Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

News from ADB for Nongovernment Organizations
 January 2002, Volume 2, Issue 1

Building a Brighter Future in Afghanistan

The beginning of the new year coincides with a new beginning for the people of Afghanistan, a country that has endured two decades of conflict and destruction. The tapering off of armed hostilities and the introduction of a representative interim government offer hope for the future. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is poised to assist Afghanistan's new leaders in reconstruction and in laying the groundwork for sustainable economic development.

Afghanistan is a founding member of ADB, from our inception in 1966. Before our operations were suspended there in 1979, ADB had provided eight loans totaling $75 million and technical assistance grants totaling $2.5 million. With the dramatic reversal in the country's fortunes, the time is at hand when we will be able to resume cooperation with the people of Afghanistan. We have established a country team on Afghanistan and a special liaison office in Kabul. A special task force has also been established to respond to Afghanistan’s needs, as well as those of other affected countries in South Asia and Central Asia. We are closely collaborating with many of our development partners, including nongovernment organizations (NGOs), which will contribute to the country's revival. Even during the most difficult times, NGOs were active on the ground in and around Afghanistan providing care and assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons, land mine victims, and other vulnerable groups, including women, children, and the elderly.

Humanitarian, rehabilitation, and reconstruction needs in Afghanistan will be large and response efforts must be long-term. Our experiences in Cambodia, East Timor, and Tajikistan suggest that the financial resources needed will be significant. Considerable further work must be undertaken before a detailed and comprehensive estimate can be made of resource requirements. Together with the Islamic Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank, ADB is conducting a preliminary needs assessment that will serve as a basis for a ministerial meeting to be held in Tokyo, 21-22 January. This meeting will be chaired by the Governments of Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, and by the European Union.

While specialized agencies of the United Nations are providing humanitarian assistance, ADB will add value by focusing on the building up of new institutions and physical infrastructure. ADB is firmly committed to acting as a key partner in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. As such efforts move forward, we welcome dialogue with NGOs that share our commitment to fighting poverty in Afghanistan, and creating livelihood opportunities for its long suffering people.

Tadao Chino, President
Asian Development Bank

In this Issue....

1. NGOs Invited to Participate in ADB Annual Meeting
2. Improving Access by the Poor to Pakistan's Justice System
3. Boost to Literacy in Bangladesh
4. Bringing Education to Cambodia's Poor
5. Using the Internet to Provide Public Services in the Maldives
6. Asian and Pacific Governments Commit to Fight Corruption
7. Remote Communities in Viet Nam to Receive Support
8. Promoting Childhood Development in Kazakhstan
9. Battling Acid Rain in Four Chinese Cities
10. Free Distance Learning Course for On-line Efficiency
11. University Fellowships Available for Civil Society Research
12. Education in NGO Leadership and Management
13. Improving Government Consultation Practices
14. Raising Awareness of the Right to Development
15. Nominations for the King Baudouin International Development Prize
16. Guide to Budget Work for NGOs
17. Study Sheds Light on Measurement of NGO Indirect Costs
18. NGO Visitors: International Development Enterprises
19. Upcoming Events
20. Documents Available from ADB
21. Give us your Comments

The 35th Annual Meeting of ADB’s Board of Governors will be held in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, 10-12 May 2002. The meeting will be accompanied by a series of seminars and other activities beginning on 8 May. Accredited NGOs are invited to attend the seminars and various social events, as well as special programs focused on the interests of civil society. The Annual Meeting presents an opportunity for NGOs and ADB Management, senior staff, and member country delegations to exchange information and views on ADB’s operations and policies. NGOs wishing to attend the Annual Meeting must complete a registration form by 28 February 2002. Registration forms can be requested from Robert J. Dobias, ADB NGO Network Coordinator, at rdobias@adb.org.

A program supporting Pakistan's Access to Justice Program will be boosted by three ADB loans totaling $350 million. The program will enable the poor to exercise their rights guaranteed under the law and to protect their property from being taken away by the bureaucratic or political elite. It will promote awareness campaigns about legal rights in the simplified national language, Urdu. The program will also provide, through a legal empowerment fund, free legal advice and advocacy for the poor by civil society groups, including lawyers and NGOs. The prohibitive cost of such services deprives the poor of protection. The program will promote opportunities to encourage the appointment of women judges and offer training courses in gender sensitization for the judiciary and the police.

