Development Challenges, South-South Solutions: November 2012 Issue
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The document discusses innovative business solutions in developing regions, highlighting the Solarkiosk initiative in Ethiopia, which provides off-grid solar-powered kiosks for entrepreneurs. It also covers the success story of Lovin Kobusingya from Uganda, who created a profitable fish sausage business, boosting incomes for local women fish farmers. Lastly, it profiles Zhang Lan, a successful female restaurateur from China who has built a prominent restaurant group focused on modernizing Chinese cuisine and expanding globally.
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions: November 2012 Issue
- 1. DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, SOUTH-SOUTH SOLUTIONS E-newsletter of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in UNDP ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 1) All-in-One Solar Kiosk Business Solution for Africa Kiosks are ubiquitous throughout commercial areas in the global South. These highly efficient little business outlets enable small-scale entrepreneurs to sell necessary products without the expense of renting and running a shop. While they are a great solution for entrepreneurs and customers alike, they often lack connection to municipal services such as electricity and water. That means kiosk owners need to use batteries or a generator if they need a refrigerator to cool food and drink - an expensive proposition. A new product launched this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia offers a solution. Created by a team of German architects, the Solarkiosk (solarkiosk.eu) is an autonomous business unit designed for remote, off-grid areas. With solar panels across the top of the kiosk, it generates its own electricity and is ,basically a mini solar power plant. Inside, it is just like a conventional kiosk with display shelves for products and a counter in the front with a flap – which can feature advertising and messages - that can be opened up for business and locked shut when the kiosk is closed. The kiosk captures solar energy and the electricity generated can be used to run a computer, lights or a refrigerator. That makes the Solarkiosk capable of offering a wide range of services needing electricity, from Internet access to car-battery charging and mobile phone recharging – a now essential service as mobile phone use explodes across Africa. The first kiosk was prototyped in November 2011 and the makers incorporated their first subsidiary, Solarkiosk Solutions PLC, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 2012. According to Solarkiosk 1.5 billion people worldwide have no regular supply of electricity – 800 million of them in Africa. The makers of Solarkiosk consider this a huge market and hope to make the most of it. The kiosk comes in a kit form ready for assembly. The kit is designed to be easy to transport and is light enough and compact enough to be transported on the back of a donkey, its makers claim. Solarkiosk operators receive training in running and managing a kiosk. They learn about solar technology and how to maintain the kiosks and run a sustainable business. Once the operators are trained and up and running, they typically hire others to help with running the kiosk and offer the services at convenient times for the customers. The Solarkiosk then, potentially, becomes an income and employment generator for the local community. The kiosk is designed to be durable, secure and difficult to tamper with from the outside. The kiosks have been designed to suit many environments and requirements. There is a basic platform that can be added to or expanded depending on local needs and a series of models depending on the customer’s needs. Cleverly, the largest kiosk model is powerful enough to provide electricity to telecom towers. This has proven attractive to mobile telephone companies who can power a telecom tower and make money from running the kiosk as well. November 2012 Subscribe Unsubscribe Contact Us In this issue: 1) All-in-One Solar Kiosk Business Solution for Africa 2) Ugandan Fish Sausages Transform Female Fortunes 3) Woman Restaurant Entrepreneur Embraces Brand-Driven Growth 4) Better by Design in China 5) Energy-Efficient Wooden Houses are also Earthquake Safe ……………………………….. Featured links: Babajob.com Equator Initiative Kiva.org SSC Website FUNDING ……………………………….. Quick links: Window on the World Upcoming Events Awards and Funding Training and Job Opportunities Past Issues ……………………………….. Bookmark with: what is this? ……………………………….. ……………………………….. what is this? ……………………………….. ISSN 2227-3905
- 2. The Solarkiosk is especially useful for countries near the equator where nights are long (12 hours) and the kiosk can help people get light to read, study and work. Solarkiosk is targeting off-grid customers who are using up to 40 per cent of their household income on electricity substitutes. According to Solarkiosk, people in off-grid households collectively spend more every year (US $30 billion) lighting their homes – using candles for example - than do all the people living in electricity grid connected countries (US $20 billion). Solar technology is becoming more affordable at the same time as demand in developing countries for electricity and the products powered by electricity is on the rise. Mobile phones are now essential tools for doing business and staying connected - and all of them need to be kept charged up. Solarkiosk believes it can save the average off-grid household US $10 per month, while each kiosk could supply solar electricity services to between 200 and 5,000 households. For now, Solarkiosk is available in Ethiopia. It is based in Berlin, Germany and receives money from the German government. The kiosks themselves were designed and built by Graft Architects (http://www.graftlab.com). LINKS: 11) How to maintain a solar panel. Website: http://www.ehow.com/how_2005490_maintain-solar- panel.html 2) How to start a kiosk business. Website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/63012 3) Kiosk Innova: A Turkish pioneer of hi-tech kiosks for retail services. Website: http://www.kioskinnova.com/english 2) Ugandan Fish Sausages Transform Female Fortunes What to do when your food production enterprise is just not making much money? It is a common problem in the global South, where farmers and fishers often struggle to survive and can face the threat of bankruptcy and destitution when trying to provide essential food for their communities. Some fish farmers in Uganda – many of them women – were caught up in this dilemma, unable to find a way to make a good income from the fish they were harvesting. But a lucky hire for one fish cooperative, in the form of a humble secretary, has turned into a business and food success story that is getting set to jump across borders in Africa. Lovin Kobusingya is the former secretary and university graduate who, through tenacity and ingenuity, has built a business selling fish sausages that has become a hit in Kampala, Uganda in East Africa. Through trial and error, Kobusingya came upon the idea of turning the fish into sausages. The product, basically unknown in Uganda before, became a tidy solution to the dilemma of how to sell fish at a premium price that could boost the income of the farmers. She joins the growing number of female entrepreneurs in Africa. Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world, according to the World Bank, which says two-thirds of women in Africa are in the labour force. The 29-year-old mother of two set up Kati Fish Farms (http://katifarms.org) and Kati Farm Supplies Ltd. and now sells 500 kilograms of fish sausage a day. Located in the country’s capital, Kampala, Kati Farm Supplies Ltd. prepares and sells a wide range of food products made with chicken, beef, fish, pork, goat, lamb and honey. Kobusingya is notable not only for her success as a food entrepreneur, but also for the way she has generated attention and excitement around her business and products. According to Kenya’s Nation newspaper, Kobusingya boosted her profile by gaining customers in Uganda’s hotels. She graduated six years ago from Makerere University in Kampala (http://mak.ac.ug) and originally planned to go into banking. Like many graduates, she found it hard to break into the sector and get a steady job. After a year of frustrating job hunting, she found a position as a secretary with a fish cooperative society. “I got a job after a rigorous interview,” she told the Nation. “It was not well-paying.
