ICTs have the potential to make a huge impact on developing countries. Not only can ICTs be used to integrate rural communities into wider economic and social development, but digital technologies can also be used to enhance and preserve the knowledge and culture of rural communities. Cases on Developing Countries and ICT Integration: Rural Community Development pools together experts experiences on ICT integration in rural community development within the context of developing countries. The technology they used is described, analyzed, and synthesized in order to offer solutions for successful application. This premier reference source is ideal for community development workers, social workers, scholars, researchers, and policy makers interested in ICTs for community development.

This book provides an excellent framework to analyse the experience of a wide variety of successful initiatives across the world and draws attention to critical issues that practitioners need to think about when designing poverty reduction interventions and scaling up. Bill Tod, Regional MDG Adviser, SNV Asia With its wide regional coverage, and frank discussions of issues and problems encountered in designing projects that directly tackle poverty, this will be a very useful reference book for NGOs, INGOs, and also for multilateral institutions. Johanna Boestel, Country Economist, Asian Development Bank, Sri Lanka Resident Mission We are now at the midpoint for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the objective of halving poverty by 2015. Despite commendable efforts and much progress, up to 750 million people are still living in absolute poverty. To lift these people out of poverty, macro-economic policies must be complemented by targeted and local level poverty reduction. This book looks at twenty of the most innovative case studies of poverty reduction and Millennium Development Goal localization from fifteen countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam - covering diverse issues ranging from housing and tourism to socio-economic empowerment of women, health insurance and markets for livestock produce. Many of the cases started as small scale interventions by NGOs, donors or government pilots but now they are being scaled up to form part of national policy or replicated across their respective countries. Yet why do some work while others do not? What are the stumbling blocks and how can they be overcome? And what lessons and principles are there for replicating and scaling up poverty reduction initiatives worldwide? This book tackles these questions and more, and presents a wealth of knowledge, evidence and ideas for all practitioners and researchers working to reduce poverty at the local level while aiming to achieve a global impact. Published with UNDP

This book is about the gender dimensions of natural resource exploitation and management, with a focus on South and Southeast Asia. It provides an exploration of the uneasy negotiations between theory, policy and practice that are often evident within the realm of gender, environment and natural resource management, especially where gender is understood as a political, negotiated and contested element of social relationships. It offers a critical feminist perspective on gender relations and natural resource management in the context of contemporary policy concerns: decentralized governance, the elimination of poverty and the "mainstreaming" of gender.Through a combination of strong conceptual argument and empirical material from a variety of political economic and ecological context (including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as South Asia), the book explores gender-environment linkages within shifting configurations of resource access and control. The book will serve as a core resource for students of gender studies and natural resource management, and as supplementary reading for a wide range of disciplines including geography, environmental studies, sociology and development. It will also provide a stimulating collection of ideas for professionals looking to incorporate gender issues within their practice in sustainable development.

This book draws on the expertise of both North American and European specialists of regional economics, evaluating the impact of economic policy in certain regions and considering alternative policies to foster regional economic development and improve the employment and income of the residents of these regions.

Martinez-Vazquez and Vaillancourt have gathered chapters from a renowned international pool of experts, arguing for the importance of human capital in the regional economics process. The first section of the book examines the policy tools and process relevant to regional development, presenting evidence on both the American and Irish experience. The second focuses on the empirical evidence on the impact of taxes and public spending in Canada and the USA. The third examines methodological issues, looking particularly at Spain and Poland.

The media plays an intricate role in the political economy of developing nations as it conveys the social issues and impacts of a government's legislation and policy. However, information is often miscommunicated or biased in emergent economies as media owners often tailor news and advertisements to promote their own agendas rather than meet the needs of citizens. Political Influence of the Media in Developing Countries analyzes the use and structure of media in political forums in developing nations. Featuring research on the effects of the media on news consumption and the professional and ethical difficulties journalists and editors face in the dissemination of political messages, this publication is an essential reference source for policy makers, academicians, politicians, students, and researchers interested in the adoption of various media formats used to promote the political environment and civic engagement within developing countries.

Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is essential for human survival and for maintenance of a decent quality of life. Currently, more than a billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and more than two billion people lack proper sanitation. In 1992, the United Nations proclaimed that water should be considered to be a human right. This position, however, has not been accepted by many developed and developing countries. This book systematically and comprehensively analyzes the legal development of the concept of water as a human right; implications for the national governments, and international and national organizations for the implementation of this concept; progress made in different Middle East and North African countries to provide every individual access to clean water and sanitation, constraints faced to assure universal access to water-related services and how these constraints can be overcome, and an overall research agenda in areas where more knowledge is necessary.

