Message-ID: <199510110209.XAA26841@rjo04.embratel.net.br> Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 23:09:16 -0300 From: Joaquim Moura <mailto:poa-bsb@CR-DF.RNP.BR> Subject: Brasilia deepens the discussion To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Dear Friends,The messages posted by you about my considerations about Partners Seminar on NGO efficiency were very welcome and I hope they will help to foster the collaboration-and-even-coordination among the NGOs, Universities, official agencies etc.
But - and very significantly - all the four received messages (you can read them below) stressed just this collaboration issue, and every one missed the personal-energy issue. Why? I had stated in the originating message that Partners seminars on NGOs empowerment (I have already attended four of them) always missed to discuss two points: the personal-energy and the union among NGOs (more than just eventual collaboration).
Maybe because body and emotional energies are less usual concepts to your-our culture, my dear friends international-community developers just acknowledged the collaboration issue. Of course this one is so important as the former (energy = inner power; collaboration = outer power), but maybe for this we should now give a priority to the neglected factor: the personal energy. Or do you think that a community could be stronger than their individual people? And I am not alone: I know that the Grameen Bank includes, among its "Sixteen Decisions", the practice of physical exercises by the borrowers in order to participate of its microloan program and warrant the continuing success of that institution. Thank you. (I hope the senders will forgive me for spanning the messages they have sent personally to me - but this is helping us to find each other).
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Date: Mon, 09 Oct 1995 11:12:41 -0500 (EST) From: mailto:SCHORR@suvax1.stetson.edu Subject: Message to Joaquim To: mailto:poa-bsb@cr-df.rnp.br
Joaquim,
I really enjoyed your last message, especially the points you made about coordinating NGO efforts. Is there any chance that you could stop in Florida (Orlando) during your visit to the US? I'd like to meet you and discuss some of your ideas.
John Schorr mailto:schorr@mbox.stetson.edu
PS Don't you think it is kind of ironic to be discussing development projects in a 5-star hotel????!!!! ________________________________________________________________________
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 02:05:57 GMT From: "Craig D. McGuire" <mailto:cmcguire@POSTBOX.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU> Organization: The Ohio State University Subject: Re: Partners' seminar on NGO To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
I would like to follow up on Mr. Moura's second comment regarding collaboration among NGO's. I have just finished three months of data collection for my masters thesis on inter-institutional collaboration in a watershed management project in the Dominican Republic.
My basic findings were that there is no effective collaboration among NGO's or even between NGO's and government agencies in this project. This is a project that proclaims a participatory and collaborative design; yet, I encountered many instances of a general lack of knowledge among the institutions involved as to what kind of work the other institutions are involved in. One of the major concerns that surfaced was a general feeling that the lead institution was concerned only about obtaining funds and eventually directing the project. Up until know there has been no substantial effort to incorporate the supposedly collaborating organizations and to solicit their ideas or establish their expected contribution to the project.
My general impression, as mentioned by Mr. Moura, is that NGO must learn to cooperate and collectively plan development projects within their geographic zone of influence. The problem that arises is that most NGOs have no tradition or experience collaborating. The problem gets even more complicated when government agencies enter the picture with their differing views on development activities and methods of project implementation.
I am in the process of writing up my findings and would be happy to distribute them to any interested parties. Additionally, if anyone would like to enter into a discussion regarding inter-institutional collaboration among NGOs and between NGOs and government agencies please post a message.
Thanks Craig McGuire OSU Rural Sociology mailto:mcguire.44@osu.edu __________________________________________________________________________
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 08:21:45 -0600 From: James Mayfield <mailto:James.Mayfield@M.CC.UTAH.EDU> Subject: Re: Partners' seminar on NGO To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
I agree with you that there appears to be little collaboration among the many NGOs working in the LDCs. I would be delighted to receive a copy of your research on NGOs and hope that your efforts lead to more interaction among NGOs. I am the Chairman of the Board of CHOICE (Center for Humanitarian Outreach and Inter Cultural Exchange) 643 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, our e-mail is mailto:CHOICE@burgoyne.com I am presently engaged in trying to put together a workbook on small scale women's credit systems, preparing a set of lesson plans, examples of forms and record keeping requirements, training materials to prepare groups of villge women to establish their credit systems. I would be delighted to share my information with the rest of the net. If any of you have suggestions for training these women's credit groups, please let me know.
James B. Mayfield, PhD - CHOICE __________________________________________________________________________
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 17:05:16 -0600 From: "Reid E. Whitlock" <mailto:agecfs1@PILOTA.MSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Partners' seminar on NGO To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
James mayfield wrote:
" I agree with you that there appears to be little collaboration among the many NGOs working in the LDCs. I would be delighted to receive a copy of your research on NGOs and hope that your efforts lead to more interaction among NGOs. ..."
I head an effort under the Food Security Project at Michigan State University to collaborate with, and stimulate sharing between NGO's in the field of food aid management and in the larger area of food security enhancement. If any of you are involved in this kind of work or research and would like to share ideas, publications, be put on our mailing list, collaborate, etc... please contact me.
Thanks,
Reid E. Whitlock Professor of Agricultural Economics 202 Agriculture Hall Michigan State Univeristy E. Lansing, Mi. 48824-1039 U.S.A.
tel: 517-353-7226 fax: 517-432-1800 e-mail: mailto:agecfs1@pilot.msu.edu
______________________________________________________________ Joaquim Moura (all the controversial opinions are just personal) Youth & Citizenship Development Commission Partners of the Americas - Brasilia / Washington DC Committee SHCGN 713 - Bloco I - Apt. 202 - 70760-739 - Brazil Phone (55 61): 414-1904 (w); 273-5613 (h); 414-1898 (fax)