The World Bank's Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Program website opens a gateway to different sources on IK. It aims to facilitate a multilateral dialogue between local communities, NGOs, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector. The ultimate objective of the website is to help mainstream indigenous/traditional knowledge into the activities of development partners and to optimize the benefits of development assistance, especially to the poor.These goals are being achieved through different strategies. These include a database on indigenous/traditional knowledge and practices with over 300 case studies and a series of "IK Notes" which present in some detail, locally driven solutions to complex issues. The Program also supports over 15 resource centers across Africa that focus on identification and dissemination of indigenous/traditional knowledge and practices. Working with governments and local partners, the Program has also begun to help mainstream the application of IK in World Bank projects and in national development program.

World Agricultural Information Center (WAICENT) PortalThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its 183 Members highlight information as one of the priority areas in fighting hunger and achieving food security. As a result, FAO established the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) for agricultural information management and dissemination, in an effort to fight hunger with information. WAICENT is FAO's strategic programme for improving access to essential documents, statistics, maps and multimedia resources to millions of users around the globe. WAICENT's vast information includes: Thousands of full-text publications and technical documents on agriculture, fisheries, nutrition and forestry, available through the Internet, on specific subjects such as trends in trade, country-specific information, food safety and deforestation. Codes of conduct, interactive tools for use at the national level, and early warning and disaster prevention systems. Data, including maps and charts, obtained through the FAO online statistical databases, containing over one million time-series records, covering international statistics in the area of agricultural production, trade indices, food supply, land and food aid. Thousands of other multimedia resources available on the FAO Web site. Today, WAICENT is one of the world's most comprehensive sources of agricultural information, providing access to the accumulated knowledge and expertise of FAO, improving the capacities of decision-makers, professionals and the public-at-large to obtain and use information essential for achieving sustainable agriculture development and helping to combat hunger.

WISARD: A public domain platform for information sharing on sustainable agriculture and rural development. Wisard is a web-based platform to share information on Organisations, Projects, Experts and Outputs/Documents in sustainable agriculture and rural development. It addresses the question 'who is doing what where and what are the results?. It is a decentralised system that anyone can use to easily publish information and in which focal points at organisation, network or national level take responsibility for data quality control. It offers a set of common tools for sharing such as classification and automatic language translation. Information can be linked to internal financial and CRM packages. WISARD is a major resource that contains information on over 15,000 organisations, experts and projects accessible to a large user community of NGOs, national councils, CGIAR-centres, networks such IPM-Europe, FAO Global IPPM, PROFORIS the Rice Wheat Consortium and donors.

What Works in Youth Participation: Case Studies from Around the World, the most recent publication to be released as part of the "What Works in Youth Development' series by the International Youth Foundation, examines the challenges and benefits of engaging young people in meaningful ways in society.

Users' Perspectives With Agricultural Research and Development (UPWARD) UPWARD is a network of scientists and development specialists working to increase participation by farmers and other users of agricultural technology in research and development. Launched in 1989 under the sponsorship of the International Potato Center (CIP), UPWARD seeks to address three important challenges facing agricultural research and development today: linking users and R&D professionals for more effective agricultural innovation; bringing sustained benefits to less favored farming areas and marginalized groups, especially women; and working with households and local communities as key actors in problem diagnosis and research activities.

Urban Harvest - the CGIAR system-wide initiative on urban and peri-urban agriculture works to contribute to the food security of poor urban families, and to increase the value of agricultural production in urban and peri-urban areas, whilst ensuring the sustainable management of the urban environment.

UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition (UKabc) is an activity of the UK Food Group, bringing together Public Interest UK organisations concerned with Sustainable Use, Conservation, Benefit Sharing, Trade, Patents, Intellectual Property, Biopiracy, Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Biosafety and other issues related to the Equitable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity for Local Food and Livelihood Security.

UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition (UKabc) is an activity of the UK Food Group, bringing together Public Interest UK organisations concerned with Sustainable Use, Conservation, Benefit Sharing, Trade, Patents, Intellectual Property, Biopiracy, Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Biosafety and other issues related to the Equitable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity for Local Food and Livelihood Security.

The Population-Environment Research Network (PERN) seeks to advance academic research on population and the environment by promoting on-line scientific exchange among researchers from social and natural science disciplines worldwide. The Network's main activities include:    * A Resource Database of grey literature, publications, projects, conferences, datasets, software, course syllabi and other resources for research on population-environment dynamics.    * Regular Cyberseminars to discuss articles, methods and issues in population and environment research.    * A Biweekly What's New? announcements of events, opportunities, jobs, publications, and new titles added to the resource database

The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction assists the rural poor around the world to improve their lives by building on their unique assets and strengths. IIRR achieves this through field research, training, publications and field programs with poor communities and in partnership with other development organizations.

The Gatekeeper Series of the Natural Resources Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is produced by the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Programme. The Series highlights emerging issues and new perspectives in the fields of natural resource management (NRM), livelihoods and sustainable agriculture. Each Gatekeeper paper provides a succinct review of an issue of contemporary importance and makes preliminary recommendations for policy makers, researchers and planners. The series presents a diversity of perspectives, both from within and outside IIED, and with a special focus on work by Southern authors. All geographic regions are covered, although the main focus is on Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In 1999, a group of researchers, mediators and facilitators, community collaborative groups, environmental organizations and agencies convened in Tucson, Arizona to examine and discuss the controversies that had arisen over the increasing impact of community-based collaborative groups upon the management of local natural resources. The controversy was fueled by concern about the influence of local groups over resources that encompassed public goods such as public lands, endangered species, significant environmental resources, and watersheds. A clear outcome for participants at the Tucson meeting was the desire to learn more about these processes and to do so in a way that incorporated sound research methods and new ways of learning and sharing knowledge. Workshop participants developed a series of questions to answer in order to further the research concerning CBCs that formed the basis for the Consortium’s Research Agenda. The Community Based Collaboratives Research Consortium was formed to foster this research.

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a non-political organization of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) of ten countries: Burundi, D. R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It aims at increasing the efficiency of agricultural research in the region so as to facilitate economic growth, food security and export competitiveness through productive and sustainable agriculture.

