Collective Action & Property Rights News

This Week's Posts

2009-06-23T12:13:00.001-04:00

EMPLOYMENT: Senior Vice President of Science and Knowledge
Deadline: July 1, 2009
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Australian Leadership Awards
Deadline: 30 June 2009
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: International Foundation for Science Research Grants
Deadlines: 30 June and 31 December
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2009 Asia Pacific Human Development Fellowships
Deadline: September 1, 2009
PUBLICATION: Property Rights and Climate Change Mitigation
PUBLICATIONS: Participatory Impact and Legal Tools
ONLINE RESOURCE: AfricaAdapt Website

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2009 Asia Pacific Human Development Fellowships

2009-06-23T12:03:00.001-04:00

Applications are now open for the 2009 Asia Pacific Human Development Fellowships. There are two types of Fellowships: Media or Academic, both of which are directly or indirectly intended to support building of HD capacity among nationals from programme countries.

This year the theme for the Media Fellowship is ‘Gender’, linked to the forthcoming APHDR, which will contribute to dissemination. The theme for the Academic Fellowship is ‘Climate Change’ to encourage researchers to focus on the theme selected for the APHDR to follow Gender.

Applicants should submit applications by the deadline of September 1st, 2009. [more information]

Tags: calls, fellowships, Asia

ONLINE RESOURCE: AfricaAdapt Website

2009-06-19T17:08:00.001-04:00

Introducing AfricaAdapt: Getting adaptation knowledge into use http://www.africa-adapt.net

The CCAA program invites you to visit the AfricaAdapt website, a new platform for sharing knowledge about climate change and adaptation. AfricaAdapt, a pan-African networking initiative, was launched in May 2009. Originating from the CCAA supported project „Knowledge Sharing for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa, AfricaAdapt provides a means for researchers, policymakers, and all Africans affected by climate change to test new ways of sharing their experiences and challenges across barriers of distance, culture and language.

Tags: online_resources

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: International Foundation for Science Research Grants

2009-06-17T20:24:00.001-04:00

The International Foundation for Science (IFS) is offering research grants to young scientists in developing countries for research on the sustainable management, use or conservation of biological or water resources. This broad statement covers natural science and social science research on agriculture, soils, animal production, food science, forestry, agro-forestry, aquatic resources, natural products, water resources, etc.

Scientists under 40 years of age with at least a Master's or equivalent degree/research experience. Applicants should be citizens of a developing country attached to a university, national research institution or a research-oriented NGO in a developing country.

Applications are accepted all year. Cut-off dates are 30 June and 31 December. [more information]

Tags: calls, fellowships, funding

Publication: Property Rights and Climate Change Mitigation

2009-06-17T20:23:00.001-04:00

IFPRI’s 2020 Vision Initiative approached leading experts around the world to share their views on the key negotiating outcomes that must be pursued now in order to effectively put agriculture on the climate change agenda.

In particular, Brief 10 on The Importance of Property Rights in Climate Change Mitigation will be of interest to CAPRi members.

[more information]

Tags: publications, CAPRi

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: The Australian Leadership Awards

2009-06-15T11:23:00.001-04:00

The Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) program aims to develop leadership, build partnerships and linkages within the Asia-Pacific, and address priority regional issues. The ALA program is comprised of Scholarships and Fellowships. Awardees are selected from the public, private and community sectors within countries where Australia has a significant aid program. Scholars also undertake an extensive Leadership Development Program while in Australia.

The Scholarships are intended for those who are already leaders, or have the potential to assume leadership roles. ALA Scholarships target those whose chosen field of study equips them to play a significant role in addressing, researching or combating regional development issues. AusAID’s priority areas are disability, economic growth, education, environment, food security, gender, governance, health, human rights, infrastructure, regional stability, rural development and water & sanitation.

Deadline is 30 June 2009. [more information]

Tags: scholarships, fellowships, funding

PUBLICATIONS: Participatory Impact and Legal Tools

2009-06-15T11:16:00.001-04:00

Participatory Impact Assessment: a Guide for Practitioners

Participatory Impact Guide now available in French and Spanish

The Feinstein International Center has been developing and adapting participatory approaches to measure the impact of livelihoods based interventions since the early nineties. Drawing upon this experience, the guide aims to provide practitioners with a broad framework for carrying out project level Participatory Impact Assessments (PIA) of livelihoods interventions in the humanitarian sector. Other than in some health, nutrition, and water interventions in which indicators of project performance should relate to international standards, for many interventions there are no 'gold standards' for measuring project impact. This guide aims to bridge this gap by outlining a tried and tested approach to measuring the impact of livelihoods projects. The tools in the guide have been field tested over the past two years in a major research effort, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and involving five major humanitarian NGOs working across Africa.

