DevISSues volume 7, number 1, June 2005

Tsunamis and a Secure Future

Also in this issue: New ISS Rector Professor Louk de la Rive Box

DevISSues DevelopmentISSues

Volume7/Number1/June 2005

2

CONTENTS

From the Editorial Board This is an interesting time for ISS, as it prepares its new Development Strategy for the coming period. The next DevISSues will look at the new strategy in detail but, in this issue, new Rector Professor Louk de la Rive Box gives a personal view on how he sees the future of ISS in an interview. On the SCHOLAS page, you can read how ISS students are also playing an

Page

active part in forming the Institute's future. Part of that future entails ISS entering into partnerships in new areas, two of

4 / A praxiologist at the helm interview: Louk de la Rive Box

which – with development agency Hivos and through the Hague Academic Coalition – are also featured. Elsewhere, there is an article on lessons to be learned by governments from the tsunami in Asia, a summary of a public lecture given by Enrique Iglesias, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, and an interview with Prince Claus Chair holder

Page

7 / Letter from Sudan

Page

8 / Tsunamis and a secure future

Gaspar Rivera-Salgado. And, of course, Project News, Alumni News, Conference Reports and all the other regular features.

One ‘regular feature’ is missing, however. Editor and ISS alumni officer René Bekius, who has been with DevISSues from the start, took early retirement a few months ago. The Editorial Board would like to

John Kurien

thank René for all the work he put into building up DevISSues and wishes him well in his new life.

Page 11 / New projects in Uganda The DevISSues Editorial Board

About the cover

Photo by courtesy of Lineair

The cover picture shows Indian fishermen repairing their damaged

Page 12 / Linking research and practice Partnership Hivos-ISS

boats and fishnets near Madras in Tamil Nadu State in January 2005

Page 14 / Latin America - the road to the Millennium Development Goals Enrique Iglesias Page 16 / Marginalised populations rarely have a voice interview: Gaspar Rivera-Salgado The views expressed in DevISSues are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute.

Page 18 / Conference reports

The Institute of Social Studies ISS is an institute for advanced international education and research offering Diploma, Masters and PhD programmes. The Institute generates, accumulates and transfers knowledge and know-how on human aspects of economic and social change, with a focus on development and transition.

ISS is a leading centre in this field.

Development ISSues is also available on the ISS website at www.iss.nl

Page 21 / Career Resource Centre

4 / INTERVIEW LOUK DE LA RIVE BOX

INTERVIEW LOUK DE LA RIVE BOX / 5

New ISS Rector Professor Louk de la Rive Box

‘I am interested in praxiology’

for the past nine years. Since 1 January 2005 ISS has a new Rector: Professor Louk de la Rive Box. DevISSues spoke to him about his work, and his plans for the future of ISS.

Louk Box has a background in both academia and public services. Where does his heart lie? ‘In both, and in the combination. From the very beginning I had the feeling that I liked to look at

the world from different perspectives. I have worked at various universities and ministries, but I have always liked to switch from one to the other. It’s interesting to know what’s going on in

CHANGING LANDSCAPE Looking to the future, the new Rector sees a rapidly changing landscape for ISS. ‘We call ourselves Europe’s leading centre for Development Studies. That is quite an ambition to realise and I think there are three areas we have to

It’s interesting to know what’s going on in academic

academic debate but it has to be tested against the realities of policymaking.

This combination is sometimes difficult to explain, especially in the Netherlands, but in other countries it’s much more common to have these exchanges between the worlds of academia and policymaking. One of my former colleagues was very much interested in the field of praxiology, which links practice to theory and theory to practice. I like to practice that in my own career.’

In the previous DevISSues there was an interview with Professor Hans Opschoor, ISS Rector

Another exciting thing about ISS is that you work with people who are professionals and who have their own ideas about the value of what’s being taught. And that is quite exceptional.

You find it at other universities of course, but much more so at ISS. So yes, I could have gone to my farm and spent my life growing almonds, but being Rector of ISS is much more challenging.’

SOCIAL SCIENCES UNDER ONE ROOF Being Rector of an institute like ISS is very demanding. What drives someone, at an age at which others might be considering retirement, to take up such a heavy job? ‘I could have taken retirement this year, but I liked the idea of coming to ISS and that’s why I applied for the job. For two reasons: in my field, ISS is the institute, in the Netherlands and abroad, in the area of development studies. The idea of the social sciences working together in one institute on problems of globalisation and inequality is very exciting. For me it is challenging because it brings together disciplines and questions I’ve been struggling with all my life.

Secondly, you want to test your ideas in an environment where there are many people from the South and East.

DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH Louk Box first became acquainted with ISS in 1972 when he had just returned from Brazil and the United States.

‘Someone suggested I apply for a job here. I don’t recall what it was, but eventually I went to work at the Ministry of Education.’ There he had regular dealings with ISS and other institutes and became familiar with the ‘Dutch model’ of higher education for midcareer professionals in the social sciences. ‘That interested me, also in later jobs. In the early 1990s, for instance, I was working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was closely involved in the discussions about ISS getting a doctorate programme. And also in the 1990s, there was also the development of research schools like CERES. ISS was very involved in that and is now one of the leading players in CERES. It was one of my predecessor Hans Opschoor’s great achievements that he brought ISS into the world of Dutch development research. As president of the European Association of Development Institutes (EADI) I have seen ISS take on its role at European level. The Institute may have been relatively isolated in the past, but that is really history now.’

In his first months at ISS Louk Box has familiarised himself with the complex issues facing ISS and getting to know the people at the Institute. ‘I have not started teaching yet because I felt it was necessary to address administrative matters first. But when I applied for this job I asked to teach 20 % of the time and the Board agreed. My main area of research and interest is the role of social and civil society organisations in the development process. In Wageningen and Maastricht I focused on technology and the technological gap between rich and poor countries.

My teaching here will fit in with these areas of interest.’

debate but it has to be tested against the realities of policymaking look into. The first is our teaching and training programme. We will need to review what can be done with partners in the South and what needs to be done in Europe, here at ISS or in cooperation with other European institutes. Once we have set those lines out clearly, I think we can be of added value on the training side. And that applies to all teaching levels: Masters, doctorate and diplomas. The second area has to do with research. The question is increasingly how we can provide a constructive but critical comment on new policy ideas. Take the Millennium Development Goals.

We at ISS should contribute to the debate on the MDGs, and you need to do research for that. Research based on the classical foundation of economics, social and political sciences, yet which contributes to the

policy debate. At ISS we are in a better position to do that than many other institutes. The third area is that we need to provide some form of public service. In my view, we can best do that by stimulating public debate about international cooperation. That means more than just the Millennium Goals: what can the global institutions do, or the World Bank, or global civil society networks? These organisations are very important in setting the agenda and we need to create a public debate about their role. I feel strongly that ISS has an important position in international training, and increasingly also in research. But it does not yet have that position as far as public debate is concerned. I would like to see colleagues and participants here at ISS helping to stimulate the debate on the issues we are concerned with, so that it’s not just academic but a debate in wider society.’

NETWORKS AND ALUMNI The new Rector believes that networks are important in achieving the Institute’s goals. ‘We already have good contacts in the South and in the East, which we will build on and intensify. But also in Europe, I can think of new networks with institutes in France, Italy and Spain.’ Louk Box makes it clear that he particularly likes the idea of ISS being invited or requested to do things instead of offering to do them. ‘I would consider it an honour to be invited to join Southern and Eastern networks and cooperate with them on teaching and research. And I see a special role for ISS alumni. We have good alumni >

Professor Louk de la Rive Box is a sociologist by training. He received his BA from Pomona College, California, after which he did his doctorate on the use of new media in education in Brazil at Columbia University in New York. After an appointment at California State University Hayward, he returned to the Netherlands to be part of a planning team for to restructure Dutch higher education. His later positions include senior lecturer in rural sociology of developing countries at Wageningen University and professor of geography at Utrecht University. He was also director of the Development Policy Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Centre for Development Policy Management at Maastricht. Before coming to ISS, he was professor of international cooperation at Maastricht University.