- 3. “The most challenging part of the job was dealing with fish farmers, who were grappling with an unsteady market for their produce.” Despite all the problems facing the fish industry, Kobusingya became inspired to do something about it. Rather than just hoping market prices would turn in favour of the fish farmers, she diversified the cooperative’s products to add value to the raw fish ingredients. “Most of our members were women who had taken up aquaculture (fish farming)," she said. "At the time, this was still a novelty.” It is a tale of trial and error, as Kobusingya tells it. “We tried selling our products, such as fish feeds, and even selling directly to consumers. But I felt that there was something more we could do to help the farmers even more.” Becoming frustrated with the constraints of her role, she decided to start the business on top of her day job. She started buying fish directly from the farmers, filleting it herself and selling it to customers. Yet, still fish was not selling and going to waste. Then the eureka moment came: make fish sausages. This had never been done in Uganda and she set about undertaking research on the Internet to learn how to do it. “I assembled bits and pieces of information from the Net on how to make the sausages," Kobusyingya said. "Everywhere I went seeking more information, people thought I was out of my mind.” “Nobody had heard of fish sausages but I received support from the Uganda Industrial Research Institute in 2011. They helped me to develop a formula for the product,” she said. With the new product developed, Kobusingya tried selling it to the hotels in Kampala. And this was the crucial moment when her fortunes changed: people were excited by the new and novel product. The first orders earned her US $800 and with that jolt of cash, she was able to launch the product in February 2012. Production started at 100 kilograms of fish sausage a day. By the third month, she was able to produce 500 kilograms a day. And because the product is so popular, she is running hard to meet demand from hotels, food outlets and institutions. Expanding into selling smoked fish and frozen chicken and beef, she is now working with 470 fish farmers, most of whom are women. “This business has motivated farmers throughout Uganda," she said. “The enterprise, now worth about Ush50 million (US $19,230), has 16 permanent employees,” she said. She also took the fish sausages on the road and introduced them to the SmartFish trade event in Lusaka, Zambia, where they became a hit with attendees. SmartFish (http://www.smartfish-coi.org/#!home/mainPage) is funded by the European Union through the European Development Fund and is implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission in partnership with regional trade organizations. The objective of the event was to increase trade within the region. With her confidence further boosted by the positive international reaction, Koubusingya is exploring how to sell into Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. “I always knew I was a businesswoman,” she told The New York Times. “When I was in high school, I used to sell illegal sweets. And I made money.” “I am very happy and proud” of being a female entrepreneur. “When I was young, they said: ‘A woman is a woman – a man should take care of you.’ But women are actually contributing a lot more than men. We always find ourselves multitasking,” when juggling work and a family. LINKS: 1) SmartFish: The SmartFish Programme aims at contributing to an increased level of social, economic and environmental development and deeper regional integration in the ESA-IO region through improved capacities for the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources. Website: http://fisheries.ioconline.org/smartfish.html
- 4. 2) Southern Innovator Issue 3: Agribusiness and Food Security: Packed with tips and tales on how to tackle the challenges of making food production pay. Website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/105746025/Southern-Innovator-Magazine-Issue-3 3) Uganda Industrial Research Institute: Uganda Industrial Research Institute is Uganda Government's lead agency for industrialization. Website: http://www.uiri.org/ 4) A photo gallery showing the harvesting of the fish and the making of the sausages. Website: http://katifarms.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=90 3) Woman Restaurant Entrepreneur Embraces Brand-Driven Growth The journey of Zhang Lan is the tale of an entrepreneur who exemplifies the story of globalization. She has gone from working many part-time jobs while studying overseas, to becoming one of China’s most successful food entrepreneurs. Starting with a very small and humble restaurant specializing in spicy food from China’s Sichuan province, Zhang has cannily used branding innovation to grow her business and build her reputation in the food trade. Today the company she started, South Beauty Group (southbeauty.com), has 71 restaurants, most in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. A series of bold moves focused on raising the profile of her restaurants and the South Beauty Group has paid off: the group was singled out by the China Hotel Association as one of the top 10 Chinese restaurant brands. By riding the country’s breakneck growth and urbanization, her restaurant group has enjoyed double-digit growth in recent years in revenue and profits. Zhang's mission is to revitalize the Chinese restaurant scene by introducing a more upscale and consistent dining experience. China’s restaurant industry is booming and represents a significant opportunity: it is said it will have revenue of 3.7 trillion yuan (US $590 billion) by 2015 (China Daily). “Most people in China don’t know how to present food. I am happy that I have given some importance to the appearance of food,” Zhang told the China Daily newspaper. “I strike a balance between popular and high-end brands in my daily life. This also works for South Beauty Group, which aims to attract customers to a modern place to enjoy high-grade and popular Chinese cuisine.” Her business mission is to take the group outside of China and become a global brand. “Buoyed by the booming domestic high-end catering market, South Beauty Group is looking to be a major luxury brand in the global catering industry. It is not an easy task considering that there are different cultures and eating habits. But my past experience has taught me that opportunities often come along with challenges,” she told China Daily. Zhang's business story started in a journey to Canada to pursue further education. To make ends meet, at one time she took on six part-time jobs, including washing dishes and food preparation. Anybody who has gone to another country to work and better their life knows how hard this can be: “During that period, I was so tired by the end of the day that I had to lift my legs onto the bed with my hands,” Zhang said. But working hard in restaurants and beauty shops earned her US $20,000 in savings within two years. Zhang returned to Beijing in the early 1990s, a time when the country was undergoing significant market reforms. She opened a small restaurant in Beijing in 1991 serving Sichuan cuisine. Dining out was still a new experience in a country that had spent decades under austere communism. She made her restaurant different by emphasizing cleanliness and unique flavours for the food. She even used the design of the restaurant to set it apart: she gathered bamboo from Sichuan and used it to transform the restaurant into a little bamboo house. This attention to detail paid off. By 2000, Zhang had been successful enough to give her the confidence to open her first South Beauty Restaurant in Beijing’s China World Trade Center, a high-end office building in the Central Business District. It proved to be a great way to boost her business’s profile. “It was a bold decision, as rents were high, but I knew the returns would also be high,” she said. By 2006, she was successful enough to make another brave move: open a luxury restaurant called the Lan Club, in Beijing. Having learned about the importance of distinguishing herself in the ever-growing restaurant
