European InternetWorking for Development: EC-funded Euforic project starts in 2009

In 2009, Euforic starts a new project co-financed with the European Commission (EuropeAid), ICCO and other partners. The action is funded for three years in response to a call for proposals on actions supporting 'Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development - Coordination, Cooperation and Networking Activities in Europe.'

The project particularly focuses on the use of social media (see recent projects) by Euforic and its members - particularly in opening up the reporting of meetings and helping information to travel.

The project is led by Euforic and ICCO, with close involvement of other members and partners of Euforic.

The project intends that:

• Euforic members successfully use the Internet to enhance the impact of face to face events they organize to exchange information and experience to advocate and influence policies, or to communicate with wider publics;
• European non-state actors in development commonly and effectively use low cost online social networking tools to collaborate and communicate and that they are supported by a virtual community of specialist-users within their networks.

The project has four components:

1. F2F+ (Face to Face plus) – Through the project, we will help ensure that at least nine significant face-to-face multi-stakeholder events on issues relevant to EU development policies reach virtual audiences at least 10 times the actual number of face-to-face participants.

2. Web2ToT (Web 2 Training of Trainers) – Through the project, at least 50 organizations (both Non-State Actors and Local Authorities) particularly in New Member States will be enabled to actively use free or low cost Internet tools and services to enhance how they create, exchange and communicate knowledge and how they engage in intra-network and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

3. KnowHow2Share – Through the project, Euforic and its ‘network’ members will use social networking tools strategically, having developed new, cross-sectoral network relations.

4. REACT - Through the project, we will compile and disseminate action research findings on the use of Internet and web2 in networking for development among actors in Europe.

The project will be formally launched in April 2009.

More:

• list of Euforic members
• newsfeed on civil society in development
• newsfeed on information, communication and networking in development
• newsfeed on Europe's international cooperation
• European Communicators on Cooperation, Relief and Development blog

Workshop: Working with Wiki's in Development Organizations - 13 February 2009

More and more development organizations are turning to wikis and other social tools to better communicate, document and share knowledge, collaborate, and exchange information.

Wiki’s are one of the most-used examples and are widely used in the ICCO Alliance ComPart initiative, by Euforic members, and others.

This knowledge sharing session capitalizes on the presence of David Weekly (founder and CEO of PBwiki) and other partners to share lessons and experiences, exploring how wiki’s are contributing to more effective development exchange.

When: Friday, February 13, 2009 from 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Where: ICCO - Joseph Haydnlaan 2a, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Provisonal Agenda
14:00 Welcome from ICCO

14:15 ComPart PBWiki supports knowledge sharing in ICCO

14:45 Using PBWiki across the Euforic network

15:15 Presentations

15:45 Pause

15:50 David Weekly (www.davidweekly.org)

16:30 Open Discussion

17:00 Informal networking and ‘Borrel’

Please follow this link to register to this event

See also the web2share wiki and the Euforic newsfeed on web2 and npk4dev

ComPart at ICCO: Update

In July, we provided an update on the learning and knowledge sharing project at the ICCO Alliance.

Recent posts on the ComPart Learning Blog give a sense of progress and plans.

Update on ICCO's knowledge sharing with partners project

In early 2007, ICCO and partners in its alliance launched an ambitious project to encourage communication and knowledge sharing to enhance learning and development effectiveness. The project has grown into its own identity - ComPart, or 'communication with partners.' The project aims to blend a set of communication tools with ongoing organizational changes, engaging partners across and Alliance and in the South in open learning environments.

In May and June we brought some people together to review progress and discuss plans and priorities. We started with a meeting of ComPart activists within the ICCO Alliance (read a report). We followed this 'internal' discussion with a 2-day workshop in Lisbon (coinciding with KM4Dev) where we met with potential partners in developing countries. Maarten Boers of ICCO reflects on the first and second days discussions.

Soon after, at the Euforic annual meeting, Maarten gave a brief presentation on the ComPart approach. Check out his presentation, and a short video interview.

Visit the ComPart wiki

See the joint ICCO/euforic 'web2share' support wiki with information on the tools being used.

A new way of working and thinking: the ComPart flowers

During the Euforic/EADI case study workshop ‘Showcasing knowledge and information services’ Maarten Boers (ICCO) presented the ComPart flower project.

| View | Upload your own

ComPart - Communication with and among partners - aims at introducing a new way of working and a new way of thinking in ICCO and among ICCO partners. This way of working is based on the use of 'new' web tools, such as blogs and wikis; however, the innovative element of ComPart is to mainstream information, communication and knowledge sharing, and embed these activities into the work of the different ICCO programmes. By fostering collaboration and co-creation, ComPart aims also at addressing the needs of ICCO in its process to become a decentralised organisation working with thematic learning networks.

