Roots and Resources - global experience and anlaysis
These documents and links may help people in Burma/Myanmar think about the risks and benefits of "development", especially when imposed from top and from outside, without full and deep consultation with the people whose are most affected. This and other sections (Land, Forests etc.) also cover corporate and military-corporate appropriation of land and other resources.
Websites/Multiple Documents
| Title: | | "Resurgence" Magazine online |
| Description/subject: | | " Since 1966 Resurgence magazine has been one of the pillars of environmental thinking, generating an ecological awareness essential for human and planetary well-being and survival..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Resurgence" |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | "The Ecologist" online |
| Description/subject: | | "Founded in 1970, The Ecologist is the world's most widely-read environmental magazine. Published in four continents, The Ecologist is read by over 200,000 people in 150 countries. A key player in major environmental campaigns against GM crops, rainforest destruction, climate change and the impact of globalisation, The Ecologist's early-warning signs have helped set environmental and political agendas across the world...." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Ecologist" |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | Center for the advancement of the steady-state economy (CASSE) |
| Description/subject: | | "Perpetual economic growth is neither possible nor desirable. Growth, especially in wealthy nations, is already causing more problems than it solves.
Recession isn't sustainable or healthy either. The positive, sustainable alternative is a steady state economy. Learn More >> |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | CASSE |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 09 November 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation web site |
| Description/subject: | | Documents on alternative development, including specifically on Burma. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation |
| Date of entry/update: | | 23 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | Focus on the Global South |
| Description/subject: | | "Focus on the Global South is a program of development policy research, analysis and action. Focus engages in research, analysis, advocacy and grassroots capacity building on critical issues. It was founded in 1995 and is currently attached to the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Focus was founded, the same year the World Trade Organization came into existence. At that time, the system of corporate-driven globalisation was at its apogee. Focus’s program and structure reflected the priorities of a people’s movement that was facing a steep uphill struggle as it grappled with the impact of globalisation on the daily lives and struggles of the poor and marginalized people in the South. Today, corporate-driven globalisation is suffering a deep crisis of legitimacy globally and is on the ideological defensive, even as its poverty-creating, inequality-increasing, and ecologically destructive structure and dynamics continue to grind on.
Focus has also traveled considerably from its starting point. It is today widely considered a “key player” in the global movement for a different and better world. Its analyses of global developments are extensively consulted, as are its suggestions for structural change.
Focus’ goals have not changed. They continue to be the dismantling of oppressive economic and political structures and institutions, the creation of liberating structures and institutions, demilitarization, and the promotion of peace-building instead of conflict. It is the programmatic and organizational expressions of these goals that need to be adapted to the changes in the global balance of forces" ... Rich seam of articles, links, news etc. |
| Language: | | English, French, Spanish, Thai, Indonesian, Portuguese |
| Source/publisher: | | Focus on the Global South |
| Format/size: | | html, pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 10 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | ifda dossier |
| Description/subject: | | These are pdf versions of the 81 ifda dossiers published between 1978 and 1991. The "Dossier" was an important milestone in the emergence of alternative development theory, and this archive, maintained by the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, remains an important source of inspiration and ideas... "... The International Foundation for Development Alternatives (IFDA) was set up in 1976 to contribute to the movement towards both another development and genuine international cooperation, defined as follows:
• another development hinges on five interrelated pillars: satisfaction of human needs in their diversity; self-reliance; endogeneity; harmony with nature and ecological sustainability; non-violent democratization of societal structures. It is a systemic process, personal and social, cultural and technological, economic and political. It offers a project to every society, wherever located, North or South, whatever its space, global, national or local;
• genuine international cooperation implies respecting differences and ensuring cultural pluralism. It calls for the restructuring of international relations through, among others, a global conception - at the same time political, ecological and social - of security , complete disarmament, non-alignment, Third World collective self-reliance as well as the emergence of new actors, especially those from the civil society. It is the transition from old and new hegemonies and the resulting unequal exchange to a world order supportive of another development..."... The files are, unfortunately, pdf image files of several megabytes each, which many people in the South will have diffculty in downloading. If is to be hoped that the DHF will eventually be able digitise the files and thus reduce their bulk. |
| Language: | | English, Francais, Espanol |
| Source/publisher: | | Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.dhf.uu.se/ifda/default.html (introduction and history of ifda dn the dossier) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 23 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | New Economics Foundation |
| Description/subject: | | " nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.
