VDIC NEWSLETTER
February 2007

Vietnam Development Information Center

Ground floor, 63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi

Tel: (84-4) 934 6845

Fax: (84-4) 934 6847

Email: info@vdic.org.vn

Web site: www.vdic.org.vn

 

Opening hours:

Monday through Friday

8am12pm

1pm5:30pm

CONTENTS

VDIC News

Library

Selected new publications for sale at VDIC

Distance Learning Center events in January 2007

Funding Opportunities

 

VDIC News

 

Free training sessions provided by VDIC

 

Location:        VDIC, Ground Floor, 63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi

IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR PARTICIPANTS: Please read the course materials available online at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=339&mid=322&cmid=361 before attending the class. It is useful to take them to the class for additional notes since we do not provide participants with printed course materials.

 “Searching the Internet” class

Date:              February 6, 2007 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

Aims:              After the workshop, participants should: (i) have a better understanding of information-finding possibilities on the Internet (ii) have a broad overview of different search tools (iii) be able to phrase search queries effectively.

 

“Referencing skills” class

Date:              February 7, 2007 -- Time: 10:00am to 12:00am

Aims:              After the workshop, participants should know how to: (i) manage their references (ii) cite the references appropriately (iii) create a reference list or bibliography.

 

Everyone is welcome - please visit the VDIC to sign up at the front desk, or send an email to nvu2@worldbank.org with your name, organisation, and telephone number and specify the class(es) you want to participate. Acceptance of registration will be done on first come first serve basis.

Exhibitions at VDIC

Please see Library section for lists of selected resources on the exhibition themes below.

From 2nd week of February 2007 – Civil Society Organisations

Globally, civil society organisations are playing a crucial role in the efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The significant contribution of civil society to poverty reduction, the empowerment of women, increasing accountability and transparency, and not least to promoting people’s participation in policy and decision-making is broadly accepted by political leaders around the world. In most countries, civil society organisations and governments work side by side in such endeavours.

The role of people’s participation is an issue of increasing debate in Vietnam. As the reform process moves forward, unique opportunities are created for Vietnamese policy and lawmakers to promote an enabling environment for the establishment and growth of non-state organisations.

Small exhibition at VDIC on this occasion provides brief information on this topic as well as a number of publications on civil society organisations.

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Library

 

Selected resources on civil society orgnisations from VDIC library

#300 WAR. Warkentin, Craig, 1961-. Reshaping world politics : NGOs, the Internet, and global civil society. Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, c2001.

#301.0951 YE. Ye, Zhang. China's emerging civil society. S.I.: Brookings Institution, 2003-06. Full text http://www.brook.edu/fp/cnaps/papers/ye2003.pdf 

#306.2 WOR. The World Bank. World Bank civil society engagement: review of fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Washington D.C: The World Bank, 2006.

#307.14120954 ALS. Alsop, Ruth. World Bank. Local organizations in decentralized development: their functions and performance in India. Washington, D.C. : World Bank, 2005. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000012009_20051012142406 

#320 WB. World Bank. PRMPS. Reforming public institutions and strengthening governance : a World Bank strategy. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2000-11-30. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_03071904005751 

#322.0959 CIV. Guan, Lee Hock. Institute of Southeast Asia Studies. Civil society in Southeast Asia. Singapore: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press, 2004.

#322.0959 TOW. Towards good society : civil society actors, the state, and the business class in Southeast Asia - Facilitators of or impediments to a strong, democratic, and fair society? Documentation of a workshop of the Heinrich Boll Foundation, held October 26-27, 2004, in Berlin. Berlin : Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung, 2005.

#322.09597 NOR. Norlund, Irene. Danh gia ban dau ve xa hoi dan su tai Viet Nam = The emerging civil society: An initial assessment of civil society in Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam: Vietnam Institute of Development Studies (VIDS); UNDP Vietnam; SNV Vietnam; CIVICUS Civil Society Index, 2006. Full text in English http://www.snv.org.vn/DocFile/20061011164648808353.pdf 

#323.1597 ACT. SWP (German Institute for International and Security Affairs). Heinrich Boell Foundation. Active citizens under political wraps: Experiences from Myanmar/Burma and Vietnam (A collection of essays on civil society in Vietnam and Myanmar). Chiang Mai, Thailand: Heinrich Boell Foundation, 2006. Full text http://www.boell.de/downloads/asien/myanmar_vietnam.pdf 