The child labour debate, the Child Rights Convention and the target of universal primary education in the Millennium Development Goals have drawn increasing attention to children in developing countries. Alongside, a debate has waged on the need for child participation and the appropriateness of spreading allegedly western norms of childhood. This book aims to uncover the daily life of children in selected areas in Vietnam, India, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Bolivia against the background of those debates. Children, Structure and Agency takes a close look at the activities, the aspirations and the deliberations of hundreds of poor children in the age category from 9 to 14, on the basis of a dawn-to-sunset observation over a couple of days. By empowering children to make people listen to them, children can play a more an active role in their community. The book addresses the issue of such child agency and the structural constraints to that agency. This text would be of interest to child-centred development aid organisations and scholars dealing with issues of child participation, child rights, child labour and education.

Except in schoolboy jokes, the subject of human waste is rarely aired. We talk about water-related diseases when most are sanitation-related - in short, we don t mention the shit.A century and a half ago, a long, hot summer reduced the Thames flowing past the UK Houses of Parliament to a Great Stink, thereby inducing MPs to legislate sanitary reform. Today, another sanitary reformation is needed, one that manages to spread cheaper and simpler systems to people everywhere.In the byways of the developing world, much is quietly happening on the excretory frontier. In 2008, the International Year of Sanitation, the authors bring this awkward subject to a wider audience than the world of international filth usually commands. They seek the elimination of the Great Distaste so that people without political clout or economic muscle can claim their right to a dignified and hygienic place to go .Published with UNICEF

Since 2011, Myanmar has experienced many changes to its social, political and economic landscape. The formation of a new government in 2016, led by the National League for Democracy, was a crucially important milestone in the country's transition to a more inclusive form of governance. And yet, for many people everyday struggles remain unchanged, and have worsened in recent years. Key economic, social and political reforms have stalled, conflict persists, and longstanding issues of citizenship and belonging remain. The wide-ranging challenges of living with Myanmar are the subject of this volume. Each other offers a different perspective on the socio-political and economic mutations occurring in the country and the challenges that still remain. The book is divided into six sections, and covers critical issues ranging from gender equality and identity politics to agrarian reform and the representative role parliament. Collectively, these voices raise key questions concerning the institutional legacies of military rule and their ongoing role in subverting the country's reform process. However, they also offer insights in the creative and productive ways the Myanmar's activists, civil society, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and everyday people attempt to engage with and reform those legacies.

In today's world, towns and cities dynamically develop over time and that's why urban regeneration is a widely experienced phenomenon. How can Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) create necessary conditions for the development of these phenomena? What is the role that BIDs have in entrepreneurial urbanism, supporting SMEs, city marketing and city branding? These are questions examined in this volume, in an effort to provide an extensive analysis of business improvement districts. Enriched with an analysis of various case studies, including South Africa, Ontario, Tokyo, Barcelona, Slovenia and with an in-field analysis of a cultural heritage site, Korca, Albania, the book analyses the importance, benefits, and impacts of this kind of organization. It highlights the social, economic and ecologic challenges to the historic city markets today, which led to their rapid stagnancy. This book offers a practical and structured guide of the concept of Business Improvement Districts and highlights the best practices for management, financing and organizing. It sheds light on the impacts and benefits of business improvement districts, offering conclusions about their influence on the future improvement of cultural and urban sites. It will be of value to researchers, academics, professionals, and students in the fields of management, organizational studies, strategy, and sustainable development of tourism districts.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE AFRICA A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE IN?

Let Africa's turnround be based on your values that include positive thinking, honesty, integrity, commitment, transparency and accountability and Alfred Latigo explains how each one of us can contribute to making this continent self-reliant and an economic power. Drawn from decades of experience, these insights will challenge you to become proactive in your personal and professional life.

In this helpful handbook that offers a blueprint for a change in perspective, you will learn how to:

-Reject the status quo and press for change
-Invest in education to unlock Africa's potential
-Refuse crisis to become an excuse
-Think big and dare to try in crisis
-Reverse the negative image of Africa
-Disallow the curse and disadvantage complex
-Fight dream killers
-Avoid the dependency syndrome
-Remember the missing link-godly values
-Identify with godly values
-Mainstream godly values in development

Are you seeking practical advice for political and economic success of Africa? Use these principles to unlock Africa's potential and start living quality life that each one of us deserves regardless of our race, colour, tribe, nationality, religion, creed, sex, marital status, age or handicap.

