Thursday, October 27, 2011
This Week’s Posts
EMPLOYMENT: 2 Postdoc Positions in IFPRI’s Markets, Trade and Institutions Division. IFPRI seeks 2 qualified candidates to serve as a Postdoctoral Fellows for its Markets, Trade and Institutions Division. Deadline: open
SCHOLARSHIP: Two PhD Positions in the Institutional & Behavioural Economics group (ZMT Bremen). The newly established working group “Institutional & Behavioural Economics” is looking for 2 PhD candidates in economics. Deadline: open
FELLOWSHIP: Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships. The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships support a year of research and writing to help advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. Deadline: November 9, 2011
FELLOWSHIP: The Yale World Fellows Program. The program each year brings to Yale University 14-18 highly accomplished men and women from a diverse set of countries around the world to spend an intensive semester exploring critical issues and undergoing leadership training, with the full resources of Yale University at their disposal. Deadline: December 9, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Fund for Gender Equality (Arab States). The Fund for Gender Equality announces its second Call for Proposals for innovative programmes to help women achieve political and economic empowerment. Deadline: November 4, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: USAID and NSF Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER). This competitive grants program allows scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID, including (but not limited to) food security, global health, and climate change. Deadline: November 30, 2011
PUBLICATION: The Knowledge Translation Toolkit: Bridging the Know–Do Gap. The toolkit provides a thorough overview of what knowledge translation (KT) is and how to use it most effectively to bridge the “know–do” gap between research, policy, practice, and people.
PUBLICATION: Towards A Global Partnership for Capacity Building in Land Administration. A paper from last year’s World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty.
PUBLICATION: The Knowledge Translation Toolkit: Bridging the Know–Do Gap
The Knowledge Translation Toolkit provides a thorough overview of what knowledge translation (KT) is and how to use it most effectively to bridge the “know–do” gap between research, policy, practice, and people. It presents the theories, tools, and strategies required to encourage and enable evidence-informed decision-making.
This toolkit builds upon extensive research into the principles and skills of KT: its theory and literature, its evolution, strategies, and challenges. The book covers an array of crucial KT enablers — from context mapping to evaluative thinking — supported by practical examples, implementation guides, and references.
Drawing from the experience of specialists in relevant disciplines around the world, The Knowledge Translation Toolkit aims to enhance the capacity and motivation of researchers to use KT and to use it well.
Available for free download here.
PUBLICATION: Towards A Global Partnership for Capacity Building in Land Administration
A paper from last year’s World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty may interest some CAPRi readers:
All countries have to deal with the management of land and the people to land relationship. To deal wit the four functions of land tenure, land value, land use and land development in some way or another.
This paper provides an overall understanding of the land administration in support for sustainable development. The paper also examines the capacity building concept and underpins the need for institutional development to facilitate the design and implementation of efficient land administration in support of good governance and sustainability
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: USAID and NSF Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is exploring new opportunities to use science and technology to meet the world’s development challenges. As part of its science and technology strategy, USAID is developing mechanisms to leverage the investments that other U.S. government agencies make in scientific research and training. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between USAID and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the two agencies implemented a pilot program to assess the potential for USAID-funded collaborative research projects. Based on the program’s success, USAID and NSF are now pleased to announce the launching of a new and broader program called Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER). This competitive grants program will allow scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID. Areas in which both NSF and USAID have strong mutual interests include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Food security topics such as agricultural development, fisheries, and plant genomics
- Global health issues such as ecology of infectious disease, biomedical engineering, and natural/human system interactions
- Climate change impacts such as water sustainability, hydrology, ocean acidification, climate process and modeling, and environmental engineering
- Other development topics including disaster mitigation, biodiversity, water, and renewable energy
Deadline: November 30, 2011
FELLOWSHIP: The Yale World Fellows Program
World Fellows Program each year brings to Yale University 14-18 highly accomplished men and women from a diverse set of countries around the world. The Fellows spend an intensive semester exploring critical issues and undergoing leadership training, with the full resources of Yale University at their disposal. Selected from outside the United States at an early mid-career point (generally five to fifteen years into their professional development), the World Fellows come from a range of fields and disciplines including government, business, nongovernmental organizations, religion, the military, media, and the arts. Guided by faculty advisors, the Fellows deepen their resource bases, advance their breadth of understanding, and augment their skills. Building on access to the students, faculty, alumni, and Yale visitors, the Fellows prepare for greater roles of leadership, expand their professional and personal horizons, and contribute to a deepening of international awareness and dialogue within the Yale community.
