ISSUE #4 | NOV-DEC 2013

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Women in Gujarat region in India use a well dug by community-led initiatives supported by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme. (Image by Amit Pasricha/AKF)

It has always been a weakness for many small non-government organisations that donors tend to ‘own’ them and their programmes in the communities where they work. But a new model in development—community philanthropy—is emerging through forms of community foundations shaped by local context.

TOP STORIES

Community Philanthropy: A new model of development

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Gusi Peace Prize 2013: models for peace, in pursuit of development

In a strong show of individual and institutional support for peace and development across the globe, this year’s laureates of the annual Gusi Peace Prize from the political, social and academic sectors call on the world’s citizens and the international community for stronger cooperation. Distinguished in their respective home countries for their contribution to peace and development, 17 laureates from Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States will be honoured on 27 November in Manila. Cont. page 10

Aid, development in conflict zones: the case of Asia’s contested cornersNational wars are not the most prevalent form of conflict in Asia. Rather, local or sub-national conflicts, affecting half of the region’s countries, are a worse plague. With an average duration of 45 years, they also make up the oldest active conflicts globally. Analyses of these conflicts and regional aid programmes for sustainable peace and development show the relationship between conflict and development has a special character.Cont. page 11

FEATURES

Second Harvest Japan: Giving good food a second life for good use

What do you make of unsold food but which are still good for consumption? Second Harvest Japan creates a second life for excess but still edible food by distributing them to low-income households, orphanages and homeless people; while those Cont. page 4

USAID opens grant for anti-human trafficking campaign in Afghanistan

Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business

The United States Agency for International Development announces a grant for a public-private partnership in Afghanistan to raise awareness of the agency’s counter trafficking in persons (CTIP) campaign. Through its Global Development Alliance

Cont. page 10

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FEATURED GRANT

ASSIST’s Community Urban Farming ASSIST Asia, a regional NGO based in Manila, has introduced Community Urban Farming with the use of aquaponics to promote affordable and sustainable food production; and spread the knowledge of basic farming and aquaponics Cont. page 3

FEATURED INITIATIVE

FEATURED PROJECT

With Myanmar seeing a rise of its home-grown businesses while steadily earning the confidence of international investors, a group seeks to help inform government policy, advance responsible business practices and build civil society capacity to strengthen

Habitat for Humanity housing summit: one sector can’t do it alone page 3

USAID launches $24M Phil-Am Fund page 5

Exclusive Interview with director of Myanmar’s longest-running NGO page 7

Country Feature: Myanmar and the potentials of its natural resources page 8

UNICEF calls for end of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state page 10

ADB grants Bangladesh $500M for secondary education reforms page 12

HK NGO to kids: think, cook, save page 12

NGOs' checklist for measuring success page 14

WEF releases guide for entrepreneurship page 15

Growth not enough to end poverty—ADB page 16

OPCW is 2013 Nobel Peace Laureate page 16

For more information on grants and events useful for your NGO, turn to page 14-15 or

visit www.asianngo.org.

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E D I T O R I A L

EDITORIAL TEAM

Sreenivas NarayananCEO & PUBLISHER

Mike SayconEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Karthikeyan SubburamanSENIOR EDITOR

Robert FergusonDEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Alexandra KidnerPARTNERSHIPS MANAGER

Joylene DumareyEDITORIAL ASSISTANT

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While much has to be done to capacitate local farmers to maximise their productivity (and this is where NGOs and multi-lateral aid donors can come in), their resilience to a history of violence has made them appreciate the outpouring of help that flowed in from the world over. It is not a very far stretch to imagine Myanmar becoming a donor country to its neighbours in the region—if all goes well with its rise to progress.

We also take a good look at how peace can be tied to the works of the development sector, especially non-profit organisations, across the region and the world—and the other way around. In the end, no amount of aid money or private sector investment can empower people enough to reconcile and give up arms, and lift their lives out of poverty in the absence of the ability to work peacefully and with dignity among themselves.

We are very fortunate to have an exclusive one-on-one interview with one of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards laureates this year, Lahpai Seng Raw from Myanmar. As a student she experienced the military’s abusive rule, detained on the suspicion she had links with her brother who was in the Kachin insurgency; and in 1987 began to involve herself in relief work for internally displaced groups. In 1997 she put up Metta Development Foundation to help in emergency relief work in the Myanmar’s conflict zones and has since then built trust among all

stakeholders through joint efforts in sustainable interventions in agriculture, education, health and sanitation, the environment and a wide range of livelihood-generating projects. Truly, a brave woman who knew how to put her heart and mind in the right fight; and we are very honoured to share this chat of ours to our readers.

As if by coincidence, November also celebrates models and advocates of peace from across the world, through the annual Gusi Peace Prize—to be conferred in Manila on laureates from Europe, the Africa, Asia and North America and have come all the way to the Philippines. These are advocates from the academic, legal, medical, political, literary and development professions; each representing a personal commitment and long-standing contribution to international understanding, diplomacy, peace and progress. While their works largely centre on their field of expertise in their home countries, it is noteworthy that theirs have been exemplary careers they have so far renderred with passion and dedication.

Last month in October we commemorated World Food Day, but we are constantly reminded of food security issues across the globe—aggravated by the effects of climate change and natural disasters, armed conflict and the decline in farming activities. In turn, we highlight the opportunities that come with this gap, through the various initiatives of the private sector, government

World peace is not just some cliché Editorial

Mike Sayconmike@asianngo.org

agencies and NGOs in addressing hunger in big and small ways. One initiative I’d like to share is that of the Social Action team of ASSIST Asia—a series of urban community farming projects for metropolitan centres in the region—which I believe will enable households and communities to slowly kick-start a remedy not only to the shortage of nutritious food for their families; but also to ease the strain of rising food costs in cities.

Our friend from Second Harvest Japan, Charles McJilton, also shares his feelings about having set up one of the region’s pioneering food banks in Japan. Away from the conventional view of Japan as a country of massive wealth, there is one sad truth: some of its citizens are poor by their own standards. Thus, food banks like Second Harvest not only minimises wastage; it puts excess food to better use—by those who really need them. It is quite inspiring to learn of one’s journey from the military to doing community work, highlighting the generosity and solidarity of a nation like Japan which, troubled in its history as it may be, has always stood back on its feet after any disaster—an attitude every Japanese citizen lives by. Unsurprisingly, there is also a wide focus on JICA’s generous initiatives across the region, with Japan being one of the top donors of the ODA.

Finally, capping this issue’s theme of peace is the Nobel Prize awarded to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, cited for their long, hard, dangerous and relatively unnoticed works in eliminating [weapons] capable of mass destruction. We salute the men and women of the OPCW and the experts who went to Syria this year, enduring the risk of exposure to contamination and threats to life and security—for their efforts in curtailing chemical attacks and very carefully putting an end to widespread violence. Syria will see peace one day, but development will have to be the next agenda. But for stable governance, domestic economic development and foreign aid to really work, it comes back to having a peaceful environment.

Because where there’s peace, people can thrive in the countless opportunities, potentials and the generosity of a global community. Let’s look at Myanmar: this issue zooms in on the promise one society holds while transitioning to democracy; at the same time slowly breaking away from traditional top-down military governance. As a result, development—internally and from external partners—is no longer a challenge but a new keyword in its citizens’ daily life. Its largest sector, for example, agriculture accounts for much of the economic activity in rural areas.

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Moving forward and ready for another yearFrom the Publisher

As the year draws to a close, we at AsianNGO and ASSIST Asia are overwhelmed at the amazing support our partners have shown; so I’ll take this as an opportunity to be grateful for a journey that has been bigger than how we envisioned it to be.

Sreenivas Narayanansreeni@asianngo.org

First off, we did not quite imagine this venture would have taken us to events where we got a great deal of learning from. Our partners—from

the ADB’s Annual Meeting in New Delhi this year, the CSR Asia Summit in Bangkok, the Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) in San Francisco; to the Global Reporting for Sustainability Summit in Amsterdam, the Impact Forum in Singapore, Green Leaders Summit in Sydney, to the Asia-Pacific Housing Forum in Manila, and many others—have given us the opportunity to share our experiences in development in the region while learning from amazing resource speakers and meeting new partners at the same time.

We are also very happy to have been part of these events by spreading the word out to our readers, partners, stakeholders and subscribers. It was an opportunity for them to participate or learn from the output reports, and so in many ways it was enabling for our partner-NGOs in the region. Likewise, our partners in development—multi-lateral organisations,

local and international NGOs, corporate foundations and CSRs, bi-lateral partners and donor agencies—have been very generous in sharing with us their learning assets and tools that we, in turn, localise for our readers. It has been a tremendous learning experience not only for our readers, but also for us—as we continue to bring these empowering and learning tools to help them maximise the opportunities and resources they have as an organisation.

True to the aims of AsianNGO, we would like to continue rallying our partners in enabling the NGOs and civil society organisations across the region with the necessary tools for them to sustain their initiatives in their respective communities. Grounded by ASSIST’s work in collaborating and capacitating NGOs and CSOs, AsianNGO has indeed taken off with a stable network of partners that continue to support especially small NGOs and CSOs that would otherwise may not have the access to tools, funding, resources or manpower that they need to implement their projects.

Finally, to our team of researchers, writers, editors, artists,

partnership managers and contributors who continually push their limits in bringing out daily, weekly and monthly updates to our readers—I am personally very pleased to know that we share the vision we have always set for AsianNGO.

This issue looks at how we in the development sector can, in the many different ways and works we do, contribute to peace-building and conflict resolution. We also look at food security as a looming issue in the region, despite the ironic fact that we are largely producers in the agriculture sector. Thus, we take this as a reminder for our citizens that they are not alone in striving to address these problems.

So for a new year of learning ahead and for more partners to join us in our works, we look forward to sharing more of your resources to our partner NGOs; and to hearing your stories and spreading the word to the community. I have always believed that where there is an opportunity for development and progress, peace and reconciliation will easily follow.

To our partners across the board, we wish you a peaceful year ahead, a blessed holiday for those who will spend time with their families, more learnings and opportunities to take on, and more courage to continue doing what we do for the community. January will be mostly spent in board rooms or in the field executing your initiatives—and we would like to be with you in that journey and beyond.

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techniques to urban communities in the Philippines. Currently, ASSIST has received a donation of land space from the city government of Pasig, one of the urban centres of Metro Manila, to pilot the project in residential areas.

The pilot farm uses aquaponic farm technology—a sustainable food production system combining both aquaculture and hydroponics that provide significantly higher yield in minimised space. Plants are grown not on soil but through a system of filters and rock beds; while fish are raised in tandem. This also promotes organic farming through the use of waste from the fish as natural fertiliser for the farm; while the plants and gravel serve as filtering mechanism to keep the water tanks clean for the fish.

“As a capacity-building institution, we at ASSIST seek to rally our stakeholders and partners in the corporate and non-profit sectors interested in or whose community works are geared towards the agriculture, environment, academic, infrastructure, engineering and development practices. We are also engaging our existing partners to augment our efforts in innovating the technologies that local farmers can benefit from and urban residents can pursue,” said ASSSIT Social Actions Manager Olga Babina.

As part of ASSIST’s Social Actions, the project seeks to provide hands-on trainings, technical assistance, best-practices workshops, viewings and tours of the pilot farm to reach out to community members and replicate the model to wider audiences in Manila and

Housing Forum: one sectorcan’t do it alone

F E AT U R E S

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ASSIST's community urban farmingacross the region through [ASSIST’s] offices in India and Vietnam.

Studies have shown that in 2010, 925 million people across the globe were undernourished; with 578 million of them from the Asia-Pacific, impeding prospects for development in the region. That includes the Philippines.

In rural areas, farmers lack access to or are less receptive to new practices, ideas, and technologies to boost their productivity and sustainability; notwithstanding disaster-preparedness and climate change mitigation practices. In urban areas, the cost of agricultural goods rises by the day due to poor farm-to-market roads, monopoly of conglomerates and steep competition with imported goods.