Download the Guide at http://fic.tufts.edu.

Legal tools for citizen empowerment: Getting a better deal for natural resource investment in Africa - Highlights and lessons learned (2006-2009)
by Lorenzo Cotula

This note aims to take stock of what we have learned so far, consolidate a conceptual framework for moving forward, and link up with interested people. It summarises highlights from the first two and a half years of the programme, including insights from our research on the legal levers that can be used to maximise local voice and benefit (from local land rights to investor-state contracts through to community-investor partnerships), as well as a few milestones in our work on legal literacy training, exchange of experience and policy advocacy.

[more information]

Tags: publications, online_resources

EMPLOYMENT: Senior Vice President of Science and Knowledge

2009-06-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

The SVP position is an expansion of Conservation International’s former head of Conservation and Applied Biodiversity Sciences (CABS) role. Poised for continued success, CI is seeking a Senior Vice President of Science + Knowledge who will have full responsibility for developing and implementing CI’s science-to-action agenda to support CI’s new mission of delivering human well-being through conservation of healthy ecosystems and their goods and services.

Review of applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled, ideally, on or before July 1, 2009. [more information]

Tags: employment

This Week's Posts

2009-06-09T11:28:00.001-04:00

CAPRi POSITION: Communications Specialist
Deadline: June 16, 2009
EMPLOYMENT: Senior Social Scientist (IWMI)
Deadline: 5 June 2009 or until the position is filled
EMPLOYMENT: Principal Scientist (Economics)
Deadline: 15 July 2009
CALL FOR PRE-PROPOSALS: Economics of Climate Change
Deadline: 30 June 2009
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Community-based experiences with climate change
Deadline: 15 July 2009
CONSULTING OPPORTUNITY: Technical Support to Commercial Pressure on Land Study
PUBLICATION: Special Issue on Critical Perspectives in Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies
WHAT OTHER'S ARE BLOGGING

Tags: contents, CAPRi

CALL FOR PRE-PROPOSALS: Economics of Climate Change

2009-06-08T15:07:00.001-04:00

SANDEE is currently inviting research pre- proposals on the Economics of Climate Change. Pre-proposals, if accepted, will lead to an invitation to submit a full research proposal. Human activity is altering the earth’s climate with serious implications for food security, health, biodiversity and natural disasters. South Asian countries will need to respond with strategies to both mitigate green house gases and adapt to climate change. SANDEE would like to increase its support for research on the economics of climate change. We are pleased to inform you that our Research Guidelines for Winter 2009 Research Competition is posted in the SANDEE website.

The deadline for the submission of the pre-proposal is 30 June 2009. [more information]

Tags: calls, funding

EMPLOYMENT: Principal Scientist (Economics)

2009-06-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

ICRISAT seeks applications for Principal Scientist (Economics) , to be based at its headquarters in Hyderabad, India. He/She should be capable of articulating a strong vision of the opportunities for the poor in smallholder agriculture and understanding the key constraints for enhancing efficiency and equity in agriculture in the marginal environments. He/she should be able to translate this vision into a consistent and productive research offering a significant array of international public goods.

Applications will be received until 15 July 2009, or until the position is filled. [more information]

Tags: employment, SouthAsia, CGIAR

PUBLICATION: Special Issue on Critical Perspectives in Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies

2009-06-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

Journal of Peasant Studies, Vol. 36, Issue No. 1 Special Issue: Critical Perspectives in Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies Edited by Saturnino M. Borras Jr.

FREE TO DOWNLOAD at http://www.informaworld.com/jps

About the Collection Agrarian transformations within and across countries have been significantly and dynamically altered during the past few decades compared to previous eras, provoking a variety of reactions from rural poor communities worldwide. The recent convergence of various crises * financial, food, energy and environmental * has put the nexus between ‘rural development’ and ‘development in general’ back onto the center stage of theoretical, policy and political agendas in the world today. Confronting these issues will require (re)engaging with critical theories, taking politics seriously, and utilizing rigorous and appropriate research methodologies. These are the common messages and implications of the various contributions to this collection in the context of a scholarship that is critical in two senses: questioning prescriptions from mainstream perspectives and interrogating popular conventions in radical thinking. This JPS special issue is a collection of articles in ‘state of the art’ format on key perspectives, frameworks and methodologies in agrarian change and peasant studies.