"Alfred Latigo gives you a fascinating and thought provoking story of the state of Africa today. An introspective account on how we may rise to the occasion in meeting the challenges that confront us today. In my humble View, this book clearly validates the point that Africa can only be developed by the people of the continent, taking the lead to liberate themselves from the malaise of poverty, underdevelopment, confiicts, illiteracy and diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV and AIDS. Yes, in our journey to prosperity, we do have a collective duty and responsibility to take bold decisions to enable us meet the challenges of our times and far beyond".

Kenneth D. Kaunda Dr. (GCEZ) FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

An alternative analysis of the impact of the 1975 land reforms on peasant land rights, rural inequality and development in Ethiopia's Amhara highlands; essential reading for those engaged in research and policymaking in peasant studies, land and agriculture. The land issue, as in other parts of Africa, dominates life in Ethiopia, where agriculture accounts for 80 per cent of employment, but despite land reform, progress seems out of reach for many. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in northern Ethiopia from the 1990s onwards, this is a welcome and overdue local analysis of the impact of the land tenure system in the Amhara highlands. Complementing the macro research of international economists, the authors take a detailed look at the impact of the 1975 land reforms for those in North Shawa, Walo and Gojam regions, where the peasantry depend upon the land not only for their homes, but their livelihoods. The land tenure systemis commonly thought to have been settled by land certification following the reforms, but the contributors reveal that rather than this leading to periodic redistribution and tenure insecurity, farmers here had 'conditional' private ownership within the framework of ultimate state control. The book also reveals the importance of social differentiation, with the peasant farm closely linked to household processes. In rural economies such as Ethiopia, the land question remains critical for future development, and the book ends by drawing out the implications of the authors' research for policymakers, governments and societies in the Global South. SVEIN EGE is Associate Professor in African Studies at the Department of Social Anthropology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim. His published works include The Promised Land: The Amhara land redistribution of 1997 (1997).

Professor Taylor and Professor Manzur offer in this volume a selection of published articles by leading scholars which are representative of recent key developments in this area of study. With an initial look at earlier papers which lay the groundwork for more recent research, the collection investigates three broad areas, namely, monetary policy and exchange rates, monetary unification, and exchange rates and commodity prices. With an authoritative introduction by these two leading specialists in the field, the collection is an essential reference source for students, researchers and lecturers in international finance and for policymakers.

This volume provides comprehensive updated coverage of inequality and poverty issues in China. Some of the methodologies developed herein are published for the first time and may be used in other contexts and for other countries. The use of different data sources and state-of-art research techniques ensures that the findings and conclusions can be substantiated and that the policy recommendations are reliable and robust. Contributors to this volume are renowned experts in their respective areas, including, notably, Justin Lin, Xing Meng, Kai-yuen Tsui, and Guanghua Wan. For these reasons, those with an interest in income distribution in general and China's development in particular, will find this volume essential reading.
Rapidly rising inequality in China has contributed to the sluggishness of domestic demand and emerging poverty. It has thus exerted considerable pressure for commodity exports and represents a root cause of increased trade disputes. These have profound ramifications for the US, EU, and other economies, and the international business community. Consequently, economists and sociologists, among others, are increasingly focused upon inequality and poverty issues in China and relevant policy implications.
This volume, arising from a two-year UNU-WIDER project, addresses issues that include the inequality-growth relationship, regional/personal variation in incomes and human well-being such as education, the determinants of inequality and poverty or their changes, gaps in innovation capability, and the role played by China's development strategies in affecting inequality.

Although violent conflict has declined in northern Uganda, tensions and mistrust concerning land have increased. Residents try to deal with acquisitions by investors and exclusions from forests and wildlife reserves. Land wrangles among neighbours and relatives are widespread. The growing commodification of land challenges ideals of entrustment for future generations. Using extended case studies, collaborating researchers analyze the principles and practices that shape access to land. Contributors examine the multiplicity of land claims, the nature of transactions and the management of conflicts. They show how access to land is governed through intimate relations of gender, generation and belonging.