#332.1532 WB. World Bank. SDVNG. Working together: the World Bank's partnership with civil society. S.l.: s.n., 2000-09-30. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_01022705322024 

#338.91 GIB. Gibbs, Christopher. World Bank. OEDDR. Nongovernmental organizations in World Bank-supported projects : a review. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1999-02-28. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_9904120636464

#352.35 STA. World Bank. ECSSD. State-society synergy for accountability: lessons for the World Bank. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2004-04-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000090341_20040726100101 

#362.5 NAR. Naraya, Deepa. World Bank. EXTOP. Voices of the poor : can anyone hear us? New York: Oxford University Press. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000094946_00042605311270 

Court, Julius. Policy Engagement: How Civil Society Can be More Effective. London: Overseas Development Institute, 2006. Full text http://www.odi.org.uk/Rapid/Publications/Policy_engagement.html 

Hovland, Ingie. Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations. London: Overseas Development Institute, 2005. Full text http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/rapid/tools2.pdf 

Mandell, Carolyn Reynolds. World Bank. EXTVP. Issues and options for improving engagement between the World Bank and civil society organizations. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2005-03-01. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000160016_20051108155349 

World Bank. OEDPK. Non-Governmental Organizations and civil society engagement in World Bank supported projects : lessons from OED evaluations. Washington D.C.: The World Bank, 2002-08-28. Full text http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000011823_20040126162109 

 

Highlights from the new additions to VDIC library in December 2006

 

Full list of new additions to VDIC library in January 2007 can be found at http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=library&op=viewDetailNews&id=161&mid=322&cmid=325

 

#305.42 VIE. The World Bank. Asian Development Bank. Danh gia tinh hinh gioi o Viet Nam = Vietnam country gender assessment. Hanoi, Vietnam: Nha xuat ban lao dong xa hoi, 2006-12. Full text in English http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/01/24/
000310607_20070124141846/Rendered/PDF/384450ENGLISH0VN0Gender01PUBLIC1.pdf
. Full text in Vietnamse http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/01/24/
000310607_20070124143743/Rendered/PDF/384450VIETNAMESE0VN0Gender01PUBLIC1.pdf
    

#330.0973 WAR. Warsh, David. Knowledge and the wealth of nations : a story of economic discovery / David Warsh. New York : W.W. Norton, c2006.

INTERNET 330.91724 UN. United Nations. World Economic Situation and Prospects 2007. United Nations: New York: 2007. Full text http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp.html 

#332.09172 MIS. Mishkin, Frederic S. The next great globalization : how disadvantaged nations can harness their financial systems to get rich / by Frederic S. Mishkin. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2006.

#332.67 MOR. Moran, Theodore H., 1943-. Harnessing foreign direct investment for development : policies for developed and developing countries / Theodore H. Moran. Washington, DC : Brookings Institution Press, 2006. Full text http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/12044 

INTERNET 333.33 COT. Cotula, Lorenzo. International Institute for Environment and Development. Food and Agriculture Organization. Better land access for the rural poor: Lessons from experience and challenges ahead. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization, 2006. Full text http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdf/full/12532IIED.pdf 

#333.91 MUL. The multi-governance of water : four case studies / edited by Matthias Finger, Ludivine Tamiotti, and Jeremy Allouche. Albany : State University of New York Press, c2006.

#REF 336 GOV. International Monetary Fund. Government finance statistics yearbook 2006. Washington, DC: IMF, 2006.

#338.6 COR. Corporate governance lessons from transition economy reforms / edited by Merritt B. Fox and Michael A. Heller. Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2006.

#338.9009172 TRA. Transforming the development landscape : the role of the private sector / Lael Brainard, editor. Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution Press, c2006.

#338.91 POL. Policy matters: Economic and social policies to sustain equitable development. London: Zed Books and United Nations, 2007.

#338.91CRA. Craig, David, 1961-. Development beyond neoliberalism? : governance, poverty reduction, and political economy / David Craig and Doug Porter. Abingdon, Oxon : New York ; Routledge, 2006. Table of contents http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0514/2005016680.html

#339.22095 SPA. Spatial disparities in human development : perspectives from Asia / edited by Ravi Kanbur, Anthony J. Venables, and Guanghua Wan. Tokyo; New York: United Nations University Press, c2006. Table of contents http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip061/2005029098.html.

