DevISSues volume 2, number 2, September 2000 by International Institute of Social Studies

Institute of Social Studies

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Volume 2, number 2, September 2000

CONTENTS

Inside this issue:

Problems of Poverty and Marginalization 2

Page

Keith Griffin

Japan Hans Opschoor

From 28-30 June the yearly CERES Summer School took place at the Institute of Social Studies, organized by 3

Page

Income Inequality in Panama Niek de Jong and Rob Vos 4

Page

Buddhist Fundamentalism H.L. Seneviratne

Max Spoor, Charlotte Boer en Berhane Ghebretnsaie. The main theme of the school was Structural Transformation and Development. This broad theme offered an opportunity to reflect on the major and sometimes dramatic socioeconomic and political changes (adjustment and transition), that have taken place in particular during the past two decades in developing and transitional countries. The first day of the school was devoted to the theme ‘Transformation, rural livelihood, poverty, access to resources and environmental degradation’. The theme of the second day was ‘Transforming state and civil society, social exclusion and conflicts’. On the last day papers were presented on globalization and economic transformation. In total 22 papers were presented at the school, 17 of which were prepared by PhD students and five given by renowned scholars from

Page

The Internet and Environmental Resources Eric Ross 5

Page

Capacity Building in Vietnam Haroon Akram-Lodhi 7

Page

In Memoriam Arvind Das

abroad. These papers will be published as conference proceedings hopefully early next year. Below is a summary of the paper by Keith Griffin, entitled ‘Problems of Poverty and Marginalization’. Income poverty

provisioning. Finally, many countries

living in Sub-Saharan Africa. The inci-

regions have benefited equally and

Traditionally, economics has tended

designate the poverty line in different

dence of poverty in all other regions

the incidence of poverty remains high

to focus on poverty as an insufficien-

ways and at different levels, making

(Latin America, East and South East

because of inequality in income distri-

cy of money income. To measure

comparison difficult. In the majority of

Asia, the Arab region) is below the

bution.

poverty it is first necessary to define

cases, poverty is equated with an

world average, although the distribu-

A high average income (as in many

the unit of observation, income and

incapacity to provide an adequate

tion of income varies considerably

Arab countries) is not a sufficient con-

the poverty line. There are several dif-

diet – the poor are therefore reduced

across these regions.

dition for a low incidence of poverty,

ferent units of observation, of which

to those who are undernourished.

household income per capita is most

while countries with a low per capita Accurate figures on changes in the

income (such as those in South East

widely used for poor countries.

The World Bank uses a standard of

numbers of poor are difficult to obtain.

Asia) can go a long way towards eli-

Defining income can be problematic

US$1 a day to estimate the incidence

If one considers the low-income

minating poverty if they have a rela-

because it can fluctuate over time and

of income poverty. On this basis, the

countries as a whole, there has

tively equal distribution of income.

Human Rights and the Lomé Convention Karin Arts

may include non-money components,

majority (nearly half) of the world’s

undoubtedly been progress in redu-

such as payments in kind or self-

poor live in South Asia, with 39%

cing income poverty but not all

Page

Capacity and Model Building in Kenya Rob Vos

continued on page 10

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change Gerrie ter Haar In April and May of this year, the ISS hosted a seminar series on Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change. The series was organized under the auspices of the new External Chair on Religion, Human Rights and Social Change and

As an institute for advanced

sponsored by the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO), Cordaid,

international education and

the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO), Stichting Katholieke Noden, the International

research, the ISS generates,

Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) and the Haëlla Foundation in The Hague.

accumulates and transfers

The series consisted of Private

years in many parts of the world and

concern to politicians and policy

Religious fundamentalism is often

Seminars, which were policy-oriented

can be expected to remain a signifi-

makers, human rights activists and

associated almost exclusively with

and attended by invitation only, and

cant social and political factor in the

development workers, as well as

certain trends in Islam; but, in fact,

human aspects of economic

Open Seminars, which were open to

years to come. It is therefore of crucial

others with a professional interest in

fundamentalist trends can be obser-

and social change, with a focus

the public. The aim of the series was

importance to increase our knowledge

the subject. During the seminars the

ved in most, if not all, major religions.

to stimulate a wider debate on the

and understanding of it, both inside

issue was explored in a global context

This was reflected in the presenta-

issue of religious fundamentalism,

and outside the academic community.

and within the various religious tradi-

tions by the invited speakers, who

informed by scholarly insights on the

Due to its socio-political implications

tions in which ‘fundamentalism’

addressed the way in which particular

subject.

and sometimes violent manifesta-

prominently appears today.

types of fundamentalism affect social change in various parts of the world,

knowledge and know-how on

on development and transition. The ISS is a leading centre in

tions, religious fundamentalism is

Special attention was given to issues

Religious fundamentalism has gained

often seen as a threat. Largely for

of social change and human rights.

considerably in influence in recent

this reason, it has become of serious

this field.

continued on page 6

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Japan: very different, very interesting Hans Opschoor This year Japan and the Netherlands are celebrating 400 years of relations. One of the high points of the celebrations was a visit by the Emperor and the Empress of Japan to the Netherlands in May. During the same month, I myself visited Japan. The trip was not prompted by the celebrations but by a desire to deepen and extend the ISS’s network of connections with Japanese academic institutions interested in international development, by revisiting institutions I went to last year and visiting a few new ones. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how many people were aware of the celebrations, and of the old and special ties between our two countries. Prof. Hans Opschoor

tended to be small but more recently they

graduate students and/or junior staff, joint

During my stay, the new Prime Minister,

Japan than just the mega-city of Tokyo.

began to increase rapidly: from 24,000 in 1985

training programmes in Asia, or capacity

Yoshiro Mori, caused a political outcry when he

During breakfast at my Kobe hotel, I watched

to over 180,000 in 1998. Among the reasons

development projects in, for example, Africa.

said that Japan is a divine nation focused on

the Japanese preparing for the hustle and

given for this change are dissatisfaction among

It was particularly gratifying to meet some of

the emperor. This statement, which reminded

bustle of day-to-day city life with soothing

more outward-looking students with some

the around 50 ISS alumni in Japan. I met about

many people of the events of the first half of

music and (alas, artificial) birdsong. Fortunately

aspects of Japanese higher education, espe-

20 at a reception organized by the Japanese

the previous century, evoked a response from

it was easy – and very rewarding – to get away

cially at the national universities. Apart from

ISS Alumni Association, including a female stu-

neighbouring states. What struck me, however,

from all of that, to beautiful, peaceful land-

responding to this demand, another good

dent from 1962 who showed me pictures of

was the way that Japanese people and the

scapes and architecture. Below is a short

reason for extending our interaction with Japan

her meeting the then Princess Beatrix at our

English-language media responded. The topic

report on the networking prospects I discovered

is the fact that the Japanese development

10th anniversary celebrations. The current

came up in practically every conversation I

for the ISS in Japan.

model is of great potential interest to our

Acting President of the Alumni Association is

had, and almost everyone was shocked by

As we know at the ISS, Japan has been sen-

students from Asia and elsewhere. It might

president of a well-known research institute. I

Mori’s words. While I was there, the polls

ding students and practitioners for overseas

be wise for the ISS, which is currently setting

also remembered very well ISS alumnus

showed a decline in his popularity from well

training for many years. Numbers traditionally

up a network of centres to study social change

Emeritus Professor Mimura from the national

over 40% to below 20%.

and development, to consider including one or

university of Kyoto, who showed me some of

two in Japan. With all this in mind, I visited a

the sights in Kyoto and explained why the

Is Japan different? Indeed it is. Is it interesting?

number of institutes involved in development

city’s huge, high-rise railway station should not

Absolutely: for the ISS as a professional institu-

research, education and training. I also visited

have been built in an East-West direction. I met

te, for any academic interested in social evolu-

institutes and graduate schools specializing in

more recent alumni at almost all the develop-

tion, and for casual visitors. Anyone touching

social science approaches to international

ment institutes I visited in Tokyo, including one

down at Narita Airport can be sure of one

development at several national and private

who was preparing for her first overseas mis-

thing: there will be never a dull moment.

universities. It was very rewarding to discover

sion for the UN. And, of course, there was

that almost all of the centres I visited were

Tetsuya Kakuhashi and his wife, who so won-

Hans Opschoor is Rector of the ISS and can

interested in cooperating with the ISS in one

derfully arranged the Kobe-Osaka leg of my

be contacted at opschoor@iss.nl

way or another. The ISS is taking a close look

trip, including a very interesting seminar on

at some of the options, which include staff

sustainable development and a visit to Nara

exchanges, joint seminars, sending post-

and its ancient treasures.