Listen to Maarten presenting ComPart



Read more stories from the workshop

See the Euforic dossier and the feed on Information, Knowledge and Communication.

See also the newsfeed from ICCO-Alliance

Global Perspectives focus on Japan-Africa Relations

The June issue of the magazine 'Global Perspectives' focuses on the recent Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).

According to Ramesh Jaura (IPS), who reported from the conference, Japan's priorities in Africa are to boost economic growth, ensure human security and give attention to environmental and climate issues.

Civil society organisations criticized the weak participation of NGOs in this African-Japanese dialogue. It was the first time in a 15 years long history that a Civil Society Forum took place during the conference. However only a few NGO representatives were allowed to contribute directly to panel discussions.

Furthermore, Japanese civil society criticized the government's focus on economic growth by provision of new loans instead of explicitly targeting the MDGs. NGO's called on the government to assume leadership in the light of the upcoming G8 summit in July.

In an opinion article Mario Lubetkin (IPS) talks about the role of the media in global discussions on climate change:

“That which has been achieved is without doubt attributable to the members of the scientific community who, cast at the beginning in the undesirable role of prophets of calamity, were able to explain, convince, and orient the public and the media in particular.”

However he calls on the international media to assume a proactive role in the fight against climate change. For developing countries, the media should explain the connection between environmental sustainability and the fight against poverty and hunger.

Also in this issue is an article by Els Hortensisu (ICCO) on progress in women's rights protection in Latin America and an article by Thalif Deen (IPS) on the UN Food Summit in Rome.

Global Perspectives is a bi-lingual (English/German) publication by IPS Europe. It releases monthly editions on various themes of international cooperation and development and is available for free download.

See also Euforic newsfeed on IPS Europe.

by Martin Behrens

Civil society and aid effectiveness

On June 5, 2008 ICCO, in collaboration with Cordaid, Hivos, Oxfam Novib, SNV and Partos, will organise in The Hague the conference "The Missing Link: on the role of civil society in the Paris Declaration on Aid effectiveness".

In the run up to the High Level Meeting on the review of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (Accra 2-4 September) civil society organisations want to stimulate the debate on aid effectiveness. The Paris Declaration is more than a technical instrument, for better aid delivery political issues as ownership, accountability and participation have to be tackled.

CSOs have criticised the Paris Declaration for neglecting political problems. The conference will discuss the main CSO criticism on the Paris Declaration and formulate recommendations towards politicians and policy makers on strengthening aid effectiveness by integrating civil society in designing, delivering and monitoring poverty reduction policies.

This expert meeting is aimed at policy makers, politicians, academics and interested audience from the development sector. The recommendations will contribute to the preparation of the High Level Forum and the Accra Action Agenda. One of the recommendations will focus on the improvement of civil societies’ own aid effectiveness.

Download the Agenda / For more information and registration contact Wil van Dalen via e-mail

Check Euforic's newsfeed on aid effectiveness

Web2Share: web2 guide for development organizations

Looking for an introduction to a new service on the web, and a guide on how to use it in your organisation? The new web2share site may be the answer.

A reference site for Euforic members and ICCO partners, the site has videos, presentations and a list of resources for various web2 services. The advantage of the site over a general guide is its examples from the development sector.

The screenshot shows a typical profile for the web2 services featured. Each section describes a service, with an introductory video or slideshow, a brief description and a set of resources and examples of the use of the service for development and international cooperation.

The reference site is integrated with the internal platforms of some of our members - currently these are available for ICCO through its ComPart 'flowers'.

The training site euforicweb continues and is integrated with the web2share site, offering exercises and 'training spaces' for euforic members and partners.

Other members can take advantage of the resources in web2share and backlinks to their intranets and sites can be included on request.

If you wish to join in further developing this site, please email us [info(AT)euforic.org].

See also Euforic newsfeed and dossier on web2.

Euforic web2share events in 2007

During 2007, Euforic greatly increased its 'web2share' training and awarenes activities. As well as the annual two-day event in Maastricht (with ECDPM), we held joint workshops with several of our members: CONCORD and CIDSE in Brussels, and a two day session with EADI in Bonn. We also provided a series of training sessions within organizations including NORAD (Norway), DCISM and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Denmark, ISS, ICCO, the Bernard van Leer Foundation and ECDPM in the Netherlands, and CIDSE in Belgium.

