Governance and Social Development Resource Centre
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The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) provides cutting-edge knowledge services on demand and online. It aims to help reduce poverty by informing policy and practice in relation to governance, conflict and social development. The GSDRC is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
Spotlight: New Issues Paper on Social Movements
This paper from the GSDRC assesses the available literature on social movements in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. It examines who becomes involved in collective action and why, the barriers to mobilisation and, where social movements do emerge, how these are able to sustain mobilisation and broaden their membership base to reflect the interests of the wider community. Evidence from this review suggests the importance of considering the interplay of movement activity and state stability, and of taking into account existing state-society relationships. Donors could focus on creating a supportive environment for social movements.
Latest Document Summaries
Investing in Security: A Global Assessment of Armed Violence Reduction Initiatives
Author: OECD (2011)
Size:
82 pages
(954 kB)
What works and what does not in armed violence reduction and prevention? To begin to address this question, this report draws on a large-scale mapping of AVRP activities around the world, focusing on programming trends in the varied contexts of Brazil, Burundi, Colombia, Liberia, South Africa and Timor-Leste. The most promising AVRP activities are based on inter-sectoral partnerships and operate simultaneously at local and national levels. Development agencies need to adopt integrated approaches to AVRP, and link the AVRP agenda to the promotion of peacebuilding and statebuilding.
Democratic Space in Asia-Pacific: Challenges for Democratic Governance Assistance and Deepening Civic Engagement
Author: Lisa Horner and Andrew Puddephatt (2011)
Size:
39 pages
(817KB)
What is democratic space and why is it important for democratic governance? Why is it fragile in the Asia-Pacific region? This paper examines the factors that affect the capacity of democratic space to give poor and marginalised groups meaningful opportunities to exercise their human rights. It shows that democracy in many Asia-Pacific countries consists mainly of formal democratic institutions rather than substantive democratic processes, values and relationships. This leaves democratic space prone both to manipulation and to closure by powerful individuals and groups.
Latest Helpdesk Reports
Natural resource exploitation and peacebuilding: Please provide analysis and concrete examples ...
Trust Funds and the Private Sector: Provide examples where private sector actors have either ...
Evaluations of interventions impacting women’s political participation: Please provide a sense ...
Youth statebuilding and peacebuilding interventions: Please provide a brief survey of literature ...
Impact and VFM of Capacity Building Support for Conflict Parties in Negotiations: Provide an ...
Research Capacity Strengthening: Please compile and summarise the main findings from published ...
