East Asia & Pacific on the rise - Making development work for all

Jobs and skills: more answers to your questions

Lars Sondergaard — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:32:47 +0000

(Last week, I posted: “Wanted: Jobs and your questions about how to find them” on this blog. We received dozens of questions back through social media. Lars Sondergaard, a World Bank expert on education, answered some of them in a video and now he gets to a few more here. He throws out some questions of his own and would love to hear back from you. — Anne Elicaño)

Anonymous asked through the blog: “I was wondering about job outlook for chemical and mechanical engineers in the future”

If you are just about to graduate as an engineer and worry whether you will be able to find a job, I have some good news: in most countries, too few students study engineering relative to the jobs available with the results that engineering graduates tend to have an easier time finding employment than their peers. A lot is written about this vibrant demand, check out this article in Forbes about the demand for engineers (or the World Bank’s “Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth”)

I don’t what the situation is like in your country but it is often harder to get a “free” (such as government-sponsored) seat in a social sciences program than it is in the engineering department. What are your views on why this is so?

Alain from Dubai, through the blog asks: “What are the trends in job vacancies around the world, i.e. where are the jobs, in which sectors we observed hikes, and what are the challenges in filling in these jobs?”

Similarly, Anonymous through Weibo asked: Employers tend to hire people who have majored in subjects that are directly related to their businesses. But university education, as compared to vocational education, emphasizes more on acquiring generic knowledge and skills. How can we deal with this contradiction?

The big picture on the job front is this: the jobs that are experiencing the biggest growth are jobs that involve “non-routine” tasks and, hence, involve higher skilled workers. A lot has been written about this, including recently by fellow blogger and colleague Frederico Gil Sander (I suggest you check out his report, “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Modern Jobs”).

More and more workers are expected to solve unforeseen problems, learn new machines and methods on the job, and undertake complex tasks, and this implies more and better education. The clearest sign of this trend is that even though more and more people are completing a university education, it is still a very good investment to do so: university graduates are more likely to find a job, and they still earn significantly more than any other types of graduates.

You also asked what challenges employers are finding in filling these jobs, and let me answer this by addressing the questions asked from China (on the apparent contraction). We learn what challenges firms are facing by doing regular surveys of them (e.g. see http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/) and asking them that exact question.

Their answer to this varies quite a bit across countries and across time but two messages usually emerge from such surveys: first, firms across the world and across time always seem to complain that they can’t find workers with the right skills! I would love to get some feedback on why you think that is the case.

Second, firms consistently report that they are looking for more than workers with the right degree; rather, they are looking for workers with the right skills, which includes behavioral skills (e.g. conscientiousness, punctuality etc), and foreign language skills. In many countries (including Thailand, see “Leading with Ideas: Skills for Growth and Equity in Thailand”, figure 6) firms report that the least of their problems is finding a university graduate; rather, their main problem is finding one who is proficient in English.

Thanks for sending so many interesting questions, I hope my answers are of help. Find below the video where I tackled some other questions earlier. And I’m glad to continue the conversation on this blog if you have more comments. Cheers.

Answers to your questions on jobs and skills

Anne Elicaño — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:22:21 +0000

Earlier this week I asked you to send us your questions about the link between jobs and skills --which should I acquire to make it in the current job environment? Thanks for all the replies --there were so many and so interesting that Lars Sondergaard, our expert, will address in a separate blog post next week the ones that couldn't make it into the video interview. Stay tuned!

Wanted: Jobs –and your questions about how to find them

Anne Elicaño — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:24:55 +0000

Lars Sondergaard will answer 5 of your questions in a video

Use social media to ask the World Bank about the type of skills and education that are needed in today’s global economy.

The global economic recession has made the search for a good, stable job even more significant. In Asia, where I’m from, jobs have always been foremost in young people’s minds because of the harsh conditions brought about by social and economic inequality or, if you’re not from a developing country, the previous generations’ memory of it. We don’t have an equivalent to a “gap year” to take time out between the life stages of high school and university to travel.

What can make a person more employable? Policymakers say that having the right skills and good education largely have something to do with that. It’s not just about being able to go to school. In Thailand and some other countries, schools are linking with companies so that students can enhance the skills their future employers needs. A World Bank report, Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth, also recommends investing more in research and scholarships, prioritizing underfunded but important subjects like engineering and sciences, and improving the management of public universities.

Have your say

Do you have a question about the effect of the recession on joblessness in your region? Or the type of skills most needed by the market?

We’re asking an expert on education, Lars Sondergaard, to take questions in a video interview that we’ll post at the end of this week.

Here’s how to get involved:

Send your question using the comment function below to ask our expert. You can do it right now. You can also join the conversation on Twitter (send your questions to @worldbankasia) or on Facebook.

So what are you waiting for? Ask now and share with your friends!

Four years on: What China got right when rebuilding after the Sichuan earthquake

Vivian Argueta Bernal — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:11:08 +0000

Paul Procee

The devastation from the Sichuan earthquake was immense; the recovery, impressive.

Four years ago on May 12, 2008, the world was stunned by the news of an 8-magnitude massive earthquake that struck Wenchuan of Sichuan Province and affected, in total, ten provinces in Southwestern China.

Official estimates put the number of affected people at 46.25 million, with some 69,227 deceased, 17,923 missing and 15 million displaced from their homes.

During our visits to those areas back then, we witnessed how water, electricity and gas systems were largely paralyzed and telecommunications and transportation severely disrupted. General infrastructure was also overwhelmingly damaged, with approximately 7,444 schools and 11,028 medical institutions and 34,125 kilometers of highways devastated, in a region that was already among the poorest and most vulnerable in China.

The overall direct economic loss was estimated to be RMB 845 billion (US$ 130 billion).

In face of these severe human, material, economic and environmental damages, the Chinese government immediately set in motion a comprehensive relief and reconstruction program.

Our team worked on the World Bank-financed Wenchuan Earthquake Recovery Project. We recently concluded a review of China’s national master plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the earthquake and six sector-specific recovery plans. This includes lessons learnt from the Chinese and international experiences in earthquake reconstruction and policy recommendations to further improve reconstruction efforts.

Having witnessed the immensity of the tasks accomplished, we’d like to share some of our key findings:

One of the most astonishing aspects is the speed and efficiency with which the Chinese government was able to mobilize government agencies, the private sector and the population at large.

Soon after the disaster, the planning process for recovery and reconstruction efforts took off, including the optimization of the urban layout during reconstruction, the restoration and reconstruction of rural production and living facilities, the provision of health services; the creation of cultural, sporting and other public service facilities; the strengthening of disaster prevention and relief systems; the restoration of the ecological landscape; and the provision of psychological support of the affected population.

Most importantly, the government was able to capitalize on the opportunities presented by this disaster to plan the reconstruction in a way that allowed the affected provinces to move forward.

Another interesting part of the reconstruction was the way other provincial governments and the population at large got involved.

Overall, about 41,130 projects for reconstruction and rehabilitation were undertaken, 99% of which were completed within a two year period. This was largely made possible thanks to the innovative measures such as a partnership scheme set up among provinces – basically, the Central Government paired up each affected county with an unaffected province, which then worked to provide financial and technical assistance for reconstruction and restoration.

These provinces in turn worked to raise awareness among their population and industrial sectors of the needs of the affected provinces they were assisting. In this way, civil society was also massively mobilized. In total, over RMB 949 billion (US$ 146 billion) were invested for reconstruction.

Furthermore, the earthquake provided an opportunity to reconstruct all public-service facilities in the affected areas with high seismic standards and modern equipment. Some RMB108 billion (US$ 16.6 billion) were spent in these facilities, including investments in medical and sanitation facilities and social management. Schools and hospitals are now fully restored and reconstructed, in addition to social welfare houses, elderly homes, community service centers, village activity centers, etc.

We are continuing to strengthen our partnership with the Chinese government on disaster and risk mitigation and management, by disseminating China’s great experience and expertise in disaster preparedness and relief to other countries in the region and worldwide.

This Monday (May 14), the China Emergency Relief Training Center (CERT) in Beijing, with support from GFDRR, through the World Bank, is offering the one-week Emergency Response and Relief Training to selected rescue teams from Indonesia, a country that has also been hit hard by natural disasters. This training is designed to prepare medical and rescue teams to respond to emergencies more effectively in future.

We hope that this will be the first of a series of such trainings through which China can share some of the know-how it has acquired from previous disasters such as the 08 earthquake.

Here, watch a video that records a training program on disaster preparedness for primary and second school teachers from the Sichuan earthquake-struck areas:

The details are also available in this story. And here are some previous blog posts about this earthquake.

Can you hear me now? Yes - Mobile phones in the Mongolian countryside

Dave Lawrence — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:14:08 +0000

Photo courtesy of Steve Burt through a Creative Commons license

A few years ago, I spent a few days in a ger (yurt) in what seemed like the end of the world—Baruunburen district in Mongolia’s Selenge province. It took more than seven hours to get there from Ulaanbaatar, via Erdenet, Mongolia’s third-largest city. The paved roads gave way to dirt ones, but even these faded away until they were nothing more than tire marks in the grass. We took the final leg of the journey on horseback through a small, rain-gorged river, and finally arrived at a ger, a white speck in a huge, green valley surrounded by hills that went on forever.

A little later, I checked my phone to see if there was a signal. There wasn’t. Then my host pointed to a nearby hilltop and explained that I could catch a signal from there, so off I went. It took about 20 minutes of vigorous climbing to get the top, but it was worth it. The view was spectacular, and sure enough, I caught a stray signal. I pinched off a few text messages to my wife, a continent away in Ukraine.

It may seem inconvenient to climb a hill to use your phone, but think—ten years ago, even this would have been impossible. In a country where three million people are spread over 1.5 million square kilometers (Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world), communicating without mobile phones can be difficult and expensive. Just think how hard it would be to get a message to a herder somewhere in the hills, or to someone in a ger in the next valley. It’s easy to see that mobile technology is more than a convenience in rural Mongolia.

The Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), a partnership of donors and international organizations, had a lot to do with developing rural communications in Mongolia’s countryside. With World Bank support, it piloted an approach to bring voice and broadband Internet services to the countryside in partnership with private service operators. This led to a highly successful rollout on a much bigger scale. In an article in Handshake, a journal on public-private partnerships, GPOBA reports that today all 335 districts in Mongolia have mobile phone services, broadband Internet services are now available in 34 district centers, and the distance herders have to travel to make a call has fallen by more than half.

But that’s not all—mobile banking is taking off in Mongolia. Several of its top banks, including Khan Bank and XacBank, have been expanding their mobile banking services to the countryside. This means herders won’t always have to travel to conduct financial transactions, which will make their lives a lot easier. And I’ll be able to pay a few bills the next time I want to send a text to my wife.

There are probably other ways that mobile phone technology is changing life in the Mongolian countryside, ones that city dwellers like me can't imagine. If you have any good stories, please share them in the comments section below.

Needed: bolder actions and sunshine for financial disclosures in Vietnam

Huong Thi Lan Tran — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:42:16 +0000

Cũng có ở Tiếng việt

If you ask someone what would bring him or her to Bangkok, you would likely hear that they are drawn by the bold and deliciously spicy food, the wonderfully cheerful local people and the bright sunshine of this amazingly lively city. But what brought nearly forty anti-corruption practitioners from fifteen countries in the East Asia and Pacific region, from South Africa, and from the World Bank, DFID and UN agencies in late March to the capital, was their interest in learning how different financial disclosure regimes have worked elsewhere and how to make them more effective tools in fighting corruption.

A regional conference in Bangkok on financial disclosure (asset declarations) was organized by the World Bank’s Financial Market Integrity and the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR). The conference enabled cross-country sharing of information on financial disclosure by public officials; sharing between more advanced systems, like those in South Korea and Thailand, very new systems like in Timor-Leste, and systems that are somewhere in between like those in Vietnam and China. It was an interactive conference with each country’s representatives eager to share their own experience, the difficulties they have faced and their desire to learn from each other. For Vietnam, which is now reviewing the five years of implementation of its Anticorruption Law, there are some good messages to take home.

It is imperative for countries to embark on their financial disclosure journey in order to tackle corruption. The time for the start varies from country to country, but their motives are the same: reducing corruption, strengthening integrity among public officials, and building better institutions as a country develops.

Yet, there is no one-size-fits-all system of financial disclosure for all countries (different contexts, different institutions, etc.), despite the temptation to view the very advanced systems of OECD countries as models. The financial disclosure systems of countries participating in the conference were never perfect at the beginning (and aren't perfect now!)—rather, they evolved over time and, indeed, they worked better when there was flexibility for adaptation.

Many countries have faced the same challenge when embarking on their systems of financial disclosures: there are just too many filers and only a limited ability to verify the information filed. The question is whether to try to construct a financial disclosure regime on a widespread scale or to do it with a more targeted focus. The latter option was not chosen by many countries in the region. While there is not yet a consensus on which option is better, there is generally an agreement that a good data management system is essential; one that can host a sizeable but manageable number of filers, allowing better verification and helping keep track of warning signals generated by the system itself. South Korea, for instance, has been able to establish a regime that systematically sends alerts whenever there is a discrepancy in a filer’s asset declaration with other property’s registries of that filer, thus prompting many investigations to take place.