The modular approach continued to be popular; we generally offer 3 modules:

• A lunchtime awareness session (normally 1-1hr 30mins), covering the key elements of web2 and examples of its use in the international development sector;


• A one day session (10am - 4pm), popular for NGO information managers wanting to get a complete overview with some hands-on;


• Two days training course; in depth practical exploration of blogs, feeds, calendars, social bookmarking and wikis. Feed management, publishing and statistics are also covered.

Stay up-to-date with these activities! Subscribe to our web2 newsfeed, see our web2 dossier, check out the web2share wiki.

Read more related posts on this blog.

Web 2.0 at ICCO: Maarten Boers

Reflecting on the use of web 2.0 applications at ICCO, Maarten Boers explains the possibilities these new applications are opening for the ICCO Alliance and its partners.

Click to Play

In particular, according to Maarten, the wiki environment offers great advantages for learning and knowledge sharing activities, making possible and fostering a two way dialogue and communication between ICCO and its partners worldwide.

Listen to more web2voices at euforic2.pbwiki.com/feedback

See also Euforic dossier on web2

See more web 2.0 stories on the Euforic blog

Euforic supports ICCO Knowledge and Learning Networks

The words knowledge, learning and networking are used on nearly every page in the ICCO Alliance new business plan. The plan envisages a renewed and transformed ICCO in which the organization and other partners become a global alliance with decentralized operations across the world. It is expected that many activities will be designed and managed through regional ‘councils’ in developing regions and that some activities now managed in the Netherlands will be based in the South. This change poses a series of significant information, knowledge-sharing and communication challenges to the alliance, particularly to enhance internal and ‘network’ capacities in these areas.

In February 2007, ICCO contracted Euforic to help it tackle two main challenges:

1. To enhance the strategic information, knowledge and communication capacities of ICCO alliance partners in the South – so they can operate more effectively in a networked environment, contribute on an equal basis to ICCO alliance supported programs and projects, and learn from and share their experiences more effectively.

2. To support the same capabilities of ICCO alliance staff and programs in the Netherlands – so they can contribute to the learning and capacity building elements of the new business plan and can interact effectively with external partners and allies.

The ‘internal’ component of this four-year project started in early 2007 and will run through to mid 2008. The main ‘south’ component will be developed with a group of partner organizations and allies that will share knowledge and learning through thematic information exchange networks; a smaller group of ‘enabling’ partners in the South will provide specialist information, knowledge and communication support to the ICCO alliance partners as they move to a more networked environment.

By mid 2007, the project is taking shape: A learning platform has been established, built on open and low costs web applications. Known as ‘ComPart’, it helps Alliance staff document, publish, and share information. The ‘system’ brings together wiki’s, blogs, social bookmarks, RSS feeds, discussion groups, and more. Later this year, learning facilitators and other interested staff will get trained in this evolving social web…

See news from the ICCO alliance

See the ComPart wiki

Communicating development on the 'new' web

Ten years ago in 1997, a group of organisations got together to establish Euforic as a platform to share information on international cooperation activities involving Europe. We decided to use a new tool called the 'world wide web' that was just getting going. The founding members of the cooperative were the ACP Secretariat, APRODEV, EUROSTEP, CIDSE, CLONG (now CONCORD), and ECDPM.

Our starting point was the need to create information and share facilities and spaces where 'we' would feel comfortable and where our efforts could be made visible and be shared. In the beginning, we spent much effort building up our first web sites. We were joined by other like-minded groups such as CIDOB, CTA, EADI, ICCO, IDS, IPS Europe, ODI, OEFSE, and others.

Nowadays, of course, we all have our own web sites and portals and we increasingly use a growing number of Internet-based tools to communicate and share what we do and forge collaborations. Keeping up with the crowd is, however, still a challenge; as is keeping abreast of technical opportunities that can help us do our jobs more effectively.

At Euforic, therefore, we concentrate on a couple of main activities.

First, with our members and other partners we bring together and re-disseminate information on international cooperation. We offer a kind of news and research alerting and library service on different issues, themes, and countries. This mixes up different sources and perspectives and has a European 'flavour'. We provide content in several languages and are one of a very few initiatives to have completely bilingual French and English services. We don't collect all information together, but we signpost where it will probably be.

