Document(s) 8 of 11

News

New Interns in IDRC's regional office in Montevideo

At the start of August two new interns will be starting their internships in the regional office. They are Valtair Verissimo from Brazil, who will be doing a study on the subject of "The ALCA (FTAA) negotiations and the environment", and Patricia Ortiz from Ecuador, who will be working on "Methodological and ethical guidelines for carrying out projects with indigenous peoples: the case of mining". They can be contacted on vverissimo@idrc.org.uy and 

We wish to take this opportunity to say goodbye to:
 

Alén Pérez - who carried out a study on "Public participation in urban environmental management policies: the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by municipal governments in the Mercocities Network" (Research for IDRC/SEMA/Red de Mercociudades). This study was presented at the International Workshop on Human Dimensions 2002, which was held in Bonn, Germany, from 3 to 14 June 2002.

Soledad Salvador - who carried out a study on "Public health and world economic integration: challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean" (Research for IDRC's TEC program initiative)

and Sara Morales - who carried out a study on "Policies on tobacco control in Latin America and the Caribbean" (research for the International Secretariat on Research for International Tobacco Control - RITC).

In due course the results of these studies will be published on our web site.

We wish Soledad, Sara and Alain every success in the future, and we warmly welcome Valtair and Patricia to our work team.

Position Announcement - Senior Program Specialist - RITC 

IDRC is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Senior Program Specialist at the Research  for International Tobacco Control (RITC) Secretariat. RITC is an international secretariat based at  IDRC  that funds multidisciplinary  tobacco control research in developing countries.  RITC's  mission is to create a strong  research, funding and knowledge base  for the development of effective  tobacco control policies and programs that will minimize the threat of tobacco production  and consumption to health and human development in developing countries. The incumbent will  initiate, develop, manage, and evaluate projects and perform other related professional activities. 

Competition closing date: August 28, 2002

For further information visit: http://www.idrc.ca/careers/
 

"To Have and to Have not", article published on the Canadian newspaper the "Globe and Mail"

Canadian cities are feeling the strains of social polarization and growing ranks of very poor. Federico Burone, IDRC LAC Regional Director says Latin American cities have some creative answers.

To access a copy of the article http://archive.idrc.ca/lacro/globeandmail.html
 

Central America in the World Economy - new course

The project "Central America in the World Economy of the 21st Century" financed by IDRC, announces the third international and high level course "The labor standards challenge for Central America: trade, social clauses and codes of conduct". The course will take place in Antigua, Guatemala, September 16-21, 2002.

Por mayor información visite: http://www.asies.org.gt/ca/3curso.html
 

Winning Proposals - RoKS Competition 2001-2002

As a result of RoKs (Research on Knowledge Systems) initiative call for proposals on "Public and Private Sector Support to Research: Changing Roles and Policy Responses" (2001-2002) and after a selection process carried out by IDRC staff and members of the International Consultative Committee, six research proposals have been selected. The subsidies will finance research in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The researchers who have been chosen, along with members of the International Advisory Committee and IDRC staff, will take part in a workshop at the beginning of October in Peru to discuss methodologies and research outputs.

The researchers and proposals selected for the Latin American-Caribbean region are:

• Dr. Daniel Chudnovsky, "Research, Development and Innovation Activities in Argentina in the 1990s, Changing Roles of the Public and Private Sectors and Policy Issues", Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformacion (CENIT), Argentina.

• Juana R. Kuramoto, "Public-Private Research and Development and Innovativeness: Overview and Impacts", Grupo de Análisis y Desarrollo (GRADE - Analysis and Development Group), Peru.

• Dr. Olman Quiros Madrigal; Mr. Jorge Garza,"Partnerships for Agroindustry R&D in Costa Rica and El Salvador: Towards a Robust Model of Financing Support to Industry", International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Winning proposals in the competition "Gender, Globalization and Land Tenure"

In the selection process for this competition, five proposals were selected for amounts of between 80,000 and 100,000 Canadian dollars. The winning proposals were chosen in virtue of their quality and excellence; as well as their innovative approach to framing research questions which investigate the inter-connections and relationships between gender, globalization, and land tenure.  The researchers who were selected will take part in a methodology workshop in Ottawa in September. One proposal was selected for the LAC region, Noemí Miyaska Porro's "Facing the Global Market - New Strategies by Women in extractive activities in the Amazon Forest of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru", Movimento das Quebradeiras (MIQCB), Brazil.

Management of coastal aquatic resources

Over the past few months the "Ecoplata" project has published a series of papers on the management of coastal aquatic resources. 