Learning from experience and understanding the environment in which each system operates is necessary. Given limited resources and potential inhibitors and facilitators of any financial disclosure regime, it is important that each country set out clearly a strategic vision of where to go and what to do with the financial disclosure system for public officials, as part of a clear anti-corruption strategy. The experiences described at the conference showed that the existence of a disclosure regime would not solve corruption in and of itself. There are no panaceas when it comes to tackling corruption. Yet, it was encouraging to see that public disclosure of financial information of public officials helped enable lifestyle checks from media and civil society organizations, thus helping anticorruption agencies to detect corruption, and deterring it even before it occurs. For Vietnam, which has been implementing its asset declaration regime for four years now, there are several of implications. With about 600,000 asset declarations filed annually, it has only been possible to verify 0.1 percent of the total filings, and as the financial disclosures are not yet disclosed to the public, the effectiveness of this anti-corruption measure is yet to be proved. Indeed, the World Bank’s own Vietnam Development Report 2010—Modern Institutions argued that the system would be more effective if declarations were made public for high level officials and if the declarations were restricted to more manageable numbers. The government of Vietnam has recognized the need to take bolder anti-corruption measures in the coming years, including the recent and very welcome decision to disclose asset declarations at the office of public incumbents. What will be additional bolder steps that reinforce commitment to integrity? Will disclosure of asset declarations to the public, in part or in full, be among the steps? The bold cuisine, whether it is the strongly spicy Tom Yum Kung (which could be shocking for first time taster!)...or the tastily blended Khao Niaow Ma Muang (mango sticky rice dessert), and bright sunshine that attract people to Bangkok are the fitting metaphor for this conference—boldly blended ideas and bright sunshine are needed for Vietnam’s anticorruption program, as well. More on Governance in Vietnam.

Minh bạch tài sản ở Việt Nam – Cần hành động mạnh mẽ và quyết liệt hơn

Huong Thi Lan Tran — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:39:42 +0000

Available in English

Nếu bạn hỏi ai đó là điều gì hấp dẫn anh hay chị đến với Bangkok, bạn sẽ thường nghe câu trả lời đó là những món ăn đậm đà gia vị ngon tuyệt vời, những người Bangkok vui nhộn và hiều khách và một thành phố sống động kỳ lạ luôn tràn ngập ánh sáng mặt trời. Nhưng điều gì nữa đã đưa gần 40 chuyên gia trong lĩnh vực phòng chống tham nhũng từ 15 quốc gia trong khu vực Châu Á – Thái Bình Dương, từ Bộ phát triển quốc tế Anh, từ các cơ quan của Liên hợp quốc và từ Ngân hàng thế giới, đến với Bangkok cuối tháng 3 vừa qua? Đó là sự quan tâm học hỏi xem việc kê khai tài sản công chức ở các nước trên thế giới được thực hiện như thế nào và làm thế nào để kê khai tài sản trở thành một công cụ hữu hiệu hơn trong phòng chỗng tham nhũng.

Cuộc hội thảo khu vực về minh bạch tài chính (minh bạch hóa tài sản) đã được Ban liêm chính thị trường tài chính và Sáng kiến thu hồi tài sản bị đánh cắp (Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR)) của Ngân hàng thế giới tổ chức. Hội thảo này đã tạo ra cơ hội để chuyên gia các nước tham dự chia sẻ thông tin về thực hiện kê khai tài sản trong khu vực công của mỗi quốc gia, từ các quốc gia đã xây dựng hệ thống kiểm soát việc kê khai tài chính tương đối phát triển như Hàn Quốc và Thái Lan, hay các hệ thống mới được xây dựng như Đông Timor, và các hệ thống đã đạt được môt số kết quả nhất định như của Việt Nam và Trung Quốc. Các đại biểu đã nhiệt tình chia sẻ kinh nghiệm của mình, những khó khăn mà họ gặp phải và mong muốn được học hỏi lẫn nhau. Đối với Việt Nam, cùng với việc đánh giá 5 năm thực hiện Luật phòng chống tham nhũng, có một số thông điệp bổ ích có thể được nghiên cứu và áp dụng.

Một điều dễ thấy là các nước đều bắt đầu hành trình minh bạch hóa kê khai tài sản của cán bộ công chức nhằm giải quyết vấn đề tham nhũng ở quốc gia đó. Dù thời gian bắt đầu khác nhau ở mỗi quốc gia, mục đích của hành trình này là giống nhau: giảm tham nhũng, tăng cường liêm chính trong khu vực công và xây dựng các thể chể tốt hơn khi quốc gia phát triển lên đến một vị thế cao hơn.

Tuy vậy, không có một hệ thống kê khai tài sản hình mẫu duy nhất nào có thể áp dụng cho tất cả các quốc gia (khác nhau về bối cảnh, khác nhau về thể chế, v.v.) cho dù các nước đi sau đều có xu hướng học hỏi từ những hệ thống phát triển hơn như ở các nước OECD*. Không có hệ thống kê khai tài sản nào của các nước tham gia trong hội thảo là hoàn hảo ngay từ đầu (và hiện tại các hệ thống này cũng chưa được đánh giá là hoàn hảo!) nhưng các hệ thống này phát triển theo thời gian, và thực tế là các hệ thống đó vận hành tốt hơn khi được điều chỉnh một cách linh hoạt.

Rất nhiều các quốc gia gặp phải một vấn đề chung khi bắt đầu hành trình kê khai tài sản công chức, đó là: đối tượng phải kê khai rất rộng trong khi khả năng để xác minh thông tin trong các bản kê khai lại rất hạn chế. Câu hỏi đặt ra là nên xây dựng một hệ thống kê khai tài sản ở quy mô rộng hay nên bắt đầu với quy mô tập trung hơn. Rất nhiều quốc gia trong khu vực đã không chọn phương án quy mô tập trung. Trong khi vẫn chưa có một sự đồng thuận về phương án nào là tối ưu hơn, các đại biểu tham gia hội thảo đều có chung suy nghĩ là rất cần thiết phải có một hệ thống quản lý dữ liệu tốt. Đó là một hệ thống có thể lưu trữ một số lượng tương đối các bản kê khai tài sản nhưng không vượt quá khả năng kiểm soát của hệ thống đó để có thể cho phép xác minh, kiểm tra và có phản ứng đối với những tín hiệu cảnh báo đưa ra bởi hệ thống quản lý dữ liệu đó. Chẳng hạn, Hàn Quốc đã xây dựng một hệ thống mà có thể đưa ra cảnh báo khi có bất cứ sai lệch nào giữa bản kê khai tài sản của công chức với những đăng ký sở hữu đất đai của công chức đó. Những cảnh báo này đã giúp các cơ quan chức năng của Hàn Quốc tiến hành nhiều cuộc điều tra liên quan.

Học hỏi từ kinh nghiệm và hiểu rõ môi trường mà mỗi hệ thống kê khai tài sản vận hành cũng rất cần thiết. Trong điều kiện nguồn lực hạn hẹp với những thuận lợi và những rào cản tiềm ẩn, mỗi quốc gia cần có một tầm nhìn giúp định hướng những bước đi cũng như các phương thức thực hiện minh bạch hóa tài sản đối với cán bộ công chức. Và tầm nhìn này phải được gắn liền với chiến lược phòng chống tham nhũng của mỗi quốc gia.

Những kinh nghiệm chia sẻ tại hội nghị cho thấy việc có một hệ thống minh bạch kê khai tài sản cán bộ công chức cũng không phải là đã giải quyết được vấn đề tham nhũng. Không có một thần dược duy nhất nào có thể chữa trị căn bệnh tham nhũng. Tuy vậy, rất đáng khích lệ khi biết rằng việc công khai kê khai tài sản của cán bộ công chức cho công chúng đã giúp báo chí và các tổ chức xã hội dân sự có thể thực hiện các biên pháp giám sát về lối sống, giám sát việc làm giàu bất chính và nhờ đó giúp các cơ quan phòng chống tham nhũng phát hiện tham nhũng tốt hơn, ngăn chặn được tham nhũng ngay cả trước khi nó có thể xảy ra.

Việt Nam, một quốc gia đã bắt đầu thực hiện kê khai tài sản của cán bộ công chức trong 4 năm qua, có một vài hàm ý chính sách. Trong khoảng 600,000 bản kê khai tài sản của cán bộ công chức nộp hàng năm, chỉ có 0,1% số bản kê khai tài sản này đã được xác minh, và trong khi các bản kê khai tài sản này vẫn còn là bí mật đối với công chúng, tính hiệu quả của biện pháp phòng ngừa tham nhũng này vẫn còn cần phải được kiểm chứng. Thực tế là, Báo cáo phát triển Việt Nam 2010 – Các thể chế hiện đại (Vietnam Development Report 2010—Modern Institutions) của Ngân hàng thế giới nhận định rằng việc kê khai tài sản ở Việt Nam sẽ có hiệu quả hơn nếu các bản kê khai được công khai cho người dân và nếu số người phải kê khai tài sản ít hơn.

Chính phủ Việt Nam đã nhận thấy việc cần thiết phải có những biện pháp phòng chống tham nhũng mạnh mẽ hơn trong những năm tới. Một minh chứng cụ thể là quyết định rất được hoan nghênh về việc công khai bản kê khai tài sản cán bộ công chức tại cơ quan của cán bộ công chức. Vậy các biện pháp mạnh mẽ hơn nữa gia tăng cam kết về tính liêm chính sẽ là các biện pháp gì? Liệu công khai, một phần hay toàn bộ, bản kê khai tài sản của cán bộ công chức cho công chúng sẽ là một trong những biên pháp đó? Những món ăn đậm đà hương vị như món Tom Yum Kung (Canh tôm chua cay– có thể là sẽ quá chua và cay cho người mới ăn lần đầu!) hay món Khao Niaow Ma Muang (tráng miệng xôi xoài ngọt ngào) cùng với ánh nắng rực rỡ, những yếu tố hấp dẫn nhiều người đến với Bangkok chính là những gợi ý tại cuộc hội thảo này. Những ý tưởng mạnh mẽ, những hành động quyết liệt hơn sẽ là những yếu tố rất cần cho nỗ lực phòng chống tham nhũng ở Việt Nam. Thông tin khác về Quản trị nhà nước ở Việt Nam.

* OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Tổ chức Hợp tác và Phát triển Kinh tế

Government response? Impact of conflict and violence in the Philippines, 2000-2010 - Survey results (II)

Ed Bell — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:10:40 +0000

View the slideshow

I recently wrote a piece here with highlights from a survey about the impacts of violent conflict on the population of Central Mindanao, in the Philippines--you can also view the main points in the slideshow to the right.

So how has the government responded to these findings? In their joint message commending the report, the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development and the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process have urged all agencies to use the survey data to improve their assistance in the affected areas. They want to see greater understanding of people’s experience of governance, security and access to services, and decisions based on detailed knowledge of how livelihoods, access to land, credit and food vari es from place to place.

What should be done now?The report does not make specific recommendations because concerned agencies have such a wide range of mandates and capacities. Some strategy and operational implications, however, are emphasised:

Displacement is not only a humanitarian concern. It is a significant, multi-faceted development issue, and the challenges of displacement do not end with a return to home

Although the quality of the participatory process remains a vital concern, it is important also to investigate needs that may not be self-identified by the population. If not, gaps such as water supply and sanitation may get inadequate attention.

Access to information should be a cross-cutting priority, particularly among the poorest groups.

Agencies urgently need to improve the targeting of assistance so that it reaches the most vulnerable first.

By providing insights on these and other challenges, it is hoped that the study will help shape successful strategies for sustainable peace. That way, families and communities will be much less likely to experience again the destructive impacts of conflict and forced displacement.

Gender in the Pacific: Can a report help improve equality?

Katherine Patrick — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:15:30 +0000

As a junior member of the team who produced the forthcoming East Asia and Pacific companion to the World Development Report 2012 “Toward Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific”, I was excited to present its findings in the Pacific. After spending months reading, writing, reviewing and revising our findings and content, I had a plethora of questions waiting to be answered about the impact of our work: How would our audience receive it? Will our findings, based on painstakingly collected data and research, be adapted to the reality of gender and development in their country? Will they be able to use these reports to continue working toward gender equality in all aspects of life? Will our reports help people, namely women, lead more productive and fulfilling lives?

Last month I went to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji with the rest of the team to share and discuss our findings with members of government, the media, civil society, students and our donor partners.

I really wanted the reports to be received positively because of the current challenges to gender equality in the Pacific. As discussed in both reports, women equality worldwide has improved in health and education, yet continues to lag behind men in several areas including economic opportunity, and voice and influence in society. Women in the Pacific face particular challenges with respect to having voice and influence.

As of December 31, 2011, four of the six countries in the world with zero women in parliament are Pacific Islands (the other two being Saudi Arabia and Qatar). Nationally representative data suggests that between 60-70 percent of women aged 15-49 who have been in a relationship in Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have experienced sexual and/or physical violence from their partner. A similar study is currently being conducted in Fiji, and we were told that members of the Fijian team who surveyed rural areas had to receive mental counseling upon returning to the city due to the horrific stories they were told.

