REQUEST: To help GDRC better serve its users, please
take a few minutes to fill in the online website
evaluation form available at:
http://www.gdrc.org/about/survey-form.html
Thank you in advance!
THIS MONTH'S SPOTLIGHT: NGO Accountability
from GDRC's Programme on the NGO Cafe
"Making NGOs accountable will increase their effectiveness
and overall trust in their work"
Ligitimacy, dependability and transparency in the organizational
and operational setup of NGOs is increasingly becoming
improtant for building trust with its partners and benefitiaries.
But why do we have to look at NGO Accountability? There
are a number of reasons: There has been a rising visibility and
stakes of NGOs' work. A crisis of legitimacy in many sectors,
especially business and government, has amplified the need
for NGOs as a 'counterbalance'. More vocal advocacy by NGOs
has also challenged the work of corporations, governments
and international organization, which in turn has elicited
counterattacks.
It is for these reasons that we need greater NGO accountability.
NGO roles in problem-solving is increasing. There is a need for
enhanced accountability in all sectors to foster and consolidate
greater democracy. NGO credibility is also needed to help create
institutional arrangements for global governance in a shrinking
and interdependent world.
GDRC has been working on these issues, within the overall
perspective of civil society participation. Its compiled resources
and outputs are availble at:
http://www.gdrc.org/ngo/accountability/
As with all sections of GDRC, contributions, comments
and suggestions are always welcome from users and
subscribers! Please contact GDRC's Coordinator at -
mosaic@gdrc.org
FOCUS ON GDRC: LEARNING LESSONS
The Two Ends of a Telescope: Zooming in and out
In compiling the research output of its various
programmes, GDRC has used the analogy of a telescope
to present the various issues. In solving problems at
the local level there is a clear need to provide a
balanced picture of all the issues involved.
Looking through the eyepiece of a telescope, we can
see minute details of the view we are seeing – information
presentation has to therefore zoom in by providing
complete and balanced details.
While we look through the opposite end of a telescope,
we see a picture in long perspective – that is information
presentation has to zoom out, and so provide the 'big
picture' both in space and in time.
An interesting lesson in information design!
MONTHLY STATISTICS FOR GDRC'S WEBSITE
Total hits encountered – 994,158
Total files downloaded – 816,134
Total pages viewed – 309,472
Total web visitors - 115,141
Total KBytes – 7,658,816
Pages per day - Avg. 9,982; Max. 13,840
Visits per day - Avg. 3,714; Max. 4,376
WHAT'S NEW AT GDRC'S WEBSITE?
Some highlists of new items added to GDRC's programme:
- All GDRC: Online website evaluation form added to the main page - please send in your comments!
- Oceans, Coasts and Small Islands: Info update on World Oceans Day (8 June)
- Urban Environmental Management: Ecological Footprints - Calculate your water footprint
- NGO Cafe: Kickstart an NGO - expanded feature on "How to start an NGO"
- NGO Cafe: Kickstart an NGO - A sample set of NGO Bye-Laws
- Microfinance: Documents - "Causes of Poverty" page was expanded and revised.
- Microfinance: Finance for Microenterprises - Report on 'Sustainable Microentrepreneurship' by Guy Vincent
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.
This month, it was sent out to more than 800 subscribers
in 100 countries.
To subscribe: http://www.gdrc.org/about/newsletter.html
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe-mosaic@gdrc.org
Comments, suggestions and contributions: info-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: info-mosaic@gdrc.org
URL: http://www.gdrc.org/
© 2003-2005, GDRC. All rights reserved.
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