Development -- Stories on social and economic development
In Ghana, innovative literacy program produces dramatic results
“Enlightening the Hearts” program of the Olinga Foundation encourages local dialects and moral virtues, reaching more than 22,000 students in remote rural schools. (October-December 2007)
In Papua New Guinea, mothers take charge
MOM VILLAGE, Papua New Guinea — In a simple but striking example of grass roots development, a group of villagers on a remote island some 30 kilometers off Papua New Guinea’s northern coast have funded and built their own medical aid station. (January-March 2007)
In Ethiopia, local children's classes aim to fill an academic gap
Small-scale classes on moral education in more than 45 localities stress the importance of common virtues like honesty, trustworthiness, and nobility of self. (October-December 2006)
In Tanzania, families and youth are identified as keys to reducing poverty
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Strengthening families and empowering youth are two key factors in poverty reduction, said experts at a one-day symposium held here on 21 October 2006. (October-December 2006)
Youth conference in Burundi focuses on social transformation
BUJUMBURA, Burundi — Young people from four Central African countries — nations that have in recent years been the scene of intense conflicts — gathered here in August for a five-day conference to discuss how youth can provide the means for peaceful social action and transformation. (July-September 2006)
In The Gambia, free computer courses lead to jobs and self-respect
A graduation ceremony last month has boosted the number of computer graduates from classes offered free by the local Bahá'í community to more than 900. (October-December 2005)In Guyana, young people take the lead in an effort to avoid risky behaviors
Innovative and popular, Youth Can Move the World offers leadership training for young people to help them avoid alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other social problems. (July-September 2005)In Swaziland, saving a “virtual forest” with an efficient new stove design
Setting out to design a new fuel efficient wood-burning stove for developing countries, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott started by imagining a “virtual forest.”In Ghana, Bahá'í development efforts are praised
The principles of the Bahá'í Faith "could shed light on what steps our society should take to improve our social and economic life," a senior government official told participants at the Bahá'í jubilee celebrations in this West African nation.In Uganda, a focus on practical knowledge boosts literacy efforts
The Uganda Program of Literacy for Transformation (UPLIFT) helps participants acquire the skills, knowledge, and incentive for a “lifelong self-improvement plan” — coupled with an emphasis on moral education and interreligious harmony.In Chad , a project to promote sustainable fishing yields extra dividends
APRODEPIT, a Bahá'í-inspired non-governmental organization, stresses participation and consultation in an effort to promote conservation and community development along the Chari River.
In Russia, teachers embrace new ideas about moral education
Authors Maria Skrebtsova and Alesia Lopatina, drawing on Bahá'í principles, develop a series of primary school workbooks that are filling a critical need for moral education in former Soviet states.In Vanuatu, a proving ground for coconut oil as an alternative fuel
Entrepreneur Tony Deamer shows that pure coconut oil can be used as an alternative to petroleum in automotive diesel engines. The result is an environmentally friendly fuel that might also help the local economy. (April-June 2003)
In Panama, volunteers provide much needed educational services
Homegrown schools, bare-bones basic and staffed by indigenous teachers, give children in the remote and underserved Ngabe-Bugle region virtually their only chance for a primary education. (January-March 2003)
In Fiji, a new approach to the restoration of coral reefs draws notice
Marine scientist Austin Bowden-Kerby, inspired by Bahá'í principles on the relationship between humanity and nature, heads the innovative and successful Coral Gardens Initiative, which promotes a high level of community participation in the management of natural resources. (October-December 2002)
In India, a program for rural women emphasizes training as the key to effective use of solar cookers
JHABUA DISTRICT, Madhya Pradesh, India - Ask women bout the benefits of using solar energy for cooking in the remote districts of this central Indian state, and "saving the environment" is not necessarily the first response that comes to mind. (October-December 2002)In Johannesburg, a shift in emphasis on sustainable development
At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, governments reaffirm the basic agenda of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio while stressing an urgent need to fight poverty; a new partnership with civil society is forged. (July-September 2002)Ethical and spiritual dimensions of sustainable development stressed by Bahá'ís at Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG - Representatives of the worldwide Bahá'í community were active in virtually all venues of the Johannesburg Summit, from the inter-governmental sessions at Sandton Center to informal workshops at the Civil Society Forum. But their message was nevertheless quite focused: recognize and incorporate the moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of sustainable development. (July-September 2002)In Bolivia, an isolated village seeks to establish its own school system in the face of discrimination
PUKA PUKA, Chuquisaca, Bolivia - For many years, the Government-run school in this village of some 700 people on the Bolivian altiplano offered only kindergarten through third grade. Students who wanted any kind of education beyond that had to walk from 3 to 6 kilometers to one of several nearby towns.In Argentina, a Bahá'í-inspired NGO works to strengthen civil society in a time of national crisis
A Bahá'í-inspired NGO that focuses on training programs for strengthening civil society, UNIDA has seen an upsurge in interest in its programs since the Argentinian economic crisis began last yearIn Bolivia, a distinctive training program in moral leadership shines brightly
Operated by Nur University, the project serves many groups, from youth to teachers to municipal leaders, drawing support from major donors and government agencies and offering a vision of community service.
