Engendering development through gender equality in rights, resources, and voice

The World Bank has published a comprehensive report on why gender inequality makes bad economic sense and how countries can institutionalize change. It's suggestions are instructive and the arguments will be useful for those who are trying to convince recalcitrant governments to enforce cultural change. The report is long so for those of you who don't wish to read the entire thing I would recommend you focus in particular on section 3 which deals with social norms, laws and economic institutions as well as the recommendations found in section 6 (particularly thouse found on pages 239-240 of the report). However, there are lots of useful statistics, graphs and economic arguments throughout the report and I encourage you to skim sections 1, 2 and 6 if you have the time.

The Politics of Hunger

Paul Collier, author of the book The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, has written an article in Foreign Affairs on how to end the global food crisis. His strategy consists of overturning nostalgic ideas of peasant agriculture and the long-term feasibility of biofuels, supporting the development of genetically modified crops and getting rid of agricultural subsidies. While the article focuses on economics it also provides practical solutions coupled with coherent explanations that you will find useful when considering your own policy arguments. He also explains why countries have been so slow to move on the rising food prices which many delegations representing developed countries will find instructive when shaping their policies.

The Debunking of Global Myths:

True or False:

The World is split relatively clearly into the First World, the developed countries, and the Third World, the underdeveloped countries.

What did you answer?

The truth will surprise you:

Watch this presentation, and be sure to browse the website for some fascinating information.


http://www.gapminder.org/videos/

International Day for Elimination of Women Violence

Here is a little brief on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's latest speech on violence against women. Key regions in this topic are highlighted, and there are some resolutions on the topic mentioned as well.

The economics behind supporting women

Here is a link to a comprehensive essay for those unconvinced of the benefits of promoting Women's rights from the American magazine Foreign Affairs. The article discusses the economic benefits of empowering women and the dramatic impacts on overall living standards that result from even small increases in access to education, health care and finances.
The Payoff from Women's Rights - Isabel Coleman

Welcome SOCHUM delegates!

My name is Katelyn Kaiser and I am one half of the dais staff for SOCHUM committee this year. This is my second year volunteering for the conference. Last year was a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to meeting all of you in February. Here is a link to a short article that focuses on the issue of whether the pressing issue with the food crisis is the availability of food or individuals ability to afford to purchase sufficient food with current prices.

World Food Programme cuts rations in Zimbabwe

The problem with giving one's post a title that explicitly describes the content of the article is that there is little else to say in the body of the post.

Oh, except that "pulse" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "the edible seeds of various crops (as peas, beans, or lentils) of the legume family ; also : a plant yielding pulse". Its first recorded use in English was in 1297, and according to etymological dictionaries, it's from O.Fr. pols, from L. puls "thick gruel," probably via Etruscan, from Gk. poltos "porridge."

On Agricultural Production and the Environment

It's just a pity these "betel nuts" aren't nutritious.

Oh no! Food crisis deepens to affect fig supply!

Tragedy!

We'd better start a petition to get the City of Edmonton to plant fig trees in the Muttart Conservatory to stave off disaster.

"African Women's Voices"

Here the BBC interviewed two women from Malawi and Sudan about the situation of women in those countries.

Once they get over the fact that the population is fifty-one percent women (shocking!), they do move on to some more interesting material. It's good to get perspective from people who have more of a hands on grasp of the situation---what they think about "patronizing NGOs", and what their priorities should be.