This year, I had a little time to see more of

One of our Japanese ISS students meets the then Princess Beatrix at the ISS

Coffee money for the ISS – and more to come Recent political changes at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are making the traditional sources of ISS funding less reliable. The Institute therefore needs to take steps to develop a broader financial support base. A number of steps have been already been taken, with some success.

Firstly, the foodstuff multinational DE/Sara Lee

and research fellowships. Another option could

environment. With its many embassies, minis-

and one of its board members have made avai-

be the sponsoring of ISS facilities. This short

tries and international companies, The Hague

lable a fellowship of 50,000 guilders for the

article will examine a number of options related

undoubtedly has many potential course partici-

coming five years for a student from one of the

to teaching and fellowships.

pants, for example in the areas of International

coffee or tea producing countries. In addition,

Relations or International Law. Evening classes

ISS staff member Eric Ross has secured two

Experience shows that the refresher courses

might be the best option here, although a sum-

grants for the MA specialization Population and

organized regionally by the ISS for its alumni

mer school may also be an attractive option.

Development from the John D. and Catherine

attract many more applications than can be

The ISS will be approaching this potential local

T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago. The

admitted on the basis of the limited funding by

clientele in the near future to try and match sup-

Foundation will be providing US$ 200,000

SAIL and the Directorate General for Interna-

ply to demand.

over three years for P&D fellowships, and US$

tional Cooperation (DGIS). In the near future the

250,000 over two years for a research project in

ISS will be investigating how such short cour-

To attract fellowship funds, it is necessary first

Guatemala. The research project is to be imple-

ses can be organized on a self-financing basis,

and foremost to ensure the quality of the

mented by P&D staff and by recent ISS PhD

either regionally or in The Hague (perhaps as

teaching programmes and to secure a good

graduate Caro Mendez Nelson.

summer courses). Possibilities include organiza-

reputation. With its system of external exami-

tions using the courses to train their field wor-

ners for the MA programme and external

To follow this up, several funding channels

kers, or funding agencies sponsoring the cour-

reviews every two years for all programmes, the

should be explored simultaneously: project

ses by offering one or more fellowships.

ISS receives the necessary feedback to validate

acquisition, fellowship funds, professorial chairs

The ISS should make better use of the local

its programmes. The examples given at the

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Income Inequality and Poverty in Panama Niek de Jong and Rob Vos Income inequality in Panama is among the highest in the world, resulting in widespread poverty, despite the fact that income per capita is above the Latin American average. An analysis of income distribution should therefore be an important ingredient in the search for solutions to the problem of poverty. A recent ISS study finds that Panama’s attempts at macroeconomic stabilization in the early 1990s helped to reduce inequality and poverty, but that structural reforms later in the decade have been conducive to greater income inequality.

The study, sponsored through the World

employment acted as a sink for the labour mar-

impacted separately and in combination on

poverty and inequality between 1991 and 1994

Bank/UNDP project on Living Conditions in

ket.

inequality and poverty at household level.

Results of the microsimulation methodology

Panama, was carried out in the second half of

In the early 1990s, the government implemen-

1999 in collaboration with a team from the

ted a stabilization programme and initiated a

Key results

macroeconomic factors predominated in the

Dirección de Políticas Sociales (Social Policies

process of reform. The economy recovered, but

The Gini coefficient of per capita income in-

1990s, producing falling unemployment, rising

Division) of the Panamanian Ministry of Eco-

growth started to slow down again after 1993.

equality in Panama in 1997 was about 0.60. 3

labour participation and falling poverty and ine-

nomy and Finance. The aim was to detect the

The reform process moved perhaps more slow-

Inequality and poverty were less pronounced in

quality (Table 1). Towards the end of the deca-

main determinants of income inequality in

ly than in other countries in the region. Only

urban areas. Urban poverty decreased during

de, structural adjustment factors predominated,

Panama and the impact of economic liberaliza-

after 1994 did the government implement more

the economic recovery of the early 1990s and

becoming visible in the form of rising wage dif-

tion policies on income distribution. In March of

drastic measures aimed at liberalizing foreign

then stabilized. Initially, urban inequality also

ferentials between skilled and unskilled workers

this year we presented the results of the study

trade and capital inflows and creating a more

diminished slightly, but then increased again

and inadequate labour absorption in the formal

at two seminars in Panama City. 1

flexible labour market.

under the market reforms implemented during

sector, forcing more workers into the informal

the second half of the decade (see Figure 1).

sector. These shifts in the labour market struc-

A key data source used in the study is the living

In the study we investigated two hypotheses:

standards measurement survey (ENV), conduc-

1) that macroeconomic stabilization, which led

ted in 1997. It was Panama’s first nationwide

to economic recovery, real wage adjustment

household survey and also covered areas with

and falling unemployment, has contributed to a

Ingreso en Panamá. A copy (in Spanish), can

a high concentration of indigenous people and

reduction in inequality; 2) that microeconomic

be obtained from orpas@iss.nl. An abridged

the ‘areas of difficult access’ at the border with

factors associated with the reform process

English version is available as an ISS Working

Colombia. 2 This information was combined

(shifts in the structure of employment and in

Paper (contact workingpapers@iss.nl).

with that from a series of household surveys

wage differentials between economic sectors

conducted almost every year from 1982-1998.

and labour skills) have caused greater income

Figure 1: Urban Poverty and Inequality

These surveys provide fairly reliable and com-

inequality. To test these hypotheses and to dis-

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Encuestas Continuas de Hogares

parable data on incomes, but basically for

entangle the impact of the various effects, we

urban areas only.

applied a novel method of ‘microsimulations’.

confirm our two hypotheses and show that the

ture resulted in higher inequality. The report is entitled Distribución del

See www.worldbank.org/html/prdph/lsms/

index.htm or www.mhyt.gob.pa for more details on this survey. 3 The

Gini coefficient takes a value between 0

The reforms throughout the 1990s were

(perfect equality) and 1 (perfect inequality).

accompanied by a shift towards skilled labour,

Thus, a higher value means more inequality.

Panama’s economy

Methodology

to the detriment of unskilled labour. This ap-

The Panamanian economy has long been dual

The ENV 1997 provided an in-depth, static pic-

pears to explain part of the decrease in poverty

Niek de Jong is Lecturer of Economics at the

in nature, with, on the one hand, export-

ture of inequality at national level, while the

and increase in inequality. During the first half of

ISS and can be contacted at dejong@iss.nl.

oriented economic activities in the Canal Zone

Continuous Household Surveys enabled us to

the 1990s labour force participation increased

Rob Vos is Deputy Rector and Professor of

and a large offshore banking centre, and on the

analyse patterns over time. Decomposition

and unemployment diminished somewhat.

Finance and Development at the ISS.

other, a highly protected sector oriented at the

methodologies were used to study the determi-

These trends contributed to a reduction in

He can be contacted at vos@iss.nl

domestic market.

nants of both levels and changes in inequality. The descriptive analysis of trends was comple-

Table 1: Simulated Impact of Stabilization and Reform on Urban Poverty

Panama has always had a very open economy

mented by a sophisticated ‘before-and-after’

and Inequality in 1990s

and its financial system has traditionally been

approach. Through the microsimulations

closely integrated with world markets. Yet this

method we tried to establish what poverty and

Macroeconomic and stabilization effects:

Poverty

Inequality

has not insulated Panama from external shocks

inequality would have been if reforms had not

• rising participation rates

reducing

and financial problems. After a period of stag-

been implemented. We looked at the changes

• falling unemployment

reducing

nation, the 1980s ended in a deep economic

in the 1990s in key labour market outcomes –

• overall increase of remuneration

reducing

hardly changing

Structural reform effects:

and political crisis. Panama defaulted on its

such as unemployment and labour participation

large external debt and access to capital flows

rates, employment structure and wage differen-

was virtually cut off. The old, dualistic pattern of

tials by sex and skill – which can be associated

growth in Panama proved to be unsustainable.

with macroeconomic and structural adjustment

Unemployment, poverty and inequality incre-

factors. Subsequently, we simulated through a

ased, while the informal sector and self-

random process how each of these changes

start of this article prove that companies and

come? Clearly the ISS must not become invol-

negative, because sponsors want to have an

alumni who have had a successful career after

foundations can be interested in investing in

ved with companies or organizations with bad

exclusive link?

their study at the Institute (and there must be

such programmes. Other enterprises, banks,

records in terms of, for example, human rights,

international NGOs and suchlike will be ap-

child labour or environmental issues. But where

These are only the first exploratory contours of

sor a fellowship or an activity. If you have any

proached and invited to contribute to special

and how should we draw the line?

a more active resource acquisition policy for

bright ideas, do not hesitate to contact me at

funds for fellowships, or to establish their own

If willing sponsors are found, the Institute must

teaching and fellowships. All readers, especially

the Dean’s office (deans.office@iss.nl).