In doing this, we use a mix of approaches and tools, including new things like blogs, wikis, newsfeeds, social bookmarks, and dgroups, as well as collective calendars and search tools. These allow us to much more efficiently, and at very low cost, track, present, and share information on different themes and countries. It also allows readers of this Flash, for instance, to sign up to information alerts or publish our news on their own web sites, and, by using similar tools, to automatically and seamlessly get their own information into Euforic and other similar services. Follow the 'rss feeds' link on our web site to see the issues we cover and how to sign up for free.

Second, we work with our members and others to enhance their information, knowledge sharing and communication capacities. Precisely by working together we can share lessons and approaches we learned and collectively build much more intelligent ways to share information and communicate about development. This mainly involves running awareness and training events, in March with CONCORD for example, and working intensively with some organisations on their own approaches and tools. We will focus on some of these issues in more depth at the Euforic Annual Meeting in Brussels on 5 and 6 June.

There is much talk in Europe of issues like coordination, coherence, effectiveness, and partnership; we believe these processes are only possible when the organisations and people involved are well informed and can effectively communicate their views.

We are excited that CONCORD will rejoin Euforic and we look forward to working with the Secretariat and other CONCORD members to build a cooperative Europe-wide communication platform on development issues. We are also keen to find partners and collaborators to improve our collective work.

Peter Ballantyne, Euforic Director

Source: CONCORD Flash - March 2007.

See also Euforic dossier on information, knowledge, communication.

Knowledge and Information Sharing Strategies in Dutch Development

On 21 March 2007, Euforic with WOTRO organized a half-day workshop on Knowledge and Information Sharing Strategies in Dutch development organizations.

For the host organization, Cora Govers introduced the work of WOTRO - Mobilizing knowledge at the interface of science, policy and practice; Sarah Cummings talked about the KM4D Journal, the IKM Emergent research proposal, and Dgroups as examples of a development 'polder model' bringing policymakers, researchers and practitioners together in knoweldge sharing partnerships.

Thereafter, four major actors in Dutch development shared some perspectives on their knowledge and information plans.

Julie Ferguson talked about the knowledge-based programming of Hivos, 2007-2010. Under the banner 'knowledge entrepreneurship', Hivos has developed a knowledge 'integrating' strategy that will prioritize knowledge development through research, knowledge sharing through linking and sharing, knowledge leveraging for lobby and advocacy, and knowledge application through spaces for reflection and learning. These activities will be focused on in-depth programmes focused on themes like civil society building in closed societies, freedom of expression, fundamentalism and democratic pluralism, and civil society building strategies.

Maarten Boers introduced the plans for knowledge sharing and learning of the ICCO Alliance capacity building programme. The plans are based around learning networks on different themes - such as peacebuilding, religion and development, food security - in which the knowledge of different partners will be mobilized and applied to development problems.

Kathelijn Hendrikse updated participants on Cordaid's new partner-oriented information sharing portal. This has multiple objectives, such as: To strengthen relationships between Cordaid partners and to create new ones, to exchange knowledge, lessons learned and practices, to keep Cordaid partners well informed about conferences, events, workshops, and news, and to create a platform for Cordaid related initiatives and information. The first testing phase is now almost complete and 75 partner organizations will soon be invited to test the platform. Some challenges identified by Kathelijn included: initiating thematic discussions, dealing with delicate subjects, getting partner organisations enthusiastic about the tool, and the complexity of the target group.

Finally, Ingeborg Denissen introduced efforts by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use knowledge and research effectively in efforts to combat poverty and bring about sustainable development. The issues are seen in a 'systems approach' that considers that knowledge relevant to poverty reduction (PR) and sustainable development (SD) is "not automatically generated and applied"; that PR and SD are promoted by "knowledge development and interactive learning within networks"; and that research is seen in "combination with other forms of knowledge acquisition." Two important instruments are the 'IS Academy' that promotes relations between research and policy makers; and the Ministry's 'Chief Scientist' who acts as an overall champion for knowledge management activities in the ministry.

After the plenary session, participants gathered in participatory 'world cafe' style groups - facilitated by Lucie Lamoureux - to discuss issues raised by colleagues attending from Stop AIDS Now (Adolfo Lopez), IICD (Joitske Hulsebosch), Bernard van Leer Foundation (Reinhard Skinner and Vera van der Grift), PSO (Bram Langen), and ECDPM (Niels Keijzer).

