A PROJECT IN COTE D’IVOIRE RAISES AWARENESS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Date: 9/20/2009
Five thousand citizens of Cote d’Ivoire have participated in initiatives aiming to raise awareness of violence against women in the country between April and June of this year. The initiative is part of a World Bank-led program in Cote d’Ivoire designed to increase understanding of gender-based violence and the activities necessary for helping the survivors of violence.
For three months only, between April and June, the World Bank project has supported the development and broadcasting of 29 radio programs on gender-based violence. The main goal of the programs is to inform the population about the consequences of violence and the services available to victims, and to start a debate on the role of women in the home and the community. Key topics discussed focused on the types of violence against women and girls in Cote d’Ivoire, the psychosocial consequences of GBV, medical and legal assistance necessary for survivors of violence, the communication necessary between partners for a successful relationship, girl child rights, children’s rights, and girl’s education.
Other key initiatives supported by the project include a public debate on the responses to cases of gender-based violence, the celebration of the International Women’s Day, HIV testing and awareness-raising, and training sessions for society. Between April and June, the project has provided 117 training and awareness-raising sessions for community and local leaders, school personnel, community members, and soldiers on the consequences of gender-based violence at the individual, family and community levels. The trainings have focused on the forms that gender-based violence takes, the psychological and physical consequences of violence, the legal instruments for protection of women, women’s rights, and girls’ right to education. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), implementing agency for the initiative, is working with three NGO partners in conducting these sessions in 25 communities across the country.
For three months only, 347 victims of gender-based violence have been identified and referred for medical, psychological and legal help. To ensure proper handling of survivor cases and care, the project supported trainings of staff from the Ministry of Health, social workers from the Ministry of Family, Women and Social Affairs, and members of NGOs involved in the project. This has helped assist 136 survivors of gender-based violence aged 8 – 74. NGOs and community committees established as part of the initiative have played a key role in the process.
Seventy percent of the survivors of violence against women in Cote d’Ivoire have identified the perpetrator of violence as their intimate partners, and 19 percent identified other male family members. Many of these women, however, are afraid to report their cases. Others choose to disclose they are victims of violence but get publicly beaten afterwards. While women’s fears around reporting of violence are real, institutions dedicated to helping these women continue to support a safe environment for women to seek help.
SIXTEEN DAYS OF ACTIVISM MARK PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Over the years, thousands of girls and women in Côte d’Ivoire have been victims to the widespread and often systematic rape and sexual assault committed by combatant forces and civilians with close ties to these forces. It is estimated that seventy percent of women and children experience some form of sexual violence at some point during their life. Perpetrators, however, are rarely punished.
The problem of violence against women has been exacerbated by ethnic tensions over land rights and national identity, a deteriorating economy, and social disintegration. Rape and other forms of sexual abuse are used to terrorize the civilian population, and the resulting unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections like HIV, and physical and emotional distress have left many women and girls in the country traumatized both physically and emotionally. Victims are often stigmatized, rejected and ostracized by their communities and families, and left with no means of supporting themselves or their children. Compounding this situation is the fact that health facilities and staff, the justice system and the humanitarian community are unprepared to respond to the victims’ urgent need for medical and psychosocial help.
To address these problems, international and national agencies in Côte d’Ivoire joined forces in a campaign aiming to raise awareness about the suffering of women for 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM. The campaign took place between November 25 and December 10, 2008. Radio and TV programs, peaceful protests, trivia competitions, soccer games, bicycle racing, and theater, poetry and song festivals, were among the events arranged to raise awareness of sexual violence, and demonstrate the importance of preventing abuse, and building respect for women’s rights.
The campaign was organized jointly by the Ivorian government, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children-UK, CARE International, UNICEF, UNFPA, ODAFEM, ONUCI, CARITAS, the Red Cross, and other stakeholders working on the issue of gender-based violence.
Activities carried out during the initiative are part of the Protection from Gender Violence Project launched in Côte d’Ivoire by the World Bank in May 2008 and funded by the Post-Conflict Fund. The project is implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global leader in the field. This project aims to prevent sexual violence against women and increase institutional capacity to provide assistance to victims. A key objective of the project is changing the attitudes and behavior of both the perpetrators of sexual violence and the community at large.
The project has so far helped to identify a number of victims of sexual abuse and provided them with much needed appropriate assistance. The most common cases of abuse have been rape and attempted rape, with the age of victims ranging between three and 70 years. In the majority of cases, perpetrators have been identified as intimate partners.
Support to victims has included distribution of PEP Kits used to prevent HIV infection in the first 72 hours after exposure, payment of medical fees, psychosocial counseling, and in-kind help, including, inter alia, food, clothing and textbooks for victims’ children.
The project has also supported a number of awareness raising sessions for communities, including mass presentations and small group discussions. Special attention has been paid to sessions with personnel from the security and defense forces, who are the most common perpetrators of rape and other forms of violence against women.
Radio and TV programs have been used extensively as a means of raising awareness about the continued abuse of women. Three radio programs are currently addressing the topic, focusing on the consequences of violence against women and suggesting peaceful means to resolve conflict. Each program also includes information on how to access available services designed to help victims. A TV spot on sexual violence, developed by partners working on gender-based violence issues, is broadcast regularly on the national television station, Radio-Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI).
A further achievement of the project has been the establishment of gender-based violence (GBV) committees in local communities and their training on basic GBV concepts. In particular, female members of the committees have been trained in personal case management, and have received detailed information on medical response to rape and physical violence, laws and legal responses, counseling, and community mobilization to prevent GBV. In addition to the GBV committees, health personnel have been trained in the clinical management of rape, and social workers have received training in psychosocial assistance to victims of abuse.
The project has already achieved important results in Côte d’Ivoire within the area of gender-based violence and the work of the project implementing agency, IRC, continues. The project is expected to contribute to increased recognition and protection of women’s rights through the National Strategic Plan for Action against Gender-Based Violence and relevant legislation.
A gender-based violence project is currently in the planning for the Democratic Republic of Congo to be funded by the State- and Peace-Building Fund.
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THE WORLD BANK TA’LEEM REGIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE IMPROVES ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION FOR THOUSANDS OF REFUGEE IRAQI CHILDREN IN JORDAN AND LEBANON
Date: 9/20/2009
Eight million children have been affected by armed conflict worldwide. To help many of those suffering from the negative consequences of violence, the World Bank has invested significant resources in children and youth in the Middle East while other funding for them is decreasing. One of its projects, the Ta’leem Regional Education Initiative, aims to provide access to quality education for thousands of vulnerable, displaced Iraqi children and their host country counterparts in Jordan and Lebanon. The initiative has yielded many positive results in the first several months of its implementation and is considered to be a successful practice in the field of providing educational opportunities for young refugees. It is coordinated by Save the Children, a leader in children and youth programming. The program is complemented by relevant initiatives undertaken by UNICEF and UNHCR.
Thousands of illegal Iraqi refugees have found a home in Lebanon and Jordan in the last years. While they live in low-income areas and face negative perceptions widespread in their host communities, their children are the ones affected the most. One of their challenges is equitable access to appropriate educational opportunities that take into consideration their language and critical psychological needs.
As a response to the plight of young people in Jordan and Lebanon, the World Bank is supporting improvements in both access and quality of education for Iraqi children aged 3 – 24 as well as their peers from the two host countries. The overarching goal of the Ta’leem Regional Education Initiative is to protect the vulnerable, displaced Iraqi children, adolescents and youth along with their host country peers, enabling them to be positive and educated members of their present and future communities.
As a result of the Ta’leem Initiative in Lebanon, around 1,500 Iraqi children received scholarships for the 2008/2009 academic year. Five kindergartens were equipped and provided a safe space for 205 children. In addition, around 300 young people received life-skills or vocational training. Life-skills trainings focused on topics such as communication skills, conflict resolution skills, accepting differences, physical development, and reproductive health. Vocational training classes included English language teaching, computer graphic design, computer literacy sessions, make-up and hairdressing for women, and ornamental “Henneh” tattoo classes.
The initiative also provided 60 teachers with capacity-building trainings in children inclusion and protection. The trainings were designed to develop teachers’ capacities to provide students with a better learning environment that addresses their educational and psychological needs. Participants learned interactive teaching methods and techniques for a more learner-centered approach. Teachers also learned to develop lively activities, games and role-plays to help bring out the isolated or insecure child. They were also trained in recognizing children’s learning difficulties and the steps necessary for using the help of specialized therapists.