#362.709597 BUR. Burr, Rachel. Vietnam's children in a changing world / Rachel Burr. New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, c2006.

#363.125 ADB. Asian Development Bank. Arrive alive: ASEAN commits to cutting road deaths - ASEAN Regional Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan (2005-2010). Manila, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2006. Full text http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Arrive-Alive/default.asp 

INTERNET 364.1323 GLO. 2006 Global Integrity Index: Information on governance and corruption for global citizens. Washington, DC: Global Integrity, 2007. Full text http://www.globalintegrity.org/ 

#618.9201 STA. Save the Children. Ministry of Health. State of the world's newborns: Vietnam = Tinh trang cham soc suc khoe tre so sinh tren the gioi: Viet Nam. Hanoi, Vietnam: Save the Children, 2004.

#658.4 NOW. Nowroozi, Behdad. Danh gia tinh hinh quan tri cong ty cua Viet Nam [Governance Country Assessment of Vietnam]. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2006-06. Full text in English http://www.worldbank.org/ifa/rosc_cg_vm.pdf 

 

 

Friends of Vietnam Heritage collection – book review

 

Full list of Friends of Vietnam Heritage book collection (focused on Vietnam’s culture and history) held at VDIC can be found at http://www.vdic.org.vn/data/File/FVHbooks-2007-01.pdf

#915.97 BOR. Borton, Lady. After sorrow: An American among the Vietnamese. New York: Viking, 1995.

 

What is Vietnam really like? Borton presents the stories of Vietnamese village women who lived through what they call "the American War." Frequently in Vietnam since the late 1960s, Borton, the first American allowed to live in a Vietnamese village since the war's end, listened to the gentle and fierce women warriors who smuggled weapons hidden in fish sauce, concocted camouflage from banana leaves, dug tunnels, carried messages through enemy territory, gave away their children to keep them safe, and all the while tended to the daily work of village life--providing food, burying and visiting the dead, observing religious holidays, midwifing babies. Borton retells these women's stories with an ear experienced in the language, an eye for the details of village life, and deep compassion and respect for the Vietnamese people. Besides bringing us fresh perspectives on the war, she educates us about Vietnamese history and customs in a truly remarkable book.

 

-- reviewed by Mary Ellen Sullivan. Source: Booklist , April 15, 1995. © American Library Association.

 

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Selected new publications for sale at VDIC (starting from 12 Feb 2007)

 

Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations: A Story of Economic Discovery

by David Warsh 

English -- Published May 2006 by W. W. Norton -- ISBN: 0-393-05996-0

Price: $ 22.00

 

A stimulating and inviting tour of modern economics centered on the story of one of its most important breakthroughs.

 

In 1980, the twenty-four-year-old graduate student Paul Romer tackled one of the oldest puzzles in economics. Eight years later he solved it. This book tells the story of what has come to be called the new growth theory: the paradox identified by Adam Smith more than two hundred years earlier, its disappearance and occasional resurfacing in the nineteenth century, the development of new technical tools in the twentieth century, and finally the student who could see further than his teachers.

 

Fascinating in its own right, new growth theory helps to explain dominant first-mover firms like IBM or Microsoft, underscores the value of intellectual property, and provides essential advice to those concerned with the expansion of the economy. Like James Gleick's Chaos or Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe, this revealing book takes us to the frontlines of scientific research; not since Robert Heilbroner's classic work The Worldly Philosophers have we had as attractive a glimpse of the essential science of economics.

 

Corporate Governance Lessons from Transition Economy Reforms

Edited by Merritt B. Fox , Michael A. Heller 

English -- Published September 2006 by Princeton University Press -- ISBN: 0-691-12561-9    

Price: $ 34.00

 

Corporate Governance Lessons from Transition Economy Reforms explores a timely topic at the intersection of economics, law, and policy reform. To date, most sophisticated theoretical work on corporate governance has focused on advanced market economies. In post-socialist countries, corporate finance and transition economics scholars have often done little more than convey the received theory to transition policymakers.

 

This volume focuses, for the first time, on the reverse concern: what, if anything, do the reform experiences of transition countries teach about corporate governance theory more generally? To investigate this question, Merritt Fox and Michael Heller have assembled a stellar group of corporate governance theorists. The answers are startling.