Deadline: December 9, 2011
SCHOLARSHIP: Two PhD Positions in the Institutional & Behavioural Economics group (ZMT Bremen)
The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology GmbH (Leibniz-ZMT GmbH) in Bremen is a member of the Leibniz Association, which is supported by the German Federal and State Governments. Through its research, Leibniz-ZMT GmbH contributes to developing science-based strategies for sustainable use of tropical coastal systems (www.zmt-bremen.de).
The newly established working group “Institutional & Behavioural Economics” is looking for 2 PhD candidates in economics:
- Economist -- natural experiments (pdf). The working group is looking first for an economist (Master degree or equivalent), who is interested in behavioural economics and is ready to do experiments on environmental awareness of users of coastal resources (reefs and beaches) in the Philippines. Monitoring and enforcement of sustainable behaviour is extremely costly in those ecosystems and therefore, awareness raising measures (e.g. information and infrastructure) might often be more cost-effective instruments then using monetary incentives. We want to test with the help of natural experiments the effectiveness of those instruments.
- Economist -- field and laboratory experiments (pdf). The working group is looking for an economist who wants to do laboratory experiments on cooperative behaviour at the Social Science Lab at Jacobs University. The candidate will analyse adaptation to climate change when resource users face a gradual change vs. a shock in the ecological system they are operating in or when uncertainty increases. The Project is a joint venture with the System Ecology group at ZMT, which is using the experimental data for elaborating the yet existing resource model further.
Deadline: open
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: 2 Postdoc Positions in IFPRI’s Markets, Trade and Institutions Division
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks 2 qualified candidates to serve as a Postdoctoral Fellows for its Markets, Trade and Institutions Division. The positions are two-year, fixed-term appointment, and are renewable depending on performance and funding. Please note that Postdoctoral Fellow appointments at IFPRI have a maximum term of three (3) years, inclusive of any approved appointment extensions. This positions are based at IFPRI headquarters located in Washington, D.C.
- Postdoctoral Fellow – Econometrics. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will conduct research on financial econometrics with a special focus on empirical modeling of various markets associated with agricultural commodities.
- Postdoctoral Fellow - Impact Evaluation and Microeconomics. The Postdoctoral Fellow will focus on impact evaluation and applied microeconomics.
Deadline: open
Monday, October 24, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Fund for Gender Equality (Arab States)
The Fund for Gender Equality is pleased to announce its second Call for Proposals for innovative programmes to help women achieve political and economic empowerment. The Fund will award multi-year grants ranging from USD 200,000 to USD 1 million for impact-oriented programmes around the world.
The first phase of the grantmaking cycle will open 16 October 2011 and will consider proposals intended for the Arab States region only, with applications accepted in English and Arabic.
The online application process will be open 24 October – 4 November (please check back for the URL) and grants will be announced 28 December 2011. In 2012, the Fund will invite proposals from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Deadline: November 4, 2011
FELLOWSHIP: Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships
ACLS invites applications for the sixth annual competition for the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships, which support a year of research and writing to help advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. The program encourages timely completion of the Ph.D. Applicants must be prepared to complete their dissertations within the period of their fellowship tenure and no later than August 31, 2013. A grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports this program.
Deadline: November 9, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
This Week’s Posts
EMPLOYMENT: Consultant Positions at CIFOR. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) currently has two open consultancy positions in Lao PDR and Bogor, Indonesia. Deadline: October 31, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: New Opportunities at the World Agroforestry Center. The center is currently accepting applications for a number of positions. Deadline: October 31–November 9, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: Research Opportunities at ICRISAT. ICRISAT is accepting applications for the positions of Principal Scientist—Empower Women and Head—Impact Assessment Office. Deadline: November 10, 2011
FELLOWSHIP: Acumen Fund Global Fellows Program. The Fellowship is a one year program that immerses Fellows in world-class leadership training, field work with social enterprises on the front lines, and a community of changemakers and thoughtleaders. Deadline: November 14, 2011
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: UNDP Equator Prize 2012. The UNDP Equator Prize will recognize 25 outstanding local initiatives that are working to advance sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. Deadline: October 31, 2011
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Managing Resources of a Limited Planet. The 6th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs) will take place from July 1-5, 2012, in Leipzig, Germany under the theme of “Managing Resources of a Limited Planet: Pathways and Visions under Uncertainty”. Deadline: November 1, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Organized Sessions & Mini Symposia on “Land Use in Transition: Potentials & Solutions between Abandonment and Land-Grabbing”. The IAMO Forum 2012 will provide a platform for research that investigates the main trends and drivers of land use in transition economies of Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union, and East Asia. Deadline: November 18, 2011
FUNDING: Keepers of the Earth Fund. First Peoples Worldwide is dedicated to strengthening Indigenous communities through the restoration of their authority and control over their assets. First Peoples Worldwide offers grants through the Keepers of the Earth Fund.