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a non-political organization of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) of ten countries: Burundi, D. R. Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It aims at increasing the efficiency of agricultural research in the region so as to facilitate economic growth, food security and export competitiveness through productive and sustainable agriculture.

Teleconference call facilitation tipsThese tips by Nancy White cover planning, technical set-up, scheduling and preparation; starting the call, general call etiquette, attention and engagement, closure and evaluation and feedback.

Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). Advancing agricultural and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by promoting the transfer, exchange and utilisation of information. CTA's tasks are: to develop and provide services which improve access to information for agricultural and rural development and to strengthen the capacity of ACP countries to produce, acquire, exchange and utilise information in these areas

The main objectives and expected outcomes of the workshop are to: identify priority research issues in land and water management research in Ethiopia identify priority capacity building needs related to land and water management in Ethiopia advise on the niche and roles of various partners in the research and capacity building programme, including the Ethiopian partners who must take the lead, IWMI, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and other international and regional partners advise on the governance framework for partnership among the various parties and outline a resource mobilisation strategy to make it possible to implement the programme. We all agree that improved land and water management is essential for sustainable development and poverty reduction in many African countries including Ethiopia. Ethiopia has considerable research capacity already, but perhaps it is not always as effectively mobilised as it could be. The intention of the proposed long-term programme is to help mobilise and focus these capacities, and help Ethiopia further strengthen its research capacities and its policies and management strategies in natural resource management.

Sustainable Development Issues Network for 2002 is a collaborative effort among civil society networks and nongovernmental issue caucuses aiming to improve communications and access to information on sustainable development issues. In particular, the initiative aims to improve communications among NGOs engaging in the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Sustainable Africa Internet Channel is a digital-commons project of the AllAfrica Foundation with support from Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York created by Andrew Carnegie to promote "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." The AllAfrica Foundation was founded by AllAfrica Global Media. allAfrica.com hosts the digital-commons initiative

The regional STREAM Initiative founded by NACA, DFID, FAO, VSO and AusAID aims to offer support to the livelihoods of poor peoples who manage aquatic resources (via management of aquaculture or capture of fish or aquatic resources). STREAM will operate initially for 5 years and will be launched in 2001-2002. It will be hosted in Bangkok by the Secretariat of the Network of Aquaculture Centres for Asia-Pacific and will pilot in Vietnam and Cambodia in year one expanding to cover up to 15 Asia Pacific countries. It is funded by a trust fund and has seed funding from DFID and Asia-Pacific governments.This document The STREAM Summary Booklet, summarises the rationale, the objectives, approach and stakeholders and issues around implementation. Supplementing this document are the STREAM partner profile sheets (NACA, DFID, FAO, VSO and AusAID), Country Strategy Papers (for each country in which STREAM operates) and Partnership Agreements (with key stakeholders and donors).

Soil Biodiversity Portal: This website offers general concepts on the meaning and significance of soil biodiversity, stressing the need for integrated biological soil management. It provides a framework for assessment, management and conservation of siol biodiversity, with examples of successful and unsuccessful practices from various regions of the world. Needs for further work, research, capacity building and policy and programme development are presented.

Socio-economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA) Programme aims to increase awareness of and sensitivity towards gender issues, and to strengthen the capacity of development specialists to incorporate socio-economic and gender analysis considerations into development planning.

SRISTI is a non-governmental organisation setup to strengthen the creativity of grassroots inventors, innovators and ecopreneurs engaged in conserving biodiversity and developing eco-friendly solutions to local problems. Here, on the web site of SRISTI, you can read about its activities and participate in them, download its newsletter and research papers and much more.

Smallholder Irrigation Market Initiative (SIMI): Despite many efforts to disseminate promising irrigation technologies the capacities to expand these efforts are limited. The reason is not the technologies and their use, but the need for complementary interventions by a range of players with different competencies, and the competence and experience needed to facilitate market creation and supply chain development processes. Development initiatives that want to enable their partners and clients to make use of the potentials of low-cost smallholder irrigation technologies, may not have all the skills, know-how and resources to engage in such long-term processes. Thus, they need to link up with people and organisations who can take on complementary roles in the supply chain development process and with relevant know-how and experience. SIMI (Smallholder Irrigation Market Initiative) has been initiated as a response to these challenges.

The SHERPA website on publisher copyright policies & self-archiving may be used to to find a summary of permissions that are normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. The SHERPA project is investigating issues in the future of scholarly communication and publishing. In particular, it is developing open-access institutional repositories in a number of research universities. These eprint repositories or archives facilitate the worldwide rapid and efficient dissemination of research findings. The project is investigating issues surrounding the development and use of such repositories.# Advice includes the SHERPA/RoMEO Publishers' Copyright Listings, practical advice on depositing material and copyright and a guide to self archiving.# Use the Archives section to find open-access archives and search services for the UK HE community and worldwide.# The Links section gives access to other initiatives, organisations working in the field, and related background information.# Project Contacts are listed for each of the partners and for supporting organisations.SHERPA: Securing a Hybrid Environment for Research Preservation and Access. SHERPA is funded by JISC and CURL. It is hosted by the University of Nottingham.

The overall aim of the Science and Development Network(SciDev.Net) is to enhance the provision of reliable and authoritative information on science- and technology-related issues that impact on the economic and social development of developing countries. Our goal is to ensure that both individuals and organisations in the developing world are better placed to make informed decisions on these issues. We seek to achieve this objective primarily through running a free-access website, but also by building regional networks of individuals and institutions who share, our goals, and by organising capacity-building workshops and other events in the developing world.