Simply reading such statistics or hearing such stories would give most people a doom and gloom perspective of the Pacific Islands with regard to promoting gender equality. However, in my visit to these countries I generated a more nuanced opinion.

While we conducted similar presentations in each place, the audiences’ reactions to our seminars were vastly different. In Papua New Guinea, the donor and civil society communities stressed the need to move beyond discussing gender equality by taking action on implementing policies and projects. In the Solomon Islands, women discussed the struggle between religion and gender equality, personalizing the debate with individual stories.

A favorite response of mine was when a member of parliament— who spoke passionately about gender equality— stated, “I am a woman in a man’s body.” In addition to giving me a laugh, this was one of several indications that males are also championing this issue.

In Fiji, the audience took the discussion a step further to discuss the specific obstacles faced by minority groups, including women with disabilities and the transgender community, and how to better include these groups in data collection and policy targeting. These responses confirmed that the report and its surrounding discussions were adaptable, and people could identify with different findings based on their specific country situation.

So, the response was good. One of the most positive and immediate outcomes was that people said the report was an influential tool to convince people in positions of power of the economic benefits to gender equality. Many were excited because they finally had the quantitative data to show gender inequality and push for change. People also benefitted from hearing about what has worked to reduce gender inequalities in other parts of the world.

So what does this mean? Are the reports a success?

Overall, I say undoubtedly yes, but the implications of our reports are complicated. In a recent World Bank seminar, the historian Simon Szreter offered an analogy of the trajectory of development by describing the course of history as a flowing river and development policy as a stone. While it is impossible to change the whole course of the river, it’s our job in development to strategically place the stone in the river where it will positively affect its course.

I approached the mission using this perspective; while some of my questions remained unanswered, I thought we aligned our stones just right. We offered all that we have learned, and I left feeling hopeful and encouraged by the committed men and women who, independent of the World Bank mission and our presence in that part of the world, continue to work for gender equality.

If you are interested, you can learn more about the World Development Report 2012 and read the East Asia and Pacific Companion main findings here. And I am interested in your own views and experiences regarding gender equality in the Pacific. Would you want to share them here?

Indonesia: A return to Aceh amidst hopes for peace and prosperity

Dini Djalal — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:18:41 +0000

Juga tersedia di Bahasa

My first trip to Aceh was in August 1998, four months after the resignation of former President Soeharto. It was the height of Indonesia's pro-democracy Reformasi movement, and many journalists thought that travel permits were still required, as it had been for decades. My friend and I were venturing as 'tourists'. In many villages, the legacy of repression remained: razed houses, shuttered schools, and households run by widows. Poverty was unavoidable; violence and economic growth are often incompatible.

I would return to Aceh every six months or so for several years, and watched people's emotions run the gamut, from elation and excitement, to frustration and anger, to fear. Freedoms were offered, then taken away. Families became political pawns. Livelihoods suffered as frightened communities flocked to camps and shelters. Jakarta occasionally rushed an influx of funds as a result of decentralization and as an act of appeasement, but on the streets, one mostly felt desperation.

I moved overseas some months before the tsunami tore Aceh's shores. And I had not returned to Aceh since.

When I arrived at Banda Aceh airport last month, I was immediately struck by the size of the airport: it was at least double the size of the old one. In the city of Banda Aceh, the landmarks were recognizable—the grand Mesjid Raya and the adjoining market—but clearly the city itself had doubled if not tripled in size. A sizeable shopping mall stood proud where once there were one-story edifices. Thousands of people milled about as if conflict and curfews never plagued their lives.

After the earthquake and tsunami, many modern coffee shops started to emerge in Banda Aceh. They not only offer coffee but also free internet access.

This bustle of activity shows the robustness of the Acehnese community—a robustness that is replicated in many towns across Indonesia. But the bustle also belies underlying weaknesses.

The phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction is nearing its end in Aceh. The Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) effectively closes in December 2012. The MDF contributed only 10% of the US$7 billion overall reconstruction fund for Aceh and Nias, undertaken by development agencies and the private sector through the coordination of the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency. Ultimately, the considerable challenge of job creation and sustainable development lies largely in the hands of the Acehnese and local governments.

The achievements of the MDF over some six years are considerable. On the micro-level, the MDF built some 20,000 houses, 2,600 kilometers of village roads, 1,600 kilometers of irrigation and drainage canals, 8000 wells and water sanitation facilities, more than 670 schools, and 511 government offices. Macro projects include 572 kilometers of national and provincial roads, 227 kilometers of district roads, 5 ports, and 11 water and shore-line management facilities. All these projects provided jobs for the Acehnese. But many projects have ended or are now ending.

Human development training was also significant. Thousands of teachers enrolled in capacity-building workshops, as did civil servants, members of civil society organizations, and former combatants. Forest management was targeted through a number of environmental protection initiatives.

The last phase of the MDF may be the biggest challenge, and it focuses on the transition from reconstruction to long-term economic development. The Acehnese government has a strategy for tackling this, and it involves improvements in the productivity and promotion of the following commodities: cocoa, rubber, rice, patchouli, and fisheries. Industry networks are being established or strengthened. Dialogue is ongoing between the government and the private sector on how to move forward.

Will all these efforts work? That is the big question. Top-level government commitment towards achieving these objectives is clear and pronounced. As always, difficulties are often encountered at the implementation stage. Often it is not enough to mean well.

Provincial and district elections are on the horizon in Aceh. If successful economic development cannot take place without concerted cooperation between the government, the private sector, and civil society, then it would be more difficult still without the assurance of peace. Political instability and violence is a deterrent to most economic activity.

Aceh has achieved so much since the days when violence did rule the streets. I remember those days well, and I remember the economic stagnancy suffered in villages and towns alike. I remember curfews and road-blocks emptying streets, and fear emptying rice fields of farmers. Aceh now stands on the cusp of leaving all that well and truly behind. I hope it will.

Lambung, Aceh, was almost completely flattened by the devastating tsunami. Three years later, houses and roads have been rebuilt.

Indonesia: Kembali ke Aceh di tengah harapan bagi perdamaian dan kesejahteraan

Dini Djalal — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Available in English

Saya pertama kali berkunjung ke Aceh pada Agustus 1998, empat bulan setelah mantan Presiden Soeharto meletakkan jabatannya. Saat itu adalah puncak gerakan Reformasi di Indonesia, dan banyak wartawan yang mengira bahwa masih dibutuhkan izin kunjungan untuk pergi ke Aceh, seperti yang memang dibutuhkan selama beberapa dekade. Saya dan rekan saya berkunjung sebagai “wisatawan”. Warisan penindasan memang masih banyak tersisa di banyak desa: runtuhan rumah-rumah, sekolah-sekolah yang tutup dan rumah tangga yang dikepalai oleh janda-janda. Kemiskinan tidak dapat dihindari: kekerasan dan pertumbuhan ekonomi hampir tidak pernah berjalan bersama.

Setelah kunjungan pertama, saya kembali mengunjungi Aceh sekitar enam bulan sekali untuk beberapa tahun kemudian dan melihat bahwa emosi orang-orang berubah-ubah, dari kegembiraan dan sukacita, ke kecewa dan amarah, dan akhirnya rasa takut. Kebebasan telah ditawarkan, dan kemudian diambil kembali. Para keluarga menjadi bidak permainan catur politik. Mata pencaharian menguap dengan larinya masyarakat yang ketakutan ke perkemahan dan penampungan. Pemerintah pusat sesekali mengirimkan segelombang dana sebagai hasil desentralisasi sekaligus menyenangkan hati rakyat, tetapi di jalan-jalan, semua orang dapat merasakan rasa putus asa yang sangat kental.

Saya pindah ke luar negeri beberapa bulan sebelum tsunami menghantam pantai Aceh dan belum pernah menginjakkan kaki lagi di Aceh sejak itu.

Ketika tiba di bandara Banda Aceh bulan lalu, yang pertama kali mengejutkan saya adalah ukuran bandaranya: setidaknya dua kali lipat lebih besar dari yang lama. Ciri-ciri kota Banda Aceh masih sama – Mesjid Raya yang agung dan pasar di sampingnya – tetapi ukuran kota itu sendiri setidaknya sudah berlipat dua, atau bahkan berlipat tiga. Suatu pusat perbelanjaan yang besar berdiri megah di tempat yang dulunya adalah gedung satu lantai. Ribuan orang berlalu-lalang seperti tidak pernah mengenal konflik dan jam malam selama hidup mereka.

Pasca tsunami, banyak kedai kopi modern mulai bermunculan di Banda Aceh. Mereka tidak hanya menyediakan kopi tapi juga akses internet.

Ramainya aktivitas tersebut menunjukkan kuatnya masyarakat Aceh – suatu kekuatan yang juga ditemui pada banyak kota di seluruh Indonesia. Tetapi keramaian itu juga menutupi sebuah kelemahan.

Rehabilitasi dan rekonstruksi di Aceh sudah mendekati tahap akhir. Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) secara efektif akan berakhir pada bulan Desember 2012. MDF hanya menyumbangkan 10 persen dari keseluruhan dana rekonstruksi bernilai US$7 miliar bagi Aceh dan Nias, yang dilaksanakan oleh badan-badan pembangunan dan sektor swasta di bawah koordinasi Badan Rekonstruksi dan Rehabilitasi Aceh-Nias. Pada akhirnya, tantangan besar dalam menciptakan lapangan kerja dan pembangunan berkelanjutan sebagian besar berada di tangan pemerintah daerah dan rakyat Aceh sendiri.

Pencapaian MDF selama sekitar enam tahun sangat berarti. Pada tingkat mikro, MDF membangun sekitar 20.000 rumah, 2.600 kilometer jalan-jalan desa, 1.600 kilometer irigasi dan saluran air, 8.000 fasilitas sanitasi air dan sumur, lebih dari 670 sekolah dan 511 kantor pemerintahan. Proyek-proyek makro termasuk jalan nasional dan provinsi sepanjang 572 kilometer, jalan kabupaten sepanjang 227 kilometer, 5 pelabuhan dan 11 fasilitas manajemen air dan batas pantai. Seluruh proyek itu memberikan lapangan kerja bagi rakyat Aceh. Tetapi banyak proyek telah berakhir atau sedang memasuki tahap akhir.

Pelatihan sumberdaya manusia juga cukup besar. Ribuan guru turut serta dalam lokakarya pembangunan kapasitas, seperti halnya pegawai negeri, anggota organisasi masyarakat sipil, dan mantan-mantan pejuang. Pengelolaan hutan ditargetkan melalui sejumlah prakarsa perlindungan lingkungan.

Tahap terakhir MDF merupakan tantangan terbesar, dan tahap itu menekankan pada transisi dari rekonstruksi ke pembangunan ekonomi jangka panjang. Pemerintah Aceh memiliki strategi untuk menghadapinya, dan strategi itu melibatkan peningkatan produktivitas dan dukungan kepada komoditas berikut: kakao, karet, beras, nilam dan perikanan. Jaringan industri sedang dibentuk dan diperkuat. Pembicaraan sedang dilakukan antara pemerintah dan sektor swasta tentang bagaimana maju ke depan.

Apakah semua upaya itu akan berhasil? Itu merupakan pertanyaan utama. Komitmen pemerintah tingkat atas untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan tersebut sangatlah jelas dan nyata. Seperti biasanya, berbagai kesulitan seringkali dijumpai pada tahap pelaksanaan. Kadangkala niat baik saja tidaklah cukup.

Pemilihan umum provinsi dan daerah di Aceh sudah dekat. Bila keberhasilan pembangunan ekonomi tidak dapat dilakukan tanpa kerja sama yang erat antara pemerintah, sektor swasta dan masyarakat sipil, maka akan lebih sulit tanpa jaminan adanya perdamaian. Ketidakstabilan politik dan kekerasan merupakan rintangan bagi sebagian besar kegiatan ekonomi.

Aceh telah mencapai banyak kemajuan sejak hari-hari di mana kekerasan menguasai jalan-jalan. Saya masih mengingat hari-hari itu dengan baik, dan saya juga masih mengingat kemacetan ekonomi yang dialami oleh desa-desa maupun kota. Saya masih ingat akan jam malam dan blokade jalan yang menyebabkan jalan-jalan menjadi kosong, dan rasa takut yang menyebabkan sawah-sawah ditinggalkan petaninya. Aceh sekarang berada pada posisi untuk benar-benar meninggalkan semua hal itu di belakang. Saya harap Aceh benar-benar dapat melakukannya.

Lambung, Aceh, luluh lantah akibat tsunami. Tiga tahun kemudian, rumah dan jalan telah dibangun kembali.

Samoa after the disaster: The wave of fire and the kid called Tsunami

Aleta Moriarty — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:00:00 +0000

In June 2009 Samoa was the set for the popular TV program Survivor. It was a fantastic choice. It is one of those picture-perfect places–shady palms, trees dripping with fruit, blossoming hibiscus, all framed by powder sand beaches. It is a vastly understated paradise.

A few months later, the country was once again centre stage. This time for something utterly distressing and heart-breaking as the country embarked on the harrowing search for real life survivors after they were struck by a powerful tsunami on 29 September 2009.

