This ITDG Working Paper analyzes the experience of a farmers' jury in Zimbabwe. Representatives of poor farmers mapped out their vision for the future of agriculture in their country after hearing from policymakers and technical experts of every shade of opinion.The ITDG Working Papers are designed to make available to the wider development community the knowledge and insights that the Intermediate Technology Development Group is generating about technology and development. The papers are selected for their contribution to debate, with the hope of stimulating further research or contributing to similar work in progress. The series is edited by Andrew Scott, International Programmes and Policy Director of ITDG.

Describes the work of Practical Action in introducing consensus-based planning approaches in villages that are poor even by Bangladesh standards, where 90 per cent of people live under the poverty line and over 60 per cent are illiterate. These methods work on raising the voice and confidence of the poor at the local level within their communities, and the results have been spectacular: opening up new income generation and resource management and influencing opportunities for marginalized communities in flood-prone areas. Highly useful in countries that reject the role of NGOs in governance or human rights, and in planning for disasters and humanitarian interventions. Essential reading for programme staff of national and international NGOs, governance and rural development advisors in the national and multilateral agencies, Ministry officials, and researchers and students in universities and development institutes.

Good research is vital for forming effective policies; this can come from a variety of organizations. What types of research and knowledge are most effective in policymaking processes, and how do relationships become established between researchers and policymakers?This study from Practical Action, UK and the Overseas Development Institute, UK, explores the links between knowledge, research, and civil society campaigns. The researchers focus on a twenty-year period of development and negotiations on the Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture policy. The research examines the effectiveness of two research categories: polemical materials produced by non-governmental organizations and scientific and technical research produced by specialist academics and institutes. The study identifies five "transition episodes" between 1981 and 2001. These episodes created the momentum for the policy process, concluding in an international agreement agreed in 2001, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture--is also known as the International Seed Treaty.

He's been called Australia's Bob Dylan and likened to Springsteen and Neil Young, but Paul Kelly stands alone as a chronicler of his and our times. He is Australia's best-loved singer, songwriter, author and poetic observer and though he has written his own stories, no one has captured the broader life and times of Paul Kelly - until now. Renowned music journalist, author and for many years Kelly's manager, Stuart Coupe takes us from Kelly's family life as the sixth of nine children in Adelaide to his life today. With Paul's blessing and access to friends, family, band mates and musical collaborators, Coupe shows Paul's evolution from a young man who only really picked up a guitar in his late teens, to an Australian music icon. Through hundreds of interviews, Coupe details the way Paul juggled the demands, temptations and excesses of rock'n'roll with real life. Revealing Paul Kelly's personal relationships, his friendships, his generosity and support of other artists, such as Archie Roach, Kasey Chambers, Kev Carmody, Vika and Linda Bull and Courtney Barnett, the force of Kelly's powerful storytelling, his musical creativity, his activism and his work ethic also shines through. PAUL KELLY: THE MAN, THE MUSIC AND THE LIFE IN BETWEEN is honest, revealing and a must-read for anyone interested in one of Australia's greatest artists.

This is your backstage pass to the hidden side of the music industry - the tantrums, the fights, the tensions, the indulgence, the sex, the alcohol, the drugs. The roadies see it all, and now they are sharing their secrets. Roadies are the unsung heroes of the Australian music industry. They unload the PAs and equipment, they set it all up, they make sure everything is running smoothly before, during and after the gigs. Then they pack everything up in the middle of the night, put it in the back of the truck and hit the road to another town - to do it all over again. They know everything about the pre- and post-show excesses. They bear witness to overdoses, the groupies, the obsessive fans. They are part of - and often organise - all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes of the concerts and pub gigs you go to. From The Rolling Stones to AC/DC, Bob Marley to Courtney Love, Sherbet to The Ted Mulry Gang, INXS to Blondie - the roadies have seen it all. And now they're stepping onto the stage and talking. The Roadies' Creed: If it's wet, drink it. If it's dry, smoke it. If it moves, **** it. If it doesn't move, throw it in the back of the truck. 'Fabulous . . . a bold portrait' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD on Stuart Coupe's GUDINSKI