PUBLICATION: Common Voices issue on IASC Meeting in Hyderabad, India. The latest issue compiles some of the important addresses delivered at the the International Association for the Study of the Commons conference.
PUBLICATION: Converging Currents in Climate-Relevant Conservation: Water, Infrastructure, and Institutions. A group of researchers with Conservation International and WWF have co-authored a paper in PLoS Biology focusing on the water-related threats and opportunities presented by climate change to the development and conservation communities.
PUBLICATION: Common Voices issue on IASC Meeting in Hyderabad, India
The latest issue of Common Voices compiles some of the important addresses delivered at the the International Association for the Study of the Commons conference in Hyderabad, India, last January.
Apart from a range of papers and posters that showcased the disciplinary diversity that characterises the study of commons, the conference also benefited from keynote addresses from globally renowned experts who engaged their audience with presentations that navigated the subjects of economics, ecology, politics, activism, social sciences, and law. We present to our readers another special issue of Common Voices—covering the welcome address by Mr. Nitin Desai, the inaugural addresses by Professor Elinor Ostrom and Dr. Jairam Ramesh, and the keynote speeches by Mr. Herman Rosa Chávez, Dr. Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Mr. David Bollier, Prof. Bina Agarwal, and Mr. Ashish Kothari.
As experts in the field of the commons, their speeches are rich with in-depth knowledge drawn from years of experimentation, experience, research and ideas on securing commons and sustaining our future. We present the complete transcripts of these addresses in their original form, and wish to share the richness of debate, thought and action towards understanding and addressing the commons, with readers who missed the conference. We have also included a landmark order recently passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India mandating that all state governments undertake time bound measures to restore their village common lands.
The issue is available for download here.
FELLOWSHIP: Acumen Fund Global Fellows Program
The Acumen Fellowship is a one year program that immerses Fellows in world-class leadership training, field work with social enterprises on the front lines, and a community of changemakers and thoughtleaders.
Established in 2006, the Acumen Fund Global Fellows Program is a premier training ground for the next generation of social sector leaders. Our Global Fellows are talented young professionals who come from diverse geographies and backgrounds, but share a common commitment to solve the problems of poverty. With the Global Fellows Program, we strive to show the best and the brightest in the world that patient capital is not only a viable career path but the path of the future.
Deadline: November 14, 2011
FUNDING: Keepers of the Earth Fund
First Peoples Worldwide is dedicated to strengthening Indigenous communities through the restoration of their authority and control over their assets. The programs of First Peoples Worldwide are grounded in the belief that assets are the building blocks of sustainable prosperity. Indigenous Peoples own substantial assets, but frequently lack the authority and control to benefit from them. First Peoples Worldwide partners with Indigenous Peoples to help them establish their assets, advance their decisions about them, and develop the capacities to carry out these decisions. First Peoples Worldwide offers grants through the Keepers of the Earth Fund:
EMPLOYMENT: Consultant Positions at CIFOR
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. CIFOR is one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
CIFOR currently has two open consultancy positions:
- Economic Analyst (Lao PDR). The consultant will collaborate with the project leader on a study of 'Resilience and the critical roles of NTFPs in local livelihoods', targeting Salavan Province, and specifically areas surrounding production forest areas associated with the SUFORD project. The specific purpose of this consultancy is to contribute to an economic analysis of different forest governance approaches and their impacts on livelihoods and vulnerability.
- Ecosystem Services Modelling Consultant (Bogor, Indonesia). The part-time consultant will lead the component on modeling of ecosystem services under climate change scenarios and land use change scenarios. The consultant will report to the project manager and will be required to work closely with staff, consultants and partners in the three case-study countries and at headquarters in Bogor. This study will deliver actionable policy recommendations to key national policy makers in the respective countries.