Galu afi means “wave of fire” and is the traditional Samoan word used to describe a tsunami. It describes the force that gains momentum as the wave generates and the sheer destruction that it brings to bear. That is what happened here.

143 people lost their lives that day, many of whom were children on their way to school. The tsunami decimated the villages, plucked trees from the earth and literally sucked sand off the beaches leaving them bare. It took homes, cars and boats. Where it touched little remained. For many all it left was an unshakeable fear. A fear of what the ocean can do.

And it was this fear that drove many villagers to rebuild on higher ground rather than seaside where many had lived for generations. Two years later – a new village built on higher ground has been created – named Saleapaga 2 after its namesake that was destroyed.

The World Bank contributed to the development of this new community, by supporting new roads (with additional support from PRIF & AusAID) which were used to draw together schools, hospital and homes; provided budget support which was used by the government to provide grants to families to rebuild their homes; and financed post tsunami health sector needs, like the financing of doctors to help support local efforts.

I recently visited Samoa and visited the sites worst hit by the tsunami and the new Saleapaga village. I spoke to people about their experiences then and now. Here are their stories:

The Grandmother

Fa’atamali relocated to a village on higher ground.

Fa’atamali led us into a brightly coloured room, decorated with toys and photos of the children and grandchildren she lost. In the centre of her home is a bookcase that displays toys she was given in the aftermath of the tsunami. She clutched a bible as she spoke.

On the day of the tsunami, she didn’t have time to get away. “I heard a big roar behind us and I turned around and it was the big wave. It was the last time I saw the wave because I just turned around and ran for my life. I ran to the other side of our house. I arrived on the first step and the wave hit me. That was the last thing I knew. I was just floating together with the debris from the house.”

She found herself sucked far out in the ocean lagoon, floating with debris. She was terrified by the deepness, darkness and the presence of sharks. When she came ashore her husband found her, held her head and told her he was so glad she was alive because he was worried she was the family’s seventh loss.

“I was told that my kids were dead and I was so sad because of what happened. I was crying. I wish I died with them. Because there were so many of my kids that passed away and died. That is what happened to me that day.”

She found the thought of living by the ocean impossible and moved up to the new relocated village on higher ground. Here, she explained, they all feel better. They received a government grant and were able to start building a new house. She explains the new road has really helped connect them but the thing that makes her feel most comfortable is that their home is where they can no longer hear the ocean.

For her–she won’t ever get over the grief. It is impossible. But life has been made easier.

The kid called Tsunami

I visited some other houses that were built using the government grants. At one place in particular there were about six boys playing, they were all pretty tough. Some of them had been swept up in the tsunami and survived, and they reflected this fearlessness borne from experience. Amongst the brood though was a little one and whenever I came near him he started screaming, hysterically. He was such an outlier to the pack that I eventually asked the other kids his name in an effort to win him over. “Tsunami,” they said.

“What?”

‘Tsunami”, they repeated.

Born two days after the tsunami – the family had named their child after the most monumental event they will probably experience in their lives.

He lives in the new village and luckily did not have to experience that day. But forever more he will be a living testimony for those around him. For him, he has been able to fit straight into a new life – with roads, schools, hospital access – with the primary memory of that fateful day is his name.

The business owner

Samasoni has relocated and rebuilt his home and business.

Samasoni has rebuilt his copra business from scratch.

“When the tsunami hit all the copra and coconut at the business was taken away - we didn’t really care but we thanked god that we lived and survived the tsunami,” he said.

He has relocated to the resettled community. Not only has he been able to rebuild his business and home but has managed to make it his small copra business the number one copra supplier on the island. He employs a lot of people in the new village.

“When the people from the village sell me coconut they get money for their family and also for school fees for their children,” he said.

Integral to the re- establishment of his business was the road.

“The most pressing problem we faced in starting the business again in this new location was the condition of the road and no capital to start up the business again. So that’s why we were looking for help ,” he said. “The road to our present location has played a vital part in establishing our business and making life easier for us in this new location.”

See their stories and more here:

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保持良好健康状况之秘诀：安全饮水和环境卫生

Patricio V. Marquez — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:27:29 +0000

Available in English

今年世界水日（3月22日）前夕，一些公众健康方面的消息称，人的健康与患病后的医疗保健无关，而是与可提高人们尤其是贫困人口健康水平、生产能力以及生活质量的关键投资有关。

2012年联合国儿童基金会和世界卫生组织联合报告《饮用水和环境卫生方面取得的进展》指出，2010年年底，全球有61亿人（占全球总人口89%）用上了更清洁、更安全的饮用水。这意味着与此相关的千年发展目标较之2015年这一最后期限已大幅提前完成。该报告还预测说，到2015年，全球92%的人口将用上更清洁、更安全的饮用水。

但是，不太好的消息是，全世界只有63%的人口用上了条件更好的环卫设施。预计到2015年，这一数字将仅会增加到67%，大大低于千年发展目标中设定的75%这一分项目标。目前，全世界有25亿人缺少条件更好的环卫设施。该报告重点指出，这些数字显示，全世界各地区和各国之间以及各国国内各地方之间存在巨大差距（如撒哈拉以南非洲地区仅有61%的人口用上了安全饮水）。

这一消息应该引起诸如我这样的非环卫工程师的卫生系统工作人员的重视吗？

答案是肯定的，因为改善供水和环卫系统是基本医疗保健服务的必要补充，也是为降低贫困人口集中的城乡贫民区死亡率和患病率而采取的营养干预措施的必要补充。在饮用水不安全、个人清洁用水不足以及环卫设施缺乏等因素的共同作用下，全球每年约有150万名五岁以下儿童死于腹泻类疾病，约占全球因腹泻而死亡的190万名五岁以下儿童总数的88%。这一数字接近五岁以下儿童死亡总数的20%，也意味着每天有5000多名儿童因腹泻而濒临死亡。

国际社会面临的两难选择是：等待一段时间，把患病儿童送到翻修一新后的诊所接受药物治疗，让他们躺在费用昂贵的医院病床上；把稀缺资源用于兴建具有可持续性且可预防儿童患病的供水和环卫系统。

我来自厄瓜多尔，在我国地处安第斯山脉高海拔的农村地区工作过程中，我亲眼目睹了如下情况：改善饮用水和环卫条件，辅之以提升人们的卫生意识和使用厕所、安全处置粪便以及洗手等措施，就可以大幅降低腹泻相关患病率。定期接种疫苗、进行基础体检以及确保适量营养摄入，尤其是解决儿童铁、碘、维生素A等缺乏问题，有助于根除大多数传染病。

我们固然可以在2012年世界水日当天为上述好消息欢呼，但我们也应该留意现代公共卫生学奠基人之一约翰·斯诺给出的案例：他在19世纪中叶成功地证明，撤掉供应污水的水泵控制了伦敦当时流行的霍乱。把我们关于传染病通过何种渠道在社区扩散并传播的知识加以应用，同时与供水和环境卫生领域的同仁合作，找出并消除传染病根源，而不仅仅是消除其症状，我们就有可能带来巨大、持久的影响。

Impact of conflict and violence in the Philippines, 2000-2010 - Survey results (I)

Ed Bell — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:54:23 +0000

We know the impact of violence can last generations. We also know that people can be affected by repeated cycles of conflict and instability. The result is that the poor get poorer and become less resilient to further shocks, whether natural or man-made.

A new report, Violent Conflicts and Displacement in Central Mindanao: Challenges for recovery and development (available at www.worldbank.org/ph), looks at vulnerability in some of the most conflict-affected areas of southern Philippines. A joint initiative between the World Bank’s State and Peacebuilding Fund and the World Food Programme, it examines people’s experience of conflict and the effect of violence on their daily lives.

The results provide, I believe, some of the most extensive and detailed insights into local needs and concerns for almost a decade. You can find our data and analysis at www.emindanao.org/conflict-and-displacement and judge for yourself.

How bad did things get?

In the Philippines, it has been the people of Central Mindanao that have had the worst experiences of violent conflict. “All Out War” in 2000 and hostilities in 2008 each led to the displacement of nearly a million individuals. Repeated bouts of conflict and forced displacement have hit poor communities hard.

The World Bank-WFP survey shows that:

- Four in every ten households had experienced displacement between 2000 and 2010. As many as one in ten had been forced to leave their homes five times during the decade. In the province of Maguindanao, as many as 82 percent reported experiencing displacement in that time.

- Across virtually every key indicator – from food security to access to services, income poverty to housing – displacement is shown to be detrimental to livelihoods, welfare and social cohesion.

- The impact of displacement does not end when people return home. Returned households were almost as vulnerable as those who were still displaced at the time of the survey, and their problems of food insecurity, income poverty and poor access to services were almost as severe.

What is it like now?

Going well beyond the usual profiling and needs assessment of IDPs, the study also provides a window onto the extent and patterns of vulnerability in the surveyed areas at the time of the study.

The data shows a concentration of problems in the provinces of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, particularly in Maguindanao where people reported the highest exposure to violence and suffered the worst poverty, food insecurity and access to services.

Whether your interest is in how people access services, perceive their own safety, participate in community development or view the efforts to build peace, there is information in the study for you.

For me, however, it is the gaps in access to clean water and sanitation that stand out, particularly for people in the provinces of ARMM. For example:

- People in Lanao del Sur have the worst access to safe drinking water and sanitation. 40% relied on lakes, ponds and rivers. 13% relied on open wells. Maguindanao also scored poorly.

- Water supply is a major issue in Tawi Tawi, where 16% used a lake or river, 14% an open dug well and as many as 38% relied on rainwater.

- Sanitation is particularly poor in the ARMM provinces. 40% of families in Maguindanao and 28% in Lanao del Sur do not use toilets, compared to a survey average of 18% in Central Mindanao.62% of families in Tawi Tawi and 42% in Basilan use open pits, compared to an average of 6% in Central Mindanao.

These figures argue for a rapid, extensive and concerted response by government and its partners in this field. In my next post I'll discuss what are the next steps to be taken in order to address this.

Meanwhile, what's your view on the effect of conflict on livelihoods? Are you familiar with Mindanao or with other areas that have also suffered from long-term conflict situations? Let me know.

Perlu pencarian terobosan inovasi, kirim ide anda sekarang

Jean-Louis Racine — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:47:41 +0000

Available in English

Henry Ford pernah berkata, ketika ia bertanya kepada para konsumen apa yang mereka mau, mereka menjawab kuda yang lebih cepat. Andai saja ia mendengar permintaan konsumennya, mungkin saja Ford Motor Company tidak akan pernah ada, atau ada tetapi dengan nama Ford Faster Horse Company. Pada saat itu mobil menjadi apa yang disebut “pencarian terobosan inovasi”, yang berarti secara radikal menggantikan teknologi yang ada (kuda dan kereta kuda), tidak dengan mendengar permintaan sebagian besar konsumen tapi mencoba mencari tahu kebutuhan mereka yang sebenarnya.

Ini adalah pendekatan yang sedang dilakukan Bank Dunia di Indonesia: mencoba mencari tahu apa sebenarnya kebutuhan energi ramah lingkungan masyarakat desa dengan memahami masalah energi yang mereka hadapi, bukan dengan bertanya teknologi apa yang mereka inginkan. Indonesia Green Innovation Pilot Program merupakan prototipe pendekatan baru untuk mengembangkan ‘pencarian terobosan inovasi’. Tahap pertama program diluncurkan minggu ini,yaitu melakukan identifikasi berbagai kemungkinan tantangan – atau masalah – yang dihadapi masyarakat desa dalam hal energi. Masih dalam kerangka berpikir pencarian terobosan inovasi, program ini tidak dimulai dengan melakukan riset permintaan pasar atau survei solusi energi ramah lingkungan yang tersedia, tapi mencari tahu kebutuhan energi yang sudah terungkap maupun yang belum, serta yang benar-benar berdampak pada kehidupan sehari-hari masyarakat desa. Hal ini dilakukan dengan tiga cara: pertama, melalui riset lapangan oleh tim perancang dari Inotek dan Catapult Design; kedua, konsultasi melalui workshop dengan masyarakat desa juga di Jakarta; ketiga, “menjawab tantangan” dimana program menggunakan pendekatan crowdsourcing untuk mengumpulkan masalah energi yang dihadapai masyarakat desa. Bila Anda tertarik dengan masalah energi bagi masyarakat perdesaan di Indonesia, program ini mengajak untuk mengirimkan tantangan melalui website ini.