Although the solution of urban farming has been proven viable in other metropolitan areas across Asia, Metro Manila in particular is too congested, polluted and faces a massive lack of arable soil; making it impossible to grow and sustain domestic farming. In combatting the threats of climate change and as contribution to the solutions in addressing the scarcity of nutritious agricultural produce for urban Filipinos, Babina said ASSIST believes in harnessing the available technologies in mitigating malnutrition and food crisis. Highlighting the potentials of farming in a largely agricultural economy, community urban farms reach out to people in cities and enable them to produce and consume healthy goods from their homes.

“Not only do we aim to spread the knowledge of urban farming through aquaponics and set a new trend in the agriculture sector; we can also help communities and the environment be more sustainable. Beyond providing access to a healthy and stable food source and providing training to people on new farming techniques, the project also stimulates a sustainable livelihood opportunity that promotes community-building and integration,” Babina added. ■

The recently concluded Asia Pacific Housing Forum in Manila last October brought together over 800 policy makers, corporate leaders, government officials, international experts and NGOs to discuss urban poverty and tackle housing issues in Asian capitals; and called for an even stronger cooperation among all sectors to enable access to proper housing with a wider financial inclusion element.

ASSIST Managing Director and AsianNGO publisher Sreenivas Narayanan, moderating the discussion on ‘the intersection of housing and financial inclusion,’ posited that the public and private sectors, along with non-government organisations, should promote, strive for and enable stronger policies and environments for communities to have access to financial services. The panelists, Vikram Gandhi of VSG Capital Advisors, Nestor Espenilla Jr. of the Philippine Central Bank, Batara Sianturi of Citi Philippines and Aruna Paul of Habitat-Nepal, all agreed.

“Housing itself needs its own ecosystem to support the community. We need proper, health care, nurseries, access to financial institutions, markets, etc. No one sector can do it single-handedly to address the housing backlog of the underprivileged and underserved,” Citi’s Siantury added.

In a separate plenary discussion on sustainable housing solutions, world-renowned architect and advocate Felino Palafox Jr. reiterated his stand that ‘addressing the social issues of poverty and urban housing requires both on-site and off-site strategies; and that partnerships need to be built on people, the planet, good planning, good governance and profitability.

“One of the biggest problems in the private sector’s participation in addressing the urban housing is that many focus only on the profits, profits and profits alone. We also need to weed out corruption and criminality, and be prepared for the threats of climate change—which are all the biggest challenge in many emerging economies in Asia, and where the worst affected are the urban poor,” Palafox said in his panel statement.

He was joined by Krasae Chanawongse, Chair and Executive Director of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Thailand; Donovan Storey, Chief of Sustainable Urban Development of the UNESCAP in Bangkok; and Zaigham Rizvi, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Union for Housing Finance in India. Tony Lanigan, Grop Director and Senior Researcher of the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, moderated the session.

Themed ‘Housing as a foundation for breaking the poverty cycle’, this year’s forum was the fourth of Habitat for Humanity’s series of semi-annual conference to tackle urban poverty housing, affordable housing finance, disaster resilience and climate change, shared value and corporate social responsibility leadership, housing policy and advocacy and sustainable housing solutions. For more information of the conference and to obtain a copy of the post-event outputs, visit www.aphousingforum.org. ■

Congested housing of the urban poor; this image of Dharavi's workshops and livelihood spaces creates a stark contrast to the bustle and boom of Mumbai in the background. (Image: ElAborito/Flickr)

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C O V E R S T O R Y

It could be the new driving force for local communities to more actively and effectively manage their programmes given their sharper sense of ownership, a stronger trust among each other based on common culture and thus, a more personal sense of accountability. “Community philanthropy organisations are organic, rooted in local culture and thus, do not necessarily adhere to the standards of someone else’s notion,” says Halima Mohamed of TrustAfrica.

Although booming only in the last two years, community philanthropy is not exactly a new concept. Between 2000 and 2010 alone, community foundations grew by a staggering 86 per cent, averaging with 70 new institutions born annually. But apart from the traditional values of NGO activities—organised structure, self-direction, an openness in its strategies of engagement and being a civil society institution—community philanthropy takes on enabling local groups to use their own assets and building an inclusive and equitable society guided by local context.

This makes for a reciprocity based on a principle of solidarity, providing for wider public benefits as opposed to that contained or limited to certain privileged groups—whether internally in a community or externally. These benefits transcend

traditional tangible results; they also yield trust, community leadership, social capital, sustainability and reduction of the attitude of dependency—factors typically regarded as important yet very hard to measure.

The rise of community philanthropy, mostly through local community foundations, has also been vital in democracy-building, such as the case of Egypt’s Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation; and in changing people’s mindsets, as the success of the Dalia Association in Palestine demonstrates.

With civil society in Egypt deeply rooted in its history of conflicts and political turmoil, Waqfeyat al Maadi seeks to revive and modernise the concept of endowment to encourage sustainable non-governmental financing and development in the country. To kick-start and support development efforts, the organisation has been working since 2007, a bit before the Arab spring, to close the gap between the rich and the poor in Al-Maadi and improve the residents’ standard of living through social endowment.

Palestine’s Dalia, meanwhile, organised an art competition called ‘Momentum for Philanthropy’ that called for poetry, short stories, videos and photographs from youth entrants from Palestinians across the world. The competition showcased examples of Palestinian philanthropy to change the concept that [Palestinians] receive help but do not give any.

Despite these organisations being small, local people are both taking the lead in the works and contributing their own resources. At its core, community philanthropy harnesses the passions and dedication of local communities to enable their members to help each other even at a personal level—which is very well a natural group dynamic in any society.

In India, the Prayatna Foundation has brought together over 5,000 residents across 50 villages, mobilising the Dalit and Muslims

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to contribute their time, resources and knowledge to work together on addressing housing and unemployment issues, protecting their human rights and pushing for government accountability and social justice. With a history of religious divide between Hindus and Muslims, both groups have now forged connections together to develop the skills of local leaders in bringing real development in their community.

In Nepal, the Tewa Foundation has rallied over 3,000 local donors. Giving has become intimately connected with identity, being an important part of their culture. It has been a powerful means of bridging the varying interests and patching gaps of differing opinions; but still offering a sense of hope for sustainable interventions that transform their community away from dependency from external aid. The people’s use of their own money to carry out their programmes has affirmed the legitimacy of their organisations.

The alternative model that Tewa presents is grounded in local realities. Despite a troubled history and a deeply conflicted contemporary cultural landscape, Tewa has done away with many of the established hierarchies of gender divide, social classes and the caste system, ethnic divisions and even geography. This shows an empowered civil society with an all-inclusive structure that can be transparent and accountable; as well as trusting and respectful. And global foundations are certainly not one to ignore this new emerging value system.

“Community philanthropy leads to better results for development works. If people feel like they’re co-investors in their own development, bring their own assets to the table and are enabled to govern the works, then they care more of the outcomes and are more accountable in ways that build social capital. The power dynamics are more equal in a partnership setting, not the traditional donor-beneficiary relationship,” says Jenny Hodgson of the Global Fund for Community

Community philanthropy: A new model of development

Working with local communities with the support of the Mott Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation, the Kenya Community Development Fund builds sustainable projects that benefit different communities across the country. (Image: AKF)

With the support of the Mott Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation, members of a local community in rural Tanzania build a pre-school in their village. (Photo: Zahur Ramji/AKF)

Foundations.

The Aga Khan Foundation, together with the Mott Foundation, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Global Fund for Community Foundations, has rallied partners across the globe—donors and NGO recipients alike—to pursue community philanthropy in their respective scopes of work. They all agree that having local people involved as donors is a game-changer in efforts to build civil society and enhances prospects for sustainability of (external) funding even when the programme has been completed.

“We have worked on civil society for a long time. When people do things for themselves, those programmes have been the most sustainable. Leadership, financial resources and voluntary support are all sustained,” says Aga Khan Foundation CEO Mirza Jahani.

If community-level collaboration has the power to transform societies from within, using local resources and talent, it’s about time community philanthropy becomes a mainstream development strategy not only for local NGOs and civil society groups. Rather, it is an engagement policy multi-lateral donor agencies can integrate into their collaborations with NGOs and CSOs, particularly in developing countries. And that programmes should develop the capacities of local organisations’ community philanthropy, making them more effective partners with foundations and development agencies.

The collective and inclusive picture of community philanthropy—as a new model for development and civil society engagement—sends a powerful message for the ‘within group’ and ‘between group’ dynamics in a society. Such a process holds high potentials to resolve, if not avert conflicts—armed or political; builds harmony and frames an equitable point of reference for real development to take place: one that empowers each member of every level of the community. (The Aga Khan Foundation and Mott Foundation)

Second Harvest Japan: Giving good food a second life for good usefrom page 1

who donate are able to save money from disposal costs and ultimately make a lasting, positive impact in the community.

“The food bank utilises what would have been waste, and it turns waste into resources. We work with volunteers for our food distribution programmes, aligned with the philosophy of making use of ‘excess resources’,” explained Takeshi Hirose, who has been volunteering for 2HJ for five years now.

2HJ is Japan’s first and only food bank, improving food security by delivering

food to those in need. It receives donations from manufacturers, retailers, famers and individuals in the form of unexpired food. Its philosophy is based on the social paradox of having a surplus of food and, simultaneously, a large amount of people in need of food. There are around 20 million people in Japan living below the poverty line, which represents one in six people.

There are different approaches to food banks with different services. “Feeding Hong Kong represents what we call the ‘wholesale model’—it takes supplies from different companies and distributes to different

retailers. The second is what we call the ‘retail model’: I provide you with food and you get services at my organisation and at various other places. The third is called the ‘fast-food model’ where I give food to you and you consume it at the location or somewhere else, like with a soup kitchen,“ explained Charles McJilton, 2HJ CEO and founder.

Second Harvest currently operates four programmes: the Harvest Kitchen, Harvest Pantry, Food Banking and the Advocacy and Development. Harvest Kitchen is a hot meal distribution project in Ueno Park in Tokyo, while Harvest Pantry provides households

in need of assistance emergency groceries in the form of care packages or distribution at designated locations. For the Food Banking progamme, 2HJ relies on donations from manufacturers, importers, retailers and farmers; which in turn are distributed to social service centres, welfare agencies and non-profit organisations.

“We also work as an advocacy group, promoting food banking in Japan and in region. Since 2007 we have also been providing aid and technical assistance to the development of food banking in the Philippines,” McJilton added. ■

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F E AT U R E S

Call for the 2014/2015 World Habitat Awards now The World Habitat Awards for 2014-2015 is now open for nominations and applications from across the globe. Nominees and applicants sought are housing projects and approaches that demonstrate practicality, innovation and sustainability of their solutions to current housing issues faced by countries all around the world; can be transferred or adapted for use; are already being implemented or are completed; and view the term ‘habitat’ from a broader perspective bring other benefits like energy or water saving, community and individual empowerment, income generation, social inclusion, health benefits, capacity-building and education.

Every year an award of GBP10,000 (USD16,000) is presented to each of the two winners, alternately at the World Urban Forum and at the UN-Habitat Governing Council. Established by the Building and Social Housing Foundation in 1985, the World Habitat Awards is part of its contribution to the UN’s International Year of Shelter for the Homeless.

Funds for HIV, AIDS grew in 2012

The UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation have jointly released a report that shows funding from donor governments increased from USD7.6 billion in 2011 to $7.9 B in 2012; despite contributions to HIV and AIDS have having been flat since 2008. This marginal growth in 2012 can be attributed in large part to donors giving more to meet their replenishment commitments to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Major donors like the United States accelerated disbursements to the Global Fund in 2012 to meet its pledge to provide $4 billion by fiscal year-2013. Japan’s contribution was raised to 146 per cent to pay up to its 2013 pledges. In contrast, the United Kingdom’s funds dropped because it disbursed a large part of its 2012 Global Fund commitments in 2011.

Total HIV-AIDS funding commitments among major donor countries saw a decrease in 2012 as seen from government pledges settling only at $8.3 billion, from $8.8 in 2011. This could imply the start of a downward trend in contributions, a trend that could prove damaging to the progress already made in the attainment of MDG-6, which is estimated to need $22 billion to $24 billion in annual funding.

