Agriculture is not an art; it is a science. Yet, when picturing a scientist, a farmer usually is not the image that comes to mind. This creates an inherent tension: Farmers need to understand scientific best practices to be successful, but how can the latest research reach farmers who live in far-flung rural areas and…
GSP/Taqadum made advances in building the capacity of provincial governments to plan and deliver services with the participation of their constituents. Designed to transfer knowledge and strategies through innovative standardized systems and effective methodologies, the project worked side-by-side with provincial leaders and their staff to develop a unique and wide-ranging set of tools. The transfer…
In democratic countries where constituency project systems are practiced, they are implemented to bring needed infrastructure and development to communities. Constituency projects were created by the Nigerian National Assembly in response to demands by their constituents around development and the lack of federal presence in communities. Projects are nominated into the national budget by a legislator…
The USAID Kosovo Partnerships for Development (PFD) project recently won Chemonics’ Technology for Development (Tech4Dev) contest with a database and mobile app that lets citizens access all of Kosovo’s laws in one place. Deputy Chief of Party Kreshnik Kurtishi and Legal and Regulatory Specialist Liridon Shurdhani explain. How are you increasing transparency in Kosovo? A fundamental element of good…
On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a bold manifesto: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document enshrined a series of principles that would be the birthright of every human on Earth and would change the way our global society thinks about human interaction. In the years since the…
Although the Liberian government has been working to strengthen its technology use for some time, the 2014 Ebola epidemic highlighted the need for a systematic overhaul of the country’s ICT capacities. This health crisis revealed the crucial role that stronger communication and digital integration can play in government decision-making. The Digital Liberia and Electronic Government…
With global shifts in how to effectively address environmental protection, citizen rights, and democratic values, civil society organizations (CSOs) are increasingly seen not only as advocates, but also as facilitators between the people and the government with the power to create meaningful change. CSOs have influenced inclusive and accountable development, transforming communities, landscapes, and institutions.…
What part should civil society play in protecting the planet? How have recent political crises put the environment at risk? How can civil society hold government institutions accountable to alleviate the resource curse? These are the kinds of questions that environmental protection and democracy and governance experts will tackle at the International Civil Society Week…
With the signing of Colombia’s peace accord in 2016, new challenges have emerged regarding the country’s human rights agenda. The 2016 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights annual report highlighted an increasing concern regarding the killings and attacks on Colombian human rights defenders and other social leaders. According to the Colombian NGO Somos Defensores, in…
Chemonics’ staff submitted 38 contest entries from around the world, focusing on the use of technology to enhance existing projects’ results as well as identifying promising potential technology applications that have not yet been fully tested. Winners were chosen in two categories, through a combination of staff judges and votes cast by more than 600…