In Nepal, a novel project mixes literacy and microfinance to reach thousands
Using an innovative workbook approach, the Women's Empowerment Program now has more than 130,000 participants, and it has helped them set up some 1,000 village banks, in a dramatic departure from traditional microfinance programs. (OC12.4 / January-March 2001)ECTA focuses on grassroots empowerment in Nepal
KATHMANDU, Nepal - An important partner in the Women's Empowerment Program has been Education, Curriculum, and Training Associates (ECTA), a small Nepal-based non-governmental organization, which has played a key role in creating the program's innovative curriculum and training field staff. (OC12.4 / January-March 2001)
In New Delhi, a search for the missing ingredient in international development
At a ground-breaking "Colloquium on Science, Religion and Development," specialists from all three fields gather to consider how better to integrate efforts to eliminate poverty and achieve social justice. (OC12.3 / October-December 2000)In Tanzania, a school with a mission: to uplift girls and promote spiritual values
IRINGA, Tanzania - Asked what makes their school different from others in this tropical East African nation, students at the Ruaha Secondary School are quick to point to a feature that usually "impacts" them quite directly: the total absence of "caning," as corporal punishment is known here. (OC12.3 / October-December 2000)
In Botswana, a simple sewing club for women makes a big difference
The Oodi Sewing Club is modest as development projects go. It takes no money from the outside and its membership has numbered a total of 25 women, mostly poor single mothers. Yet more than half have found jobs since joining and virtually all say they have found a new confidence.
In Atlanta, basketball helps get youth off the streets and into their studies
The Bahá'í Unity Center offers a variety of programs - from youth basketball to computer classes - aimed at empowering and uplifting African Americans and refugee and immigrant families. (October-December 1999 / OC 11.3)Second summit between World Bank and world religions focuses on projects
WASHINGTON - Some twenty-one months after their ground-breaking summit at Lambeth Palace in London, representatives of the world's major religions and top World Bank officials gathered here in November to continue their high-level "Dialogue" on how they can work together to more effectively overcome global poverty. (October-December 1999 / OC 11.3)In Uganda, community health workers effect long term changes
Focusing on hygiene and vaccination, a health project serving isolated Kumi and Soroti Districts has used overseas funding from Canada to help build a sustainable cadre of grassroots-level volunteers.
In Kenya, consultation and partnership are factors for success in development
In the semi-arid Kitui District, traditional women's groups are proving to be effective catalysts for grassroots development when they collaborate with knowledgeable NGOs and focus on appropriate technology. (April-June 1999 / OC 11.1)Relying on local resources, Matinyani women are a global model
Supporting story about women's groups in rural Kenya. (April-June 1999 / OC 11.1)In Mongolia, community-grown vegetables fill a big nutritional gap
Old traditions and erstwhile dependence on a centralized economy force an unhealthy reliance on milk and meat; a national campaign to grow more vegetables finds resonance in a grassroots gardening project. (January-March 1999 / OC 10.4)Dialogue between World Bank and world faiths sparks new approaches to poverty
Discussions in South Africa on the 2000/20001 World Development Report are made richer and more comprehensive because of the participation of representatives of the world's religions. (January-March 1999 / OC 10.4)Annual conference on development for the Americas aims at encouraging non-professionals
ORLANDO, Florida - Over the last six years, the Bahá'í Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas has established itself as an event where non-professionals from throughout the Americas can come to learn what it really takes to launch and sustain a grassroots-based, small-scale development project. (January-March 1999 / OC 10.4)In southeastern Europe, an innovative approach to public dialogue
Under the framework of an international diplomatic initiative known as the Royaumont Process, a series of workshops in southeastern Europe is seeking to promote “a new public mechanism” for social healing and interethnic communication.(October-December 1998 / OC 10.3)In Honduras, a grassroots network mobilizes after Hurricane Mitch
The Bahá’í community of Honduras – although inexperienced in the business of disaster relief – energetically mobilized itself after Hurricane Mitch, providing a much-needed and trustworthy network for the timely distribution of aid and services. (October-December 1998 / OC 10.3)In Guyana, the use of moral “generative themes” propels a project for youth
“On the Wings of Words” combines efforts across several theme areas – literacy, moral education, and the use of mass media to recruit volunteers – to obtain a greater synergy for success. (July-September 1998 / OC 10.2)In Stockholm, a global dialogue on microcredit focuses on social impact
Some 80 leading specialists on microfinance, gathered for a face-to-face exchange, warn of new challenges as large financial institutions and other major players increasingly turn to small-scale lending. (April-June 1998 / OC 10.1)