We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first.
nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) which forced issues such as international debt onto the agenda of the G7 and G8 summits.
We are unique in combining rigorous analysis and policy debate with practical solutions on the ground, often run and designed with the help of local people. We also create new ways of measuring progress towards increased well-being and environmental sustainability.
nef works with all sections of society in the UK and internationally - civil society, government, individuals, businesses and academia - to create more understanding and strategies for change..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | New Economics Foundation |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | New Economics Institute |
| Description/subject: | | "The mission of the New Economics Institute is to conceive, create, communicate, and catalyze new economic theories and practices toward a just and sustainable world. We uniquely combine vision, theory, action, and communication to effect a transition to a new economy—an economy that gives priority to supporting human well-being and Earth’s natural systems. Our multidisciplinary approach employs research, applied theory, public campaigns, and educational events to describe an alternative socio-economic system that is capable of addressing the enormous challenges of our times. Our premise is that a fair and sustainable economy is possible and that ways must be found to realize it.
"The Institute, formerly the E. F. Schumacher Society, is working in close partnership with the New Economics Foundation from London to add the programs and experience developed in the UK to its own work in the US..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | New Economics Institute |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Practical Action |
| Description/subject: | | "Our distinctive practical approach:-
Technology challenging today's divided world:
Practical Action works alongside communities to find practical solutions to the poverty they face. We see technology as a vital contributor to people’s livelihoods. Our definition of technology includes physical infrastructure, machinery and equipment, knowledge and skills and the capacity to organise and use all of these.
We actively seek to work with communities and adopt a collaborative approach, sharing knowledge and experience. We increase our impact by scaling up success and pushing for policy change that directly benefits poor communities...
Practical Action's vision and mission:
Vision - Technology justice: a sustainable world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used for the benefit of all...
Mission - To contribute to poor people’s wellbeing, using technology to challenge poverty by:
* building the capabilities of poor men and women;
* improving their access to technical options and knowledge; and
* working with them to influence social, economic and institutional systems for innovation and the use of technology..."....The Documents Library contains many appropriate technology downloads. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Practical Action |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Resolve |
| Description/subject: | | "RESOLVE is a novel, cross-disciplinary research collaboration between four separate groups in the University of Surrey: the Centre for Environmental Strategy, the Environmental Psychology Research Group, the Surrey Energy Economics Centre and the Department of Sociology.
The overall aim of RESOLVE is to develop a robust understanding of the links between lifestyle, societal values and environment. In particular, RESOLVE will work to provide robust, evidence-based advice to policy-makers in the UK and elsewhere who are seeking to understand and to influence the behaviours and practices of 'energy consumers'. Specific objectives of the proposed research group will be:..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | University of Surrey |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Rights and Resources Initiative |
| Description/subject: | | A global coalition of 14 Partners and over 120 international, regional and community organizations advancing forest tenure, policy, and market reforms.....
Core Beliefs:
"Based on our experience, we find that empowerment of rural people and asset-based development are part of a process that is dependent on a set of enabling conditions, including security of tenure to access and use natural resources. As a coalition of diverse and varied organizations, RRI is guided by a set of core beliefs...
Rights of Poor Communities Must Be Recognized and Strengthened:
We believe it is possible to achieve the seemingly irreconcilable goals of alleviating poverty, conserving forests and encouraging sustained economic growth in forested regions. However, for this to happen, the rights of poor communities to forests and trees, as well as their rights to participate fully in markets and the political processes that regulate forest use, must be recognized and strengthened.
...
Progress Requires Supporting and Responding to Local Communities:
We believe that progress requires supporting, and responding to, local community organizations and their efforts to advance their own well-being...
Now is the Time to Act:
We believe that the next few decades are particularly critical. They represent an historic moment where there can be either dramatic gains, or losses, in the lives and well-being of the forest poor, as well as in the conservation and restoration of the world’s threatened forests...
Progress Requires Engagement and Constructive Participation by All:
It is clear that progress on the necessary tenure and policy reforms requires constructive participation by communities, governments and the private sector, as well as new research and analysis of policy options and new mechanisms to share learning between communities, governments and the private sector...