Rural Agroenterprise Development Project, International Center for Tropical Agriculture. The purpose of of the project is to link small farmers to expanding markets so they can develop sustainable livelihoods in the rural sector. The website and many of the resources offered are available in English and Spanish

Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) Special on Gender & Natural Resources Management is published in conjunction with `Natural Resources Management and Gender´, the 6th book in the Gender, Society & Development series. KIT's Special includes:    * Case studies: a space for contributions by development practitioners and experts    * Bibliography: selected, recent references of printed and online full text publications retrieved from the catalogue of KIT Library and the Internet, respectively.    * Tools & methods: practical instruments, manuals, guides.    * Links : links to relevant organizations and websites.    * News & events: news items and announcements of conferences, courses and other events

Resources in Social Development Practice

Research issues in natural resource management - KRIBP working papers

Nowotny, H., P. Scott and M. Gibbons. 2004. Re-Thinking Science: Mode 2 in Societal Context In: Technology, Innovation and Knowledge. Management Book Series, Vol. 2.: Knowledge Creation, Diffusion and Use in Innovation Networks & Clusters: A Comparative Systems Approach Across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Greenwood Publishing Group Praeger Books, USA.Eight years ago the three authors of this contribution, along with three others, published The New Production of Knowledge: The Dynamics of Science and Research in Contemporary Societies (Gibbons et al 1994). Reviews were mixed. Some philosophers, historians and sociologists of science regarded the argument in the book as either simplistic or banal (or perhaps both), while science policy analysts worried about the empirical evidence for the trends identified in the book (or argued that these trends were not new). However, the book sold well. Its broad thesis, that the production of knowledge and the process of research were being radically transformed, struck a chord of recognition among both researchers and policy makers. It seemed to make sense of familiar but disparate policies and practices which they were either encouraging or experiencing.Of course, like all theses that gain a certain popularity (and notoriety) it was radically simplified, collapsed into a single phrase, almost a slogan - ‘Mode 2’. The old paradigm of scientific discovery (‘Mode 1’) characterised by the hegemony of disciplinary science, with its strong sense of an internal hierarchy between the disciplines and driven by the autonomy of scientists and their host institutions, the universities, was being superseded – although not replaced- by a new paradigm of knowledge production (‘Mode 2’) which was socially distributed, application-oriented, trans-disciplinary and subject to multiple accountabilities. Those with most to gain from such a thesis espoused it most warmly - politicians and civil servants struggling to create better mechanisms to link science with innovation, researchers in professional disciplines such as management struggling to wriggle out from under the condescension of more established, and more ‘academic’, disciplines and researchers in newer universities, other non-university higher education institutions or outside the academic, and scientific, systems strictly defined. Those with most to lose were most sceptical - researchers in those established disciplines and institutions who feared that the quality of science would be eroded if these levelling ideas gained political currency and that their own autonomy would be curtailed if more explicit links were established between research and innovation. Both reactions were predictable. A generation ago Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions aroused far more interest among social scientists, even humanists, who not only felt a shock of recognition in his account of paradigm shift but also saw that it could enhance the legitimacy of their disciplines, than among natural scientists, who saw Kuhn’s companion idea of incommensurability as a threat not only to universal, or ‘objective’, truth but also to progressive experimentally based research (Kuhn, 1962/1070). His own discipline, physics, was most resistant of all to his ideas. However, in the case of The New Production of Knowledge there was a new twist. The ‘Mode 2’ thesis, however simplified, was recognisably derived from the argument presented in the book. So as authors we could not object.Our critics may even have regarded us as hoist by our own petard, because inherent in the very notion of ‘Mode 2’, or socially distributed knowledge, is the idea that it cannot be authoritatively encoded in traditional forms of scholarly publication. If nurse researchers pounced on ‘Mode 2’ to reduce their subordination to medical research, or if global accountancy companies placed ‘Mode 2’ at the heart of newly established ‘Centres for Business Knowledge’, both of which are actual examples, who were we - the authors - to complain?It was partly to resist this collapse into relativism and over-simplification of the argument presented in The New Production of Knowledge, partly to answer the valid criticisms of that argument and partly to develop our broader thesis that the present three authors wrote a second book Re-Thinking Science: Knowledge and the Public in an Age of Uncertainty (Nowotny, Scott and Gibbons 2001). Yet the difficulty remains - how to describe and defend in traditional academic discourse (‘Mode 1’ in our own terminology) ideas that attempt to analyse how that discourse is being transcended (‘Mode 2’). ‘Mode 2’ is not only a concept, inherently open to manipulation or exploitation by others (even in ways of which we may disapprove); it is also a project, an example of the social distribution of knowledge which it seeks to describe.

Radical Constructivism. The notion "radical constructivism" (RC) was coined by Ernst von Glasersfeld in 1974 in order to emphasize that from an epistemological perspective any constructivism has to be complete (or "radical") in order not to relapse into some kind of fancy realism. The basic tenet of RC is that any kind of knowledge is constructed rather than perceived through senses. As such, RC does not present a metaphysics in the strict sense as it does not make statements about an outside reality ("No statement" means neither confirming nor denying reality. The subject of much criticism, RC equals solipsism, doesn't therefore apply). Now, the idea itself does not originate in EvG. Forerunners of the RC movement in the 18th century were Giambatista Vico, whose dictum "verum ipsum factum" already points in the direction of knowledge construction, and George Berkeley whose claim "esse est percipi" challenges metaphysics. On a slightly different path, the cybernetic one, Heinz von Foerster approached the topic of what was called second order cybernetics. It focuses on self-referential systems and the importance of eigenbehaviors for the explanation of complex phenomena. Eventually, this idea would emerge the concept of "operational closure": any cognitive system is semantically independent (and impenetrable). From the late 50s to the mid 70s, HvF had been running a lab, the Biological Computer Laboratory (BCL), at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which was a dwell of people thinking in similar lines. Among others, prominent members of the BCL were Humberto Maturana who, as the founder of the theory of autopoiesis, focuses on the central role of the observer; Francisco Varela who developed the ideas of circularity and 'enacted' cognition further; W. Ross Ashby who was a main figure in the cybernetics movement; Gordon Pask who developed a conversation theory. In Germany, an avalanche was triggered in the late 80s by translations of major works by the above authors, plus original contributions in German, such as Siegfried J. Schmidt, Hans-Rudi Fischer, Gerhard Roth, Gebhard Rusch, and others. Also of German origin, but independent from the others, was Jakob von Uexküll, whose work focused on the internal cognitive world of organisms.

IDCE. 2003. Publications by Graduate Programs in International Development, Community and Environment. Clark University.Graduate programs in International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) at Clark University enable development scholars, policy makers, planners, and practitioners to explore alternative approaches to community-based development. They offer findings from field research in which local communities, women's groups, village institutions, and researchers focus on gender, local participation, capacity-building, natural resource management, and community-based development. The research offers informative results presented in the form of handbooks, case studies, books, working papers and articles. It reflects the collaborative efforts of partnerships between local and central, researcher and practitioner, developing and industrial sectors, and technical and social science specialists. Most publications have been written jointly between Clark's IDCE staff and colleagues in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Some are available in languages other than English, including Bislama, French, Kiswahili, Malagasy, Russian, Setswana, Somali, and Spanish. There are locally produced translations in Arabic, Amharic and Ndebele. We hope that these publications will help to bridge gaps between centrally planned and locally initiated development efforts, as well as help to create new partnerships for changes that are sustainable, productive, and equitable.