In 2011 then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that an AIDS-free generation is now attainable, but only if funding for HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention, and research efforts are maintained, if not increased, by donor governments. ■

USAID launches $24 M Phil-Am Fund for Philippine NGOs Considered to have one of the most vibrant NGO communities in the world, the Philippines has elevated the status of its non-governmental organisations to a more central role in societal development. And despite a recent scandal that put to question the integrity of many NGOs in the country, trust in [NGOs] has barely wavered.

Proof of this is the recent announcement of the USD24 million Philippine-American Fund, launched by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in September, to capacitate and enable local NGOs to develop and implement projects at a community level aligned with the mission of the [USAID].

“The Phil-Am Fund is a clear message that the United States government and the USAID have full trust and confidence in the legitimacy and capability of Philippine NGOs. But there should be a greater awareness of the importance of bringing NGOs to a higher level

Holding on to Chelsea Clinton: one of the children at the New Hope for Cambodian Children orphanage in Phnom Penh receiving ARV treatment through the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Along with local and regional NGOs and other partners, the CHAI has been working with Cambodia’s National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology, and STDs to increase access to pediatric HIV/AIDS treatment since 2005. (Image: Clinton Foundation)

This year’s winners of the World Habitat Awards, Palestine’s Hebron Old City Rehabilitation and the United States’ 100,000 Homes Campaign were chosen from over 200 entries from across the globe.

The Hebron project was chosen for its restoration and re-use of historic buildings, regeneration of its urban infrastructure and support for local economic development to reverse depopulation; while 100,000 Homes Campaign earned the prize for scaling-up its ‘housing-first’ approach in providing shelter for thousands of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people across the US.

The closing date for submissions for the 2015 cycle of the World Habitat Awards is on 2 May 2014; and the awards will be presented in April 2015. For more information or to lodge a nomination or application to the 2014/2015 World Habitat Awards, visit www.worldhabitatawards.org. ■

of management expertise, professionalism, financial governance, creativity and the ability to undertake larger programmes to truly transform society, especially the disadvantaged,” said Victoria Garchitorena, Phil-Am Fund chief of party.

Philippine NGOs are still recovering from magnified scrutiny after the highly publicized ‘pork barrel scam’ broke out earlier this year, involving fake NGOs laundering millions of dollars with help from local and national politicians.

“Due diligence coupled with strict monitoring and evaluation reports, thus, are key to achieving successful projects. We hope the Phil-Am fund, by focusing on empowering the local NGOs, will be a catalyst for societal change. There is so much to do to help the disadvantaged among us that there is enough work for all types of NGOs,” Garchitorena noted. (USAID)

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As a response, a simple concept of collecting food donations and distributing them to those in need revolutionised the way excess food is—or rather, must be—managed: food banking. Fundamentally, food banks connect donors of food with their recipients; and this is what makes the concept universally appealing. For NGOs it means not needing to contact companies and arranging the logistics for the donations; they can choose to receive smaller quantities but in larger varieties. For food donors on the other hand, it means not having to deal with multiple requests from different sources, so they can donate larger quantities to the food bank that a single NGO might not be able to handle on its own.

Food banks are able to receive and redistribute donations in the tonnes, while an NGO may need less for their programme. Food banks can also vet both donors and NGOs to assure that donations are safe and recipient NGOs are legitimate, vastly improving the efficiency of getting donations where they are needed most.

While food banking began over 45 years ago in the US, it only began in 2000 in much of the region, particularly in Japan. I was a part of that early group and went on to incorporate the first food bank in Japan in March 2002, and have been pioneering food banking in Japan for the last 13 years. Since then we have introduced concepts and ideas from other food banks in other countries.

About the AuthorCharles McJilton is the CEO and founder of Second Harvest Japan (2HJ). He first went to Japan in 1984 as member of the US military; and returned in 1991 to conduct research at Sophia University on the Japan-US military relationship. Consequently, he completed his undergraduate degree with the University of Minnesota.

During this time he lived in San'ya, a low-income area of Tokyo which is home to many day-labourers. Moved by how the poor he saw they coped with their situation and as a personal experiment to understand the difficulties faced by the homeless, he lived in a cardboard house along the Sumida River from January 1997 to April 1998. In 2000 he co-chaired a coalition of groups working together to share food resources for their own programmes.

In 2002 he incorporated Second Harvest Japan, the first food bank in Japan, which collects food that would otherwise go to waste from food manufacturers, farmers, and individuals, and distributes it to people in need such as children in orphanages, low-income households, and the homeless.

Charles teaches NGO Management at the Sophia University in Japan.

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G U E S T W R I T E R

Our approach to operating a non-profit organisation, and specifically a food bank, is quite unique; partly borne out of my own experiences in Japan and the culture here. We have had our share of failures as well as successes. And, as anyone knows in the non-profit sector, there is no guarantee that what worked yesterday will work tomorrow; or that we will be here a year from now. It always comes down to having the necessary resources.

A New ApproachBefore we incorporated in 2002, I looked at different models and approaches. I had been in Japan since 1991 and knew that the non-profit sector was less developed than the Philippines or even India in terms of staffing, impact on public policy, and funding. I knew NPOs could have a negative reputation as being unprofessional, amateur, and pretentious ‘do-gooders’ not worthy of being taken seriously. I also felt that the term ‘volunteer’ was often used as a pejorative.

In the summer of 2001 I reached out to the expat community and found some business people who agreed to help make a business plan. Back then I believed a business plan was all about making an operational timeline: what we would do in the next three months, six months and a year. These business people I met spent very little time on that part. For each week we spent about two hours or more talking about my vision, values, and goals. But they were very interested not in just what these were, but also as to why and how I arrived at them.

Being from the field I thought this was a waste of time and did not see the connection of starting a food bank operation, but I would later come to see that process was the single greatest factor in our success. Understanding both our values and visions continually helped us solve problems and guide our future growth. They are now what set us apart from other food banks in Japan. We like to say we have two faces: one is business and the other is social welfare.

As a food bank we have to deal with different companies on a daily basis. As such, we negotiate as a company and expect to be treated as an equal partner. We have different ways we can express this and gauge if we are being treated as an equal. The first is that we do not actively solicit for food donations from companies. When a company visits us to talk about donating, we tell them at our first meeting that we are less interested in a donation than having a mutually beneficial, trusting relationship; and that we would work with them to arrive at that point.

Food companies, distributors, supermarkets and even farmers dispose of millions of tonnes of food that has not expired and are still perfectly safe for human consumption; hence about 30% of the world’s food is destroyed. While the reasons vary from supply-chain issues to simple changes in packaging, the universal feeling is one of a wasted opportunity, or “mottainai” in Japanese.

Different approach in food banking: the case of Second Harvest Japan

Charles McJiltoncharles@2hj.org

The Second Harvest Japan team at work, from gathering food stuff from their partners, to re-packing them, to loading for distribution—the 2HJ team acts like one big family as a team

This sets the tone for the relationship. The highest compliment for us to hear is, “You are not like other non-profits.” This matches our value of maintaining equality between the donor, ourselves, and the recipient.

The other side of our work is social welfare by providing a [social] service to those in need. However, we do not define what we are doing as helping people. We do know that if we are efficient and effective in delivering our services, people will be positively impacted. We merely see food as a necessary tool that we deliver to those who need it.

We understand our approach may not be for everyone, but we believe it offers an example of an alternative approach to both food banking and operating a non-profit. This a different approach to NGO work; yet it is one that I believe has helped us to remain sustainable and not burn out. We simply like food banking: taking products that would have been destroyed and delivering to those who can use it. This is cool. ■

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E X C L U S I V E I N T E R V I E W

You have served in one of the longest-running NGOs. Tell us about the challenges you faced in starting up and in implementing projects?

Achieving results takes time. Metta has a very process-oriented approach based on participation, action and research. For any process to achieve results we need to work with the community, which must be ready and willing to initiate their own programmes and take decisions. Facilitating this atmosphere takes time, too. It is not a challenge in itself; but understanding that concept and making it work can take a long time.

For some time there would be no tangible results and this can be an issue for donor organisations, since they want to see real outcomes after a project. But for a society that has just been affected by a long civil conflict, there are many issues to be faced. Even if a project generates income for the community, the next steps are sending your children to school, bringing your mother-in-law to the hospital, etc.

It really is a cycle of poverty that needs to be broken, and one project alone cannot achieve this. The whole atmosphere and structure of a nation needs to be altered, which is the real challenge. Amid deep ethnic divide and armed conflict and having set up the Metta Development Foundation in Kachin province where violence is rife, tell us your first thoughts on how to go about the work.

Best is to start with the community and with what they have, based on their resources. Along the process they will identify their own leaders. Then you can provide leadership training, networking opportunities, etc. Allow communities to come together and cooperate, so they can have an exchange at a personal level; about their lives, their situation, their local cultures. It’s about breaking the isolation.

Even in the Kachin state, where there are Shan and Bamar minorities, and Catholics and Buddhists, there is plenty of room for exchange. By bringing people from different backgrounds together in a project, you enable them to have a relationship. I believe relationship-building is most productive when facilitated at all levels—from the community up to the administrative level.

Your works for peace through the health and agriculture sectors have gained support from partners like Oxfam. What are the other sectors that Metta is working on?

Metta is active across all sectors. We do not have in-house specialists or experts. We work to facilitate, and let the community identify their own needs. For some communities education is top priority; others would be health, agriculture and micro-financing. It really depends on the needs of the community, which can be very varied. We carefully take into account their specific situations and bring the corresponding expertise in, to strengthen the projects. This way, working with various all sectors is possible.

Tell us about your partners in Myanmar – other local NGOs, INGOs, CSOs corporate CSRs, institutes and perhaps, the government?

Many NGOs emerge after a disaster, like the tsunami in 2008 and now the armed conflict in the Kachin state. Emerging CSOs or new organisations need all the support they can get. And although many departments of the government do not have adequate or sufficient resources to support NGO and CSO projects, they are also supportive in many other ways. This network gives a certain security and opens up the space. I do not believe in isolation, and no man is an island. All sectors and different backgrounds should be brought in.

How much more active or involved can local NGOs be than the larger or international organisations operating in Myanmar?

Since Myanmar has been a ‘closed country’ because sanctions, local NGOs have taken the opportunity to work in this vacuum and take up a leading role. I think we should sustain this structure and not have INGOs plan their programmes from Manila or New York, and then come to Myanmar and implement locally.

Keeping in mind our works with regard to the conflict in Kachin state right now, I think in every crisis lies an opportunity. We must make sure that the local civil society voice gets stronger and not let them be undercut. The change should come from within the country and not only from the outside. Without the strength of the local people or without civil society making sure that their voice is heard by policy-makers, the change will not come.

Metta is the longest-running NGO in Myanmar. How would you encourage small NGOs and civil society organisations but those who have great potentials for success in the development sector?

Dubbed the ‘rebel with a cause’ and laureate of the 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Awards for her “quietly inspiring and inclusive leadership in the midst of deep ethnic divides and prolonged armed conflict” in her home country Myanmar, Lahpai Seng Raw talks of how her NGO, the Metta Development Foundation, braved through the pains of starting up and of how she wants to inspire budding development, peace and community-building advocates and professionals across the region to succeed even in the face of adversity.

Braving the odds and keeping the faith

Keeping your track record is very important, and sustaining the passion and integrity you have on what you started. Any organization—including the government—must earn the trust and respect of the communities it aims to serve. When the community acknowledges your work with them and you have a good track record in your field of interest and good relations with your stakeholders, then you can network among local NGOs and have an environment where people from different backgrounds work together. For me, this is the best way for emerging, small NGOs to grow. ■

About the Interviewee

Despite decades of brutal armed conflict in Myanmar’s Kachin state and lack of international support to help establish one her country’s largest and most active humanitarian organisations, Lahpai Seng Raw never lost her faith in her people. She is one of this year’s laureates of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards (Asia’s answer to the Nobel Peace Prize), founded Myanmar's largest civil society group and longest-running non-government organisation, Metta Development Foundation.

She began her work with refugees in the 1980s after being asked by a former Kachin Independence Organization chairman; and thus established Metta to help rehabilitate the war-torn communities along Myanmar’s borders. Since 1997 under her leadership, Metta has then established over 600 farmer field schools, trained more than 50,000 farmers in effective farm and forest management, built schools and training centers in early childhood education, introduced community water and sanitation systems, and funded technical support for a wide range of livelihood projects.

