Eldis aggregation tool

18 January 2004

Multilateral Debt:The Unbearable Burden. Multilateral debt is that portion of a countrys external debt burden owed to international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. For most of the worlds impoverished countries, multilateral debt looms larger than other debts because of the status of IFIs as preferred creditors assigned them by the Group of 7 (G-7) industrialized countries. The IMF and the World Bank are preferred creditors who gain power over impoverished countries, as the amounts owed to them increase. The revised IMF/World Bank debt plan of 1999 is designed less to provide meaningful relief than to ensure that countries continue to implement neoliberal economic policies. Thus, an international body, with strict requirements of fair representation, with an orientation to sustainable and equitable development, and with authority over the IMF and the World Bank, should determine the legitimacy of debts and adjudicate their cancellation and reduction. [BNET.com - Recent IMF/World Bank White Papers]
9:09:08 PM

Ten traps for facilitators. Quoting the Top Ten Tools Open Source Tools for eActivism led to some interesting Trackbacks and set me thinking about non-electronic tools for engagement, and common issues that arise with online and offline processes. Here's some traps I have observed... [Designing for Civil Society]
9:08:50 PM

[bytesforall_readers] Top 10 Open Source Tools for eActivism. Top 10 Open Source Tools for eActivism
by Dan Bashaw & Mike Gifford Jan 7, 2004
http://partnerships.typepad.com/civic/2004/01/top_10_open_sou.html

People have been trying to use the web to create change from its conception.
Along with the rest of the Internet community, activist focus has moved away
from producing static content to building on- line communities. There are a
number of Application Service Providers (ASPs) providing external eActivist
applications that can be integrated with the look and feel of an
organization's existing web site, but we will not be evaluating ASPs in this
article. Instead, we want to discuss eActivist applications that can be run
from the same server as the organization's existing website. Furthermore, we
will be looking at Free Software applications that can be downloaded,
modified, and distributed by the users of the software.

Broadly speaking, the eActivist applications described below can be
categorized as either informational, aiding in efficiently spreading your
message, or actionable, allowing your users to act on their information and
understanding of issues. Although the distinction can be useful in deciding
which tool to use, many applications have now evolved to include elements of
both.
The first five applications examined are primarily informational: four are
tools for building web sites, and have considerable overlap in core
features, though each has different strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate
uses... By ICT_Messages@community.eldis.org. [Community@Eldis: ICT for Development messages]
9:07:43 PM

Visual Facilitation: A Humorous Look at Online Life. Full Circle presents a playful visual exploration of online facilitation. How can visuals create a more engaged experience? [GotzeLinked]
9:06:38 PM

Online Community Toolkit. An online repository from Full Circle Associates of articles, case studies, and musings on online community, virtual community, online interaction and online facilitation. There are sections on thinking and planning your online interaction, facilitation, case studies and links to other resource sites. Always changing. Always needs editing. Grin. [GotzeLinked]
9:06:06 PM

Networks, Groups and Catalysts: The Sweet Spot for Forming Online Learning Communities. A look at how web-supported networks can be catalyzed into smaller directed learning groups and communities of practice through catalysts such as events or people. [GotzeLinked]
9:05:38 PM