ISS fellowship fund.

also consider the effect on related firms or orga-

those from outside the ISS, are invited to think

The implications of this change will have to be

nizations. Will the effect be positive, because

along with us about various options, including

Marianne van der Weiden

thought through. Are all sponsors equally wel-

others will not want to lag behind, or will it be

some we may have overlooked. Perhaps ISS

Academic Registrar

• shift towards self-employment

Increasing

slightly increasing

• shift towards employment in services

Slightly increasing

slightly increasing

• rising remuneration differentials

Increasing

increasing

• shift towards use of skilled labour

Slightly decreasing

slightly increasing

Source: Authors’ calculations based on Encuesta de Niveles de Vida 1997

many of those among you!) might wish to spon-

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Buddhist Fundamentalism and Social Change : the case of Sri Lanka H.L. Seneviratne This is a summary of the lecture given by Professor Seneviratne at the ISS on 24 May as part of the ‘Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change’ seminar series. Within a few centuries of the foun-

Today the picture in Sri Lanka is diffe-

If the perceived power of the clergy is

Dharmapala. The monk who emer-

sophy. It has freed the monk from his

ding of Buddhism, and especially in

rent. Since the victory of the nationa-

recent, how did it come about? The

ged as a result of this new definition

code of ethics and discipline, and he

its migrations and establishment in

list forces in 1956, the majority

answer to this question would consti-

of the monastic role become a major

has taken to a variety of wordly acti-

lands outside India, it entered into a

Sinhala ethnic group’s more extre-

tute an account of the formation of

carrier and role player in the ideology

vities. One such activity is nationalist

complex of mutual relations with the

mist and hegemonic factions have

what might be tentatively termed a

and activist project of Buddhist fun-

political activism, which makes him

state, and the Buddhist clergy evol-

accepted a revisionist history that

Buddhist fundamentalism. The term

damentalism. Dharmapala imagined

an important partner in a newly

ved into a class of influential social

elevates the monk to a politically

‘fundamentalism’ in its traditional

an idealized past that was corrupted

invented Budhhist fundamentalism.

actors in their particular societies. In

dominant role, and to a position of

usage refers to the Christian belief in

and destroyed by colonial rule and

Thus the roots of Buddhist funda-

ancient and mediaeval Sri Lanka,

such social influence that politicians

the inerrancy of orthodoxy, and

the influence of the Christian chur-

mentalism in Sri Lanka lie not in the

foreign threat occasioned the perio-

now entertain a fear of the monk’s

would therefore be misleading when

ches. He envisaged a regeneration of

fundamentals of Buddhism, but in

dic espousal of a proto-nationalism,

imagined power, generally under-

applied to other religions. However, in

the ideal past society for which he

the nationalist revival in Sri Lanka

with the clergy among its most

stood as the power to move voters

an extension of the more recent

needed activists. The obvious choice

going back to the mid nineteenth

important bearers, but this was ephe-

and make or unmake governments.

usage to mean any form of religiously

for such social activism was the

century and flowering in the twentieth.

meral and superficial in a social orga-

The clergy vociferously espouses an

associated hegemony, the term can

Buddhist monk. Having so deter-

nism which contained a deeper and

exclusivist and hegemonic nationa-

arguably be used to describe certain

mined, Dharmapala did not stop

H.L. Seneviratne is Associate

more pervasive impulse for integra-

lism that has become the major

aspects of contemporary Buddhist

there. He imagined such activism to

Professor of Anthropology at the

ting outside groups and accommo-

impediment to a meaningful devolu-

nationalist activism.

have been the monk’s role through-

University of Virginia, USA

dating ethnic and linguistic variety.

tion of political power to the minori-

The primary and the most important

ties – which is essential for bringing

The rise of Buddhist fundamentalism

with a legitimacy for social activism

role of the monk was religious and

to an end the tragic and destructive

in this sense in Sri Lanka can be

and a liberation from priestly duties

cultural, and any activist politico-natio-

civil war that is now in its eighteenth

traced to the definition of a new role

he never historically enjoyed, and he

nalist role he played was not institu-

year.

for the Buddhist monk by the early

has taken this liberation in directions

twentieth century reformer Anagarika

undreamed in Dharmapala’s philo-

tional but random and contingent.

out history. This provided the monk

The Internet and Environmental Resources Eric B. Ross Although the technical origins of the Internet date from the 1960s, the worldwide web as we know it only began in the early ‘90s. Since then, there has been an incredible explosion in the information available and a dramatic improvement in means for accessing it, not least for researchers, for whom the Net is an indispensable source of data, much of which cannot be found with such ease anywhere else. No field exemplifies this more than that of the environment. Below is a short introduction to the many sources of information on the environment available on the Internet. Journals and magazines

jones.html). All of these sites give access to many back issues.

offers a wide variety of papers on GM technology, biodiversity,

Many journals and magazines on environmental issues can be

You might also want to try the webpage of the U.S. Society of

etc. Incorporated in the Netherlands in 1985, RAFI is presently

accessed over the Internet. A good example is the Journal of

Environmental Journalists (http://www.sej.org/), which archives

based in Winnipeg, Canada, and is ‘dedicated to the conserva-

Political Ecology: Case Studies in History and Society

back issues of their quarterly newsletter, or the Biotechnology

tion and sustainable improvement of agricultural biodiversity, and

(http://www.library.arizona.edu/ej/jpe/jpeweb.html). JPE is a peer-

and Development Monitor (http://www.pscw.uva.nl/ monitor/

to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to

reviewed journal of the Political Ecology Society specializing in

index.html), published by the University of Amsterdam.

rural societies.’ RAFI spearheaded the campaign against

research into linkages between political economy and human

Montano’s terminator seed technology.

environmental impacts. Produced at the Bureau of Applied

Organizations

Research in Anthropology and archived at the University of

Many environmental organizations have good websites that are a

Another invaluable site is that of Cornerhouse (http://cornerhou-

Arizona Library, it is available free on-line. Other on-line journals

valuable source of information. One of the best is GRAIN (Genetic

se.icaap.org/), founded a few years ago by Sarah Sexton and

which often carry articles on the environment are Science, the

Resources Action International), an NGO based in Spain and

Nicholas Hildyard, former editors of The Ecologist. Based in the

journal of the American Association for the Advancement of

coordinated by Henk Hobbelink, which promotes ‘the sustainable

UK, Cornerhouse describes itself as an ‘NGO which aims to sup-

Science (http://www.sciencemag.org/) and its British equivalent,

management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on peop-

port the growth of a democratic, equitable, non-discriminatory

Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature/). Magazines include New

le’s control over genetic resources and local knowledge, with a

civil society in which communities have control over the resour-

Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/) and the long-running UK

special emphasis on developing countries.’ Its website at

ces and decisions that affect their lives and means of livelihood.’

environmental magazine, The Ecologist (http://www.theecolo-

http://www.grain.org/ provides downloadable briefing papers on

Its substantive briefing papers on a wide range of economic and

gist.org/). Two of the best from the U.S. are Multinational Monitor

developments in agricultural biotechnology and agribusiness and

environmental subjects are an excellent teaching resource and

(http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/list.html) and Mother

articles from its quarterly newsletter, Seedling. The RAFI (Rural

can be obtained on line at their site.

Jones (http://www.motherjones.com/mother_jones/ mother_

Advancement Foundation International) site (http://www.rafi.org/)

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues Other organizations include ASEED (Action for Solidarity, Equality,

home_eng.htm), founded in 1980 to ‘provide understandable

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) as ‘an

Environment and Development) Europe, based in Amsterdam. Its

scientific information about the influence of toxic substances on

electronic clearing-house for information on past and upcoming

newsletter is available at http://www.aseed.net/. On the Third

human health and the environment.’ Its newsletter, available on

international meetings related to environment and development

World Network’s environment page

line, Rachel’s Environment & Health Bi-Weekly, is named after the

policy’; and the search facility of the document data base of ILEIA

(http://www.twnside.org.sg/env.htm) you can download short arti-

late US environmentalist, Rachel Carson.