 

The principal essays approach the problem from three complementary perspectives that form the organizing themes of the book. The first part refines core corporate theory terms. The second presents important empirical work that explores the channels through which "good corporate governance" may link to the real economy. The final part links corporate governance theory to practical reforms. After fifteen years of experience, practice can now inform theory.

 

Together, these essays present a comprehensive new view on a provocative theme. Written in an accessible style, they will be of interest to a broad range of scholars, commentators, and policymakers.

 

Vietnam's Children in a Changing World

by Rachel Burr 

English -- Published March 2006 by Rutgers University Press -- ISBN: 0-8135-3796-7  

Price: $ 19.00

 

Like the majority of children living in the global South today, a large number of Vietnamese youths work to help support their families. International human rights organizations have focused on these children, seeking to bring their lives into line with an understanding of childhood that is generally accepted in the developed world.

In this ethnographic study, Rachel Burr draws on her daily observations of working children in Hanoi and argues that these youngsters are misunderstood by the majority of agencies that seek to help them. Most aid programs embrace a model of childhood that is based on Western notions of individualism and bountiful resources. They further assume that this model is universally applicable even in cultures that advocate a collective sense of self and in countries that do not share the same economic advantages.

 

Burr presents the voices and experiences of Vietnamese children in the streets, in a reform school, and in an orphanage to show that workable solutions have become lost within the rhetoric propagated by aid organizations. The reality of providing primary education or adequate healthcare for all children, for instance, does not stand a chance of being achieved until adequate resources are put in place. Yet, organizations preoccupied with the child rights agenda are failing to acknowledge the distorted global distribution of wealth in favor of Western nations.

 

Offering a unique, firsthand look at the experiences of children in contemporary Vietnam, this book also provides a broad analysis of how internationally led human rights agendas are often received at the local level.

 

Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis, 3rd edition

by Evalina M. Tainer 

English -- Published March 2006 by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. -- ISBN: 0-471-74096-9

Price: $ 37.00 (anticipated)

 

Praise for Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis THIRD EDITION

"Once again, Evelina Tainer has cleared the fog of economic confusion. Her work deciphers and encapsulates the metrics employed by professional speculators in the magnitude of George Soros and Edwin Lefevre. This thesis is a requisite desktop reference for every market participant." -John Alda, Managing Director, Alda Macro Fund Management

 

"Tainer's latest book is a tour de force through the world of esoteric economic numbers and jargon. Written in layman's terms, her latest book can be understood by anyone interested in navigating the world of professional economics." -Kathleen Camilli, founder and Principal of Camilli Economics, LLC

 

"A virtual bible of how economic indicators are constructed and used. Important tidbits of history are mixed with present-day nuances to explain why we should care about all the economic indicators." -Allen Grommet, Senior Economist, Cambridge Consumer Credit Index

 

"Tainer has produced an essential reference source for any economist and public policy analyst interested in the careful review of economic releases and their impact on capital markets. This work reflects her long experience in the profession and her feel for the financial market. I especially enjoyed her market reaction and key points sections on some of my favorite and sometimes infamous indicators." -John E. Silvia, Chief Economist, Wachovia Corporation

 

"This book is an indispensable resource for anyone that wants a practical understanding of the economy and how it is measured. The information is clear, concise, and will help investors at all levels leverage the vast amount of economic data available." -Jesse Harriott, PhD, Vice President of Research, Monster Worldwide, Inc.

 

Transforming the Development Landscape: The Role of the Private Sector

Edited by Lael Brainard

English -- Published August 2006 by Brookings Institution Press -- ISBN: 0-8157-1124-7

Price: $ 16.00

 

Private sector activity is an essential element of any successful economic development plan. It shapes the investment climate, mobilizes innovation and financing, and can increase or decrease the level of harm that might accompany development projects. This volume, emerging from the Brookings Blum Roundtable, investigates ways to galvanize the private sector and bring its resources to bear in the war against global poverty. The authors describe how the private sector affects growth and poverty alleviation, and they examine the social and environmental impact of private sector activities. In addition to offering a clear overview of the current issues, Lael Brainard and her colleagues assess current initiatives and provide guidance on new activities and partnerships that could potentially improve global economic conditions.

