Sunday, July 22, 2012

Human development with sustainability and equity


Human development is the expansion of people’s freedoms and capabilities to lead lives that they value and have reason to value. It is about expanding choices. Freedoms and capabilities are a more expansive notion than basic needs.

Many ends are necessary for a “good life. We value biodiversity, for example, or natural beauty, independently of its contribution to our living standards.

Disadvantaged people are a central focus of human development. This includes people in the future who will suffer the most severe consequences of the risks arising from our activities today. particularly when the events are catastrophic for poor and vulnerable people.

Sustainable human development is the expansion of the substantive freedoms of people today while making reasonable efforts to avoid seriously compromising those of future generations

Human-made capital can substitute for natural resources— whether human ingenuity will relax natural resource constraints, as in the past. Whether this will be possible in the future is unknown and, coupled with the risk of catastrophe, favours the position of preserving basic natural assets and the associated flow of ecological services.

This perspective also aligns with human rights–based approaches to development. Sustainable human development is the expansion of the substantive freedoms of people today while making reasonable efforts to avoid seriously compromising those of future generations.

Conflict Prevention for development





Violent conflict in a society reflects a failure in governance, resulting in the complete breakdown of the relationship between civil society and the state. In this context, sustainable development and poverty reduction are virtually impossible to achieve. Not only are the authorities unable to implement socio-economic development programming, but the environment―destruction of infrastructure, economic collapse, loss of life―cannot support it. At the same time, the increasing connection between conflict and global security concerns puts development progress at risk beyond the borders of the affected country, fuelling the urgency to deal with conflict and promote a culture of conflict prevention and peace.


The world takes both a preventive and a restorative approach to conflict and security. Effective international development cooperation programs that reduce poverty, inequality, exclusion, and environmental degradation help address common sources of conflict and reinforce human security, stability, and peace. In these situations, The world cannot act alone. The assets and capabilities of our diplomatic corps and our military become indispensable to a whole-of-government response to restoring security and rebuilding society.

The universal goal in this area is to help reduce the frequency and intensity of violent conflict and to increase civilian oversight, accountability, and transparency of security systems. This includes mitigating the human impact of conflict, as well as providing technical assistance to strengthen the institutional capacity of fragile states to reduce, prevent, and eliminate violent conflict.

Future programming could include integrating conflict indicators and early warning systems; support for the demobilization of former combatants; truth and reconciliation commissions; small-arms collection programs; and policing, transparency, and oversight of security institutions. Assistance in this area requires a long-term engagement beyond post-conflict recovery and reconstruction efforts. More traditional areas of assistance, such as economic growth and poverty reduction programs, democratization, good governance (including justice and security systems), and respect for human rights, must also be incorporated.

Rule of Law for development



Rule of law means that rulers don't rule―laws do. Rule of law is fundamental to a modern governance system. A predictable legal system with fair, accessible, and effective judicial institutions is essential for the protection of citizens against the arbitrary use of state authority or lawless acts by others. It also supports economic growth by ensuring a reliable, stable, and predictable system of laws and regulations that can protect investments, contracts, and other business interactions.

In many developing countries, weak legal institutions and the lack of rule of law endanger development and contribute to poverty. Further, the legal exclusion of the world's poor―who have little access to legal protection of their rights or livelihoods―perpetuates poverty throughout the developing world.

Universal goal in this area is to ensure that just laws and independent, as well as effective, legal, judicial, and enforcement institutions contribute to greater security of the individual, to economic development, to environmental protection, and to social justice. Global assistance will encompass support for legal/judicial reform with a focus on institutions, including strengthening the judiciary, bar associations, and legal aid systems.

Public-Sector Capacity Building for Development



The public sector, which includes government at all levels, is a central actor in almost all development activities. Its policies, programs, and services lay the foundation for progress on health, education, private-sector-led economic growth, trade, environmental sustainability, and equality between women and men.

Development success depends on an effective public sector, with strong institutions, well-qualified employees, and processes that include consultation with the public, reward merit, and sanction inefficiency and corruption.

In relation to public-sector capacity building, The universal goal is to build strong institutions that have the vision and the administrative and professional capacities to support national development objectives effectively, equitably, and inclusively. Global assistance includes strengthening of technical and managerial competencies including oversight, accountability, and anti-corruption measures; organizational, administrative and policy reform; and decentralization of government so that it is closer to the people.