More than one million largely illiterate adults in Bangladesh will be able to enhance their ability to read and write through a $65 million loan provided by ADB. Improved literacy will strengthen vocational and life skills. The project's success depends heavily on decentralized implementation by NGOs and community participation. A broad range of stakeholders has helped to design the project and will continue to be involved to ensure that the needs of poor learners are met. The project includes capacity building for local NGOs to implement the courses as well as for government agencies for supervisory and regulatory functions. Local consulting firms will monitor the quality of service delivery. Most of the project beneficiaries will be women.

Poor students in Cambodia, especially girls and ethnic minorities, will have more access to education as a result of two ADB loans totaling $38 million. Currently, girls and indigenous people have few educational opportunities, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The education system is also characterized by high repetition and dropout rates. Cambodia needs the more active participation of half of its population in its pursuit of economic and social development. A "policy loan" will support sector reforms to increase funds for education, reduce the cost of basic education to poor parents, raise the quality of education, give incentives to teachers who work under difficult circumstances, and decentralize service delivery. An "investment loan" will build new schools in poor and remote areas, bringing education within reach of an additional 100,000 children.

People living on the scattered atolls of the Maldives will be better able to access public services through the Internet under the Information Technology Project, for which ADB has approved a $9.5 million loan. The project will link government ministries and related organizations in the capital of Malè as well as on 20 outer atolls. The networks will be extended to other islands in a phased manner. Public services on the Internet will include the provision of applications for national citizen identification, public health services, and to register vessels, vehicles, and aircraft.

Seventeen Asian and Pacific governments have endorsed a regional action plan to fight corruption. The plan reflects shared concerns and aims of governments, civil society, and the business sector in Asia and the Pacific. It provides for a comprehensive set of actions that governments will take to develop effective and transparent systems for public service; strengthen anti-bribery actions and promote integrity in business operations; and support active public involvement. Tunku Abdul Aziz, Vice Chairman of the anti-corruption NGO, Transparency International, stated that his global organization "welcomes the action plan and its focus on identifying national priorities by governments with support of business and civil society."

Some 350,000 rural dwellers in Viet Nam's poor central region will see their living conditions improved as a result of an ADB concessional loan of $43.1 million. The project features several socioeconomic initiatives to aid residents of 139 poor upland communes. The project will prioritize food security to combat malnutrition in a region where over half the children suffer from the malady. Also planned are micro-finance services, training to improve skills, and development of small-scale infrastructure. Communes will receive grants to build, rehabilitate, or replace small roads, bridges, irrigation and flood protection works, as well as drinking water systems.

ADB is providing a $600,000 technical assistance grant from its Japan Special Fund to prepare a childhood development project in Kazakhstan. Since Kazakhstan attained independence in 1991, budget constraints have led to a sharp fall in social services, including the closure of many health care and education facilities. The project will provide mothers and children up to seven years old in rural communities with quality preschool education and maternal and child health services. "Experiences in early childhood have lasting effects on personality and achievement in school. Such an investment will bring high returns in terms of human development," notes ADB Poverty Reduction Specialist, Rie Hiraoka.

The first ADB-sponsored acid rain control project, approved on 20 December 2001, aims to reduce the pollution that causes acid rain in four cities of Anhui Province in People's Republic of China. Acid rain is emerging as a major concern in Asia, damaging agriculture and forestry. In addition, increased acidity upsets the ecology of rivers and lakes, while acid deposits damage cultural and historical structures. Air quality of the poor, inland province has deteriorated to levels harmful to human health. Acid rain has been especially damaging in the ecologically rich Yangtze River Valley. The $325 million project has three main goals: 1) reduce acid rain; 2) improve the environment in ecologically valuable areas; and 3) strengthen institutions.

The Threshold Foundation is offering "tele-Teaching" on Online Efficiency for international NGOs. The course targets staff of NGOs seeking to improve their Internet capabilities, thereby advancing the efficiency of their organizations. The course targets NGO staff who already have a basic knowledge of emailing and web surfing, and who now want to improve their knowledge about Internet-based information and opportunities. Among the topics to be covered are general online resources for NGOs, taking advantage of online technical utilities, doing advanced searches, finding online organizations and media, conducting public relations, and researching topic-specific sites. The course, to be taught in English, begins in January 2002 and concludes in April 2002. There is no fee for the course, but students are expected to participate actively and complete a detailed feedback form upon conclusion of the course. For registration and other information, contact Burkhard Luber at luber@dieschwelle.de.