 

The Next Great Globalization: How Disadvantaged Nations Can Harness Their Financial Systems to Get Rich

by Frederic S. Mishkin 

English -- Published September 2006 by Princeton University Press -- ISBN: 0-691-12154-0    

Price: $ 22.00

 

Many prominent critics regard the international financial system as the dark side of globalization, threatening disadvantaged nations near and far. But in The Next Great Globalization, eminent economist Frederic Mishkin argues the opposite: that financial globalization today is essential for poor nations to become rich. Mishkin argues that an effectively managed financial globalization promises benefits on the scale of the hugely successful trade and information globalizations of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This financial revolution can lift developing nations out of squalor and increase the wealth and stability of emerging and industrialized nations alike. By presenting an unprecedented picture of the potential benefits of financial globalization, and by showing in clear and hard-headed terms how these gains can be realized, Mishkin provides a hopeful vision of the next phase of globalization.

 

Mishkin draws on historical examples to caution that mismanagement of financial globalization, often aided and abetted by rich elites, can wreak havoc in developing countries, but he uses these examples to demonstrate how better policies can help poor nations to open up their economies to the benefits of global investment. According to Mishkin, the international community must provide incentives for developing countries to establish effective property rights, banking regulations, accounting practices, and corporate governance--the institutions necessary to attract and manage global investment. And the West must be a partner in integrating the financial systems of rich and poor countries--to the benefit of both.

 

The Next Great Globalization makes the case that finance will be a driving force in the twenty-first-century economy, and demonstrates how this force can and should be shaped to the benefit of all, especially the disadvantaged nations most in need of growth and prosperity.

 

Reengaging in Agricultural Water Management: Challenges and Options

by World Bank 

English -- Published February 2006 -- ISBN: 0-8213-6498-7 

Price: $ 8.00

 

In order to face the challenge of disappointing returns on public investment in irrigation and drainage new solutions have emerged. These solutions are based on widely available technology and new management and governance options.

 

The main message of Re-engaging in Agricultural Water Management is that the irrigation and drainage sector should not continue to be dealt with as a standalone sector, but should be integrated into a broader perspective, one that embraces the objectives of productivity growth, poverty reduction, natural resources management and environmental protection.

 

Reforming Agricultural Trade for Developing Countries

by Alex F. McCalla , John Nash

English -- Published November 2006 -- ISBN: 0-8213-6496-0    

Price: $ 13.00

 

In the ongoing Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, developing countries have had much greater leverage, due at least in part to their large and growing share of world trade. But will the increased influence of developing countries translate into a final agreement that is truly more development-friendly? What would be key ingredients in such a final outcome of the negotiations, and what would the developing countries really get out of it. This two volume set seeks to answer these questions.

 

Volume 1 is issues-oriented. It takes up some key questions in the negotiations, setting the stage with a historical overview of the Doha Development Agenda to help identify issues of most significance to developing countries, and then explores select issues in greater depth.

 

Volume 2 addresses the question of how a development-friendly outcome to the talks would affect developing countries by quantifying the impact of multilateral trade reform. It presents several different approaches to modeling the effects of the outcome of negotiations, and then investigates why these (and other) modeling efforts produce such divergent results.

 

Aimed at policymakers and stakeholders, this two-volume effort puts into the public domain important analytical work that will improve the chance for a pro-development outcomes of the Doha round negotiations.

 

The World Bank Legal Review, Volume 2: Law, Equity, and Development (available immediately)

Edited by Ana Palacio 

English -- Published November 2006 by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers , World Bank -- ISBN: 0-8213-6831-1

Price: $ 10.00

 

The World Bank Legal Review, Volume 2 is a publication for policy makers and their advisers, attorneys, and other professionals engaged in the field of international development. It offers a combination of legal scholarship, lessons from experience, legal developments, and recent research on the many ways in which the application of the law and the improvement of justice systems promote poverty reduction, economic development, and the rule of law.

In keeping with the theme of the World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development, and following the success of the World Bank Group's Legal Forum on "Law, Equity, and Development" in December 2005, this volume of The World Bank Legal Review focuses on issues of equity and development. The volume draws together some of the key ideas of the Legal Forum, including articles by many of its distinguished participants, and explores the role of equity in the development process, highlighting how legal and regulatory frameworks and equitable justice systems can do much to level the playing field in the political, economic, and sociocultural domains, as well as how they can reinforce existing inequalities. Consistent with the interdisciplinary nature of this endeavour, Law, Equity and Development contains work by academics and practitioners in law, criminal justice, economics, social development, cultural studies, and anthropology.

