This project promotes access to collective knowledge and North-South and South-South participative learning. Initiated in 2007, it has a growing number of partner institutions in Latin America and Canada. Its objectives are knowledge partnerships, and professional development and updating. Its tools include: a model of collaboration that has directories and data bases, an on-line education platform for demonstrative short-term courses for professional updating, and newsletters of wide covertures.
The project is open to participation of graduate programs, research centers, development projects, networks, specialists, and journals and newsletters. This initiative offers the possibility of free registration in its databases, access and use:
Register in the in the database of specialists as academic, professional or businessperson with interest in development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Inform about your graduate or professional development or updating program. Programs in Latin American, the Caribbean and Canada are being registered initially on the focus themes of the project.
Inform about your research center. The project seeks Canadian and Latin American programs to be known in the region.
Register your network. This section provides information about networks of institutions and specialists working in the region.
Register the newsletter of your research center, network, NGO or professional organization.
Themes
Intercultural Relations
Professionals working in the fields of intercultural relations, conflict resolution and social adaptation need necessary updating of skills and training when dealing with processes of decentralization and social problems facing indigenous populations in urban, agricultural, mining and fishing immigration areas.
Local, Regional and Territorial Development
These concepts are used to define the set of social, cultural and economic processes that promote the economic dynamism and improvement of life quality of the population in a territory (metropolitan area, urban center, region, province, municipality, etc.). To do so, it is necessary to train its institutional and human resources with relevant information and knowledge. This way, the population will be able to define its priorities, to exploit its comparative advantages, and to participate in globalization.
Virtual Education
In the new context of economic competitiveness and rapid changes in knowledge, open learning communities are needed as means for adding value to the knowledge base of diverse regions and countries.
Human and Social Development
A theme developed in collaboration with the International Secretariat for Human Development of York University. It examines relevant themes about human and social development and poverty reduction. Emphasis is placed on local communities, policies and globalization, concertation between public administrators and social actors, participation of the most marginalized, and the process of mutual learning among policy makers, professionals and academics.
Taking into account proposals and interest of research networks, professional associations, training institutions, government agencies and NGOs, this portal is open to consider additional themes. Currently, new topics are under consideration and access to them will be provided soon.
Top story
Habitat Exchange
The Habitat Exchange is a venue for the dissemination and discussion of best practices, appropriate technologies, action plans and other tools relevant to the pursuit of ecologically sound and socially equitable urbanization.
Community Based Research Canada (CBRC) is a network of people and organizations engaged in Community-Based Research to meet the needs of people and communities. It will share among individuals, organizations, and communities a diversity of perspectives from civil society, higher education institutions, businesses and governments, promote public accessibility to knowledge, and work in solidarity with others engaged in community based research in all parts of the world.
Plataforma Democrática is an initiative devoted to strengthening Latin American democratic institutions and culture by fostering pluralistic debate on the social and political transformations of the region and the world. The Democratic Platform provides a virtual infra-structure which permits access to a data bank on research institutions and their intellectual production. Through associated institutions we organize research networks and forums to increase communication between knowledge producers and social and political actors. We are engaged in the creation in each country of groups of young people and young politicians training networks, interested in debating the issues on how to consolidate and deepening democracy in Latin America.
CCA is the association of the co-operatives and credit unions of Canada. It is a not-for-profit co-operative owned by its members. Members come from many sectors of the economy, including finance, insurance, agri-food and supply, wholesale and retail, housing, health, and the service sector. The majority are "second tier" co-operatives (those that are organized at the regional or provincial level such as credit union centrals or federations, which provide services to "first tier" co-ops such as local credit unions or retail outlets). It also has primary or first tier members, as well as "third tier" members representing co-ops from specific sectors of the economy. CCA provides leadership to promote, develop, and unite co-operatives and credit unions for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world. Canadian co-operators pool their knowledge and resources to fight poverty in the developing world through the international development program of the association.
Established in 2004 in Brasilia, the International Poverty Centre (IPC) is a global centre for applied research and training on poverty. It is based on a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), which is linked to the Government of Brazil.
One of IPC's major areas of focus is low-income countries, where it has linked its applied research to UNDP's increasing support for MDG-based development strategies. This has involved intensified research on pro-poor growth, economic policies, employment and social policies. Set up explicitly as a forum for South-South cooperation, IPC is also strengthening its collaboration with researchers and governments in major developing countries, such as China, India, Mexico and South Africa. IPC focuses its applied research on two major areas:
The Measurement and Monitoring of Poverty and Inequality.
Pro-Poor and Inequality-Reducing Policies Gender issues are explicitly integrated into both areas.
In every area, IPC seeks to enhance the policy relevance of its research.
Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims
March 5-7, 2009, York University, Toronto
The Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), together with the Extractive Industries Research Group (EIRG), both located at York University, are hosting a conference entitled “Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims.” Taking place from March 5 to 7, 2009 as part of the University’s 50th anniversary and CERLAC’s 30th anniversary celebrations, the conference will bring together cutting-edge research on the socio-ecological, spatial, and political-economic dimensions of industrial extraction. Through critical theoretical reflection and policy-relevant analysis, three tracks aim to advance our understanding of the social regulation of extractive industries in its broadest sense.
The second phase of the project has been initiated thanks to support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada). This new phase will consolidate on the base of an expanded number of partners in Canada and Latin America obtained achievements. The project's team will be strengthened by graduate students and associated specialists. Networks of academics and practitioners that work on the project's themes will be integrated. The project will continue to be open to collaboration of institutions devoted to professional and academic training, research, and policy making interested to participate.
