Medicinal and aromatic plants, agroindustrial processing, appropriate technologies, biodiversity conservation, and biotechnology are among the research interests of Dr Mustafa Ismaili-Alaoui, professor at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (IAV) in Rabat, Morocco. But there’s a common thread linking these interests, and about which he is passionate: enhancing the value of Morocco’s natural heritage. And a key ally in these activities has been Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Tobacco in Developing Countries: Dream Scenario or Shrill Wake-Up Call? 2002-09-06
Tobacco production: a good deal for farmers in developing countries? A boost for national economies? This slide show counters some of the common myths related to tobacco use and production in developing countries.
International research could help protect Canada's wheat 2002-07-26
Canada has long been one of the world’s leading wheat producers. With annual revenues of $4 to 6 billion, wheat is important to the national economy. But plant diseases, such as tan spot, threaten this important export. For a cure, the Canadian wheat industry will increasingly have to turn to international agricultural research centres.
The Canadian Connection 2002-07-26
Agricultural research undertaken in Mexico could help the Canadian wheat industry. Work to examine fish genetics has implications for First Nations communities in British Columbia. A Saskatoon company could help revolutionize the chocolate industry — and the economy of Burkina Faso. Canadian and Southern researchers are joining forces and proving that research is a two-way street.
Debate looms over rights to fish genetics 2002-07-26
While a debate over genetic engineering has been raging for years, it has focused mainly on food crops. Not anymore. Aquatic genetic engineering has 'exploded' in the past two years and, like its land counterpart, is the subject of much dispute. Groups, organizations, and even governments are scrambling to figure out just who owns the rights to fish's genetic make-up. A few of the players involved in the fight are the Victoria-based World Fisheries Trust and BC’s Shuswap First Nations.
Saskatoon company could revolutionize chocolate industry 2002-07-26
'Melts in your mouth, not in your hand' is a claim that more chocolate manufacturers could be making if the efforts of a Saskatoon company and the country of Burkina Faso are successful. Chocolate manufacturers are hoping a Saskatoon’s bioprocessing research organization, POS Pilot Plant’s work with shea butter could revolutionize the chocolate industry. Replacing cocoa butter with inexpensive shea butter could lower production costs. Its ability to remain solid at higher temperatures also makes shea butter attractive to chocolate makers.
Business e-tips for Rural African Women 2002-06-24
A new information tool offers direct access to information for women who are among the most marginalized in development --poor women with little or no reading ability.
Focus on Information and Communication Technologies 2002-06-21
This collection of articles, news, and resources focuses on the question: how can information and communications technologies (ICTs) contribute to development?
Researcher Profile: Carlos Afonso 2002-05-10
Introducing the "father of Brazilian Internet," Carlos Afonso, Head of Technological Development at RITS.
A Life-Changing Experience 2002-05-01
For Catherine Potvin, a researcher at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, an IDRC project to promote the sustainable use of plant biodiversity in Panama was a life-altering experience. Potvin's interest: to see how the Emberá people interacted with their environment.
Best of Reports: Focus on Health 2002-04-05
To mark World Health Day, April 7, Reports magazine is running a selection of stories that focus on health-related research.
Best of Reports: Focus on Women and Development 2002-03-08
To mark International Women's Week, Reports magazine is running a retrospective of stories that focus on gender and research for sustainable development.
From South to North — the sand filter takes hold in Canada 2002-02-22
A Canadian scientist, David Manz, engineered a slow sand filter that was not dependent on a continuous flow of water to function properly. IDRC-supported researchers perfected this filter for use in the developing world. But the slow sand filter is also being used in Canada — farming communities in Alberta are using it to purify well water.
IDRC mourns the loss of María de Jesús Gines known as Chusa 2002-01-30
It is with great sadness that we have learned that our colleague, Chusa Gines, was on the TAME airliner which crashed Monday morning, January 28, 2002, at the border between Ecuador and Colombia.