- 5. marketplace in China, she invited world-famous designer Philippe Starck (http://www.starck.com/en/) to design the restaurant. For Zhang, there was a bigger strategy at work: “I was not disheartened when some people said that I threw money away like dirt and 12 million yuan (US $1.92 million) was too much for a design draft. But I got great publicity and brand recognition with this design, far more than what is received by most companies which spend millions of yuan on television advertisements. Not everyone in China can boast of a Starck design in their restaurant. In 2007, the company also started cooking meals for airlines flying between China and France, the Netherlands and South Korea. In 2008, it won the bid to be food and beverage provider for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was named official caterer to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. “These international events have given us great confidence in planning overseas expansion,” Zhang said. The hallmarks of the dining experience at a South Beauty Restaurant include dramatic food presentation, upscale décor, a pleasant dining atmosphere and critically, waiting staff who are informed about the dishes they are serving. Dramatic food preparation includes cooking food at the table for the diners and serving stir-fried shrimp on a plate with a goldfish bowl filled with live fish. "I want to change the cheap price and bad atmosphere tag that most Westerners have about Chinese food," Zhang told China Daily. She has attracted investors to take a stake in the business and become the second richest female entrepreneur in China, according to the 2011 China Restaurant Rich List. While the international economic crisis is still damaging growth in the United States and Europe, Zhang still plans to go global. She is looking to initially expand into Asia before moving into Europe and North America. “Our mission is to promote authentic Chinese cuisine across the world. With (the) Chinese economy growing steadily and its cultural influence gaining, it will not be long before we see some big global Chinese catering companies, much like McDonald’s,” Zhang concluded. And it looks like South Beauty Group wants to lead the way. LINKS: 1) Restaurant Branding: A website dedicated to discussing restaurant branding and how to do it. Website: http://www.restaurantbranding.com/ 2) How to Start a Restaurant: Tips from the Entrepreneur.com website. Website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/73384 3) Top tips on opening a restaurant from successful celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Website: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/ramsays-kitchen-nightmares/articles/gordon-ramsays-top-tips- for-starting-a-restaurant 4) Tips on how to handle the start-up costs of staring a restaurant. Website: http://www.inc.com/articles/201111/business-start-up-costs-restaurant.html 4) Better by Design in China In recent decades, China has been known more for its inexpensive manufactured goods than for producing high quality products. But this is changing as the country seeks to move up the economic chain. China’s long-established design traditions were largely overlooked as the country made its breakneck push to become the world’s manufacturing powerhouse. But now, Chinese manufacturers want to be known for high- quality designs and products rather than just for cheap-and-cheerful merchandise. China is a critical lesson for the rest of the global South, and offers much inspiration to any country trying to develop, modernize and eradicate poverty. The country is the main reason for the dramatic reductions in global extreme poverty rates, and it can be proud of using its average yearly economic growth rate of 10 per cent to lift 440 million Chinese out of poverty - the biggest reduction of poverty in history (The Economist). The strategy of exporting manufactured goods into Western markets at competitive prices has dominated the past 20 years.
- 6. But China faces a dilemma as other nations in the global South are rapidly moving into this niche. It needs to quickly become a high-value producer, with unique products and designs generated in the country. Luckily, a renaissance in Chinese design over the past five years has been gradually grabbing the attention of the world’s creative community. Innovative Chinese designers are creating home furnishings and interiors that are being snapped up by European companies. The Italian kitchen utensil design company Alessi turned to eight Chinese architects - including Ma Yansong and Yung Ho Chang - to design a range of trays called (Un) Forbidden City. The architects' designs were manufactured in Italy – a reversal of the pattern that has dominated for the past 20 years. The architects drew on Chinese traditions and 21st century technologies to design the trays. One was made using a 3D scanner which captured images used to make a mould. The drive to change and transform China’s global economic role was promoted in 2011’s Beijing International Design Week (http://www.bjdw.org/en/), with its theme of transforming "Made in China to Designed in China.” “When you have so much of a manufacturing base in one place, it’s natural that people start thinking about how to climb the value chain," Philip Tinari, director of Beijing’s Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) (http://ucca.org.cn/) – a champion of new artists and designers - told howtospendit.com. "Chinese design has become something to rally around and … enjoys great official support because it’s a way of improving China’s long-term economic position.” Other Chinese designers grabbing attention include Chen Xuan, who makes tables; chair-maker Gui Yang; Li Bowen, a maker of wicker chairs; and Ge Wei, a maker of jewellery boxes. Designer Huo Yijin makes contemporary tea trays, using heat-reactive lacquer coating to create dazzling effects. “Users can see the wonderful effect of water and temperature reacting on the tea trays when they drink Kungfu tea in the traditional way," Huo explained. Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province - a city that has been making ceramics since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) - is now attracting craftspeople from around the world looking to tap into its expertise and skill. One attraction is Mr Yu’s Big Ware Factory. Its unparalleled ability to create giant-size pottery is a design niche with much potential. Many foreign creatives are being drawn to China for its can-do attitude and the ability to break with conventions stifling creativity in the West. The next five years could see the world’s design centre of gravity shift eastwards again. LINKS: 1) Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA): The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is a comprehensive, not-for-profit art center serving a global Beijing public. Website: http://ucca.org.cn/ 2) China Shijitan Contemporary Art Center: A mixed-use art venue with experimental theatre, exhibition space, art gallery and production spaces. Website: http://www.ar-chiasmus.cn/project_6.html 3) Pearl Lam Galleries: Pearl Lam Galleries lead a stable of international and Chinese artists who are multidisciplinary, refuting the hierarchy of art forms. The galleries do not follow the model of Western galleries; rather, they have evolved from the philosophy of Chinese Literati, which does not segregate between the different art disciplines. Website: http://pearllamgalleries.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html 4) School of Design of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA): The Central Academy of Fine Arts, located in Beijing, the capital of China, is an academy where culture, history and art are flourishing, which enjoys the best art resources of the world. Website: http://www.cafa.edu.cn/aboutcafa/lan/?c=1101 5) Beijing’s legendary 798 art district: "798" is located in the Dashanzi area, to the northeast of central Beijing. It is the site of state-owned factories including Factory 798, which originally produced electronics. Beginning in 2002, artists and cultural organizations began to divide, rent out, and re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into galleries, art centers, artists' studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars. Website: http://www.798space.com/subpage_en.asp?classid=17
