Ideas for Change - Because the right idea can change the world » Invited Contributor

Extractive industries…what’s the problem?

Invited Contributor — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:08:09 +0000

New Routes is a quarterly journal offering analysis and commentary on issues of peace, justice and development as they relate to LPI concerns and programme areas. It includes information about current LPI activities, projects and publications.

The first New Routes issue for 2010 will be a mixed issue with, among other things, an article on UNRWA’s role in Gaza and an article on the xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The second issue is planned to be be a thematic issue with focus on extractive industries and their roots in and effects on conflicts and human rights.
Click here to download the issue

Ship to Gaza – The world is never black and white

Invited Contributor — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:51:47 +0000

The world talks about the Ship To Gaza issues and all media report on how the peaceful convoy [...] Related posts:

Culture Conflict Theory

Invited Contributor — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:19:58 +0000

by Robert Keel

As indicated in our class discussion following the development of Social Disorganization Theory at the University of Chicago during the early Twentieth century, questions concerning the accuracy of a broad, integrated and consensual value and normative system emerged. Rather than conceptualizing deviance as a problem of the stress and strain related to a weakening of social control, the idea, rooted in a Marxist image of social inequality and competition, of the social system being constituted by diverse cultural groups with conflicting interests, values, and norms emerged. Within the Conflict perspective, deviance is conceptualized not as abnormal behavior brought on by faulty socialization or normative ambiguity, but as a normal, political process brought about by inter-group struggle for dominance.

Viewing conflict through the lens of culture

Invited Contributor — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:17:59 +0000

by Cindy Fazzi

The Conflict & Culture Reader.

How many times have you heard people say that the French are rude, the English are cold, and Asians are passive? And what about the term “the ugly American?” It is unfortunate that cultural differences are usually viewed through the lens of such stereotyping. It is doubly unfortunate when such stereotyping is carried over in situations of conflict.

CONFLICT THEORY AND CULTURAL PARADIGMS

Invited Contributor — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:12:38 +0000

by By Alma Abdul-Hadi Jadallah

Let me share with you a model that was presented by the Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. The first paradigm deals with rational choice where we look at the parties’ interests and positions. The second is the cultural paradigm where we address the values and worldviews of the parties and finally, there is the biogenetic paradigm which addresses the basic need for existence – the need for security, love, food (modeled after the Maslow hierarchy of needs). Our presentation focuses on the cultural paradigm and even though it is not necessarily in isolation from the others, we continue to witness more and more attention given to this topic.
First let me use the working definitions of conflict and culture. For the purpose of this presentation I will use the definition of conflict, as defined by Neil Katz, “…as a strong emotion resulting from a perceived difference in needs or values.” For example, a Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his international transcendental meditation movement are fighting a bitter battle with their neighbors in a European village over the St. Ludwig monastery, which is considered a historical national monument for the villagers. The battle arose because the guru plans to demolish the historic Franciscan monastery partly because it doesn’t face due east. According to the Maharishi’s architectural theories, building entrances should face east so they can gather their energy from the rising sun. The monastery is 29 degrees off. Bad architecture, according to one of the group’s many glossy pamphlets, promotes anxiety, bad luck and even criminal tendencies.

Culture and Conflict

Invited Contributor — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:11:16 +0000

by Michelle LeBaron

Michelle LeBaron

Culture is an essential part of conflict and conflict resolution. Cultures are like underground rivers that run through our lives and relationships, giving us messages that shape our perceptions, attributions, judgments, and ideas of self and other. Though cultures are powerful, they are often unconscious, influencing conflict and attempts to resolve conflict in imperceptible ways.

Cultures are more than language, dress, and food customs. Cultural groups may share race, ethnicity, or nationality, but they also arise from cleavages of generation, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, ability and disability, political and religious affiliation, language, and gender — to name only a few.