Reforming Forest Tenure and Governance Requires a Focused and Sustained Global Effort:
We believe that reforming forest tenure and governance to the scale necessary to achieve either the Millennium Development Goals, or the broader goals of improved well-being, forest conservation and sustained-forest-based economic growth will require a new, clearly focused and sustained global effort by the global development community." |
| Language: | | English (French and spanish also available) |
| Source/publisher: | | Rights and Resources Initiative |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 August 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Rio+20 Portal - Building the Peoples Summit Rio+20 |
| Description/subject: | | MAIN THEMES:
Ethical and philosophical fundamentals: subjectivity, domination, and emancipation...
Human rights, peoples, territories, and defense of Mother Earth...
Political subjects, the architecture of power, and democracy...
Production, distribution and consumption, access to wealth, common goods, and economies in transition. |
| Language: | | English (French, Spanish, Portuguese also available) |
| Source/publisher: | | Rio+20 Portal |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 26 June 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Shift |
| Description/subject: | | "Shift is an independent, non-profit center for business and human rights practice. We help governments, businesses and their stakeholders put the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into practice. We share our learning by developing public guidance materials that help build the field globally.
We were established in July 2011, following the unanimous endorsement of the Guiding Principles by the UN Human Rights Council, which marked the successful conclusion of the mandate of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie. Our team was centrally involved in shaping and writing the UN Guiding Principles, and Prof. Ruggie is Chair of our Board of Trustees..."
. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Shift |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 06 May 2013 |
|
| Title: | | Third World Network |
| Description/subject: | | "... The Third World Network is an independent non-profit international network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, the Third World and North- South issues.
Its objectives are to conduct research on economic, social and environmental issues pertaining to the South; to publish books and magazines; to organize and participate in seminars; and to provide a platform representing broadly Southern interests and perspectives at international fora such as the UN conferences and processes.
Its recent and current activities include: the publication of the daily SUNS (South - North Develoment Monitor) bulletin from Geneva, Switzerland, the fortnightly Third World Economics and the monthly Third World Resurgence; the publication of Third World Network Features; the publication of books on environment and economic issues; the organizing of various seminars and workshops; and participation in international processes such as UNCED and the World Bank - NGO Committee..." Its online publications include extracts and compilations of • "Third World Resurgence";
• "Third World Economics";
• "TWN Features";
• Position Papers;
• Briefing Papers etc. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Third World Network |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 23 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | Vandana Shiva |
| Description/subject: | | Articles etc. by Vandana Shiva |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Z-Space |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 November 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Worldwatch Institute |
| Description/subject: | | Publishes the annual "State of the World" reports and other publications |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Worldwatch Institute |
| Format/size: | | html, pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 25 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy |
| Description/subject: | | Research Group 1:
Future Energy and Mobility Structures
Research Group 2:
Energy, Transport and Climate Policy
Research Group 3:
Material Flows and Resource Management
Research Group 4:
Sustainable Production and Consumption
Cross-cutting projects:
– Sustainable Globalisation
– Eco-Sufficiency and Quality of Life
– Integrated Sustainability Scenarios
...includes "Wuppertal Papers" published in English, publications by Wolfgang Sachs etc. |
| Language: | | English, Deutsch, German |
| Source/publisher: | | Wuppertal Institute |
| Format/size: | | html, pdf |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.wupperinst.org/ |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 January 2005 |
|
Individual Documents
| Title: | | "The Wealth of the Commons" - A world beyond market & state |
| Date of publication: | | 04 February 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | "Over the past few years an explosion of innovative activism, scholarship and projects focused on the commons has been gaining momentum around the world. This growing movement consists of activists fighting international land grabs and the privatization of water; commoners collectively managing forests, fisheries and farmlands; Internet users generating software and Web content that can be shared and improved; and urban dwellers reclaiming public spaces. "The Wealth of the Commons" brings together the most vibrant strands of this burgeoning international work into a single volume, revealing the significant potential of the commons as a new force in politics, economics and culture...
We are poised between an old world that no longer works and a new one struggling to be born. Surrounded by centralized hierarchies on the one hand and predatory markets on the other, people around the world are searching for alternatives. The Wealth of the Commons explains how millions of commoners have organized to defend their forests and fisheries, reinvent local food systems, organize productive online communities, reclaim public spaces, improve environmental stewardship and re-imagine the very meaning of “progress” and governance. In short: how they’ve built their commons.