Louk Box was also Executive Secretary of the ‘Réseau Sécurité Alimentaire Durable en Afrique de l’Ouest Centrale (SADAOC)’, Vice President of a Special Programme for African Agricultural Research (SPAAR), Chair of OneWorld Nederland Foundation and he is President of the European Association of Development Institutes (EADI) and the Netherlands Association for the United Nations.

6 / INTERVIEW LOUK DE LA RIVE BOX / TEACHING NEWS

The idea of the social sciences working together in one institute on problems of globalisation and inequality is very exciting

associations in a number of countries which could be strengthened. I would like to say to our alumni – individuals and alumni associations: if you have any ideas on what the future role of ISS should be, please send me an email.

Tell me what you would like to see at ISS. If you have an idea for a course, let us know and we will see whether we

LETTER / 7

have the expertise and the resources.

Let’s try to make it work. It is requests like this that really make us tick.’

Letter to the editor

Interview by Sandra Nijhof. Louk Box can be contacted at rector@iss.nl

Dear Editors, I would like to

respond the ar ticle ‘Peace an d war in

Sudan’ by Moh amed Salih in DevISSues Vo l 6, no. 4.

Navaisha proc ess has been fa ul ty from the begi wrong premis nning as it was e: that Sudan’ built on the s problem is be tween North an d So ut h. As a conseq marginalised uence, not on areas in the W ly have other est and East of Sudan been ne gl ec te d but, since th the Ruling Pa e negotiations rty in the Nor were between th and the SP LA for the So uth, other po litical parties However, the and forces ha article contai ve been left ou ns a number argues that fo t. of factual errors ur Darfur grou , th e m ps os t glaring of w – the JEM, th author writes) e DLA (it is D hich is where , the SLM/A an arfur Liberati the author d the Sudan Fe was the predec on Army, not deral Democra essor of the SL Movement as ti c Al lia M the nce have take /A, changing Furthermore, n up arms in its name in 20 the Sudan Fe D 03 ar . fu de It r. ra is The DLA l Democratic therefore one Ahmed Ibrahi Alliance – alth and the same m Dirage – is ough led by w group. active in East there. Till mid el er l-k n Sudan. It ha nown Darfur last year ther s actually neve politician e were theref SLM/A and th r fought in D ore only two, e Islamist JEM arfur nor is it no t fo ur .

Bo , re present th draw their bel groups ac subclans. fighters mainl tive in Darfur: y from the Za th e se cular ghawa clan, bu t from differen Since mid last t year splits ha ve occurred in Last year a ne the JEM and th w movement ere are increa emerged from Ibrahim, was singly serious the JEM (NMRD ousted by one divisions in th ) and more rece of th e SLM/A. e commanders ments pose a ntly the JEM’s serious threat in the field. Th leader, Dr Kh to the peace pr e tensions an al il Union, and to d ocess which st frictions in bo humanitarian arted last year th rebel moveworkers on th their comman un de r e the auspices ground, as po ders in the fi of the African litical leaders eld. are in danger of losing cont rol over The SLM/A lead ership has re ce nt ly approached conference w international hich would in donors with a volve all main The purpose request to assi field comman of the conferen st in funding de rs an ce d representati w ould be to elec movement. Fr a ves of SLM/A t a new leader actions of the offices abroad sh JE ip M an have indicate field. The inte d . to ag re e on structures d that they w rnational com for the ould like to co munity should them to take nv en se e a similar mee riously consid place before re ting in the er sponsoring suming the pe movements ha these conferen ace talks now ve a proper st ces and allow sc he du ru le ct d ur for late May or ing in the field, th e, with leader s who are in co early June. Unl ere is a very se ess the rious danger ntrol and are is concluded th m at the next ro andated by th that will not und of negoti e commanders be adhered to Comprehensi ations will fa in the field. It ve Peace Agree il or that any is un de m rs en ta deal that nd t earlier this ye Darfur as wel able that, afte ar, the intern l, but it would r concluding at th be io e na ve l ry community w their house in wrong to push ants an agreem order. for an agreem ent in ent without gi ving the rebe ls time to put Marianne Nol te Sudan The author is right in that th e

Teaching News

Refresher Course Each year, ISS organises refresher courses for its alumni on

The next refresher course will be on

different topics and in different regions. The courses are set

‘Children, Youth and Development in

up in close collaboration with an organisation in the region.

South Asia’

The refresher courses are intended for ISS alumni who studied at ISS 2-12 years ago. They are a way of refreshing your knowledge and offer an excellent opportunity to meet fellow alumni.

Location: Date: Convenor: Hosting Organisation:

If you would like a refresher course to be organised in your region, please contact Wieke Blaauw at blaauw@iss.nl, preferably before 1 September 2005. The Dutch Government has a special fund to finance these courses. For more information, see the Nuffic website (www.nuffic.nl, Search: refresher course).

Please check our website for exact dates or contact Sharmini Bisessar at bisessar@iss.nl

Kathmandu, Nepal October 2005 Loes Keysers (keysers@iss.nl) Netherlands Alumni Association Nepal

Marianne No lte works

for the UN in Sudan and ha s been closely observing the rebel

movements ov er the past tw o years

8 / TSUNAMIS AND A SECURE FUTURE

TSUNAMIS AND A SECURE FUTURE / 9

Tsunamis and a Secure Future John Kurien raise relief funds. However, soon we all move on and those affected by the tragedy are left to solve their problems.

We all know how even months and years later the help promised at the height of the tragedy has yet to arrive.

Tsunamis seem to have a 60-year cycle in the Bay of Bengal region (1881, 1941, and now 2004). This is quite long compared to cyclones, floods etc. which are almost an annual feature. The question whether any long-term preventive measures could have been taken might appear irrelevant. It may be argued that the costs of such measures would far outweigh the benefits. Yet I believe it is still worth asking some questions.

The tsunami in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004 wreaked havoc in vast parts of the coastal areas of developing countries bordering the ocean. The international response was immediate and large-scale but, as with many other high-profile disasters, once it is no longer front-page news, the problem becomes one of assuring sustainable reconstruction for the communities affected. ISS showed early concern

Could thousands of lives have been saved if proper Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) plans had been implemented without numerous exemptions? Would the death toll and damage have been mitigated if all fisherfolk were given housing sites on the landward side of coastal roads, if the many long-term coastal zone rehabilitation plans had been in place, if the communities and the coastal panchayats had been given the prime responsibility and the financial and material resources for safety, rescue and disaster management?

must be made to acquire this land and build new fishing villages. Coastal densities are high, but this is mainly true only within the first 500 metres of the high tide line. Beyond that there is a sharp fall. This is indicative of the differences in property rights.

The fisherfolk and their organisations are also to blame for accepting this status quo. They only push for exeptions to the CRZ regulations to permit building in villages near the sea. Asking the government to acquire private and state property to house them is perceived to be too radical. No political party wishes to make such demands for fear of upsetting the powerful interests which normally own the land close to the shore. This is, however, the only long-term solution to prevent the sea from destroying the homes of fisherfolk.

The evidence from the tsunami amply proves the point: the death toll of fisherfolk in Tamilnadu was indirectly proportional to the distance of their homes from the high-tide line.

Coupled with this proposition is the urgent need to restore natural protective measures such as mangroves, casaurina plantations, beach grass etc. These measures need to be undertaken with the participation of the communities.

States like Andhra Pradesh once had a Shore Area Authority to plan such efforts. In Kerala plans for a participatory Coastal Area Development Authority

remain in report form. Revival of such bodies may be appropriate.

Another long-term measure to which much lip service has been paid is sea safety signalling systems and community training for disaster mitigation. With the rapid increase in the technology used by fisherfolk, such as GPS and cell

To pay inadequate attention to the long-term needs of tsunami victims would be a

resources to undertake rescue should be maintained in the panchayat. Information on relief should flow upwards from the coastal areas to the district collectors, who may in turn take responsibility for coordination in the case of disasters which are more widespread. Fishing is by far the riskiest occupation in the world.