In 2008 when Tropical Cyclone “Nargis” struck Burma, the country’s worst natural disaster in its recorded history, Seng Raw’s group led a massive drive to rehabilitate, reconstruct and bring relief and development aid to the hundreds of thousands of victims. With a staff of 600, branches outside Rangoon and three research and training centres, Metta has been implementing programmes to over 600,000 people in 2,352 communities in Myanmar.

Lahpai Seng Raw giving a lecture on “Advancing Peace Through Inclusive Development” at the Ramon Magsaysay Center in Manila, as part of the lecture series given by the Ramon Magsaysay Awards laureates every year.

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Many crossroads face Myanmar as a post-conflict society easing democratic structures into public life. An important process is the development of the diverse natural resources sector including minerals, energy resources, agriculture, water and landscape conservation for the tourism sector. Myanmar’s natural resources is a component to its economy under heavy government oversight, largely impactful to local communities and livelihoods; but also linked to much conflict. This sector can have either a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with the local and national fabric.

Assuring a symbiotic relationship between this sector and Myanmar’s ethnically diverse society will be a challenge for local, regional and international NGOs and governments and organisations.

Confidence building and mutual development can grow with the natural resources sector and Myanmar’s communities cooperating and prospering side-by-side. The symbiotic relationships in nature must be replicated to assure natural resources development that does not allow parasitic elements to strain efforts to build a sustainable, harmonious multi-ethnic society.

Grappling with historyMyanmar’s wealth from its natural resources is as diverse as the nation itself: aside from the dominant Bamar ethnic group there are nine major minority ethnic groups in the country (Karen, Kachin, Karenni, Chin, Mon, Rhakine, Shan, Wa and Rohingya), many of whom have engaged the government in armed conflict since 1947. In the same year the Panglong Agreement was signed, guaranteeing ethnic rights, self-determination and inclusion in democratic processes. As these rights were historically never realised and a military dictatorship emerged after the assassination of General Aung San that same year, large ethnic minorities (like the Shan, Kachin and Karen) armed themselves and dug in for decades of civil war.

Natural resources have always acted as fuel for either development or conflict. In Myanmar’s case, where much wealth lies in ethnic border areas, the case was the latter. The military junta pursued ruthless campaigns both militarily and in terms of resource extraction. Outsiders throughout the late 20th century were baffled by the ability for such an isolated regime—a paranoid leadership seeking astrological counsel and hunting for good luck albino elephants—to thrive in such hostile conditions; with several civil wars on its hands. Myanmar’s autonomy was thus sustained through its resource wealth. Today, oil and gas revenues primarily fund the Tatmadaw, one of the strongest militaries per capita in the world; this is a consequence of many decades of government resource exploitation.

Ethnic recognition and inclusion for sustainable developmentThe momentous, step-by-step transition to democracy led by Thein Sein’s civilian government is crucial to ensuring a dividend on natural resources wealth for Myanmar as a whole. Urban and rural, Karen, Shan, Bamar or otherwise, a broad-based approach to natural resources governance is essential for peace.

At the rural level, addressing the marginalisation of ethnic groups needs to be a priority for sustainable development. The government’s role in regulating the natural resources sector, given adequate infrastructure is in place, overseeing decentralisation of power and re-distributing wealth equitably will be essential. Beyond public governance, corporations working in Myanmar must adhere to strict codes of conduct inclusive of in-depth local consultation processes.

Civil society will also play a crucial role, including ethnic minority interest groups such as the United Nationalities Federal Alliance (UNFA) representing 11 ethnic groups; as well as local and international NGOs on the environmental, human rights and socio-economic advocacy levels.

The challenges are often dire for ethnic minorities in Myanmar: there is such a bitter history and unfavourable climate and for so many groups. Being the largest of minority ethnic groups, the Karen–many of whom have fled to neighbouring Thailand–are worthy of addressing. Their long civil conflict with the central government lasted over a half-century—a world record. Yet it is intriguing that they are recognised in Thailand as an ethnic group with their own resource claims therein.

The Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed wing the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) have been in the (then) Burmese political scene since 1947 and 1949, respectively. Their political and military fight has been more for self-determination than outright separatism. Honouring the 1947 Panglong

Agreement and its provisions for ethnic minorities has been at the core of their battle to be included in a multi-ethnic (now) Myanmar. At the core of the conflict is persecution of the Karen, most of whom live in harsh environmental and sanitary conditions, perpetuated by the civil war.

David Tackpaw, the KNU’s foreign minister, cites a lack of political will in recognising their ethnic and self-determination rights; while the government frames the ethnic problem in military terms, not political. Ultimately, Tackpaw offers timely advice on the future of natural resources development and its parallel investment: “We know that one of the biggest incentives to find peace with ethnics is to get more foreign investment in. We have to ensure proper consultation is done with civilians, and everything done in a sustainable manner that benefits ethnic civilians; not just the government and foreign investors.”

Key in his statement is ethnic civilians (framed as citizens of Myanmar) and the importance of sustainability and counter-balancing government and foreign investment power with real measures for ethnic and other elements of Myanmar society. Just how, though, can such a future be promoted?

As we can see even the KNU, once bitter foes of the central government, looks towards a post-conflict mentality of sustainable development and mutual recognition. To assure sustainable development is equitably realised, regional players come into the picture.

The ASEAN, though nominally apolitical, has been an important forum for regional pressure on the erstwhile Myanmar military junta to pursue what is now an active transition to democracy. Comparable rural natural resources development issues can be found across Southeast Asia and beyond. It is important on the civil society side to create linkages with groups—especially in Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand—who in various periods have dealt with the consequences of major mining, dam, agricultural and otherwise resource projects.

Natural resources for national peace : Promoting a symbiotic natural resources development with broader societyChristian Tschirhart

cetschirhart@gmail.com

For carrying a basket full of sand in Pyay to a boat nearby, this young girl earns less than $1 a day. (Image: Shehzad Noorani/UNICEF)

Men holding a sign that reads 'Stop Killing Rohingya Muslims!' in the Hizb ut-Tahrir protest. Across western capitals the Hizb ut-Tahrir organised protests against the blocking of aid to Rohingya refugees by NGOs and neighbouring countries’ policy of sending refugees back to Myanmar. (Image: Peter Marshall/Corbis)

A local worker on China Natural Petroleum Corporation's multibillion-dollar oil and gas pipeline project helps load pipes onto waiting trucks near the mountain towns of Hsipaw and Ban Nay Village in northern Myanmar. More commonly China is known to provide its own workers for big investment projects like this; but the Chinese state media reported that the China National Petroleum Corporation says more than half of the workers on the pipeline project are locals from Myanmar. (Image: Sim Chi Yin/ Corbis)

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About the AuthorChristian Tschirhart is a Research Associate of the North-South Institute in Ottawa, Canada where he contributes to the Governance of Natural Resources programme while also consulting for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He also does business consulting related to social media and tourism marketing in developing economies. Christian is a community development specialist touching on inter-cultural issues, spirituality, sustainable development and history. He holds a Master of Arts in Global Studies from the Universities of Leipzig and Vienna.

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At the government level, cooperating on financing transport infrastructure is essential. Myanmar now has plans for a rail link directly to Bangkok, improving northern transportation links to China and founding a seaport and industrial complex at Dawei. Already a signatory to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the government has demonstrated a willingness to participate in natural resources governance. But in terms of natural resources governance, Myanmar ranks last on Revenue Watch’s Resource Governance Index.

Finding a symbiotic relationship among natural resources sectors, with societyIn pursuing broad-based sustainable development on the basis of natural resources, it is important to recognise the diverse, yet inter-linked sectors that come into play. Extraction, of course, is at the core of natural resources. Mining along with oil and gas development will be essential; though so too will be the re-distribution of revenues, local consultation and finding synergies with other natural resources sectors so that, for instance, Myanmar’s natural beauty is not harmed to the extent that natural and cultural tourism opportunities are threatened. Indeed, at the core of Myanmar’s emergence is its natural and cultural diversity, displayed through tourism.

Also important will be governance of water resources, facilitating growth in the agriculture sector, which is especially important for export development. A Myanmar breadbasket has potentially high volume market links to India, China, Southeast Asia and beyond. Natural gas reserves at Shwe and Yadana presently represent 90 per cent of foreign revenue for the state. Managing these sea reserves as well as oil development will be crucial to assuring a symbiotic relationship with fisheries, an important subsistence sector and also a crucial future export sector.

Charting the future: NGOs, democracy and engaging the private sector Local NGO priority should be given to solving shortfalls in economic and social rights such as failure to re-allocate resource revenues, resulting in poverty and violations of political and civil rights. Global NGOs like the Wildlife

Bridges crossing the Irrawaddy River near to Mandalay represent Myanmar’s transition to democracy and the development of its economy that comes along with it. (Image: Jon Bower/Corbis)

A country full of contrasts, history, religion and tradition, Myanmar’s emerging tourism industry is one of the new fuels for development. (Image: Klaus Rose/Corbis)

Young monks studying inside their monastery. The youth and the monks of Myanmar have been a pivotal force in the country’s transformation. (Image: Scott Stulberg/Corbis)

Stamp makers at their stalls. Traditional local businesses are here to stay, while Myanmar slowly treads the economic development it is enjoying from its newfound democracy. (Image: Clemens Walter/Corbis)

Conservation Society and their Northern Forest Complex along the Chinese border in northern Myanmar, will play a role in terms of assuring sustainability. Watchdog groups covering natural resource sectors need to be aware to assure a symbiotic relationship exists between the natural resources sector and both the urban and rural Myanmar society.

Human rights advocates and democracy-inclined NGOs have a role to play in assuring the rule of law is adhered to, good governance is in place for every sector, ethnic and broad-based consultation is taking place, corruption is curbed and local

business development being realised. Foreign investors and corporations, much like Myanmar firms, need to be engaged by civil society and understand their responsibility in helping achieve sustainable communities within the resource sector and beyond.

Creating a symbiotic relationship between the natural resources sector and Myanmar-at-large will require patience, determination, and managed complexity. Ultimately, patience that assures peace is entirely worth the sweat and tears. ■

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C O U N T R Y F E AT U R EC O U N T R Y F E AT U R E

The Japan International Cooperation Association (JICA) office in Myanmar has announced a pledge of JPY1.35 billion (USD13.7M) to advance the engineering subjects in two technology universities in Yangon and Mandalay. Set to begin this month and run until 5 October 2018, the project is a five-year endeavour with the prime aim of supporting the curriculum of the two participating Myanmar universities.

The project will also facilitate the development of the schools’ Human Resources departments that are important elements in advancing the ability and potential of students and education officers.

JICA has said in a statement that they “will conduct research on current course syllabuses of the participating universities and will upgrade those of several major subjects,” including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Power (MP), Electrical Power (EP), Electronic Engineering (EC), Mechatronic (MC) and ICT.

Dr. Sai Kyaw Naing, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Science and Technology office, said the Ministry of Science and Technology will sign an MoU with JICA for the project. Japanese universities Kyoto University, Chiba University, Niigata University, Kanazawa University, Okayama University, Nagasaki University and Kumamoto University will be assisting the involved Myanmar universities by conducting several guest lectures and lessons. PhD Programs in Japan will also be provided for Myanmar scholars. (JICA)

JICA funds Myanmar engineering institutions

In an effort to revive a business relationship that ceased after environmental protests by local communities shut down the company's operations, Wanbao Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of state-owned Chinese arms manufacturer China North Industries Corp. is venturing on a public-relations and social-spending spree in Myanmar.

Wanbao Mining is spending over USD1 million each year in social investments in villages around the mining site; also promising that two per cent of profits will go to CSR projects once the mine is in operation. Local and regional analysts believe the move is “conspicuous and unusually generous for a Chinese company.”

In Letpadaung village, just off Wanbao's copper mine site, social investments are tangible: apart from the mobile clinics, Wanbao compensates local residents for using their land to expand the mine site with MMK50,000 ($51.33) for every acre of land [used]. The company also signed a new contract that gives it 30 per cent of the profit while the Myanmar government gets 51%. Although this seems mainly an advantage for Myanmar, the decision to restart the project was still met by protests with concerns over the willingness of the company to meet their obligations; especially since they lost much in the past year before the project was halted.