Jadi mengapa program ini diawali dengan mengidentifikasi masalah? Mengapa tidak langsung bertanya kepada masyarakat, produk energi bersih apa yang mereka inginkan? Atau mengapa tidak bertanya kepada sektor bisnis energi bersih, produk apa yang paling diminati? Program ini pertama-tama memberi fokus pada mengidentifikasi kebutuhan karena pencarian terobosan inovasi tidak dicapai dengan mendengarkan pendapat orang, tetapi dengan mencari tahu apa yang sebenarnya mereka perlukan. Yang unik dari inovasi hijau terutama di negara berkembang, yang menjadi sasaran adalah pasar yang kurang terlayani oleh industri – karena industri lebih fokus memenuhi keinginan pelanggan mereka – namun negara berkembang memiliki kebutuhan yang besar. Manfaat pasar hijau juga tidak terbatas pada pertumbuhan yang ramah lingkungan, tapi juga bagus untuk bisnis. Contoh klasik adalah tungku ramah lingkungan, yang bisa menghemat bahan bakar dan bermanfaat bagi kesehatan konsumen, membawa keuntungan bagi produsen, dan berkurangnya emisi karbon bagi semua. Pasar yang besar ini kurang terlayani, kurang menarik, tapi merupakan lingkungan yang tepat bagi “pencarian terobosan inovasi”. Pencarian terobosan inovasi terjadi ketika sebuah hal baru memberikan solusi yang “cukup baik” bagi sekelompok konsumen yang kurang terlayani, kemudian pasar tersebut berkembang menggantikan pasar yang sudah ada.

Ini membuat kita berpikir bahwa kebijakan inovasi hijau harus bisa meningkatkan pencarian terobosan inovasi. Serta pencarian terobosan inovasi cocok bagi negara berkembang dengan kapasitas iptek yang terbatas karena dari pengalaman, pencarian terobosan inovasi biasanya menerapkan teknologi yang ada ke pasar baru.

Langkah-langkah berikut dari program di Indonesia mencakup mengidentifikasi peluang pasar dari tantangan yang ada, serta berkolaborasi dengan mitra pasar untuk merancang solusi yang efektif. Program ini akan mendokumentasi tiap langkap untuk memetik pelajaran agar skalanya dapat diperluas di Indonesia dan negara lain.

(Blog ini telah diedit agar istilah 'disruptive' diterjemahkan secara lebih tepat.)

Hybrid Courts in East Asia & Pacific: Does the international community have a role to play?

Peter Chapman — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:20:29 +0000

In my previous entry, I asked what role the World Bank and other donors might be able to play in exploring whether hybrid courts might help enhance access to justice. I believe there are three key areas where we in the international community might be able to support country discussions of whether and how to incorporate community justice systems through hybrid courts.

Context. From the outset, we need to do a better job of viewing hybrid courts (and all justice institutions) in context. It is critical to understand the justice landscape before one engages with it. Local contexts are immensely more complex than simple state vs. non-state dichotomies—where one system is inherently more equitable than another.

Undertaking empirical work to better understand the local context is essential for developing interventions which actually respond to the injustices faced by marginalized groups or individuals as opposed to mimicking ‘successful’ institutional forms. A better understanding of the context is critical for understanding if, and how, we can or should support hybrid courts.

Measurement. Dispute resolution processes differ across localities and empirical evidence at the local level is lacking. Improving outcomes for users in practice is critical and we can play a role in establishing systems to measure actual local outcomes (for example, like the Harvard Kennedy School’s program on indicators). Such measurement will be essential in refining approaches to justice reform and documenting what works and what doesn’t in specific contexts.

Dialogue. Finally, there is a need to foster discussion between states that are facing similar challenges—like the South-South Experience Exchange the World Bank’s Justice for the Poor program recently held in Solomon Islands. From Melanesia, to West Africa, to South Asia, countries are engaging in similar—but often disconnected—discussions on hybrid courts. Building the evidence base and linking discussions may help support more effective and legitimate justice systems, a critical component for equitable development.

These efforts alone surely won’t deliver enhanced access to justice for marginalized groups. However, they might be a start in ensuring that justice reform initiatives are better able to identify and support substantive justice outcomes for poor and marginalized groups.

Are there any other areas I should’ve considered and why? Let me know.

The earthquake that changed the world forever

Abhas Jha — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:23:19 +0000

The Japanese phrase “Shikata ga nai (仕方がない) -loosely translated as "it can't be helped" -captures the essence of the resilience and sense of duty towards one’s community that the Japanese people displayed in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. One of the initial images that captured this spirit after the horrific events of March 11 was that of the unsung shop assistants rushing to stop items from falling off shelves instead of running to save their lives.

Visiting the Sendai area in January this year, this resilience is still prominently on display on the north-east coast in city after city that was ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami. One is witness to almost unbearable scenes of poignancy and tragedy: the small makeshift memorial in front of the Ishinomaki Okawa Public Elementary School where 74 children and 10 teachers were washed away, taking shelter in their school, miles inland, thinking they would be safe there.

But we are also witness to heroic stories of courage, selflessness and doing the right thing: In what has been described as the miracle of Kamaishi, 99.8 percent of school-children survived the tsunami in the small coastal town of Kamaishi in the prefecture of Iwate. This was a result of the efforts of Toshitaka Katada, who since 2006 has been working with school authorities to incorporate some simple principles of saving lives during a tsunami which included each child making their own personal tsunami evacuation maps, which contained their houses, their route to school and the evacuation areas. On the maps they wrote things such as: when an earthquake strikes, act immediately; go to a high place; don't feel safe just because you are far from the sea, as tsunami can flow up rivers and reach low-lying inland areas; and once you've reached high ground, don't go back down to lower areas.

On this first anniversary of the Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, here’s the headline you never read (but should have): “Japan’s careful and thorough investments in seismic safety and tsunami early warning saved hundreds of thousands of lives.” A magnitude 9 earthquake hitting almost any other country of other world would have had far more catastrophic consequences. The legendary Shinkansen bullet trains were brought to a halt seconds before the damaging secondary (“S”) waves of the earthquake hit. The high rise buildings in Sendai city with state-of-the art base isolation construction were unaffected by the powerful quake.

The March 11 earthquake changed the world quite literally: the power of the temblor shortened Earth's day by just over one-millionth of a second (1.8 microseconds to be exact), according to NASA. It also shifted the Earth's axis by about 6.5 inches and appears to have moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters).

But the world also changed in a more subtle way: The Great East Japan Earthquake was an exercise in humility. We live in a world that is inherently uncertain and unpredictable. The consequences of our assumptions being wrong must always be factored into our policy choices-whether it is getting the balance right between structural and non-structural measures, recognizing the residual risk always inherent for all disasters and hence the need to invest in emergency preparedness and response, or the need to invest in robust design of infrastructure-one that performs well under a wide range of scenarios.

A team led by the World Bank Institute (along with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery -GFDRR- and the East Asia Disaster Risk Management team) is partnering with the Government of Japan to distill the lessons learnt from Sendai into a series of knowledge notes which will be further distilled into a background paper for dignitaries attending the Sendai Conference on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management into Development, just before the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Tokyo in October this year.

We pay tribute today to the brave men and women of Japan and remember those who were lost a year ago today. And we promise that their loss was not in vain- as lives, families and communities are rebuilt in Sendai, Kamaishi , Ishinomaki and countless other towns and cities along the beautiful coast of Japan , we will work tirelessly to learn, document, share widely and mainstream the lessons learnt in our work.

妇女节之际，让我们思考一下融资、融资可及性和融资公平等问题

Sri Mulyani Indrawati — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:34:30 +0000

Available in English

我经常受邀出席一些活动，示范妇女究竟能发展到何种程度。我被问及的典型问题是，在基本由男性占据的岗位上工作有何感受。当然，我自己对我取得的成绩感到骄傲，也完全清楚地记得，在我成长过程中无时不刻不被告知哪些事情我不能做，因为我是个女孩。但同时我也知道，全世界许多妇女都面临众多障碍和挑战，使其无法在政界取得成功，不能很好地谋生，无法照顾其家庭，不能成功地经营企业，甚至不能在银行开户。

我在谷歌上搜索“妇女与障碍”，得到了4850万条结果。2012年世界发展报告：社会性别平等与发展明确指出，社会性别平等是明智经济学。因此，创造公平竞争环境不仅仅一种正确之举，还能有助于经济发展。我们所从事的发展工作应能有助于实现这一愿望：在网上搜索“妇女与障碍”时，所得结果数量减少。要消除妇女获得融资的障碍，融资的公平性是一件强大的武器。

对妇女而言，开办企业并使企业获得成长要比男性困难。发展中国家妇女表示，融资的可及性是她们经营企业面临的第一大障碍。她们通常会面临借款条件不太优惠问题，更有可能比男性承担更高的利率。近期开展的一项研究发现，女性企业主每年面临的信贷缺口超过了3000亿美元。目前，发展中国家女性企业主开办、经营的企业占正规中小企业的31%-38%。如果能获得资金，这些企业可以雇用更多人，也可以推动本地或本国经济发展。

导致上述不平衡状况的原因之一是：社会性别平等仍深埋于全世界的法律制度中。全世界141个经济体中，只有38个规定，妇女和男性在45个主要方面享有平等权利，如开设银行账户、在就业时无需获得配偶或监护人同意、对财产具有所有权和管理权等等。在不平等现象严重的地方，女性企业主在经营企业过程中要更多地行贿。所有这些做法都是错误的，也无助于经济发展。

目前，融资障碍巨大，而消除这些障碍可大大有助于实现减贫和经济增长。今年1月，我欣然接受了美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿的邀请，成为国际女性商界领袖理事会的成员，并担任该理事会资金可及性委员会的主席。我之所以接受这一邀请，正是由于消除融资障碍可大大有助于实现减贫和经济增长。全世界公共和私营部门的女性领导人出席了该理事会召开的会议，旨在推动妇女在国际商界、经济政策制定和全球经济增长等方面发挥作用（开幕式实况见）。

为努力在总体上增加妇女的商业机会，更具体得向其提供更好的资金获取渠道，世界银行开展了大量工作。目前，世界银行在55个国家资助实施项目，它们具有很大潜力，能更便于通过企业向妇女提供就业和发展机会以及其他机会。世界银行同政府合作，共同设计并实施国家金融包容性战略，增加妇女和其它未得到充分金融服务的群体获得融资的机会。由盖茨基金会提供赞助、世界银行编制的《全球金融包容性指数》将于不久后发布，它提供了关于妇女融获得融资障碍方面的大量跨国数据。这一重要的新建数据集应能有助于在该领域基于实证资料制定政策并设计金融产品。此外，世界银行同金融机构合作实施“商界妇女”项目，旨在扩大对女性企业主金融服务的范围。

我相信，世界银行可在该领域发挥巨大作用，世界银行与同样热衷于相关工作的伙伴建立的稳固合作关系同样可以发挥重要作用。作为资金可及性委员会主席，我期盼借助由世界一流女性领导人组成的杰出团体的旺盛精力和知识来推广世界银行的专业知识。在2012年妇女节到来之际，让我们直面这一问题；全世界无理由增大妇女获得其成功经营企业所需资金和资源的难度（相对于男性而言）。让我们共同努力，突破经济增长的另一个制约因素。

Working with migrant workers in Thailand: an unsung heroine

Trinn Suwannapha — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:21:48 +0000

ยังมีอีกที่ ภาษาไทย

Khun Patima (right) works with migrant workers in Thailand.

On 11/11/11, in the midst of the Thailand flood crisis, the Labor Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN), one of the organizations who received World Bank support through the Civil Society and Small Grants Program, provided relief. Not just for Thais affected by the deluge but also for migrant workers who had little access to help. Through Project Manager Patima Tangprachayakul, I learned that LPN was busy with much more than just the flood relief effort. In an assignment for One Day on Earth: Women at Work, a campaign aimed at increasing awareness for the important contributions of women in the workplace, I got the chance to join Khun Patima on a visit to a flood evacuation center set up for migrants. She told me about her work on human rights, how her work has added value to her life, and how one woman could give her energy for a better world.

LPN is based in Samut Sakhon, one of the urban industrial provinces on the outskirts of Bangkok. An estimated 400,000 migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia live there, about half of them illegal migrants. And most of them don’t know their rights. The LPN’s project aims to provide migrant workers with a basic knowledge of their rights such as access to healthcare (like how to seek help in hospitals) and how to talk to their bosses. Khun Patima emphasizes that migrant workers have the same rights as anybody else and are protected equally by universal human rights.

When Khun Patima started her career, people asked her why she chose to be a social worker and why she chose to focus on foreign laborers. It was hard to explain at first but through her work, she has gained a good network of people supportive of her decision and choice of career. Working makes Khun Patima happy and most of all, helping others has helped her find a purpose in life, she says: “When I look in the mirror, I am proud”.