(the Information Centre for Low-External-Input and Sustainable

cles by writers such as Vandana Shiva and Martin Khor. Antenna

Agriculture) (http://www.agralin.nl/ileia/ileia-ic.html), established in

is the Dutch representative for the Association for Progressive

Those looking for hard data on environmental issues from esta-

1982 mainly with Dutch funding. You can obtain a copy of the

Communications (APC), a worldwide platform of host organiza-

blishment sources should look at the Annotated Database of

EU’s Fifth Environmental Action Programme (‘Towards Sustaina-

tions with members and partners in over 75 countries which are

WWW Sites Pertaining to Agricultural/Environmental Biotechno-

bility’) at http://europa.eu.int/comm/ environment/ actionpr.htm.

active on such issues as the environment, development coopera-

logy (http://www.nbiap.vt.edu/othersites/indexlinksdblevel1.cfm),

tion, labour, human rights, peace, health, women, etc. Antenna’s

managed by Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB), part of

Lastly, one of the most momentous fields of research in recent

environment page (http://www.antenna.nl/users/milieu.html) pro-

the US Department of Agriculture’s National Biological Impact

years, which has fuelled the debate over the role of bioenginee-

vides a clickable list of dozens of organizations in the Netherlands

Assessment Program.

ring in agriculture, concerns the potential environmental impact of

concerned with environmental issues. You can also access a

the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) gene in corn plants in the US, and

worldwide list of environmental groups through its index at

Some interesting specialist sites include: the GIS (Geographical

especially its effect on monarch butterflies. One of the great virtu-

http://www.antenna.nl/menu/milieu.html.

Information Systems) Laboratory of Trinity College, Dublin

es of the Internet is that it can allow you to access most relevant

(http://www.tcd.ie/Geography/GIS/); the UN Commission on

contributions through one site. You can explore the controversy

Issues

Sustainable Development (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/); the

on the Bt and Monarchs site at http://www.biotech-info.net/but-

Two excellent issue-based sites are those of the San Francisco-

Environmental Change and Security Project (ECSP)

terflies_btcorn.html and experience the web doing what it does

based Rainforest Action Network (RAN) (http://www.ran.org/ran/)

(http://ecsp.si.edu/default.htm) at the Woodrow Wilson

best: being informative, critical and provocative.

and PANNA (Pesticide Action Network of North America)

International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.; Linkages, a

(http://www.igc.apc.org/panna/). Another useful site is that of the

Multimedia Resource for Environment & Development Policy

Eric Ross is Senior Lecturer in Population and Development at

Environmental Research Foundation (http://www.rachel.org/

Makers (http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/), maintained by the

the ISS

Vietnam

Vietnam teaching project

Haroon Akram-Lodhi

On 4 July, 22 students from Class 3 of the Vietnamese-Dutch Masters Programme in Development Economics were awarded their degrees at the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City. This follows the award of degrees to 24 students from Class 3 of the National Economics University in Hanoi in May. Attending the ceremony were Professor Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, Rector of the University of Economics, Mr Dirk Hasselman, Consul-General of the Netherlands, Mr Chi Do Pham of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, Dr Max Spoor, ISS Project Responsible, and Dr Haroon Akram-Lodhi, ISS Resident Project Leader.

Ho Chi Minh City. Class 3 students of the Vietnamese-Dutch Masters Programme in Development Economics receive their degrees

The Masters Degree in Development

Vietnam needs a core of highly trained econo-

Indeed, one of the pleasures of working on the

Wherever it takes place, in The Hague or in

Economics (MDE) is a two-year full-time degree

mists to guide it through its reform process.

project is running into so many former ISS

Ho Chi Minh City, an ISS graduation day is a

taught in English at the University of Economics

The MDE trains such a ‘second generation’ core

students involved in its activities.

joyous occasion. It is the culmination of months

and the National Economics University.

of policy analysts by offering a curriculum that

Six years of teaching and other assistance

has been jointly developed by Vietnamese and

The MDE is the only graduate degree in econo-

family and colleagues of academic achieve-

from the ISS, funded through Dutch develop-

Dutch academics. It focuses on applying

mics in English offered in Vietnam, and success-

ment. It is also an event of which Vietnam can

ment cooperation, has enabled the degree

modern economic theory to the policy challen-

ful students have no difficulties finding good

be proud. As Mr Hasselman said, Vietnam now

programme to achieve and maintain internation-

ges facing Vietnam.

jobs in ministries, universities, banks or private

has 22 new Masters of Development

al standards in the teaching of economics.

Students undertake foundation, core and

companies. As a consequence, the competition

Economics who are ‘fully ready to make their

As Dr. Adam McCarty, the ISS Resident Advisor

specialization courses, while a substantial thesis

for places is intense. In the words of Professor

contribution to Vietnam’s economic develop-

in Hanoi, has said: ‘We take on Vietnam’s best

requirement pushes them to develop their

Vu Thieu, Hanoi Director and a frequent visitor

ment’.

young economists and take them further.

independent analytical capacities. Upon suc-

to the ISS: ‘Demand has been rising as the

We push them to identify questions, apply

cessfully completing the programme, they

reputation of the degree spreads and the quality

Haroon Akram-Lodhi is Senior Lecturer in Rural

theory, and develop arguments systematically

receive a degree that is jointly signed by the

of our graduates is appreciated. Entrance exa-

Development at the ISS and can be contacted

and convincingly. The results can be seen in the

Rectors of the ISS and of the University of

minations for Class 7 will be held in September,

at haroon@iss.nl

very high standards achieved in the most recent

Economics.

and we expect over 500 applicants for places in

round of public thesis defences, where the

of work, and is an affirmation in front of friends,

Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi. Given this

quality of the research output produced by

The MDE is taught by visiting lecturers from the

demand, we are exploring options for cost-

our students matches that found on MA

Netherlands and by Vietnamese university lectu-

recovery, full-fee students, and for an after-work

degrees in Europe, Australia, or America.

rers who have been trained abroad. Often,

degree course’.

Indeed, our student theses are as good as

Vietnamese counterparts have been trained at

those produced at the ISS.’

the ISS itself, as part of the project.

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Letters to the Editor We have received many letters from ISS alumni and other readers from around the world in response to the first two numbers of Development ISSues. We would like to thank everyone who has written in and would encourage more of you to send us your comments. The postal and email addresses for Development ISSues can be found on the back page. Below is an edited selection of the letters we have received, arranged per continent.

Africa

Dear Mr Olowu,

Dear Editors,

Lucia Padilla-Guerrero

I read your article on Policy Development for

I find DevISSues a highly entertaining and

Dept. of Trade and Industry, Nueva Vizcaya,

Public Policy Management in DevISSues v.2.

informative magazine, please include me on

Philippines

no.1 2000 with great interest. As someone who

your circulation list,

Dear Sirs,

served Namibia as a Fiscal Advisor to the

As I am working in the area of rural develop-

Minister of Finance and International Project

Mr. Lim Tuan Chee, Engineer

ment, I find Development ISSues useful to my

Coordinator under UNDP/IMF Technical

Melaka, Malaysia

work. It provides a wide variety of ideas and

Assistance (1992-1995), I was delighted to see

concepts that assist me in understanding and

the focus on capacity development in a more

Dear Sirs,

developing a conceptual framework.

broader context. In my advice to the

We are more than grateful to receive

Sincerely yours,

Government and the funding agencies,

Development ISSues. With the intense and

I persistently argued that the impact of reform of

numerous economic and social changes

Latin America

Rebede Wolde Giorgis

the fiscal and monetary agencies would be limi-

taking place in the Philippines and the refocu-

Dear Sirs,

World Vision Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

ted unless the overall environment for policy

sing of our college’s thrust towards research

I am very interested in keeping touch with the

management, including civil service administra-

with the intent of contributing in our humble

ISS and in the contents of Development

Dear Sirs,

tion and human resource development, is also

way to addressing the problems and challen-

ISSues v.2 no.1 2000. After being out of touch

Thanks for sending me Development ISSues.

addressed. I am therefore glad to note that

ges besetting our country, the receipt of the

with the Institute for five years, I am very glad

I appreciate it so much because it keeps me

things seem to be moving in the right direction.

publication is timely.

to see that Prof. Hans Opschoor is Rector.