An ICT Grants Program for the Asia-Pacific 2001-11-21
A research and development grants program for Asia-Pacific organizations has been established with support from IDRC. It supports applied research to find solutions to development problems in Asia-Pacific related to information and communications technologies (ICTs).
For six months, Ritu Verma lived in Maragoli in Western Kenya, where she worked with nine women’s groups and numerous farmers as part of her research project on gender and soil fertility. Using a variety of research techniques, including photography and personal interviews, Ms Verma captured in rich detail the complexity of the women’s lives as they struggled to sustain their soils and their livelihoods in a difficult political-economic environment.
Net Gains With Somos@telecentros 2001-09-19
A two-year-old Latin American and Caribbean co-operative that joins community Internet access centres, or telecentres, across the region stands at about 1,500 members and growing.
Bridging the Digital Divide: A Special Webcast 2001-09-19
Are rural Canadians and developing world communities missing the boat when it comes to the revolution in information and communication technologies? This is just one of the questions experts from Africa and Canada will tackle as part of a webcast discussion on the "digital divide". The webcast, part of the BayBytes Rural Technology Forum 2001 taking place in Port Blandford, Newfoundland, is slated for Tuesday, September 25, 2001, from 8:30 to 10:00 (NFLD time). Anyone can particpate but they must register beforehand (it's free). A registration form will be availbale as of Monday, September 24 at the(http://www.baybytes.net/webcast.htm). Media representatives looking for more information on the webcast can find it here.
Controlling Malaria in Mexico Using Alternatives to DDT 2001-09-14
Public health experts in Mexico, in collaboration with the nation's Malaria Control Programme, are introducing new strategies, to prevent malaria outbreaks — without the help of DDT. Using an ecosystem health approach, a multi-disciplinary team funded by IDRC is fighting the malaria parasite in the State of Oaxaca by addressing the most important factors that determine its spread: humans, mosquitoes, and the local environment in which parasites persist. See slide show: Controlling malaria in Mexico using alternatives to DDT
Long-Term Sustainability of Ethiopian Landraces at Risk 2001-08-16
Shrinking farmer's fields caused by land redistribution policies and population pressures in the central highlands of Ethiopia are placing the agricultural biodiversity of this region at risk, claims an Ethiopian researcher funded by IDRC.
Harvard Economist Calls for New Approach to International Development 2001-08-09
The International Monetary Fund's structural adjustment policies are "a complete failure," said Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs, during a speech this June at IDRC. "The IMF should get out of the poverty business and leave it to others," he argued.
News Release: Canada Welcomes Malaysia's Initiative to Control Carbon Emissions 2001-07-25
Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) welcomes Malaysia’s announcement that it will ban burning of forests and debris to reduce smog in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, and surrounding areas. This reflects one of the key recommendations made in 1998 in a study partly funded by IDRC and done by the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
In Conversation: Rohinton Medhora 2001-07-23
Director of the Social and Economic Equity program area is the latest in a series of positions that Rohinton Medhora has held during in his eight-and-a-half years with IDRC. Prior to this posting, he was Senior Program Specialist for Economics, and Team Leader of the Trade, Employment, and Competitiveness program initiative. A former economics faculty member at the University of Toronto, Dr Medhora has worked on a wide range of topics including economic integration, monetary union, financial liberalization, central and commercial banking, trade, exchange rates, privatization, and structural adjustment.
In Conversation: Richard Fuchs 2001-07-16
Richard Fuchs joined IDRC in January 2001 as Director of the Information and Communication Technologies for Development Program Area. He came to the Centre with broad experience in academia, the public service, and the private sector. Dr Fuchs served as the Executive Director, and later as a Commissioner, for the Newfoundland Economic Recovery Commission. He was also the founder and CEO of the Enterprise Network Inc., a Crown corporation that established Canada's first rural online and telecentre services. In 1996, Mr Fuchs set up Futureworks, a firm specializing in the development of distance technology systems and services.