With human rights and improving conditions for migrant workers as entry points, the work of LPN spans many areas including providing legal and psychological assistance for rape victims. Khun Patima says being a woman helps when working with victims of rape: as a woman it is easier to gain the trust of the victims and help solve conflicts. Her face lights up when she speaks about her work and about the women her work has brought her in touch with. “Female energy and resilience,” she says, “make this world beautiful.”

video platform video management video solutions video player

ปฏิมา ผู้หญิงปิดทองหลังพระ กับการทำงานช่วยเหลือแรงงานข้ามชาติ

Trinn Suwannapha — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:10:18 +0000

Available in English

ในวันที่ 11 พฤศจิกายน 2554 (11/11/11) ท่ามกลางวิกฤตน้ำท่วม มูลนิธิเครือข่ายส่งเสริมคุณภาพชีวิตแรงงาน ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในองค์กรเอกชนที่ได้รับการสนับสนุนจากธนาคารโลกผ่านโครงการ Civil Society and Small Grants Programได้ทำงานบรรเทาทุกข์ให้กับผู้ประสบอุทกภัย พวกเขาทำงานไม่เฉพาะแค่สำหรับคนไทยที่กำลังตกความลำบาก แต่ยังยื่นมือให้กับคนงานต่างชาติที่ไม่ค่อยได้รับความช่วยเหลือ สิ่งที่ผมได้เรียนรู้จากคุณปฏิมา ตั้งปรัชญากูล ผู้จัดการโครงการของมูลนิธิฯ คือ ทางมูลนิธิฯ มีภาระกิจนอกเหนือไปจากการบรรเทาทุกข์น้ำท่วมมาก ระหว่างการถ่ายทำ One Day on Earth: Women at Work ซึ่งเป็นการรณรงค์ในเรื่องความสำคัญของผู้หญิงในสถานที่ทำงาน ผมได้มีโอกาสติดตามคุณปฏิมาไปที่ศูนย์อพยพผู้ประสบภัยน้ำท่วมที่จัดตั้งขึ้นสำหรับคนงานข้ามชาติ เธอพูดถึงงานของเธอเกี่ยวกับสิทธิมนุษยชน งานของเธอที่ช่วยเหลือคนอื่นได้เสริมคุณค่าชีวิตของเธออย่างไร และการที่ผู้หญิงคนหนึ่งสามารถใช้พลังของเธอช่วยสร้างโลกให้ดีขึ้นได้อย่างไร

สำนักงานมูลนิธิฯ ตั้งอยู่ที่จังหวัดสมุทรสาคร เมืองอุตสาหกรรมรอบนอกกรุงเทพฯ ที่นั่นมีแรงงานข้ามชาติประมาณ 400,000 คนจากเมียนมาร์ ลาว และกัมพูชา ครึ่งหนึ่งเป็นคนงานผิดกฎหมาย และส่วนมากไม่รู้สิทธิของตัวเอง โครงการของมูลนิธิฯ ที่ดำเนินงานกับ Civil Society and Small Grants Program มุ่งที่การให้ความรู้พื้นฐานในเรื่องสิทธิ์ เช่น การเข้ารักษาพยาบาล และการพูดคุยกับนางจ้าง คุณปฏิมาเน้นว่า คนงานต่างชาติก็มีสิทธิ์เช่นกัน และเราทุกคนควรได้รับการคุ้มครองโดยสิทธิมนุษยชนสากลอย่างเท่าเทียมกั

ตอนที่คุณปฏิมาเริ่มทำงานแรกๆ มีคนถามว่า ทำไมเธอถึงเลือกที่จะมาเป็นนักสังคมสงเคราะห์ และทำไมต้องไปเน้นที่แรงงานข้ามชาติ ตอนนั้นก็อธิบายยาก แต่เมื่อทำไป เธอก็ได้รู้จักกับเครือข่ายคนดีๆ ที่สนับสนุนการตัดสินใจของเธอ และเต็มใจที่ช่วยเธอและครอบครัวของเธอในยามที่ต้องการ การทำงานนี้ทำให้เธอมีความสุข และท้ายที่สุด การช่วยเหลือผู้อื่นช่วยให้เธอได้ค้นพ้นจุดหมายในชีวิต เธอบอกว่า “เรามองในกระจก แล้วเราภูมิใจ”

จากการทำงานด้านสิทธิมนุษยชน และการเสริมสร้างคุณภาพชีวิตของแรงงานข้ามชาติแล้ว มูลนิธิฯ ยังมีงานด้านอื่นๆ ทั้งการให้ความช่วยเหลือทางกฎหมายและจิตใจของเหยื่อในกรณีข่มขืนอีกด้วย เมื่อต้องทำงานกับผู้รับเคราะห์ เธอเห็นว่าความเป็นผู้หญิงสามารถสร้างความใว้เนื้อเชื่อใจได้ง่ายกว่า และยังไกล่เกลี่ยความขัดแย้งได้ดีกว่า ใบหน้าของเธอเปล่งประกาย เมื่อเธอพูดถึงงาน และผู้คนที่เธอได้พบจากงานของเธอ “พลังของผู้หญิง และความอดทนของเพศหญิง จะทำให้โลกใบนี้มันสวยงามงดงาม” เธอกล่าว

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Happy Women’s Day, Vietnam: what are we celebrating?

Mette Frost Bertelsen — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:01:50 +0000

Cũng có ở Tiếng việt

This Thursday, March 8, people will be celebrating International Women’s Day all around the world. Vietnam is no exception—there will be numerous events arranged by the Government, donors, mass organizations, NGOs, colleagues, and husbands. But what are we celebrating—and how will we celebrate the event?

Last year I went to a celebration of women’s day here in Vietnam where the women’s male colleagues had written little poems about how beautiful and sexy the women looked and how the men appreciated their beauty and femininity. This was such a new and intriguing way of celebrating Women’s day to me.

I come from a place where Women’s day is about manifesting and celebrating women’s economic, political and social achievements and fighting (sometimes very loudly!) for our rights. Most advocates of women’s rights in my country would be outraged by an event that highlighted beauty as the most important “achievement” for women rather than their political engagement, intelligence, compassion, or ambition. They would see it as a way to reduce women to an object for men’s enjoyment and a way to make women more concerned with their physical appearance than with their skills, behavior or personality.

I am sure others would argue that we all like to be appreciated and that feminism has gone too far if a genuine, warm celebration and appreciation of women is not valued just because it highlighted the women’s beauty. There is no right or wrong, and I remember the event as a fun, happy day that all participants enjoyed. It was, however, interesting for an outsider like me to watch. It made me reflect on what we see as the role and purpose of International Women’s Day.

While there is plenty of reason to celebrate the beauty of Vietnamese women, I do think we have so many other interesting things to celebrate in relation to Women’s achievements in Vietnam, which I would prefer to highlight. I look around my office, at the World Bank’s Government counterparts and at Vietnamese society at large, and I see so many incredibly committed, strong, smart, and hard working women.

And if we look at Vietnam as a whole, the country has made impressive progress in relation to promoting gender equality. There have been strong gains in reducing child and maternal mortality (e.g., maternal mortality dropped from 233 per 100,000 births in 1990 to 69 per 100,000 births in 2009). Enrollment rates are now about the same for girls and boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education. The employment rates for men and women aged 25-64 are fairly close at 93.8 percent and 87.8 percent, respectively. Women leaders are more and more prominent in public life as well as in private companies.

Nevertheless, important challenges still remain in Vietnam (you can also read more in the recent Vietnam Country Gender Assessment). Women’s wages are only 75 percent of men’s wages in general and in the informal sector, women only earn 50 percent of male wages despite similar working hours, education levels and seniority. Women still have less health insurance coverage than men. And while the 2003 Land Law has promoted the inclusion of Women on Land Title Certificates, the majority of Certificates still do not include the woman’s name. Gender based violence also remains an important issue and is rising.

So let’s celebrate International Women’s Day in Vietnam (in whatever way you choose to) knowing that there are so many capable, strong, intelligent and fantastic women in Vietnam, but also remembering that more work is needed to ensure that Vietnamese girls and women have the same rights and opportunities as their male counterparts. According to the World Bank’s 2012 Development Report on Gender Equality and Development, this is not only important as a development objective in itself, but also because it is ‘smart economics’ for a country. Happy Women’s Day!

How do you usually celebrate Women’s Day in your workplace/home and your country? Let me know.

Chúc mừng Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ, Việt Nam: chúng ta đang ăn mừng điều gì?

Mette Frost Bertelsen — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:54:31 +0000

Available in English

Thứ Năm tuần này, ngày 8/3/2012, toàn thế giới sẽ cùng kỷ niệm ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ. Việt Nam cũng không phải ngoại lệ - Chính phủ, nhà tài trợ, các tổ chức đoàn thể, tổ chức phi chính phủ, đồng nghiệp và các ông chồng sẽ tổ chức hàng loạt sự kiện nhân ngày này. Nhưng chúng ta ăn mừng điều gì – và chúng ta sẽ kỷ niệm sự kiện này như thế nào?

Dịp này năm ngoái, tôi được tham dự một buổi lễ kỷ niệm Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ tại Việt Nam, tại đó, các đồng nghiệp nam đã viết các vần thơ ca ngợi sự xinh đẹp và quyến rũ của phụ nữ và đàn ông trân trọng vẻ đẹp cũng như sự nữ tính của họ thế nào. Đối với tôi, đây quả thực là một cách mừng ngày phụ nữ rất mới và thú vị.

Tôi đến từ một nơi mà Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ là dịp để bày tỏ và ăn mừng các thành tựu kinh kinh tế, chính trị và xã hội của phụ nữ, và chiến đấu (đôi khi rất ồn ào!) cho nữ quyền. Hầu hết những người ủng hộ nữ quyền ở đất nước tôi sẽ cảm thấy bị xúc phạm bởi một sự kiện nhấn mạnh yếu tố đẹp như là "thành tựu quan trọng nhất” đối với phụ nữ hơn là cam kết chính trị, sự thông minh, lòng từ bi, hay tham vọng của họ. Họ sẽ cho rằng đây như là một cách làm giảm giá trị của người phụ nữ, khiến phụ nữ trở thành đối tượng mang lại niềm vui cho đàn ông và là một cách lái sự quan tâm của phụ nữ nhiều hơn vào vẻ đẹp bề ngoài hơn là kỹ năng, hành vi và cá tính của họ.

Tôi chắc chắn sẽ có những người tranh luận rằng tất cả chúng ta đều muốn được ngợi ca và rằng nữ quyền đã đi quá xa nếu như một lễ kỷ niệm thật ấm áp và chân thành đánh giá cao người phụ nữ lại không có giá trị gì chỉ bởi vì nó nêu bật vẻ đẹp của phụ nữ. Ở đây không có đúng hay sai, và tôi nhớ sự kiện này như một ngày vui vẻ hạnh phúc mà tất cả những người tham gia đều thấy thích thú. Tuy nhiên, nó thú vị vì tôi chứng kiến với tư cách người đến từ nơi khác. Nó làm cho tôi suy nghĩ về những gì chúng ta thấy là vai trò và mục đích của Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ.

Trong khi có rất nhiều lý do để ăn mừng vẻ đẹp của phụ nữ Việt Nam, tôi cũng nghĩ rằng có rất nhiều điều thú vị khác để ăn mừng liên quan đến thành tựu của phụ nữ Việt Nam, mà tôi muốn nêu bật. Tôi nhìn xung quanh văn phòng của mình, ở các đối tác Chính phủ của Ngân hàng Thế giới và trong xã hội Việt Nam nói chung, và tôi thấy rất nhiều những người phụ nữ cực kỳ tận tụy, thông minh, và chăm chỉ.

Và nếu chúng ta nhìn tổng thể toàn bộ Việt Nam, quốc gia này đã đạt được những tiến bộ ấn tượng liên quan đến thúc đẩy bình đẳng giới. Tỷ lệ tử vong trẻ em và bà mẹ đã giảm mạnh (ví dụ, tỷ lệ tử vong bà mẹ giảm từ 233/100,000 ca sinh năm 1990 xuống 69/100,000 ca sinh năm 2009). Tỷ lệ nhập học ở bậc tiểu học, trung học và đại học của nam và nữ hiện đang cân bằng. Tỷ lệ nam giới có việc làm trong độ tuổi 25-64 là xấp xỉ ở mức 93,8% và con số này của phụ nữ là 87,8% . Ngày càng có nhiều phụ nữ đảm nhiệm các vị trí lãnh đạo trong khu vực công cũng như trong các công ty tư nhân.

Tuy nhiên, những thách thức quan trọng vẫn còn tồn tại ở Việt Nam (mời đọc thêm Đánh giá Giới tại Việt Nam). Thu nhập của phụ nữ mới chỉ bằng 75% thu nhập của nam giới nói chung và trong khu vực phi chính thức, phụ nữ chỉ kiếm được 50% so với thu nhập nam giới mặc dù giờ làm việc, trình độ học vấn và thâm niên tương đương nhau. Phụ nữ vẫn ít có bảo hiểm y tế hơn nam giới. Và trong khi Luật Đất đai năm 2003 đã bắt buộc đưa tên của phụ nữ vào Giấy chứng nhận quyền sử dụng đất, phần lớn Giấy chứng nhận vẫn không có tên của người phụ nữ. Bạo lực giới cũng vẫn là một vấn đề nghiêm trọng và đang gia tăng.

Vì vậy, hãy kỷ niệm Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ tại Việt Nam (bằng bất cứ cách nào bạn chọn), vì có rất nhiều người phụ nữ thông minh, tài giỏi, mạnh mẽ và tuyệt vời tại Việt Nam, cũng như ghi nhớ rằng vẫn còn nhiều việc phải làm để phụ nữ và trẻ em gái Việt Nam có được các quyền và cơ hội tương tự như nam giới. Theo Báo cáo Phát triển của Ngân hàng Thế giới 2012 về Bình đẳng Giới và Phát triển, bình đẳng giới bản thân nó đã quan trọng, nhưng đồng thời, nó còn là sự khôn ngoan về mặt kinh tế học đối với mỗi quốc gia.

Chúc mừng Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ!