In Kerala State, the accident death toll in the past decade was one fisherman every four days. This loss is covered by state insurance schemes, but there is a need for a fishery disaster insurance scheme which will cover loss of life and property as a result of collective natural disasters. The premium for this should be paid fully by the government.

great failing phones, the possibilities for introducing sea safety systems are much more feasible than even a decade ago. The development of human capacity for disaster management and mitigation also warrants top priority. Again, reports from the worst hit regions of Tamilnadu show that in villages where some sort of disaster training had been given, the community was much better organised to handle the crisis.

While efforts to provide immediate relief to the tsunami victims should be given the highest priority, to pay inadequate attention to the long-term needs would be a great failing on the part of state and civil society. Coastal communities may be benumbed by the extent of their current tragedy, but this is also the time when they will be most open to think of a more secure future for themselves.

John Kurien is a Professor at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, India.

He co-taught the ISS diploma programme on

SUBSIDIARITY Finally, disaster management must follow the subsidiarity principle. The level at which the main focus should lie is ideally the panchayat. A disaster management fund and the material

Universalising Socio-Economic Security for the Poor in 2003 and 2004. He can be contacted at john.kurien@vsnl.com.

with the long-term effects of the tsunami with a seminar and memorial ceremony on 27 January. In this article, John Kurien looks at the efforts to establish a secure future for fishing communities in India.

Since tsunami waves strike with great stealth and surprise, it is difficult to take scientists to task for not predicting December’s disaster. However, is it fair to attribute the devastation and death of thousands of coastal dwellers solely to this natural calamity? Are state and civil society not also partly to blame, by neglecting to seek sustainable long-term solutions? Whenever coastal communities are affected by natural

calamities, most often it is members of the communities themselves, together with NGOs, who take the first initiatives to respond to the crisis. The first reaction of the political establishment is to announce liberal ex-gratia payments from public funds and then get political mileage by getting involved in distributing relief. While the disaster is fresh in the public mind the media pay great attention and often take the initiative to

HOUSING AND PLANNING The issue of housing for fisherfolk should be given the highest priority from the long-term perspective.

Fisherfolk have to live by the sea, but this is no excuse for restricting their habitations to the shore area closest to the cadastral survey stones. The CRZ requirements for a free zone of 200-500 metres from the high tide line should be scrupulously enforced. Many states argue that there is no land available on the landward side of coastal roads to house fishing communities. This normally means that the land is in private or government hands. Committed efforts Photos courtesy of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers. For more information see www.icsf.org

10 / PROJECT NEWS

PROJECT NEWS / 11

Project News

Project News

Current ISS projects

ISS has recently initiated two new projects in Uganda, the first time the Institute has entered

Institutional Capacity Development Building Projects

into longer-term institutional relationships with Ugandan partners.

Capacity Building in Community

Macroeconomic Policy Analysis

Project name: Women’s Research and Training Centre (WRTC), Aden University Sponsor: NPT-Nuffic To improve the status of women and their Objective: participation in the development of Yemen.

Period: July 2004-August 2008

Mobilisation for Socio-Economic

Capacity Building in Support of

Development in Uganda

the Poverty Reduction Strategy

ISS has been awarded a grant of €900,000 to implement this four-year capacity-building project. In a proposal submitted to Nuffic, ISS aims to enhance the capacity of Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development (NTISD) in Mpigi to develop the competence of local government personnel in community mobilisation skills and strategies for socio-economic development. Together with its Southern partner, the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the Faculty of Social Science, Makerere University, ISS will help NTISD undertake five broad capacitybuilding programmes in designs of course curricula, long and short-term staff training, research and publication, ICT and infrastructure development, and publicity & marketing of NTISD courses.

The Economic Policy Research Centre in Kampala and ISS have joined forces to cooperate on building capacity for preparing macroeconomic policy in support of Uganda’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. The project will strengthen the database for economic planning and policymaking and develop macroeconomic models that will enable policymakers to estimate the effects of policy changes on income distribution and poverty levels. These instruments will be combined with detailed sectoral, policy-relevant studies to understand the quantitative impact of policy changes and adjustment processes.

Project name: Establishment of an MBA Degree Programme at Sana’a University Sponsor: NPT-Nuffic Objective: Development of an MBA delivery capacity at Sana’s University, Dept. of Business Administration Period: July 2004-August 2008 Project name: Delivery of ISS Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration at the University of Namibia, Windhoek Sponsor: University of Namibia with Ford Foundation funding Objective: To strengthen the teaching capacity in the field of Public Policy and Administration Period: 01/07/1999 - 31/12/2006 Project name: Development and Delivery of a Post Graduate Diploma in Poverty Analysis UNDP through the Economic and Social Sponsor: Research Foundation (ESRF) and Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Tanzania Objective: To set up a part-time one-year post-graduate diploma programme Period: 31/10/2003-31/10/2005 Project name: Upgrading the Capacity of Local Authorities in Planning and Managing Social-Economic Development in Rural Vietnam Sponsor: National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam (NCSSH) with funding from the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Vietnam.

To enhance the capabilities of local Objective: government officials in rural Vietnam Period: 01/09/2002 - 30/06/2003 (pilot phase) Period: 2005-2007 (phase 1) Project name: Asia Link-Gender, Development and Public Policy Studies in the Asian Context with the Asian Institute of Technology Sponsor: Asian Institute of Technology with EU Asia Link Programme funding Objective: To enhance the exchange of experience and steer discussion between the European and

Period:

Asia institutions working on gender and development 2003 - 2005

Project name: Institutionalizing the Department of Women’s Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Sponsor: Royal Netherlands Embassy, Bangladesh Objective: To enhancing human resource capacity in Bangladesh by stimulating the development of gender expertise Period: 2003-2008 Project name: Capacity Building on Good Governance and Public Administration in Mozambique Sponsor: NPT-Nuffic Objective: To improve service delivery by enhancing the quality of training, research and outreach capabilities of four core public institutions.

Period: 01/01/2004-31/12/2007 Project name: Strengthening the Women’s Institute of the Vietnam Women’s Union Sponsor: NPT-Nuffic Objective: To strengthen women’s position in the private sector in Vietnam by promoting gender-balanced private sector support Period: 01/01/2004-31/12/2006 Project name: Enhancing Teaching and Research Capacity to assist Small- and Medium Sized Enterprises and Farming Households in the Mekong Delta NPT-Nuffic Sponsor: Objective: To assist the School of Economics and Business Administration of Can Tho University in Vietnam in contributing more effectively to the development of the Mekong Delta 01/05/2004-30/04/2008 Period: Project name: Capacity Building in Community Mobilization for Socio-Economic Development Sponsor: NPT-Nuffic Objective: To assist Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development (NTISD), Uganda, to build capacity of local government personnel Period: 01/054/2005-31/03/2009

Under course curricula, the project will design a BA programme in social development, undertake a review of three existing diploma courses, design at least five more specialised short courses, and – in collaboration with Uganda Martyrs University – develop another specialised course for local councillors and social development workers. To build the staff capacity of NTISD, the project proposes training four lecturers at MA level, and offering one PhD scholarship and three additional scholarships for short-term specialised training programmes. The project proposes a well-structured research and publication agenda, which will enable NTISD to undertake empirical research on topical local issues and publish its findings. The ICT and infrastructure development component will focus on acquisition of required hardware, software and logistics. The project proposes to provide a four-wheel drive vehicle, 40 computers, two beamers and 800 books, as well as rehabilitating the library.

This programme is expected to strengthen NTISD training programmes in community development for staff of local councils, governmental agencies and NGOs. Since the community development programme lies at the heart of Uganda’s efforts to implement the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) ISS, as a leading institution in development studies with vast experience in community-related programmes, is keen to work with NTSID to achieve the programme’s aims.

The project is currently in the inception phase.