informed of professional development at my

Congratulations and many thanks,

We would be very grateful if you would send

From what I know of his background, he

former institute. Please continue to send it.

us regularly future copies of DevISSues. Our

seems particularly well suited to lead the

Teferra Wolde-Semait, ISS Alumnus

students in Political Science, International

Institute’s integration into the Dutch university

Musisi Aldret Albert

(MSS 1967) TwoldeSemait@IMF.org

Relations, Economics and Political Economy,

system. Also, I particularly liked the thrust of

Kampala, Uganda

This letter has been passed on to Dele Olowu

as well as our faculty members, will undoub-

the article by Wil Hout on internationalization,

tedly benefit from your efforts.

institutions and development. I find the topic

Asia

highly relevant to the most prominent issues Roman R. Dannug

we are facing in peripheral regions like

Dear Editors,

Dean, Polytechnic University of the

Putumayo in Colombia. Finally please pass on

Development ISSues is being used as refe-

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude

Philippines, College of Economics, Finance

my congratulations to Prof. Bert Helmsing.

rence material by the teachers and students

and thank you for regularly sending Develop-

and Politics, Manila

From what I was able to gather from his inter-

of the Masters course in Rural Project

ment ISSues, which I find benefiting and

Management offered by our Institute.

thought provoking. Colleagues who have

Dear Editors,

though from the portrait with which you illu-

The article on ‘Debate on Aid effectiveness –

read DevISSues also find it a very helpful

I would like to extend my sincerest thanks for

strated his inaugural address, one might

an ISS contribution’ was useful for a course

resource, keeping the reader acquainted with

Development ISSues. I find it very informative

guess otherwise!

on Development Funding. Please carry more

the current development issues around the

and interesting and hope to receive it regularly

articles on Aid for Rural Development.

world.

so that I can stay up to date about new events

Bernardo Perez Salazar

Dear Sirs,

With best wishes, Dr M.P. Boraian, Reader RD, Rural University,

view he seems to be as affable as usual,

at the Institute and about my former mentors

Bogota, Colombia

Prof. Dr. Jyoti Prakash Dutta

and friends. Please extend my congratulations

We have passed on these congratulations

University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

to Bert Helmsing on his new assignment as

(and the comment on his photogenic

Professor of LRD. He deserves it.

properties) to Bert Helmsing

Gandhigram, India

continued from page 1

Gerrie ter Haar for better or worse. The speakers were esta-

damentalisms in the world, providing a helpful

developments and tendencies within

Fundamentalism and Social Change’, will be

blished scholars with a personal background

analytical framework to enhance understanding

Buddhism, notably in Sri Lanka. For a summary

produced from the Series. It is expected to be

and international reputation in this field. Each

of the phenomenon in relation to processes of

of Professor Seneviratne’s address, see page

published in September 2001. If you would like

came from a different discipline, which gave

social change. He was followed by Dr.

four. The closing lecture was given by Professor

to order a copy in advance, see the order form

great breadth of perspective to the discussions.

Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, of the Department of

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im, an internationally

on the back page.

They represented different religious traditions,

Religious Studies at Lancaster University, UK,

recognized scholar of Islam and human rights,

including not only Christianity and Islam, but

who addressed the audience on the issue of

and human rights in cross-cultural perspectives.

also Hinduism and Buddhism.

Hindu fundamentalism, notably in India. The

Human Rights and Social Change at the ISS

third speaker was Professor Nancy T.

With their inside views of developments in

The first speaker was Professor R. Scott

Ammerman, from the Hartford Seminary,

different parts of the world all the speakers

Appleby, Director of the Kroc Institute for

Connecticut, who spoke on fundamentalism in

were able to shed more light on this controver-

International Peace Studies at Notre Dame

a Christian context, notably in North and South

sial and complex issue.

University, Indiana. Professor Appleby gave an

America. Professor H.L. Seneviratne, of the

overview of the different types of religious fun-

University of Virginia, considered fundamentalist

Gerrie ter Haar is External Professor of Religion,

An edited volume, entitled ‘Religious

and can be contacted at terhaar@iss.nl

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

In Memoriam

Arvind Das

Down and Out: Labouring Under Global Capitalism

Indian social scientist, journalist and author Arvind N. Das died

Text: Jan Breman and Arvind N. Das Photographs: Ravi Agarwal Publisher: Oxford University Press, Dehli Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam

on Sunday 6 August at the age of 52. Das, who had been seriously ill for some time, collapsed at Schiphol Airport during a visit to the Netherlands.

Arvind Das was born in a © Ravi Agarwal

village in the Indian state of Bihar. Although he was an academic, he was very active as a journalist. He wrote for the Times of India, was much sought after as a television expert and was founder and editor of Biblio, based on the New York Review of Books. He wrote columns and news analyses for the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant for many years.

Jan Breman of the ISS talks about the book ‘Down and Out, Labouring under Global Capitalism’, which he wrote together with Arvind Das and which was published in May.

This book focuses on a region along India’s

potentially, concerned about the quality of life

accumulates in abundance without, however,

west coast characterized by high growth

and labour in the developing economies of

benefiting those who create it with their

rates during the past few decades. This pro-

the Third World.

labour. Most of these men, women and child-

cess of expansion has given rise to increasing

ren are illiterate and at best semi-skilled,

urbanization and diversification of the rural

The choice of South Gujarat is rather arbitrary

hugely exploited and fragmented from each

economy, with the importance of agriculture

since we consider this location to be indicative

other, subordinated in a work regime that

diminishing both as a mode of production

of the type of urban and rural mode of work

does not tolerate any form of organized

and a way of life. India can no longer be

and life that has also emerged elsewhere in

solidarity. We estimate that the urban and

envisaged as a society of peasants and

India and to a not lesser extent outside South

rural informal sector accounts for not less

villages. More people than ever before have

Asia as well. Instead of travelling to a wide

than 80% of all employment outside agri-

become mobile, often over long distances,

diversity of places, we decided to emphasize

culture and the photographs are intended to

and a substantial proportion of the total work-

the coherent and interdependent nature of

reveal their day-to-day survival in miserable

force is drifting around the countryside or

work sites to be found within a narrow spatial

conditions and their desperate struggle to

circulating between rural and urban areas.

zone of some hundred kilometres. Its major

retain their human dignity.

The economic and social landscape in most

centre, Surat, prides itself on now having

parts of the South Asian subcontinent is filled

nearly two million inhabitants, the outcome of

The theatre that is the informal sector has a

with men, women and children who have left

rapid urban growth in the last few decades.

multitude of scripts and actors. It is impossi-

home to work elsewhere – for a few weeks,

Most labour migrants find it difficult to beco-

ble to visualize the enormous variety of acti-

several months or many years. Uprooted, like

me rooted in their new milieu. A very large

vities. The chosen selection has resulted in a

all transients, they are labelled as outsiders

proportion is made up of short or long-term

moderately sized (156 pages) and reasonably

and, if only for that reason, seem to have

transients who have managed to find some

priced book containing some 150 photo-

remained rather invisible to the public eye.

kind of fragile niche. Many are pushed out

graphs and accompanying text.

The objective of our portrait is to inform and

again, back to where they came from or

conscientize a more general public about the

elsewhere. Some years ago, after experien-

Jan Breman is Professor of Sociology at the

working and living conditions of these people

cing some of the worst communal riots in

University of Amsterdam and part-time staff

stuck at the bottom of economy and society.

urban history, Surat became known to the

member of the Institute of Social Studies.

world at large as the city where the plague

He has carried out extensive research on

The point of departure is the empirical

came back. Its once well-earned reputation of

informal sector work and workers over a

research carried out by Jan Breman and

being one of the filthiest cities in the country

period of forty years in South and Southeast

reported in Footloose Labour (Cambridge

is now a thing of the past, after a clean-up

Asia. His books have been published by the

University Press 1996). This is a conventional

operation which liberated public space from

University of California Press, Oxford

academic publication and addresses a

both unauthorized building and squatters.