Bạn thường kỷ niệm Ngày Phụ nữ ở công sở/gia đình và đất nước mình như thế nào? Hãy chia sẻ với tôi!

Menjawab Tantangan Reformasi: Melakukan Bisnis di Indonesia

Katerina Leris — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:05:03 +0000

Available in English

Ambisius dan naik pesat – kata-kata ini secara tepat menggambarkan Indonesia yang modern. Di tengah melambatnya ekonomi global, pada tahun 2009 Indonesia merupakan negara dengan pertumbuhan ekonomi tercepat ketiga di antara negara G-20 dan terus menunjukkan pertumbuhan ekonomi yang kuat, dengan proyeksi pertumbuhan sebesar 6,4% pada tahun 2012. Meningkatkan daya saing ekonomi dengan menciptakan iklim bisnis yang lebih kondusif merupakan salah satu prioritas Indonesia untuk tahun 2010-2014.

Dan Indonesia sudah mulai melakukannya. Menurut laporan Doing Business in Indonesia 2012 yang diluncurkan di Jakarta pada 31 Januari, keseluruhan 14 kota yang sebelumnya dinilai untuk laporan Doing Business in Indonesia 2010 telah memperbaiki proses pendaftaran usaha dalam dua tahun terakhir, sementara 10 dari 14 kota telah berhasil mempercepat proses izin mendirikan bangunan. Dalam pidato pembuka saat peluncuran laporan, Menteri Negara Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara sempat membahas bagaimana kota-kota mulai bergerak dari ‘zona nyaman’ menuju ‘zona kompetetif’.

Laporan ini melacak perkembangan pada 14 kota yang dinilai untuk kali yang kedua serta untuk pertama kalinya mengumpulkan data pada tingkat mikro pada enam kota tambahan untuk membandingkan regulasi usaha pada tiga area regulasi daerah: memulai usaha, izin mendirikan bangunan, dan pendaftaran property. Kota-kotanya adalah Balikpapan, Banda Aceh, Bandung, Batam, Denpasar, Gorontalo, Jakarta, Jambi, Makassar, Manado, Mataram, Medan, Palangka Raya, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, Semarang, Surabaya, Surakarta dan Yogyakarta.

Hasilnya cukup menggembirakan:

Upaya reformasi yang dilakukan bersama-sama antara pemerintah pusat dan daerah telah mengurangi rata-rata waktu yang diperlukan untuk memulai usaha dan izin mendirikan bangunan sebanyak 25 persen sejak 2010. Sebagai contoh, untuk memulai sebuah usaha di Semarang sekarang tiga minggu lebih cepat setelah pemerintah mempermudah syarat perizinan setempat dan meningkatkan efisiensi di instansi pendaftaran usaha daerah.

Tidak ada satu kota yang lebih unggul pada semua aspek yang dinilai: memulai usaha paling mudah di Yogyakarta, izin mendirikan bangunan di Balikpapan, dan mendaftar property di Bandung dan Jakarta. Paling sulit memulai usaha di Manado dan mendaftar property di Batam. Urusan izin mendirikan bangunan paling sulit di Jakarta.

Yogyakarta tetap menjadi salah satu yang teratas dalam memulai usaha. Walikota Yoyakarta memperkenalkan sebuah ‘singkatan’ untuk kerjasama antar sektor agar mempermudah usaha: ABCG: Academics, Business, Community dan Government (Akademisi, Bisnis, Masyarakat, Pemerintah).

Kota-kota di Indonesia bisa mendapat banyak manfaat dengan mengadopsi regulasi dan praktik negara-negara lain – khususnya dalam hal izin mendirikan bangunan. Mengikuti contoh Banda Aceh yang bisa mengeluarkan izin mendirikan bangunan hanya dalam 42 hari, dan secara teori menjadikan kota ini peringkat lima secara global untuk kecepatan layanan ini.

Hasil-hasil ini tidak terlalu mengejutkan. Laporan tahunan Doing Business 2012 memperkenalkan ukuran “Distance to Frontier”, dan Indonesia, yang diwakili Jakarta, masuk dalam 50 besar ekonomi yang paling banyak mengalami peningkatan dan memperkecil jarak dengan kota-kota teratas dunia (seperti Singapura, Selandia Baru dan eknomi di negara Eropa Utara), serta menjadi 5 besar di Asia Timur dan Pasifik. Sebagai contoh, dalam bidang memulai usaha, perbaikan telah mengurangi waktu sebesar 70% – dari 151 hari pada tahun 2005, menjadi 45 hari pada 2011 – dan jumlah prosedur dari 12 menjadi 8.

Những người phụ nữ đảm bảo tương lai Xanh cho Việt Nam

Dr. Ivan Kennedy — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:33:11 +0000

Bài viết này đã được xuất bản bằng tiếng Anh ngày 22 tháng 9 năm 2011.

Với tầm nhìn đột phá, một số phụ nữ Việt nam đã trở thành những nhà lãnh đạo công nghệ đi đầu trong quá trình đổi mới nông nghiệp. Từ phòng thí nghiệm, đến nhà máy, trang trại, phụ nữ luôn là những người tiên phong đối trong từng bước của chuỗi cung ứng của dự án “Ổn định sản xuất lúa gạo sử dụng phân đạm hiệu quả.”

Tổ chức Hội chợ Phát triển (DM), Tương lai Nông nghiệp Xanh (AGF), một tổ chức phi lợi nhuận có chức năng cải thiện hơn các loại phân bón bền vững, đã được thành lập dựa trên kết quả nghiên cứu của nhà khoa học nữ duy nhất về đất tại Việt Nam: Bà Phan Thị Công (Ảnh)

AGF thúc đẩy việc sản xuất và sử dụng BioGio, một loại phân bón sinh học vi sinh vật được phát minh trong những năm 1990 bởi Giáo sư Nguyễn Thanh Hiền (ảnh). AFG cung cấp nguyên liệu men cái và tổ chức đào tạo về kiểm soát chất lượng cho các nhà sản xuất BioGio, đồng thời hỗ trợ xúc tiến thương hiệu BioGio. Bà Phan Thị Công, người tiếp tục xúc tiến công nghệ BioGio, đại diện cho một thế hệ trẻ hơn sẵn sàng hoàn thiện và đưa công việc này lên một tầm cao mới.

Bà Hiền, một nhà vi trùng học với kỹ năng cao và nhiều kinh nghiệm từng được đào tại Moscow, Wageningen và Dundee đã thực hiện phân tách các chủng vi khuẩn có lợi từ rễ cây lúa gần Hà nội. Khi rễ cây lúa bắt đầu này mầm, các chủng vi khuẩn này sẽ thúc đẩy sự tăng trưởng của cây lúa nhờ rễ cây khỏe mạnh hơn, giàu dinh dưỡng hơn và khả năng kháng bệnh tốt hơn. Bà Hiền cho biết một mong muốn thường trực của bà là có thêm những giải pháp để hỗ trợ nông dân nghèo. Bắt đầu triển khai nghiên cứu thực địa từ năm 2000, kết quả cho thấy công nghệ áp dụng phân bón sinh học đã đạt được hiệu quả cao, kết quả công trình của bà sẽ được xuất bản trên một số tạp chí danh tiếng.

AGF được xây dựng dựa trên kết quả triển khai thực địa thí điểm thành công của dự án DM tại xã Mỹ Thanh Nam thuộc khu vực lũ Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long. Những nông dân triển khai thí điểm tại đây đã gặt hái được những vụ lúa bội thu trong cả bốn mùa trong khi chỉ sử dụng 60% phân đạm so với phương thức canh tác thông thường nhờ sử dụng BioGio. Kết quả này đồng nghĩa, người nông dân có thể giảm chi phí vì chỉ phải sử dụng phân đạm và thuốc trừ sâu ít hơn. Những người nông dân nghèo có thêm ít nhất 10-15% lãi.

Xóm triển khai thí điểm gần Cai Lậy trên đây chỉ là một trong sáu khu vực tại Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long mà công nghệ mới này được triển khai. Chị Phương (trông ảnh), một nhóm trưởng nhóm nông dân tại Cai Lậy chia sẻ:“Áp dụng công nghệ BioGio giúp giảm số lượng thuốc trừ sâu và các chất hóa học mà người nông dân phải sử dụng, đồng thời yêu cầu tích trữ lúa giảm đi. Những phụ nữ quản lý tài chính gia đình muốn có thêm thu nhập, và giờ đây việc chăm sóc mùa màng sử dụng thuốc trừ sâu được an toàn hơn, và người dân không còn phải gặt lúa bằng tay nữa vì đã có máy gặt. Nói chung, mọi người đều thấy vui hơn và khỏe hơn.”

Trước đây, BioGio cũng đã được áp dụng tại rất nhiều khu vực tại các tỉnh miền Bắc Việt nam thuộc Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long, Pleiku và tỉnh ven biển Quảng Nam gần Đà Nẵng. Tới nay, công nghệ này đã mang lại những lợi ích đáng kể trên cả nước. AGF hiện đã xây dựng quan hệ hợp tác với Bà Kiều để sản xuất BioGio tại huyện Đức Huệ, tỉnh Long An. Bà Kiều đã ký hợp đồng với 30 nông dân trong khu vực sẽ sử dụng BioGio trong quá trình trồng lúa. AGF sẽ cung cấp cho nhà máy Đức Huệ của bà Kiều các thiết bị cần thiết để sản xuất BioGio và đảm bảo chất lượng của loại phân bón này. AGF hiện đang lên kế hoạch mở rộng quy mô sản xuất giai đoạn 2011 đến 2013. Việc mở rộng này phụ thuộc nhiều vào việc người nông dân chấp nhận áp dụng công nghệ mới, nhưng AGF kỳ vọng sẽ có thể ký kết hợp đồng với ít nhất ba nhà sản xuất BioGio trong vòng hai năm tới.

Với kế hoạch mở rộng quy mô sản xuất tại Việt nam, chương trình sẽ mang lại rất nhiều lợi ích cho những người nông dân trồng lúa nhờ công nghệ thân thiện với môi trường này. Và trong mỗi giai đoạn, người phụ nữ sẽ luôn là những người tiên phong mang đến một Tương lai Xanh cho Nông nghiệp Việt nam.

Live web chat - How can cities prepare for and manage floods?

Claudia Gabarain — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:42:24 +0000

Floods are the most frequent among all natural disasters. In 2010 alone, 178 million people globally were affected by floods. More than 90 % of the global population exposed to floods lives in Asia.

With rapid urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate change trends, urban flooding is becoming an increasingly serious development challenge. The most effective way to manage flood risk is to take an integrated approach which combines both structural and non-structural measures. But the key is getting the balance right.

Abhas Jha, lead author of the new report "Cities and Flooding:A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century" (and occasional blogger here) will be online for a live Question & Answer discussion on how to prepare for and manage floods in cities. Join the discussion on Wednesday, February 22 at 10:00 a.m. EST (16:00 GMT) and/or send your question right now --there's a better chance of having it answered during the event.

See you there.

Hybrid Courts in East Asia & Pacific: A recipe for success?

Peter Chapman — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:36:36 +0000

Daru Village Court in Papua New Guinea

What accounts for whether hybrid courts stick as relevant and useful institutions, as opposed to withering as a ‘neither-nor’ – neither regarded as a familiar community mechanism, nor as having the full backing of the state? In my previous blog entry, “History of Hybrid Courts in East Asia & Pacific: A ‘best fit’ approach to justice reform?”, I discussed the emergence of hybrid courts. In this post, I’ll raise three elements which seem to be essential characteristics of successful hybrid court systems: legitimacy, effectiveness, and flexibility.

Legitimate institutions respond to local demands and typically evolve through negotiation and collaboration. Providing space for community participation in the justice system is essential. It seems that in some cases, hybrid courts can help provide this space, thereby supporting a more legitimate (pdf) institution than purely imported legal models.

This is a delicate balance, however. The process of formalization of community decision-making through legislation creating hybrid courts may actually alienate the institutions and community decision-makers from their communities. Over-formalized approaches can push the community away from hybrid courts and it’s necessary to have procedures that take into account community needs and expectations.

Likewise, where hybrid systems are effective, they respond to community demands by locally and efficiently resolving community disputes in ways that the parties view as ‘fair’ or ‘just’. The Village Courts (pdf) in PNG and the Barangay Justice System in the Philippines are both handling tens of thousands of cases annually, often with significant support from local communities.

In each case, officials are given a degree of flexibility in decision-making, resources from government, and are more numerous and accessible than higher levels of the court system. They are able to hear more cases, without complex evidentiary standards, and effectively respond to immediate needs of communities while simultaneously linking with higher levels of the state justice system.

Ensuring flexibility of decision-making and community participation can be a difficult process. It may require that the state’s legal community relinquish some control over dispute resolution. From the perspective of government, this may reduce the predictability (or what anthropologist James Scott refers to as ‘legibility’) of the system. At the same time, however, such adaptive community-based systems may be more predictable from the perspective of the user, as formalized state systems are often viewed as complex or foreign.

Finding the right balance of flexibility is no easy task. Indeed, incorporating the flexibility of different community approaches might require the state to redefine human rights commitments to the community (e.g., principals of non discrimination, right to counsel, or equal protection).