For more information, please contact

Project coordinators: Nicholas Awortwi and Erhard Berner. For more

Els Mulder at mulder@iss.nl

information please contact: awortwi@iss.nl

Staff of various government agencies – including the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Ugandan Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED), Bank of Uganda (BoU), National Planning Authority (NPA), Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (ISAE), Makerere University Institute of Economics (MUIE), the Faculty of Agriculture, and the Office of the President – will participate in the project.

Representatives of these institutions have formed a steering committee to guide the project and facilitate funding.

The first phase of the project started in early 2005 with a workshop officially presenting the programme to a wider group of stakeholders and donors for further fine-tuning and possible funding. Currently the project is developing a social accounting matrix (SAM) in cooperation with staff from the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics and EPRC. This is funded by the World Bank, which has already reserved resources for the later phases, when the work will move towards macroeconomic analysis, sectoral analysis and poverty impacts.

Project Coordinators: EPRC: Nichodemus Rudaheranwa: rudaharanwa@eprc.or.ug ISS: Peter de Valk: valk@iss.nl Other ISS staff involved: Jorge Alarcon, Arjun Bedi, Jan van Heemst

12 / HIVOS

HIVOS / 13

courses and knowledge-sharing activities.

The CSB network aims to approach the civil society concept in an open and non-normative way, and to explore new practices rather than define them.

Partnership Hivos-ISS

Linking research and practice: aspirations and reality Julie Ferguson

ISS and development institute Hivos joined

‘Civil society building as a topic is highly relevant to both institutes,’ explains Kees Biekart, Senior Lecturer in Political Sociology at ISS and one of the initiators of the partnership. ‘Hivos has 850 partner organisations in over 30 developing countries involved in CSB in various ways. This often does not leave time to analyse how work improves and how problems can be more structurally addressed. ISS, on the other hand, has ample knowledge but needs practical experiences to test it. NGOs cannot survive without an analytical framework, and research institutes have no use for theory without practice.’

forces in December 2004 to develop a MUTUALLY REINFORCING COMPONENTS The knowledge network consists of four mutually reinforcing components, each of which have been activated since the partnership started in 2004. The first is the web platform, the knowledge network’s ‘virtual home’: www.civilsocietybuilding.net.

This interactive communication and exchange platform enables research and practice to be linked with no restrictions of time or place. ISS students and researchers are encouraged to join the network via this platform.

knowledge network on civil society building. The partnership supports core activities of the two organisations in terms of sharing knowledge on civil society building in a development context.

The partnership between Hivos and ISS is unique in terms of its capacity to link practice and theory. With over 40 years of practical experience working in a development context, Hivos provides an interesting complement to ISS’s research priorities. ISS’s research capacity and theoretical approach, in turn, support Hivos in developing its activities and policies. In other words, it is a win-win situation for both parties.

The second component is a joint yearly seminar, the first of which was hosted at ISS on 10-11 May. The seminar, entitled

ISS has ample knowledge but needs practical

HIVOS: SUPPORTING SELF-DETERMINATION AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION Hivos is a Netherlands-based nongovernmental organisation, guided by humanist values. It aims to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world where everyone has equal access to resources, opportunities and markets and can participate actively and equally in decisionmaking processes that determine their lives, their society and their future. Hivos is committed to the poor and marginalised, and to the organisations which promote their interests. Besides offering financial support and advice, it is also active in networking, lobbying and in exchanging

experiences to test it

knowledge and expertise. Civil society building and sustainable economic development are Hivos' central policy areas.

CIVIL SOCIETY BUILDING The knowledge network focuses on issues relating to civil society building in a development context. Civil society in this context is understood in its most basic meaning as the sphere located between individual citizens and the

state, representing all organised interests of society. The development or ‘building’ of civil society is viewed by Hivos and ISS as an autonomous and endogenous process where external actors can play a facilitating role.

Civil society building (CSB) has many ‘dimensions’, strategies and layers. It is a relatively new concept that will have to be developed further in research, training

‘Confronting the state, engaging the state’, addressed and analysed civil society building in adverse political conditions.

Participants explored strategies adopted by civil society organisations in various political contexts with the aim of influencing and strengthening the performance and responsiveness of the state. Case studies included different situations of adverse political conditions, such as post-conflict, transitional and oppressive states, and situations where the state is weak because

of corruption, debt, lack of capacity, etc.

Strategies ranging from contestation and confrontation to cooperation with the state were analysed for effectiveness and for their consequences for the position, identity and legitimacy of civil society and its organisations.

The seminar was a great success, attracting over 150 participants from ISS, Hivos, Hivos partner organisations from various developing countries, and professionals from research institutes and NGOs around Europe. A team of ISS students, coordinated by student Rani Selvakumar, worked around the clock to generate the seminar report, soon to be finalised and shared via the web platform. Besides enabling ample exchange of knowledge and experiences, one of the main successes of the seminar was that Hivos and ISS staff were able to ‘match interests’.

This will help expand the knowledge network within both institutes, and help them get further acquainted by identifying and addressing knowledge demand and supply.

As the third component, Hivos and ISS have committed themselves to developing and executing a joint research agenda.

One of the main objectives of the seminar was to identify, with network members, priority topics for the agenda.

Further, as part of the research component, a small number of ISS students are able to liaise with Hivos staff and counterparts, who provide case and research material for the students’ dissertations. One such research project is currently being implemented as a pilot. Further, students on the Policy Analysis and Evaluation course visited Hivos and will conduct part of their coursework based on Hivos cases. They

will be led by Ria Brouwers, Senior Lecturer in International Development Policy at ISS and member of the Hivos Board of Trustees.

Fourth, Hivos staff and counterparts can participate in selected ISS courses, or even take advantage of tailor-made training opportunities. One Hivos staff member is currently enrolled in the ISS course ‘NGOs and civil society building’, and Hivos counterparts attending the

It is clear that Hivos and ISS have found fertile ground for collaboration May seminar participated in a special workshop hosted by this course.

FERTILE GROUND After six months of working together, it is clear that Hivos and ISS have found fertile ground for collaboration. Julie Ferguson, Hivos project leader: ‘Although cultural differences between our institutes at times prove challenging, there has been so much support and enthusiasm across the board that the collaboration is already proving a success. Spontaneous joint activities and diverse linkages keep popping up, sometimes it’s even hard to keep up with everything that’s going on!’

ISS staff, students, researchers and alumni are encouraged to get involved, stay informed and join the network. For more information, see www.civilsocietybuilding.net, or csb@hivos.nl.

Julie Ferguson is Programme Leader Knowledge Sharing at Hivos. She can be contacted at j.ferguson@hivos.nl

ALUMNI NEWS / 15

1 4 / L AT I N A M E R I C A

Latin America

Alumni News

The Road to the Millennium Development Goals On 25 April, in cooperation with the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA), ISS hosted a public lecture by Enrique Iglesias, President of the Inter-American Development Bank. The lecture, entitled 'Latin America – The Road to the Millenium Developmet Goals’, opened Latin America Week at the Institute. Vishnu Prabhir summarised the address for DevISSues.

The Millennium Development Goals are a call for collective action and have strong implications for the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean. The region’s recent development record is encouraging in terms of deepening democracy, macroeconomic stability and liberalisation, but discouraging because of slow growth, modest poverty reduction, high inequality and exclusion, and social discontent.

Progress in achieving the MDGs has been mixed. In terms of halving poverty between 1990 and 2015, the region is lagging behind. It is, however, on track to halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger. FAO estimates a fall in the percentage of undernourished people from 13 to 10 per cent. But these statistics hide the heterogeneity across countries – two per cent of people in Argentina are undernourished, while in Haiti it is 50 per cent. At the aggregate level, considerable progress has been made towards meeting the goal of universal enrolment in primary education.

Net enrolment in the region rose from 86 per cent in 1990 to 93 per cent in 2001, which is higher than the world average.