 

Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization (available immediately)

by World Bank 

English -- Published December 2006 -- ISBN: 0-8213-6727-7  

Price: $ 11.00

 

Over the next 25 years developing countries will move to center stage in the global economy. Global Economic Prospects 2007 analyzes the opportunities - and stresses - this will create. While rich and poor countries alike stand to benefit, the integration process will make more acute stresses already apparent today - in income inequality, in labor markets, and in the environment.

 

Over the next 25 years, rapid technological progress, burgeoning trade in goods and services, and integration of financial markets create the opportunity for faster long-term growth. However, some regions, notably Africa, are at risk of being left behind.

 

The coming globalization will also see intensified stresses on the "global commons". Addressing global warming, preserving marine fisheries, and containing infectious diseases will require effective multilateral collaboration to ensure that economic growth and poverty reduction proceed without causing irreparable harm to future generations.

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Distance Learning Center events in January 2007

 

February 5:  Accreditation Ceremony of the 3rd Microfinance course

The 3rd Microfinance course (August 3 - November 9, 2006) has trained 3 TOTs and 38 regular participants, who are mainly microfinance practitioners working in districts and provinces of Vietnam. The course also welcomed another 20 walk-in participants who attended the 4 videoconferences. This videoconference aims to accredit microfinance trainer's titles on the successful TOT participants and award certificates to the regular participants. Vietnam and China will also report on the progress of their plan to "localize" this course. The videoconference will be webcasted live at http://vcg01.worldbank.org/TDLC/

 

February 6: Launch of the Country Partnership Strategy

The World Bank's Country Partnership Strategy with Vietnam for the period of 2007 - 2011 will be launched in the presence of Mr. Jim Adams, the Vice President for East Asia and Pacific region and the representatives from the Government of Vietnam. The Strategy outlines 4 areas for the Bank's engagement, which are (i) improving the business environment; (ii) strengthening social inclusion; (iii) better managing natural resources and the environment; and (iv) improving governance. The Bank expects to provide over USD 800 million in long-term interest-free credits to support Vietnam over the next five years. For more information, please contact Mr. Nguyen Hong Ngan, Communications Officer, email: nnguyen5@worldbank.org  

 

February 8: Presentation and discussion on Strategic Positioning for Education Leaders course 

This videoconference is a forum for officials from Ministry of Education and private academic institutions, donor community and GDLN centers in the Philipinnes, Indonesia and Vietnam to discuss the proposal on Strategic Positioning for Education Leaders course. To get a copy of the proposal and further information, please visit: http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=learningevents&op=viewDetailNews&id=387&language=english&mid=&cmid

 

February 13: Avian and Human Influenza Series: Seminar 3: Compensation Policies: Issues and Good Practice

This Seminar draws on the recent joint World Bank/FAO/IFPRI/OiE  report, Enhancing Control of Highly Pathogenic Influenza in Developing Countries through Compensation  that was launched at the recent international conference in Bamako, Mali. The co-authors will present and discuss the key findings of the report, including (a) The Identification of Beneficiaries; (b) Establishing Losses; (c) Setting the Level and Timeliness of Compensation; (d) Promoting Awareness, Communication and Capacity Building; (e) Organizing Payment and Accountability; and (f) The Way Forward. The seminar will provide an opportunity for countries, agencies and donors to engage in a substantive discussion around some of the main issues arising in this complex policy area.

 

The Seminar will be delivered through a videoconference via the Global Development Learning Network connecting 6 interactive sites (Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Romania, Vietnam and Washington D.C, USA) and 5 observer sites (Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Japan). The language is English, with simultaneous interpretation into Vietnamese, so the Vietnamese participants feel free to intervene during the question and answers sessions either in English or Vietnamese. The Seminar will also be webcasted live at: http://vcg01.worldbank.org/vc/ 

 

For further information and registration details, please visit:   http://www.vdic.org.vn/?name=learningevents&op=viewDetailNews&id=386&language=english&mid=330&cmid=359

 

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Funding Opportunities

For further information on the news provided below, please contact the organization directly.