Tags: publications, online_resources

WHAT OTHER'S ARE BLOGGING

2009-05-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

Reforming property rights

This column explores the security of property rights and the various channels through which they affect economic activity. It demonstrates a strong correlation between secure property rights and economic development and discusses the institutional challenges involved. Property rights reform is no panacea, and it faces difficult political economy hurdles in some countries. (...)

Read the full post at http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/3484

Resilience, sustainability, and loosely-coupled systems

The NIST smart grid interoperability roadmap workshop I attended last week has gotten me thinking about the similarities between system architecture (as the computer systems folks call it) and institutional design (as we political economy social scientists call it). (...)

Read the full post at http://knowledgeproblem.com/2009/05/04/resilience-sustainability-and-loosely-coupled-systems/

Change is dead

What?!? I hear you say. Change is dead? But isn't everybody talking about the pace of change, change management, how to be more resilient in the face of change? And the Buddhists in the group are going, but, everything is change, change is all. Yep. And that's the point actually. (...)

Read the full post at http://wordgravity.blogspot.com/2009/05/change-is-dead.html

Tags: blogs, online_resources

CAPRi POSITION: Communications Specialist

2009-05-21T10:10:00.001-04:00

Dear CAPRi colleagues and friends,

CAPRi and IFPRI are looking for a Communications Specialist, as a successor to Stephan Dohrn. We are looking for someone with a background in institutions of collective action and property rights to work with the CAPRi program, and IFPRI’s Communications Division.

The Communications Specialist will provide leadership for CAPRi’s communications activities and contribute to the management of ongoing CAPRi projects, and, as part of IFPRI's Library and Knowledge Management team, promote and facilitate institutional learning through the implementation of effective knowledge sharing approaches and tools.

The position is open until filled. [more information]

We would appreciate your help in circulating this to good candidates for the position.

Ruth Meinzen-Dick
Coordinator, CGIAR System-wide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi)

Tags: employment, CGIAR, CAPRi

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Community-based experiences with climate change

2009-05-20T15:29:00.001-04:00

Are you experiencing the impacts of climate change? The Frontlines Forum seeks community-based experiences with climate change: impacts, opportunities and adaptation strategies. It provides a platform for sharing observations, concerns and innovations. They invite contributions from indigenous or rural communities in small islands, high altitudes, the Arctic, desert margins and other vulnerable environments.

Deadline: 15 July 2009 [more information]

Tags: calls, funding

CONSULTING OPPORTUNITY: Technical Support to Commercial Pressure on Land Study

2009-05-19T17:38:00.001-04:00

ILC Secretariat is looking for an individual or institution to support a global study on on Commercial Pressures on Land (CPL). This will include the technical coordination of the project at the global level to ensure coherence and consistency in the production of the individual reports throughout the process leading to the publication of the final report. The Technical Support Provider will also be responsible to produce an overall synthesis report that draws together the different chapter reports to identify transversal issues, trends, impacts and opportunities, and to advance understanding of the phenomenon in such a way as to enable appropriate responses.

Deadline for submissions: Friday 29th May. [more information]

Tags: employment

EMPLOYMENT: Senior Social Scientist (IWMI)

2009-05-18T13:57:00.001-04:00

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) seeks to recruit a highly qualified senior scientist in the field of social science to lead research at scales from local to international on institutions, governance, power and politics and their effects on water use, development, management and decision making and how those in turn impact sustainability and success of water management interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. The position will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or any other IWMI office in Africa and reports to the Theme Leader on Water and Society.

Deadline: 5 June 2009 or until the position is filled. [more information]

Tags: employment, CGIAR, Africa

This Week's Posts

2009-05-13T12:51:00.001-04:00

EMPLOYMENT: Deputy DG and Impact Assessment Scientist (CIFOR)
Applications for both vacancies will be accepted until the positions are filled.
EMPLOYMENT: PostDoc, Human Development and Africa
Candidatures will be considered until the position is filled.
EMPLOYMENT: Research Scientist, Global Research Project Leader (ICRAF)
Deadline: 18 May 2009
SCHOLARSHIPS: RUFORUM in Agriculture Graduate Scholarships
Deadline: 30 May 2009
CALL FOR IDEAS: Farm Foundation Competition for Innovative Agricultural Solutions
Deadline: 1 June 2009
CALL FOR PAPERS: 2nd round, Decentralization, Power & Forest Tenure Rights
Deadline: 10 August 2009
CALL FOR PAPERS: Innovation and Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food (ISDA 2010)
Deadline: September 15, 2009
SURVEY: IASC membership survey
Deadline: May 19, 2009
PUBLICATION: Policy Brief on "Land Grabbing"

Tags: contents, CAPRi

CALL FOR PAPERS: Innovation and Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food (ISDA 2010)

2009-05-13T12:31:00.001-04:00

The Symposium Innovation and Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food - ISDA 2010 will be held from June 28 to July 1, 2010 in Montpellier (France). This symposium is promoted by CIRAD, INRA and Montpellier SupAgro to collectively address the following question:

Facing the crisis and growing uncertainties, can science and societies reinvent agricultural and food systems to achieve sustainability?