- 7. 5) Energy-Efficient Wooden Houses are also Earthquake Safe In Argentina, an innovative housing project has married good design with energy efficiency, earthquake resilience and the use of local materials and labour. As energy resources continue to be stretched around the global South, innovative building designs will be critical to the creation of sustainable housing for the future. The happy mix of efficient modern design with affordable local materials and labour can be seen in three row houses designed and built by Buenos Aires-based Estudio BaBO (estudiobabo.com.ar) in the El Once neighbourhood in Villa La Angostura, Patagonia, southern Argentina. The wooden houses are built in a Norwegian style. Estudio BaBO, founded in 2007, discovered that the Scandinavian nation’s housing traditions were well suited to the particular needs of the region and the local government. The local government imposed a number of planning guidelines and restrictions that needed to be met to receive planning permission. This included creating row houses that must be made of wood – a plentiful local resource. They also had to be earthquake-safe, since the region is seismically active, and be able to withstand the heavy rains common to the region. Looking around for the right guidance to tackle this brief, Estudio BaBO discovered SINTEF – Norway’s leading disseminator of research-based knowledge to the construction industry (http://www.sintef.no/home/Building- and-Infrastructure/). The Nordic nation has many wooden homes and also has similar environmental conditions and challenges to Patagonia – though its precipitation tends to fall as rain, rather than snow. The black-painted homes look typically Norwegian, with a tasteful and clean design that does not clash with the forested surroundings. An air chamber has been created inside the homes’ walls allowing for constant ventilation of the wood, which prevents the wood from rotting and extends the life of the house. With the high rainfall of the region, wood is at risk of rotting if allowed to become damp. The air cavity also insulates the house, providing significant energy savings while keeping the interior warm and comfortable. Adding to the energy efficiency of the design, the windows are double-glazed and heat is also circulated through the floor – an efficient way to heat a home because heat rises. To keep costs down and the project simple, the palette used for the homes is simple but attractive: black, white, wood and metal. The local wood is cypress and is painted black. The interior walls are all white and the floors are made from black granite on the ground floor and cypress wood parquet on the upper floor. The rest of the woodwork in the house is also made of cypress. Using locally sourced materials helps to keep costs down. The project was initially conceived in 2009 and the houses were built in 2010-2011. While wood is plentiful in Patagonia, traditionally the use of wood in construction was rudimentary and local labour skill levels were low. This meant the design had to be simple and easy to build. “Despite the profusion of wood as a material in the south of Argentina, the lack of specialized knowledge and of a specialized industry narrow its uses to isolated structural elements and interior and exterior finishes,” said one of the architects, Marit Haugen Stabell. The three units of two-storey row houses each come with a living room, dining room, kitchen, toilet, two bedrooms and a laundry room. Each home also has an outdoor patio. The homes are designed to receive maximum natural light. Deploying this energy efficient design is considered unusual for Argentina and Estudio BaBO has set a new standard for sustainable housing in the country. It looks like the CLF Houses could inspire others to look again at wood as a building material. LINKS: 1) A story on how researchers are perfecting wooden home designs to withstand heavy earthquakes. Website: http://inhabitat.com/wooden-house-can-withstand-severe-earthquakes/ 2) A website packed with photographs of wooden and other houses for inspiration and lesson learning. Website: http://www.trendir.com/house-design/wood_homes/ 3) A step-by-step slideshow on how a Norwegian wooden house was re-built. Website: http://www.dwell.com/articles/norwegian-wood.html 4) Inspirational wooden home decorating ideas from across Scandinavia. Website: http://myscandinavianhome.blogspot.cz/
- 8. Southern Innovator (ISSN 2222-9280) magazine’s third issue is now online and print copies are available for distribution. The third issue’s theme is agribusiness and food security. View the issue online here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/106055665/Southern-Innovator-Magazine-Issue-3-Agribusiness-and-Food-Security. Contact us about opportunities to sponsor this issue or any future issues and we can send you more information on how it works. Issue 4, on cities and urbanization, is in development and will be published later this year. Please contact the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation if you would like a copy (copies) of Southern Innovator (http://ssc.undp.org/content/ssc.html). The covers for Issues 2 and 3 are below: Contact us about opportunities to sponsor this issue or any future issues and we can send you more information on how it works. Issue 3, on agribusiness and food security, is now ready and will be published shortly. Issues 4 and 5 are also in the works for 2012. Please contact the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation if you would like a copy (copies) of Southern Innovator (http://ssc.undp.org/content/ssc.html). Follow us on Twitter @SouthSouth1 Issue 1 of Southern Innovator was called “…a terrific tour de force of what is interesting, cutting edge and relevant in the global mobile/ICT space...” Also check out our South-South Expo: 2012’s Expo will be in Vienna, Austria: www.southsouthexpo.org BOOKS The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa by Calestous Juma, Publisher: Oxford University Press. Website: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/20504/new_harvest.html Innovative Africa: The New Face of Africa: Essays on the Rise of Africa’s Innovation Age by Will Mutua and Mbwana Ally, Publisher: Afrinnovator. Website: http://book.afrinnovator.com/ The Coming Prosperity by Philip Auerswald, Publisher: Oxford University Press. Website: http://auerswald.org/ The Landgrabbers by Fred Pearce, Publisher: Eden Project Books. Website: http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/9781905811731 WINDOW ON THE WORLD
- 9. The Revenge of Geography by Robert D. Kaplan, Publisher: Random House. Website: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/209683/the-revenge-of-geography-by-robert-d-kaplan Need, Speed and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems by Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Publisher: Harper Business. Website: www.amazon.com Emerging Economies: The Geopolitics of the BRICS Nations Publisher: Stratfor. They make up nearly half the world's population and wield significant influence within their respective regions. Combined, their GDPs are not too far behind that of the United States. Understand the geopolitics of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Website: www.stratfor.com China’s Regulatory State: A New Strategy for Globalization by Roselyn Hsueh, Publisher: Cornell University Press. Website: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu Living in the Endless City edited by Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic, Publisher: Phaidon. The city is the subject of the 21st century. All over the world, populations are shifting towards urban centres. Living in the Endless City depicts an authoritative survey of cities of today and the prospects for our urban future of tomorrow. 36 contributors from across Europe, South America, China, Africa and the U.S. set the agenda for the city - detailing its successes as well as its failures. Website: http://www.urban-age.net/publications/living-in-the-endless-city/ Consumptionomics: Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism by Chandran Nair, Publisher: Infinite Ideas. Website: www.amazon.com World 3.0: Global Prosperity and How to Achieve It by Pankaj Ghemawa, Publisher: Harvard Business School Press. Website: www.amazon.com The China Miracle: Development Strategy and Economic Reform by Justin Yifu Lin, Publisher: The Chinese University Press. Website:www.eurospanbookstore.com The End of Cheap China: Economic and Cultural Trends that will Disrupt the World by Shaun Rein, Publisher: John Wiley and Sons. Website: www.amazon.com Global Slump: The Economics and Politics of Crisis and Resistance by David McNally, Publisher: PM Press. Global Slump analyzes the global financial meltdown as the first systemic crisis of the neoliberal stage of capitalism. It argues that – far from having ended – the crisis has ushered in a whole period of worldwide economic and political turbulence. In developing an account of the crisis as rooted in fundamental features of capitalism, Global Slump challenges the view that its source lies in financial deregulation. Website: https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=271 Creative Ecologies: Where Thinking is a Proper Job by John Howkins, Publisher: UQP. Website: www.creativeeconomy.com/think.htm Breakout Nations by Ruchir Sharma, Publisher: Penguin. Breakout Nations offers journeys through more than two dozen of the most interesting economies in the emerging world. Website: http://breakoutnations.com/