The Center for Civil Society Studies at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies welcomes applications for the International Fellows in Philanthropy Program for the 2002-2003 academic year. This program, based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, affords an opportunity for advanced study, research, and training for up to eight participants each year who study or manage private nonprofit, or philanthropic organizations outside of the United States, or work as NGO liaisons in the public or commercial sectors. Fellowships are available at both the junior and senior levels.

Candidates should have demonstrated interest, experience, and professional competence in research, management, or leadership related to the voluntary, nongovernmental, nonprofit, or philanthropic sector, or have served as nonprofit liaison officers with governments and multinational organizations. In addition, candidates are expected to have attained a university diploma equivalent to the American Bachelors of Arts or Science degree, be capable of carrying out independent research and inquiry, and have a high degree of English fluency. Deadline for submission of applications is February 25, 2002. For more information, contact Carol Wessner at cwessner@jhu.edu.

The Global Partnership, a collaboration of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, the Organization of Rural Associations for Progress (Zimbabwe), and the School for International Training (United States), has designed coursework in NGO Leadership and Management. A postgraduate diploma seeks to improve students' program management skills and strategic leadership roles. The diploma may also serve as the first component of a Global Partnership's Master's Degree. Both the Postgraduate Diploma and the Master's Degree programs are designed for experienced NGO leaders, development professionals from government and donors, managers, trainers, and consultants with the equivalent of an American Bachelor's degree. Coursework takes place in Bangladesh, Nepal, and the United States, as well as at an NGO chosen by the student. For further details, contact Mostofa Karim at tdbrac@bdmail.net.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published the Handbook on Information, Consultation and Public Participation in Policy-making. The publication is designed to serve as a practitioner's guide for use by government officials. It seeks to clarify the key issues and decisions faced by authorities when designing and implementing measures to ensure access to information, opportunities for consultation and public participation in policy-making in their countries. A summary of the Handbook's main findings and policy lessons is available free of charge on the Internet. For more information, contact Joanne Caddy at joanne.caddy@oecd.org.

The United Nations Economic Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Worldview International Foundation, and Young Asia Television have produced a video series on the right to development entitled "A Matter of Rights". The series, produced with support of the Government of Norway, comprises 52 five-minute television features. Young Asia Television and Channel NewsAsia are currently broadcasting the series. Through the prism of social and economic issues in the Asian and Pacific region, A Matter of Rights explores different facets of the Right to Development from the basic provision of safe drinking water to healthy lifestyles for older persons, in an attempt to both explain and popularize human rights as a concept. The video series is available free of charge to broadcasters and organizations with public outreach programs. NGOs and inter-government organizations may find the videos useful in introducing an audience or workshop to a particular topic. For further details, contact David Lazarus at unisbkk.unescap@un.org.

Nominations are invited for the 2002 King Baudouin International Development Prize. Since 1980, the King Baudouin Foundation has awarded 150,000 euros biennially to an individual or organization for sustainable achievements in improving the lives of people in the developing world. The diverse list of past prize winners covers a broad spectrum of fields, including adult literacy, micro-credit, HIV/AIDS, land reform, food supply, and vaccine development. The prize selection process emphasizes the multiplier effect of the achievements, as well as their contribution to sustainable development. Deadline for receipt of application files at the Foundation is 1 February 2002, and the prize will be awarded in early 2003. Nominations can be submitted on-line. For further information, contact Catherine Adant at info@kbprize.org.

The International Budget Project has released A Guide to Budget Work for NGOs. The publication, available in hard copy and on-line editions, offers a systematic overview of the different aspects of applied budget work. The Ford Foundation provided financial resources for the guide, which emphasizes the activities and approaches a nongovernment organization might want to undertake in its initial years of such work. A Guide to Budget Work is intended for those who have a new or relatively new interest in budgetary issues, but may also be of interest to those who have been active in this area for some time and wish to review basic principles, examples of useful resources, and best practices. To request a free copy of the bound version of the guide and the accompanying CD, contact Rocio at campos@cbpp.org.