As part of the program, 300 parents attended protection and education awareness sessions. Trainings focused on methods for addressing difficulties that parents and children encounter and included topics such as promoting positive disciplining of children and alternatives to physical punishment.
In Jordan, 24 kindergarten classrooms in 19 schools were selected for renovation after careful and detailed engineering assessments. They will be renovated, furnished and equipped to accommodate displaced Iraqi children. Alongside with the renovation, public school teachers will receive training that addresses the specific needs of Iraqi children. The training will focus on children’s rights, preventing and intervening in violence to children, respecting diversity, establishing protective mechanisms, and establishing approaches that recognize and address psychological stressors which have a negative impact on children’s learning. The curriculum for the training has already been submitted for approval by the Ministry of Education.
The Ta’leem Initiative in Jordan has also helped develop the concept for Parent Child Centers where small children will be able to play with their peers, and parents will have access to information on parenting and children’s learning. In addition, Save the Children is developing a “Khatawat at Home” kit that will outline activities for parents to do with their children at home. The resource will provide benchmarks in children’s development so that parents can be alerted to any delays, and it will also advise parents on what they can do at home to stimulate their children’s development and learning. While all children can benefit, this will be especially useful for getting young out-of-school children ready for school.
The initiative has also helped maintain a Help Desk which informs Iraqi families about the process of enrolling their children in public schools. As a result, the program helped 600 Iraqi children gain access to formal education.
In addition to improving education for displaced Iraqi children in Jordan and Lebanon, the Ta’leem Initiatives is expected to reduce conflict by removing the stress placed on governments by refugees, as well as reduce pressure on displaced Iraqi families by providing direct and indirect support to get their children a quality education. This will help remove some of the burdens from families and may keep them from falling into poverty. By being provided with opportunities to attend trainings, adult caregivers of children will also be able to socialize, express themselves and be better prepared to care for their children. They will be better informed and supported by institutions to cope with their situation, which may reduce their willingness to create conflict with others. These, in turn, will reduce the chance that vulnerable adults and youth would turn to crime, gangs, or radical politics.
To read more about the project, please click here
THE BANK SCALES UP SUPPORT TO ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE IN GUINEA-BISSAU
Date: 8/27/2009
Following several successful projects and a vast array of lessons learned during their implementation, the World Bank and the Government of Guinea-Bissau scaled up their mutual effort aimed at supporting economic governance in the country. The Bank’s State- and Peace-Building Fund granted Guinea-Bissau USD 1.74 million to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Finance in the fragile country. The program will provide support to the Ministry in the critical area of public financial management. Consensus for reform in this area has been already achieved and backed up by strong political support, but the need for effective technical assistance and capacity building in this field remains high.
The agreement on scaling up support for economic governance in the country was signed in June 2009. The event is a response to the need of the Bissau Government to continue support for public financial management (PFM) reforms following the closing of the preceding Low Income Countries Under Stress Trust Fund grant in December 2008. The first Support to Economic Governance project provided the Government of Guinea-Bissau with assistance in improving public financial management in the country, in addition to enhancing aid effectiveness and civil society capacity for peacebuilding. With the help of the grant, the country made notable progress in advancing reforms in the areas of expenditure control and revenue collection, and improving administrative capacity in these areas.
The project also helped the Government develop its 2007 emergency program, and contributed to the issuance of treasury bonds that helped reduce the budget’s financing gap in that year. Despite political instability and difficulties in identifying sources of finance to reduce the financing gap, the project helped the Ministry of Finance develop its 2007 and 2008 budgets that were subsequently approved by the Parliament.
Although the first Economic Governance project helped the government significantly in implementing public financial management reforms, contributed to enhancing public procurement procedures, and trained personnel in different ministries, it outlined the need for ongoing technical assistance. Such assistance will ensure efficiency and further facilitate the implementation of reforms.
The objective of the new project is to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Finance to continue its efforts in improving public financial management in the country. It finances a combination of technical assistance and capacity building activities in budget preparation, execution and reporting, customs, treasury and tax management, budget internal control, and public procurement reform.
Julien Bandiaky, Task Manager of the project, recalled that ”public financial management reform is a key component of Guinea-Bissau’s 2006 National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) that, among others, aims at fostering institutional development and good governance”. The strategy highlights the critical need to improve efficiency in the public administration, notably by improving mechanisms for economic and financial management of public resources.
To better engage stakeholders to support public financial management, the task manager emphasized that the new State- and Peace-Building Fund grant will help the country to implement a communication strategy around the PFM reforms program that was developed in 2007 and never found financing. The goal will be mainly to inform stakeholders about the PFM reforms and the importance of paying taxes.
As reminder, a day before the signing of the agreement for the new grant, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors discussed the Interim strategy note that sets out the Bank Group’s support to the Guinea-Bissau Government’s reform program until July of next year and approved a US$8 million grant to Guinea-Bissau to better implement its poverty reduction strategy.
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A PROJECT HELPS EX-COMBATANTS START A NEW LIFE
Date: 8/25/2009
Following the 2002 peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Bank pledged its support to the national authorities in the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in the country. The project became part of a wider multi-country multi-donor effort in the Great Lakes region to release combatants from military service and help them return to civilian life.
The Socio-Economic Reintegration project in the Democratic Republic of Congo was launched in 2008. Its objective is to serve as a tool for promoting security and stability in the country. Its comprehensive approach which includes dismantlement of armed groups and reintegration of ex-combatants into their communities has turned into an inseparable part of the entire peace process in Congo. It provides combatants with the support needed to start a new life in their communities, while making them less vulnerable after the end of warfare and helping them stay resistant to renewed violence.
The idea behind the project is that, to be effective and sustain long-term results, demobilization should be accompanied by appropriate return of combatants into civil society and complementary socioeconomic development for the country as a whole. To fulfill these objectives, the demobilization and reintegration project in Congo has aimed to provide comprehensive socio-economic support to ex-combatants demobilized by the National Program of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reinsertion in the North and South Kivu Provinces of the country, to allow them to return to their communities.
Only 8 months after its launch in September 2008, the program provided reintegration aid to more than 3,000 ex-combatants. In addition to combatants, the project has involved their spouses, communities’ leaders and other community members. First steps included identification of ex-combatants and providing those with information on the initiatives launched to help them. Following outreach to ex-combatants, the project started providing communities with information on the long-term benefit of successful reintegration of ex-combatants and the ways to assist the process. This initiative has followed a Peace and Citizenship model which uses radio broadcasts, flyers and popular meetings to reinforce acceptance of ex-combatants in their communities. Recent activities have included radio programs on peaceful co-existence with ex-combatants and leisure activities such as soccer games and concerts.
As the North and South Kivu provinces in which the program is being implemented are well known for their agricultural potential, the project has included food crops training as an essential part of reinsertion activities. Basic agriculture trainings have been provided in more than 60 sites. The trainings include lessons which focus on both theory and practice by each ex-combatants. In addition to trainings, participants have been provided with reintegration start-up kits which include farming tools, seeds, and bicycles.
In addition to trainings and start-up kits, the project has supported the establishment of ex-combatants agricultural associations. Participants have combined their farming skills in interesting ways, which is expected to contribute to substantial revenues and financing capacities of farming cooperatives in an area in which access to microcredit is very challenging.
Apart from their food production aspect and expected financial benefits, agricultural activities have served as a way to socialize ex-combatants with their communities. They have promoted communities’ cohesion by not only helping combatants acquire improved agricultural skills but also by allowing the active participation of community members. As a result, the image of ex-combatants has improved, and their integration into civil life is progressing well. It is expected that these activities would also contribute to preventing future conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The project is implemented by CARITAS Developpement Congo.
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DEVELOPMENT THROUGH LOCAL CAPACITIES IN THAILAND PROVIDE INSIGHTS ON BRINGING RIVAL COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
Date: 7/24/2009
Violent insurgency has claimed more than 3,000 lives in southern Thailand in the past four years. Conflict has resulted in a growing divide within communities. In an atmosphere where local government officials have found it difficult to work effectively with conflict-affected communities, civil society organizations and communities themselves have emerged as key agents in building the foundations of peace and development in the country.