The World Bank in Vietnam - Small Grants Program 2007 - Call for Proposals

The Small Grants Program of the World Bank was created in 1983 as a way of supporting small, nonprofit, civil society organizations (CSOs). The Program supports activities which center around promoting dialogue, networking, capacity building, dissemination of information and exchange of experience between CSOs.

Activities eligible for grant receipt should focus on: capacity building for national CSOs, enhancement of accountability and transparency as well as promoting networking innovations, partnership building, information sharing, promotion of dialogue, participation, and exchange of experiences on development issues. These activities may be carried out through conferences and seminars, publications, audio-visual materials, or other networking and capacity building efforts. The maximum size of each grant will be 64 million Vietnam Dong.

Application form and guidance are available at the World Bank Office Reception, 8th floor, 63 Ly Thai To Street, Hanoi or download from our website http://www.worldbank.org.vn. For more information please contact Ms. Bo Thi Hong Mai (tel.: 04 9346600 ext 300, fax: 04-934-6597; email: mbo@worldbank.org) or visit the website.

Deadline: March 15, 2007 (postmark, if mailed).

http://www.worldbank.org.vn

International Essay Competition on CORUPTION

The World Bank and its partners invite you to participate in the International Essay Competition 2007 to share your experience and ideas on fighting corruption as youth. Answer both topic questions: (1) How does corruption affect your life? (2) What can you do to fight the corruption that you face?

If you have been personally involved in concrete initiatives, write specifically about your experience: How did you recognize corruption? Who have you worked with? Who have you helped? What have you accomplished? In what way would you consider this work to be innovative? How have you measured the results of your work? How would you improve your impact? How can other youth replicate your experience?

The competition is open to students and non-students alike, between 18 and 25 years of age (born in the years 1982 – 1989) from any country of the world and able to submit their essay in either English, French or Spanish.

Deadlines: March 15, 2007.

http://www.essaycompetition.org/

UNICEF’s video contest for children ‘Media magic make a difference!’

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on young people under 25 to submit a one-minute video highlighting such issues as protecting children against abuse and promoting healthy lives, for its “Media Magic Make a Difference!” video contest, which will see the winning entry made available to broadcasters worldwide.

With the contest’s theme, “A World Fit for Children,” UNICEF is asking youth video makers to look at the four priorities of the agenda – Promoting healthy lives; Providing quality education; Protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence; and Combating HIV/AIDS – and to demonstrate how one or more of the goals have affected their lives.

“Have these goals been achieved in your community? What problems still exist where you live? What suggestions do you have to solve them? What can be done to build a world for children?” it said in a press release. All entries must be received by 30 March 2007.

www.unicef.org/voy

The EU’s calls for proposals under the European Initiative for Human Rights (EIDHR)

Under the EIDHR Annual Work Programme 2006  there are four thematic campaigns.  Each campaign bundles a limited number of inter-related specific human rights and/or democratisation priorities, providing a unifying identity .

Campaign 2 “Fostering a Culture of Human Rights”

Applications for micro-projects addressing campaign 2 should contribute to one of the following general objectives, as well as to one or more of the specific objectives listed:

Objective 1: strengthening civil society organisations in advocacy of the rights of vulnerable groups and the furtherance of related international instruments: (i) Awareness of Children’s Rights; (ii) Promotion of the Rights of Women; (iii) Support to groups and organs promoting and protecting human rights. 

Objective 2: reinforcing safeguards against the occurrence of torture and effectively implementing international instruments against torture: (i)           Security Sector Training.  (ii) Torture Awareness; (iii) Promotion of the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT);

Objective 3: enhancing education, training, monitoring and awareness on human rights and democratisation issues: (i) Training in Human Rights.  (ii) Support to EU-Vietnam human rights fora.

Campaign 4 “Advancing Equality, Tolerance and Peace”

Applications for micro-projects addressing campaign 4 should contribute to one of the following general objectives, as well as to one or more of the specific objectives listed:

Objective 1: securing equal rights and treatment of persons and minorities irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, or of language and religion: (i) Minority Rights; (ii) Anti-discrimination. 

Objective 2: enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding: (i) Representation Promotion; (ii) Capacity of Anti-discrimination Bodies. 