A study conducted by Pact, Inc., in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Summit Foundation, concludes that when donors do not fully cover an NGO's indirect costs, the organization's time, effort and resources are diverted from mission-driven, programmatic delivery to searching for alternative ways to cover these costs. (Indirect costs may include office rent, financial and administrative staff not directly chargeable to projects, and information technology). Such underfunding can reduce NGO capacity and effectiveness, ultimately harming the intended beneficiaries and other stakeholders. The study aims to assist the NGO community in achieving greater financial stability through healthy business practices that allow them to recover their indirect costs, and to influence donor community funding practices to form more equitable partnerships with the local NGO community. The study, Core Costs and NGO Sustainability, also provides guidance to NGOs in calculating their indirect cost rates. Further information can be obtained from Alfredo Ortiz at aortiz@pacthq.org.

This regular feature spotlights NGOs visiting the Asian Development Bank.

International Development Enterprises (IDE) is a nonprofit organization which works to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of the world's poorest farmers by identifying and marketing low-cost, income-generating technologies.

IDE believes that the best method to break the cycle of poverty and foster self-sufficiency is to offer individuals a viable opportunity to change their own lives. IDE operates on four basic principles: 1) treat poor people as customers, not recipients of charity; 2) each product must produce a net return of over 100% annually on its purchase price; 3) each product is to be sold at a fair market price, including a reasonable profit for the local manufacturer, seller, and distributor; and 4) products must be locally produced with local materials, ensuring economic sustainability.

IDE maintains its headquarters in Lakewood, Colorado, USA, where nine of its 405 staff work. IDE country programs typically employ just one expatriate; all other staff are nationals of the host country. The organization operates programs in Cambodia, Haiti, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Zambia. In India, for example, IDE identifies technological innovations from across the country and abroad, and modifies them to cater to the needs and affordability of small farmers. It uses innovative promotional techniques to generate awareness about its products among marginal farmers. Further, IDE-India nurtures the commercial marketing channels and NGO networks to ensure that its products reach small farmers based in remote corners of the country.

For more information about International Development Enterprises, contact Fritz Kramer at ide@ideoorg.org or see http://www.ideorg.org. Mr. Kramer visited with Bob Dobias, Head, ADB NGO Center on 14 November 2001.

Seminar featuring Senator Mechai Viravaidya (Thailand) on “The Privatization of Poverty Reduction -- Utilizing the Private Sector to Reduce Poverty”, ADB OER Briefing Theater, 10:30-11:45 a.m., 21 January 2002, Manila, Philippines. Contact: Wilhelmina Jacinto, (63 2) 632 6473, email: wjacinto@adb.org. RSVP by 17 January 2002.

Third International Conference on Sustainable Resource Mobilization -- Developing Local Roots and Support, 4-7 March 2002, Agra, India. Contact: Abhijit Bhattacharjee, The Resource Alliance, tel: (44 207) 587 0287; fax: (44 207) 582 4335; e-mail: abhijit@resource-alliance.org.uk.

Tenth Asia-Pacific Fund-Raising Conference, 15-18 April 2002, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contact: Secretariat, Yayasan Nanyang Press, tel: (60 3) 787 26 888; fax: (60 3) 787 268 00; e-mail: NYFound@nanyang.com.my.

35th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors and related seminars, 8-12 May 2002, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Contact: Robert J. Dobias, tel: (63 2) 632 5337); fax (63 2 636 2192); e-mail: rdobias@adb.org.

Jakarta People's Forum -- an independent initiative of Indonesian civil society in the process toward the Johannesburg Summit to review the implementation of the Rio Declaration (Agenda 21) on sustainable development; 27 May-7 June 2002, Jakarta, Indonesia. Contact: Secretariat IPF; tel: (62 21) 794 1672; e-mail: Secretariat@jakartapeoplesforum.org.

The most recent ADB documents approved for public release, and sent to ADB Depository Libraries around the world, have been added to the Bank's web site. These documents include Country Economic Reviews, Country Economic Updates, Environmental Impact Assessments, Reports and Recommendations of the President, Summary Initial Environmental Examinations, and Technical Assistance Reports.

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© Copyright 2002. Partnership Newsletter is published six times a year by ADB's Office of External Relations in conjunction with the ADB NGO Center. Previous issues are available here. Hypertext links provided in Partnership Newsletter do not imply ADB endorsement of the views expressed on non-ADB web sites. Such links are provided solely as an information service. Published contributions do not necessarily represent the view of ADB Management, staff, or members. ADB reserves the right to edit submissions. Partnership Newsletter may be redistributed with credit given to Asian Development Bank.

NGO Center
Asian Development Bank
P.O. Box 789, Manila 0980, Philippines
Tel: (632) 632-4147; (632) 636-2648