Acacia Projects Chosen as Finalists for Stockholm Challenge Awards 2001-07-13
The Rosslyn Learning Project and the Timbuktu Multipurpose Community Telecenter Project, funded by the International Development Research Centre through its Acacia program initiative and other donors, are among the 100 finalists for this year's Stockholm Challenge Awards. The Stockholm Challenge is a global arena for pioneering information technology projects that focus on the benefits of technology to people and society.
In Conversation: Peter Cooper 2001-07-09
Peter Cooper, Director of IDRC's Environment and Natural Resources Management Program Area (ENRM), joined the Centre in September 2000. He received his Ph.D in Soil Science from Reading University and has lived and worked extensively in Africa and the Middle East with Britain's Official Development Administration (now the Department for International Development) and the CGIAR system. Prior to joining IDRC, Dr Cooper was Director of Research and, most recently, Leader of the Systems Evaluation and Dissemination Program at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry in Kenya.
AIDS Crisis at Frightening Stage 2001-07-03
In July 2001, government leaders met at the United Nations to draft a global strategy to treat and prevent AIDS. On Monday 25 June 2001, Christine Zarowsky, the Senior Health Advisor for IDRC, argued on the CBC Radio program, "Ottawa Morning", that AIDS has reached a frightening stage in Southern Africa, and we must do a lot more now to fight it. To hear her commentary, follow this link: http://radio.cbc.ca/insite/COMMENTARY/2001/6/25.html
Remembering Don McAllister 2001-06-25
Don E. McAllister, the founder of Ocean Voice International, died peacefully on Sunday June 17th in Ottawa. Dr McAllister dedicated his life to solving global environmental problems, especially those related to marine habitat. In 1989, he teamed up with the Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources in the Philippines and the International Marinelife Alliance to establish a training program for Filipino fishers. With IDRC funding, the program taught divers how to use hand-held, fine-mesh "fence" nets to catch ornamental fish, instead of sodium cyanide.
In Conversation: Asit K. Biswas and Murad J. Bino 2001-06-20
In the Middle East and North Africa, water is rapidly becoming the key development issue. In response, policymakers have proposed or tried to implement policies such as higher water tariffs or privatization, but have done so without considering local culture and values. Yet culture, including religion, clearly influences how people perceive and manage a resource such as water, and must be considered during policy development. Exploring the intersection of Islamic law and the modern water crisis is the goal of Water Management in Islam, recently published by IDRC and United Nations University Press. Stephen Dale recently interviewed two of the book's co-editors, Professor Asit K. Biswas and Dr Murad J. Bino, for IDRC Reports Online.
Effective Development Policies Require Political Will: The Example of Tobacco Control in South Africa 2001-06-20
Corné van Walbeek, principal investigator of the Economics of Tobacco Control project in South Africa, highlights some of the policy debates concerning tobacco control in South Africa, and indicates their relevance to other developing countries. He also discusses the consequences of tobacco control policy, specifically the way that it has changed smoking prevalence among different demographic groups in South Africa.
Russian Launch of Smoke and Mirrors 2001-06-13
The Russian version of Smoke and Mirrors: The Canadian Tobacco War, published by the International Development Research Centre, was launched by the Russian Public Health Foundation (RPHA) at an event surrounding World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2001, in Moscow.
Visit the Internet Forum on Export Markets and the Environment 2001-06-12
The central goal of this forum is to discuss and identify policy, institutional, and governance reforms in Latin America that can ensure that export industries yield positive benefits net of environmental impacts.
Jeffrey Sachs on New Approaches to International Donor Assistance 2001-06-07
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, one of the world's best-known economists, will give a public presentation in the IDRC Auditorium, 14th Floor, 250 Albert Street, Ottawa, on Tuesday, June 19, 2001, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
CFP Report 32: Urban Agriculture in India: A Survey of Expertise, Capacities and Recent Experience 2001-06-06
“How will South Asian cities be fed?” is an important question demanding attention due to the rapidly growing urban population of the sub-continent. Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is one set of activities resulting in greater food production, improved livelihood opportunities for urbanites and the enhanced environmental quality of cities. This report provides an overview of existing UPA resources and activities in India with particular emphasis on Delhi and Bangalore, although many examples from other Indian cities are also presented.
