Opening of the Civil Society Forum (Photo: LDC Watch)

Source: Civil Society Forum 

Civil society leaders urged governments to an “urgent and radical shift from the current development paradigm to genuine pro-people development,” and overcome their disagreements to finalise the United Nations Fourth Conference on Least Developed Contries (UNLDC-IV) with a a Programme of Action that can have a real impact on the lives of people. 

Opening of the course in Puntland. (Photo: NCA)

Sources: SOCDA and allAfrica.com

Fifty “repentant pirates” were trained in building, carpentry and other working skills in the northeastern Somali region of Puntland, one of the more stables of this troubled country, which administration is being supported by the organisation Norwegian Church AID (NCA). The former criminals spent three months in those courses, implemented by the NCA and the local Ministry of Health.

Cecilia Alemany, of BetterAid. (Photo: TerraViva)

Source: Better Aid

“It is a tragedy that even in the 21st century there are still countries and populations categorized as poor, excluded, vulnerable, east developed, developing and developed,” said the international alliance of civil society organisatiosn Better Aid, in a statement previous to the United Nations Fourth LDCs Conference (UN LDC-IV) that takes place in Istanbul this week. 

Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of the ANND. (Photo: NCCAR)

The “least developed countries” (LCDs) of the Arab region “witness the same people’s mobilizations calling for democratic reforms” than the rest, warned the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND), in a statement launched to raise its concerns to the United Nations Fourth LDCs Conference (UN LDC-IV) that takes place in Istanbul this week.

workshop of WfC in Zambia (Credit: WfC) click to enlarge

Source: Women for Change, Zambia

“Funding” of civil society organisations (CSOs) “at times tends to be gender blind since funding bodies’ composition mostly constitutes males, according 23 activists and experts from five countries and 17 institutions convened in Lusaka last month to discuss those issues.