As Myanmar transitions from military rule to civilian democracy, Chinese companies, along with diplomats, have since strategised their approaches with the knowledge that residents can now openly express newfound freedoms and oppose certain development projects, largely perceived locally as exploitive and a threat to their agriculture-based livelihood. ■

Chinese firm on social investing-spree

The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Norway have collaborated with the Myanmar government to aid the latter in pursuing policy reforms in the country’s ageing electricity regulations, paving the way for a new era in its power supply, with developing a competitive power market as one of its long-term goals.

"Myanmar’s current power regulations date back to the 1980s and need to be updated to reflect modern international best practices,” said Jong Inn Kim, lead energy specialist for the Southeast Asia Department of the ADB. The project will thus support establishing new rules to develop the industry and for a wider delivery of electricity to Myanmar’s citizens. The Norwegian government will offer a technical assistance grant of USD850,000 to be administered by the ADB in support of introducing an Electricity Regulatory Authority.

Of Myanmar’s total population, only about a fourth has proper

ADB, Norway help Myanmar power law reformsaccess to electricity and there are high technical and distribution losses due to ageing and poorly maintained equipment.

In 2011 the government announced a series of reforms targeted to a major overhaul of the power sector to help drive sustainable development of energy resources and inclusive growth; and cut the incidence of poverty that affects over a fourth of its population.

These measures will thus enable the government to implement reforms, including the gradual unbundling of the generation, transmission and distribution services for more efficient power supply; and will create rules for small independent power producers to promote off-grid electrification. This is very important in boosting access to electricity in remote areas. The move also allows for a clearer regulatory environment that will help encourage private-sector investment into planned build-operate-transfer generation projects. ■

UNICEF calls for end of violence in Rakhine stateThe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the opposing parties to end ethnic clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine state citing the negative impact the violence has on children not only in Myanmar, but also in the region.

“In the name of Myanmar’s children, now is the time for this violence to end. Peace-building and reconciliation activities must be prioritised if Myanmar’s children are to have the future they deserve, and to which they have a right,” urged Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF Representative in Yangon. Apart from the loss of lives and the destruction of homes, the violence has put children at greater risk of family separation and domestic violence. In addition, they miss out on schooling and frequently experience physical and emotional damage, Bainvel added.

Since June of last year the Rakhine state has seen inter-communal violence with clashes between the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. Two separate clashes last year, in June and October, displaced over 140,000 people; more than 105,000 of them children affected by the violence, according to statistics from UNICEF. The latest chaos broke out in late-September this year in the southern town of Thandwe, initially reported to have been contained but later recommenced and subsequently spread

Cramped in one of Myanmar’s refugee shelters, a child from a gypsy family wakes up from his sleep in Pyay township, Myanmar. (Image: Shehzad Noorani/UNICEF)

accountability and human rights.

The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) assesses the potential impacts of a sector on Myanmar society and in particular the enjoyment of human rights among their workers and partners. It aims to provide companies operating in Myanmar effective platforms for the creation of knowledge, capacities and dialogue on doing responsible business in the country, based on local needs and international standards.

“Business associations, corporations, trade unions and civil society organisations have the capacity to promote and implement business activities following responsible business principles. We would like to increase companies’ stakeholders’ awareness and acceptance of responsible business practices; contribute to a shared understanding of the needs and priorities relating to responsible business; and establish standards of accountability,” said Hnin Wut Yee, Programme and Outreach Manager for the MCRB.

The MCRB provides trainings, thematic analyses and sector-wide impact assessments for Western, Asian and local companies operating in Myanmar, giving the tools and guidelines for responsible business and enabling dialogues with the public sector, corporations and the civil society.

Among the outcomes of MCRB’s activities are cross-sectoral discussions on fighting corruption, including members of the government and local businesses; trainings for the supply chains on business and human rights; publishing examples of existing best-practices for responsible business; and helping raise Myanmar companies’ standards, knowledge and skills. Surveys, capacity-building and dialogues are implemented through a combination of desk-based and field work, building on established procedures of environmental impact assessments (EIA) and social impact assessments (SIA); as well as human rights impact assessments (HRIA) grounded in the EIA/SIA processes.

Four sectors have already been chosen according to their relevance to Myanmar’s economic development, their potential impacts to its economy, and cross-cutting issues they raise of interest to other sectors: tourism, oil and gas, agriculture and information and communication technologies (ICT)

The MCRB has so far collaborated with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Danish Development Aid (DANIDA); as well as with the Norwegian, Swiss and Dutch governments. To know more or to get involved with the works of the MCRB, visit www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org. ■

Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business

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Models for peace, in pursuit of developmentfrom page 1

Abdelmadjid Amrani (Algeria), professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Batna and director of Laboratory Research of Dialogue Between Civilizations and Globalization; Ferhat Mehenni (Algeria), indigenous rights activist; Raoul Weiler (Belgium), doctor in biological applied sciences, noted author and founder of Learning Without Borders International; Arnold Rüütel (Estonia), former president; Jerome Binde (France), for his works in literature; Aboubakar Abdoulah Senghore (Gambia), dean of the College of Law of the University of Gambia and international human rights advocate; Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis (Greece), president and founder of Biopolitics International Organisation, promoting international cooperation and education for the environment; His Excellency Rajkeswur Purryag, president of the Republic of Mauritius and advocate of the cause of the people of Indian origin in his country will be receiving the Gusi Peace Prize.

Also to be honoured are lawyer Catherine Dupe Atoki (Nigeria), human rights advocate for the African Union; Yolanda David-Reyes (Philippines), architect and environmental planner; Emil

Constantinescu (Romania), professor and former president; Igor Kondrashin (Russia), vice-president of the World Philosophical Forum; His Royal Highness Bandar Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud (Saudi Arabia), chair of the Arab Thought Foundation; Imam Al-Saddig Abdel Rahman Al-Mahdi (Sudan) of the Alansar Religious Group, former president of the republic and now president of the Council of Elders for the Arab Gulf and of the International Forum for Moderation; Malek Jandali (Syria), world-renowned musician; Orhan Güvenen (Turkey), diplomat, economist and researcher, and director of Bilkent University’s Institute of World Systems, Economies and Strategic Research (DSEE); and Glen Martin (USA), activist for a transformational peace and sustainability and chair of the Program in Peace Studies of Radford University.

The Gusi Peace Prize, through the Gusi Peace Foundation, honours individuals or institutions from across the globe with exemplary contributions to peace and human rights, scientific innovations, development works and poverty alleviation, political or academic initiatives, the performing arts and literature, the fields of medicine or journalism, the humanities, physics or chemistry, business and

philanthropy, economics, and faith-based leadership.

“The Gusi Foundation aims to champion human rights and good governance, democracy, equality, international peace and goodwill. For years now we have been doing medical relief missions, outreach programmes to disaster-stricken areas and counseling to marginalised gruops, with considerable assistance from partners like the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes, and other non-government organisations. The Peace Prize, meanwhile, is a testament to our commitment to promote international peace and maintain good relations outside the country, many of whom have also contributed to our activities here in the Philippines,” said Hon. Barry Gusi, chair of the Gusi Peace Foundation.

Presidential Proclamation 1476 (2008) declared the fourth Wednesday of November of every year as Gusi Peace Prize International Friendship Day, which has traditionally been the Awarding Ceremonies for the laureates. The laureates will be hosted at a Welcome Dinner at The Peninsula Manila on 26 November; and conferred with their honours at the awarding gala at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on 27 November. ■

to other townships. The clash left five people dead and destroyed some 110 homes. The Government has been forced to declare a state of emergency.

“Even if these children may manage to go to school it is difficult for them to concentrate on learning because they will hear about the burning, shooting or adults speaking about violence. Even if their houses weren’t burned, they would be worried that fire from their neighbours’ burning homes would catch on to theirs,” Bainvel added. In Kachin State, where clashes continue between armed rebel groups and government forces, 8,000 children attend schools in rebel-controlled territory.

As the unrest has made it almost impossible for many affected children to continue schooling or access basic services, UNICEF has been providing aid in Arakan and Sittwe for education, nutrition and health, and psychosocial needs. It also operates temporary learning centres for displaced children in camps in Myaybon, Pauktaw and Kyauktaw townships; although only 7,500 children have access to these centres.

UNICEF admits not having more data on the exact number of children affected by conflicts elsewhere in the country because

the government has imposed restrictions to travel to and in many areas. The polarisation from these inter-communal conflicts also concerns UNICEF because it could stall or threaten many important reform processes currently underway in Myanmar. ■

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A C R O S S A S I AA C R O S S A S I A

A new report by the Asia Foundation ‘The Contested Corner of Asia: Subnational Conflict and International Development Assistance’, analyses the status of aid programmes and aid flows in sub-national conflicts, to help improve effectiveness of development agencies’ responses and raise awareness of their unique status.

Since areas confronted with sub-national conflicts have very specific needs regarding sound aid strategies, traditional development frameworks may not even apply to them. There are some distinct yet recurring features that effective aid programmes in SNCs seem to share.

Understanding the elements for strategic policiesKey to achieving effective transformation in areas suffering from local conflict is addressing the factors that cause, sustain or prolong the conflict. These conflicts often arise out of political issues, hence transformative development strategies need to be broader; handling issues that may require a more discreet operational approach and in very close cooperation with local actors. The key here is, to some extent, influence the political factors and actors to assure lasting transition from conflict to peace.

Having a comprehensive insight into the local context and being fully informed of [local] conditions of the political economy and social dynamics is of key importance for effective aid in conflict areas. This can be achieved by investing in pre-programme analysis of all facets of the local conflict at hand, including monitoring local actors. Implemented strategies must also leave room for in-programme adaptation, when the situation calls for it.

As aid teams in conflict areas need to be fully aware and knowledgeable of the context and adapt to a changed situation, they require a larger on-ground presence and more locally based staff. This also entails them being more autonomous than conventional aid teams, since they need to be able to deliver quick adaptive responses on current events—those that most likely only they have the proper understanding to and thus are fully equipped with ready skills and best-practices to attune to call of the occasion.

Now, assuring the institutional framework in conflict areas acts in a flexible and apt way is critical for sustaining the transformation to peace. Aid programmes should support institutions like these, while also building towards developing their autonomous capacity. Constant monitoring of changes in the conflict situation is also of high importance to ensure effective aid—at any stage of its delivery. This allows room for making adjustments and, ultimately, achieve the best long-lasting results.

Aid programmes’ contributions in conflict areas should thus be framed with both developmental and transformative strategies. Transformative strategies facilitate and sustain the transition from a conflict-ridden area to a sustainable peace, including supporting and building confidence in local institutions. In areas faced with sub-national conflict, transformative strategies, as part of the larger framework, are vital for the success of any developmental work. Programmes that do not take transition and transformation into account have little chance of achieving long-term results.

The case of Aceh, Mindanao and southern ThailandThree case studies for sub-national conflicts, representing various contexts regarding aid strategies, are Aceh in Indonesia, southern Thailand and in Mindanao in the Philippines.

The 2005 peace agreement for the Aceh sub-national conflict was achieved thanks to short-term measures underlying a large-scale, long-term vision. This meant establishing transitional government institutions, combined with peace negotiations and international monitoring of the conflict. The long-term strategy showed a larger set of needs: the main concern being the transformation of local government institutions, coupled with establishing effective frameworks for justice and accountability.

In the early stages of the conflict resolution process, aid agencies were reluctant to go against the Indonesian government’s policies. They focused mainly on disaster relief efforts after the 2004 tsunami; and aid agencies kept a low profile, aligning their strategies with government policies. Through time they took more distance from the central government; with focus areas including strengthening local government structures, supporting community initiatives and local civil society organisations. These focus areas recognised the long-term needs of Aceh’s post-conflict transition, but sufficient follow-up measures were necessary to sustain peace in the region.

The Mindanao conflict, meanwhile, has already undergone several peace processes, with mixed results. The 1996 peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)—dubbed the ‘Final Peace Agreement’—was widely seen as a disappointment due to a combination of inconsistent national government policies and a lack of actual political transformation in the conflict areas.