University Press (Delhi), Clarendon Press

readership by and large consisting of social

The beautification campaign, however, has

(Oxford) and Cambridge University Press

scientists from various disciplines. In view of

not penetrated into the work sites, which are

(Cambridge). Jan Breman can be contacted

the importance of the theme, the magnitude

as filthy and polluted as ever.

at breman@iss.nl.

of the workforce and the compelling need to

Ravi Agarwal is an environmentalist and pho-

raise a more general awareness about what it

It is our contention that, instead of being a

tographer whose camera has captured the

means, in the context of globalization, to be

footnote to the mainstream economy, the

lives of street workers and urban labourers.

condemned to an informal sector existence,

informal sector in Surat and its rural hinter-

He is in charge of a Delhi-based non-gover-

we want to reach out and access a wider

land constitutes the backbone of total

nment agency, Shristi, and is the founder of

audience which we assume to be, actually or

output and production relations. New wealth

Toxic Links.

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Integrating Human Rights into Development Cooperation: The Case of the Lomé Convention © J. Admiraal

Karin Arts On 23 March, I defended my international law PhD thesis at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. “Integrating Human Rights into Development Cooperation: The Case of the Lomé Convention” addresses the role of human rights in the relations between the European Union and the ACP countries (71 developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific). Since 1975, development cooperation between these two groups of countries has taken place under the Lomé Conventions. These Conventions created an elaborate framework for development cooperation. They provided in the first place for aid and trade,

The Case of the Lomé Convention but also paid attention to such matters as environmental protection, fisheries, culture,

democracy and human rights. In June this year, a reshaped version of Lomé was signed in Benin and its name was changed to the Cotonou Agreement.

Dr Karin Arts after her PhD Defence

Since about 1977, when flagrant vio-

proach’, in which development

the Convention. Lomé’s successor,

South Africa. This might, however, be

necessary to further detail the rele-

lations of human rights in Uganda,

cooperation can be used actively to

the Cotonou Agreement, was adop-

changing. On the day of my PhD def-

vant treaty provisions and their inter-

Equatorial Guinea and the Central

improve the human rights situation in

ted in June 2000, with little changed

ence, the ACP-EU Joint Assembly

pretation, and to pay more attention

African Republic caused significant

a developing country. Various sup-

in the essence of the provisions rela-

adopted the first resolution ever on

to the practical means required to

public debate in Europe, human

port activities, such as concrete

ting to human rights. There is, howe-

an exclusively European human

actually implement them. A practical

rights have been the subject of

human rights projects to create or

ver, a new and potentially far-

rights-related matter – the situation in

recommendation is made to esta-

serious discussion in the cooperation

strengthen relevant legislation, to

reaching element in that in the future

Austria, after the far-right Austrian

blish an ACP-EU Human Rights

between EU and ACP countries.

train the police or in human rights

‘serious cases of corruption, inclu-

Freedom Party became part of the

Office, to systematically gather infor-

Through the years, human rights, and

education, can give shape to the

ding acts of bribery leading to such

governing coalition. An interesting

mation about the human rights situ-

more recently related notions such as

positive approach.

corruption’ can lead to suspension of

step forward!

ation in ACP and EU countries, and

democracy, the rule of law and good

the Agreement.

keep a record of all reactions and

governance, have gradually been

My thesis first sets out the general

My thesis concludes that Lomé

measures taken in response. This

incorporated in jointly agreed legally

international law framework for the

The last part of my thesis analyses

cooperation has indeed made a con-

could become a valuable incentive

binding Lomé treaty provisions. My

specific case of the Lomé Convention.

how human rights have actually been

tribution to the development of inter-

for a better quality and more consis-

thesis analyses these developments

It concludes that there is a clear inter-

incorporated in Lomé practice. It

national law in the realm of human

tent human rights policy in the future.

and addresses the question of

national legal basis for integrating

reveals that the material inequality

rights. A central part of that contribu-

Also, the availability, potential and

whether Lomé cooperation has con-

human rights and democracy con-

between EU and ACP countries has

tion lies in the creation of a clear

recording of positive support meas-

tributed to the development of inter-

cerns into development cooperation,

clearly left its mark. The European

international legal basis for develop-

ures should be promoted more. In

national law concerning human rights

by both positive and negative means.

actors have been much more active

ment cooperation as such, including

this way, the Lomé Convention (or its

and development cooperation.

As yet, the principle of good gover-

and have had more grip on Lomé in

the role of human rights. State prac-

successor) could surpass its current

nance, currently referred to so often,

practice. Whether through conscious

tice has also been built and treaty law

role as an instrument somewhere

lacks this international legal status.

choice or not, the ACP actors have

aspects concerning suspension clau-

between a ‘paper tiger’ and a guar-

not used the formal means they pos-

ses and consultation procedures

dian of human rights, and actually become such a guardian.

The primary objective of my research was to analyse the international law issues which arise when develop-

I have also analysed the ever more

sess to expose and/or denounce uni-

have been clarified. In addition, Lomé

ment cooperation is linked to human

detailed Lomé treaty provisions con-

lateral actions by the European

has proved a useful instrument to

rights and to democracy and/or good

cerning human rights and related

Union, which have sometimes clearly

bridge different legal conceptions of

Dr. Karin Arts is Senior Lecturer in

governance. In this context, many

issues. Over the years, the legal situ-

gone too far, to the extent of violating

human rights, and to accord both

International Law and Development

people often only envisage a ‘nega-

ation has gradually become clearer.

existing international law (notably in

civil and political, as well as econo-

at the ISS. Her PhD thesis has been

tive relationship’ between develop-

In Lomé I, in 1975, there was a total

the EU’s suspension of Lomé coope-

mic, social and cultural human rights

published by Kluwer Law Inter-

ment cooperation and human rights,

absence of relevant treaty provisions,

ration). In addition, it is striking that

a prominent place in development

national, The Hague/London/ Boston,

in the sense of the suspension of aid

but Lomé IV-bis in February 2000 (the

the ACP countries have hardly deve-

cooperation.

2000, ISBN 90-411-1356-8, 452 pp.

or other punitive measures taken in

end of the period covered by my the-

loped a position on human rights

The experience gained in ACP-EU

She can be contacted at arts@iss.nl

response to serious violations of

sis) contains elaborate human rights

problems in Europe and/or EU

relations regarding the integration of

human rights. While this negative

provisions. Under certain circumstan-

policy-making. The only major

human rights into development

approach indeed forms an important

ces, the latter explicitly allows both

exceptions are the situation of

cooperation offers many valuable les-

element in my study, I have expressly

positive support measures and nega-

migrants and foreign students in

sons for the future. In order to dee-

also considered the ‘positive ap-

tive measures, such as suspension of

Europe and, in the past, apartheid in

pen the results achieved so far, it is

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

PhDs Phillipines

PhD Defences – Two Philippine Candidates Cross the Finish Line Together On 24 November 1999, Bernadette Resurreccîon and Edsel Sajor both defended their PhD theses at the ISS. Knowing that these two Philippine candidates both began and finished their PhD projects on precisely the same date, we at the ISS are still wondering which of them slowed down so the other could catch up. Bernadette and Edsel give a brief summary of their research below.

Transforming Nature, Redefining Selves: Gender and Ethnic Relations, Resource Use and Environmental Change in the Philippine Uplands Bernadette P. Resurrección The Kalanguya are the dominant ethnolinguistic

In a deteriorating environment, farmers in

arrangements with interested parties and the

men as gatekeepers of upland resources and

group in the village of Canabuan, Nueva

Canabuan began to shift from swidden-based

state. In contrast, women’s role in resource

societies, whereas upland women have been

Vizcaya, the site of my study. They are largely

to sedentary and paddy rice agriculture, forcing

management has declined and their labour,

rendered invisible, non-political subjects.

‘anonymous’ in early state and ethnological

women to become secondary farm labourers.

now shifted to male-managed paddy rice agri-

records. Canabuan’s general terrain before

This marked the masculinization of resource

culture, is ascribed less importance compared

The sustainable development agenda of the

World War II was reported to have been thick

use, which linked male farmers to the wider

with its prominence in swidden management in

Philippine state, meanwhile, regards indigenous

forest with few settlements. Kalanguya women

farm inputs market. Women, on the other hand,

the past. The hierarchy of value attached to

peoples as naturally predisposed to practising

were chiefly swidden farmers while the men

increasingly participated in the wider economy

male and female labour has been transformed,

sustainable resource technologies. Ecofeminist

were hunters, who also chose and cleared new

by engaging in petty trade.

creating a power relationship in which men

and Women, Environment & Development

have more access and control over resources

(WED) frameworks have challenged the gender-

swidden sites when harvest of their staple, sweet potatoes, began to decline.