Deadline (both positions): October 31, 2011
PUBLICATION: Converging Currents in Climate-Relevant Conservation: Water, Infrastructure, and Institutions
A group of researchers with Conservation International and WWF have co-authored a paper in PLoS Biology focusing on the water-related threats and opportunities presented by climate change to the development and conservation communities. The authors suggest that the climate change impacts on long-lived water infrastructure for energy production, agriculture, transportation, and supply and sanitation demand a much higher level of coordination between economists, engineers, and ecologists in order to achieve a viable vision of sustainable development and green economies over the coming century. The authors also propose a methodology for integrating effective climate adaptation into long-term water resource management and conservation.
The video below is a presentation on the topic. The paper is available for download here.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: UNDP Equator Prize 2012
The Equator Initiative is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the UNDP Equator Prize 2012, which will recognize 25 outstanding local initiatives that are working to advance sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities.
The 25 recipients of the Equator Prize 2012 will each receive $5,000 (USD), with 10 selected for special recognition and a total of $20,000 (USD).
Representatives of winning communities will participate in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which will be held in Brazil in June 2012.
In order to be eligible for the Equator Prize 2012, nominees must:
- Have been in operation for at least 3 years
- Be a community-based or local group, operating in a rural area
- Be located within a country receiving support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), excluding countries with a high level of development
Deadline: October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: New Opportunities at the World Agroforestry Center
The World Agroforestry Centre is an independent research institution which generates science-based knowledge about the complex role trees play in agricultural landscapes and rural livelihoods. As part of the Centre’s work to bring tree-based solutions to bear on poverty and environmental problems, researchers – working in close collaboration with partners – are developing new technologies, tools and policy recommendations for increased food security and ecosystem health.
The center is currently accepting applications for the following vacancies:
- Geoinformatics Senior Scientist. The Geoinformatics Senior Scientist will provide scientific leadership and coordination of geoinformatics research in the World Agroforestry Centre, especially in the context of the Centre's contributions to the CGIAR Research Programme CRP6 on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry, CRP5 on Water, Land and Ecosystems and other CRPs. Emphasis will be on spatio-temporal research on agroforestry in the context of natural resource management, climate change, and human well-being. Deadline: October 31, 2011
- Program Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation- AWARD. AWARD is a pioneering project to boost the talent pool of African women in the agricultural sciences. AWARD delivers career development fellowships to hundreds of women in agricultural institutions throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The project covers 11 countries:, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The M&E Program Officer will be responsible for supporting the design, implementation and management of AWARD’s monitoring tools, procedures and surveys to assess the project’s outcomes and impacts as defined in AWARD’s Theory of Change. Deadline: October 31, 2011
- Post Doc Soil Scientist/Ecologist. In collaboration with ICRAF scientists and national partners, the successful candidate, who will be based in Abidjan with frequent visits to the field sites, will contribute to the design and implementation of a land health surveillance system for a sustainable cocoa production project in Cöte d’Ivoire; analysis and interpretation of spatial surveillance data on vegetation, soils, cocoa production, pests and diseases; spatial prediction and mapping of results through statistical modelling in relation to satellite and GIS data; reports giving recommendations on soil and plant management options; scientific articles on the approaches and results; and capacity strengthening of national partners in the above. Deadline: November 4, 2011
- Communications Specialist/Science Writer. Working with an expert communications team, this position offers an exciting opportunity to collaborate with preeminent scientists in the area of agroforestry to make the impact of their work known throughout the world. The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and may require occasional travel to international locations. Deadline: November 9, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Organized Sessions & Mini Symposia on “Land Use in Transition: Potentials & Solutions between Abandonment and Land-Grabbing”
Land use is receiving increasing attention due to its manifold repercussions on human wellbeing and the environment. Land use changes are particularly pronounced in many transition economies, where the legacies of the rapid and drastic institutional and socioeconomic system changes sent land use systems on new trajectories.
The IAMO Forum 2012 (20-22 June 2012, Halle (Saale), Germany) will provide a platform for research that investigates the main trends and drivers of land use in transition economies of Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union, and East Asia. We welcome contributions that shed light on patterns, phenomena, and drivers of land-use changes. We aim to capture the prevalent changes and modification of land use including agricultural abandonment and recultivation, changes in farm size and farmland fragmentation, the emergence of large-scale agricultural production units, extensification and intensification of agriculture, logging and forest transitions. The conference contributions may exploit a wide variety of theoretical and methodological approaches ranging from micro-level analysis of land management to institutional, socioeconomic and geographic investigations of land-use change at the local, regional and cross-national level. Interdisciplinary contributions are particularly welcome.