The situation in Mindanao differs from that in Aceh and southern Thailand, since it has been able to control aid flows more autonomously. Still, focus has been mainly on developmental strategies instead of transformational—which fail to provide a framework for lasting peace. These strategies are also under-monitored, so it is unclear if these mainly socio-economic projects are addressing the deeper-laying conflict causes.

Finally, Thailand provides an example of a sub-national conflict situation where a clear political transition process is absent from the larger framework. The conflict in its South—a separatist struggle of the Muslim minority—is considered a peripheral issue to Thailand’s economic and political agenda. Because of its middle-income status, foreign aid flows to Thailand are generally low; and donor programmes aimed at southern Thailand have generally been developmental and superficial in nature but have not addressed deep underlying issues that sustain the conflict. Although aid for small-scale projects has reached southern Thailand, large-scale aid has paid little attention to the sub-national conflict, and has been mainly concerned with the development of Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces.

The Thai national government also has failed to address the needs and demands of the local actors. In the highly centralised Thai state, the southern conflict area’s local population remains economically and culturally marginalised. For southern Thai people to have more confidence in the government institution, a higher level of autonomy or some form of self-governance will be necessary.

Since Thailand has relatively strong national institutions and there is an ongoing debate about external interference, domestically-defined solutions should be the main focus for aid programmes. But as the national government has an unclear stance over reforms in the area, external support to government initiatives needs to be

carefully considered.

Challenges and gaps Since donors allocate and report funding on a national basis, it is difficult to determine how much is actually spent on sub-national conflict zones. Insight into funding for specific projects related to conflicts is possible, but getting a regional overview is hindered by a set of complications. Most aid programmes are directed at certain groups of the population or at strengthening government services.

Research has shown that although donors like the World Bank and the ADB are able to give an overview of spending on a specific project, yearly overviews cannot be provided. Also, some types of spending like counterpart funding, are not properly tracked. Aid programmes are then faced with a specific set of limitations when it comes to activities in conflict zones, where they are often merely a side-note in a larger political story. This makes it very challenging to achieve lasting transformational results and create an actual impact.

International actors thus need to have realistic expectations about outcomes. For transformational strategies, a long-term focus is necessary. For developmental programmes aiming to contribute to peace, close monitoring assessing actual impact should be in place. More importantly, transformational and developmental strategies should be complimentary and implemented simultaneously. Having realistic expectations about results decreases the risk of short-changing the overall goals with short-term success and, ultimately, losing focus on the long-term framework.

Aid programmes often have a limited impact because of structural factors, which are beyond the control of development actors; especially with the fact that aid allocation for sub-national conflict zones makes up for only a fraction of overall aid resources and that it is often dwarfed by other flows in resources in conflict zones, such as security funding. These issues provide powerful counter-incentives that challenge aid programmes.

Development actors also need to re-visit assumptions concerning aid in conflict zones, when dealing with sub-national conflicts. Whereas aid programmes usually focus on political and economic inclusion, increased participation in sub-national conflicts focusing on these aspects may have an adverse effect.

The development sector moving forwardBased on the The Asia Foundation’s research, recommendations can be made for development agencies in sub-national conflict areas.

First, there is a need to build a more comprehensive institutional knowledge of sub-national conflict areas. Fully understanding the context of the conflict should be the basis in implementing aid frameworks, taking into account the rapid changes that can occur in these zones. This means not only an adaptable and flexible approach; but also close monitoring of the situation and also of the impact of aid programmes and funding flows.

Aid agencies should step away from pre-conceptions over working in conflict zones when acting in cases of sub-national conflicts, since the latter have specific needs and focus areas. The underlying notion for aid programmes in sub-national conflict zones should focus on long-term progress and adaptability; and design large-scale programmes that are flexible and conflict-sensitive. (With reports from Thomas Parks, Nat Colletta, Ben Oppenheim; The Asia Foundation)

USAID opens grant for anti-human trafficking campaign in Afghanistan(GDA), the USAID in Afghanistan requests for Concept Papers for specific initiatives related to the Mission’s awareness campaign on and against human trafficking; and is intended to communicate to both government officials and other targeted public audiences. Application for the grant closes on 31 January 2014.

The grant (APS-306-13-000002) seeks to rally private sector resources and expertise for a targeted campaign throughout the country and possibly within the region including Almaty Consensus countries that are part of the New Silk Road Strategy, complementing a range of capacity-building activities. The USAID, in a statement, said “where human trafficking flourishes it undermines the credibility of the government to the local population and thus erodes prospects for stability in the region. Many post-conflict countries are breeding ground for human trafficking because of the disrupted social mores, an influx of cash from international donors, the rise in poverty and vulnerable groups like refugees, and increasing organised crimes.”

Human trafficking in Afghanistan has remained largely misunderstood, stemming from its own local culture. There is a serious lack of solid data on human trafficking globally and in Afghanistan due to the limited definition of trafficking itself; an inability of the government to recognise cases; weak legal framework to prosecute offenders; the correlation of shame and honour in local culture that fails to recognise women and children as victims; and the lack of political will. Tagged as one of the worst places in the world to be female, Afghani women are most vulnerable to trafficking; wherein government workers and legal professionals have very little incentive for their counter-trafficking efforts.

from page 1

The US Department of State has also reported this year that “Afghanistan remains a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking.”

Last year, 93 per cent of the 341 cases that the International Organisation for Migration assisted were victims of internal trafficking; and almost 75 per cent of these cases were forced labour. Young boys are also exploited domestically and across borders, for sexual and commercial entertainment purposes; while foreigners from the region are trafficked into the country for various forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. The UNODC in Vienna has cited Afghan government officials as unable to recognise trafficking cases, thus they are unable to provide appropriate responses for victim care and legal rights, or analyse underlying socio-economic causes of the crime.

This nationwide campaign will improve understanding, facilitate coordination, and ultimately reduce, if not totally eliminate human trafficking in Afghanistan and the region. USAID encourages innovative alliances with or between the private sector, including local and multi-national corporations, and NGOs to support the goals of this campaign; and is open to alliances with both local Afghan entities and international partners. Applicants are advised to form national and international partnerships whenever possible. Partnerships will tap into the country’s strong tradition of community radio, TV programming, social media networking sites and the use of public signage, billboards and all other relevant communication tools.

The USAID will give priority to projects supporting activities for youth-oriented programmes using popular social media, TV

and the radio; small grants to organisations that provide services to youth at risk for forced labour and sex trafficking; cross-border awareness raising campaigns that engage civil society and national actors; street theatre, puppet shows, public debates or other culturally appropriate techniques based on local context; media training programmes that strengthen local organisational capacities; and awareness campaigns targeting government officials including police and border patrol agents.

For more information or to access the full application package, visit www.grants.gov; or get in contact with the local USAID office via www.usaid.gov/afghanistan. ■

Aid, development in conflict zones: the case of Asia’s contested cornersfrom page 1

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C O U N T R Y F E AT U R EA C R O S S A S I A

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), through an official development assistance (ODA), has granted a USD436.24 million loan to the Philippine government for enhancing Metro Manila’s mass transit systems in Metro Manila. Approved in October by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the loan will improve the capacities of the Manila LRT (Light Rail Transit) Lines 1 and 2.

Philippine Central Bank Governor Amando Tetangco said the works will include extending the lines from Baclaran station to Bacoor in Cavite province; and from Santolan to Masinag. He added “the project also aims to mitigate congestion and air pollution.”The LRT-2 Masinag extension project, approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in September last year, will be a PHP9.67 billion ($224.89) undertaking; while the LRT-1 extension is estimated around P60 B ($1.4 M). The LRT-1 project, which involves the extension of the railway by 11.7 km to Cavite from the Baclaran station, is the Aquino administration’s biggest public-private partnership (PPP) offered to date.

The ODA will account for the purchase of the trains; while the Philippine government funds the civil works. (BusinessWorld)

$436 M ODA loan from JICA approved for Manila transport line

Japan provides emergency aid to Palestine refugeesA USD5 million emergency aid to Palestinian refugees displaced by the ongoing conflict in Syria was pledged by the Japanese government.

“Funds are given through a local UN agency to assist over 500,000 Palestinian refugees who had to leave their homes and settle elsewhere within the country or to neighbouring countries to escape the escalating violence in Syria,” said

Vietnam joins UN peacekeepingIn a move to establish and strengthen strategic ties with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Vietnamese government will now be joining the UN’s peacekeeping operations, “first in non-combat roles like military engineering, medicine and observation,” announced Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung recently at the Shangri-La Dialogue

Dung added that it is their country’s interest to establish strategic partnerships but that the principles of independence, sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of each other, mutual respect, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation are committed to and seriously implemented.

Edmond Mulet, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, visited Vietnam earlier this year to help the country prepare to join the organisation's peacekeeping force in 2014. There have been 15 peacekeeping operations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and South Asia as of March this year; with 116 countries having contributed military and police personnel to the effort

The UN does not have its own military force; and thus only depend on contributions from member states.

Dung maintained that Vietnam “will not be a military ally to any country," nor will it allow any country to put up military bases in Vietnam; emphasising the country’s military policy is that of peace and self-defence. (CNAsia)

FAO, IFAD launch $2.6 M project for small-scale agri in developing countries The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have jointly launched a new project to help developing countries manage public investments in small-scale agriculture more effectively. The initiative USD2.6 million initiative will be co-financed by the UN food agencies focusing on countries where a lack of strong national governance means development projects can face serious challenges in delivering results.

Over a two year-period, 15 projects in ten countries will be targeted; with priority given to [projects] already under way but are encountering financial and technical difficulties. The Investment Centre Division of FAO, which leads the organisation’s efforts to generate increased investment in agriculture and rural development, will collaborate with countries to improve their ability to plan and implement IFAD-funded investment programmes.

“Fragile states host the greatest proportion of poorly performing agriculture projects, and IFAD has found that the major problems consist of weak local institutions

UAE pledges over $1.5 billion in foreign aidThe ministry of development and international cooperation of the United Arab Emirates has announced over AED5.59 billion (USD1.52 billion) in grants and loans have been committed to 137 countries around the world. Ranked last year as the world's 16th most generous donor by OECD, the UAE allocated the fund towards future projects, in the recently released Foreign Aid 2012 report.

Furthermore, the report confirmed that nearly 78 per cent of these funds will be for official development assistance (ODA)

UAE Minister for Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said of the report in a statement: "This foreign policy shows the continued application of the values and principles created by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, and the country’s practical commitment to respond to humanitarian crises and natural disasters across the world.”

The report also cited some 87% of the aid would go to development projects; 6.9% to humanitarian assistance; while 6.1% went to charity projects.

The UAE’s foreign assistance last year were mostly offered to Asia, which topped the list receiving more than half or D3.24 B ($883 M) of the total disbursements. (NYD)

and weak local management. This co-financed project will address both the capacity-building and institution-building requirements of these poorly performing projects,” said IFAD Associate VP for Programmes, Kevin Cleaver.

As for Laurent Thomas, Assistant Director-General for the FAO’s Technical Cooperation Department, the initiative presents a more strategic approach in collaboration which will enable both UN agencies to plan better and significantly enhance the effectiveness and quality of their services to member countries. “It will lead to better results and, ultimately, to a greater impact on the livelihoods of those targeted by the programmes.”

The $2 M grant for the project was approved by IFAD's Executive Board last month; while FAO and participating countries will each add another $300,000 to the initiative. The FAO works constantly with its sister agency through the FAO-IFAD Cooperative Programme, which has created more than 300 joint operations worth almost $9 billion between 1977 and 2012. (FAO)

ADB grants Bangladesh $500 M loan for secondary education reforms The Asian Development Bank is granting Bangladesh a USD500 million loan to finance a major overhaul of secondary education to meet the country’s need for skilled, technology-savvy workers. Annually about 2 million of the youth enter the Bangladesh job market but an estimated 90 per cent end up in poorly paid informal work that requires very few skills. This workforce is negatively affecting productivity and is weighing on attempts to diversify the economy.