Project management on the edge of chaos

Invited Contributor — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:46:07 +0000

Project management on the edge of chaos

by Arne Vestergaard and Marianne Smedegaard

We have for a number of years taught project managers how to manage people and processes. We have heard stories from many different organisations describing numerous ways to understand and execute projects. It seems that there exists not a single correct way to manage projects, but many possible ways. One thing, though, seems to be characteristic of most of the cases. Top management expects the project manager to have complete control over the project and to have answers to any question anyone might want to ask. In many cases it is also a requirement that the project manager ensures that members of the project group have clear goals and that the development of the project is on schedule.

In this paper we want to explore to what extent the effort to control and direct a project is useful, and to what extent a project can be restricted by tight control. Perhaps there are other concepts for project management that better fit with the complexity and variability that characterise projects in today’s world. Perhaps it is preferable to see projects as a living system rather than strategically and bureaucratically.

A change in perspective of this kind would mean that the project organisation must relinquish the idea of having control over the project all the time and, if they do achieve control, see it as a temporary state of affairs. Some degree of chaos then becomes a necessary (but not exclusive) condition for innovation and for handling complexity and change. In other words, the project manager must place the project on the edge of chaos. In this paper we will try to understand what this means in practice.

GLOBAL TRADE LOGISTICS IMPROVING, BUT MORE NEEDED TO BOOST RECOVERY

Invited Contributor — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:24:08 +0000

GLOBAL TRADE LOGISTICS IMPROVING, BUT MORE NEEDED TO BOOST RECOVERY

Brazil, China, Bangladesh and Uganda see upgrade in rankings, as Germany tops list

WASHINGTON, January 15, 2010—The capacity of countries to efficiently move goods and connect manufacturers and consumers with international markets is improving around the world, but much more progress is needed to spur faster economic growth and help firms benefit from trade recovery, according to a new World Bank Group survey on trade logistics.

Germany is the top performer among the 155 economies ranked in the Logistics Performance Indicators (LPI), which are included in the report Connecting to Compete 2010: Trade Logistics in the Global Economy. The study is based on the most comprehensive world survey of international freight forwarders and express carriers.

“Economic competitiveness is relentlessly driving countries to strengthen performance, and improving trade logistics is a smart way to deliver more efficiencies, lower costs and added economic growth,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, who is visiting Berlin January 13 -15 to discuss global development and economic issues. “Streamlining the connections among markets, manufacturers, farmers and consumers offers tremendous growth and investment opportunities and should be a top focus for developing country growth strategies. As we issue this global report, I’m pleased to be in Germany, the top performer on efficient logistics.”

According to the LPI, high income economies dominate the top logistics rankings, with most of them occupying important places in global and regional supply chains. By contrast, the ten lowest performing countries are almost all from the low and lower income groups.

Although the study shows a substantial “logistics gap” between rich countries and most developing countries, it finds positive trends in some areas essential to logistics performance and trade. Some of them include the modernization of customs, use of information technology, and development of private logistics services.

“Following our first survey in 2007, many developing countries have improved their capacity to connect to international markets, which is a key ingredient for competitiveness and economic growth,” said Otaviano Canuto, World Bank Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management. “But if developing countries want to come out of the crisis in a stronger and more competitive position, they need to invest in better trade logistics.”

“Countries with better logistics performance can grow faster, become more competitive and increase their level of investment,” said Bernard Hoekman, World Bank Trade Department Director. “Our research shows that increasing logistics performance in low income countries to the middle-income average could boost trade by around 15 per cent and benefit all firms and consumers through lower prices and better quality services.”

The report, headed by World Bank Group economists Jean Francois Arvis and Monica Alina Mustra, notes that among developing economies logistics performance transcends the level of per capita income: Many countries perform better than what their income level would suggest. The ten most significant over-performers include China (27), India (47), Uganda (66), Vietnam (53), Thailand (35), the Philippines (44), and South Africa (28).

Likewise, the countries with significant improvement in performance between the two surveys (the 2007 and 2010 LPI) are often those which implemented comprehensive logistics and trade facilitation reforms earlier, such as Colombia, Brazil, and Tunisia.

In terms of how developing countries are doing per region, South Africa (28) is the top performer from Africa; China (27) from East Asia; Poland (30) from Central and Eastern Europe; Brazil (41) from Latin America; Lebanon (33) from the Middle East; and India (47) from South Asia.