These include the following: "The Río de la Plata: Research for Management of the Environment, Fishing Resources and Fishing on the Saline Front", " An experience in integrated coastal management. Ecoplata Program 1999-2001", "An integrated coastal zone management experience. The Pilot Areas of the Ecoplata Program 1999-2001. Summary Document"; "International Ecoplata Conference 2001: Integrated Management of the Uruguayan Coastal Zone of the Rio de la Plata"

Ecoplata is a project financed by the IDRC, the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Order and the Environment (MVOTMA) and the United Nations Program for Development (PNUD), and it also has support from the United Nations Organization for Science, Education and Culture (UNESCO).

For further information write to ecoplata@adinet.com.uy

Information Dissemination

Nancy Matus has written to us. She directed the project in the Pudahuel community, Santiago de Chile, called "Community Strategies and Ecosystems for the Evaluation of Water Quality in Municipalities in Latin America and the Caribbean", which was convened and financed by IDRC. She has told us what is being done to disseminate project's results.

The partial and/or final results of this project have been presented at the following events:

2001 - XIV Interamerican Congress on Sanitary and Environmental Engineering: "With our feet on the ground".
2001 - III Meeting of the Waters, "Water, Life and Development", the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Public Works in Chile, and the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in October, in Santiago, Chile.
2002 - Seventh Scientific Meeting on the Environment (CIPMA).

For further information visit: http://archive.idrc.ca/lacro/bioensayos/ or write to nmatus@uolmail.com

Competitive funds, fellowships, contests and vacancies

Fondo Mink'a de Chorlavi - 2002 Call for Proposals 

The Fondo Mink'a de Chorlavi summons public and public organizations interested in rural issues in Latin America to participate in the 2002 Call for Proposals. The subject of the bid is "Systematization of Rural Territorial Experiences." Proposals must be action-research or research projects applied to development. The Fund will allocate an amount of approximately US$ 200,000 among ten projects. 

The Fondo Mink'a de Chorlavi has the sponsorship of the Grupo Chorlavi and IDRC.

For further information visit http://www.FondoMinkaChorlavi.org

Deadline for applications: September 15, 2002
 

Other Awards announced in our May issue:

1) Use of Fertility enhancing food, forage and cover crops in sustainably managed agroecosystems: The Bentley Fellowship. Deadline for submissions: October 2, 2002. Further information at: http://archive.idrc.ca/awards/ebentinf.html

2) IDRC Internship Awards. Deadline for submission of applications: September 12, 2002 Further information at: http://archive.idrc.ca/awards/ecintrn.html

New IDRC approved projects

IDRC has approved the following projects in the LAC Region:

• 101322 Employment Policy in an Open Economy: Paraguay 

• 101342 Focused Research on Indigenous Peoples,Extractive Industries and the World Bank

• 101383 Engaging Civil Society Organizations in Information and Communication Technology Policy - Formulation and Implementation (Brazil)

• 101386 Latin American and Caribbean Social Movements and the Internet (ALAI II)

• 101390 Digital Inclusion: Telecentre Network in LAC-II

• 101393 LAC Civil Society Consultative Network for WSIS.

• 101395 APC Communication Prizes (global)

• 101492 Rural Sustainable Agroindustries: documenting research results (CONDESAN)

The database has more than 7000 records containing information of all projects financed by IDRC in the last 30 years. Searches can be done by title, country, institution and will result in an abstract with basic information of the research study and links to related documents (some of them in full text).

The database has been updated with information up to December 2000. It can be accessed at
http://idrinfo.idrc.ca/

New IDRC publications

"Publications resulting from IDRC funding (full text)

•  "Management of innovation in SMEs run by women: the Argentine case", Novick, M., Yoguel, G., Malet Quintar, N., Marín, A., Rabetino, R. IDRC PROJECT: 050278. http://idrinfo.idrc.ca/archive/corpdocs/115807/FinalReport.doc

• "Micro, small and medium-sized companies in Peru: analysis of the clothing, metal-mechanical and computer services sectors; final narrative report", Saavedra, J. , Robles, M., Torero, M. , Valdivia, N., Chacaltana, J. IDRC PROJECT: 100061. http://idrinfo.idrc.ca/archive/corpdocs/117221/100061.doc

Other Publications:

• "Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development in South America", CIPMA/IDRC/IIPM. The MMSD South America Project was carried out by a team of some 25 people from 6 countries, over nearly a year of work. It focused on the development of a participative process which involved more than 700 people in the five focal countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. This publication is the final version of the regional report, and is available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. For further information visit: http://www.mmsd-la.org/informes/index.html  or write to info@mmsd-la.org

• "Letter to Aunt Ofelia: Seven Proposals for Human Development Using New Information and Communication Technologies" by Ricardo Gómez and Benjamín Casadiego. http://archive.idrc.ca/pan/ricardo/publications/ofelia_eng.htm

• "Challenges and Strategies for Implementing the Ecosystem Approach to Human Health in Developing Countries: reflections from Regional Consultations" IDRC/UNEP http://archive.idrc.ca/lacro/docs/conferencias/ecosalud.html

IDRC Publications:

• "Finance and Competitiveness in Developing Countries" edited by José María Fanelli y Rohinton Medhora.  