As a response to current hostilities, the World Bank and the Royal Thai Government embarked on a project aimed at implementing community approaches to local development in the country. The project provides grants to conflict-affected communities and civil society organizations working with them. The grants support innovative approaches and partnerships that promote development, trust building, and peace in southern Thailand. The objective is to provide communities, civil society organizations and local authorities with an opportunity for interaction through a strong focus on the common goal of improving life in these communities.
The project provides significant insights on the methods of working in conflict-affected communities in the south of the country. On a local level, the project is expected to increase willingness to work together for a common goal, increase opportunities for peace-building activities, and improve the capacity of communities to plan and implement development initiatives.
The project represents the second phase of a previous initiative which started in 2007. Phase I supported a conflict study and capacity-building trainings by a consortium of academic institutions, in consultation with government agencies, the National Reconciliation Commission, civil society, and the donor community.
Findings of the conflict study undertaken in 2007 indicated that there is a need for improving communities’ understanding of the conflict in southern Thailand and the approaches to peaceful co-existence. Other aspects identified as prerequisites for development and peace in the country include policy dialogue on aspects of non-violence and sharing of knowledge from past experience. A key initiative recognized as a crucial step in building peace in southern Thailand includes financing of development projects that encourage participation of community members, and improves trust among local communities, civil society and the government. The current phase of the project that commenced in 2007 aims to fulfill these objectives.
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THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA REACHES NEW HEIGHTS AND MARKETS DESPITE STRUGGLES FACED IN THE REGION
Date: 7/23/2009
More than 250 people attended the first anniversary celebration of the Palestinian Facility for New Market Development in Ramallah on April 15, 2009. The event was organized under the patronage of Prime Minister Fayyad, and the founders of the project, the World Bank, and the United Kingdom Government Department for International Development. Guests included representatives from the Palestinian Authority, leaders of the Palestinian business community, project clients and service providers, as well representatives from the international donor community and media organizations.
Since the inception of the Palestinian Facility for New Market Development (FNMD) in July 2008, 120 private companies in the West Bank and Gaza from a wide range of sectors have come forward with plans to develop new products or reach new markets. FNMD projects range from $2,000 to $50,000 in grants. While some projects are still underway, clients of the Facility have so far developed four new products, improved six existing ones, launched their products in seven new local markets, and entered 11 new export markets. Palestinian businesses have also gone beyond the region – half of the new export markets are located outside of the West Bank and Gaza. Three new markets are located in Asia, two in Europe, one in North America, and one in Africa.
While the economic situation in Gaza worsened since the military operations in December 2008, the FNMD continued to support the private sector in the region. Seventeen companies from Gaza are currently receiving FNMD grants, 20 have recently applied for FNMD co-financing, and over 170 companies participated in six information sessions to learn more about the available support offered by the program. The program has also engaged 67 local and international business service providers in FNMD projects. Over 85 percent of resources provided to FNMD companies has been allocated for procuring business services from local providers.
With the help of FNMD, PITS (Nablus) has been able to significantly improve their electronic vehicle tracking system. Through the program, Nablus Soap Factory updated their soap product shape and packaging, went to an international trade show for the first time, and is currently selling its product in new markets, including Yemen and Norway. Two of the FNMD beneficiaries also recently recorded their first export sales of small stone and marble finishing products and software systems for the health sector in the Gulf.
Palestinian companies supported by FNMD employ more than 3,749 workers. In 2008, the first year of the Facility’s operation, businesses generated USD $178 million in total sales primarily in the local Palestinian market. Companies generated $7 million in Gaza and $171 million in the West Bank including East Jerusalem. Seventy percent of 2008 revenues ($124 million) originated from sales in the local Palestinian market and 30 percent were generated through export sales ($54 million). Exports to Israel amounted to $19 million, and sales to other international markets totaled $35 million.
Despite the success of their businesses, half of FNMD-sponsored companies do not sell outside West Bank including East Jerusalem and Gaza. Inside Palestine, companies are reporting frequent delays and security checks of their products at checkpoints, as well as the need to take longer routes. Food stuff producers report that the long delays at checkpoints affect their product quality, especially in the hot season. The long delays and re-routing also lead to overtime costs for the drivers, inefficiencies in the use of corporate trucks, and extra fuel costs.
Transportation from Palestine to Israel also adds complications, due to the fact that Palestinian trucks are not allowed to cross into Israel, and goods thus need to be unloaded, checked and re-loaded onto an Israeli truck. Exports to Israel are thus often not desired by Palestinian companies-clients of the FNMD.
As the West Bank and Gaza continue to be characterized by severe constraints in regard to moving goods and services across borders, a large part of the private sector is unable to conduct business operations, particularly in manufacturing, as raw materials are not allowed in nor exports out. Despite the challenges, however, some sectors are able to operate partially in this situation, such as the information and communication technology and food sectors. The FNMD has been targeting and supporting businesses in these industries.
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YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE THE LEAD AS AGENTS OF PEACE AND CHANGE
Date: 6/24/2009
In September 2004, more than 300 people, most of which children, died in a terrorist attack on a school in Beslan, North Ossetia. The tragedy bought renewed attention to the North Caucasus region and highlighted the need for promoting peace and tolerance in the region.
The World Bank has funded the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to run the The North Caucasus Youth Empowerment and Security Project as a key initiative to focus on youth - one of the most vulnerable and yet resourceful groups in the North Caucasus. The project promotes the idea that young people are significant human capital for their peers, families, communities and regions. Research and practice have proved that youth represent one of the key resources that can lead to positive social, political and economic advances through their active participation in the development processes of their societies.
In spite of their potential, young people worldwide are still falling through the cracks of public policy. As a result, youth poverty, unemployment and exclusion are widespread and increasing, and youth are exposed to numerous risks: dropping from school, gender inequalities, violence, drug abuse, trafficking, and extremism, among others.
The North Caucasus, in particular, is home of a large youth population, reaching 40 percent of the total population in places such as Ingushetia. The region has the highest rate of jobless youth in the country, ranging from two to seven times the national average of 10 percent. The region is also home of some of the poorest people in the Russian Federation. Poverty levels go beyond 40 percent in Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan. Poverty, combined with unemployment, disillusionment, crime, ethnic and religious tensions, and large proportions of at-risk youth, has been part of the larger picture of conflict and violence in the region for years.
The grant funding provided by the World Bank to UNICEF for the North Caucasus Youth Empowerment and Security Project aims to address these challenges. It supports a comprehensive approach to the empowerment of youth in the North Caucasus which rests on the idea that peace goes hand in hand with young people’s personal and economic development. The objective of the project is thus two-fold: to provide grounds for economic development and peace in the region, and an opportunity for young people to be agents of positive change. The goal is to enhance the security of at-risk youth of different ethnic and religious backgrounds in the North Caucasus republics by a series of activities focused specifically on their development. These include building the capacity of youth ministries, providing young people with community-based youth-friendly activities, and promoting peace and tolerance initiatives. It is expected that these will provide young people in the North Caucasus with safe spaces for learning, complementary to the formal school system, as well as opportunities for peaceful interaction, income generation, development of leadership skills, and participation in community life.
Mobilizing young people and local stakeholders to take a lead in developing youth centers and their programs is one of the most notable achievements of the project so far. UNICEF has encouraged young people in the region to join forces with the Youth Councils and Youth Committees in the Government and NGOs, preparing plans for the establishment of youth spaces and a sustainable peace and tolerance program in the region. The development of communication strategies for these centers and capacity building in peace and tolerance for more than 450 young leaders from eight republics have so far contributed to these objectives.
Small grants made available by the program are expected to provide young entrepreneurs with capital, so that they can start their own micro-enterprises. Additionally, grants to NGOs working on youth programs will support activities aimed at providing young people with life and livelihood skills, and income generation opportunities. More trainings for youth councils and committees and young people themselves, meetings among stakeholders in the different republics, peace camps and marches, and TV programs will provide a wide-reaching forum for implementation of the program in the North Caucasus.
The peace and development initiative is implemented by UNCIEF, based on extensive research of the needs of young people in the North Caucasus, and uses lessons learned from successful youth programs supported by the World Bank in other conflict-affected regions.
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A STUDY OF NEWSPAPERS IN INDONESIA PROVIDES IMPORTANT INSIGHTS ON VIOLENT CONFLICT
Date: 6/24/2009
A study commissioned by the Conflict and Development Program at the World Bank has demonstrated the how monitoring local newspapers can provide a fuller understanding of the dynamics of violent conflict in Indonesia. The study is implemented as part of a larger program which analyzes conflict in the archipelago and provides advice on interventions for supporting peacebuilding and post-conflict development in Indonesia and beyond.