Deadline for proposals: November 18, 2011
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Managing Resources of a Limited Planet
The 6th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs) will take place from July 1-5, 2012, in Leipzig, Germany under the theme of “Managing Resources of a Limited Planet: Pathways and Visions under Uncertainty”.
In almost all of our decisions we make use of models that reflect the simplified understanding of our environment. Every model and every decision has uncertainties. Recent decline of environmental resources and the ecosystem services our environment provides are a consequence of managing a considerably complex system: our environment and our planet.
How can researchers and scientists that professionally deal with complex systems cope with these questions of environmental resource management that our societies are faced with? These and many other related questions will be discussed at this conference.
The aim of the meeting is to enhance understanding of environmental processes and decision making by fostering the discussion and interchange of challenges, solutions, ideas, new methods and techniques, and future research lines in environmental modelling and software.
Deadline: November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: Research Opportunities at ICRISAT
ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture. ICRISAT is headquartered in Greater Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and belongs to the Consortium of Centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
ICRISAT is accepting applications for the following research positions:
- Principal Scientist, Empower Women. ICRISAT invites applications for a Principal Scientist to lead a new research initiative to investigate the innovations and approaches to empower women in smallholder households to better participate in agricultural growth. The position will be based at its Headquarters in Patancheru, near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India or in Africa and will be housed in one of the research programs but will provide support to all the research programs.
- Head - Impact Assessment Office. ICRISAT invites applications for the Head of a newly formed Impact Assessment Office to be based at its Headquarters in Patancheru, near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The position will report directly to the Deputy Director General-Research and will lead a team of scientists in strengthening the Institute’s approach to impact assessment.
Deadline: November 10, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
This Week’s Posts
EMPLOYMENT: Water Scientist and Plant Pathologist Positions at IRRI.The International Rice Research Institute is accepting applications for two positions to be based at their office in Los Baños, Philippines. Deadline: October 20, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: FAO Senior Officer (Livestock Policy). The incumbent will be responsible for livestock sector analysis, policy analysis and the formulation of relevant development strategies and policy advice. Deadline: November 6, 2011
CALL FOR PAPERS: 12th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics. The conference will take place from 29 May to 1 June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Deadline: November 15, 2011
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Lund Conference on Earth System Governance. The Lund Conference on Earth System Governance: Towards Just and Legitimate Earth System Governance – Addressing Inequalities, will be held at Lund University, 18-20 April 2012. Deadline: November 5, 2011
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research. The Fund is aimed at accelerating global research into mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from pastoral livestock farming. Deadline: November 7, 2011
CALL FOR ACTION: Community Forestry—Key to Solving Current and Emerging Challenges. Participants from the Second Regional Forum for People and Forests held in Thailand on August 8-9 have issued a Call to Action on Community Forestry—Key to Solving Current and Emerging Challenges.
PUBLICATION: Policies, politics and realities of small dams in the rural South. A new issue of Water Alternatives has a special section on Policies, politics and realities of small dams in the rural South.
PUBLICATION: Collective Action: Research, Theory and Practice: Celebrating Elinor Ostrom and Her Work. The latest issue of the Grassroots Economic Organizing (GEO) newsletter celebrates Elinor Ostrom.
ONLINE RESOURCE: World Bank eAtlas of Gender. This tool allows users to map and graph dozens of gender indicators over time and across countries
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
ONLINE RESOURCE: World Bank eAtlas of Gender
The World Bank has launched the World Bank eAtlas of Gender, a companion of the recent World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. This World Bank eAtlas of Gender, the latest in a suite of user-friendly, interactive electronic atlases, allows users to map and graph dozens of gender indicators over time and across countries. See the video below for a demonstration.
The eAtlas allows users to see how a country fares on several dimensions of well-being and empowerment by clicking on an indicator after a keyword search. When the indicator is selected, a world map appears, showing the latest data for more than 200 economies.
With this eAtlas, you can:
- Map more than 80 World Bank indicators worldwide
- Compare and view two maps simultaneously
- Animate maps to show change over time
- View all data in ranking tables and charts alongside maps
- Export maps and data for use in presentations and more
- Import your own data
Visit the eAtlas of Gender site.
