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Welcome to another edition of GDRC Mosaic!
This month, GDRC Mosaic is being sent to
more than 3,000 subscribers in 130 countries worldwide.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
With an active presence of GDRC on blogs, Facebook and Twitter, interaction with online visitors to GDRC is increasing. Mobile apps such as Flipboard for iphone/ipad provide further enhanced viewing of social media content. Suggestions are welcome on how to improve GDRC's presentation on spocial media. Please email them to hsrinivas@gdrc.org
THIS MONTH'S SPOTLIGHT: Microfinance and Disasters
from GDRC's Programme on Microcredit and Microfinance
The concept of microfinance as a viable tool for the poor was tested to its limits during the 2004 tsunami tragedy. It was clear that none had prepared for a disaster of such proportions and its impacts.
Lessons are emerging, social safety net mechanisms to assist the poor and other populations affected by disasters, and promoting diversified income options for populations in high risks areas to reduce their vulnerability to hazards.
GDRC has been working on these and related issues . Resources on this topic are available at: http://www.gdrc.org/icm/disasters/
As with all sections of GDRC, contributions, comments and suggestions are always welcome from users and subscribers! Please contact GDRC's Coordinator at - hsrinivas@gdrc.org
FOCUS ON GDRC: LESSONS IN LEARNING
Another Man's Shoes
Developing GDRC's content has always been an exercise of understanding how different types of users use the same set of data/information, for different purposes and objectives.
This has called for, as the saying goes, 'putting yourself in another man's shoes'. It may smell, but is an important part of responding to users informational needs.
- Being in another man's shoes is about having, or being able, to use information to build alternative scenarios - so that it takes into account different aspects of the situation or problem. And so that viable solutions can be found.
- It also means looking at different viewpoints/priorities of different stakeholders - and matching information to their goals and objectives - using the same dataset. A 200-page manual to a engineer becomes a 10-page set of instructions to a bureaucrat and a one-page decision-making criteria for a politician.
- Ultimately, it means taking advantage of the strengths and reducing the weaknesses of the involved stakeholders using targeted information. A businessman will look at the market and technology aspects of a problem, a community group may look at the lifestyle implications of the same problem, and a city mayor may look at its governance and management aspects - focusing on their relative strengths.
MONTHLY STATISTICS FOR GDRC'S WEBSITE: March 2012
- Total files downloaded - 896,279
- Total pages viewed - 290,060
- Total web visitors - 145,148
- Total KBytes - 25,423,925
- Pages per day - Avg: 9,356 Max: 12,535
- Visits per day - Avg: 4,682 Max: 5,951
See what has been happening in GDRC at:
http://www.gdrc.org/about/whats-new.html
ABOUT GDRC MOSAIC
The "GDRC Mosaic" is a monthly email newsletter that provides
information bites, and summarizes programme activities of
GDRC, including new items added to the website.
To subscribe or unsubscribe: http://www.gdrc.org/about/newsletter.html
Comments, suggestions and contributions: mosaic@gdrc.org
CONTACT ADDRESS:
Global Development Research Centre
1-5-1-1013, Mori Minami Machi, Higashi Nada ku,
Kobe - 658-0011, Japan
Tel and Fax: +(81-78) 452-8414
Email: mosaic@gdrc.org
URL: http://www.gdrc.org/
© 2011-2015, GDRC. All rights reserved.
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