Internal social differentiation in the village has

while women are now seen as their depen-

blindness in these sustainable development

The advent of commercial logging in the late

largely been shaped by unequal access to cash

dants.

discussions, arguing instead for women’s lea-

1950s brought wage employment for

incomes. Today, most of those who have

Kalanguya men, while the women gradually

access to cash incomes are men. The accumu-

The second research question concerned the

vation. The second case calls these WED and

began to engage in non-seasonal retail trade.

lation process has created a thin layer of weal-

political practices of Kalanguya women and

ecofeminist assertions into question, showing

Women also benefited from logging, because

thy men and a mass of others who live in

men in the context of changing upland deve-

that women’s interests vary at different histori-

they were able to cultivate cleared areas in the

households that experience a period of rice

lopment policies. Two cases presented in this

cal junctures and may not always be compati-

forest as new swiddens. However, their sweet

scarcity during the year. Women have become

study separately say something about the posi-

ble with the goals of sustainable development.

potato harvests soon began to feel the effects

chiefly responsible for food crisis management

tion of women in two areas: the Philippine

Experience with the ‘Caresma’ women’s asso-

of soil erosion caused by continuous commer-

during these periods of scarcity, since they

state’s recognition of the autonomy of indi-

ciation shows that upland women are not

cial logging and the conversion of forest land to

were traditionally associated with food provi-

genous cultural communities (ICCs), and the

necessarily a natural constituency for sustaina-

agriculture.

sion through swidden farming.

dominant drift and challenges of sustainable

ble development agendas, but have developed

development today.

their own strategies according to their

My study was guided by historical and ethno-

The processes of environmental change and

graphic methodological approaches.

economic integration have had far-reaching

The new Community-based Forest Manage-

I wanted to understand how women’s and

implications on the gender division of labour in

ment Policies have spurred two groups of

men’s everyday relations with the environment

resource use and management. Men have

Kalanguya men to prove their ancestry or ‘indi-

Dr Resurrección is now Assistant Professor in

were enacted and constructed, and how they

become today’s principal resource managers in

genousness’ in order to legitimize their claims

Gender & Development Studies, School of

and others, as social agents, transformed their

the sense that they are the major users,

on territory. Kalanguya women are not involved

Environment, Resources & Development, Asian

environment over the period from the early

decision-makers and gatekeepers of land and

in this contestation due the fact that they were

Institute of Technology in Bangkok and can be

1900s to the 1990s.

forest resources who actively ensure producti-

not involved in similar transactions with the

contacted at babette@ait.ac.th

vity, transact tenure and resource conservation

state in the past; state agents regard upland

ding role in resource management and conser-

socioeconomic location and the nature of gender relations in their own historical context.

Upland Livelihood Transformations: State and Market Processes and Social Autonomy in the Northern Philippines Edsel E. Sajor The subjects of this study are the Ifugaos,

other, in the constitution of livelihood processes

Despite this upland village’s state-defined eco-

remote to the state’s centre of administration,

one of seven major indigenous ethno-linguistic

in the uplands over a fairly long time span. The

nomic marginality, it was the state – through

control and investments, they are not imper-

groups of the mountainous Cordillera region of

research was based on an analytical approach

provincial and municipal government program-

vious to market-oriented local transformations.

northern Luzon. From the 1900s to the 1990s,

which can be broadly described as circumstan-

mes and projects in the general area of Ifugao

Direct state intervention in rural development

political, socioeconomic and demographic

tial, interpretative, and historical.

and Nueva Viscaya – that broke the ground in

may be minimal in the uplands, but people

conditions in this region underwent profound

creating goods and labour commodity circuits

often take advantage of new developments,

changes. The site of my study is Duit, a farming

The central research questions were: How have

in the region that gradually incorporated

responding to state-initiated projects centred

village with 248 households.

state and market processes inter-acted with this

aspects of economic life of the village. Often,

elsewhere by reorienting their economic acti-

upland village society and its institutions to deter-

impacts on village life were by-products of pro-

vities and engaging in commercial production.

The study set out to understand the complex

mine changing livelihood circumstances? How

jects located elsewhere or were guided by a

Pre-existing traditional institutions in the village

relationships and interactions between chan-

have the uplanders responded to these to make

rationality other than that of inducing market

of Duit since the 1920s have mediated and

ging historical circumstances, on one hand, and

a living? How has this constitution of livelihoods

processes in the village. While upland village

knowledgeable and purposeful actors, on the

involved changing identities and aspirations?

societies may be physically peripheral or

continued on page 11

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues continued from page 1

Keith Griffin Broader conceptions of poverty

Policy remedies

methods of production and, in effect, discourage

mation would help to reduce human poverty

The argument that poverty is more than just

Widespread poverty persists and the number

job creation. Poverty is aggravated by discrimi-

directly and income poverty indirectly through

income insufficiency led, in the 1970s, to the

of poor people in the world continues to rise.

nation in the labour market which puts some

its impact on the growth of aggregate output

development of the basic needs approach.

The fundamental solution to global poverty is

groups at a competitive disadvantage because

and income. An equitable investment in educa-

Like income poverty, this approach is based on

sustained and rapid economic growth combi-

of their sex, ethnicity, religion or language.

tion, basic health services, nutrition and food

commodities. But income, or commodities, are

ned with a reduction in inequality in the distri-

a means to an end, not an end in itself.

bution of income. Few countries have satisfied

Well functioning markets alone are unlikely to

Amartya Sen has argued that the ultimate

this dual criterion for success. Much of

be able to eliminate poverty. A relatively equal

objective is the enhancement of human capabi-

sub-Saharan Africa has experienced negative

distribution of natural, physical and human

Finally, some transfer payments will be essen-

lities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to live a long life, escape avoidable

growth of per capita income during the last

capital is also important. In many developing

tial to protect the most vulnerable members

illness, have access to knowledge and lead the

thirty-five years and the Middle East and North

countries reform of land, water and forest rights

of the population, particularly those who are

life of ones choice. This led to the formulation

Africa have stagnated during this period. Latin

would directly benefit the poor. Land reform in

economically inactive, such as the elderly,

by UNDP of the Human Development Index

America suffered a sharp decline in average

this broad sense deserves to be high on the

young children, the disabled and the unemploy-

and, later, the Human Poverty Index, in an

income during most of the 1980s and the tran-

agenda. So too do policies to promote small

ed. Humane treatment of those who are unable

attempt to measure the deprivation of capabili-

sition economies of the former Soviet Union

and medium sized enterprises, e.g., by correc-

to help themselves is perhaps the clearest indi-

ties. Figures show little correlation between

and much of Central and Eastern Europe have

ting market failures and improving access to

cator that society is seriously engaged in the

poverty measured in income and in human

a substantially lower income today than they

credit by small borrowers. Redistributions of

struggle to eradicate poverty and enable all

development terms, implying that there is no

did at the end of the 1980s. In addition, there

natural and physical capital are not commonly

people to live with dignity.

guarantee that countries which are successful

has been a tendency for inequality in the distri-

espoused today. In recent years the emphasis

in reducing income deprivation will be equally

bution of income to increase in the majority of

has shifted to the privatization of state-owned

Keith Griffin is Distinguished Professor of

successful in reducing capability deprivation,

countries for which data are available, and this

enterprises. This form of asset redistribution,

Economics at the Faculty of Economics,

and vice versa.

has occurred in countries where incomes have

however, has made the distribution of wealth

University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.

fallen (e.g. Russia) as well as in countries where

more unequal and made it more difficult to eli-

He can be contacted at griffin@mail.ucr.edu

incomes have increased rapidly (e.g. China).

minate poverty. This is especially true in some

One of the major obstacles to measuring poverty is that the poor are not a homogeneous

security programmes is an essential component of a poverty reduction strategy.

transition economies where there has been a

group. Some groups are more vulnerable

In many countries there is a need, first, to cre-

wholesale transfer of assets to the elite at

than others: those with a low level of skill or

ate a structure of incentives that is not biased

prices well below market value.

education, the sick and the handicapped,

against the employment of labour and, second,

the unemployed, women and members of

to strengthen policies which temper the conse-

One cannot of course redistribute the stock of

ethnic minorities. Today, it is children in large

quences of long term unemployment or create

human capital because it is embodied in

families who are at greater risk and more

productive employment. Relative factor prices

human beings, but a redistribution of the flow

attention must be paid to meeting their needs.

are often biased in favour of capital intensive

of expenditure in favour of human capital for-

Staff News

Staff News Congratulations

Welcome new staff

Karin Arts was promoted to Senior Lecturer in International Studies (per 01.08.2000)

