Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bishop Tatik Samuel Ruiz Garcia (1924-2011)
Samuel Ruiz, who was one of the founder of liberation theology in Latin American along with his friend Mons. Romero in El Salvador, contributed largely to dialogue between Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) and the Mexican Government. He also presided over the funeral of 45 members of the civil society group Las Abejas after the 1997 massacre in Acteal.
In 1996, Ruiz was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award and the Simón Bolívar International Prize from UNESCO in 2000 due to his efforts to fight poverty, exclusion, corruption, violence and for his help in the mutual understanding of Latin Americans.
Here is a nice Memoriam (in spanish) summarizing the impact that Tatic Samuel Ruiz had in Chiapas, the Catholic Church and the inspiration that he gave all of us who work for human rights and indigenous dignity. Samuel, like the martires of Acteal is still alive in the work of the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights center and in the many lives and leaders her has inspired in his work and presence. Thank you, gracias, kolabal Tatik!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Keepers of the Earth in Chiapas
The Maya indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico are "pueblos de Mais", peoples of the corn. Their existence, struggle for a life with dignity and their ancient message to balance our communities with Mather Earth is clearly linked to their land. The economic, political, social and cultural rights as indigenous people cannot be recognized or fully understood without the recognition of their rights to their land.
Watch this clip for the work in progress documentary Keepers of the Earth. Keepers of the Earth is an inside look at the battle over transforming the earth’s dwindling biodiversity into sustainable development. As the threat of environmental catastrophe mounts, biodiversity gains more and more traction as a hot commodity. Mexico is a mega-diverse country and keenly aware of the potential to turn green plants into green dollars.
Keepers of the Earth uncovers the battle between environmentalists and indigenous tribes for Mexico's greatest natural wonder, the Lacandon Jungle. At the upcoming 2010 UN Climate Talks, will the rainforest be saved or will people fighting for survival win back their land.
Read more here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1674707503/keepers-of-the-earth-a-feature-documentary
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Refocus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
There has been lots of speculations, research, achievements and setbacks in the Millennium Campaign and the MDGs. These simple goals and their specific targets are a simple road map for poverty reduction and sustainable development worldwide.
They are a reminder that this generation can (and should) end poverty. We know what it works. We have the technical capacity, intellectual knowledge and the financial resources to make it possible having a world without extreme poverty. We need to realize that, as U2’s Bono observes “The destinies of the halves are intrinsically linked to the fates of the have-nothing-at-alls.” Dr. Jeffrey Sachs reminds us that our generation can choose to end extreme poverty by 2025. Every year, eight million people die because they are too poor to survive. Every morning, more than 20,000 people perish because of extreme poverty.1 Every three seconds a child dies of extreme poverty. The poor themselves can create a poverty-free world – all be have to do is to free them from the chains that we put around them and create partnerships for global solidarity. The MDGs are one of those concrete steps that we can talk to make a difference for the future of our world.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been very active in the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for Development.
"Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. They provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy." (UNDP)
The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators.
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger-
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education 
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
United Nations Millennium Campaign | Facebook
Millennium Campaign - White Bands
STAND UP 2010 | Stand Against Poverty
Millennium Campaign - White Bands
DePaul University and the MDGs
Useful International Development Links
Action Without Borders (Idealist.org)
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
Arab Gulf Programs for UN Development Organizations (AGFUND)
Associates for International Resources and Development (AIRD)
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
Black Sea Trade and Development Bank
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Computers & Networks in International Development
Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP)
Country Studies / Country Profiles (Library of Congress)
Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)
Demography & Population Studies
Development Links by Topics/Subject Area
Development Research Reporting Service (ID21)
Directory of Development Organizations
Enterprise Development Website (ENTERWeb)
Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
French Agency for Development (Agence française de développement)
Frontline of Digital Development
Geneva International Forum: Development
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)
Glossary of International Development Terms
Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA)
Information Systems for International Development
Institute of Development Studies
InterAction - Coalition of Relief, Development & Refugee Agencies
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
International Agencies and Information on the Web
International Center for Research on Women
International Executive Service Corps (IESC)
International Food Policy Research Institute
International Institute for Sustainable Development
International Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Organization and NGO Web Sites
International Service Agencies
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Journal of Humanitarian Assistance
Latin America Development Resources
Latin America Development Statistics
Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)
Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
Millennium Development Goals Indicators
New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID)
NGO and International Cooperation Resources
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
Official Sites of Foreign Governments
Oneworld.net - Guides, Topics and Regions
Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD)
Overseas Development Institute
Palestinian Refugee ResearchNet
PRAXIS: Resources for Social & Economic Development
Robinson Rojas Archive - Globalization, Poverty, Development, Sustainability
Society for International Development (SID)
Sustainable Development Gateway
Swedish International Development Coorperation Agency (SIDA)
Swiss Alliance of Development Organizations (Alliance Sud)
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
U.S. State Department Background Notes
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Virtual Library on International Development
Women in Development Network (WIDNET)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Mistery of Capital among Indigenous People
The Mystery of Capital among the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon from ILD on Vimeo.