- 10. Light Manufacturing in Africa by Hinh T. Dinh et al, Publisher: World Bank. This book examines how light manufacturing can offer a viable solution for sub-Saharan Africa’s need for structural transformation and productive job creation, given its potential competitiveness based on low wage costs and an abundance of natural resources that supply raw materials needed for industries. Website: http://issuu.com/world.bank.publications/docs/9780821389614 Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, Publisher: Profile Books. Website: www.amazon.com Arrival City by Doug Saunders, Publisher: Pantheon. A third of humanity is on the move. History’s largest migration is creating new urban spaces that are this century’s focal points of conflict and change — centres of febrile settlement that will reshape our cities and reconfigure our economies. Website: http://arrivalcity.net/ China: And the End of Poverty in Africa – Towards Mutual Benefit? by Penny Davis, Publisher: Diakonia and the European Network on Debt and Development. Website: www.eurodad.org/uploadedFiles/Whats_New/Reports/Kinarapport_A4.pdf Globalization and Competition: Why Some Emergent Countries Succeed while Others Fall Behind by Luiz Carlos Bresser Pereira, Publisher: Cambridge University Press. Website: www.networkideas.org/book/jan2010/bk12_GACL.htm State of the Field in Youth Enterprise, Employment, and Livelihoods Development Publisher: Making Cents International. This practical resource features learning from over 80 leading organizations that are working around the world to increase and improve economic opportunities for young people. Topics include youth enterprise development; workforce development; youth-inclusive financial services; working with adolescent girls and young women; and monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment. Website: www.YouthEconomicOpportunities.org/media.asp Vitamin Green: The Definitive Guide to the World of Contemporary Sustainable Design: Features 100 Innovative Projects from Around the World by editors of Phaidon Press, Publisher: Phaidon Press. Website: http://uk.phaidon.com/store/architecture/vitamin-green-9780714862293/ Makers: The New Industrial Revolution By Chris Anderson, Publisher: Crown Business. Website: www.amazon.com Papers and Reports African Economic Outlook 2012: Promoting Youth Employment Publisher: Various. With almost 200 million people aged between 15 and 24, Africa has the youngest population in the world. This number will double by 2045. Many jobs have been created over the last decade, but the pace needs to accelerate significantly to match the demand of Africa's next generations. Website: http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/ State of China’s Cities: 2010/2011: Better City, Better Life Publisher: UNHABITAT. Website: www.scribd.com/doc/39882697/State-of-China-s-Cities-Report-2010-2011 Still our Common Interest: Commission for Africa Report 2010 Publisher: Commission for Africa Website: www.commissionforafrica.info/2010-report
- 11. World Economic Outlook Update: Restoring Confidence without Harming Recovery Publisher: IMF. Website: www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/update/02/index.htm Empowering People and Transforming Society: The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers 2011 Publisher: World Economic Forum. Website: www.scribd.com/doc/35953976/Technology-Pioneers-2011 The Emerging Middle Class in Developing Countries Publisher: OECD. Website: www.oecdilibrary.org/oecd/content/workingpaper/5kmmp8lncrns-en (PDF - 2.09 mb) The Implications of China’s Ascendancy for Africa by Hany Besada, Publisher: The Centre for International Governance Innovation. This paper examines the extent to which China’s engagement with Africa has produced mutual benefits for both and whether Africa is reaping the necessary benefits required for poverty alleviation and economic development. Website: http://www.cigionline.com/sites/default/files/Paper_40-web.pdf Global Economic Decoupling Alive and Well Emerging economies decouple from the US, come closer to Europe. Website: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article23670.html The Global Financial Crisis and Africa’s “Immiserizing Wealth” ,Research Brief, United Nations University, Number 1 2010. Website: www.unu.edu/publications/briefs/policy-briefs/2010/UNU_ResearchBrief_10-01.pdf Africa begins to make poverty history: US economists challenge conventional view that the continent is a basket case Website: www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/03/africa-makes-povery-history New Magazine African Innovator Magazine has launched: AIM showcases innovative technology solutions to business challenges on the continent. Website: http://www.africaninnovatormagazine.com/ On the Web Blogs and Websites African Robotics Network: The African Robotics Network (AFRON) is a community of institutions, organizations and individuals engaged in robotics in Africa. AFRON seeks to promote communication and collaborations that
- 12. will enhance robotics-related education, research and industry on the continent. To achieve this, AFRON organizes projects, meetings and events in Africa at robotics and automation conferences abroad. Website: http://robotics-africa.org/ Polis: A collaborative blog about cities around the globe. Website: http://www.thepolisblog.org/2012/03/coca-cola-in-africa.html mDirectory: The mDirectory is the most comprehensive database of information on mobile tech for social change on the Web: case studies, mobile tools, research, and how-to guides. Website: http://mobileactive.org/directory Global Development: Launched in September 2010, this website from the Guardian newspaper tracks progress on the MDGs, encourages debate on its blogs, offers a rich store of datasets from around the world, and features monthly podcasts and resources for schools. Website: www.guardian.co.uk/global-development Latameconomy Website: Latameconomy.org is the latest evolution of the annual Latin American Economic Outlook report, essentially bringing its trusted, high quality content into the digital age. Its wide country coverage and methods of analysis are essential for anyone seeking to understand the economic, social and political developments of Latin American countries. Website: www.latameconomy.org/en/ International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs): International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs) is a pluralist network of progressive economists across the world, engaged in research, teaching and dissemination of critical analyses of economic policy and development. Website: www.networkideas.org/ OECD: Tackling the economic crisis website:The global economic crisis is entering a new phase amid signs of a return to positive growth in many countries. But unemployment is likely to remain high and much still needs to be done to underpin a durable recovery. This website will track the recovery. Website: http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,3343,en_2649_201185_41707672_1_1_1_1,00.html The Global Urbanist: News and analysis of cities around the world: planning, governance, economy, communities, environment and international. Website: globalurbanist.com ICT Update: A bimonthly printed bulletin, a web magazine, and an accompanying email newsletter that explores innovative uses of information technology in agriculture and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Website: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/Regulars/Perspectives/%28issue%29/56 Youth-Inclusive Financial Services (YFS-Link) Program: The first space for financial services providers (FSPs) and youth-service organizations (YSOs) to gather, learn and share about youth-inclusive financial services.