“Bangladesh will have a huge working-age population in the next decade and the country needs to take advantage of the demographic dividend to accelerate growth and poverty reduction. Currently, the secondary education system in the country is not producing graduates who can fit easily into a modern, information-driven economy,” said Sungsup Ra, the ADB’s director of the Human and Social Development Division in its South Asia Department.

Although great progress has been made by the country in improving enrollment rates among girls and boys,

secondary schools are still not offering updated courses while teaching materials still lack common school standards; in addition to poor teaching, and weak management. Dropout rates are also high, with only 46% of students completing the full five-year secondary school cycle.

The ADB loan, to be provided in four percentages over the next decade, supports the government’s $17.1 B, 10-year secondary education reform plan. It aims to increase students to about 3.5 M by 2023, which would then require an additional 145,000 teachers and 10,000 more schools. Student stipends will also be assessed to ensure the funds go to those who need them most—poorer students and girls in particular—to encourage them to attend and, more importantly, stay in school. (ADB)

Hong Kong NGO to kids: think, cook, saveWith massive food shortages across the world and lack of access to healthy and nutritious food both in developing and industrialised societies, Go.Asia, a regional non-government organisation, launched the programme Think. Cook. Save., a series of workshops for 70 secondary and primary schools in Hong Kong last September.

The programme capacitates students and children to think (know the basic food knowledge and what healthy diet is), cook (be involved in preparing their food) and save (to conserve their resources while being good stewards of the environment). Think. Cook. Save provides free and quality basic food education to primary and secondary students, which also include an interactive presentation and cooking demonstration so they can acquire basic cooking techniques. The programme enables them to tell the difference between processed food and real food, as well as how to choose healthy food for themselves.

Living in a city like Hong Kong has made children and families heavily reliant on fast and processed food; with children growing in a culture of restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores. Yet the World Health Organization has reported that processed food is high in fat, sugar, and salt content, yet lacking micro-nutrients, leading to obesity and malnutrition.

“For the first year, our team will work with 70 schools and publish a Health and Food Education Kit, through which we hope parents, teachers, volunteers and NGOs can help us provide quality health and food education to children and adults. We hope that through knowing our food well, everyone can enjoy life by choosing the right type of food,” said Beatrice Chan, chief of Go.Asia and co-founder of the programme. The programme was jointly developed by Chan, voluntary ambassador Jaime Oliver and Hong Kong celebrity chef Alvina Chan, founder of Alvina Cookery.

“If only we could enable our children to learn cooking fresh food, they will surely appreciate the variety of what’s available to us. And if only we could teach our children about planting and harvesting, they will surely develop the willingness to eat vegetables,” Chan added. ■

Junya Matsuura, Japan's Representative to the Palestinian Authority. The cash donation will be used to make educational provision for children.

This new commitment of Japan comes as part of a $60 M humanitarian aid package for Syria, as announced by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September. (Global Times)

13 www.asianngo.org

A C R O S S A S I AC S R C O R N E R

SAP Labs India is working with HOPE Foundation supporting flood-affected children and youth in Uttarakhand, establishing a Skills Development Centre, a Computer Training Centre and a Science Laboratory in Thatyur, Tehri Garhwal District. The facilities will offer long-term solutions to the community through computer and vocational training for its youth and women. The skills development centre will provide computer training to approximately 700 individuals; while the science laboratory will enable 250 students to pursue higher education in Science and Engineering.

The training will be part of SAP’s continuing initiative, Project Lakshya, which aims at bridging the digital divide in communities. Specifically, Project Lakshya aims to train 100,000 youth and children on MS Office applications to make them readily employable. It has been executed in partnership with NGOs including theHOPE Foundation, Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) of Mumbai, the NKT Trust of Chennai, the Navjyoti Foundation of New Delhi and the Shikhar Organization across India.

“We understand that education and technology enablement can impact lives and transform societies so our effort in Uttarakhand aims to provide long term sustainable solution through education and enabling livelihood opportunities to those impacted by the flood in the district.” said Anirban Dey, managing director of SAP Labs India. According to Dey, SAP’s CSR focuses on three pillars: education, entrepreneurship and technology donation. ■

HOPE Foundation, SAP start skills development projects in India

Ayala, Globe renew support for seedling programmeAyala Foundation Inc., in partnership with Globe Telecom, has donated 60 refurbished computers to 21 elementary schools of Benguet province in Northern Philippines. Under the ‘Roots & Shoots’ programme of the Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT), these computers will be supplemental to the teaching of environmental education to students selected to maintain the seedling bank.

“In bringing technology to the children especially those in remote areas, hopefully, these computers will serve as an avenue for the students to explore more about their environment so they can see the value in protecting it for their future,” said Luili Heras-De Leon, President of Ayala Foundation.

Roots & Shoots is implemented by CCT in partnership with the Department of Education in Benguet, with the aim to bring needed seedlings to replenish balding mountainsides. The initiative supports the enhancement of community watersheds and thus prevents landslides in critical areas; and offers a livelihood source for the school and community with the inclusion of commercial crops such as coffee for inter-planting.

“We always welcome any support to further our goal of educating the young on the importance of our forests and have them play an active role in re-building and maintaining them. As our slogan for Roots & Shoots says, ‘start with the seed and start with the young’ and grow forests from there,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe OIC for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Globe had earlier provided PHP800,000 to open 21 seedling nurseries hosted by public elementary schools in La Trinidad, Tuba, Kapangan, and Kayabayan. The fund was raised during the Globe Cordillera biking challenge held last year. More recently Globe has raised another PHP1.2 million (USD28,571) at the Globe Cordillera Challenge 4 from registrations, pledges and sponsorships to fund the building of 30 additional seedling nurseries. ■

Shangri-La launches initiative to ease charity donation Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts' guest loyalty programme, Golden Circle Award Points, is donating on behalf of its members USD20 to charities for every 1,000 GC Award points. The minimum donation for this initiative is 2,000 GC Award Points and thereafter can be increased by increments of 1,000 GC Awards points.

"We're excited to offer our members another way to redeem GC Awards Points should they wish to do so. By engaging members through different and meaningful causes, the company will be able to align shared interests and resources with its members in helping make a real difference,” said Ng Wee Kee, Shangri-La vice-president for Loyalty and Partner Marketing.

Shangri-La is currently supporting two charities, Oxfam Hong Kong and MedArt, to which GC members can donate points. Under the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes;

and strives to enrich the local communities in which it operates through philanthropic partnerships and actions. One of the projects the chain supports is the Embrace Education Fund to aid children in developing countries with school fees, books and learning materials; as well as basic health necessities. Another is the Care for Panda Project in Chengdu (China), in which they sponsored a planting campaign of more than 9,000 Lei bamboo and 90 trees on the 1.6-hectare plantation.

A maximum of 10,000 GC Points or equal to a US$200 cash donation can be given by a Golden Circle member any one time. Members may check with the loyalty programme’s website www.goldencircle.shangri-la.com in giving their donation to Shangri-La's preferred charities or CSR projects. Other Shangri-La-supported philanthropic organisations will be added to a Points Donation initiative in 2014. ■

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��ple�enting �S� 22301��siness Contin�ity Manage�ent Lea� A��itorCETa � Criti�al En�iron�ent Te��ni�ian Asso�iateSi� Sig�a �ellow �eltA��elerate� Si� Sig�a �reen �eltSi� Sig�a �la�k �eltLean �ra�titionerC�A� � Certi�ie� ��siness Analysis �ro�essional ­E­A­­­­A­ E­CE­­E­CE ( ­E­)Training ��� � �et�rn o� �n�est�entT�A � Training �ee�s AnalysisCo�plaints Manage�ent � T�rning Co�plaints to Co�pli�entsCo�peten�y �ro�ilingC��A � Certi�ie� �� Analyst C�A � Certi�ie� �e�r�it�ent Analyst CL�M � Certi�ie� Learning & �e�elop�ent Manager ���� � ���an �eso�r�e ��siness �ro�essional (S��M Certi�ie�)��M� � ���an �eso�r�e Manage�ent �ro�essional (S��M Certi�ie�)C­­P­­ATE ­­­TA­­A­­­­T­ & ­­­E­­A­CE (C­­)CSA� � Certi�ie� S�stainability Ass�ran�e �ra�titionerEEE � Energy E��i�ien�y E��ellen�eS�� � S�stainability �eporting �ra�titionerS�� � S�stainability �eporting �ra�titioner (��� Certi�ie�)Carbon Footprint � ���set yo�r �n��lgen�e (�AS 2050, �S� 14064)�eaping �et�rns � Meas�re S���ess o� yo�r CS� & S�stainability �nitiati�esCarbon �e�trality � �AS 2060�rgani�ing S�stainable E�ents � T�e F�t�re o� Meeting

14 www.asianngo.org

C O U N T R Y F E AT U R ET O O L S A N D R E S O U R C E S

4. Urgency and efficiencyNow that your metrics are clear and your targets defined, rank them according to which tasks and targets are most urgent against those that may be considered cost-effective—both time- and money-wise. Your targets may still be further sorted out at this stage, depending on the direction you steer the project into; but keep in mind the value of each target.

5. Define your implementation timelineAt this stage, create your layout for implementation, based on your or your partners’ defined schedule and the corresponding targets for each phase; as well as the overall aims. Be conscious of keeping your outline simple but at the same time clear with the tasks at every stage; while keeping mindful of being realistic with the goals you have set for your team. For documentation and tracking’s sake, include some metrics on the deliverables: who’s in charge, how long does it take, how urgent are they, how much will it cost. If dealing with a high-risk project (i.e., conflict zone, disaster-related, etc.), be mindful of contingencies: do you have a Plan B, or should there be?

6. Keep measuring your targetsWhile moving ahead and keeping in mind the metrics you have established, track progress using a comparative approach: how do your actual [progress] fare with your pre-determined goals? At this stage, it is worth re-visiting your metrics and see if they have been helpful. If not, is it time to change your approach while it’s not yet too late; should the project change course, or should it be stalled altogether? Again, examine the urgency-efficiency factors of your project outline.

A checklist like this is meant to guide your team and allow for proper tracking of your project’s progress not only in keeping with your own goals but to also measure the rate of success that you, your team and your partners are making. Similarly, when the project is completed there is a tangible basis for any issues that may arise; which can also serve as learning curve for your future reference.

This can make the post-implementation and evaluation discussions as objective as you can get. Although professional project managers may have varying working styles depending on their background and previous working environments, one can never underestimate the use of a checklist or guideline to keep everyone—and everything—on track.

For more learning resources, follow us at www.facebook.com/asianngo or visit www.asianngo.org. ■

Projects, as simple or complex they may be, require established goals and an able team to carry out. Irrespective of the size of the team or stakeholder map that a project is managed or the diversity of interests, projects take on a basic structure to set its direction. But at the onset of any project, there may already be signs if it will be successful or otherwise. Sure any team of project managers wants only success. But projects for NGOs, like any other event or job, need basic qualitative and quantitative metrics for success. Here are six points to guide project managers and development workers may consider when implementing their project(s):

1. Set your standards based on best-practicesRe-visit the aims and targets set in your project outline; including prior research, data gathered from previous initiatives, carefully-outlined risk assessments and mitigation plans, and other relevant information. Pool these together and pick the ones you think you will need most, including case studies and best-practices, to guide you on setting some criteria for success. In some international organisations, they refer to previous projects, or learnings they have gathered from regular conferences and internal evaluation meetings. Some have guide books while others keep to internally-produced manuals on varying degrees of technicalities of project implementations. Of course, it also helps to share information with your stakeholders and partners, learning from their own experiences.

2. Establish metrics for your success criteriaBased on each of the criteria you have set for success, set your indicators that measure the progress you are achieving—ideally against each criterion. You will need direction in monitoring your progress even at a step-by-step level so keep them straightforward and easily measurable, both for you and the members of your project team. For example, create a ‘targets’ column against an ‘actuals’ column in your plan; and list the items in one column with which you can quantify against the other.

3. Be comprehensive but maintain a balanceEnsure encompassing guidelines for all facets of the project, while keeping your metrics both detailed and balanced. This should apply to a well-defined budget, clear implementation timeline, a thoughtfully established set of targets for you and for your partners, and a proper engagement policy with stakeholders. Naturally, the project should not only be beneficial to your organisation; it must ultimately fulfill your aims for your beneficiaries and the targets of your project partners.