Amounts of grants to be awarded range from EUR10,000 to EUR100,000.

Deadline: 12 April 2007.

http://www.delvnm.cec.eu.int/en/call_proposal/index.htm

2007 - 08 Joint Japan/ World Bank Scholarship

Applications for the Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program for the 2007 - 08 academic years are now available. The Bank, with funding from the government of Japan, established the World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program for graduate studies in subjects related to economic development. Each year, the Program awards scholarships to individuals from the Bank’s member countries to undertake graduate studies at renowned universities throughout member countries of the Bank. Now in its 20th year, the Regular Program has awarded 2,613 scholarships, selected from nearly 53,000 applicants.

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/EXTWBISFP/EXTJJWBGSP/
0,,contentMDK:20287345~menuPK:562884~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:551644,00.html

UNDP Human Development Academic Fellowships for Asia Pacific 2007

This fellowship program supports Ph.D. students conducting research related to human development and gender and UNDP Human Development Media Fellowships for Asia Pacific 2007 and media professionals’ work in the area of human development and corruption. The academic fellowships are intended to foster innovative research with human development dimensions, and the media fellowships aim to encourage advocacy and dissemination of issues of concern from a human development perspective.

The application deadline in March 15th, 2007.

http://www.undprcc.lk/  

Be cautious - potential scams

Many scams invite people to register for a youth conference, and intend only to collect registration fees. Please beware and only pay fees when you are certain it is a legitimate event. Common schemes include events taking place in both the USA and another country.

• “Committee for the Defense of Human Rights” (CDHR) founded by Professor Collins Robinson Conference to take place in Kansas City, Kansas, USA on 10 January 2006.

• “Overseas Development Foundation” (ODF) 4th International NGO/CBO Summit to take place from 23-27 January 2006 in New York , USA .

http://www.youthlink.org/news/YLE_0511.htm

Rolex Awards for Enterprise - Montres Rolex S.A. (Rolex Watch Company)

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise seek to encourage a spirit of enterprise in individuals around the world by supporting outstanding personal endeavours that advance human knowledge and well-being. The awards provide financial assistance to people who want to implement concrete working projects. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise support outstanding initiatives in the following five key areas of human endeavour:

·          exploration and Discovery, expanding our knowledge of the world

·          the Environment, protecting or improving our natural and physical surroundings

·          cultural heritage, conserving or contributing to our common cultural/artistic heritage.

Projects must expand knowledge of our world, improve the quality of life on the planet, or contribute to the betterment of humankind.

Deadline: May 31, 2007 - September 30, 2007

http://www.rolexawards.com/home-flash.html 

Malcolm H. Kerr Dissertation Awards - Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA)

The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) of North America Dissertation Awards were established in 1982 to recognize exceptional achievement in research and writing for or of dissertations in Middle East studies. In 1984, the award was named for Malcolm H. Kerr to honor his significant contributions to Middle East studies. Awards are given in two categories: social sciences and humanities.

Deadline: July 1, 2007

http://w3fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Kerr/kerr.htm 

Fellowship Programmes and Study Courses - Foreign Press Center (FPC) - Japan

The Foreign Press Center (FPC) was established in 1976 as an independent, private, and nonprofit foundation to support foreign press in their work on Japan. Since its establishment, FPC has been making every effort, through its support activities for the foreign press, to have the realities of Japan conveyed to the world. Through its activities, FPC aims not only to serve as a base of operations and information exchange for the foreign press, but to be a nexus of communication that will promote true international understanding.

Journalists from ASEAN (in cooperation with Nihon Shimbun Kyokai), Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States (NIS), the Republic of Korea (ROK), and China are eligible for this fellowship.

Contact email: ma@fpcjpn.or.jp  

http://www.fpcj.jp/

Summer Field-School Scholarships - American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the second annual competition for grants to individuals in the archaeology and early history of East Asia. This program is undertaken in cooperation with the Henry Luce Foundation.

Applicants must be scholars, archivists, curators, conservators, and other professionals for study of archaeological techniques and comparative perspectives at excavation sites outside of East Asia administered by U.S. or Canadian institutions. A list of approved field schools is available from ACLS. An advanced degree is not required to apply for this grant. Proficiency in English sufficient for academic work in the United States or Canada is required.

http://www.acls.org/eaaeh.htm  

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