ITrain to be Profiled at Southern Africa Economic Summit 2001 2001-05-31
The Bellanet International Secretariat is pleased to announce that ITrain is one of six education-related ICT projects that will be profiled at the upcoming Southern Africa Economic Summit 2001 in Durban, South Africa, a meeting hosted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in cooperation with the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
IDRC Report Promotes a Social Vision of the Internet in Latin America 2001-05-29
Internet projects in Latin America and the Caribbean need to go beyond connectivity and technology to make meaningful contributions to development, say the authors of a new report on the Internet and development. The Internet . . . Why and What For? lays out a social vision for the Internet in Latin America, provides some lessons to achieve this vision, and states what different projects need to do to meet coming challenges.
In Conversation: Patrick Christie 2001-05-24
The increased commercialization and exploitation of aquatic resources, deforestation and pollution, and encroachments on communally owned resources by national and transnational private interests are placing the world's coastal regions under enormous pressure. One example is the Pearl Lagoon estuary, the main basin on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. Taking Care of What We Have: Participatory Natural Resource Management on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua documents the story of the Coastal Area Monitoring Project and Laboratory (CAMPlab), launched in 1993. Sheila Riordon recently interviewed co-author Patrick Christie, who has been involved in the project since its inception, for IDRC Reports Online.
Distance Education in Mongolia 2001-05-23
In February 2001, a team of experts in technology-assisted distance education braved the coldest winter Mongolia has had in 40 years to conduct a seminar in Ulaanbataar. The visitors from the University of British Columbia (Canada), Baptist University of Hong Kong, the Open University of Indonesia, and IDRC's Pan Asia Networking conducted Mongolia's first Workshop on Web-based Distance Education. Mongolian participants learned about methodologies on designing, developing, and delivering instructional courses on the Internet, with remarkable eagerness.
Roundtable Discussion on Bhutan-Canada Bilateral Relations 2001-05-13
South Asia Partnership Canada invites you to a roundtable discussion on Bhutan-Canada bilateral relations, featuring a presentation by His Excellency Om Pradhan and The Honourable Maurice F. Strong: 10:00 to 12:00 p.m, Tuesday, May 15, 2001, Conference Room (202), Second Floor, 1 Nicholas Street, Ottawa.
In Conversation: Rod MacRae 2001-05-10
The 20th century has witnessed a massive growth in urban populations. In 1990, one-third of the world's people lived in cities of one million or more. As well, hunger and malnutrition are on the increase worldwide, as the global food system fails to satisfy the growing demand of the urban consumer. For Hunger-proof Cities: Sustainable Urban Food Systems is the first book to fully explore food security from an urban perspective. Mark Foss recently interviewed co-editor Rod MacRae about this publication for IDRC Reports Online.
The Free Trade Area of the Americas after Buenos Aires: 'Much ado about nothing?' 2001-05-10
If civil society scored a small victory at the early April trade ministers' meeting in Buenos Aires, proponents of free trade did not. Little progress was made on the key trade concerns which would give Latin American countries free market access. And what progress has been achieved has made it clear that free trade may produce as many losers as winners. Among the losers could be the already disadvantaged groups in society and the environment.
Africa's House of Chiefs: A Model for Aboriginal Governance in Canada? 2001-05-09
The Indigenous Summit of the Americas, held in Ottawa from March 28-31, sought ways of reconciling past and future, of ensuring that Indigenous peoples of the Americas benefit socially and economically from progress in a way that respects their culture and traditions. In this quest, Indigenous peoples could and should look beyond the Americas: the experience of a number of African countries with "Houses of Chiefs" — Indigenous Houses of Parliament — could provide a useful model for recognizing traditional forms of governance and fostering dialogue on Indigenous issues and rights.