Ahana Kalappa, visiting guest researcher with Staff Group 4 (13.06.2000 to 13.08.2000)

Peter Knorringa was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Local and Regional Development ((per

Sandra Nijhof, Secretary of the ISS (per 04.09.2000)

01.08.2000)

Christine Sylvester, Professor of Women and Development (parttime per 28.04.2000

Saras Moodley (ORPAS) is the proud mother of a son

and full time per 01.01.2001)

Jos Mooij was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Agricultural and Rural Development (per 02.04.2000) Mohammed Salih was appointed as zero Professor Politics of Development at the University of

Staff leaving

Leiden, Faculty of Social Sciences (per 01.06.2000)

Ettie Baas, subject librarian for Women and Deelopment Studies (retired per 01.07.2000)

Irene van Staveren has been awarded the Gunnar Myrdal Prize 2000 by the European Association

Jolanda Kaloh, Programme Administrator for Staff Group 4 (per 15.08.1999)

for Evolutionary Political Economy. The prize, which is shared with Fred Lee for a book on Post-

Jan de Keyser, post-doctoral Project Historical Data Collection and Analysis (per 01.07.2000)

Keynesianism, is for Ireneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dissertation Mila Wiersma was promoted to Coordinator Library Services (per 01.05.2000)

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

Kenya

Since January 2000, the ISS has been engaged in a new institutional capacity building project in Kenya. The project aims to support the Kenyan government’s budget planning process. The main local counterpart for the project is the Kenyan Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), a new ‘think tank’ created in July 1999 and based in Nairobi, together with the Ministry of Finance and Planning (Treasury).

Participants in Kenya Macromodel Workshop, Nairobi 2-4 May 2000

The ISS won an EU tender for the project, which it is implementing

At a subsequent workshop in August 2000, the first operational

Nairobi, through teleworking, or through study visits by counter-

in collaboration with Micromacro Consultants (MMC), also based

version of the model will be presented, which will subsequently

part staff to the Netherlands. In June 2000, a group of KIPPRA

in The Hague. The project is developing three major activities:

be used for the budget cycle for the fiscal year 2001/2002, which

and Treasury staff spent three weeks in The Hague to further

•Macroeconomic modelling

starts in the same month.

develop the macro model and to exchange views and ideas with

•‘Sector’ modelling of education, health and poverty •Training

Dutch modelling experts, including several from the prestigious The sector models are also intended to make budget decision-

Central Planning Bureau. Furthermore, a spreadsheet version of

making for social sector spending much more output-based than

the macro model and an accompanying Powerpoint presentation

The development of a macroeconometric model of the Kenyan

is currently the case. The models aim to identify the main deter-

are being set up so that prospective users can acquire knowled-

economy is the first main activity. The model should help provide

minants of outcomes in education (years of schooling, retention

ge about the model’s underlying theory and justification, and

adequate and plausible projections of the Kenyan economy to

rates etc.) and health (infant mortality, life expectancy) and the

instruction on how to perform simulations through self-study.

support the budgetary process. It should also allow the simula-

most cost-effective interventions. With the aid of such models

tion of the macroeconomic consequences of alternative budge-

policy-makers should be able to make better informed decisions

For further information on this project, please contact the project

tary targets (spending, taxation, financing). On the ISS/MMC

about budget needs and allocations which best fit specific

responsibles:

side, MMC has initial responsibility for this task. The main fea-

human development targets. In addition, a special ‘poverty

é (alarcon@iss.nl) or Rob Vos • At the ISS: Jorge Alarcon

tures of the model are based on MMC’s Macroabc methodology,

module’ will be developed to analyse the impact on inequality

already applied in several other developed and developing coun-

and poverty at the household level of certain labour market out-

• At MMC: Marein van Schaaijk (mmc@bart.nl)

tries. To create ownership in Kenya, all dimensions of the model

comes as predicted by simulations with the macro model or cer-

• At KIPPRA: Alemayehu Geda, ISS resident economist

specification and estimation are being developed in close colla-

tain education outcomes as predicted by sector-model simula-

boration with the Kenyan counterparts, and workshops are being

tions. The sector modelling work will start in September 2000 fol-

You can also consult the websites of the ISS (www.iss.nl) or

organized with policy-makers to ensure that the model ade-

lowing the same strategy as the macro model, that is in close

MMC (www.micromacroconsultants.com)

quately reflects Kenyan reality and fits policy needs. The first

collaboration with the counterparts at KIPPRA and the end-users

workshop was organized in Nairobi in May 2000 to discuss an

of the models.

Rob Vos is Deputy Rector and Professor of Finance and

initial version of the model for a large group of experts and

Training is an essential component of the project. In this phase of

Development at the ISS.

policy-makers from the Treasury, Central Bank and academia.

the project most training is on-the-job, either on location in

(vos@iss.nl)

(alemayehu@excite.com)

continued from page 9

PhDs Phillipines filtered market inroads, both affecting and being

Duit, unlike those in the lowlands, did not be-

and lowland urban centres in Nueva Viscaya.

emigrants are the community’s best-educated

affected by these processes. Primogeniture-

come the state’s favoured clients. They were

With increasing social interaction between local

young women and men, who no longer see

based traditional inheritance custom has com-

denied important benefits and resources, inclu-

people and lowlanders, people in the village

local rice farming – or any kind of farming – as a

bined with market-driven privatization of open-

ding bureaucracy-connected authority and the

increasingly identify with the dominant modern

strategic instrument for livelihood security. With

access forests land and a generally increasing

threat or use of ‘force’, which would have led to

way of life in the lowlands and urban centres.

the full support of their parents, they want to

restrictive pattern of access to force out coup-

their accumulation of land and capital, and thus

These identity shifts have been strongly projec-

become salaried professionals or workers in the

les of low-birth rank, thus ‘exporting’ landless-

they have been seriously constrained in mecha-

ted through major changes in consumption pre-

cities in the Philippines and abroad.

ness and reserving a smallholding pattern of

nizing farming and expanding labour hiring.

ferences, definitions of wealth and notions of

ownership of farm land in the village. Moreover,

prosperity.

Dr Sajor has now been awarded a two-year

the pervasive institutions of reciprocal labour

A number of colonial and post-colonial state

exchange and social security credit in the vil-

resettlement projects between the 1920s and

These changed identities and contemporary

Asian Studies Amsterdam (CASA), University of

lage have stymied the growth of commoditized

the 1970s generated qualitative improvements

aspirations underpin the present-day efforts of

Amsterdam, and may be contacted at

labour.

in the spatial mobility of people in the village.

local villagers to develop and acquire assets

kitsajor@hotmail.com

Postdoc Research Fellowship at the Centre of

The greatest strides in spatial mobility, however,

and engage in non-farming activities that can

As a result of their preserving a high degree of

have occurred during the road and transporta-

generate the necessary income to support new

local social autonomy vis-à-vis the state in mat-

tion revolution that started in the 1970s and

livelihood standards. Despite the dramatic

ters pertaining to access, control and manage-

continues up to the present, which has greatly

improvements in local agriculture since the early

ment of economic resources, the local elite of

reduced the travelling time between the village

1980s, outmigration has continued. But today’s

E V E L O P M E N T

ISSues

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Shonie McKibbin Network Building and the Institutional Environment: a Case Study of Innovation Strategies of the European Commission (March 2000)

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Des Gasper Structures and Meanings: A Way to Introduce Argumentation Analysis in Policy Studies Education (May 2000)

318

Niek de Jong and Rob Vos Economic Reforms and Rising Inequality in Panama in the 1990s (June 2000)

319

Saeko Nakabayashi The Japanese Version of Project Cycle Management: Adoption, Adaptation and Application of ZOPP – A comparative analysis of methods and methodologies (August 2000)

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Development ISSues is published

Volume 31 March 2000

Number 2

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Moral Ecological Rationality, Institutions and Management of Common Property Resources

PETER HO

China’s Rangelands under Stress: a Comparative Study of Pasture Commons in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

MRIDUL K. SAGGAR

In Situ Urbanization in Rural China: Case Studies from Fujian Province

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Number 3

ARJUN SENGUPTA

Realizing the Right to Development

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Towards a More Rational IMF Quota Structure: Suggestions for the Creation of a New International Financial Architecture

t n e m p o l e v e e g D n a h C d n a

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Volume 31 June 2000

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Mare Nullius: Indigenous Rights in MONICA Saltwater Environments E. MULRENNAN AND COLIN H. SCOTT