The International Conference on Community Based Adaption: Conclusions from 2014 and Registration for 2015

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), a policy research organization founded in 1971, integrates both research and action into their operations. Their work is centralized around their four research groups: climate change, human settlements, natural resources, and sustainable markets. For the past eight years IIED has created and hosted the International Conference on Community…

The Learning Agenda on Local Capacity Development

This year, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a local systems framework that outlines the agency’s vision to promote development that is “locally owned, locally led and locally sustained.” Through this new approach, USAID seeks to engage in more local partnerships to help local communities be the engines of their own growth. In…

The Gorée Institute

In 1987 there was a historic meeting in Dakar, Senegal between the exiled leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and a group of influential South Africans. This meeting is credited with paving the way for the end of apartheid in South Africa. Based on the ideas of the chairman of the meeting, President Abdou Diouf…

Resilience: Entry point for transformation

Reprinted from actlocalfirst.org Written by John Coonrod on May 22, 2014 What does Local First have to do with the issue of resilience? As it turns out – plenty. Resilience is not only a critical lens for examining both humanitarian assistance and development, but it presents a real opportunity to awaken a broad range of policy…

The Hague Academy for Local Governance

“Real development starts at the local level. Local authorities need skilled people to manage and deliver local services and to demonstrate leadership in community participation processes”. Based on that belief, The Hague Academy for Local Governance aims to develop the knowledge and skills of local government practitioners advising and cooperating with local authorities. They offer…

Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia

On December 17, 1998, Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia (KPI) was founded by 75 women activists from different regions who advocated women’s rights in Indonesia. KPI is an organization of women who fight for justice and democracy and hold the values of equality, freedom, democracy, and independence. The aim of the organization is to bring about gender…

Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE)

In the summer of 2009, the eThekwini Municipality in Durban, South Africa initiated The Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE), the first-ever local government-driven, practitioner-based Institute of Learning. The knowledge management initiative is to help position Durban as a learning city and enhance the capacity of officials within the municipality, other municipalities in South Africa and…

Young Citizens in Actions

The Paniamor Foundation works to educate the people of Costa Rica about the rights of minors. Through a process of social mobilization, Paniamor strengthens the participation of youth to enable them to better contribute to national development. The foundation initiates various projects around the common themes of social development, political impact and the prevention of…