- 13. Website: yfslink.org Triple Crisis Blog: Global Perspectives on Finance, Development and Environment Website: http://triplecrisis.com/ Full Disclosure: The Aid Transparency Blog: A Devex blog, written by members of the international community. Website: www.devex.com/en/blogs/full-disclosure Africa Portal: An online knowledge resource offering researchers and opinion leaders a forum to share their insights on Africa and publish their work on pressing areas of concern to policymakers and the public. It aims to fill the gap in accessibility to research and information on policy issues on the continent. Website: africaportal.org African Economic Outlook: A unique online tool that puts rigorous economic data, information and research on Africa at your fingertips. A few clicks gives access to comprehensive analyses of African economies, placed in their social and political contexts. This is the only place where African countries are examined through a common analytical framework, allowing you to compare economic prospects at the regional, sub-regional and country levels. Website: africaneconomicoutlook.org/en Africa Renewal: The Africa Renewal information programme, produced by the Africa Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information, provides up-to-date information and analysis of the major economic and development challenges facing Africa today. Website: www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/ Timbuktu Chronicles: A blog by Emeka Okafor : “a view of Africa and Africans with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, practical remedies and other self-sustaining activities.” Website: http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/ AfriGadget: AfriGadget is a must-read for African invention junkies. They are always on the look out for ingenious innovation that is new or a repurposing of existing technology in a new way, interesting in the sense that the story captures the imagination of others, inspiring others to see solutions in uncommon ways, practical ideas that solve problems in a demonstrable way, and entrepreneurs who are inventing new products or solutions. Website: www.afrigadget.com Interesting Blogger Emeka Okafor, Timbuktu Chronicles: Emeka Okafor is an entrepreneur and venture catalyst who lives in New York City. He is the curator of Maker Faire Africa. He was the director for TED Global 2007 that took place in Arusha, Tanzania. In addition he is a member of the TED fellowship team. His interests include sustainable technologies in the developing world and paradigm-breaking technologies in general. His blog, Timbuktu Chronicles, seeks to spur dialogue in areas of entrepreneurship, technology and the scientific method as it impacts Africa. Website: http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.co.uk/ Notable Website African Brains: The Home of Intelligent Networking: African Brains - for forward thinking, intelligent Africans to network and propose new ideas and technologies to the world. Website: www.africanbrains.net
- 14. Arab Brains: The Home of Intelligent Networking: Arab Brains has been established to connect innovative Arabs across the Arab World and beyond. Website: http://arabbrains.com/ Social Media Africa Entrepreneurship Platform: This ground breaking initiative is created as a forum to showcase innovative ideas and businesses from Africa that have the ability to scale internationally, driving job creation and sustainable economic development between Africa and the Americas. Website: www.sacca.biz AfriGadget on Facebook: ‘Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity’: Website: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2402629579 Start-up Funding Hubs!: They are sprouting up all over the place and now there is a map showing where they are in Africa. Website: https://africahubs.crowdmap.com/# And there are 18 in Latin America too. Website: http://thenextweb.com/la/2012/08/11/18-latin-american-tech-hubs-know/ The SEED Initiative Hosted by the UN Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the SEED Initiative is a global partnership for action on the Green Economy. The annual SEED Awards help to develop the most promising social and environmental start-ups in emerging economies and developing countries. Website: http://unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2647&ArticleID=8798&l=en The Pioneers of Prosperity Grant and Award This competition is a partnership between the OTF Group and the John F. Templeton Foundation of the United States, and promotes companies in East Africa by identifying local role models that act as examples of sustainable businesses in their country/region. It is open to businesses from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. Five pioneers will receive US $50,000 to re-invest in their business. It is open to for-profit businesses that provide high wages to their workers and that operate in sustainable ways. Website: http://pioneersofprosperity.org/index.php Oxford Said Business School Youth Business Development Competition Open to youth between 16 and 21 across the world, the competition is run by students at Oxford University to promote social enterprise. A prize fund of £2,000 in seed capital is up for grabs. It calls itself the ‘world’s first global youth development competition’.