PUBLICATION: Policies, politics and realities of small dams in the rural South
A new issue of Water Alternatives has a special section on Policies, politics and realities of small dams in the rural South.
This special issue on the Policies, Politics and Realities of Small Reservoirs in the Rural South was prompted by a simple observation: since the 1980s, the questions that revolve around small reservoirs have evolved little despite continuous development and academic attention to the topic worldwide. Continuous interests and related investments in small reservoirs in the context of long-known challenges and opportunities echo an observation by Diemer and Vincent (1992) on the "failure of collective memory and collective action" and reinforces a tendency to reiterate long-known problems in the field of irrigation in Africa (Lankford, 2009). Rather than providing normative answers to questions surrounding small reservoirs, the papers in this collection help understand how this 'stabilisation' of the debate came into being. Here, small reservoirs in the rural South provide an opportunity to better understand the emergence, malleability and persistence of specific 'models' for rural development, that is, interventions which ostensibly embody a dimension of 'success' and whose shortcomings are generally downplayed and framed as mere 'externalities' associated with the context of implementation (Molle, 2008). More specifically, and in line with critical analysts of development and environmental processes, we demonstrate the importance of looking at discursive framings of past and current agricultural water management projects and policies to understand how and what they do in practice for multiple actors.
Articles available here.
CALL FOR PAPERS: 12th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS AND RIO +20
CONTRIBUTIONS AND CHALLENGES FOR A GREEN ECONOMY
29 May - 1 June, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
ISEE is a nonprofit, member-governed organization dedicated to advancing understanding of the relationships between the economy, ecology and society, for the mutual well-being of people and nature. ISEE conferences are transdisciplinary and have been held biennially since 1990. ISEE 2012 has been conceived to dovetail with the Rio +20 UNCSD Earth Summit . The Earth Summit has been charged with developing a road map for international cooperation toward a "Green Economy" and for promoting institutions necessary for sustainable development. ISEE 2012 will address UNCSD themes as well as other key debates within ecological economics and environmental policy. It will promote dialogue with the Summit through a final ministerial panel and the participation of policy makers. The challenge for Ecological Economics at this Summit is to contribute to designing innovative alternatives, to address market and institutional failures, as well as to better understand ecological and economic systems.
For conference details see: http://www.ecoeco.org/content/2011/06/2012-isee-conference-call-for-papers/
Download the complete flyer (pdf).
Deadline for abstracts: November 15, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: FAO Senior Officer (Livestock Policy)
Under the overall supervision of the Director, AGA, and the technical guidance of the Chief, AGAL the incumbent will
be responsible for livestock sector analysis, policy analysis and the formulation of relevant development strategies and
policy advice. In particular, the incumbent will:
- undertake reviews of the livestock sector in FAO member countries and provide policy advice for viable, sustainable and broad-based livestock sector development;
- lead and ensure the conduct of studies and reviews on issues of competitiveness; analyse value chains within broader macro-economic contexts with a view to providing FAO members with policy advice on improving and maintaining competitiveness;
- develop methodologies and tools to be used by FAO members to assist them in analysing and addressing issues of livestock sector competitiveness at levels of production systems and value chains, nationally and internationally;
- undertake market risk analysis;
- design and participate in the implementation of related information systems and databases;
- perform other related duties as required.
More information (pdf). French. Spanish.
Deadline: November 6, 2011
EMPLOYMENT: Water Scientist and Plant Pathologist Positions at IRRI
The International Rice Research Institute is accepting applications for two positions to be based at their office in Los Baños, Philippines.
- The overall task of the Water Scientist (Scientist/Senior Scientist) will be to develop hydrological and agronomic strategies for more efficient use of water resources to increase food security and improve the livelihoods of people living in irrigated areas and coastal zones of Asia. This will be achieved through intensification and diversification of rice-based cropping systems. The research will contribute to Program 3 of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP): “Ecological and sustainable management of rice-based production systems.” The water scientist will collaborate with agronomists, crop production specialists, economists, and breeders working on water-related issues (drought, submergence, salinity).