Promoting Local Innovation (PROLINNOVA). NGOs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe conceived on Prolinnova as a global programme for learning through action and analysis. The focus is on ways to promote local people's innovation in ecologically-oriented agriculture and natural resource management. Activities include:    * documenting local innovations and innovation processes by resource-poor farmers and communities;    * strengthening farmer-advisor-scientist partnerships to further develop and scale up promising local innovations;    * creating wider awareness of and skills in Prolinnova processes through a variety of learning mechanisms;    * integrating Prolinnova approaches into mainstream institutions of agricultural research, development and education.

Power Tools for working on policies and institutions. The aim of the Power Tools series is to provide some practical help to those working to improve the policies and institutions that affect the lives of poor people. The series is being developed by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) from experience in working on policies and institutions in various fields of environment and development.

Policy Library is a social, economic and foreign policy resource - updated daily with the latest jobs, research, and events. Policy Library members reach an audience of hundred of thousands of policy makers, politicians, academics and students.

People, Land and Water: Managing Natural Resources; Africa and the Middle East The mission of the People, Land and Water (PLaW) Program Initiative is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of women and men living in stressed eco-regions of Africa and Middle East (AME), through activities that improve access to, and encourage proper utilization of land and water resources, and hence ensure food and water security. Visit the website to learn about the specific objectives and projects of PLaW.

Participatory Avenues aims at sharing significant progress in visualizing people's spatial knowledge (cognitive maps) and in providing communities added stake in tailoring and owning conservation and development initiatives.Participatory 3-Dimensional Modeling is promoted as "best practice".

La Red para el Desarrollo de las Ciencias Sociales en el Perú (RED) a través de su Programa "Participación y Gestión Local", busca promover y visibilizar iniciativas donde la sociedad civil y el Estado hayan establecido alianzas productivas para la gestión local potenciado el ejercicio de los deberes y derechos ciudadanos. Este programa forma parte de una iniciativa internacional, impulsada por la Fundación Ford, que se orienta a premiar experiencias exitosas e innovadoras en la gestión pública local. En este sentido, se han implementado programas similares en México, Brasil y Chile, siendo el peruano el de más reciente formación.

PARIS21 Partnership In Statistics for development in the 21st Century. PARIS21 is a new international process by a global consortium of policy makers, statisticians, and users of statistical information in support of development. PARIS21 aims to build statistical capacity as the foundation for effective development policies by helping to develop well-managed statistical systems that are appropriately resourced. In the longer term PARIS21 aims to help to promote a culture of evidence-based policy making and monitoring in all countries, but especially in poor developing countries.

OnePine's page on Organizational Development: A valuable entry point for researching and finding infomration on organizational learning and change.

ODI Briefing Papers embrace a wide reange of topics of current development interest

Nutrient Monitoring for Tropical Farming Systems (NUTMON) NUTMON is an integrated, multi-disciplinary methodology which targets different actors in the process of managing natural resources in general and soil nutrients in particular. With the NUTMON methodology farmers and researchers jointly analyse the environmental and financial sustainability of tropical farming systems.Participatory research techniques such as resource flow mapping, matrix ranking and trend analysis are used to obtain the farmers perspective. Next to this a quantitative analysis is carried out which generates import indicators such as nutrient flows, nutrient balances, cash flows, gross margins and farm income. Both the qualitative and quantitative analysis are then used to improve or design new technologies which tackle soil fertility management problems and which can help to increase the financial performance of the farm.The NUTMON approach has been and is being implemented in research and development projects addressing soil fertility management in situations of both nutrient depletion and nutrient accumulation. Currently we backstop the use of the NUTMON Toolbox in the following countries: Several sites in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Uganda.

The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development at Iowa State University has an active communications program to help provide rural development professionals in land-grant and other educational institutions and organizations across the region with information and educational materials to support their programs.The NCRCRD publishes reports from Center-supported research projects, proceedings from conferences and workshops, and educational materials including workbooks, training manuals and videotapes. Publications by Center director, Cornelia Butler Flora are also available and cover a range of topics relevant to participatory research and development, including social capital, gender and stakeholder analysis, and measuring the social dimensions of natural resource management , In addition, the Center publishes a newsletter titled Rural Development News.

New Agriculturalist on-line -- reporting agriculture for the 21st centuryFor those readers who find it difficult or expensive to stay online, New Agriculturalist has made all recent editions available on CD-ROM.

Natural Resource Perspectives papers present accessible information on current development issues and are sent to a wide audience of policy makers, researchers and people working in the non-governmental sector.Natural Resource Perspectives papers present accessible information on current development issues and are sent to a wide audience of policy makers, researchers and people working in the non-governmental sector. Readers are encouraged to quote from them or duplicate them, but as copyright holder, ODI requests due acknowledgement. The Editor welcomes manuscripts for this series; email John Farrington at j.farrington@odi.org.uk

National Strategies for Sustainable Development provides tools to assist in promoting dialogues on national strategies for sustainable development and providing necessary background information and reference material in support of these dialogues. Overall objectives are to:    * mprove international understanding of the key challenges and modalities for developing and implementing effective NSSDs.    * elaborate good practices for donors in assisting developing countries with the formulation and implementation of nssds.    * inform bilateral donor response to developing country requests for support of NSSD processes.

The National Rural Funders Collaborative is a partnership of national and regional funders and investors, grass roots practitioners, policymakers, and public sector agencies working together to expand resources for communities and families in rural areas facing persistent poverty. Beyond leveraging new and sustainable resources for rural areas, NRFC is developing a learning network in which practitioners and funders, along with other rural stakeholders and strategic allies, can identify best practices and measurable outcomes, while working together for effective policy change.

