December/January Quote | In the light of the commitments made in the Charter, SAARC States agree to following principles, goals and objectives:
xi. Ensure that disadvantaged, marginalized and vulnerable persons and groups are included in social development, and that society acknowledges and responds to the consequences of disability by securing the legal rights of the individuals and by making the physical and social environment accessible; 11th clause of the Social Charter signed by the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, January 4, 2004 |
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Feature Article: Empowering Vulnerable Groups: A Look at Female Heads of Households, the Disabled, and YouthVulnerable groups are particularly disempowered, as they are less likely to be formally represented or have a voice in decision-making. Therefore, targeted efforts are often needed to empower vulnerable groups. These efforts can improve people's ability to effectively handle negative externalities as they arise and help them to ensure that their needs are considered in planning for unanticipated situations. Full Article
Interview: Young Roma Study TourSponsored by the World Bank (WBI/ECA), Open Society Institute, and UNDP, the Young Roma Study Tour brought eleven young English-speaking Roma leaders representing delegations in eight Eastern European countries to Washington, DC and New York. The purpose of the trip was to exchange ideas and refine policy recommendations as follow-up to the high-level Roma conference held in Budapest, July 2003. During the Young Roma Study Tour, the Empowerment Community of Practice had the opportunity to interview one of the delegates, Ms. Delia Grigore, a 31 year old Romanian woman who works for the University of Bucharest and is a promoter of Roma civil rights through the Roma Center of Public Policy. More
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Announcements/Points of InterestCommunity Empowerment Network for Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — In late 2001, the Community Empowerment Network (CEN) was launched to establish a community of practice for knowledge exchange among professionals working on community empowerment activities in three countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. Since that time, four national networks have been formed and are implementing wide-ranging, locally developed Action Plans to improve the effectiveness of community empowerment approaches in the region. These national networks are complemented by monthly regional videoconferences, annual face-to-face conferences, and a soon-to-launched, regional web site, built in collaboration with the Uzbek Development Gateway. Gender Equality and the MDGs — A new online resource for information on gender equality and the Millennium Development Goals was recently launched. The site is a collaborative effort of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, the OECD/DAC Network on Gender Equality, and the Multilateral Development Bank Working Group on Gender. The World Bank and Civil Society Website — This provides valuable information, links, data, and materials to CSOs worldwide. The website, which serves as the 'Civil Society Window to the World Bank' provides information both on the World Bank (e.g. safeguard policies, governing structure, and new programs such as PRSPs), and on the Bank's engagement work with civil society (e.g. background & rationale, policy consultations, staffing, and grant funding). Call for papers — UNICEF and The Graduate Program in International Affairs (GPIA) at the New School would like to announce a call for papers for an International Conference that will promote Social Policies for Children, Women and Family. The three-day Conference will be held from April 28th – 30th, 2004 at the New School in New York. For information, please contact Marina Komarecki at komam525@newschool.edu E-discussion: Are Pro-SME Policies Linked to Pro-Poor Growth? — Targeted assistance to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is justified on the grounds that, relative to larger firms, SMEs enhance competition, entrepreneurship, and job growth and spur economy-wide efficiency, innovation, growth and poverty alleviation. But skeptics believe that, at best, a pro-SME policy will be no more effective than a size-blind investment policy and that what matters most are low entry and exit barriers, well-defined property rights, effective contract enforcement, and access to finance. Civil Society Budget Initiative — Civil Society Organizations working in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Bolivia, Honduras, and Nicaragua are invited to apply for grants which will provide capacity building on budget work. For information, please contact Jeff Thindwa at jthindwa@worldbank.org.
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