Human Rights for Development

Human rights are a person's most basic rights, such as life, liberty, and security. The first international agreement on human rights―the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1948. This Declaration has since been followed by UN covenants on civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights.

The core principles underlying the human rights conventions recognize the equality of all people and the accountability of governments for the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of their rights. Observance of human rights is fundamental to the well-being of individuals and to the sustainable development of societies.

When groups are denied their rights, they can neither contribute to, nor benefit from, social and economic progress. This perpetuates exclusion and often results in conflict, putting progress at risk. Among the groups most commonly excluded are the poor, the elderly, women, children, persons living with disabilities and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, ethnic minorities, and refugees.

For human rights, unversal goal is to enhance the realization of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights by all individuals in society. The world supports technical assistance to incorporate human rights standards and principles into public institutions and programs to increase knowledge of, demand for, respect for, and enjoyment of human rights. Special measures are taken to strengthen respect for the rights of women and the protection of children.


Human Rights in Education
There is a need for Human Rights Education based on the understanding of the indivisibility of human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
People are human; therefore they are entitled to Human Rights.

Human Rights do not have to be bought, earned or inherited; they are inalienable, which means that no one has the right to deprive another of them for any reason, even if the laws of their own country do not recognize or protect them.

Human Rights thus set standards for states and governments to protect vulnerable individuals and groups against oppression.

Any modern approach to Human Rights must be coherent. It must include the full, indivisible range of Human Rights. Not only do they mean protection from physical oppression, but involve economic, social and cultural rights.

People face many interrelated problems that can be traced to lack of knowledge on human rights. We believe equipping the people with the knowledge on human rights is the best ever which can happen to them. They will use it, as a tool to combat all human rights violations be it economic, social, political, civil and cultural rights.

In 1948 the United Nations called upon all member countries to publicize the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

Creating a world where human rights starts with effective educational programs that reach across all cultural and geographic boundaries. Human rights education is a core aspect of school curriculum. Within class rooms and beyond youth need to learn and gain better understanding of their human rights and responsibilities.

Human Rights Organisations

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Democratization for Development



Democracy is vital to good governance. It provides the processes and institutions through which a state is accountable to its citizens. Elections are the ultimate forum of accountability for leaders, and all aspects of the process―the electoral machinery, the party system, and the logistics of the vote―need to function well if elections are to be free and fair.


Democratization is the process of making the transition to democracy. It depends on an effective legislature that is supported by strong constitutional and procedural systems and that is sustained by capable legislators, a free media, a strong civil society, and effective citizen engagement.


When democracy is weak, the needs and rights of the population are not represented and consequently are often overlooked or denied. This is particularly true for the rights of the most marginalized members of the population, such as the poor, minorities, women, and children, which further marginalizes them and prevents them from contributing to, or benefiting from, social and economic progress.


The goal of democratization is that all citizens are able to actively and meaningfully participate, directly or through civil society or elected representatives, in the exercise of power and in the public decisions that affect their lives. International assistance in democratization includes strengthening democratic institutions and practices, such as electoral and legislative systems; citizen engagement (particularly of women); and the role of non-governmental organizations (civil society) in the political process.


Source (CIDA)

Good Governance for Development



Good Governance encompasses the values, rules, institutions, and processes through which people and organizations attempt to work towards common objectives, make decisions, generate authority and legitimacy, and exercise power for the benefit of people.

Democracy is a critical element in good governance, has affected nearly every nation on earth. Over the past two decades, more than 81 countries have made significant gains in democratization and are now working to establish stable and effective institutions, improve public sector management, reform their legal and judicial systems, protect human rights, strengthen local civil society, and carry out peacebuilding after armed conflict.

Despite this progress, conflict, corruption, lack of respect for human rights (especially for women), and inadequate public services continue to challenge many countries.

There is a consensus in the international community that the Millennium Development Goals cannot be reached without good governance. Hence every nation needs efforts to build the conditions for secure, equitable development by promoting good governance in democratization, human rights, upholding the rule of law, public-sector capacity building; and conflict prevention.

ICT for Development


ICT4D / ICT4DEV

Information and communication technology (ICT) refers to a wide array of technologies and applications, from more traditional ones such as radio, television, and print media to more sophisticated and newer technologies and applications such as the Internet, information management, e-health and e-business applications.