Ministry of Women's Affairs. New Zealand/Aotearoa. The website of New Zealand's Ministry of Women's Affairs includes a framework and resources for gender analysis

Mind Tools: Tools for Understanding ComplexityThe tools in this section help you understand complicated, difficult situations. By using these techniques you can start to tackle problems which might otherwise seem huge, overwhelming and excessively complex. The section starts with some simple complexity skills and then moves on to more powerful techniques like Systems Diagrams, SWOT Analysis, Cash Flow Forecasting and Risk Analysis. This is a complex and well-developed area - we can only go 'so far' in these articles, introducing you to relatively simple techniques. The books on the right hand side bar will help you to take your skills much further. Alternatively, complexity and decision making skills are core components of most good MBA courses - some of the resources on the left will introduce you to these.

Mind Tools: Creativity ToolsThis section of Mind Tools explains a wide range of techniques you can use to come up with creative and imaginative solutions to the challenges you face. The section starts by showing you how to use three systematic approaches to creativity. It then discusses some important lateral-thinking based approaches, which can be used to come up with startling and original solutions to problems. Finally it explains how to use two powerful and important problem-solving processes. While you are reading these articles, have a look at the creativity book reviews, resources and stores on the sidebars - these can help you to develop your creativity skills further.

MekongInfo: is an interactive system for sharing information and knowledge about participatory natural resource management in the Lower Mekong Basin. In addition to over 2,600 documents (full-text and abstract) in the Library, MekongInfo provides: a Contacts database of individuals, projects and organisations, news and Announcements of events, relevant Web Links, a Gallery of useful resource materials, a Forum for online discussions, and a free Web hosting service.

 MapCruzin GIS-TutorialOn this page you can access a Free GIS Tutorial. You will learn how to obtain, download and run a free GIS program. You will also be able to access a sample project and detailed instructions for using this map project with the free GIS program.

IFAD, Managing for Impact in Rural Development. A guide for project monitoring and evaluation. Available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.The main functions of M&E are: ensuring improvement-oriented critical reflection, learning to maximise the impact of rural development projects, and showing this impact to be accountable. The Guide focuses on how M&E can support project management and engage project stakeholders in understanding project progress, learning from achievements and problems, and agreeing on how to improve both strategy and operations. The Guide provides comprehensive advice on how to set up and implement an M&E system, plus background ideas that underpin the suggestions.

 Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR): Previously known as the East African Institute of Social Research, MISR was established in 1948 and mandated to carry out anthropological and other forms of social research. MISR is now an autonomous institute of Makerere University. It conducts and coordinates basic and applied research; provides consultancy services to private, public and NGO sectors; undertakes networking with related institutions globally; develops and maintains a regional data bank and disseminates information. Over the years, MISR has built a reputation for itself attracting local and international scholars and a number of interdisciplinary works has been done and published under its auspices.

LIFE: Local Livestock For Empowerment of Rural People. A movement supporting rural communities through the conservation and development of indigenous livestock breeds and species.

Landcare Research/ Manaaki Whenua New Zealand. Collaborative Learning for Environmental Management - social research aiming to improve the quality of environmental management decision making.

Keysheets for Sustainable Livelihoods: These Keysheets provide decision-makers with a short, easy and up-to-date reference on issues relating to sustainable livelihoods and infrastructure development for the poor. The Keysheets are produced by Overseas Development Institute for the UK Department for International Development and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ISNAR Briefing Papers

ISANG BAGSAK. This learning and networking program in participatory development communication is aimed at researchers and practitioners in the field of Environment and Natural Resources Management. Its objectives are to improve the kind of communication and participation researchers and practitioners create together with communities and other stakeholders and to reinforce the potential of research or development initiative in helping communities overcoming poverty. "Isang Bagsak" is an expression that comes from the Philippines. It means "arriving at a consensus, an agreement" and is often used in meetings and workshops as an energizer. Thus it refers to communication as a participatory process.

IPRsonline.org is an internet portal on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and Sustainable Development. It contains a selection of relevant online documents and resources related to IPRs and sustainable development including a guide to IPRs, proposals submitted to the WTO, discussion papers classified by topics, a calendar of IPRs related events, latest news on IPRs, and links to listservs and relevant institutions working on IPRs.

The International Agricultural Centre (IAC) builds capacity for sustainable development in the agriculture, food, rural development and natural resources management sectors. IAC Thematic Areas:    * Livelihoods and market access    * Agricultural systems and chain management    * Food and nutrition security    * Integrated land water and biodiversity management    * Innovations systems    * Central and Eastern Europe

 Intermediate Technology Development Group is a sustainable development NGO whose mission is to build the technical skills of poor people in developing countries, enabling them to improve the quality of their lives and that of future generations. We offer local solutions to the global problems of poverty eradication and sustainable development, with a distinctive emphasis on technology choices

Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Info Services. A portal to:    BLDS: online catalogue of Europe's largest library on international development    BRIDGE: information and analysis service on development and gender    ELDIS :the gateway to development information    GDN: the Global Development Network links local development research and policy    ID21: research reporting service, summarising latest development research    Livelihoods Connect: DFID's learning platform for sustainable livelihoods approaches    Microfinance Gateway: information forum on microfinance    Participation Resource Centre: Information service for participation & development    and several IDS collaborative research site

Insight are pioneers in the use of participatory video as a tool for empowering individuals and communities. Groups learn how to use the video equipment to identify and analyse important issues in their community. Video messages are directed and filmed by participants and shared with the wider community, setting in motion a dynamic exchange of ideas and perceptions.

The Info Finder is a global link to research on agriculture, hunger poverty and the environment developed in collaboration with Future Harvest Centers, CGIAR and FAO/WAICENT. The Info Finder allows you to search for digital information on the Future Harvest Centers', CGIAR and FAO web sites.

INFED.ORG, the home of informal education. Established in 1995, the informal education homepage provides a space for people to explore the theory and practice of informal education and to develop ways of working and being that foster association, conversation and relationship. The site features an encyclopedia of informal education with over 300 articles that explore key ideas, thinkers and practices within informal education and lifelong learning.

Indigenous Water Initiative: The purpose of this site is to promote better understanding of indigenous perspectives on water and development among non-indigenous water professionals, and to enhance dialogue between indigenous political and spiritual leaders on one hand, and the agents of water resources development on the other. This website is a project of the Indigenous Water Initiative of the Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE), and several partner organizations (click on "About Us" for details).