A playbook that will significantly enhance the capabilities of every organization, in three dimensions of sustainable business transformation: strategy formation, leadership development and performance management Supported by case studies, models, tools and practices, which will help leaders to reimagine their business model in a way that supports sustainable business transformation Best practice cases include include Unilever (consumer goods), DSM (chemicals), Philips (electronics), Ikea (furniture), Migros (retail) and Google (data), as well as smaller sustainability pioneers such as Patagonia, Interface, Triodos Bank, Chobany, Eosta, Ben and Jerry's, Greyston Bakery, Allbrids, and Tony Chocolonely's

This journal is published twice yearly and aims to stimulate debate and enrich research in the formulation of policy in the Asia-Pacific region towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is the successor of two earlier journals, the Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) and the Asia-Pacific Population Journal (APPJ), which were merged in recognition of the interconnected and multidisciplinary nature of sustainable development.

The authors investigate the evolution of thought on community development from a methodology and technique to a set of (often normative) principles. Based on an extensive literature study the book argues that the more recently evolved fashionable concepts such as participatory development, people-centred development and empowerment can all be traced to a 'community development' origin. They conclude that community development was not evil but that, in the hands of powerful people, it became a tool of marginalisation and disempowerment. Key issues on community development are introduced and explained by way of annotated case studies.

Tackling issues surrounding post-development which is arguably one of the most significant debates in the field of north-south relations at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Contributors explore the possibilities and limitations of post-development theory and practice drawing on empirical studies of movements and communities in several continents.

M. Riad El-Ghonemy argues that if current trends in government-led and market based land reforms persist the rural poor population in developing countries will continue to rise. Based on nearly half a century of academic and field research this valuable work presents compelling evidence on persistent rural poverty, hunger and increased inequality in developing countries over the last thirty years. The book furthers the debate with sixteen detailed case studies and looks beyond the typical views of the roles of the state and the market on land reform. The Crisis of Rural Poverty and Hunger contains comprehensive case studies including countries such as China, Korea and Honduras provides bases for discussions of government-mandated land reform, pro-active participation of NGOs and facilitated functions of the market mechanism. This book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in the fields of rural and agricultural development, development economics and geography.

West Africa (1977) surveys the first century of European enterprise – rivalry, and exploitation – in West Africa. It examines the achievements of the Portuguese during the century following their exploration of its shores, and the successive attempts of its rivals – Castilians, the French and English – to disrupt the commercial monopoly claimed by Portugal in West African waters.

This key text brings together a team of leading contributors to address the complex issues of security reconciliation and reconstruction in post conflict societies. Security, Reconstruction and Reconciliation is organized into four main sections: the social, political, and economic dimensions of conflict the impact of conflict on women and children reconstruction and past human rights violations disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, post-war reconstruction and the building of a capable state and the role of the international community in the peace process. The chapters offer a detailed and succinct exposition of the challenges facing post conflict societies by articulating the vision of a new society. With a foreword by Francis Deng, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Internally Displaced Persons, the authors discuss the issues in the context of possible solutions and lessons learnt in the field. This new book is a valuable resource for researchers, policy makers and students in the fields of conflict resolution, security studies, law and development.

Radically reoriented under market reform, Chinese cities are playing an important role in China's economic development. The creation of housing and land markets is rapidly changing the face of Chinese cities. Mushrooming skyscrapers in the newly established central business district contrast shapely with the nearby old urban areas and unruly migrant settlements in urban fringes. Chinese cities present both the landscapes of the first and third world. Yet, radical marketization co-exists with ever-presence of state control. "Urban Development in" "Post-Reform" "China" explores the interaction of China's market development, state regulation and the resulting transformation and creation of new urban spaces. It provides the first integrated treatment of China's urban development in the dynamic market transition. Focusing on land and housing development, the authors show how the market has been "created" under post-reform urban conditions, which in turn challenges state regulation. Urban space constitutes a critical component of China's new growth strategies. Through the reconfiguration of urban space, market-oriented land development has been launched by the Chinese version of local boosterism. The authors examine "the state in action" and highlight how changing urban governance towards local entrepreneurial state facilitates market formation. City planning has been transformed from allocating state resources to place promotion; and municipal government formulated various competitive urban strategies through place-making. The resulting changes in urban internal structure are manifested in the renewal of the city center and urban sprawl at the periphery, creating "novel" urban landscape ofredeveloped central districts, university towns, science parks, and "urban villages."China has been very successful in using urban land development as an economic growth engine. The authors examine complex interactions between the market and state in creating China's new urbanism. State power is unlikely to wane and will persist. Despite more market orientation, the state is still playing an important role in urban development, especially in making the cities more competitive in the era of globalization and the development of service industries.