ICT for Development relates to the use of ICT for development purposes. It involves the integration of ICT into broader development projects such as the delivery of basic education or health care in rural and remote regions in developing countries.
ICT applied and integrated into development can help improve:
  • communication―quick and easy access, dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge
  • productivity―improved efficiency, competitiveness, and responsiveness of institutions, firms, and markets
  • accountability―increased transparency in the governance of private and public institutions as well as in regulatory and policy decision-making processes
  • inclusivity―increased access for poor and marginalized groups to services, information, knowledge, and resources
  • empowerment―greater voice for men and women in public decision-making processes

ICT comprises three principal categories: 


information technologies
―computer hardware, software, and peripherals, and computer 


literacyICT comprises three principal categories:


telecommunication technologies―telephone systems, radio and television broadcasting, satellites, mobile telephony, and other broadband connectivity

networking technologies―Internet and a broad array of Internet-based applications

International Development Glossary


Access to safe water:
The estimated percentage of the population having access to improved drinking water sources, such as household connections, public standpipes, boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs, and rainwater collection.

Basic education: 
Education provides reading, writing, math and social skills needed in life. It usually happens at pre-school, primary school, and secondry school and continues with life long learning

Capacity building: 
“Give a hungry person a fish, he's happy for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?”
Capacity building is about providing knowledge, tools and skills, instead of handouts, so people can set and achieve their own goals.

Child protection: 
Child protection is about one thing: keeping children safe from harm.

Collaboration:

Democratization :
The process of making the transition to democracy. It depends on an effective legislature that is supported by strong constitutional and procedural systems sustained by capable legislators, a free media, a strong civil society, and effective citizen engagement.

Development: 
Meeting the basic human needs of people by ensuring that their human rights are respected in the development process.

Fragile states 
In countries that have experienced years of extreme poverty, or have suffered social, political, or military strife, the government may have lost the will or capacity to be in control of its territory.

Governance :
This refers to the values, rules, institutions, and processes through which people and organizations attempt to work towards common objectives, make decisions, generate authority and legitimacy, and exercise power. Democracy is a critical element in good governance.

Gross domestic product (GDP) 
The GDP is one of the ways of measuring the size of a country’s economy. It is defined as the total market value of the goods and services produced within a country and by this country abroad during a given period of time, usually a year. The GDP is often contrasted with the gross national product (GNP), now called the gross national income (GNI).

Humanitarian aid: 
In emergencies, local and global charities deliver crisis supplies to meet people’s immediate needs
Also known as: emergency relief.

Human Development Index (HDI):
This is an index created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It measures the quality of life in United Nations member countries and is based on three aspects of human development: longevity (measured by life expectancy at birth), knowledge (measured by a combination of adult literacy and school enrolment) and standard of living (measured by GDP per capita in US$ purchasing power parity).

Human rights:
This refers to the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights and freedoms of all individuals as outlined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and detailed in many human rights conventions negotiated amongst national governments.

Food security: 
“When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.”

Gender disparity: 
Inequality between people because of their gender – often between men and women.

Globalization: 
We live in a connected world of countries, people, cultures, and businesses over long distances. Globalization refers to cross-border relationships.

Immunization :
This refers to a medical procedure, usually a vaccine, that builds up a person’s resistance to contagious diseases such as polio, measles, and tuberculosis.

Infant mortality rate :
The probability of dying between birth and the age of one, according to current mortality rates and expressed as a rate per 1,000 live births, is called the infant mortality rate. The lower the rate, the greater the likelihood that basic health care is widely available throughout the country. See also Child mortality rate and Under-five mortality rate

Infrastructure :
This refers to such things as roads, electricity, water systems, telecommunication services, and public transportation, which play a key role in reducing poverty by helping to increase productivity and improve the quality of life in a community.

Innovation :


International cooperation:
This refers to countries around the world working together to provide development assistance to less-developed countries and/or fragile states.

Knowledge Society:
Life expectancy: 
The average period that a person may expect to live is what’s known as life expectancy. High rates of early death in a country bring down the average life expectancy of that country. Life expectancies help us compare countries to see how they are doing in meeting their citizen’s basic needs.

Literacy: 
Being literate means being able to read and write. The literacy rate looks at how many people in a country can read. Illiteracy, or being illiterate, is the opposite of literacy.

