Message-ID: <ECS9705210208A@imap.uea.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 02:14:08 PDT From: "T.Post" <mailto:T.Post@UEA.AC.UK> Subject: Re: Development materials also in Portuguese To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
May 21, 1997Some ideas to work on?
I've been a listener to the Devel-L for quite a while. I don't have very much time to contribute and participate due to the demands of the Ph.D. I'm now working on. So, I limit my reading on Devel-L to once or twice per week. So, with this relative lack of time commitment, I've been reluctant to make suggestions.
But, since it looks like Devel-l might be in a new phase, I'm going to make some suggestions of topics I personally would find interesting. (I did find some of the broad, conceptual discusssions interesting as well.)
I wonder if others would find it helpful to share information, case studies, experiences regarding applications of development ideas in practice----especially asking the question: what have the results been in terms of impacting the lives of the humble people we seek to serve?
For example, in the area of microenterprise development. I would be interested to hear from practitioners about the results of working with different group models: community banks, solidarity groups, etc----what have been the economic benefits, to what extent have these groups promoted increased empowerment, what are the long-term benefits and effects----5 to 10 years along, what are the problems or limitations practicioners are finding.
In the area of literacy: I'd be interested in hearing what approaches are being used, and what seems to be working best.
In the area of preventive health work: I'd be interested in hearing about to what extent community development approaches are able to eliminate malnutrion. In the work of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee in Central America, with which I have been associated, we have only been able to see about 80 to 90% of the children under 5 reach either normal status (weight for age) or 1st degree malnutrition. It seems there is a group of children who remain underweight and malnurished in spite of having community health leaders, better hygiene, better water, etc. Have others had similar experiences, and have they found ways to achieve better results?
In the area of agriculture. This is very broad---but I wonder if others would enjoy hearing about the practical results of using various of the promising ideas that have been promoted recently. For example---the use of vetiver grass strips for erosion control; the use of legume cover crops. Under what conditions have variations of these ideas been adapted by farmers? Under what conditions have these ideas been rejected by farmers?
Again, I offer these suggestions----not because I am against discussing the broader, conceptual underpinnings of development work---but because I would also find it helpful to discuss some of the results of these implementing aspects.
Yours,
Tom Post
On Sun, 18 May 1997 10:14:59 +0000 Joaquim Moura wrote:
> From: Joaquim Moura <mailto:joaquim.moura@PERSOCOM.COM.BR>
> Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 10:14:59 +0000
> Subject: Development materials also in Portuguese
> To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
>
> Those friends working in Portuguese speaking countries (in Latin America,
> Europe, Africa and Asia), will find more materials about microcredit and
> volunteerism in our homepage:
> www.partners-bsbdc.org
> Then click the _latest inclusions and updates_ option or the same option
> also available in Portuguese.
>
> Now tell me, my friends, are you enjoying the new devel-l, now free from
> theoretical discussions and case studies analysis, and now dedicated only to
> announce conferences and job opportunities? Do you really think that we/you
> don't need to deepen the concepts that could make our work more effective?
> Or do you think that the development community that uses this list is
> already effective enough and doesn't need any further discussion??? At least
> here, in Brazil and Latin America (maybe also in Africa and Asia) it looks
> like that the development community needs to improve their concepts a lot in
> order to become more effective. I would like to hear from those friends who
> were complaining against conceptual discussions, involving economics,
> socio-cultural issues and development, if they are now satisfied with these
> bureaucratic messages that I am reading every day here...
> _____________________________________________________________
> Joaquim Moura
>
> Companheiros das Americas / Partners of the Americas
> Comite Brasilia - Washington D.C. / Committee
> Comissao de Desenvolvimento da Juventude e da Cidadania /
> Youth and Citizenship Development Commission
> ** todas as opinioes controversas sao apenas pessoais **
> ** all the controversial opinions are just personal **
>
> WWW site: http://www.partners-bsbdc.org