Such tensions require innovative solutions. How can governments balance the need to provide locally relevant, legitimate and effective dispute resolution with considerations of state building and human rights? Might hybrid courts be one approach that merits additional consideration?

In my next post I’ll propose a few areas where I think the World Bank, and other development partners, might be able to contribute to such discussions.

Where wild tigers roam

Anne Elicaño — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:31:32 +0000

No tigers made an appearance but this little fellow emerged from across the stream while I was at a lookout tower in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand.

ภาษาไทย | Español

There are only about 250 tigers in the wild left in Thailand and around 3,200* globally. Not a single one made an appearance when I covered the Global Tiger Initiative’s Regional Training on the Smart Patrol System at the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary but I learned more about tigers then than I ever did at a zoo.

I spent an afternoon at a watchtower overlooking a stream, hoping to catch a glimpse of animals that might stop by for a drink. It was peacock mating season and a Green Peacock was first to come in view, shaking its magnificent feathers hopefully towards the direction of four Peafowl. That was followed by hours of quiet waiting—of staring at the dense thicket of trees and the mountains beyond. Huai Kha Khaeng is a UNESCO natural world heritage site and home to up to 33% of all mammal species in Southeast Asia.

The sun had started to set when a herd of banteng—which looked like orange water buffalos—emerged from the bush to drink from the stream. Bantengs numbers are dwindling because humans also hunt them for food. Anak Pattanavibool, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Thailand, said we were very lucky to have seen them at all. Sambar, large deer found in Asia, and a wild boar also made an appearance. I was told that banteng, sanbar, and wild boar are crucial for tiger conservation because they were its natural prey. Unfortunately, tiger prey are top targets for poaching in Thailand. With their food gone, tigers have a less chance at survival.

Suddenly, the tree tops shook and there was a loud crunching sound. An Asian elephant—it was an adolescent male—lumbered out from a thicket of bamboos and started brushing dust onto itself with its trunk. When you see an animal in a cage or performing tricks at a show there’s always a feeling of sadness or even guilt that comes with it. This was the first time I saw an elephant in the wild and I just marveled at everything it did, knowing that it wasn’t a trick learned for the pleasure of humans.

Huai Kha Khaeng’s ecosystem is thriving: the forest is large and there’s plenty of potential here for wildlife to flourish. I didn’t see any tigers but, over there, it’s easy to believe that they thrive.

My colleague took excellent photos of banteng, sambar, elephant, and the Thai forest rangers who protect the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Please have a look at the photo set.

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*The figure of 3,500 tigers in the wild posted originally has been corrected to 3,200.

ณ ป่าที่เสือใช้ชีวิตอย่างอิสระ

Anne Elicaño — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:29:20 +0000

ไม่มีเสือออกมาให้เห็น แต่ช้างป่าตัวนี้เดินข้ามลำห้วยตอนที่ฉันกำลังส่องสัตว์
ในเขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าห้วยขาแข้ง

English | Español

เสือในป่าธรรมชาติในประเทศไทยเหลือเพียงประมาณ 250 ตัวและประมาณ 3,200* ตัว ทั่วโลกพวกมันไม่ปรากฏตัวให้ฉันเห็นเลยในระหว่างที่ฉันปฏิบัติงานร่วมอยู่กับการฝึกอบรมระบบลาดตระเวนเชิงคุณภาพซึ่งเป็นการฝึกอมรมในส่วนภูมิภาคของโครงการโกลบอลไทเกอร์ (Global Tiger Initiatives) ณเขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าห้วยขาแข้งแต่ฉันได้เรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับพวกมันมากกว่าที่ฉันเคยเรียนรู้มาทั้งหมดจากสวนสัตว์

ฉันใช้เวลาในยามบ่ายวันหนึ่งอยู่บนห้างส่องสัตว์ซึ่งมองเห็นธารน้ำแห่งหนึ่ง โดยฉันหวังว่าจะเห็นสัตว์ป่าที่จะมาแวะกินน้ำในลำธารซึ่งช่วงเวลานี้ตรงกับฤดูผสมพันธุ์ของนกยูงและนกยูงสีเขียวเป็นสัตว์ตัวแรกที่ปรากฏตัวให้เราเห็นมันแผ่และสะบัดขนนกยูงตัวผู้อันงดงามอวดนกยูงอีก 4 ตัวอย่างเต็มไปด้วยความหวัง หลังจากนั้นทุกอย่างก็เงียบลงเป็นเวลาหลายชั่วโมงซึ่งเราทำได้แค่ซุ่มดูพุ่มไม้ทึบเบื้องหน้าดยมีภูเขาเป็นฉากหลังไกลออกไป

เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าห้วยขาแข้งได้รับการขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นมรดกโลกทาธรรมชาติโดยองค์การยูเนสโกและเป็นที่อยู่ของสัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยนมโดยอาจจะมีมากถึงร้อยละ 33 ของสายพันธุ์สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยนมทั้งหมดในภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้

ขณะที่ตะวันเริ่มคล้อยต่ำวัวแดงฝูงหนึ่งปรากฏตัวออกมาจากพุ่มไม้เพื่อมากินน้ำในลำธารวัวแดงเป็นสัตว์ที่ดูเหมือนควายบ้านแต่มีสีออกส้มจำนวนของพวกมันลดลงเพราะมนุษย์ล่ามันเพื่อเป็นอาหารคุณอนรรฆพัฒนวิบูลย์ผู้อำนวยการสมาคมอนุรักษ์สัตว์ป่าแห่งประเทศไทยบอกพวกเราว่าเราโชคดีอย่างมากที่ได้เห็นพวกมัน กวางป่าและหมูป่าก็ปรากฏตัวให้เห็นเช่นกันทั้งวัวแดงกวางป่าและหมูป่าต่างมีส่วนสำคัญในการอนุรักษ์เสือเพราะพวกมันเป็นเหยื่อตามธรรมชาติของเสือแต่ทว่าพวกมันเป็นเหยื่ออันดับต้นๆของการลักลอบล่าสัตว์ในไทย เมื่อแหล่งอาหารถูกทำลายบรรดาเสือทั้งหลายก็มีโอกาสอยู่รอดน้อยลง

ทันใดนั้นยอดไม้ก็สั่นไหวและมีเสียงลั่นกรอบแกรบมาช้างป่าวัยรุ่นพลายหนึ่งเดินออกมาจากพุ่มไม้มันใช้งวงปัดฝุ่นไปมาเมื่อคุณเห็นสัตว์ป่าถูกขังอยู่ในกรงหรือแสดงโชว์ต่างๆคุณมักจะรู้สึกเศร้าหรือรู้สึกมีความผิดอยู่ในใจแต่ในครั้งนี้เป็นครั้งแรกที่ฉันเห็นช้างอยู่ในป่าและฉันก็รู้สึกชื่นชมอยู่กับทุกสิ่งที่ฉันเห็นมันทำอยู่ เพราะฉันรู้อยู่ในใจว่าสิ่งที่มันทำไม่ใช่สิ่งที่มันถูกมนุษย์บังคับให้ทำแต่อย่างใด

ห้วยขาแข้งมีระบบนิเวศที่อุดมสมบูรณ์เป็นป่าผืนใหญ่และสัตว์ป่าต่างๆสามารถใช้ชีวิตเจริญเติบโตได้เป็นอย่างมีความสุข ฉันไม่ได้เห็นเสือด้วยตัวเองแต่จากสิ่งที่ฉันได้เห็นทำให้ฉันเชื่อว่าพวกมันคงมีความเป็นอยู่ที่ดี

เพื่อนร่วมงานของฉันได้ถ่ายรูปสวยๆมาหลายรูปมีรูปวัวแดงกวางป่าช้างป่าและเจ้าหน้าที่ดูแลป่าห้วยขาแข้งขอเชิญคุณชมรูปเหล่านั้นด้วยกัน

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*ตัวเลขเสือในป่าธรรมชาติเมื่อแรกเริ่มจำนวน 3,500 ตัว ได้ถูกแก้ไขให้ถูกต้องเป็นจำนวน 3,200 ตัว

History of Hybrid Courts in East Asia & Pacific: A ‘best fit’ approach to justice reform?

Peter Chapman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:07:39 +0000

It took 41 years for the fastest developing 20 countries in the 20th century to achieve basic transformations in the rule of law. However, the World Development Report 2011 suggests that fragile countries cannot afford to wait that long. Instead, in managing disputes, it is imperative for governments and the international community to support arrangements that fit each country context, take into account capacity constraints in government and the local level, and respond to the needs of users. Justice reform should be measured accordingly from a functional perspective—based on the needs of users—rather than abstract modeling of institutions on western approaches.

The World Bank’s Justice for the Poor program recently sponsored a workshop in Solomon Islands to explore the role of ‘hybrid courts’ in supporting equitable dispute resolution. The term ‘hybrid courts’ is used to describe a variety of state initiatives that seek to formalize and support community justice systems within the state justice system. I will be blogging, in three parts, on whether hybrid courts might be effective in promoting equitable dispute resolution. Building on what participants from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and South Africa said about their hybrid courts, I will start with a short history of hybrid courts.

Lowa Village Court in PNG. Photo by J4P Consultant Michael Goddard

From the outset, it’s important to recognize that many of today’s hybrid courts emerged during the colonial period. Typically, colonial powers introduced Western law for the foreign population, while accepting community forms of dispute resolution to varying degrees. This acceptance of community dispute resolution often involved elements of formalization, transformation and control by the state, including the incorporation of local decision makers into the government through hybrid courts.

In some cases (e.g., the Chiefs Courts of South Sudan), these new structures and authorities became effectively embedded in society and as a permanent feature of the judicial system through today. In others (e.g., customary courts of Liberia), they have had quite a mixed record of accountability both to the community and to the state, and have been the subject of contention.

Postcolonial states subsequently faced similar challenges as their colonial predecessors: limited geographical reach of state institutions, Western-modeled institutions often divorced from community structures and expectations, and resource constraints in the justice sector. Many of these new states turned to hybrid courts as a middle ground for supporting community decision-making while simultaneously expanding the authority and reach of the state.

Papua New Guinea, for example, included local decision-makers in the state justice system through Village Court magistrates. Today across Papua New Guinea there are more than 1,500 Village Courts hearing community problems through mediation and adjudication with supervision from the state. Likewise, the governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu established hybrid systems prior to, or immediately following, independence. In Solomon Islands, the number of these hybrid courts has steadily decreased since independence and in Vanuatu the courts remain today, but do not seem to be used to their full potential.

In my next entry, which I will post next week, I will talk about what makes hybrid courts effective in particular contexts. Why is it that hybrid courts appear to have succeeded in Papua New Guinea, for example, while they have fallen out of favor in other areas?

Cities and PPPs: I’ve got Ulaanbaatar on my mind

Dave Lawrence — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:48:26 +0000

Photo courtesy of christahasenkopf.com

I recently read a quote by Edward Glaeser, an urban economist, in the latest issue of IFC’s quarterly journal on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which caught my attention:

Statistically, there is a near-perfect correlation between urbanization and prosperity among nations. As a country’s urban population rises by 10 percent, the country’s per capita output increases by 30 percent.

I immediately thought of Ulaanbaatar, the frozen capital of Mongolia, which The Economist recently described as a boom town. Since the emergence of the free-market economy twenty years ago, the population of the city has doubled to over one million. Economic growth in Mongolia has certainly been phenomenal—20.8 percent in the third quarter of 2011—led by a mining sector gone wild. I’m not sure if Mongolia’s experience was factored in Glaeser’s calculations, but the correlation seems to hold.

Prosperity, however, hasn’t come just yet. The surge in the population of UB (as we call the capital) put a visible strain on the city. You don’t have to be an economist to see it. The roads can’t handle the 100,000+ vehicles in the city today, which has led to horrendous traffic jams. Three Soviet-era coal-fired power plants contribute to the sickening winter smog. Hundreds of thousands of people in the newly-created ger districts have limited access to housing, electricity, or water. Health systems are overburdened, and educational institutions struggle to prepare young people for the new economy.

So what’s the answer? To stop the urban migration? Definitely not. As Glaeser points out: “People are moving for a reason. It’s a terrible thing there are so many poor people in the world, but it’s not a terrible thing that they have come to cities to try and make their lives better.” Instead, Ulaanbaatar will have to evolve as its population and economy grow. To do that, it will need the experience and resources of the private sector.

Public-private partnerships can help make that happen. Mongolia has already taken the initial steps. With help from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), it passed the Law on Concessions in 2010 and kicked off its first major PPP, for a new power and heating plant. And good governance, especially in relation to the development of the mining sector, is a high priority and a core part of the government’s partnership agreement with the World Bank. With a better regulatory environment for PPPs, the private sector will be able to contribute a lot to the city’s infrastructure and public services.

But there’s a lot more to be done before Ulaanbaatar can be considered a world-class city that meets the needs of its people and supports the country’s expanding economic machinery. Is it going to happen? Having watched Mongolia for the last several years, I’m optimistic. But it would be great to hear what people living in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolians and expats alike) think about the future of the city.

Further reading: Handshake: Cities and PPPs