• "Organizational Evaluation: A framework for improving performance" by Charles Lusthaus, Marie-Hélène Adrien, Gary Anderson, Fred Carden, and George Plinio Montalván.   

• "Building Businesses with Small Producers: Successful Business Development in Africa, Asia and Latin America" by Sunita Kapila and Donald Mead.

Evaluation Activities:

October 2002 saw the publication of the Spanish-language version of the manual developed by IDRC's Evaluation Unit for the planning, follow up and evaluation of development projects, "Outcome Mapping: Building Learning and Reflection into Development Programs" by Sarah Earl, Fred Carden, y Terry Smutylo

For further information visit http://archive.idrc.ca/booktique/

Conferences

International Forum on Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health

The International Forum will take place in Montreal, Canada , 18-23 May 2003 and it's goal is to provide a platform for a discussion of the ecosystem approach to human health, the evidence from the field, and the relevance of the approach to improving health and well-being. The Forum offers the opportunity for researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, and civil society representatives from around the world to share knowledge, and for institutions to consider strategies for a way forward Forum themes will be: definition and conceptualization; successes and challenges through case-studies; links between research results and policy development; and institutionalization of Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health research and practices.

For further information visit the Forum webpage at http://www.idrc.ca/forum2003/ or write to forum2003@idrc.ca
 

Third Sub-Regional Forum on Leadership in Health

With the help of the Mexican Foundation for Health (FUNSALUD) and the International Development Bank, IDRC will co-organize the "Third Sub-Regional Forum on Leadership in Health", which will take place in Buenos Aires at the university institute ISALUD during the last week of October 2002. The proposal put forward by IDRC was selected by FUNSALUD and the International Development Bank, and is directed at high ministerial authorities and other relevant actors in the process of sectorial reform in the Southern Cone. This forum aims to collaborate on the thinking and promotion of regional capacities to develop policies under the principles of equity, effectiveness, quality, efficiency, sustainability and social participation. In particular there will be a review of changes in financing and in the rendering of services (decentralization, public-private mixes), and the promotion of mechanisms which favor the governance and the construction of spaces for participation by citizens and articulation between the State and civil society in the management of health in the Southern Cone countries.

ICA Consultation Meeting in the Caribbean

The "Roundtable on ICTs in the Caribbean" will be held in Barbados on 25 to 27 September 2002. This meeting is being organized by the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) in association with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The objectives are to bring together regional high level experts in the field of connectivity and ICTs (which are active in the area of the ICTs in the private sector, the government sector, civil society organizations and the applied research sectors, so that they may contribute to developing the strategic planning of the the ICA.

For further information see: http://www.icamericas.net
 

International Forum Rethinking the City

The international Forum took place in Montreal on 27 June 2002 and gathered a large number of high-level policy makers and business representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean Canada and Italy. The event provided a good platform for speakers, mostly local governments and the private sector, to openly express and then illustrate their views regarding local governance, focussing on the interaction of public and private sectors.

Federico Burone, IDRC Regional Director opened the event and gave the floor to the plenary session discussions. All participants proposed creative and original ideas from different angles on the environmental approach and local sustainable development regarding the public-private partnership in the cities.  The event gathered a significant audience (around 80) participants including consultancy companies, students, and civil society) attracted by the speakers' highly qualified level. 

On the framework of this Forum, the EMS proposes the creation of an international council (Canadian-LAC-Italian) for the promotion of the multi-stakeholder committee for local sustainable development formed by local government associations, the private sector, research centres, financial
institutions and civil society. 

For further information visit: http://www.ems-sema.org/eventos/montreal/index_i.html

Seminar "The Mining Policy Research Initiative: looking to the future"

On June 13, 2002 MPRI hosted in IDRC Ottawa premises the seminar "Mining Policy Research Initiave: looking to the Future" . The seminar agenda included a brief review of the lessons learned through various projects supported or coordinated by MPRI, followed by a panel of researchers working with MPRI funded projects and members of the Advisory Group. Following the floor was opened to questions.

For further information visit http://www.idrc.ca/mpri/ or write to mpri@idrc.org.uy

Document(s) 8 of 11