia (190KB PDF) — by Rose Hessmiller — last modified 2006-09-26 18:13

Annex2G.Namibia.pdf

The National Security Strategy of the United States of America — by Office of the President of the United States — last modified 2007-06-29 16:49

The U.S. national security strategy will be based on a distinctly American internationalism that reflects the union of our values and our national interests. The aim of this strategy is to help make the world not just safer but better. Our goals on the path to progress are clear: political and economic freedom, peaceful relations with other states, and respect for human dignity. And this path is not America’s alone. It is open to all. To achieve these goals, the United States will: • champion aspirations for human dignity; • strengthen alliances to defeat global terrorism and work to prevent attacks against us and our friends; • work with others to defuse regional conflicts; • prevent our enemies from threatening us, our allies, and our friends, with weapons of mass destruction; • ignite a new era of global economic growth through free markets and free trade; • expand the circle of development by opening societies and building the infrastructure of democracy; • develop agendas for cooperative action with other main centers of global power; and • transform America’s national security institutions to meet the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. September 2002

Grassroots Movements, Political Activism and Social Development in Latin America — by Joe Foweraker — last modified 2007-06-21 19:10

This paper examines the evolution of grassroots political activity in Latin America, with special reference to Chile and Brazil, and assesses its impact on the policy and practices of social devel-opment. It traces this trajectory through the transition from authoritarian to democratic rule, and focuses on the response of grassroots organizations to democratic governance and the rise of neoliberalism in the 1990s. Published by United Nations Research Institute for Social Development 2001.

Democratic Decentralization of Natural Resources Institutionalizing Popular Participation — by Jesse C. Ribot — last modified 2008-03-31 15:56

By Jesse C. Ribot, © 2002 World Resources Institute (WRI) This brief presents preliminary findings and recommendations from research on natural resources in decentralization efforts around the world. All the case studies explore the degree to which natural resource decentralizations have taken place and their measurable social and environmental outcomes. 7-4.pdf

WRI Publication: Democratic Decentralization of Natural Resources - Institutionalizing Popular Participation — by Jesse C. Ribot — last modified 2007-06-24 21:08

WRI Publication "Democratic Decentralization of Natural Resources -Institutionalizing Popular Participation" written by Jesse Ribot. In order to increase environmental management efficiency and improve equity and justice for local people, many environmentalists have advocated participatory and community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). Democratic decentralization is a promising means of institutionalizing and scaling up the popular participation that makes CBNRM effective. However, most current “decentralization” reforms are characterized by insufficient transfer of powers to local institutions, under tight central-government oversight. Often, these local institutions do not represent and are not accountable to local communities. Nonetheless, some lessons and recommendations can be derived from the limited decentralization experiments that have taken place in various locations. This publication provides valuable insights into the process and issues surrounding the transformation from CBNMR to democratic decentralization. Original file posted on the World Resources Institute's website at {http://pdf.wri.org/ddnr_full_revised.pdf}

Democratic decentralization of natural resources: Institutionalizing popular participation — by Author Ribot, J. C. — last modified 2006-10-18 00:22

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, World. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Africa. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Asia. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Central America. Community-based Natural Forest Management, South America. Accountability, decentralization, institutions, laws, communication, community participation, conflict, social learning, lessons learned, literature review. SUMMARY: This report presents preliminary findings and recommendations from research on natural resources in decentralization efforts around the world. The findings derive from WRI research projects in Africa and case-studies presented at a WRI conference on decentralization and the environment. All cases explore the degree to which natural resource decentralization has taken place and examines social and environmental outcomes of this process. Most cases focus on forestry, while a few deal with wildlife and water management issues. The author presents preliminary interpretations of the research and highlights key issues relevant to natural resources management in democratic decentralization processes. The main recommendations are summarized as follows: Work with local democratic institutions as a first priority;Transfer sufficient and appropriate powers;Transfer powers as secure rights;Support equity and justice;Establish minimum environmental standards;Establish fair and accessible adjudication;Support local civic education;Give decentralization time;Develop indicators for monitoring and evaluating decentralization and its outcomes.

Democratic decentralization of natural resources: Institutionalizing popular participation — by Ribot, J. C. — last modified 2007-06-12 19:46

KEYWORD: Community-based Natural Forest Management, World. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Africa. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Asia. Community-based Natural Forest Management, Central America. Community-based Natural Forest Management, South America. Accountability, decentralization, institutions, laws, communication, community participation, conflict, social learning, lessons learned, literature review. SUMMARY: This report presents preliminary findings and recommendations from research on natural resources in decentralization efforts around the world. The findings derive from WRI research projects in Africa and case-studies presented at a WRI conference on decentralization and the environment. All cases explore the degree to which natural resource decentralization has taken place and examines social and environmental outcomes of this process. Most cases focus on forestry, while a few deal with wildlife and water management issues. The author presents preliminary interpretations of the research and highlights key issues relevant to natural resources management in democratic decentralization processes. The main recommendations are summarized as follows: Work with local democratic institutions as a first priority;Transfer sufficient and appropriate powers;Transfer powers as secure rights;Support equity and justice;Establish minimum environmental standards;Establish fair and accessible adjudication;Support local civic education;Give decentralization time;Develop indicators for monitoring and evaluating decentralization and its outcomes.