In 73 timely essays by a remarkable international roster of activists, academics and project leaders, this book chronicles ongoing struggles against the private commoditization of shared resources – often known as “market enclosures” – while documenting the immense generative power of the commons. "The Wealth of the Commons" is about history, political change, public policy and cultural transformation on a global scale – but most of all, it’s about commoners taking charge of their lives and their endangered resources. It’s about common people doing uncommon things..."
|
| Author/creator: | | David Bollier, Silke Helfrich |
| Language: | | English, Deutsch, German |
| Source/publisher: | | The Commons Strategy Group |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://band1.dieweltdercommons.de/inhaltsverzeichnis/
http://www.transcript-verlag.de/ts2036/ts2036.php |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 May 2013 |
|
| Title: | | 2012 Global Hunger Index |
| Date of publication: | | November 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | The Challenge of hunger: ensuring sustainable food security under land, water and energy stresses..."World hunger, according to the 2012 Global Hunger Index (GHI), has
declined somewhat since 1990 but remains “serious.” The global
average masks dramatic differences among regions and countries.
Regionally, the highest GHI scores are in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia reduced its GHI score significantly between
1990 and 1996—mainly by reducing the share of underweight children—but could not maintain this rapid progress. Though Sub-Saharan Africa made less progress than South Asia in the 1990s, it has
caught up since the turn of the millennium, with its 2012 GHI score
falling below that of South Asia.
From the 1990 GHI to the 2012 GHI, 15 countries reduced
their scores by 50 percent or more. In terms of absolute progress,
between the 1990 GHI and the 2012 GHI, Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nicaragua, Niger, and Vietnam saw the largest improvements in their scores.
Twenty countries still have levels of hunger that are “extremely
alarming” or “alarming.” Most of the countries with alarming GHI scores
are in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (the 2012 GHI does not,
however, reflect the recent crisis in the Horn of Africa, which intensified in 2011, or the uncertain food situation in the Sahel). Two of the
three countries with extremely alarming 2012 GHI scores—Burundi
and Eritrea—are in Sub-Saharan Africa; the third country with an
extremely alarming score is Haiti. Its GHI score fell by about one quarter from 1990 to 2001, but most of this improvement was reversed in
subsequent years. The devastating January 2010 earthquake, although
not yet fully captured by the 2012 GHI because of insufficient availability of recent data, pushed Haiti back into the category of “extremely alarming.” In contrast to recent years, the Democratic Republic of
Congo is not listed as “extremely alarming,” because insufficient data
are available to calculate the country’s GHI score. Current and reliable
data are urgently needed to appraise the situation in the country.
Recent developments in the land, water, and energy sectors
have been wake-up calls for global food security: the stark reality is
that the world needs to produce more food with fewer resources, while
eliminating wasteful practices and policies. Demographic changes,
income increases, climate change, and poor policies and institutions
are driving natural resource scarcity in ways that threaten food production and the environment on which it depends. Food security is now
inextricably linked to developments in the water, energy, and land sectors. Rising energy prices affect farmers’ costs for fuel and fertilizer,
increase demand for biofuel crops relative to food crops, and raise the
price of water use. Agriculture already occurs within a context of land
scarcity in terms of both quantity and quality: the world’s best arable
land is already under cultivation, and unsustainable agricultural practices have led to significant land degradation. The scarcity of farmland
coupled with shortsighted bioenergy policies has led to major foreign
summary
investments in land in a number of developing countries, putting local
people’s land rights at risk. In addition, water is scarce and likely to
become scarcer with climate change.
To halt this trend, more holistic strategies are needed for dealing with land, water, energy, and food, and they are needed soon. To
manage natural resources sustainably, it is important to secure land
and water rights; phase out inefficient subsidies on water, energy, and
fertilizers; and create a macroeconomic environment that promotes
efficient use of natural resources. It is important to scale up technical solutions, particularly those that conserve natural resources and
foster more efficient and effective use of land, energy, and water along
the value chain. It is also crucial to tame the drivers of natural
resource scarcity by, for example, addressing demographic change,
women’s access to education, and reproductive health; raising
incomes and lowering inequality; and mitigating and adapting to climate change through agriculture.
