Call for submissions: Gendered Perspectives on International Development Working Papers

Michigan State University invites the submission of article-length manuscripts (6,000-9,000 words) for peer review and publication in our Gendered Perspectives on International Development (GPID) Working Papers series. We seek materials at a late stage of formulation that contribute new understandings of women and men’s roles and relations amidst social, economic, and political change in the developing world.

The goals of GPID are: (1) to promote research that contributes to gendered analysis of social change; (2) to highlight the effects of international development policy and globalization on gender roles and gender relations; and (3) to encourage new approaches to international development policy and
programming.

GPID cross-cuts disciplines, bringing together research, critical analyses, and proposals for change. Individual papers in the series address a range of topics, such as gender, violence, and human rights; gender and agriculture; reproductive health and healthcare; gender and social movements; masculinities and development; and the gendered division of labor. We particularly encourage manuscripts that bridge the gap between research, policy, and practice.

The GPID series is an open access publication. Further information and previously published papers can be viewed at: http://gencen.isp.msu.edu/publications/call.htm

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript to the series, please send a 150 word abstract summarizing the paper’s essential points and findings to Dr. Anne Ferguson, Editor, or Rowenn Kalman, Managing Editor, at papers@msu.edu. If the abstract suggests your paper is suitable for the GPID Working Papers, the full paper will be invited for peer review and publication consideration.

Washington, D.C. event: Crisis in the Central African Republic

You are invited to a Great Lakes Policy Forum on the crisis in the Central African Republic, co-sponsored with the National Endowment for Democracy.

On March 24, 2013, the Seleka rebels seized control of the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee. Current President Michel Djotodia faces the difficult task of restoring order and organizing elections once the 18-month transition period expires. Please join us for a discussion with Central African legislature and civil society members on the latest crisis situation in the Central African Republic, affecting the Great Lakes region as a whole.

When: Friday September 27, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Main Conference Room, National Endowment for Democracy, 1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:

Emilie Beatrice Epaye, Member of the National Transitional Council

Nicolas Guerekoyama Gbangou, Member of the National Transitional Council

The Right Reverend Nestor Nongo Aziagbia, Bishop of Bossangoa

Mathias Morouba, Attorney and head of Observatoire Centrafricain des Droits de l’Homme Dave Peterson, Senior Director, Africa, National Endowment for Democracy

Moderator:

Ambassador Laurence D. Wohlers

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic

RSVP Here

GW event: Why the World Bank Should Take a Human Rights Approach to Hydrodevelopment

Barbara Rose Johnston
Senior Research Fellow, The Center for Political Ecology, Santa Cruz, CA

This talk will address hydrodevelopment and its connections to crimes against humanity with reference to Chixoy dam in Guatemala.

When: October 23, 2013, 5:00-6:30pm

Where: 1957 E Street NW, Lindner Family Commons, 6th Floor
George Washington University, Washington, DC

RSVP: go.gwu.edu/hydrodevelopment

Presented by the Culture in Global Affairs Seminar Series and the Global Policy Forum of GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs

Institute for Global and International Studies

Wilson Center Environmental Change and Security Program events in DC

A Dialogue: Integrated Multi-sector Approaches – What Works and What’s Next?
When: Tuesday, September 10th, 2:30 – 5pm
Where: 6th Floor, Wilson Center

After five years of implementing a holistic development approach that combined family planning, health, livelihood opportunities, and conservation efforts, the USAID-funded BALANCED Project will offer insights drawn from its accomplishments and lessons learned, as well as from experiences with scaling up integrated approaches in Africa and Asia. A short documentary on BALANCED’s efforts to improve women’s lives in rural Tanzania will be screened, followed by an interactive discussion designed to inform future development work. Reception to follow.

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Water governance: Smallholder irrigation in Tanzania

Tom Franks and colleagues in the Department of Geography at King’s College, London, have written a Working Paper on “Evolving Outcomes of Water Governance Arrangements: Smallholder Irrigation on the Usangu Plains, Tanzania.” The paper reviews the development of water resources management over the past 40 years in the Kimani catchment of the Usangu plains in southwest Tanzania, showing how water management has changed over time. Experiences in the area show the importance of mapping the whole institutional landscape to ensure that physical infrastructure relates to it in order to ensure social equity among water users.

GW event: Humanitarian Aid Accountability – Expectations and Realities in Haiti

Panelists will discuss the politics of humanitarian aid in the United States in the context of Haiti:

Mark Schuller, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and NGO Leadership Development, Northern Illinois University

Michael N. Barnett, University Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University

Thomas C. Adams, Haiti Special Coordinator, U.S. Department of State

When: Monday, September 9, 2013, 6:30-8:00 pm

Where: The Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street, NW, Lindner Commons, 6th floor

TO RSVP: go.gwu.edu/haitiaid

Sponsored by the Elliott School’s Institute for Global and International Studies and its Western Hemisphere Working Group and Culture in Global Affairs Program as well as the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program at the George Washington University.
This event is part of the IGIS Global Policy Forum Series and the Culture in Global Affairs Seminar Series.

Global Call for Climate Action fellowship

The Global Call for Climate Action is awarding Adopt a Negotiator (AaN) Fellowships to exceptional young people that we think possess the ability to effectively push their countries toward unlocking climate solutions nationally and internationally. Applications will be accepted through midnight September 3rd.