Previous studies in Indonesia have examined conflict dynamics through the national and provincial press. The current review presents new, improved findings on violence in the country by looking at local newspapers and tracking the incidence of localized violent conflict.
Findings from the study suggest that the number of deaths resulting from local conflict in Indonesia is significantly higher than captured by previous analysis. The study, which was implemented in East Nusa Tenggara and East Java, two ‘medium-level’ provinces, identifies up to six times as many conflict deaths as previous estimates by the United Nations Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery/UNDP.
While it is unlikely that deaths are as under-reported in higher conflict areas, thet study does suggest that violent conflict incidence and impact in Indonesia are more profound than previously believed. Even in districts not officially considered conflict prone, the impact of violent conflict has been significant, and the number of resulting deaths is much higher than that revealed by previous sources.
The two most important sources of violence in Nusa Tenggara Timur and East Java are conflict over resources and vigilantism, respectively. The former primarily involves conflicts over land. The latter comprises retribution in response to theft, witchcraft, or humiliation, and violence stemming from clashes over group identity.
Unlike previous studies implemented in Indonesia, the report pays closer attention to a major form of violence highlighted by a number of conflict specialists worldwide – conflict between individuals. Findings suggest, however, that more research is needed to understand why violence affects individuals in some areas and whole groups in others. This necessitates considering local factors in designing policies and programs to prevent the different forms of conflict found in Indonesia.
To provide more insight on the dynamics of conflict in the country, the Conflict and Development Program is currently expanding the scope of its research, to cover twenty-one provinces comprising almost 90 percent of Indonesia’s population. To obtain more information on the Program and its findings, please visit http://www.conflictanddevelopment.org.
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A CIVIL REGISTRY PROJECT HELPS PEOPLE ESTABLISH THEIR EXISTENCE IN COTE D’IVOIRE
Date: 5/26/2009
An estimated 3.5 million people in Cote d’Ivoire lack proper identification papers, due in part to the fact that much of the country’s civil registry (held in paper form) was destroyed during the conflict. Furthermore, those identification papers that do exist in the country will expire at the end of 2009. Because resolving this situation will be key to the country’s reconciliation process, the World Bank is supporting the reconstitution of the country’s civil registry.
Issues related to citizen identity are particularly sensitive in Cote d’Ivoire. Beginning in the early 1990s, following the death of the country’s ‘founding father’ Houphouët-Boigny, political leaders promoted a philosophy of Ivoirité, asserting the primacy of Ivoirian citizens’ rights over those of the country’s large immigrant population. This discourse was adapted by various leaders to mobilize and favor their particular regional constituencies, and tension at the national level was replicated in local conflicts between autochtones (original settlers) and allogènes (foreigners) or allochtones (internal migrants). Questions of identity thus became key contributors to the 2002 conflict and the ensuing political and military stalemate.
Furthermore, proper identification of all Ivoirian citizens is a prerequisite for national elections, planned for November 2009, and essential for the proper functioning of various legal and institutional regimes, including land rights, national education exams, the justice system, and formal employment. To take just one example, students cannot receive an elementary school diploma without presenting a birth certificate.
To address this challenge, several institutions have joined forces to re-establish the civil registry in Cote d’Ivoire. The World Bank and the European Commission are working together to safeguard existing information, construct new National Archives, buying new equipment, and establish a modern and reliable computer system to manage identification records. Importantly, the project is contributing to the establishment of a database which could be updated regularly to reflect new data, such as the number of births and deaths in the country.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is complementing this effort by operating twelve Mobile Legal Assistance Centers, which consist of simple white tents equipped with a table and three plastic chairs. The tents are pitched in areas with high numbers of internally displaced people (IDPs) and heavy traffic, such as near markets and birthing centers. At each center, two young lawyers (a man and a woman) offer information, counseling and legal assistance (ICLA) to facilitate the process of obtaining legal documents. In practice, this entails helping people understand the law and fill out forms, travelling to present cases in person to the relevant local authorities (travel that is often unaffordable or unsafe for vulnerable people), and, if necessary, ensuring the resolution of problematic cases. These services would be unaffordable for all but the wealthiest Ivoirians; at the ICLA centers, they are provided free of charge, and in a non-intimidating environment.
In pursuing the important goal of facilitating the identification process, the project has had two additional effects. First, it has provided a number of young people with employment: more than 800 students are currently involved in creating the new registry system, recording existing information and converting hard-copy records into electronic files. Second, the project has served as a forum for cooperation between Government ministries and agencies from various parties, setting a positive precedent.
Overall, the project has enjoyed wide support, both from the Government and from individual beneficiaries. More than anything else, it is perhaps the long lines of people waiting outside the white tents that attest to the success of the initiative so far.
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WORLD BANK INITIATIVES IN SRI LANKA PROMOTE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT
Date: 5/20/2009
A ceasefire agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2002 raised people’s hope for peace in the country. Hope for peace became further enhanced by political commitment and positive attitudes rooted among the general public. Willingness to build sustainable peace resulted in five projects supported by the World Bank on the island. As a result, peace activities commenced between August and September of 2007. In January 2008, however, dramatic changes in the country provoked by the government’s decision to abolish the ceasefire agreement led to another full-scale armed conflict. Today, almost two years after the commencement of the peace initiatives, all projects are being extended, to provide ground for sustainability of the achieved results and keep up with people’s hope in peace.
A short description of each project below outlines achievements to date, as well as activities planned to contribute to the overall objective of supporting peace in Sri Lanka. The program covers initiatives designed to provide insights on a sustainable peace process and increase the capacity of key stakeholders in preventing violence and contributing to security in the country.
The objective of the Community Peace Councils/Deshodaya Forums for Sri Lanka program has been to mobilize grassroot support for peaceful co-existence through the establishment and empowerment of 18 Community Peace Councils (CPCs) geographically spread across seven districts in Sri Lanka. The goals of the project have been almost fully achieved with 17 functioning CPCs established to date. Other activities have included capacity building, development and implementation of CPCs’ strategic action plans, as well as strengthening of relevant communication and outreach activities. Upcoming initiatives include training courses for CPCs on conflict transformation, IT, and monitoring and evaluation, establishment of seven Peace Resource Centers, implementation of the action plans prepared so far, and production of the Deshodaya newsletter dedicated to peace.
The Human Security Programme: Providing Early Warning and Implementing Rapid Response by Collecting Information on Local Level Conflicts program has aimed at reducing the number of community conflicts resulting in violence in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The project has contributed to upgrading of the computer-based early warning software of the Foundation for Co-Existence (FCE) and building the capacity of its staff. A major achievement presents the establishment of 95 ethnically balanced working committees, with a total membership of 5,200 individuals. Forthcoming activities include upgrades of the early warning software, completion of the process of consolidating the Co-Existence Committees, and further training of FCE field staff.
The objective of the Poverty and Conflict (PAC) includes highlighting core issues in terms of the nexus between poverty and conflict in villages immediately adjacent to areas affected by armed conflict in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. Dissemination of results is expected to contribute to building the capacity of locally-based organizations working on poverty and conflict. Implementation of the project was delayed by flare-up of military confrontations between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE in the North and the East, which spilled over into the villages target for research. Despite the conflict, activities have already commenced and are expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The Program for Enabling Civil Society Organizations to Positively Influence the Process of a Negotiated Settlement focuses on strengthening the voice of religious clergies and other pro-peace civil society organizations in terms of peace and co-existence, building stronger inter-religious linkages, and empowering regional journalists to become active participants in the peace-building process. The project has supported 12 out of a total of 19 planned inter-religious workshops and six training workshops for regional journalists. Main activities to be carried out during the extended implementation period include organizing 50 community-based inter-faith event/activities, and additional inter-religious workshops and training sessions for regional journalists.