The goal of reducing infant and child mortality by two thirds also presents a varied picture, with 15 deaths per thousand live births in Uruguay, compared with 63 per thousand in Haiti. In terms of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015, Latin America (with 190 per 100,000) is in a better situation than Africa, Asia and Oceania, but way behind Europe and North America. Progress in halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases, is being retarded

by a combination of geographical and socioeconomic conditions, lack of health infrastructure and poor data. The environmental goals pose the greatest challenge, with a rapidly growing population increasing pressure on natural resources. The region has a long way to go to achieve the goal of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Though governments have undertaken programmes to improve living conditions in shanty towns, the challenges presented by the region’s urban growth are worrisome.

The eighth MDG includes diverse areas such as access to trade, cooperation for development, youth employment, access to technology and essential drugs.

Opening up trade and financial markets was one of the most important pillars of the structural reform process in Latin America. From a development perspective, the importance of agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes beyond access to markets.

In most cases, these initiatives are accompanied by a broader kind of cooperation in areas such as governance, poverty reduction, education and infrastructure. The creation of a link between trade and aid can be very useful in augmenting the effects of agreements on development and poverty reduction.

This MDG also emphasises the need to foster aid and debt relief for developing countries in order to secure the financing required to attain the goals. Firm action by the region towards achieving sustainable development with equity will require a commitment from developed countries to provide concrete support.

The Inter-American Development Bank has made a major effort to support progress towards the MDGs. The Bank is focusing its efforts on integrating the goals into the process of planning its financial support and assisting countries in preparing poverty reduction strategies that include MDGs as a central element.

Its strategic framework sets forth targets for operations aimed at achieving the MDGs in its loan portfolio. It is placing special emphasis on helping to create capacity to monitor and evaluate progress in reaching the MDGs. Achieving the MDGs in Latin America and Caribbean requires country ownership and strong commitment from government, private sector, civil society and the international community. It is important to recognise that the main challenge currently facing the region is to foster economic growth and development to eliminate the high inequality of opportunities and exclusion. Policies that ensure macroeconomic stability, an adequate legal institutional framework, democratic governance, a sound business climate and basic infrastructure must be complemented by comprehensive social investments that tackle inequality by broadening the asset base and offering opportunities to the poor and excluded.

Netherlands Alumni Network in China A Netherlands Alumni Network in China (NANC) has been set up for and by alumni of Dutch higher education institutions, with the support of the Netherlands

Education Support Office (NESO) in Beijing.

NANC aims to serve as a forum where alumni can contact each other. It has its own website (www.nanc.org.cn) and maintains a database and online Alumni Directory. It also intends to advise and assist Dutch higher education institutions and their alumni in setting up their own alumni associations in China. ISS has become a NANC partner institution, which means that ISS alumni can apply for free membership.

Chinese alumni and Dutch alumni living in China

Stay in touch ISS would like to keep in close contact with its alumni. To do so we need to keep our alumni database up-to-date. Please keep us informed of your latest email address and your career developments, and send us news of other alumni you are in touch with by mailing us at alumni@iss.nl. You can look for fellow alumni on the ISS website by following the path Alumni, Stay in touch, Contact a classmate.

2005 MA Prize Winners Each year ISS awards a Research Paper Prize to two or three MA students. The prize committee, made up of one external examiner and two ISS members of staff, review the nominated papers and draw up a shortlist of five candidates. They then choose the papers which they feel stand out above the others.

This year 15 papers were submitted on a wide variety of topics: education in Vietnam, children and education, environmental issues, trade unions, discourse analysis of women fighters in Sri Lanka, poverty, Dutch disease in Suriname, policy analysis in the ICT sector, processes and interests in development projects, and political analysis. Finally, three papers were selected. In the words of the external examiner: ‘We have chosen a trio that spans the middle of the epistemological range (combining positivistic and discourse analysis), a trio that is both logically and empirically sound, is readable, and constructively radical about conventional wisdoms.’

The winning papers were (in alphabetical order and followed by their supervisors’ comments):

Alexandra Tuinstra Gomez, Genetically modified crops for biodiversity conservation? Reflections from the GM debate in Costa Rica.

The paper on environmental issues ‘gracefully combines a political economy framework with actor network analysis and analyses the unexpected outcomes that can result from policy interactions within the arena of institutional and organisational interests. The paper makes excellent use of diverse and seemingly disparate sources of information and is a work of admirable intellectual coherence and effective argumentation.’

Martin Rivero Illa, State on ICT promotion in developing countries: General patterns and the Uruguayan experience.

This paper deals with the hard and soft world of ICT. ‘Its findings can be usefully taken on board by policymakers. It carries

through a complex analysis. It uses multiple data sources and streams. It sets up alternative explanations of the role of the state, and teases out answers to questions raised at the outset and it appropriately qualifies its findings. If anything, it tries to be holistic, and lays a very wide base for constructing its story. In the end, the outcome is excellent.’

Michelle Graciel de Morais, SouthSouth cooperation, policy transfer and best-practice reasoning: The transfer of the Solidarity in Literacy Program from Brazil to Mozambique.

This paper examines development policy in the field of education. ‘It presents a case of South-South cooperation and draws lessons for both the aid provider and the aid receiver. It shows courageous thinking. The critical analysis does not result in cynicism but on the contrary in a perspective on the humanity of actors involved. It contributes to the understanding that development theory has to take account of an increasingly multi-polar world where centre and periphery are not unambiguously located.’

1 6 / I N T E R V I E W G A S PA R R I V E R A - S A L G A D O

I N T E R V I E W G A S PA R R I V E R A - S A L G A D O / 1 7

‘Marginalised populations rarely have a voice as equal partners’

odds, even struggling against, those same nation-states. And in these processes marginalised populations rarely have a voice as equal partners.

On the global level that is perhaps difficult to change, but at the local level it is different. There I don’t think indigenous people should wait for the international legal framework to work with them. Locally they have to resist the power of nation-states, although they will not always be in a strong position to

Ours is a history of many defeats, but we also have to look at the successes do so. In the Americas, that has been the history of indigenous people for the past 500 years. On the other hand, the indigenous population of Latin America is almost what it was at the time of the Conquest. Ours is a history of many defeats, but we also have to look at the successes. Some people call me too optimistic and, of course, many indigenous languages and cultures have completely disappeared. But I don’t look at indigenous people for what they lack, but for how they use their assets. For instance, how they use their language and culture for organisation building.’

You look at migrants from an indigenous peoples’ background. Why is it important to study them in the context of the concept of indigenous peoples, and not just of migration, identity or ethnicity?

Do migrants from indigenous peoples encounter specific problems?

On 12 April, Gaspar Rivera-Salgado gave his inaugural address at Utrecht University as holder of the Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity. This chair is held by an outstanding young academic from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean or the Pacific for the advancement of research and teaching in the field of development cooperation. The chair rotates annually between Utrecht University and ISS. Professor Rivera-Salgado is a Mexican Indian who studied and built up a career at the Universities of California and South California. He was appointed to the Prince Claus Chair on the basis of his work in the field of indigenous rights, particularly in Latin America and the United States.

When I look at recent issues involving indigenous peoples – for instance Bedouin in the Gaza Strip losing land to Israel, or Indians in Nicaragua losing land to oil companies – I fear that their status as indigenous people has not helped their cases. How helpful can that status be in such difficult political and legal conflicts?

GRS: ‘Indigenous people face many challenges in advancing their claims to self-determination and autonomy. One instrument available to them is the international legal framework. But we must be realistic as to what that can achieve. Agreement is reached there by consensus of representatives of nationstates. But indigenous people are at

GRS: ‘Of course there are problems, but I focus on how migrants from indigenous populations can be an example to other migrants, on the creative ways in which they adapt to the global age. Since the 1980s indigenous people have migrated not only to the capital cities in Latin America, but also internationally. You see Quichua musicians in Paris, for example. They are successful in adapting the way they see themselves and their relationship with their community of origin. Traditionally, territory is essential in the definition of community, but migrants from indigenous peoples have expanded the concept of citizenship of their own communities.