- 15. Website: www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/oba/se/ybd Challenge Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund (RIEF): Rwanda Research Innovation Endowment Fund (RIEF) was established and is managed by the Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) in partnership with UNECA (SRO-EA & ISTD) under One UN Rwanda. The objective of this Fund is to stimulate economic transformation through R&D in innovative market-oriented products and processes in priority areas of the economy, thereby increasing prosperity and the competitiveness of the Rwandan economy. The orientation can be either for economic growth, social development or combination of the two. http://www.mineduc.gov.rw/spip.php?article21Website: The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA): The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) are delighted to announce the call for applications for the 2013 Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA). Too often, innovators and entrepreneurs are not highly profiled on the African development agenda. It is IPA’s mission to elevate attention around innovative work and help support the vision of entrepreneurs. The prize honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute towards the development of new products, increased efficiency or cost savings in Africa. The prize also promotes the efforts of young African men and women pursuing science, technology and engineering careers as well as business opportunities that aim to contribute to sustainable development in Africa. http://innovationprizeforafrica.org/Website: Video Forum for the Future Compelling animated videos exploring the hard choices of an urbanizing world and the need to promote sustainable development and environmental harmony. Website: http://www.youtube.com/user/forumforthefuture96 Have an event you would like the South-South community to know about? Then send details to developmentchallenges@googlemail.com. 2012 November 2012 COMESA Summit Kampala, Uganda (16 November 2012) Website: http://www.comesa.int/ Global South-South Development Expo 2012 Vienna, Austria (19-23 November 2012) Theme: Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for Development 2012 is the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, and developing countries also strive for inclusive partnerships for sustainable development in the field of Energy and Climate Change. Furthermore, the theme, EVENTS
- 16. which also pays tribute to UNIDO’s strength in delivering environment and energy-related solutions, fully resonates with the main topics that were discussed throughout the year, including in Rio. The GSSD Expo will showcase successful initiatives from developing countries that address development challenges related to Energy and Climate Change issues. Website: www.southsouthexpo.org December Have an event you would like the South-South community to know about? Then send details to developmentchallenges@googlemail.com. 2013 April Source Africa – The African Textile, Apparel and Footwear Trade Event Cape Town, South Africa (9-12 April 2013) Source Africa shows off the quality, creativity, reliability, and sophistication of apparel manufacturing in Africa targeting a global audience of buyers, business leaders and service providers. SOURCE Africa will bring together business leaders and decision makers from across Africa, providing opportunities for international buyers to network with African manufacturers. By bringing Africa to the world of Sourcing, SOURCE Africa provides unparalleled resources and opportunities to buyers … all under one roof. Website: http://www.sourceafrica.co.za/ October 7 th ECOWAS Trade Fair Accra, Ghana (24 October to 4 November 2013) The regional fair, which is now a biennial event, was instituted to boost intra-community trade which presently hovers between 11 and 15 percent, and thereby contributing to the improved implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). It will also contribute to empowering local producers and stimulating the regional economy. Website: http://www.ecowas.int/ Have an event you would like the South-South community to know about? Then send details to developmentchallenges@googlemail.com. The EU Contest for Young Scientists The European Union (EU) Contest for Young Scientists, an initiative of the European Commission, was set up to promote the ideals of co-operation and interchange between young scientists. Website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/youngscientists/index_en.cfm?pg=history 2013 Innovation Prize for Africa The second round of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA), which aims to reward innovation across Africa in key sectors of interest, has been launched. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) expect the prize to promote among young African men and women in the pursuit of science, technology and engineering careers and business applications. The aims are to: - Mobilize leaders from all sectors to fuel African innovation; - Promote innovation across Africa in key sectors of interest through the competition; - Promote science, technology and engineering as rewarding, exciting and noble career options among the youth in Africa by profiling success applicants; and AWARDS AND FUNDING
- 17. - Encourage entrepreneurs, innovators, funding bodies and business development service providers to exchange ideas and explore innovative business opportunities. Website: innovationPrizeForArica.org World Summit Youth Award The international contest for young people using the Internet and mobiles to take action on the UN Millennium Development Goals. Website: www.youthaward.org Grand Challenges Canada: Request for Proposals Grand Challenges Canada is pleased to announce a new initiative in its Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health grand challenge. It’s called Saving Brains. Its goal is to unlock potential in children and dramatically transform lives in the developing world. The money to fund this program comes from the Development Innovation Fund. In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada committed $225 million CAD over five years to the Development Innovation Fund, to support the best minds in the world in a collaborative search for solutions to global health challenges. For the Request for Proposals: Website: http://www.grandchallenges.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Request_for_Proposals- Saving_Brains_EN.pdf Zayad Future Energy Prize The world is in desperate need of innovative solutions to create a new, sustainable energy future. No one knows who or where the next great energy solution will come from. Solutions and technologies that could change the world are being developed globally, and the $2.2 million Zayed Future Energy Prize, managed by Masdar in Abu Dhabi, recognizes and rewards innovation, leadership, and long-term vision in renewable energy and sustainability. Website: www.zayedfutureenergyprize.com/ Philips Liveable Cities Award Philips is looking for individuals and community or non-government organizations and businesses with ideas for “simple solutions” that will improve people’s health and well-being in a city to enter the Philips Liveable Cities Award. To help translate these ideas into reality, three Award grants totalling €125,000 are on the line. One overall winning idea from any of the three categories outlined below will receive a grant of €75,000, while the two additional ideas will receive grants of €25,000. Website: http://www.because.philips.com/livable-cities-award/about-the-award Piramal Foundation in India Has established a US $25,000 prize for ideas that help advance full access to effective public health care in India. The Piramal Prize is a $25,000 Social Entrepreneurship Competition focused on democratizing health care in India that seeks to encourage and support bold entrepreneurial ideas which can profoundly impact access to higher standards of health for India’s rural and marginalized urban communities. The award recognizes high-impact, scalable business models and innovative solutions that directly or indirectly address India’s health-care crisis. Website: www.piramalprize.org Special Award for South-South Transfer The aim of the award is to identify, provide visibility, and honour those who have successfully shared their projects and approaches internationally, thereby increasing the impact of the initiative. The winning practice receives US $15,000 to further transfer the awarded practice to other communities in developing countries. Website: www.southsouthexpo.org South-South Experience Exchange Facility Supported by Mexico, China, India, Denmark, Spain, The Netherlands, and the U.K. and now Colombia, the South- South Experience Exchange Facility is a multi-donor trust fund that promotes the idea that developing countries can learn from the successes of other developing countries in overcoming similar challenges. In the past 12 months, the trust has given out 35 grants to countries for learning activities ranging from working with at risk youth in the Caribbean to outsourcing IT services in Africa. Website: www.southsouthcases.info African Writers Fund Together with the Ford Foundation, the Fund supports the work of independent creative writers living on the continent. The Fund recognizes the vital role that poets and novelists play in Africa by anticipating and reflecting the cultural, economic and political forces that continuously shape and reshape societies. Website: http://www.trustafrica.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91&Itemid=90&lang=fr Joint NAM S&T Centre - ICCS Fellowship Programme Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) and International Center for Chemical Sciences (ICCS), (H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan Click here for more information or contact: namstct@vsnl.com, namstct@bol.net.in, apknam@gmail.com PhD Plant Breeding Scholarships at the University of Ghana The University of Ghana (www.ug.edu.gh) has been awarded a project support grant by the Alliance for a Green Revolution (www.agra-alliance.org) in Africa (a joint venture between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and