Food security under land, water, and energy stress poses daunting challenges. The policy steps described in this report show how we
can meet these challenges in a sustainable and affordable way." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Concern Worldwide, Welthungerhilfe and Green Scenery: |
| Format/size: | | pdf (3MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 02 November 2012 |
|
| Title: | | LAND-GRABBING LINKED WITH HUNGER |
| Date of publication: | | October 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | A new study finds a link between land rights, water, energy and hunger...Countries where people lack adequate access to land rights, water and energy – are among the worst performers in the annual Global Hunger Index (GHI).
“We find there is a definite correlation between these resources and food insecurity,” said Claudia Ringler, a co-author of this year’s GHI study, which was produced jointly by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the NGOs Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
The GHI study compared data on people’s access to arable land, clean water and cheap energy to their countries GHI scores, which are calculated using three indicators: undernourishment, child mortality and child underweight data.
Twenty countries have levels of hunger that are “extremely alarming” or “alarming” according to the index. Most countries with alarming GHI scores are in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia; the three countries with extremely alarming GHI scores are Burundi and Eritrea and Haiti.
Food security is inextricably linked to developments in the water, energy, and land sectors, as many experts have begun to show. "We are not saying anything people don't know already, but drawing their attention to it again through this study," said Ringler.
The study underscores the role of land grabs - the practice of leasing out land to international companies, often to grow export crops to produce biofuel - in food security.
“Rising energy prices affect farmers’ costs for fuel and fertilizer, increase demand for biofuel crops relative to food crops, and raise the price of water use,” says the GHI report. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Irin via Third World Network Features |
| Format/size: | | pdf (78K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 02 November 2012 |
|
| Title: | | A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT OF CAMBODIA’S LAND SECTOR |
| Date of publication: | | April 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | "Despite the tens of millions of dollars in aid
and concessional loans being spent in Cam-
bodia with the ostensible aim of securing land
tenure and making the management of land
and natural resources more equitable and
sustainable, the evidence shows that tenure
insecurity, forced evictions and large-scale
land grabbing are escalating to alarming
levels. Against this backdrop this discus-
sion paper proposes a better approach to
development interventions in the land sector,
in which processes and tools that elevate
rights, transparency and accountability are
incorporated throughout the project cycle and
broader country strategy. The paper calls on
development partners to adopt a ten-pronged
framework for a human rights approach to
development that aims to shift power to Cam-
bodia’s citizens and increase accountability of
decision-makers and power-holders.
The paper begins with a rationale for adopt-
ing a human rights approach to development.
Human rights are the foundation of just and
prosperous societies in which individuals have
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-
ingful lives. The ultimate goal of development
should therefore be a society in which civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights
are fully respected and enjoyed as social
and legal guarantees on a non-discriminatory
basis. The path of development will be most
conducive to such an outcome if members
of society are encouraged to be active and
informed agents in the development process,
including through public debate, and are able
to hold decision-makers to account..." |
| Author/creator: | | Natalie Bugalski |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Bridges Across Borders Cambodia, Heinrich Böll Stifftung, Cambodia |
| Format/size: | | pdf (4.8MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 May 2013 |
|
| Title: | | United Nations Strategic Framework 2012-2015 [Myanmar] |
| Date of publication: | | 19 January 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | Table of Contents:
Foreword...
Signatories: October 2011...
Acronyms and Abbreviations...
Map of UN offices in Myanmar...
Section I: Development Context...
Human Development and the MDGs....
UN in Myanmar....
Section II: The Strategic Framework...
Strategic Priority 1: Encourage inclusive growth (both rural
and urban), including agricultural development and enhancement
of employment opportunities ...
Strategic Priority 2: Increase equitable access to quality
social services.....
Strategic Priority 3: Reduce vulnerability to natural disasters and
climate change....
Strategic Priority 4: Promote good governance and strengthen
democratic institutions and human rights...
Section III: Resource Requirements...
Section IV: Management and Implementation....
Section V: Monitoring and Evaluation.....