Despite their migration, they have not severed the ties with their home communities. And the communities say: ok, we understand that these people have to go abroad to work and live, but they still have rights to preserve land and homes here, and they have an obligation to serve and participate in the political process of the community.

Sometimes official representatives of the home community live outside of it, and may return after many years to take office.’

Mexicans and migrants from other Latin American countries living in the US do not have the right to vote in their home countries. But Indians from Mexico do have that right in their home communities and even to participate in the political process there. Because, having been very isolated and autonomous for a long time, these communities have their own traditions of social administration and have adapted them to the phenomenon of migration. Other migrants can learn from this how to expand the definition of citizenship and grant rights of belonging to migrants, who are among the most vulnerable groups in the world.

The ethnic organisations migrants form in their new environments have binational political agendas. They contribute to the home communities and struggle for the rights of immigrants in the places where they now live. What we are witnessing is the emergence of new political actors. The question is how to understand the movements that foster that, so that migration is not viewed as a threat. In the US, Latin American immigrants are still seen as a threat. It is said that they do not integrate, but that is nonsense.

Most often, the dominant language of the second generation of Latin American immigrants is English, not Spanish.

The Mexican government defines indigenous people only as those who speak an indigenous (Indian) language.

But for indigenous people themselves the language does not matter so much.

And what I see is that when indigenous people migrate they do not lose their identity, but strengthen it. They define themselves even more by their indigenous origin. But the issue is not only how you define yourself. The struggle

for rights is also related to how the dominant powers define you.’

And it helps to be defined by them as indigenous?

‘Yes, because it is important to be recognised as different. One of the great challenges of Western democracies is to achieve equality for different people.

To be equal you must sometimes treat different groups in a different way. Think of the right to maternity leave for women, or affirmative action for racial minorities. For indigenous people the right to self-determination and regional autonomy play the same role.

Unfortunately those claims are seen as a threat by nation-states. But there is no need for them to see it that way.

In the US, Latin American immigrants are still seen as a threat Look at federal states. There the autonomy of constituents of the nationstates poses no threat.’

Interview by Dorrit van Dalen. Professor RiveraSalgado’s inaugural address ‘Equal in dignity and rights: the struggle of indigenous peoples of the Americas in an age of migration’ is published by Utrecht University. ISBN: 90-393-3836-1

18 / CONFERENCES

CONFERENCES / 19

International Criminal Accountability and the Rights of Children

International Education for Development Past and Future Orientations A seminar in honour of Professor Hans Opschoor In spite of the long history of knowledge-sharing between the North and the South, there is currently an imbalance in knowledge networks and comparative power differentials in knowledge creation and dissemination.

This issue was tackled head on at the recent seminar at ISS to honour outgoing Rector Professor Hans Opschoor, ‘International Education for Development - Past and Future Orientations’

Hague Academic Coalition Conference International crimes and other forms of violence and abuse of children are daily realities in today’s world. It is disturbing that, increasingly, children and youth are targeted deliberately and routinely for murder, rape, abduction, mutilation, recruitment as child soldiers, trafficking, sexual exploitation and other abuses.

Particularly in situations of armed conflict children prove to be vulnerable and at risk, as Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Nepal, Colombia, and many other examples tragically illustrate. International criminal law and accountability mechanisms are potentially useful instruments in the fight for peace and justice.

On 17 and 18 March 2005 ISS hosted a major international conference on this subject. The gathering was organised in close collaboration with the United Nations University, and was the second annual conference of the Hague Academic Coalition. It proved to be an excellent and rare meeting ground for well over 200 practitioners and academics from all over the world working on children’s rights, international criminal legal practice, justice and peace, and development.

General introductions addressed the importance of a child

rights based approach to international criminal accountability (Karin Arts, ISS), on general trends concerning impunity, accountability and children (William Schabas, Irish Centre for Human Rights), and on child participation (Saudamini Siegrist, UNICEF Innocenti Centre). Relevant practice unfolding in international criminal courts was then analysed by speakers such as Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and David Crane, Prosecutor, Special Court for Sierra Leone.

After three deepening parallel workshops on the criminal responsibility of minors, child soldiers in northern Uganda, and gender aspects, the Conference proceeded to exploring other approaches to tackling accountability for crimes against children. The practice of the European Court on Human Rights, best practices to counter human trafficking and the case of combating female genital mutilation (presented by Nuala Mole of the Aire Centre, Thanh-Dam Truong of ISS and Alison Smith of No Peace Without Justice) all brought up interesting leads that could usefully inform the current development towards more child-friendly international criminal law and accountability mechanisms.

The conference material will be published in a book (United Nations University Press, 2006).

For more information contact Karin Arts, Associate Professor in International Law and Development at ISS at arts@iss.nl.

The Hague Academic Coalition is a consortium of five academic institutions based in The Hague, all working in the field of international relations, international law and/or international development: T.M.C. Asser Instituut, the Carnegie Foundation, the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies (Leiden University), the Institute of Social Studies and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael. HAC seeks to promote research, education and debate on relevant topics. Among its regular activities are an annual interdisciplinary conference From Peace to Justice and the Hague Forum for Judicial Expertise which assists national courts in applying international law by providing training modules and opportunities to share information and experience.

The first half of the day provided an insight into the intellectual knowledge network links between the different regions of the world. The main priority in higher education, according to deputy ISS rector David Dunham, is to reposition prevailing ideas to cater to the demands of a new generation of students.

Amina Mama, Professor of Sociology at the University of Cape Town, explained the legacy of imperialism, which contributed to the rejection of non-European knowledge systems by the North and fuelled the expansion of external ideas in the South.

The power dimension of knowledge was further extended by Aswani Saith who asked: ‘If knowledge is power, should not the powerful hold knowledge?’ He directed attention to the collapse of Dutch aid policy in the past and the loss of space to the Washington-based unipolar knowledge system.

Rob de Vos, Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke on bridging the divide between research and development, and

Koos Richelle, Director-General of Development Cooperation at the European Commission, said that education is the top priority for the Commission to ensure sustainable development and socioeconomic change by investing in primary education. Eric Martijnse, Acting Deputy Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education informed the audience of the consensus among policymakers in the Netherlands on the need to improve higher education in cooperation with other EU countries, inviting foreign talent and contributing to the knowledge economy in the country.

In the final session, Hans Opschoor gave an address focusing on parallel ideas in the civilisations of the East and West, their interactions and perceptions of each other. He gave a brief analysis of Islamic fundamentalism and stressed the important role of higher education in tackling cultural conflict. He saw a role for ISS in linking culture and conflict, building capacities and strengthening efforts for exchange of ideas between cultures.

The closing address was delivered by Professor Len De Klerk, Chairman of the ISS Board of Supervisors. He thanked Hans Opschoor for his ‘tremendous effort’ in developing ISS as a strong, specialised and internationally active institution. The Mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman, then conveyed Her Majesty’s decision to honour Hans Opschoor for his contribution to the field of science, to Dutch society and to the world at large.

Conference announcement ‘Religion: Source for Human Rights and Development’ Soesterberg, Netherlands, 6-8 September 2005 Cordaid, ICCO and the Institute of Social Studies are organising an international conference on the role of religion in human rights and development in September.

Religion can have a positive and a negative impact on processes of development and social change. Recent world events have focused primary attention on the negative roles that religion can play. This conference, however, will focus on the positive potential of religion to support human rights, justice and peace. The programme will include keynote speakers with involvement in the subject matter and will allocate ample time for informal discussion. The organisers expect that the outcome will

be a set of recommendations for policymakers in the field of development on how to support religious initiatives in the quest for human rights, justice and peace. Invitees will include Southern and Northern NGO partners, representatives of Dutch religious organisations, migrant organisations in the Netherlands, and people working in government and academic institutions. The conference will be chaired by Professor Bob Goudzwaard.

For more information, please contact Seline Tap at stap@bbo.org

20 / SCHOLAS NEWS

CRC/NEW PHDS / 21

SCHOLAS is the ISS Student’s Association

SCHOLAS News Students weigh in on ISS’ Future

Events

In first four months of 2005, ISS engaged in an intense brainstorming process to define its future up to 2010.