- 18. the Rockefeller Foundation, for the establishment of a West African Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI). This is available to scientists working at NARIs, universities and international centres in West Africa. Women scientists are especially encouraged to apply for a fellowship under this programme. Website: www.acci.org.za/Default.asp?nav=Home&idno=10 Genesis: India’s Premier Social Entrepreneurship Competition Is a social entrepreneurship competition aiming to bring together social entrepreneurs, students, NGOs, innovators, incubators, corporations and financiers and encourage them to come up with innovative ideas which are socially relevant and feasible. Website: http://genesis.iitm.ac.in/ Weitzenegger’s International Development Job Market Website: www.weitzenegger.de/new/jobmarket.php Global Knowledge Initiative The Global Knowledge Initiative seeks to build global knowledge partnerships between individuals and institutions of higher education and research. It seeks to help partners access the global knowledge, technology, and human resources needed to sustain growth and achieve prosperity for all." Website: www.globalknowledgeinitiative.org/ ExportHelp - Promoting and supporting access to the European market The European Commission runs a database for the explicit support of market players in developing countries who want to bring their products to the EU market. The database gives an overview on the EU´s preferential trade regimes established for developing countries as well as lists all tariffs, taxes and other requirements for goods imported into the EU. Website: http://exporthelp.europa.eu Development Executive Group Devex Networking Website Over 90,000 global experts can network and connect and learn about more than 47,000 registered projects. Website: www.devex.org Website Offers Career Advice to Young Africans Set up by the Commonwealth Secretariat, Africancareerguidance.com is aimed at providing career guidance to African youth and helping them to link with prospective employers. AfricaRecruit is a human resources organization that provides skills training for African professionals in the Diaspora and on the continent. The website has an inbuilt email subscriber list for all its users and offers a searchable database of career profiles for job seekers and prospective employers. It also offers skills and interest assessments and advice on CV and résumé preparation. It provides tips about interviewing techniques, as well as information on internship and volunteer opportunities, and entrepreneurial skills. Website: www.africacareerguidance.com African Diaspora Skills Database This database was compiled to provide an overview of qualified African Diaspora professionals with varied areas of expertise and experience. The African Diaspora contributes substantially to the social, economic and political development of Africa, and this database is set up to further mobilize this considerable potential. Website: www.diaspora-centre.org/NEWSLETTER/Database Aid Workers Network (AWN) Aid Workers Network (AWN) is an online platform for aid, relief and development workers to ask and answer questions of each other, and to exchange resources and information. AWN is registered in the United Kingdom as a charity. You will find discussions about a range of questions and issues on the AWN forum from aid, relief and development workers all over the world and representing a variety of fields, with new threads or responses posted daily. The forum is a great way to get in contact with other aid and development workers in your geographic area or working in a similar area of work. Website: www.aidworkers.net Bizzlounge Bizzlounge is where people committed to ethical behaviour meet, who want to establish and maintain business contacts in an exclusive and relaxed environment. Website: http://bizzlounge.com Business Action for Africa Business Action for Africa is a network of businesses and business organizations working collectively to accelerate growth and poverty reduction in Africa. Website: http://businessactionforafrica.blogspot.com Business Fights Poverty Business Fights Poverty is a professional network for all those passionate about fighting world poverty through TRAINING AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- 19. the power of good business. Website: http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com Business in Development Network (BiD) The BiD Network Foundation runs the BiD Challenge to contribute to sustainable economic development by stimulating entrepreneurship in developing countries. Website: www.bidnetwork.org Zunia By Development Exchange, it offers news, publications and networking opportunities with the world’s development community. Website: www.zunia.org Catalogue of Poverty Networks UNDP is organizing an online catalogue of Poverty Networks as a means to facilitate access to knowledge and sharing this to a wider audience in 189 countries. Poverty Networks are web-based platforms that provide space for sharing and disseminating development-related information and initiatives. Below you will find information on IPC’s collaborating networks, which help foster dialogue between researchers, policymakers, civil society and multilateral organizations. Website: www.undp-povertycentre.org/povnet.do Connections for Development (CfD) CfD is a UK, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) led, membership based organization committed to ensuring that UK BME communities, and the organizations they are involved in, are supported in the process of shaping and delivering policy and projects that affect their countries of origin or interest – collectively ''our world”. Website: www.cfdnetwork.co.uk Development Crossing Development Crossing was set up in 2006 by a small group of friends with diverse backgrounds ranging from business consulting to international development. In a world where the environment, corporate responsibility, and sustainable development are becoming increasingly intertwined, our goal was to create a site where individuals that shared our passion could keep up-to-date with relevant happenings in the world and connect with like-minded individuals. The idea behind Development Crossing is to provide a social network that brings together people from a variety of sectors, countries and professions to discuss corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Website: www.developmentcrossing.com DevelopmentAid.org The one-stop-information-shop for the developmental sector, DevelopmentAid.org is a membership organization that brings together information for developmental professionals, NGOs, consultancy firms and donors. Website: www.developmentaid.org Zunia.org Zunia.org, a free online service by the Development Gateway Foundation is devoted to knowledge-sharing and collaboration for people working to reduce poverty in the developing world. Website: http://topics.developmentgateway.org Diaspora African Forum This Forum exists ''to invite and encourage the full participation of Africans in the Diaspora in the building of the African Union, in its capacity as an important part of the Continent''. We will provide the vital linkage for Diaspora Africans to become involved in Africa's development as well as reap the fruits of African unity. Website: www.diasporaafricanforum.org Business Planet: a new data map on Entrepreneurship Business Planet, an interactive Google map, now includes data on new business creation around the world. Measures of entrepreneurial activity are based on the number of total and newly registered corporations. Click on colour markers to learn more about each country. Website: http://rru.worldbank.org/businessplanet/default.aspx?pid=8