Section VI: Operationalization of the UN Strategic Framework |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | United Nations Country Team in Myanmar |
| Format/size: | | pdf (2.6MB) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://unic.un.org/imucms/userfiles/yangon/file/UN_Strategic_Framework_for_Myanmar_2012-2015.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 21 November 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, |
| Date of publication: | | 20 December 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | Summary:
"The reinvestment in agriculture, triggered by the 2008 food price crisis, is essential
to the concrete realization of the right to food. However, in a context of ecological, food
and energy crises, the most pressing issue regarding reinvestment is not how much, but
how. This report explores how States can and must achieve a reorientation of their
agricultural systems towards modes of production that are highly productive, highly
sustainable and that contribute to the progressive realization of the human right to adequate
food.
Drawing on an extensive review of the scientific literature published in the last five
years, the Special Rapporteur identifies agroecology as a mode of agricultural development
which not only shows strong conceptual connections with the right to food, but has proven
results for fast progress in the concretization of this human right for many vulnerable
groups in various countries and environments. Moreover, agroecology delivers advantages
that are complementary to better known conventional approaches such as breeding highyielding
varieties. And it strongly contributes to the broader economic development.
The report argues that the scaling up of these experiences is the main challenge
today. Appropriate public policies can create an enabling environment for such sustainable
modes of production. These policies include prioritizing the procurement of public goods in
public spending rather than solely providing input subsidies; investing in knowledge by
reinvesting in agricultural research and extension services; investing in forms of social
organization that encourage partnerships, including farmer field schools and farmers’
movements innovation networks; investing in agricultural research and extension systems;
empowering women; and creating a macro-economic enabling environment, including
connecting sustainable farms to fair markets." |
| Author/creator: | | Olivier De Schutter |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | United Nations (A/HRC/16/49) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (257K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 January 2012 |
|
| Title: | | "Donor Playground Cambodia?" - What a look at aid and development in Cambodia confirms and what it may imply |
| Date of publication: | | 19 November 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | "This paper is confrontational and challenges many deep assumptions in mainstream
development. It argues that from the early
1990s in many ways Cambodia became a ‘donor
playground’, a term that some may find troubling,
if not actually offensive. It supports this
argument by reference to various arguments in
development studies, to a specific case study
of intervention in Cambodia, and to an examination of important parts of the relevant donor
‘knowledge production’. For us, these show that
this term is, indeed, suitable and we will
make various practical recommendations as to
how things may progress in the future..." |
| Author/creator: | | Adam Fforde & Katrin Seidel |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung |
| Format/size: | | pdf (413K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 May 2013 |
|
| Title: | | The Development Dictionary - a guide to knowledge as power |
| Date of publication: | | 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | WOLFGANG SACHS, Preface to the New Edition...
WOLFGANG SACHS, Introduction...
GUSTAVO ESTEVA, Development...
WOLFGANG SACHS, Environment...
C. DOUGLAS LUMMIS, Equality...
MARIANNE GRONEMEYER, Helping...
GÉRALD BERTHOUD, Market...
IVAN ILLICH, Needs...
WOLFGANG SACHS, One World...
MAJID R AHNEMA, Participation...
ARTURO ESCOBAR, Planning...
BARBARA DUDEN Population...
MAJID R AHNEMA, Poverty...
JEAN ROBERT, Production...
JOSÉ MARÍA SBERT, Progress...
VANDANA SHIVA, Resources...
CLAUDE ALVARES, Science...
HARRY CLEAVER Socialism...
SERGE LATOUCHE, Standard of Living...
ASHIS NANDY, State...
OTTO ULLRICH, Technology. |
| Author/creator: | | Wolfgang Sachs (ed) |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Zed Books via Northeast University |
| Format/size: | | pdf (2.4MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 November 2012 |
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| Title: | | The Millennium Development Goals Report |
| Date of publication: | | 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | "The Millennium Declaration in 2000 was a milestone in international cooperation, inspiring development efforts that have improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Ten years later, world leaders will gather again at the United Nations in New York to review progress, assess obstacles and gaps, and agree on concrete strategies and actions to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
The Goals represent human needs and basic rights that every individual around the world should be able to enjoy—freedom from extreme poverty and hunger; quality education, productive and decent employment, good health and shelter; the right of women to give birth without risking their lives; and a world where environmental sustainability is a priority, and women and men live in equality. Leaders also pledged to forge a wide-ranging global partnership for development to achieve these universal objectives.
