Development Studies: Socio-economic Development from an Interdisciplinary Perspective Saleha Erdmann |
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Web Links... These are links that I consider to have useful information about institutions that affect development, specific development programs, or other general resources. Development instutions: The United Nations Millenium Development Goals (MDG's)--The United Nations has declared eight goals for development worldwide by the year 2015, which were established through dialogue with governments and leading development institutions. These are VERY significant in the international arena right now . They are a good representation of what people within development studies are discussing. Keep in mind, though, that most development scholars do not address all these issues. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ The United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development--This declaration was passed on December 4, 1986. In my research, it has only come up once, so it does not seem to be a well-known declaration, but it is still relevant to development studies. http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/74.htm The Interamerican Foundation (IAF)--" is an independent agency of the United States government that provides grants to nongovernmental and community-based organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean for innovative, sustainable and participatory self-help programs. The IAF primarily funds partnerships among grassroots and nonprofit organizations, businesses and local governments, directed at improving the quality of life of poor people and strengthening participation, accountability and democratic practices. To contribute to a better understanding of the development process, the IAF also shares its experiences and the lessons it has learned." (From the IAF homepage.) The IAF is an important institution in Latin America and has funded many progressive development projects, I became familiar with them through the their work in Bolivia, which has focussed on local, sustainable, and inclusive projects. http://www.iaf.gov United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-- " UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges." (From the UNDP homepage.) http://www.undp.org.in/ The World Bank--A hugely influential multilateral financial institution that was established by the Allies in the aftermath of World War II (at the Bretton Woods conference) to aid in repairing the economies and infrastactures of European countries that were devestated by the war. Since then it has become a major actor in "developing" the Third World, specifically through its use of loans to Third World countries, because of the requirements attached to loans to "help" a country develop. The World Bank differs from the IMF in that it was established to...I recommend going to their "About" page, which explains the bank's roots and programs briefly. http://www.worldbank.org/ The International Monetary Fund (IMF)-- Like the World Bank, a hugely influential multilateral financial institution that was established by the Allies in the aftermath of World War II (at the Bretton Woods conference) to aid in repairing the economies and infrastactures of European countries that were devestated by the war. The difference is that the IMF was established to... http://www.imf.org International Development Ethics Association (IDEA)-- "The International Development Ethics Association is a cross-cultural group of philosophers, social scientists, and practitioners who apply ethical reflection to global development goals and strategies and to North/South relations." (From the IDEA homepage.) http://www.development-ethics.org The World Resources Institute (WRI)--" Because people are inspired by ideas, empowered by knowledge, and moved to change by greater understanding, WRI provides -- and helps other institutions provide -- objective information and practical proposals for policy and institutional change that will foster environmentally sound, socially equitable development." (From the WRI "Missions and Goals" page.) http://www.wri.org/ Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID)-- Since the birth of the Marshall Plan, "USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Our Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting: economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance." (From the USAID "About Us" page.) USAID funds a lot of development projects all over the world. http://www.usaid.gov/ International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)-- "The International Institute for Sustainable Development contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and assessment, and natural resources management. By using Internet communications, we report on international negotiations and broker knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and better dialogue between North and South." (From the "About IISD" page.) http://www.iisd.org/ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Devlopment (OECD)-- http://www.oecd.org/ The Interamerican Development Bank (IADB)-- " A long-standing initiative of the Latin American countries, the Inter-American Development Bank was established in 1959 as a development institution with novel mandates and tools. Its lending and technical cooperation programs for economic and social development projects went far beyond the mere financing of economic projects that was customary at the time." (From the IADB "About Us" page.) http://www.iadb.org/ Sustainable Development Programs: Sistemas de Coros y Orquestas (SICOR)-- SICOR is an umbrella organization that oversees 15 classical music progams in the Bolivia lowlands. The first such program was established in Urubicha, a small, isolated indigenous village in the Amazon, where I did my research project while abroad. This research is now my senior project. The website is all in Spanish, but even if you don't read Spanish, it has nice pictures. http://www.sicor.org.bo The Greenbelt Movement (GBM)--The leader of this movement based in Kenya, Wangari Maathai, won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. She began the Greenbelt Movement to address isues of bad governace, environmenal degradation and gender equity in Kenya through a program in which woman have planted over 30 million trees and provided "civic environmental education." I saw her speak in march of 2006, she was very inspiring. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/ White Earth Land Recovery Project/Native Harvest--Based in my home state of Minnesota on the White Earth Indian Reservation of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe) people. This sustainable development project is run by Winona LaDuke and seeks to "facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening our spiritual and cultural heritage." (From their homepage mission statement.) http://www.nativeharvest.com/ Other Resources: Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI)-- A program through the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (YCELP) and Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). Every year they rank the environmental sustainability of the world's countries, which is very useful if your researching environmental issues in regards to development. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/esi/ Ecofem.org--A good webpage with a full list of sources on ecofeminism, explanation of what it is, who important scholars/activists are and how to get involved. http://ecofem.org/ The BBC's What is Development? page--A succint summary of what is generally considered development and how it is measured. This page is geared towards kids and teacher use in the classroom, but I reccomend it to anyone. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/development/developmentwhatisitrev1.shtml
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