GDNet’s commitment to southern researchers

Why we’re pledging a more inclusive approach to knowledge

GDNet has long been aware of the barriers that southern researchers experience when trying to inform global debates on development. We’ve launched the Connect South Charter of Commitment to show how we can lead by example and call others to action.

Join our discussion and make your own Plege to CONNECT SOUTH!

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ERF Open Access Micro Data Initiative (OAMDI)

Launched Now!

OAMDI offers researchers several types of micro data that ERF has collected, harmonized and prepared for dissemination in a convenient automated process. The first phase of the initiative covers 17 Household Income and Expenditure Surveys from 3 Arab countries, 3 Labor Market Panel Surveys from Egypt and Jordan, and a data set on micro and small enterprises from 4 countries. More data sets will be available in the near future.

The initiative, which involved cooperation with several regional statistical agencies, is modeled on the World Bank Open Data initiative.

To read more about these data sets or to access them, please visit www.erfdataportal.com

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Shifting Dynamics of Poverty Reduction

Pierre Jacquet, panelist at OECD Global Forum on Development

On 4-5 April 2013, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) organized its Global Forum on Development (GFD) at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris, France. The aim of the annual forum, is to promote a better understanding of what the shifting dynamics of poverty means for governments, international organizations and others in the post-MDG world after 2015. The discussions focused on innovative approaches to poverty reduction, social cohesion and progress. Discussions were preceded by a one-day workshop on inclusive growth on April 3rd.

As panelist on the second day discussing the theme 'Beyond poverty reduction: The challenge of social cohesion in developing countries', Pierre Jacquet, President of GDN, said that participants were content with making "passionate statements about what 'we should', 'we need', 'we must' consider and do." He pointed that the attendees generally were not the main  actors in carrying out the actions. Thus, the discussions amounted to talking at length about what others should do. Also that the objectives seemed to be so obvious and he surmised that if these objectives have not been met, it was because they were not seen as a priority by most of the relevant actors. His recommendation was that global seminars should "focus more on the process of political and social change rather than on desired outcomes."

Read Pierre Jacquet's views on the post-2015 debate in his guest post for Duncan Green's Oxfam blog From Poverty to Power

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Islamism and Islamist Movement into a Historical Perspective

A blog post based on the first plenary session at the 2013 ERF Annual Conference

In an interview with Jean-Philippe Platteau, (University of Namur and University of Oxford), at the 2013 ERF Annual Conference, he addresses the origins and roles of these Islamist movements. According to him, a glimpse into the historical perspective is essential in order to assess Islamism, the emergence of Islamist movements, their role and their future.

Platteau states that three main aspects characterize Islamist movements. Looking at the definition of a reformist movement, the scripturalist approach to the holy text seems to be the major landmark; there is no freedom in text interpretation. The second characteristic is the puritanical dimension, or the idea that a moral decline is the source of social disorder. Thirdly discussed is the millenarian and messianic aspect of being the source of a big change in the society bringing happiness and harmony to the society.

This is a cross-post based on a blog post, “Islamism and Islamist Movement into a Historical Perspective“, published on the ERF Blog by Zeinab Sabet, Research Communication Capacity Building Manager.

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