ID21 Insights (Issue 34) Special Issue on Social Capital. Articles include:    * It's not what you know- it's who you know! Economic analysis of social capital    * Friends in high places? An overview of social capital. Social capital can be split into three connecting strands...    * Pathways of influence - Social capital and household welfare in South Africa. Social capital is a difficult concept to define, particularly at the empirical level...    * Preferential credit? Ethnic and indigenous firms vie for equal access. Ethnic groups often remain segregated long after emigrating to a new area...    * Choosing better technology. Does social capital help? How do rural communities make important decisions about farming techniques?    * Networking for success and survival in Ghana. Does size matter? Networks are crucial to both large and small enterprises in Ghana...    * Unequal access to social capital? Evidence from Tanzania. Social capital, it is widely accepted, is beneficial to economic performance. How is social capital formed and how can it be measured?    * Sites for Sore Eyes: Online Sources on Social Capital. Social Capital is a relatively new area and few sites relating to developing countries exist...

Internationally there is a growing need for people who can facilitate dialogue, joint learning and collaborative action. Practioners and policy makers who wish to use or learn from designing or facilitating multi-stakeholder and social learning processes currently are confronted with four constraints:    * The lack of a coherent yet practical conceptual framework that enables potential facilitators to make sense of the diverse terminology and differing conceptual dimensions.    * Limited practical examples and lessons from experience presented in a way that is sufficiently analytical to be useful in other contexts.    * The lack of facilitation skills, experience and confidence to design and implement appropriate and context specific processes.    * The lack of comprehensive and integrated resource materials appropriate to the facilitation of multi-stakeholder and social learning processes.By developing a resource portal for facilitating multi-stakeholder processes we try to fullfill these demands. It will continuously be further developed. This MSP resource portal was created by the International Agricultural Centre (IAC) in collaboration with the Dialogue for Water, Food and Environment and the Wageningen Initiative for Strategic Innovation of Wageningen UR.

Global Forum on Agricultural Research GFAR is a multi-stakeholder initiative that contributes to eradicating poverty, achieving food security, and conserving and managing natural resources. It enhances national capacities to generate, adapt and transfer knowledge

Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species. Underutilized species contribute increasingly to food security and poverty alleviation of the rural and urban poor. Purpose of the web-portal The Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species offers this website as a tool to enhance and ease communication and knowledge exchange amongst experts and organization working on underutilized species as well as groups or individuals in need of information on the topic.

Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) is an international non-governmental organisation which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge.

Gender Dimensions in Natural Resource ManagmentMen and women have diverse knowledge, perceptions, skills and practices that are valuable for the management of natural resources for food security and rural livelihoods. It is important that development practitioners, researchers and decision-makers are not only aware of the diversity of human capital but also seek to build on people's own knowledge and abilities to support sustainable development strategies. The Women and Population Division (SDW) of FAO plays a key role in generating and disseminating information about the gender dynamics of natural resource management. The aim of the Division's work is to enhance understanding among rural people, development practitioners, researchers and decision-makers about these issues and upgrade their skills to use gender-sensitive and participatory approaches. This work is implemented in partnership with other FAO technical divisions, international research centres, government institutions and NGOs and incorporates the experience of several FAO field projects. The purpose of this site is to share information emerging from SDW's work with interested organizations and individuals.

Gender Dimensions in Natural Resource ManagmentMen and women have diverse knowledge, perceptions, skills and practices that are valuable for the management of natural resources for food security and rural livelihoods. It is important that development practitioners, researchers and decision-makers are not only aware of the diversity of human capital but also seek to build on people's own knowledge and abilities to support sustainable development strategies. The Women and Population Division (SDW) of FAO plays a key role in generating and disseminating information about the gender dynamics of natural resource management. The aim of the Division's work is to enhance understanding among rural people, development practitioners, researchers and decision-makers about these issues and upgrade their skills to use gender-sensitive and participatory approaches. This work is implemented in partnership with other FAO technical divisions, international research centres, government institutions and NGOs and incorporates the experience of several FAO field projects. The purpose of this site is to share information emerging from SDW's work with interested organizations and individuals.

The Gender and Water Alliance: a network of 133 organisations and individuals from around the world with an independent steering committee. It is an Associated Programme of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) funded by the governments of the Netherlands and United Kingdom. Because of the pooled experience and skills contained in this network, the GWA offers a mix of information and knowledge sharing activities such as electronic conferencing, a web site, advocacy leaflets and video, annual reports, capacity building and pilot programmes.

Gender Analysis Frameworks are step-by-step tools for carrying out gender analysis, which help to raise questions, analyze information, and develop strategies to increase women's and men's participation in and benefits from projects and programmes.

Fusion of Horizons is an exhibition by Mohan Dhamotharan and Thomas Becker of the University of Hohenheim. They offer a downloadable collection of posters about communication skills for participatory research.

Forum for Qualitative Social Research (FQS) is a peer-reviewed multilingual online journal for qualitative research. Established in 1999, the journal is currently broadening information and communication resources for qualitative researchers.

FAO Participation Website -- a place for studying and discussing participation in development offerred by the Informal Working Group on Participatory Approaches and Methods to Support Sustainable Livelihoods & Food Security (IWG-PA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

European Forum on Rural Development Cooperation: Policies and approaches for rural poverty reduction: What works in practice? Agropolis, Montpellier, France. 4-6 Sept. 2002. An event for policymakers and practitioners from the European Development Cooperation Agencies working to reduce poverty in developing countries

Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service (EDIAIS): The goal of EDIAIS is increased contribution of Enterprise Development (ED) to poverty elimination through equitable and sustainable growth. The purpose of the service is to provide a central resource that can advise regional and country-based Enterprise Development Advisers (EDAs) on 'good practice,' design and methods of impact assessment (IA). In this context EDIAIS will aim to provide information and expertise in enterprise development impact assessment to DFID and the wider development community.Activities include:Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service (EDIAIS): The goal of EDIAIS is increased contribution of Enterprise Development (ED) to poverty elimination through equitable and sustainable growth. The purpose of the service is to provide a central resource that can advise regional and country-based Enterprise Development Advisers (EDAs) on 'good practice,' design and methods of impact assessment (IA). In this context EDIAIS will aim to provide information and expertise in enterprise development impact assessment to DFID and the wider development community.Activities include:1. Management of a web site providing information on integrated impact assessment design and methodologies.2. Production of written material for dissemination on the key issues in ED impact assessment.3. Management of studies on key areas of ED policy4. Advice for enterprise advisers in London and in the country offices on development of IA strategies and assessing impact of specific projects.5. Provision of a communication network with other specialists, donors and southern organisations.