Effective and Safe Humanitarian Assistance and Development Corporation in Sri Lanka – Mainstreaming Conflict Sensitivity is another project designed to improve capacity for assistance to the peace process. More specifically, the program aims to increase the capacity of humanitarian and development agencies and their partners to safely plan, implement and monitor projects using conflict sensitive approaches. The project has supported the development of a monthly Rapid Context Assessment (RCA). The RCA provides up-to-date assessments of the conflict situation in seven conflict-affected districts and is circulated electronically to a wide audience. Sixteen RCAs have been produced so far, and four more are expected in the next year. The project also provides conflict sensitivity training to agency staff. Fifty employees of humanitarian and development agencies have received training to date. Furthermore, the project provides conflict sensitivity advisory services to local humanitarian and development agencies, with the aim of integrating conflict sensitivity in their programming and project implementation. Finally, the initiative focuses on developing a code of conduct for conflict sensitive assistance. The first inter-agency workshop to develop the code of conduct took place in January 2009. After its extension, the project will focus on completing the agency code of conduct as well as on providing more trainings and advisory services on conflict sensitivity.
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INCREASE MOBILITY AND EMPLOYMENT IN TOGO
Date: 4/24/2009
Lomé, the capital city of Togo, is home to about 58 percent of Togo’s urbanized population. The city dominates the socio-economic production of the country contributing about 60 percent of the country’s GDP. Urban poverty in Togo, however, is high and rising. High unemployment rate and worsening living conditions define life for many people in Lomé, especially among an active, young and restless growing migrant population, with no hope for a better future and limited access to effective infrastructure and social services, and employment.
Responding to Togo’s urgent need for addressing scarcity of resources, opportunities and services, the World Bank has initiated the Lomé Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project in 2008. The project is contributing to improved access to roads, to increase accessibility of the city’s most deprived neighborhoods to economic opportunities and community social and cultural services.
The rehabilitation and expansion of boulevard de l’Oti in the neighborhood of Bé Akodessewa is now underway. About one kilometer of a seven foot-high wall that was in the path of the extension of the road was demolished and rebuilt, leaving the required space for the road expansion to be completed. Works on the road will be completed by October this year.
Rehabilitation of the Bé Community drainage has also commenced in March and is to be completed by the end of May.
The effects of the project go beyond simple rehabilitation of roads and services. The implementation of infrastructure works is accompanied by an increase of short-term employment opportunities associated with these works.
In addition to offering opportunities for employment, the project has allowed residents to feel actively engaged in the reconstruction of their city, making community participation another major achievement in the course of the project.
The initiative in Lomé will be complemented by a larger emergency intervention supported by the World Bank in the entire country.
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COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS AND CAPACITY-BUILDING TO IMPROVE LIVES IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT
Date: 4/23/2009
Recurring armed conflict between government authorities and rebel groups in Mindanao in the Philippines has for decades forced people to flee their homes. The crisis has resulted in around two million displaced people. Apart from the suffering of displaced people, the population in Mindanao remains poor and with limited access to basic social services.
To help conflict-ridden communities rebuild their lives, the Government and the World Bank have initiated the Mindanao Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) in 2003. Yielding a number of encouraging results through support to community-based projects and capacity-building activities, the program has since its initiation attracted other donors.
The RDP has combined financial, technical and capacity-building assistance to address the needs of conflict-affected communities. It has focused on improving the delivery of basic social services, rebuilding infrastructure, and providing livelihood and employment opportunities for communities. Special attention has been paid to vulnerable groups – indigenous people, women, youth, and children affected by the conflict.
The project emphasizes the importance of building the capacity of all stakeholders in the country – the government, civil society organizations, and local populations. The objective is to assist them in formulating municipal and regional development plans in a collaborative manner. As a result of the assistance, stakeholders should be better equipped to implement effectively, and manage available monetary, material and human resources.
Local NGOs have supported communities in managing small projects. These projects have resulted in quick impact at the community level and people have been provided with opportunities to “learn while doing”. Project activities have included: inter alia, peace education and talks, literacy trainings, livelihood skills trainings, improving access to quality education, vocational training for youth, assistance to displaced women, agricultural and farming activities, development of potable water systems, rehabilitation of schools, and festivals for sharing best practices. At the end of 2008 50 projects had been completed. Three projects remained unfinished due to renewed outbreaks of conflict in some villages.
An assessment of the community-based projects shows that these initiatives have helped identify potential partners and effective models for development and peace for subsequent programs. Reports by people implementing these projects suggest that community activities have had some impact on peace building in some communities. The level of impact, however, varies across different parts of Mindanao.
The RDP has been instrumental in providing basic services for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the local levels. Under the RDP government staff has been recruited and trained, target communities have been identified for implementation of IDP assistance activities. Community consultations have presented a major success in the process.
In addition to community level projects, the RDP has built government capacity at the central, regional and municipal levels through training workshops. Workshops include trainings in program management, leadership, procurement and financial management, office and human resource management, problem-solving and decision-making, monitoring and evaluation, conflict sensitivity, and promotion of peace.
An assessment of Mindanao’s economic and socio-political situation suggests that the Reconstruction and Development Program carries the capacity to contribute significantly to the peace process in the island and expand Mindanao’s development potential.
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DONORS TAKE ON RENEWED SUPPORT FOR ZIMBABWE
Date: 3/6/2009
The Analytical Multi-Donor Trust Fund (A-MDTF) for Zimbabwe was established after the Zimbabwean government elections in 2008 as a result of joint international efforts. There was an urgent need for analytical work on the key development challenges facing Zimbabwe and the general socio-economic situation in the country. The analytical work carried out under the A-MDTF was to ensure that donors would be ready for informed and quick re-engagement, when the government and the international community agreed on a sound economic program.
Zimbabwe has for some time now been trapped in a perpetuating cycle of humanitarian, , sociopolitical and economic crisis. Drought, food shortage, spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic, cholera outbreaks, controversial land reforms, changes in government, and the plight or refugees and internally displaced persons, have left the country in turmoil for years. The Gross Domestic Product has shrunk by over a third for eight years, and the last officially released annual inflation rate was 231 million percent. Life expectancy has fallen to somewhere between 34 and 37 years of age which is among the lowest in the world.
The objective of the A-MDTF is to take a first step to respond to this complex situation in the country. The A-MDTF is expected to contribute to knowledge on key development challenges facing Zimbabwe, and enable the Government and donors to lead emergency recovery. Improved donor coordination is both an objective of the initiative and a requirement for its successful implementation. The Multi-Donor Trust Fund provides a forum for collaboration among donors, gaining greater country knowledge, developing an improved monitoring and evaluation system for NGO-implemented activities, and instruments for priority funding.
The World Bank is an administrator of the A-MDTF and a co-chair of the Policy Committee, the MDTF’s governing body. It is contributing a significant part of overall funds. The Policy Committee of the Fund comprising all donors and the United Nations Representative has held a number of meetings already and has endorsed the quick development of a re-engagement framework and an emergency recovery plan.
As a result of the A-MDTF, government, the private sector, NGO and international stakeholders have engaged in intense discussions on the most pressing development issues in Zimbabwe. This has led to an enhanced understanding of the key challenges. As a consequence of these discussions, the initiative has also contributed significantly to strengthened and harmonious donor coordination in the complicated environment in Zimbabwe. All donors see the project as a key instrument for the country’s recovery.
Multi-Donor Trust Funds have emerged as useful tools for the international community in coordinating support to countries facing economic or political crises. One key outcome of the A-MDTF is analytical and pilot work to lay the ground-work for a programmatic MDTF for Zimbabwe. This Programmatic MDTF is currently in the planning and will serve to strengthen the international community’s engagement in Zimbabwe.
Donors who have joined the efforts of the A-MDTF include: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, the World Health Organization, the World Food Program, the International Organization for Migration, the International Labor Organization, government international cooperation and development agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, and UN agencies, including UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, and UNIDO.
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LEADERSHIP PROJECTS CARRY THE CAPACITY TO STRENGTHEN STATE INSTITUTIONS AND PREVENT CONFLICT
Date: 2/27/2009
At the heart of the development challenge is the building of effective states – that is, states capable of delivering vital public to its citizens. Leaders of the state and its institutions, the private sector, communities, and civil society are the entry point to operationalizing a constructive engagement within and between these institutions, and to inspiring individuals and collectivities toward fundamental change. A large body of empirical evidence shows that governance – how power is acquired and exercised in a society through the mobilization and management of public resources and functions – plays a critical role in any effort to improve a country’s performance across all development dimensions, including growth. Leaders are at the center, determining opportunities for or constraints to development by how they exercise power and make policy choices. In this context, leaders are critical in both promoting institutional change and modeling public and private behavior that reinforces accountability, integrity, and institutional constraint on power.