This report shows how much progress has been made. Perhaps most important, it shows that the Goals are achievable when nationally owned development strategies, policies and programmes are supported by international development partners. At the same time, it is clear that improvements in the lives of the poor have been unacceptably slow, and some hard-won gains are being eroded by the climate, food and economic crises.
The world possesses the resources and knowledge to ensure that even the poorest countries, and others held back by disease, geographic isolation or civil strife, can be empowered to achieve the MDGs.
Meeting the goals is everyone’s business. Falling short would multiply the dangers of our world – from instability to epidemic diseases to environmental degradation. But achieving the goals will put us on a fast track to a world that is more stable, more just, and more secure.
Billions of people are looking to the international community to realize the great vision embodied in the Millennium Declaration. Let us keep that promise. --
Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary-General, United Nations |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | United Nations |
| Format/size: | | pdf (6.7MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 21 November 2012 |
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| Title: | | Prosperity without growth? The transition to a sustainable economy |
| Date of publication: | | 2009 |
| Description/subject: | | "Every society clings to a myth by which it lives. Ours
is the myth of economic growth. For the last five
decades the pursuit of growth has been the single
most important policy goal across the world. The
global economy is almost five times the size it was
half a century ago. If it continues to grow at the
same rate the economy will be 80 times that size
by the year 2100.
This extraordinary ramping up of global economic
activity has no historical precedent. It’s totally at
odds with our scientific knowledge of the finite
resource base and the fragile ecology on which
we depend for survival. And it has already been
accompanied by the degradation of an estimated
60% of the world’s ecosystems.
For the most part, we avoid the stark reality
of these numbers. The default assumption is that
– financial crises aside – growth will continue
indefinitely. Not just for the poorest countries, where
a better quality of life is undeniably needed, but
even for the richest nations where the cornucopia
of material wealth adds little to happiness and
is beginning to threaten the foundations of our
wellbeing.
The reasons for this collective blindness are easy
enough to find. The modern economy is structurally
reliant on economic growth for its stability. When
growth falters – as it has done recently – politicians
panic. Businesses struggle to survive. People lose
their jobs and sometimes their homes. A spiral of
recession looms. Questioning growth is deemed to
be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries.
But question it we must. The myth of growth
has failed us. It has failed the two billion people
who still live on less than $2 a day. It has failed
the fragile ecological systems on which we depend
for survival. It has failed, spectacularly, in its own
terms, to provide economic stability and secure
people’s livelihoods..." |
| Author/creator: | | Tim Jackson |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Sustainable Development Commission |
| Format/size: | | pdf (3MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Environment and Human Rights. |
| Date of publication: | | October 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | Wuppertal Paper, October 2003...
"The Institute's Globalisation project published the first English Wuppertal Paper "Environment and Human Rights" by Wolfgang Sachs. First, it outlines six typical situations in which patterns of resource use come into conflict with subsistence rights: namely, extraction of raw materials, alteration of ecosystems, reprogramming of organisms, destabilization as a result of climate change, pollution of urban living space, and effects of resource prices. It then introduces the debate on human rights and locates respect for subsistence rights as a component of economic, social and cultural human rights. Finally, it offers some markers for an environmental policy geared to human rights, the aim of which is to guarantee civil rights for all in a world with a finite biosphere..."
>>> Further Literature on Ecology and Human Rights |
| Author/creator: | | Wolfgang Sachs |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Wuppertal Institute |
| Format/size: | | pdf (1.3MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 January 2005 |
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| Title: | | The Archaeology of the Development Idea |
| Date of publication: | | 1990 |
| Description/subject: | | "Ruined buildings hide their secrets under piles of earth and rubble.
Archaeologists, shovel in hand, work through layer upon layer to reveal
underpinnings and thus discover the origins of a dilapidated monument. But
ideas can also turn out to be ruins with their foundations covered by years or
even centuries of sand.
I believe that the idea of development stands today like a ruin in the
intellectual landscape, its shadows obscuring our vision. It is high time we
tackled the archaeology of this towering conceit, that we uncovered its
foundations to see it for what it is: the outdated monument to an immodest
era...
Wind and snow stormed over Pennsylvania Avenue on 20 January 1949
when, in his inauguration speech before Congress, US President Harry Truman
defined the largest part of the world as "underdeveloped areas". There it was,
suddenly a permanent feature of the landscape, a pivotal concept which crammed
the immeasurable diversity of the globe's south into single category:
underdeveloped. For the first time, the new world view was thus announced;
all the peoples of the earth were to move along the same track and aspire to
only one goal: development.