See also the Euforic dossier on information, knowledge, communication.

by Peter Ballantyne

NGOs denounce EU pressure over new African Trade deals

An informal coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations including 11-11-11, ActionAid International, Oxfam International, and Enda today called on the European Commission to stop pressuring Africa to agree new trade relationships by the end of the year, warning that the current proposals would have very damaging implications for development.

The NGO warning follows a meeting of UN experts, African trade ministers, and civil society representatives in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday, in which a review of EPAs was discussed.

The review, carried out by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and endorsed by the African Union Trade Ministers, concludes that none of the four African regions have sufficient information or are adequately prepared to finalise deals in time for the official deadline of 31 December 2007. It also raises strong concerns about the capacity of developing countries to implement EPAs and highlights an 'alarming lack of transparency' in the negotiations.

Despite the clearly articulated concerns of African negotiators and observers on content and process, and a stated commitment that no country would be compelled to sign an EPA, the European Commission has been playing hardball over recent weeks, refusing to grant extra time, and issuing warnings about the negative results of not signing.

For example, West African and Central African negotiators were told last week by EU Commissioners, Peter Mandelson and Louis Michel that higher import duties would be re-imposed if EPAs were not concluded by 31 December 2007. In addition, promises of aid are being made conditional on the agreement of an EPA.

"This is tantamount to blackmail", said Bibiane Mbaye of Enda. "The EU has committed to ensuring that alternatives to EPAs are discussed, and that no country will be compelled to sign. However, now they are using the looming deadline to force countries into agreements that could be economically devastating".

"The implication is that there are no other alternatives, but this is not the case," said Luis Morago of Oxfam International. "What is lacking is political will from the EU. Instead of actively seeking ways to extend the deadline and ensure development-friendly deals, they are turning the screws on the African countries, and pushing them into agreements that will hurt poor farmers and undermine future industrial development."

"The EC is trying to sidestep a 'real' development deal by bullying ACP countries with threats of higher import duties", said Mariano Iossa of ActionAid "However, the Cotonou agreement clearly states that no ACP country should be worse off as a result of the negotiations".

The coalition believes:

• Member States should pay more attention to the un-transparent way in which EPAs are being negotiated and the potentially negative impacts for development
  
  
• Member States should ensure that the Commission extends trade preferences at the end of 2007 if EPA negotiations have not been concluded
  
  
• Member States should ensure countries have sufficient information on the impact of an EPA to make an informed and pro-development decision and that alternatives to EPAs are fully explored

Signed by: 11-11-11, ActionAid International, Bread for the World, Church Development Service (EED), Danish Association for International Cooperation, Enda, Finnish NGDO platform to the EU, FinnChurchAid Finland, Friends of the Earth Finland, IBIS – Education for Development, Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO), KOSA (Coordination Southern Africa), Oxfam International, SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations), Tearfund, Traidcraft, World Economy, Ecology & Development (WEED), World Rural Forum

For more information, please contact one of the following spokespeople:

• Marc Maes, 11.11.11, Brussels, (Dutch, French, English), marc.maes@11.be, +32 497 600 442
  
  
• Luis Morago, Oxfam International, Brussels, (Spanish, English), luis.morago@oxfaminternational.org, +3225021941
  
  
• Mme Bibiane Mbaye, Enda, syspro2@enda.sn, 00 221 821 70 37
  
  
• Sophie Powell, Trade Policy Adviser, Traidcraft, sophiep@traidcraft.org.uk, +44 20 7242 3955
  
  
• Mariano Iossa, ActionAid, Brussels, (English, Spanish, French and Italian), Mariano.iossa@actionaid.org; +32 484 374236
  
  
• Alexandra Burmann, Bread for the World and Church Development Service, (German, English), epa2007@bfdw-eed.de, +49 160 - 720 58 52

Source: ActionAid International press release

See also europafrica.org and Euforic dossiers on ACP trade, ACP-EU cooperation, Africa.

ICCO and APRODEV at the WSF 2007

ICCO will be present at the 2007 World Social Forum together with other APRODEV members, such as Christian Aid (UK), EED (Germany), DanChurchAid (Denmark), Norwegian Church Aid (Norway) and Bread for the World (Germany).

In Nairobi, ICCO and its partners, linking up with other members of the Human Dignity and Human Rights Caucus (HDHRC), will organize more than eighty seminars, workshops, panel-discussions and cultural events on human rights matters. ICCO and APRODEV will focus their efforts on gender equality, agri-trade issues and EPA negotiations.

The workshops will take place on 22 January, 2007.

Source: ICCO.