Recognizing the importance of leadership, especially in fragile and conflict-affected countries, the Post-Conflict Fund and the LICUS Trust Fund have funded a range of different leadership capacity development interventions using a range of entry points, diagnostics and approaches. Leadership development is still a fairly new area of focus for the World Bank. A Global Leadership Review was therefore initiated to maximize learning, identify lessons learned, and suggest strategic and operational implications for future Bank engagement in leadership capacity development in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
The Global Leadership Review reviewed eight projects. The leadership projects were implemented in the Central African Republic, Timor-Leste, Burundi, and Tajikistan between 2000 and 2008. All the projects were intended to develop leadership in fragile and conflict-affected countries. However, they varied greatly in the design and the type and degree of change in leadership they sought. The projects all had different target audiences, ranging from state leaders to civil society leaders and youth leaders.
The Global Leadership Review found that the projects were generally very well received by participants and observers. At a minimum, the projects have increased participants’ awareness of skills, behaviors, and attitudes that could help them to strengthen the institutions of state and society to prevent the emergence of conflict. At a maximum, the projects supported the application of these new skills, behaviors, and attitudes in situations, groups and organizations playing a critical role in moving the war-to-peace transition forward. Also, the review found that impact of the interventions was greatest at the individual level, when participants had the motivation, knowledge, opportunity, and authority to apply what they learned. At the group and organizational levels, the impact of an intervention seemed to be greatest when it trained a critical mass of people who were in constant communication with one another and could reinforce the new skills, attitudes and behavior.
One example is from a project in Timor-Leste, where project participants holding positions of authority found it considerably easier to understand and resolve disputes after having participated in the training.
Some other key findings coming out of the Global Leadership Review were related to the issue of monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Without adequate and appropriate M&E the value of funding is reduced and the risk of unintended consequences of interventions is increased. The absence of systematic and informed oversight, support, and accountability of interventions during the project implementation phase significantly reduces the knowledge available to staff implementing leadership development interventions, as well as the requirements for project monitoring and reporting that might increase the effectiveness of interventions.
Other findings and recommendations of the review relate to intervention strategy and design, implementation arrangement and impact. More information can be found in the report available in the Key Documents section at http://www.worldbank.org/fragilityandconflict.
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FIRST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LAUNCHED IN NIGER DELTA
Date: 2/26/2009
After four years in the making, the hard work invested in the PCF-funded Niger Delta Community Foundations Initiative has finally led to the long-awaited legal registration and public launch of the Rivers State Community Foundation in Nigeria. Designed with the objective to sustain the participation of civil society in the development fabric of the country, the project is aimed at promoting development through local capacities. The newly-established Foundation would serve as a transparent, equitable and conflict-sensitive grant-making body to smaller community-based development organizations in the Niger Delta.
The idea behind the project springs from the need to promote a new model for development cooperation in the Niger Delta. Existing mechanisms support distribution of community development funds, primarily provided by oil companies, to communities adjacent to oil company operations. Neighboring communities, often only a few kilometers away, fail to receive any funds. As a consequence, they often resort to violence to stake their own claims to funds, destroying development projects created by companies for their neighbors. This generates intra-community conflicts, creating competition among vulnerable groups in society, such as youth and the elderly, and undermining the performance of development projects. Severe socioeconomic deterioration of the region resulting from its isolation and exclusion has further contributed to persistent ethnic violence, weakening development and deepening poverty, therefore destabilizing the region.
The initiative represents a new model of collaboration among local, national and international actors, inspiring communities’ lost trust in institutions, government’s accountability, and transparency in development assistance.
The project builds on a successful Akassa community foundations model developed by Pro-Natura International, an NGO widely recognized for its achievements in nurturing sustainable local organizations for development. Akassa promotes the idea that local-level institutions are key to assisting communities in implementing projects in a responsible, accountable and transparent manner.
Bringing knowledge and experience from abroad has also been considered an essential element in the project. Two study trips were organized to allow members of the Community Foundation Board to see how successful community foundations are operating – in Tanzania and Northern Ireland in May and September 2008, respectively.
More than 91 percent of funds for the project are to be provided by the private sector, governmental entities, private individuals, and international stakeholders. The World Bank has used its resources to serve as a neutral facilitator and convener in assembling the complex mix of major actors in the Delta, guiding the institutional arrangements of the Rivers State Community Foundation. Pro-Natura International has also proved instrumental in the process of establishing the Foundation. The official launch of the Foundation marked a significant evolution in the initiative transferring management of the project to the Foundation itself.
The Rivers State Community Foundation Board of Trustees includes the Minister of State for Petroleum, the Former Ambassador to Trinidad & Tobago, the Vice Chancellor of the University Port Harcourt, and representatives of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the Centre for Development Support Initiatives, Manuchim Chambers, Shell Nigeria, Barrister, and Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited, with the last two representing the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency Board.
The Rivers State Community Foundation has strong local support, including by members of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission which is the Regional Development Organization for the nine States of Nigeria which constitute the Niger Delta administratively. If it proves to be a successful model, the community foundation approach may be implemented beyond Rivers State.
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CRISIS-WEARY HAITI RECEIVES FIRST STATE- AND PEACE-BUILDING FUND GRANT
Date: 1/20/2009
In December 2008, the World Bank approved the first project to be financed by the newly-established State and Peace-building Fund. The $5 million grant aims to reinforce government and community initiatives in Haiti to provide water and sanitation services and strengthen related public sector institutions.
The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti was battered by a series of shocks in 2008 putting extreme stress on the already weak government. Tropical storms and hurricanes shattered the country within a period of four weeks, constituting the largest natural disaster since the beginning of the 20th century. On top of this, rising food and fuel prices, the subsequent riots culminating in the departure of the Prime Minister, and persistently high levels of violence in the country, have further undermined the stability of the state. Due to this critical situation, the World Bank’s Haiti country team came to the State- and Peace-building Fund for a rapid response to the urgent needs of the country.
Even before the recent hurricanes, basic rural infrastructure in Haiti was in need of improvement, with rural water and sanitation coverage being the lowest in the hemisphere. An estimated 2 million Haitians in rural areas rely on unprotected water sources and spend significant time securing potable water. The situation particularly affects women, children and the poor. Improving sanitation and hygiene in the domestic environment has become particularly important for the wellbeing of these vulnerable groups.
To address these challenges in Haiti, the project will strengthen government and community efforts to provide water and sanitation services in participating rural communities and small towns in the country. Its immediate goals include improving access to safe and continuous water supply, increasing the use of sanitary facilities, and improving government capacity to deliver water and sanitation services. The ultimate objective is to reinforce state effectiveness, make services less vulnerable to natural disasters, and reduce the risk of social conflicts.
The project is estimated to provide improved access to water to more than 25,000 people over the next two years.
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THE WORLD BANK SCALES UP ITS ASSISTANCE TO DISPLACED POPULATIONS IN COLOMBIA
Date: 1/19/2009
Earlier this month the World Bank endorsed its support to the third initiative in a series of projects aiming to alleviate the plight of displaced populations in Colombia. The Protection of Lands and Patrimony of Internally Displaced Population project has been developed in an effort to help people overcome the consequences of long-lasting violence and forced displacement in the country.
The Government of Colombia has made sustained efforts to decrease conflict in the country since 1998, initiating peace talks with guerrilla groups, a peace agreement with the paramilitaries, demobilization of ex-combatants, and increased State presence throughout the Colombian territory. Recently, however, the situation has worsened. For the first half of 2008, there have been registered 270,675 new internally displaced persons (IDPs), constituting the highest rate of displacement in 23 years. The recent situation has turned the displacement problem in the country into one of the most severe, sustained and chronic, humanitarian crises in the world, ranking Colombia second worldwide for number of IDPs after Sudan.
Decades of armed conflict in Colombia have forced people to migrate and lose their land and property, leading to rapid impoverishment of large sectors of society. In response, the government has enabled legislation to assist displaced populations and to protect citizens’ land and assets. Since 2002, the World Bank Protection of Patrimonial Assets of Colombia’s Internally Displaced Population project has supported the government to develop methodologies and procedures that help implement the legislation. The program has helped the government strengthen its capacity to address forced migration and scale up its assistance to internally displaced populations and those at risk of displacement. The initiative assisted recovery and registration of land and property of displaced populations in municipalities throughout the country, protecting more than 53,000 land titles for over 665,000 hectares of land. It also supported the development and implementation of the Registry System of Abandoned Lands by IDPs which serves as the foundation for protection of IDP’s land in the country. Methodologies developed as part of the project also contributed to the development of the Peace and Justice Law of 2005.