And the road to follow lay clearly before the President's eyes: "Greater
production is the key to prosperity and peace."
After all, was it not the US which had already come closest to this utopia?
According to that yardstick, nations fall into place as stragglers or lead runners.
And "the United States is pre-eminent among nations in the development of
industrial and scientific techniques". Clothing self-interest in generosity, Truman
outlined a programme of technical assistance designed to "relieve the suffering
of these peoples" through "industrial activities and "a higher standard of living".
Looking back after forty years, we recognise Truman's speech as the starting
gun in the race for the South to catch up with the North. But we also see that
the field of runners has been dispersed, as some competitors have fallen by the
wayside and others have begun to suspect that they are running in the wrong
direction..." |
| Author/creator: | | Wolfgang Sachs |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Wolfgang Sachs |
| Format/size: | | pdf (81K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 02 November 2012 |
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| Title: | | The One-Straw Revolution |
| Date of publication: | | 1978 |
| Description/subject: | | An Introduction to Natural Farming |
| Author/creator: | | Masanobu Fukuoka |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Masanobu Fukuoka |
| Format/size: | | pdf (455K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 January 2012 |
|
| Title: | | BUDDHIST ECONOMICS |
| Date of publication: | | 1973 |
| Description/subject: | | "...
"Right Livelihood" is one of the requirements of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path. It is clear, therefore, that there must be such a thing as Buddhist economics.
Buddhist countries have often stated that they wish to remain faithful to their heritage. So Burma: “The New Burma sees no conflict between religious values and economic progress. Spiritual health and material well-being are not enemies: they are natural allies.” 1 Or: “We can blend successfully the religious and spiritual values of our heritage with the benefits of modern technology.” 2 Or: “We Burmans have a sacred duty to conform both our dreams and our acts to our faith. This we shall ever do.” 3
All the same, such countries invariably assume that they can model their economic development plans in accordance with modern economics, and they call upon modern economists from so-called advanced countries to advise them, to formulate the policies to be pursued, and to construct the grand design for development, the Five-Year Plan or whatever it may be called. No one seems to think that a Buddhist way of life would call for Buddhist economics, just as the modern materialist way of life has brought forth modern economics.
Economists themselves, like most specialists, normally suffer from a kind of metaphysical blindness, assuming that theirs is a science of absolute and invariable truths, without any presuppositions. Some go as far as to claim that economic laws are as free from "metaphysics" or "values" as the law of gravitation. We need not, however, get involved in arguments of methodology. Instead, let us take some fundamentals and see what they look like when viewed by a modern economist and a Buddhist economist..." |
| Author/creator: | | E.F. Schumacher |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. |
| Format/size: | | html, pdf |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/schumacher/buddhist-economics |
| Date of entry/update: | | 16 January 2005 |
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| Title: | | Steven's Portal - For everyone concerned about humanity and the world we live in. |
| Description/subject: | | Useful links, mainly to groups in North America..."Welcome to a gateway to the common good. It is based on the efforts of real people who are helping and healing the world. Your participation is invited!
If you've visited before, then you know this portal was conceived independently of any philosophy, tradition or school of thought. The intention is to provide a space for sharing online resources while increasing awareness of what is being done for the betterment of communities, society, culture and the Earth.
You're invited to explore the links library and, additionally, to suggest your own favorites. New connections are wanted to individuals as well as groups, whether nonprofit or for-profit. My only expectations are that their efforts be environmentally and socially responsible. I especially like to include links connecting to small and lesser-known grassroots groups whose websites offer informative and inspiring depictions of their work. Please feel free to submit a site. Make yourself at home — you've arrived at an enlightened corner of cyberspace among like-minded people with a caring, compassionate outlook. This invitation is extended to men and women of goodwill everywhere across the globe.
The current number of active links is 518 — and each of these has been formed through genuine person-to-person linkages. Here is a thought, given the vastness of cyberspace: if, thanks to fate, destiny, Karma, or a seemingly ordinary Google search, you've arrived here and are taking the time to read these words, there may be a reason. Please send a link suggestion today!..." |
| Author/creator: | | Steven Williams |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Steven Williams |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 May 2013 |
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