You are invited this symposium to reflect upon future choices, design appropriate scientific agendas, and help renew actions and policies so that innovation systems can better achieve sustainability. Researchers from all disciplines are welcome, as well as stakeholders and policy makers, from Northern and Southern countries.

Please submit abstracts before September 15, 2009. [more information]

Tags: calls, events, publications

EMPLOYMENT: Deputy DG and Impact Assessment Scientist (CIFOR)

2009-05-11T13:08:00.001-04:00

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is looking for a dynamic and visionary Deputy Director General and an Impact Assessment Scientist.

Deputy Director General

The Deputy Director General is responsible for leading, planning, executing, managing, and monitoring CIFOR’s global research for development activities. This role requires coordination of activities across three research programs and six cross-cutting research domain teams, in addition to support from information, human resources, and finance and administration services units.

[more information]

Impact Assessment Scientist

CIFOR is looking for an Impact Assessment Scientist to conduct Natural Resources Impact Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting.

[more information]

Applications for both vacancies will be accepted until the positions are filled.

Tags: employment, CGIAR, Asia

CALL FOR IDEAS: Farm Foundation Competition for Innovative Agricultural Solutions

2009-05-11T12:26:00.000-04:00

The Farm Foundation has organized a competition seeking innovative and promising public policy ideas in global financial markets and recession, food security, energy security, climate change, competition for natural resources and economic development. Who: The competition is open to anyone with an interest in the public policy issues.

Deadline is 1 June 2009 by 5 pm. [more information]

Tags: calls, funding

Via CGIAR G&D Funding News

EMPLOYMENT: PostDoc, Human Development and Africa

2009-05-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future invites applications for a post-doctoral research fellow to work on topics related to human development and Africa. The research fellow will help develop an Africa-focused research program at the Pardee Center, around the theme of Africa 2060. We are interested in candidates with strong analytical skills, substantive knowledge and experience, and an interest and ability to study continent-wide (or sub-regional), longer-range trends and prospects in human development in Africa.

Candidatures will be considered until the position is filled. [more information]

Tags: employment, fellowships, Africa

SCHOLARSHIPS: RUFORUM in Agriculture Graduate Scholarships

2009-05-06T13:14:00.001-04:00

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building (RUFORUM) is offering a limited number of scholarships for an MSc program in Research Methods. The program aims to produce research methods specialists who will be able to work across the social, economic and biophysical sciences and who will be able to make solid contributions to enhancing the effectiveness of modern, integrative research. The course is highly practical, built around research being carried out in East and Southern Africa.

Who: Graduates in Statistics or Applied Maths who are fascinated by Agriculture and Rural Development, or those with a background in Agriculture or Biology background and are comfortable with Maths. Note that, applicants should first apply to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (JKUAT) for admission to the program. Admission to the program is a prerequisite for consideration for the scholarship.

Deadline for admission at JKUAT is 30 May 2009. [more information]

Via CGIAR G&D Funding News

Tags: calls, scholarships, funding, Africa

SURVEY: IASC membership survey

2009-05-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

The International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC), which many of you are members of is conducting a membership survey. Since they are not only interested in their current members' opinions, but also in those of past and prospective members, I am forwarding this to this list.

The Membership Strategy Improvement Survey will take you only a few minutes to fill out. You can answer this online by clicking the following link:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=ckJqN0lJajR3bGxvSU9Dem8xVUY3cFE6MA.

They will start analyzing the results on May 19th, so make sure you fill out the form before then. If you have additional ideas feel free to share them by sending an e-mail to iasc@iasc-commons.org.

If you want to know more about IASC go to their website and to join the Association click here.

Tags: online_resources, CAPRi

PUBLICATION: Policy Brief on "Land Grabbing"

2009-05-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

IFPRI just published a Policy Brief entitled “Land Grabbing” by Foreign Investors in Developing Countries: Risks and Opportunities and authored by Joachim von Braun and Ruth Meinzen-Dick:

Foreign investment can provide key resources for agriculture, but only if arrangements are properly negotiated, practices are sustainable, and benefits are shared. You can access the brief and a map that visualizes some cases on the IFPRI website.

Here is some press coverage on this phenomenon and the brief:

Tags: publications, CAPRi