In addition to its tangible results, the program has contributed to increased domestic and international visibility and awareness of the problem of loss of land and property by displaced populations. This has promoted discussion of land issues among international stakeholders and media, and has helped attract additional government and international funding, turning the project into a multi-donor program of assistance. The program is currently supported by SIDA, IOM, USAID, UNHCR, AECID, the Canadian International Development Agency, and the European Commission.
The purpose of the newly-initiated phase of the project is to scale up measures for protection of land and assets, providing land titles for more displaced persons and supporting additional public policy initiatives for restitution of properties. It is expected to strengthen IDPs’ awareness of their rights to land and the means available for the protection of these rights. The project will also continue analyzing specific problems and situations restricting the rights of IDPs to land, in order to promote a better understanding and contribute to the formulation of effective public policies. Activities will be implemented through joint efforts by national, regional and local governmental institutions, NGOs, communities, and international development partners.
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A RECONCILIATION PROGRAM PROMOTES DIALOGUE IN GUINEA-BISSAU
Date: 1/14/2009
A World Bank project supporting peace and reconciliation efforts in Guinea-Bissau has proved instrumental in promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue on national violence prevention priorities. Since the creation of the Voice of Peace program in 2007, the project has enhanced the development of a national infrastructure for consultations on the steps to be taken on the road to reconciliation, governance, and development.
Guinea-Bissau has been affected by recurrent violent conflict since its independence from Portuguese rule in 1974. Despite the formation of a national unity government in 2007, frequent confrontations and the mistrust between the government and civil society pose the risk of a renewed cycle of political instability and violence. As a response, the Voice of Peace program was created with the vision of empowering national stakeholders to take a proactive approach in promoting nationwide reconciliation and peace through dialogue in the society. The purpose of the World Bank Support to a National Framework for Dialogue and Peacebuilding project has been to support the Voice of Peace activities.
The objective of the project is two-fold: to promote the consolidation of peace and stability in Guinea-Bissau, as key pre-requisites for sustainable post-conflict development, and to address the recurrent political tensions impeding the national reconciliation process and economic renewal. Bringing together local and national stakeholders, the program has promoted the establishment of a peacebuilding network of committed and respected peace activists united around the goal of identifying challenges, priorities and solutions to peace and development. It has turned into a platform for assessing the drivers of violence in Guinea-Bissau, for development of strategies to mitigate tension, and the definition of a national agenda for peaceful development and practical plans to achieve it.
The program is implemented by Interpeace and the National Institute of Studies and Research of Guinea-Bissau, in partnership with the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the country.
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A ROAD REHABILITATION PROJECT HELPS PEOPLE GENERATE INCOME IN LIBERIA
Date: 1/6/2009
A road rehabilitation project developed as part of the Liberia Transition Support Fund has proved effective in providing employment for hundreds of people in the country. Aiming at improving road conditions throughout the rainy season in Liberia, the rehabilitation of Voinjama-Zorzor Highway project has also turned instrumental in creating synergies and maximizing joint efforts among the Government of Liberia, local communities, UNMIL, UNDP and other involved agencies.
The Liberia Transition Support Fund (TSF) was established in 2006 with the objective to support quick-impact, high visibility projects facilitating the provision of basic services in the country. The rationale behind the Fund was that immediate, tangible improvements in citizens’ everyday lives would help them believe that positive change was taking place. To fulfill this objective, the TSF has supported a number of infrastructure projects throughout Liberia. These projects have included construction and rehabilitation of roads, water and sanitation services, schools, markets, culverts, and provision of uniforms and equipment to schools. All of these projects have proved impressive in their ability to increase communities’ access to basic infrastructure and services.
Rehabilitation of rural roads has turned into one of the most visible activities implemented by the Transition Support Fund, with a number of objectives key to humanitarian assistance and development efforts in the country. The rehabilitation of Voinjama-Zorzor Highway connecting Lofa County with other parts of the country, implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program and UNMIL, has achieved substantial progress in a short time span. Initially, the Voinjama-Zorzor Highway was a 95-km two-lane unpaved road, going through a rolling terrain in a high-rainfall area with dense vegetation, consisting of a completely worn-out earth embankment with water-related damages. The road conditions had placed thousands of people in Lofa County, including returning refugees, at risk of isolation from humanitarian services, especially during the rainy season. The project aimed at maintaining the road open during the six-month rainy season, in order to support logistically humanitarian and recovery interventions, and facilitate the transportation of goods and productive inputs for local recovery. Keeping the road open would also facilitate the continued return of refugees from neighboring countries, thus enhancing the arrival of people while preventing logistical constraints, and preserving security in the country.
The project has proved successful in employing labor-intensive techniques and providing communities with short-term employment opportunities throughout the rehabilitation activities. It has provided jobs for more than 700 skilled and unskilled workers. Activities have included labor-intensive works for manual rock quarry operations, road side brushing, de-shading of trees alongside the road, road surface grading and clearance, soil stabilization, layering, and construction of a drainage system. In addition to activities alongside the road, rock quarry sites established during the project have provided construction materials for the road works as well as jobs for around 400 people. Child-care centers at the quarry sites have provided mothers with an opportunity to work while their children are attending these centers and receiving basic education services free of charge.
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PRESIDENT ZOELLICK REVIEWS SUCCESSES OF A PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION PROJECT IN HAITI
Date: 12/1/2008
World Bank President Robert Zoellick visited young participants in the Public-Private Partnerships for Education Project developed in Haiti, in October, 2008. The project aims at reducing the cost of private education for poor families, improving the access to and quality of primary education, promoting community-based schools, and establishment of an “Education for All” strategy in the country.
The project, implemented in partnership with UNESCO on the ground, contributed to the establishment of the National Organization for Partnership in Education (ONAPE) as the official institution managing the Haitian education system, with the objective of creating a systematic policy toward public-private partnerships in education. ONAPE was launched as a result of sector-wide dialogue, which marked the first step in the establishment of an operational partnership among public and private actors in Haiti united around the goal of improving education in the country.
The establishment of ONAPE was complemented by the development of a strategy for Education for All (EFA) which made Haiti part of the global Education for All Fast-track Initiative (EFA-FTI) partnership. The strategy serves as an action plan for addressing challenges identified in the education system in the country, and is expected to attract additional external financing and re-direct funds to basic education, for both public and private schools. It is the first national, sector-wide plan in Haiti that re-groups both public and non-public actors working on education challenges, providing the Ministry of Education with the opportunity to assemble its international partners around one coherent medium-term plan for improving access to and the quality of education in the country.
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COMMUNITIES DRIVING THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN IRAQ
Date: 8/28/2008
Communities and local government in Iraq have set out on a journey to improved service delivery through an innovative process of consultative development in Iraq. The “Consultative Service Delivery Initiative” (CSDI) project in Iraq has been established with the objective to support community development activities initiated by Iraqi citizens, in consultation with the government. The main purpose of the project is to provide tangible improvements in service delivery through a long-term sustainable process of consultative development in the country, ensuring that Iraq’s substantial resource base is being utilized fairly and transparently, in an atmosphere of increased mutual accountability.
The CSDI project embodies community-driven development principles coupled with a strong focus on the process of community planning, as well as close engagement with government in project preparation. Since project commencement in January 2008, eight grassroots Community Action Groups (CAGs), comprised of 7-13 volunteer community members, have been established and introduced to the Initiative. These Action Groups have received training in project development – from proposal writing and procurement, to community outreach and monitoring and evaluation of results.
The Action Groups have presented their project ideas to the community and local government, fostering dialog between citizens and their government representatives in an open meeting format, to allow for feedback and project ranking through a democratic vote. In this process, the government has remained open to input by communities on prioritizing community needs.
The uniqueness of the CSDI program lies in its structured approach to community development which combines training and learning by doing. The practical aspects of “learning by doing”, combined with training and mentorship by CSDI staff, provide a popular and effective interactive and participatory environment for government and community members alike. The initiative is expected to generate increased citizens’ faith in the effectiveness and legitimacy of their government, as well as improved confidence of government officials in engaging with citizens.