Livelihoods: 
Someone’s livelihood is the way that they can earn a living to secure the necessities of life. Having a job or farming are examples of different livelihoods.

Low and middle income countries: 
Take the average yearly income of people living in a country in US dollars and , see where they fit on the World Bank’s scale: low income, $1,005 or less; lower middle income, $1,006 – $3,975; upper middle income, $3,976 – $12,275; and high income, $12,276 or more. Low and middle income countries are also referred to as developing countries.

Mortality rate: 
Comparing the number of people who die to the number of people who live gives us a mortality rate. We use child, infant and maternal mortality rates to evaluate how well a country is doing towards meeting the basic needs of its citizens.

Malnutrition: 
“Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.” It can happen in people who are both undernourished or over nourished.

Micronutrients:
These are nutrients needed only in miniscule amounts to enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances that are essential for proper growth and development.

Microfinance: 
Providing loans to low income clients is known as microfinance. Even though the amounts are usually small, microfinance can allow small businesses to get up and running. Micro-loans are often targeted towards women and can help them break the cycle of poverty.

Millennium Development Goals: 
In 2000, the UN created 8 goals to change the world by the year 2015. These goals are to: end poverty and hunger, achieve universal education, gender equality and environmental sustainability, provide child and maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, and have countries work together to meet these targets.

NGO: 
NGO stands for non-governmental organization. They get that name because they are organizations that are independent from the government. NGOs are non-profit organisations, which means it's revenue totally used for the intended purpose. No dividents paid to members.

Primary health care: 
Just like basic education, primary health care is about the essentials when it comes to health. It’s about making sure that health care basics, like vaccines, medicine, and skilled care are available and affordable to every single person that needs them.

Sanitation: 
Sanitation refers to the tools and systems for preventing humans from coming into contact with wastes, whether they are from humans, animals, farms or industry.

Standard of living: 
Standard of living is another way to compare the quality of life between people from different countries and communities by measuring things like: wealth, employment, possessions, and happiness.

Population growth rate:
This refers to the increase in a country's population during one year, divided by the population at the start of that year. It reflects the number of births and deaths during the period and the number of people moving to and from a country.

Private sector development :
This means the creation of employment opportunities and higher income jobs in less-developed countries by helping markets function well and by stimulating the growth of private sector businesses.

Purchasing power parity (PPP):
This is a method of measuring the relative purchasing power of different countries' currencies for the same types of goods and services.

Sub-Saharan Africa:
This term refers to countries in Africa that are located below the Sahara Desert. It does not include the countries of North Africa.

Indernourishment:
This refers to the condition of people whose dietary energy consumption is continuously below the minimum requirement for carrying out light physical activity and maintaining good health.

Youth literacy rate :
This is the number of literate persons, aged 15 to 24, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group. A person is considered literate if he or she can read and write with understanding a simple statement related to everyday life.


Vaccine :
This refers to a preparation of micro-organisms administered by injection in order to produce or increase immunity to a particular disease.


Community Based Organisations:
Digital Media
E Learning
Empowerment
Youth Lead Development
Social Networks:
Telecentre :
Project:
Programme:
Replication:
Up-Scaling:
Resources Mobulization:
Visibility:
Strategy:
Sustainability:
Safety Networks:



Source : CIDA


What is International Development?


What is a developing country?
A developing country is one with a much lower standard of living than developed counties. For example, people in developing countries often have a shorter life expectancy than people in developed countries, sometimes do not have the same health care or education opportunities like developing countries do, and usually have far less money as individuals and as a country.

A Developing World map
 
International development is the term used to describe the activities that developed countries, called donor countries, like Canada, Japan, UK, EU carry out to help poor or developing countries lift themselves out of poverty and raise their standard of living to one that is closer to the standard of living in developped countries. About 2.6 billion people (about two out of five) live on less than $2 per day.

To reduce poverty, donor countries, provide developing countries with technical expertise, goods and money. This is also called international development aid.

International development aid focuses on:

1. improving the health and education of the people in a country so that people do not die from lack of food, medical services or knowledge

2. creating a sustainable food supply so that people can feed themselves

3. boosting economic development so that people can get decent jobs and support their families

4. promoting safety, human rights, and law and order so that people can thrive


What are the MDGs?

In September 2000, at a special United Nations assembly to mark the turn of the century, the world's leaders agreed to eight Millennium Development Goals ― known as MDGs ― to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women by 2015.