Your 6-point checklist for success

For further information and more events, visit www.asianngo.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

11 - 15 November 2013Grant and Cooperative Agreement Course for USAID NGOs

Manila, Philippines

14 - 15 November 2013Procurement Planning & Execution: USAID Grants & Cooperative Agreements

Bangkok, Thailand

11 - 13 November 2013USAID Rules & Regulations: Grants & Cooperative Agreements

Bangkok, Thailand

18 November 2013Conference on Regional cooperation in Advancing Responsible Business Practices

Bangkok, Thailand

13 - 14 November 2013AidEx

Brussels, Belgium

20 - 21 November 2013CSR Live Week

Mumbai, India

19 - 20 November 2013Social Innovation Summit 2013

Stanford, USA

20 - 21 November 2013NGO Asia Expo

India

26 - 27 November 2013AIDF

Bangkok,Thailand

25 - 26 November 2013Responsible Business Forum

Singapore

28 November 2013B4E Business for the Environment IndonesiaSummit

Indonesia

4 - 5 December 2013Citi-FT Financial Education Summit

Hong Kong

9 - 12 December 2013World Congress on Sustainable Technologies

London, UK

15 - 18 December 2013India Japan Global Partnership Summit

Greater Noida, India

3 - 4 December 2013Asia Green Conference Selangor, Malaysia

Grants management workshop for NGOsA Grants and Cooperative Agreements workshop for non-government organisations managing grants from the United States Agency for International Development, will be hosted on 24-26 March 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. Part of a series of trainings across the globe, this workshop compliments the USAID’s continued works in the Asia-Pacific and in ensuring transparency and accountability among NGOs in the region.

The workshop will examine important regulations for USAID grants and cooperative agreements; demonstrate how to navigate through its regulations; create an award review process to maintain compliant implementation; explore USAID structure and how to build cooperative relationships with key players; discuss approvals, waivers and extensions issues; and overall help prepare organisation to meet the criteria for successful audits. In particular, the workshop will also help participants prepare in cost sharing and in determining restrictions to spending, understand the correct procedures for purchasing equipment, disposing of properties, and documentation.

International organisations and NGOs that thrive on community works funded by the USAID often face challenges in effectively managing their grants. As rules and regulations on grant management can be complex, practical application of these rules is crucial for compliant project

Water security is top development agenda—UNESCAPThe UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) headquarters in Bangkok will host the AIDF Water Security: Asia 2013 in February 2014, bringing together policy leaders and practitioners involved in agriculture, water, health, environment and utilities from governments, the UN system, various NGOs and businesses.

The summit will highlight the challenges that the water sector faces, share best practices, showcase new technologies and services, and enable new partnerships to

encourage sustainable development. “This forum is a great opportunity for us to engage in expert discussions, share relevant knowledge, and learn from the experience of others. The world today is facing diverse challenges, and the humanitarian business needs to keep up,” said Birgitte Olsen, IFRC’s head of Global Logistics Service.

For more information on the Water conference, or to register as participant, sponsor or speaker at the event, visit www.aidforumonline.org. (AIDF)

implementation and ensuring proper. Organisations need their members to understand how USAID grants—as with any other aid donor—can effectively manage their funded works based on the USAID’s rules and regulations to maintain donor compliance.

Facilitated by team of senior practitioners with decades of experience in managing USAID grants and projects, the workshop combines instruction with large and small group formats, ample question and answer time and opportunities to speak with the trainers throughout. This workshop is open to and recommended for finance, contracts and grants staff, administrative staff, programme staff, development staff, independent auditors and even new USAID staff.

InsideNGO, facilitator of a series of workshops of similar nature, seeks to strengthen the operational and management capacity of organisations in the global non-government community by collaboration, practical solutions, professional development, and advocacy. It reaches out to development workers and the NGOs’ professionals who provide structure and expertise to support the impact of their respective organisations. For more information on the works of InsideNGO or on the registration for the workshop, as well as other events and trainings, visit www.insidengo.org. ■

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A C R O S S A S I AT O O L S A N D R E S O U R C E S

AVAILABLE GRANTS

Clean Energy and Network Efficiency Improvement Project (Works and Services)Donor: Asian Development Bank (ADB)Country: Sri LankaGrant Value: Not specifiedArea(s) of Interest: InfrastructureDeadline for Application: 4 Dec 2013

Regional Power Transmission Enhancement Project (Works and Services)Donor: Asian Development Bank (ADB)Country: GeorgiaGrant Value: Not specifiedArea(s) of Interest: Infrastructure/EnergyDeadline for Application: 20 Dec 2013

Awareness Campaign for Counter-Trafficking of Persons (Grant)Donor: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Country: AfghanistanGrant Value: Not specifiedArea(s) of Interest: Human RightsDeadline for Application: 31 Jan 2014

Supply/Delivery of text books for the Universal Secondary Education (Goods Procurement)Donor: The World BankCountries: UgandaGrant Value: Not specifiedArea(s) of Interest: EducationDeadline for Application: 18 May 2014

Rehabilitate of Municipal Water Supply Networks (Works and Services)Donor: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Country: ArmeniaGrant Value: EUR20 MArea(s) of Interest: InfrastructureDeadline for Application: 10 July 2014

Khujand International Airport Rehabilitation Project (Works and Services)Donor: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)Country: TajikistanGrant Value: USD7.2 MArea(s) of Interest: InfrastructureDeadline for Application: 21 Aug 2014

General Procurement Notice for Irrigation and Drainage (Works and Services)Donor: Islamic Development Bank (IDB)Country: TajikistanGrant Value: USD26.76 MArea(s) of Interest: InfrastructureDeadline for Application: 1 Oct 2014

For further information and more grants, visit www.asianngo.org

Quality Improvement of Padjadjaran University (Works and Services)Donor: Islamic Development Bank (IDB)Country: IndonesiaGrant Value: USD35.23 MArea(s) of Interest: Infrastructure/EducationDeadline for Application: 31 May 2014

Development and Quality Improvement of IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya (Works and Services)Donor: Islamic Development Bank (IDB)DevelopmentCountry: IndonesiaGrant Value: USD35 MArea(s) of Interest: InfrastructureDeadline for Application: 31 May 2014

WEF releases guide for entrepreneurshipWith innovations in local and global businesses, social entrepreneurs and non-profit groups finding fresher ideas by the day, Planet Entrepreneur, a guide to achieving global business success has recently been published to optimise and sustain breakthroughs that young entrepreneurs and development advocates offer as a solution to the world’s most pressing issues.

Planet Entrepreneur is written by members of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, a global think-tank promoting global entrepreneurship, with chapters on social media, green business and empowering women and minorities. The guide addresses challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the setting of the global entrepreneurial ecosystem; and explores all facets of global entrepreneurship, teaches people to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and begin a successful business venture while working towards a better future.

Aside from being a think tank, the World Entrepreneurial Forum aims to be a ‘do tank’ as well: by both developing ideas and recommendations regarding entrepreneurship; and also facilitating and implementing initiatives on a local or global scale. It embraces a dual approach: linking the economic aspect of enterprises to social dimensions, thus creating wealth and social justice simultaneously.

The World Entrepreneurship Forum also hosts an annual event where a global network of business and social entrepreneurs, policy

makers, experts and academics meet; sharing the main belief that entrepreneurship, in creating both wealth and social justice, has a substantial influence in shaping the future. This year’s sixth edition, taking place in November in Singapore, gathers over 250 participants from 60 countries; with the theme: ‘Entrepreneurs: navigating change for sustainable growth.’ (WEF)

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ADB study: growth not enough to end povertyA new study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the National University of Singapore reveals that despite Asia’s rapid growth, a large number still live in poverty and suffer hunger and other forms of deprivation. The ADB has warned this could dampen the sustainability of the region’s growth and aimed integration.

“Ending Asian Deprivations,” a compilation of analyses from 23 development experts across the region, cites that despite the region’s boom, the number of people left behind suggests that past development efforts have not been enough to end poverty and deprivation. While GDP growth helps income poverty reduction, the report shows [GDP] plays a much smaller part in eliminating other deprivations, like education and health outcomes. In addition, the spike in inequality creates an environment that impacts future economic growth through slower poverty reduction and employment generation.

“Asia’s future prosperity will only be assured if countries continue the fight against poverty and other areas of deprivation; but this will require proactive state intervention,”

says Kazu Sakai, director-general of the ADB’s Strategy and Policy Department. As the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) looms, the report provides a timely reminder of the areas in the region that still need to be worked on and the steps to be done to end deprivation across the board.

There has been a sharp decline in poverty levels in recent decades, but a fifth of Asia’s population still lives in extreme poverty—a figure that could rise to one in two if vulnerable groups who can easily revert to extreme poverty are included. In terms of achieving the MDGs, many countries likely fall short in areas like basic sanitation, underweight children, infant and maternal mortality.

To make growth more inclusive and promote more effective state action, new approaches may be considered beneficial in areas such as skills development, delivery of quality education, and incentives for entrepreneurs. These must be implemented along with institutional improvements and stronger partnerships with the private sector and the civil society.

C O U N T R Y F E AT U R EF E AT U R E S

Chemical weapons watchdog is 2013 Nobel Peace awardeeThe Nobel Peace Prize this year will be awarded to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, for its works in stopping further harm using chemical attacks in the conflict in Syria and in eliminating over 80% of the declared chemical arms around the world. The Nobel Prize thus recognizes more than 16 years of OPCW’s hard and dangerous but largely unsung works in the long history of international and multi-lateral efforts to keep the world a safe place from chemical weapons.

This August, despite a modest budget, the OPCW sent experts to Damascus after attacks using sarin gas killed over 1,400 people. Prior to the Syrian conflict thrust the OPCW into the spotlight, it had worked largely undisturbed in its headquarters in The Hague (The Netherlands), which experts describe as a far cry from the glassy towers of its much-better-known nuclear watchdog cousin, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquartered in the UN Centre in Vienna.

But little publicity has, in fact, helped the OPCW go about its works with relatively quiet but remarkable efficiency. Since OPCW opened in 1997, it has managed eliminating more than 80% of the world's declared chemical weapons, starting with what was left of Albania’s former communist regime following the collapse of Yugoslavia.

"Chemical weapons are horrible things and must never be

Lawmakers will also need to play a bigger role to promote better conditions for small- and medium-enterprises to bloom; and reduce the informal sector through actions like property rights improvement and financial access.

Similarly, the state needs to increase support in areas like infrastructure; improving urban environments, social protection programmes; the removal of gender inequities; and labour market rigidities to increase opportunities for employment.

Tighter regional cooperation is also vital, with the ADB anticipating infrastructure projects for cross-border connectivity that could benefit [regional] development in the decade up to 2020 and beyond.

Clearly-defined goals with a definite timeframe are what any successful development approach needs; plus a strategy to achieve them, and a detailed list of public interventions. Hence, future development goals need to incorporate region- and country-specific needs to add to effective base goals. ■

used. Achieving this will contribute not just to disarmament but also to strengthen the humanity within us," Malik Ellahi, political adviser to the OPCW director general, told Reuters.

The OPCW has also managed to dismantle all of India’s and South Korea’s chemical arms, nearly all of Libya's arsenal and about 90% of the United States’ massive stock. Thus far, it continues to work on eliminating the chemical weapons left behind by Japan's wartime occupation of China; and Russia's chemical arms, also a large remnant from the cold war, is almost 70% disarmed. The recent mission to Syria has been described as the agency’s most dangerous that its inspectors have undertaken, operating while in the middle of a war zone.

“The Peace Prize reminds all nations to eliminate their own large stockpiles [or chemical weapons]. Through the OPCW’s works we now have the opportunity to get rid of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction; and it would be a great event in history if we could achieve that," Nobel Peace Prize committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said of the decision to award the [Prize] to the OPCW.

This year’s peace prize could also heighten the pressure on countries that are still not party to the chemical weapons convention: Israel, Egypt, North Korea, Burma, Angola and South Sudan. (With reports from the Reuters and Global Development.) The headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical

Weapons in The Hague, The Netherlands. (Image: Frans Schmit)