Since the process was initiated in February, SCHOLAS and student representatives on the MA Coordinating Committee and Academic Council have lobbied to ensure students play a key role in defining that future. Students have consequently featured prominently on working groups looking at the quality of life at ISS, of learning, teaching and debate, and at a number of other areas. The students’ vision of ISS pays careful attention to optimising quality of life. ‘ISS students consider themselves active participants in the process of the Development Strategy, defining their needs and helping to chart the way forward for the Institute’, says SCHOLAS president Michael Conteh.

Beyond accessing innovative teaching in the classroom, a diverse student body should continue to access an experience of learning outside of the classroom while at ISS, maximising a unique development education experience. SCHOLAS and the student body look forward to their continued part in the design process which will culminate in a Strategic Plan to be presented in the autumn.

One of the oldest global organisations fighting for the rights of disappeared persons was welcomed to ISS by SCHOLAS in April. Nila Heredia, Chairperson of the Latin American Federation of Associations of Families of Disappeared (FEDEFAM), has been a driving force behind two decades of effort to realise a new international treaty on forced disappearances. The session, ‘Disappearances: the struggle for truth and justice’, was organised by Scholas, HOM (Humanist Committee for Human Rights) and IKV (Dutch Interchurch Peace Council). The Asian Federation Against Disappearances (AFAD) presented a new book and companion film, ‘Healing Wounds, Mending Scars: the struggle for truth and justice in Asia’.

Hundreds of thousands of people have disappeared globally at the hands of brutal dictatorships.

New Research Partnership for Students This spring, SCHOLAS engaged in discussions with the Evert Vermeer Foundation (EVF), an independent organisation promoting sustainable development practice by influencing political decision-making at the local, national and European levels. The EVF has expressed interest in becoming engaged in research projects at ISS with a view to underpinning its lobby activities with scientific research. Its Policy Coherence Development project aims to bolster policy-making that takes development assistance into account at the European Parliament and Commission level. Discussions will progress through the student body’s new ISS Student Career Centre, an initiative by MA 2005 students that aims to facilitate intern and career opportunities.

Fundraising efforts post-tsunami In January ISS’ student body opened the year with a SCHOLAS New Year fundraiser for the victims of the tsunami in Asia. In February, ISS students reshelved more than 700 library shelves in a work project whose proceeds also went to victims of the disaster. The spring 2005 edition of the SCHOLAS newsletter devoted a story to the challenges of humanitarian and development response in the aftermath of the tsunami.

SCHOLAS’ Environmental Committee recently visited Wageningen University to introduce students to leading environmental professors Pyburn Rhiannon and Kees Jansen. ISS students exchanged thoughts with the two professors on corporate responses to environmentalism, organic agriculture as an alternative technological trajectory, and the politics that underlie these issues. It is hoped that the relationship with Wageningen University can be deepened and include future exchanges on issues.

The Latin America and Caribbean region faces urgent development challenges. With donor funds in the region dwindling and immense economic and social progress still to be made, the SCHOLAS International Committee felt it an opportune time to shed light on the issues by organizing a Latin American and Caribbean Week (‘Economic Development, Social Exclusion and Democracy’, 25 April-3 May). Liberalisation and democracy, local participation and social integration featured prominently during the week. The week’s events were opened by Mr Enrique Iglesias, Director of the Inter-American Development Bank (see page 14). On Friday 29 April, the Ambassadors of Brazil and Jamaica and the political counsellor from the Embassy of Mexico underscored their respective countries’ challenges regarding economic and social integration. Colombian Congressman Dr Carlos Gaviria closed the week with a presentation on ‘Political Alternatives to Colombian Conflict’.

In the last week of May, the SCHOLAS Housing & WellBeing Committee hosted the first ISS Student Housing Week. Throughout the ISS’ dorms, kitchens and common rooms were inventorised for needed amenities/damage, abandoned bicycles were identified and cleared, and cooking competitions were held. The Housing & WellBeing Committee is also working closely with the ISS Housing Office on its new housing publications for new 2005 students.

New Career Resource Centre at ISS The ISS now has a Career Resource Centre to help participants with job searches and career management. This student initiative, inspired by the 2004-2005 Masters students and endorsed by SCHOLAS, is in its first formative year. The organisers request the help of DevIssues readers to fill their database of job openings, internships, volunteer opportunities and post doc positions. Announcements can be sent to career@iss.nl.

The Career Resource Centre (CRC) aims to help ISS postgraduate students to develop all aspects of their careermanagement and job-hunting skills. This includes linking ISS students with development agencies through internships or voluntary associations and eventually with job opportunities, and providing information and links to resources related to development studies.

In the long-term it is envisaged that the CRC will be staffed by professionals and incorporated within the structure and policies of ISS, with a twofold objective of providing students with career opportunities and enhancing the image of ISS in the development sector.

As a starting point, the CRC has created an online platform to consolidate information about vacancies, resources,

The CRC also aims to assist students in interview/resumewriting skills and plans to hold a series of monthly talks with resource persons on practical, concrete suggestions, advice, tips, such as performance in interviews or CV writing workshops. Suggestions in this regard are welcome from all readers.

The centre is also working towards linking ISS participants with international development agencies in the form of campus interviews or ‘career fairs’ offering worldwide job opportunities suitable for our international participants.

The CRC is in its first year of formation. Any ideas, suggestions are more than welcome to make it an effective resource for students!

If you would like more information on the career resource centre please contact the CRC team: Ibe Ronke Lani M’cleod (rlc0411@iss.nl), Pallavi (PPM) pallavi@iss.nl and Randolph Piazza (RLGC) rlc0418@iss.nl

New PhDs at ISS The following participants have recently been awarded PhDs at ISS. Please contact the participants themselves for further details of their theses.

Saturnino M. Borras Jr (Philippines).

Rethinking Redistributive Land Reform: Struggles for Land and Power in the Philippines / Shaker Publishing 2004, 358 p. / ISBN ??? / Public Defence on 27 September

Marco Vinicio Sánchez Cantillo

2004

(Costa Rica).

Promotors: Professor Ben White, ISS /

Rising Inequality and Falling Poverty in Costa Rica’s

Dr Cristóbal Kay, ISS

Agriculture during Trade Reform: A Macro- Micro General Equilibrium Analysis / Shaker Publishing 2004, 388 p. / ISBN 90-423-0255-0 / Public Defence on 10 January 2005 (distinction).

Promotors: Professor Rob Vos, ISS / Professor Graham

Olasunbo Odebode

Pyatt, ISS / Dr Servaas Storm, Faculty of Technology,

(Nigeria).

Policy and Management, Department of Economics,

Husbands are Crowns: Livelihood Pathways of

Delft University of Technology

Low-Income Urban Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria / Shaker Publishing 2004, 219 p. / ISBN ????? / Public Defence 11 October 2004

Daniel Chavez

Promotors: Professor A Helmsing, ISS /

(Uruguay).

Dr I. van Staveren, ISS

Polis & Demos: The Left in Municipal Governance in Motevideo and Porto Alegre Shaker Publishing 2004, 248 p. / ISBN 90-423-0245-3 / Public Defence on 9 December 2004 Promotors: Professor A. Helmsing, ISS / Professor M. Doornbos, ISS

SCHOLAS can be contacted at scholas@iss.nl

internships and volunteer opportunities. The platform also has a section advertising calls for academic papers.

It is used by MA, Diploma and PhD students and postings come from students, ISS staff, partner institutions, alumni, and development organisations. The aim is to build a membership-based database in the near future that contains CVs of registered participants and a register of development organisations.

22 / ISS NEWS

23

Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace

The Politics of Economic Reforms in India

Edited by Gerrie ter Haar and James J. Busuttil

Edited by Jos Mooij

This book discusses the transformative role of religion in situations of violent conflict. It considers both the constructive and destructive sides of religious belief and particularly explores ways in which religion(s) may contribute to transforming conflict into peace. Attention also focuses on questions of peace from the perspective of the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A number of essays actualise a vision for peace based on religion and situate visions for peace in the wider context of human security. All chapters consider the policy implications of the theoretical and practical perspectives offered on questions of conflict and peace.