Eldis Participation Resource Guide: The latest from Eldis on participation issuesELDIS is a gateway to information on development issues, providing free and easy access to wide range of high quality online resources. ELDIS provides summaries and links to online documents; a directory of websites, databases, library catalogues and email discussion lists and easy access to information on a wide range of subjects. ELDIS' email news services bring the latest research to your mail-box.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin is a balanced, timely and independent reporting service that provides daily information in print and electronic formats from multilateral negotiations on environment and development. It is published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The Bulletin is a one-page, two-sided "desktop" publication that is distributed daily to participants at UN negotiations related to environment and development. In addition to the hard-copy version, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin is available in electronic format on IISD’s “Linkages” web site on the Internet and by electronic mail. At the conclusion of each meeting, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin Team writes and edits a 10-18,000-word summary and analysis of the meeting, which is circulated in electronic format. This has enabled it to reach a wide range of people interested in environment and development negotiations. An important source of information for updates on the Convention for Biological Diversity.

Directory of Websites of Case Studies in Sustainable Development.The Comission on Sustainable Development Secretariat has compiled this directory of websites in order to assist those seeking examples of sustainable development initiatives by linking them to documented case studies. The Directory is divided into categories reflecting the entity mainly responsible in developing each website, i.e. Intergovernmental organisations (mainly the UN family), governments, businesses, local authorities, NGOs and research institutes/educational establishments. It is global in scope and includes a wide variety of organisations from local initiatives to broad international partnerships in all sectors.

Guest Editors: Lilja, Nina; Dixon, John. Volume 18 Numbers 4 & 5. August 2008.Special Issue on Participatory Research and Gender analysis: We are pleased to announce the publication of the special issue of the journal Development in Practice on the theme 'Operationalising participatory research and gender analysis.' This publication is a final outcome from the CIMMYT-PRGA Program Impact Assessment Workshop of October 2005.

Dev-Zone - Who are we and what do we do?The Development Resource Centre (DRC) is a specialist information and education centre in Aotearoa New Zealand focused on development and global issues. The DRC’s vision statement is "Change for a just world" and its mission is to "inform and educate people to empower them to take action to create a just world".The DRC is a not-for-profit, non-government, charitable trust with a voluntary governance board. It is core funded by NZAID Nga Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti. The DRC’s work is guided at all times by a set of core values which recognize that development must be people-centred, holistic and sustainable. The DRC has two key programme areas: Dev-Zone and the Global Education Centre (GEC)Dev-Zone provides information services on development and global issues to NGOs, consultants, universities, community groups, Information Services, government departments, libraries, and businesses operating in the field of overseas aid and development. Dev-Zone has an extensive range of up-to-date electronic and hard copy resources, operates a public access library, manages a comprehensive web site on development issues, provides email updates on a variety of development topics, and draws on a range of expertise in development practice and education.The Global Education Centre (GEC) provides services to the formal and informal education sectors, and the community sector, on Global Education. GEC provides training and resources to teachers, teacher trainees, students, youth workers and community groups, and builds their capacity to include global awareness into their programmes. Through its Youth Advocate, GEC also works directly with young people, facilitating their participation in youth-led global youth work.

CIP-UPWARD. 2003. Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity. Published in collaboration with GTZ, IDRC, IPGRI and SEARICE.The appreciation for agricultural biodiversity has grown and matured, resulting in an increasing awareness that its valuation and use could contribute to long-term conservation and use. This sourcebook encourages action aimed at managing agricultural biodiversity resources within existing landscapes and ecosystems, in support of the livelihoods of farmers, fishers and livestock keepers. The publication is a compilation of field-based experiences by scientists, development specialists, academics, policy-makers and donors around the world; it consists of three volumes: 1) understanding agricultural biodiverity, 2) strengthening local management of agricultural biodiversity, and 3) ensuring an enabling environment for agricultural biodiversity. It is designed for use by rural development practitioners and local administrators, as well as trainors and educationalists.

Community Based Natural Resource Management in Southern Africa (CBNRM): The Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) at the University of Zimbabwe and the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), School of Government, University of the Western Cape have launched a three year programme of analysis and communication to build beyond their existing, mostly national activities into an integrated regional commitment to CBNRM, the indigenous framework for rural production in southern Africa

Choike is a portal dedicated to improving the visibility of the work done by NGOs from the South. It serves as a platform where NGOs can disseminate their work and at the same time enrich it with information from diverse sources, organized in line with the perspective of Southern civil society. (English/Spanish).

University of Hohenheim. 2000. Deutscher Tropentag 2000 Proceedings. International Agricultural Research: A Contribution to Crisis PreventionA large part of the world’s population still invests the greater part of its energy in cultivating fields and pastures to cover its basic needs, namely acquiring and processing food. In contrast, inhabitants of industrial nations spend the greater part of their life gathering and managing information. Food in these countries is taken for granted with a large selection available 24 hours a day and at all times of the year. cquiring food, this basic need of mankind, takes only several minutes of daily life. Due to the (mistaken?) assumption that food will also be unlimitedly available in the future, agriculture is loosing its significance in the public eye, both in industrial countries and internationally. Agriculture, including its affiliated sectors, is the world’s biggest employer. At the moment, one billion farmers produce food for six billion people. Although the challenges to produce improved quality food in increasing quantities for an ever growing population without burdening the environment are obvious, the investment into international agricultural and ecological research is decreasing. Through our activities, we push increasingly at the borders of the load carrying capacity of our planet. Often agrar-ecosystems are over-used due to maladjusted management systems, without the productivity of a particular area being really exhausted. As a result further areas are needed, with consequences in particular for the rain forest, mangrove and coral reef ecosystems. These three systems have a global buffer and regulating function and continually ensure our survival. With continued decimation of these systems a certain point is arrived at where they fall below the necessary critical mass. The systems could be thought of as a sponge which can only absorb a certain capacity. An increasing population competes not only for agricultural production area but also, for example, over habitation area, work places, water and recreation possibilities. This competition for resources will intensify already existent conflicts, so that future military conflicts can be increasingly expected on the grounds of securing resources. Today the only threat to mankind is mankind itself. A continuously growing population should consider, whether it can procure the necessary resources to feed itself in the long run. Considering the physical supply only, many more people could probably be supported than predicted. But it is also a question of living quality. In industrial countries the term prosperity has gained importance and is connected to a certain living standard which has not much relevance to living quality in an environment worth living in. One thing is certain, the quickly growing population, at the moment about 1.5 % per annum, will continue to have an impact on the environment, probably much quicker and more lasting than it has already done till today. We should not overlook the fact that our daily well-being is grounded on our ready access to food and water, an access in which we must clearly invest. Every day, every hour where we do not work on the improvement of the diverse agro-ecosystems world wide, rural migration intensifies, the flows of refugees increase, and military conflicts are promoted. Investments in the sustainable development of an international agriculture, which clearly acts as a motor for economic development, are an important contribution to crisis prevention.