- The Plant Pathologist/Crop Health Management Specialist(Scientist/Senior Scientist) will use crop health/disease management approaches to provide practical tools and strategies to address chronic and emerging rice plant diseases in the context of changing production scenarios and climate change. The research will contribute to Program 3 of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP): “Ecological and sustainable management of rice-based production systems.” The scientist will collaborate with a team of agronomists, crop production specialists, and breeders working on diseases, insects, weeds, and rodents.
Deadline (both positions): October 20, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Lund Conference on Earth System Governance
The Lund Conference on Earth System Governance: Towards Just and Legitimate Earth System Governance – Addressing Inequalities, will be held at Lund University, 18-20 April 2012.
We invite you to the Lund Conference on Earth System Governance to be held 18-20 April 2012 in Lund, Sweden. This conference is part of a global series organized by the Earth System Governance Project. The first Earth System Governance conference was held in Amsterdam in December 2009 and the second in Fort Collins in May 2011. The 2012 Lund Conference on Earth System Governance is hosted by Lund University and jointly organized by the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) and the Department of Political Science at Lund University, on behalf of the Earth System Governance Project.
Deadline: November 5, 2011
CALL FOR ACTION: Community Forestry—Key to Solving Current and Emerging Challenges
Participants from the Second Regional Forum for People and Forests held in Thailand on August 8-9 have issued a Call to Action on Community Forestry—Key to Solving Current and Emerging Challenges.
Although Community Forestry can help slow and even reverse deforestation, only 26% of forests in the region are recognized as “community forests.” Constrained by regulatory frameworks and contradictory policies, local people are often denied the opportunity to sustainably manage their forests in ways that are appropriate to their situation. Key country decision-makers and over 200 participants from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond considered these issues at the Second Regional Forum for People and Forests: Community Forestry—Key to Solving Current and Emerging Challenges, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 8 and 9 August 2011. With this in mind and a shared commitment to the Vision for 2020, Forum participants issued this Call for Action.
We urge Forum participants and all other interested parties to commit to these action points to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people and forests of the Asia-Pacific region.
Download the Call for Action here (pdf).
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research
Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research (the Fund) are now being called. The Fund is aimed at accelerating global research into mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from pastoral livestock farming.
The Fund is open to international scientists, and it is hoped that multi-stakeholder/country consortia bids will be put forward. Projects can be led by New Zealand or international participants, but must include a New Zealand partner. Co-funding from international participants is also required.
Round 1 of the Fund totals NZ$16 million, and supports projects up to four years in duration. The cost of individual projects is expected to be in the range of NZ$1-4 million over the four years.
The Fund will seek proposals in response to a set of high-level research challenges that have been identified by an international strategic science panel, chaired by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman. These challenges are in the areas of:
- Manipulating rumen function
- Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soils in predominantly grazing livestock systems
- Manipulating the rates of soil carbon change in predominantly grazing livestock systems
- Improved tools for farmer decision making in predominantly grazing livestock systems
Deadline: November 7, 2011
PUBLICATION: Collective Action: Research, Theory and Practice: Celebrating Elinor Ostrom and Her Work
Grassroots Economic Organizing (GEO) is a decentralized collective of educators, researchers and grassroots activists working to promote an economy based on democratic participation, worker and community ownership, social and economic justice, and ecological sustainability--a "solidarity economy"--through grassroots journalism, organizing support, cross-sector networking and movement-building and the publication of educational and organizational resources.
The latest issue of the GEO newsletter is on the theme of “Collective Action: Research, Theory and Practice: Celebrating Elinor Ostrom and Her Work”.
Most of GEO's readers are practitioners of economic collective action. They may be wondering why GEO is dedicating an entire issue not only to the practice of, but the theory and research of collective action as well.
Well, an important shift is underway in academia and it seems to be building momentum. It is a spreading inter-disciplinary interest in empathy, cooperation, and group-level behavior that seems to be converging in networks both within and outside of university structures. Practitioners of collective action should take heed of these developments. We work mostly in the margins of our political and economic life, and maybe this sea change can become a very empowering resource for making cooperation work more deeply and more broadly than we can even imagine.
Cooperation is now a core issue of our times, and because of the ferocious energy of many in the social sciences, it is re-emerging into the spotlight of public attention. Theorists and researchers of cooperation and collective action share the values and passions of practitioners, but, as Marx put it so eloquently, the point is to change the world not just to understand it. And for this endeavor, researchers and theorists can inform and even transform how we do collective action in real life, and we can be a cornucopia of experience for more understanding of the questions they are puzzling over.
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