Religion and development: bridging the gap

A special issue of the Canadian Journal of Development Studies/Revue canadienne d’études du développement offers several articles addressing the connections between religion and development. In the introductory essay, Charmain Levy, department of social sciences, Université du Qubec en Outaouais, writes:

“For many years, social sciences and development studies have adhered to a sociological view that holds that as societies modernise, religious institutions and beliefs will wane in their influence. Following the example of industrialised countries, it was assumed that societies in the developing world would follow the same path and that this would be a positive development. Until recently, development theories and practices were based upon the premise of rational, secular institutions and individuals; and the implications and contributions of religious actors were consequently either downplayed or completely ignored. In many developing countries, however, despite the secularisation of the state, religion remains to this day embedded in society; religious actors occupy an important place in civil society.

“All of the authors who have contributed to this special issue of the CJDS agree that different development theories have largely ignored the role played by faith-based NGOs in donor countries within international cooperation. This oversight is clearly represented by the gap in International Development Studies (IDS), both in Canada and elsewhere. In the past 10 years, however, several research teams and development organisations, based primarily in Europe, have recognised and documented the presence and importance of religious actors within development policy and practice in both donor and beneficiary countries.

“Several of these organisations have published research showing the importance of religion and faith in development and contributing to increased understanding of how they influence development policies and practice. However … until very recently, there have been few forums for Canadian scholars who are interested in issues related to religion in Development Studies.

“The articles in this special issue build upon existing research in order to simultaneously tackle unaddressed issues and raise the debate to another level with regard to identifying religious actors, assessing their importance and understanding how they influence development studies, practices and processes in both donor and beneficiary countries.”

Anthro in the news 7/15/13

• A bold target for the World Bank

The Globe and Mail (Canada) carried an article based on a lunch conversation with Jim Yong Kim, medical doctor, medical anthropologist, and former university president, marking the end of his first year as president of the World Bank. The article discusses the pros and cons of targets. Targets, even wildly improbable ones, can inspire action and achieve change, even if the target is not achieved. Or they can create embarrassment when failure is seen as the outcome.

World Bank Washington DC — The World Bank in Washington, D.C. on April 16, 2013. Flickr: Simone D. McCourte/World Bank

Kim explains his dedication to a new World Bank target of eliminating extreme poverty worldwide by 2030. He is quoted as saying, “What would be really frightening to me is if people like me, people like the World Bank staff, were so concerned about their own lives that they would not grab the opportunity to set a bold target … It took a very long time to convince people that we should have this target, but now that we do, I just see it as a huge gift…”

[Blogger’s note: no one would argue that eliminating poverty, especially extreme poverty, is not a laudable goal. The question arises, though, of the chosen policy pathways toward the goal. Unfortunately for many small scale communities in developing countries, Kim plans to promote large dam construction and hydroelectric development which will destroy such people’s livelihoods].

• World Bank in Africa on the decline?

The New York Times published an op-ed on the declining importance of World Bank loans to Africa in spite of new World Bank efforts, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The authors argue that: “The World Bank has done important work in promoting good governance and evaluating reform efforts. But its latest pledge of aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo sends a very mixed message, coming at a time when the International Monetary Fund has been cutting its loan programs to the country because of concerns about poor governance.”

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon share stories while waiting for the state dinner in Kinshasa — World Bank Pres. Kim and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon laugh in Kinshasa. But the Bank's loan programs in Africa are declining. Flickr/World Bank Photo Collection

World Bank Director Jim Yong Kim is quoted as saying: “There are always going to be problems and downsides with the governance of places that are fragile [but he adds that through investment and aid]…we can both reduce the conflict and improve governance.” The authors point out that Kim’s argument assumes that more World Bank spending means better government. Despite the billions in aid the D.R.C. has already received, however, “Kinshasa has not felt compelled to improve. It’s not clear why the bank’s new effort will be different.”

Continue reading “Anthro in the news 7/15/13” →

From the field: Reflections of a Yangon intern

Guest post by Julia Collins

The pounding rain muffles the sounds coming from the neighboring construction site. It is the rainy season in Southeast Asia and development season in Myanmar. With Myanmar’s recent debut on the global scene, it is the place to be for members of the development community.

World Economic Forum on East Asia 2013 — Supachai Panitchpakdi, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Myanmar, 6/7/13. Photo: Sikarin Thanachaiary

In a recent edition of the Bangkok Post, Myanmar was mentioned more than three times in the business section alone. The articles reported on Japanese investment, Thai cement factories, and Norwegian sustainable tourism in Myanmar. Aid workers, foreign investors, economists, human rights activists, education specialists, you name it, everyone has caught Myanmar-fever.

The international spotlight is firmly fixed on this resource-rich, relatively untouched Southeast Asian country.

I intern at an independent policy research organization dedicated to the economic and social transformation of Myanmar. Led by Burmese economists, the think-tank recommends policies related to economic reform, poverty-reduction, and good governance. Professor Christina Fink, was instrumental in helping me find my internship. Her assistance along with the generosity of the Freeman Foundation Fellowship, enabled interning to become a reality, and for that I am deeply grateful.

I arrived in early June and am one of seven interns — four are also master’s candidates studying at Columbia’s SIPA, one is a law student from Yale and one a Burmese-American from Michigan State. We are fortunate to work alongside incredibly hardworking and intelligent Burmese research assistants, former political exiles, professors as well as a few foreign economists and lawyers. We often have internal trainings ranging from tax reform in Myanmar to media laws and hate speech to Myanmar’s role in the WTO to inform our research and endow us with a more comprehensive understanding of Myanmar’s reform process.
Continue reading “From the field: Reflections of a Yangon intern” →