Gerrie ter Haar is Professor of Religion, Human Rights and Social Change at ISS. James J. Busuttil was Associate Professor of International Law and Organization at ISS. He is now Director of the University of London’s external Master of Laws Programme.

Leiden : Brill, 2005, 392 p.

ISBN 90-04-13943-5

Development and Change The journal Development and Change is published six times a year by Blackwell Publishers (Oxford, UK) on behalf of the Institute of Social Studies. For more information, see the ISS website or email us at d&c@iss.nl. Available online at http://www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk/online. Special rate available to ISS alumni.

Volume 36 / Number 2 / March 2005 Bringing together 11 articles on the political dimensions of India's economic reform process, this volume differs from others on the subject by its focus on the political shaping of the reforms, the politics of implementation and the effects on political structures and processes. The two major themes running through the book are the relationship between policy reforms and democratic politics, and the impact of the reforms on the quality of governance. Bringing together both theoretical contributions and case studies pertaining to particular states or sectors, the book provides insights into various important questions including: How was a radical shift in policy possible in a democracy, where the opposition can easily mobilise resistance? How can reforms be sustained in a context where the majority of voters are poor and attracted by handouts, and where political parties are accustomed to attracting voters through populist policies? Do the reforms contribute to more efficient and inclusive administrative and political governance, or do they lead to new forms of corruption, bureaucratic mismanagement and/or undemocratic politics?

Jos Mooij is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management at ISS

Louis Emmerij, Richard Jolly and Thomas G. Weiss Sam Hickey and Giles Mohan Ziya Öni_ and Fikret _enses Arup Mitra Sarah Salway, Sonia Jesmin and Shahana Rahma Asep Suryahadi, Agus Priyambada and Sudarno Sumarto Susanna B. Hecht

Economic and Social Thinking at the UN in Historical Perspective Relocating Participation within a Radical Politics of Development Rethinking the Emerging Post-Washington Consensus Women in the Urban Informal Sector: Perpetuation of Meagre Earnings Women’s Employment in Urban Bangladesh: A Challenge to Gender Identity?

Poverty, School and Work: Children during the Economic Crisis in Indonesia Soybeans, Development and Conservation on the Amazon Frontier

Volume 36 / Number 3 / May 2005 Lauchlan T. Munro

Focus-Pocus? Thinking Critically about Whether Aid Organizations Should Do Fewer Things in Fewer Countries Daniel Fitzpatrick ‘Best Practice’ Options for the Legal Recognition of Customary Tenure Huck-ju Kwon Transforming the Developmental Welfare State in East Asia Olivier Ducourtieux, Jean-Richard Land Policy and Farming Practices in Laos Laffort and Silinthone Sacklokham Establishing Development Orthodoxy: Negotiating Masculinities in the Water Sector Nina Laurie Steffen Jensen The South African Transition: From Development to Security?

Justin O. Parkhurst The Response to HIV/AIDS and the Construction of National Legitimacy: Lessons from Uganda

New Delhi: Sage Publications 2005, 362p ISBN: 81-78-29480-X

Working Papers

Staff News New staff Renée de Louw, Head of Office of Resource Management (ORM), as of 1 April.

Professor Meine Peter van Dijk, Affiliate Professor of Urban Management, as of 1 April.

Dr Helen Hintjens, Lecturer in Development and Social Justice, as of 1 April.

Niek de Jong, project staff member, on a four-month contract for the SIDA Project, as of 1 June.

Rogier Marchand, Project Officer ORPAS, as of 1 July.

Robert Sparrow, Lecturer in Development Economics, as of 1 July.

Lorenzo Pellegrini, Lecturer in Development Economics, as of 1 December.

Staff leaving Matty Klatter, External Relations Officer, as of 30 November 2004.

Guillermo Lathrop, Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning, as of 31 December 2004.

Henri van Schenk Brill, Head of Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as of 31 December 2004.

Hotze Lont, post-doc in the KNAW Indonesia Project, as of 29 February.

Marianne van Dieren, Programme Administrator, as of 7 March.

Charlotte Boer, Senior Officer Research, as of 31 March.

Maggie Vlot, Programme Administrator, as of 31 March.

Annet Lingen, Coordinator Advisory Services, as of 30 April.

Rene Bekius, Alumni Officer and Editor, DevISSues, as of 31 May. Dr Dan Smit, Associate Professor of Urban Management and Governance, as of 31 May. Erik de Baedts, Secretary of the Institute, will leave on 22 August.

ISS Working Papers can be found on the ISS website at: www.iss.nl, Publications/Working Papers. They can also be ordered in hard copy from: The Bookshop, PO Box 29776, 2502 LT The Hague, the Netherlands.

400

José Cuesta From Economicist To Culturalist Development Theories: How Strong Is The Relation Between Cultural Aspects And Economic Development? (September 2004)

Appointments

401

Dele Olowu Property Taxation And Democratic Decentralization In Developing Countries (October 2004)

Prof. Mansoob Murshed as Professor of International Economics at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham (50%). Prof. Murshed has also been appointed Honorary Professor of Development Economics at the Utrecht School of Economics, University of Utrecht, from January 2005 to January 2010.

402

Rob Vos and Juan Ponce Meeting The Millennium Development Goal In Education: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis For Ecuador (November 2004)

403

Peter de Valk Interdisciplinary Perspectives On Aid And Local Ownership In Projects (December 2004)

404

Eric B. Ross Anthropology, The Cold War And The Myth Of Peasant Conservatism (January 2005)

405

Des Gasper Securing Humanity: Situating ‘Human Security’ As Concept And Discourse (January 2005)

406

Michelle Graciela de Morais South-South Cooperation, Policy Transfer And Best-Practice Reasoning: The

Deaths ISS was very sad to hear of the death of Charles Cooper in January. Charles was Professor of Development Economics at ISS from 1980 to 1990, was a member of the Executive Council, Deputy Rector, and Acting Rector for much of 1986.

Transfer Of The Solidarity In Literacy Program From Brazil To Mozambique (February 2005) 407

Peter de Valk, Raymond Apthorpe and João Guimarães Local Ownership, Co-Ownership And CapacityBuilding In Aid Projects: The Findings Of A Comparative Study (February 2005)

408

Bert Helmsing Governance Of Local Economic Development In Sub-Saharan Africa: Who Are The Dancers And Do They Act ‘In Concert’? (March 2005)

We also received the sad news that Ricardo Mahesh died on December 24, 2004. Ricardo worked in the Internal Services Department of the ISS from 1988 to 2003

409

Alexandra E. Tuinstra Gomez Genetically Modified Crops For Biodiversity Conservation? Reflections From The GM Debate In Costa Rica (April 2005)

In 2006, diploma programmes and short courses begin in January, April, May and August.

To be eligible for an NFP fellowship, submit your application to ISS by 15 August 2005 (January diplomas) or 15 October 2005 (April diplomas). See www.iss.nl or contact the Student Office at +31 70 426 0460 for more information.

Development ISSues is published three times a year by the Institute of Social Studies, PO Box 29776, 2502 LT The Hague, the Netherlands, tel: +31 (0)70 4260 443 or 4260 419, fax: + 31 (0)70 4260 799, ISS website: www.iss.nl, email: DevISSues@iss.nl Editor: Andy Brown Editorial Board: Karin Arts, Erhard Berner, Kristin Komives, Vishnu Prabhir (Scholas), Peter de Valk Editorial Assistants: Marie-Louise Gambon, Karen Shaw Design and Production: MUNTZ Marketing Communication Group Circulation: 12,000. Material from Development ISSues may be reproduced or adapted without permission, provided it is not distributed for profit and is attributed to the original author or authors, Development ISSues and the Institute of Social Studies. ISSN: 1566-4821