This documentary follows the well known thesis of economist Hernando de Soto that ordinary, mostly poor property owners and entrepreneurs remain marginalized as long as they are deprived of three legal institutions essential for the creation of wealth:
* Fungible property rights to maximize the economic use of assets.
* Organizational forms to increase the productivity of enterprises.
* Identity devices to allow entrepreneurs to operate in expanded markets.
The ILD provides technical assistance to help governments furnish their citizens with these fundamental legal tools to participate in both local and international markets.
Read more at http://www.ild.org.pe
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Chiapanecan Women Struggle for Equality and Dignity
While in Chiapas I became deeply aware of the notions of respect and dignity. The indigenous concept of "making one's soul arrive," meaning to learn the value of hard work, of being humble and respectful, while complementing one's spouse, and serving the community, resonated with me. (Eber, 10, 12). Ideally, this focus on respect would also lead to harmonious relationships that emphasize equality between the sexes. However, complex socio-political, legal, and economic dynamics have created a reality that is far from ideal.In this reality, women in Chiapas suffer high rates of maternal death, and experience domestic violence at extremely high levels. The ongoing political violence adds to their suffering, as highlighted by the massacre in Acteal, Chenalho, on December 22, 1997, by members of the "Red Mask" paramilitary force. Of the 45 slain people, 18 were women, 5 of whom were pregnant, and 15 were children.
Indigenous women in Chiapas are incorporating gender into their analyses of oppression, and demanding that not only the state, but also their communities give them the right to preserve their identity, and their distinct cultural heritage, while simultaneously changing those aspects of the culture or traditions that oppresses or excludes them. (Eber, 16). This courageous stand for respect and self-determination has propelled women's leadership in Chiapas, and has the ability to transform communities, as evidenced in particular by women's participation and leadership within the Zapatista movement.
While visiting women-led cooperatives, meeting with experts, and by observing the positions women in communities that we visited, I was struck by what Paul Farmer refers to as "hopeful resistance in the face of struggles of biblical proportions." The women in Chiapas realize that they must work in a unified manner with the men in their communities against the economic and political forces that continue to subjugate, and pillage from them. Yet, before they get to this point, they must first demand respect and equality within their homes, and communities. Without this level of self-determination, they cannot fully participate in shaping the collective destinies of their communities.
It was exciting to observe this process, and all that has been achieved thus far, despite the historical context of multiple oppressions. Indigenous communities in Mexico and elsewhere, have a rich history of resistance, fuelled by their convictions, strong traditions, and culture, and as Christine Eber points out, because of the emphasis placed on "complementarity," in Chiapaneco cultures, women and men traditionally have fairly equal status.
Gender equality is a key component of sustainable development because the concepts of freedom, justice, and equitable power sharing are important not only for social development but for political and economic development as well. Collectivist, people-centered societies like the ones in Chiapas, with existing democratic ideas of power sharing, respect and dignity, have the ability to transform themselves.
Sources:
Amartya Sen, "Development as Freedom." Random House, 1999
Christine Eber, Indigenous Women's Power and Autonomy in San Pedro, Chenalho, Chiapas (1980-1998), Sage Publications, 1999
http://www.ddhhmujerchiapas.org
Posted by Neha Gill