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AUTHORITIES IN KOSOVO COMMIT TO IMPROVED DECENTRALIZATION
Date: 7/31/2008
Authorities in Kosovo have committed to a time-sensitive objective of improved decentralization within the budget cycle for 2009. Since February, 2008, they have remained involved in activities aiming to improve existing mechanisms of budget allocation to municipalities and increase the transparency of expenditures at municipal level. These objectives are supported by the ongoing “Support for Kosovo Decentralization” grant which became effective earlier in 2008.
The Law on Local Finance, prepared by the Government in Kosovo, in cooperation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, has marked the first step in effective decentralization arrangements. The Law was adopted by the Assembly on March 13, 2008, and promulgated by the President of Kosovo on June 15, 2008, committing authorities in Kosovo to an improved legal framework of decentralization.
Alongside efforts to improve the legal framework decentralized activities in Kosovo, central government and municipal leaders have engaged in workshops and learning field visits aiming to increase their understanding of the implications of decentralization and enable them to identify municipalities’ needs in terms of capacity development. As a result of the workshops and visits, participants have expressed their increased interest in using citizen feedback to improve public services in Kosovo. Additional demand-driven learning events are expected to further improve the understanding of successful decentralization by government leaders in Kosovo.
The project has also supported the Government in managing the decentralization process and, in particular, implementing the Decentralization Action Plan and improving formulas for budget transfers to municipalities, while complying with the new Law on Local Finance. The project is also expected to improve network links between the central government and municipalities and provide substantive technical assistance activities in the areas of transport, healthcare management, cadastral and real estate registration, and business registration and licensing.
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COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN SOMALIA COMMIT TO IMPROVED DECISION-MAKING AND SERVICE DELIVERY
Date: 6/30/2008
Despite deterioration of security conditions in Somalia, municipalities and communities in the country have remained dedicated to strengthening and building local level institutions as part of the “Support for Community-Driven Recovery and Service Delivery” grant. The World Bank-supported pilot project aiming at establishing mechanisms for community-driven service delivery and participation of the population in decision-making processes as a basis for good governance and accountability was completed in December, 2007. However, project activities are expected to resume due to increasing interest by international NGOs operating in Somalia which have expressed their willingness to participate in the pilot project.
There has been a strong ownership of the pilot community-driven development project by the participating communities and their corresponding municipalities, the Somaliland government, and implementing partners. Government authorities in the country have expressed their commitment to carry out the project on their own. The Somaliland Government has already set up its own internal inter-ministerial committee to support the pilot project. In addition, municipal governments involved in project activities so far have indicated their willingness to make both financial and in-kind contributions to the pilot project. While it might be difficult to see any tangible impact of the grant in the short run, the willingness of municipalities, communities, and international partners to continue the project point to promising outcomes and impacts in the medium and long run.
Due to the security situation in the country, the activities initiated during the grant were mostly confined within the northeastern region of Somaliland. The project supported intensive in-country consultations with Somali communities, survey of community-based activities in the country, the establishment of a Community/Village Development Committee, and the development of Community Action Plans and corresponding proposals by target communities.
A stock-taking workshop is expected to take place at the end of 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya, to review lessons learned and results from the implementation of the pilot project.
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THE WORLD BANK LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO ENHANCE SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY IN CAMBODIA
Date: 2/6/2008
More than 950 government representatives, donors, NGOs, students, and monks, participated in the launch of the World Bank Program to Enhance Capacity on Social Accountability (PECSA) in Cambodia on December 3, 2007. The event focused on social accountability and actions by civil society to help citizens achieve greater voice and influence in promoting good governance.
PECSA is a World Bank-funded program in Cambodia, endorsed by the Ministry of Interior. It strives to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations to assist citizens of Cambodia in helping their government remain more effective and accountable. The program focuses on improving the effectiveness of public services, enhancing accountability for public spending through monitoring, strengthening the management of Cambodia’s national resources, improving private sector governance, and increasing the role of media as an instrument of good governance.
Fostering transparency and accountability, and overall anti-corruption efforts, have been central topics of government-donor dialogue in Cambodia in the recent years. The Royal Government of Cambodia has responded by declaring that fostering good governance is currently the top priority of its development agenda and that it is committed to trying new approaches towards governance reform. The Government’s “Rectangular Strategy” developed in 2004 places good governance at the core of the country’s development agenda, and recognizes the important contributions that civil society, the private sector and development partners can make in this regard. Donors and civil society in Cambodia have revealed their strong support for the initiative. Aid to Cambodia is expected to increase as a result of this commitment, as many donors, including the World Bank, are giving top priority to governance reform in their programs.
PECSA is designed to provide training and support for both specific tools that have been the mainstay of social accountability programs in other countries, as well as for development of broader skills that CSOs need in order to be effective in their governance support and advocacy roles. The program envisages the development of a Demand for Good Governance project, which will fund social accountability activities once PECSA activities are completed.
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HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DISCUSS TAJIKISTAN’S PRIORITY REFORMS DURING A LEADERSHIP SEMINAR ON STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Date: 2/2/2008
Representatives of the Government of Tajikistan conveyed their appreciation of discussions of the country’s development challenges, objectives and initiatives, organized by the World Bank as part of the Post-Conflict Fund grant for a Leadership Seminar on Strategic Directions for Development. The Seminar took place in April 2007, in Istanbul, Turkey, and provided more than 20 high-level Government officials with a forum for discussing Tajikistan’s development agenda.
The objective of the Leadership Seminar was to engage government officials in a dialogue on a set of key priority reforms, including sequencing and management of the development agenda, and to present international best practices in linking cross-sectoral development issues to strategic reforms. The focus of the event was placed on the approach of achieving sustainable growth, with special attention to the priority areas outlined in the Country Partnership Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The Seminar also presented the Government with an opportunity to consider follow-up measures to some of the reforms which have already been undertaken in the country.
The event was preceded by a visit of an expert Russian mission on strategic directions for development in Tajikistan. The mission advanced the formulation of key strategic development themes by the Government, including investment climate, human development, infrastructure, private sector development, public administration, and public expenditures and finance management.
The Seminar also paved the way for the Tajikistan Development Forum, held on June 2, 2007, in Dushanbe, as it assisted the Government in preparing for the event and led to a coherent development strategy discussion during the Forum. The Development Forum represented a significant donor community meeting, as it brought together government representatives, development partners of Tajikistan, and civil society, in an effort to assess the implementation of the Tajikistan first Poverty Reduction Strategy and the National Development Strategy currently prepared by the Government.
A study conducted by the World Bank in 2004 revealed that using a experiential peer-to-peer format with abundant unstructured face time between visitor-leaders and participant-leaders presented a more efficient learning approach than technical lectures alone. Based on this notion and the success of previous leadership seminars, the event in Istanbul represented an experiential knowledge sharing approach characterized by interactive disclosure of best practices, lessons learned, as well as insights and new ideas. As a result, the Government of Tajikistan requested subsequent workshops, in an effort to continue the discussion of other, substantive, development topics in the country.
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YOUTH RESOURCE CENTERS ESTABLISHED IN KOSOVO
Date: 2/1/2008
Two resource hubs offering youth-friendly services to young people in Kosovo were established in Prishtina in 2007, as part of the World Bank Post-Conflict Youth Empowerment and Security Grant. The centers, located at the University of Prishtina and the University of Mitrovica, have a promising timetable of activities for the incoming students. They have also established good working relationships with Student Unions, Parliaments, and Youth Organizations in Kosovo.
Student services provided by the youth hubs include career information, guidance and assistance, mentoring, communication skills trainings, development of volunteer skills, library and web information services, and web design classes. The facilities also offer internet access and have a photo and camera lab and a cinema on site. Events organized by the Youth Hubs include joint activities for students, such as thematic seminars, trainings, and summer camps.
The purpose of the Youth Hubs is to contribute to the constructive involvement of young people in youth development and decision-making processes. This objective is aligned with the recommendations of the 2007 World Development Report entitled Development and the Next Generation and the youth development agenda in the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. Other activities supported by the Youth Empowerment and Security Grant in line with the youth agenda include business development for young entrepreneurs through business development training, as well as improvement of the performance and financial sustainability of existing youth centers through training of youth workers, development of extra-curricular and non-formal education activities, and building students’ life and livelihood skills. The grant also includes a focus on strengthening the project management and implementation capacity of the Youth Department. The overall purpose of the Post-Conflict Grant is to increase social cohesion and inter-ethnic interaction and cooperation among young people with different ethnic backgrounds in Kosovo.
To read more about the project, please click here
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