The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute. Promoting participatory natural resource management in the Caribbean. CANARI seeks to create avenues for the equitable participation and effective collaboration of Caribbean communities and institutions in managing the use of natural resources critical to development

Capacity.org is an initiative of the European Centre for Development Policy Management dedicated to advancing the policy and practice of capacity development within international development cooperation. Capacity.org focuses on both the "why" of capacity development - fostering debate on policy questions - and the "how" of capacity development - learning from practical experiences in the field. Capacity.org aims to "unbundle" the complex of ideas and practices surrounding this term. In particular, it aims to encourage perspectives and experiences from the South, to provide ease of access to related materials and topics, and to promote a virtual platform for exchange.Designed with development researchers, practitioners and decision-makers in primarily Africa and donor countries in mind, and drawing on publications, reports, viewpoints and experiences of individuals and organisations involved in capacity dvelopment work.Capacity.org offers a range of services to users:* A quarterly "newsletter" comprising a welcome letter, guest contributions, selected bibliography and abstracts of current information;* A virtual library providing access to full text publications, stored in a database and supported by a search facility;* Hyperlinks to related websites, including a list of organisations active in the field of capacity building, and a regular update of relevant programmes and events.

Mathie, A., G. Cunningham. 2002 . From Clients to Citizens: Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy For Community-Driven Development. Ocasional Paper. The Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University.Asset-based community development (ABCD) is presented as an alternative to needs-based approaches to development. Following an overview of the principles and practice of ABCD, five major elements of ABCD are examined in the light of current literature on relevant research and practice. This involves exploring: the theory and practice of appreciative inquiry; the concept of social capital as an asset for community development; the theory of community economic development, such as the sustainable livelihoods approach; lessons learned from two decades of international development in the participatory paradigm; and the theory and practice of building active citizenship engagement and a stronger civil society. How ABCD both reflects recent trends in these areas and stands to benefit from the insights generated from this work is outlined.

Alternatives to Slash and Burn Programme (ASB) is a global partnership of over 50 institutions around the world with a shared interest in two of the greatest challenges confronting the world today: conserving forests and reducing poverty in the humid tropics. ASB was founded in 1994 as a system-wide programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The programme was born out of two crucial recommendations agreed to at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, appearing in Chapter 11 (Combating Deforestation) of Agenda 21:“Limit and aim to halt destructive shifting cultivation by addressing the underlying social and ecological causes ” “Reduce damage to forests by promoting sustainable management of areas adjacent to the forests”ASB is convened by the Nairobi-based International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and is governed by a global steering group of 12 representatives from participating institutions.

Agroforestry Learning Communities in the Northeast. The agroforestry and forest management learning community initiative aims to help sustain small farms and private woodland productivity. We seek to achieve these goals by improving the capacity of natural resource educators and landowners to develop woodland management practices that are adequately diverse, integrated, profitable, healthy and sustainable. Our learning community approach involves farmers, forest owners, educators and scientists in designing and assessing the performance of promising practices. It also uses common data recording methods to monitor key performance indicators under diverse conditions.

Action group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group, formerly RAFI) ETC group is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. To this end, ETC group supports socially responsible developments of technologies useful to the poor and marginalized and it addresses international governance issues and corporate power.ETC Group works in partnership with civil society organizations for cooperative and sustainable self-reliance within disadvantaged societies, by providing information and analysis of socioeconomic and technological trends and alternatives. This work requires joint actions in community, regional, and global fora. ETC Group's strength is in the research and analysis of technological information (particularly but not exclusively plant genetic resources, biotechnologies, and [in general] biological diversity), and in the development of strategic options related to the socioeconomic ramifications of new technologies.

The AGORA site provides access to over 500 journals from major scientific publishers in the fields of food, agriculture, environmental science and related social sciences. AGORA is available to students and researchers in qualifying not-for-profit institutions in eligible developing countries.

Soil Productivity Improvement through Farmer Field Schools (Farmer-SPI). This site provides information on FAO's pilot programme on Soil Productivity Improvement through Farmer Field Schools. Specifically, it aims at promoting the exchange of information and experiences on the development and implementation of FFS for enhancing and sustaining soil productivity. The site targets those involved in developing participatory or FFS land management and conservation programmes, resource persons and senior extension officers as well as agricultural development specialists. The sections of this site cover the objectives and activities of the SPI-FFS programme (which has its' main focus on the development of training materials, curriculum development, capacity building and the development of regional support programmes), SPI concepts and approaches, training materials and curriculum, capacity building, and national/regional relevent programmes. The documents section provides background information, guidelines and training materials that can be downloaded. The "projects and programme section" provides descriptions of programme/projects and focal points in the East and Southern African Region.

The Rural Finance Learning Centre is a website dedicated to providing access to the best materials for capacity building in the field of rural finance. RFLC was created by the CABFIN Partnership as a means to network among practitioners, policy-makers, extension workers, academics and donors in order to allow expanded access to the best materials for capacity building and training information in rural finance. CABFIN stands for "Improving Capacity Building in Rural Finance". The RFLC is currently funded by FAO, GTZ, IFAD and World Bank. Read more about the CABFIN Partners.