According to the study, logistics performance is heavily influenced by the quality of public sector institutions and the effective coordination of border clearance processes among all border management agencies. In this area, customs performs better than many other agencies, pointing to the need for border management reforms. In low performing countries, on average, half of the containers are physically inspected and one container out of seven at least twice.

Other areas for improvement include better transport policies, increasing competition in trade-related services such as trucking, freight forwarding and railways; and better trade-related infrastructure. For many low-income countries the most binding constraints are often in logistics services and international transit systems. Given they perform better on many other indicators, improving trade infrastructure is often reported to be a priority for middle-income countries.

The World Bank Group has a number of projects designed to improve trade logistics in developing countries. The US$250 million East Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project improved the corridor infrastructure and upgraded the main border crossing between Uganda and Kenya at Malaba, reducing border crossing times from three days to three hours. In Tunisia, a US$250 million operation is improving competitiveness by reducing trade costs and streamlining border clearance procedures. And in Afghanistan, the Bank is providing funding for a US$31.2 million project to modernize and computerize four major border crossings, increasing customs revenues from US$50 million when the project started in 2004 to over US$399 million in 2008.

In addition, the Bank is working with IBM, Microsoft and the Global Express Association as part of a public-private partnership on “Aid for Trade Facilitation.” The objective is to develop pilot projects in developing countries that apply innovative IT solutions to streamline border procedures.

To access the report under embargo, please visit: www.media.worldbank.org

The report and related material will be available to the public after the embargo expires at:
www.worldbank.org

Great Ideals

Invited Contributor — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:42:45 +0000

Did you know there are some really great ideals waiting out there for the right motivator or creatively assertive advocate? There are ‘parabolic’ solar disk or tidal wave generators that may be worked off-shore to productively support a farmland’s watering filtration system or its energy recycling plants. There are also many places where the usage of natural thermal energy may be applied or trapped as an environmentally friendly resource for electro-planetary consumption that’s constructively channeled to generate more energy efficient monorails or the development of a modern freight and rail transport system. There are also numerous places on the earth that hold the keys to energetically innovated restorative points which should be productively pursued for the recycling of all our volatile wealth or natural energy wastage (such as the bi-products of filtration), as the plentifulness of our inextinguishable wealth or the hazardously abundant wastefulness of ‘live’ mines that need to be filled or may be found to be actively burning or an endangered shoreline’s over-abundant resourcefulness of hydrocarbons that may be viewed as inextinguishable from the resourcefulness of a modern lifestyle that avails itself to the most plentiful demands of our creative needs and everyday fuel consumption. Therefore let’s constructively avail ourselves towards the next step in the evolution of our Universe by allowing for an expansion of the opportunity that’s needed to be met squarely with the needs of all people of everyday learning, and the development of an advancement of knowledge for the creative resources of tomorrow!

Best of luck!

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High expectations

Invited Contributor — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:15:19 +0000

News reports that president Obama has acknowledged that “time has run out” for a legally binding deal to come from the COP15 climate talks next month in Copenhagen has many in the mainstream media leading with a message of “no, we can’t.” While the announcement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) breakfast yesterday gives the impression of afait accompli for COP15, leaving only the possibility of a “political framework” as the goal and the need for a “two-step” process for a final climate treaty for 2010 “at the earliest,” reports that climate talks in Copenhagen “are in tatters” is hardly accurate and gives a distinctly wrong impression.

That fact is that such an outcome has been expected, especially given the lack of progress on pre-summit talks in Bangkok in October and Barcelona earlier this month (not to mention the US Congress). Certainly hopes that a final, full, legally binding international treaty will come from Copenhagen next month are dim – but that has been an unrealistic and even counterproductive expectation for some time now. Momentum going into the talks remainshigh, and success at COP15 is not only possible, but essential. As was discussed at the Transatlantic Media Dialog in which I participated last week, it is a matter of “managingexpectations” and demanding results for real progress toward a firm and enforceable deal in 2010. The mainstream media’s message of “no, we can’t” be damned!

by/ By Thomas Schueneman,

http://www.globalwarmingisreal.com/