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1. Registration Underway for ADB's Annual Meeting in Indonesia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will hold the 42nd Annual Meeting its Board of Governors from 2 to 5 May at the Bali International Convention Center in Indonesia. Accredited civil society organizations (CSOs) are invited to attend the program, which will feature seminars and discussion panels. The deadline for requesting accreditation is 16 March 2009. For more information, contact Suzanne Nazal, Civil Society Cooperation Officer, NGO and Civil Society Center (NGOC), at ngocoordinator@adb.org.
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2. Student Volunteers Find Technical Solutions to Development Problems
In the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a volunteer of Engineers Without Borders-UK, an NGO, has worked with a local manufacturer of renewable technology to develop a solar-powered water purification unit that can provide a safe and reliable supply of water to remote communities. The initiative is one of many projects supported by the NGO in developing countries. Read the story in the December 2008 edition of Development Asia, an ADB publication.
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3. Sustainable Transport Receives a Boost
ADB will provide a project preparatory technical assistance grant of $2.8 million to fund studies for sustainable urban transport systems. The assistance will be used to identify policies and potential projects in selected cities that will cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve public transport, increase personal mobility and pedestrian facilities, and restrain private vehicle use. For more information, contact James Leather, Senior Transport Specialist, Regional and Sustainable Development Department, at jleather@adb.org.
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4. The Philippines Turns to Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
An energy-efficiency project in the Philippines will give away 13 million energy-saving lights to homeowners and businesses as part of a government push to cut the country's power bills. The project includes savings of about $100 million every year in fuel costs and a deferral of an investment of $450 million in power generation and associated network capacity. The Philippine Energy Efficiency Project will distribute the compact fluorescent lamps to customers nationwide in exchange for their incandescent bulbs. For more information, contact Sohail Hasnie, Senior Energy Specialist, Southeast Asia Department, at shasnie@adb.org.
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5. Project Contributes to Cleaner Cambodian Capital
The Income for the Poor through Community-Based Environmental Improvements Project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, tackled flooding and poor drainage, as well as solid waste disposal. The project brought together NGOs, community leaders, and the private sector to establish village-managed solid waste systems. The project also generated spin off benefits in the form of small enterprises, waste recycling, and improved governance.
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6. NGOs Meet on Immunization and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
ADB, GlaxoSmithKline, and Save the Children organized a workshop in Manila for 25 national and international NGOs providing maternal, newborn and child healthcare (MNCH) across Asia, 24-26 February. Representatives of international development agencies also participated in the event, which considered good practices to address immunization and MNCH challenges in Asia. Workshop outcomes, including case studies, will be made available on ADB's website.
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7. Video Captures Participatory Rural Water Supply Stories
ADB has recorded a video featuring the stories of rural water user associations that developed, operate, and manage their own water schemes in a sustainable manner. The video reflects how community-driven initiatives have positively changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of villagers, strengthened communities, and built the confidence of water associations to undertake new initiatives. Copies of the video can be requested at water@adb.org, or viewed online.
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8. Publication Provides Tips on Designing Complaint Management Systems
The latest ADB Governance Brief examines the effectiveness of complaint management systems in urban service delivery and makes several recommendations for the improved design of such systems. To make service providers more responsive to local needs, for example, it is necessary to make complaints and grievances available to both individual citizens and watchdog organizations, including elected representatives, civic organizations, and the media.
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9. Grant Extends Availability of Micro Insurance in Bangladesh
A $2 million grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will aid development of the micro insurance sector in Bangladesh, and help to reduce the vulnerability of poor persons from sudden losses of income. The project will promote micro insurance through NGOs with a long-established presence among poor communities, high accountability and sustainability, and the presence of a regulatory body. For more information, contact Mayumi Ozaki, Finance Specialist (Rural and Microfinance), South Asia Department, at mozaki@adb.org.
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10. Project Gives Boost to Civil Society's Poverty Reduction Role in the PRC
ADB will help the People's Republic of China (PRC) tap the potential of NGOs, volunteers, and corporate actors to bolster state-led poverty reduction efforts through a technical assistance grant of $400,000. The grant will help the government formulate and implement pilot projects and mechanisms for civil society participation in national poverty reduction programs, and support innovative grassroots-level anti-poverty programs. For more information, contact Chris Spohr, Social Sector Economist, PRC Resident Mission, at cspohr@adb.org.
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11. ADB Sanctions Organizations and Individuals for Corruption
ADB imposed sanctions on 41 firms and 38 individuals last year as a result of its corruption investigations, according to a new report by the Office of the Auditor General. This makes a total of 552 firms and individuals banned from working for ADB since it began investigating corruption allegations in 1998. In addition to investigating allegations of corruption, ADB actively audits projects to identify indicators of fraudulent and corrupt activity, and make project management improvements and recommendations for the remainder of a project’s life.
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12. Training Courses
A listing in this section does not imply ADB endorsement or availability of financing for participants. All events take place in 2009.
- Participatory Project Management Workshop, 24-26 March, Singapore. Contact: Foundation for Development Cooperation; e-mail: vladimirpacheco@fdc.org.au; tel: +61 (0)7 3217 2924; website: www.fdc.org.au/files/news/2009/Jan/Singapore-PPM-09.pdf.
- Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation, 20-24 April, Oxford, UK. Contact: INTRAC; e-mail: training@intrac.org; tel: +44 (0) 1865 201851; website: www.intrac.org/pages/training.html.
- Stakeholder Participation in Planning, Needs Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation using PRA/PLA Tools, 13-18 July, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Contact: Mosaic; e-mail: wkshop05@mosaic-net-intl.ca; tel: +1 613 728 1439; website: www.mosaic-net-intl.ca.
- Making Governance Gender Responsive, 23-30 July, Manila, Philippines. Contact: Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics; e-mail: capwip@capwip.org; tel: +632 851 4954; website: www.capwip.org/training/mggr.htm.
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