Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal & Social Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution

In this report, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation documented how IT, since the mid-1990s, has been the principal driver of increased economic growth not only in the United States but also in many other nations. However, IT is also at the core of dramatic improvements in the quality of life for individuals around the world. In this new report, it is shown how IT is the key enabler of many, if not most, of today’s key innovations and improvements in people’s lives and society—from better education and health care, to a cleaner and more energy-efficient environment, to safer and more secure communities and nations.

Click here to read this report

Source: Zunia, Knowledge Sharing

Social Networking, the "Third Place," and the Evolution of Communication

This white paper discusses the premise that technology not only mediates interactions, but is actually changing the nature of communication itself. This release marks the first in a series of topical papers associates with the New Media Consortium's Series of Virtual Symposia (formerly the Series of Online Conferences), which are designed to explore emerging topics in education and technology using social computing technologies to bring people together online in a way that offers many of the same affordances of a face-to-face conference.

For detail click here to read the paper

Source: Zunia, Knowledge Exchange

Actual vs. Necessary Trend of MDG 1

The 2009 Failed States Index | Foreign Policy

The 2009 Failed States Index | Foreign Policy

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The Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009

The Report underlines that good education fundamentals and high levels of technological readiness and innovation are essential engines of growth needed to overcome the current economic crisis. Under the theme “Mobility in a Networked World”, this year’s Report places a particular focus on the relationship and interrelations between mobility and ICT.

With record coverage of 134 economies worldwide, the Report remains the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of the impact of ICT on the development process and the competitiveness of nations. The Report is produced by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with INSEAD, the leading international business school, and is sponsored by Cisco Systems.

See detail,  The Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009

World Report 2009

The 19th annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. It reflects extensive investigative work undertaken in 2008 by Human Rights Watch staff, usually in close partnership with human rights activists in the country in question.


Sixty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the governments demonstrating the clearest vision on international rights protections, sadly, are those seeking to undermine enforcement. In their foreign policies and in international fora, they invoke sovereignty, non-interference, and Southern solidarity to curb criticism of their human rights abuses and those of their allies and friends. Governments that champion human rights need urgently to wrest back the initiative from these human rights spoilers.

For detail see,
 
World Report 2009, Human Rights Watch.

International day of Peace - 21 September 2008

For detail click on the link below

International day of Peace

Podcast on climate change

There are complexities of issues, policies, and national-international perspective over food security, hunger and famine. On the other hand sea level rise, because of ice melting due to global warming threatening the chunk land mass of many countries. Millions of people in the coastal districts of Bangladesh are at risk in the coming time due the Sea Level Rise phenomenon.

Evolution of Rights Based Approach

There are many definitions and stand points on RBA given by number of agencies. A table is available at Annex 3. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), a human rights-based approach is a conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights. In my opinion, the definition is precisely noted in Cohen (2004),

A rights based approach is founded on the conviction that each and every human being, by virtue of being human, is a holder of rights. A right entails an obligation on the part of government to respect, promote, protect and fulfill it. The legal and normative character of rights and the associated government obligations are based on international human rights treaties and other standards, as well as on national constitutional human rights provisions. Cohen’s focal point seems poverty and deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights. And meeting these rights could empower destitute to claim their rights. However, in the context of very poor country like Bangladesh, it is acceptable. Today’s RBA came into existence during the passage of time from 1940s to now on through the formation and grown up of UN. From the following table we can have a quick journey into the history of RBA. Table : History of rights-based approach[i]

UN charter after the Word War II was the first recognizable universal consensus of nation states that came up with the agenda of peace, human rights, and development. Through civil, political and economic, social, cultural rights from 1950s to 80s, the concept of economic, social, and people centered development became talk of the development agencies. Initially economic development was narrowly trapped within income growth and domestic product growth etc. Concept of economic growth existed for decade despite the fact that economic growth may be accompanied by inequalities[ii]. In 1986, the declaration on right to development was an attempt to emphasize development as right. Right to peace, environment, and development are known as third generation rights whereas CP rights belong to first generation and ESC rights are the second generation. Right to development is not alienable from main stream rights. The Declaration reflects the aims of “constant improvement of well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development.” According to Article 8, “equality of opportunity for all in their access to basic resources, education, health services, food, housing, employment and fair distribution of income”. This article supports the argument for “fundamental rights” that is drawn in this paper for adequate standard of life. Right to development declaration is not legally binding and failed to get attention of the western wealthy states because of strategic reasons. According to Nyamu-Musembi & Cornwall, right to development “emphasizes a collective duty of all states to eliminate barriers such as unfair trade rules and debt burden, effectively pointing an accusing finger at the industrial countries. For this reason it has been opposed by Western states (2004: 8, cited in Ahsan, 2006).” In the AOA, and trade liberalization section we have found how these trade agreements have been exploiting developing countries and creating food insecurity. The failure of “right to development” reminds us about the power and intention of rich countries and their influence within UN system. In 1993, Vienna conference affirmed the indivisibility of human rights and development. It was recognized in the conference that democracy, development, and human rights are interdependent and interlinked. In 1995, World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen came up with the mantra that the ultimate goal of social development is to improve and enhance the quality of life of all people. Social development encounters problems including poverty, unemployment, and social disintegration. The summit urges to reduce sources of distress and instability from families and societies, and social development can be achieved by enhancing well-being of people. Later on economic development thinking moved towards people centered development, which is aligned with UNDP’s latest version of “human development” that is in line with Sen’s “Development as freedom”. Human development is a process of enlarging people’s choice by expanding capabilities. According to HDR (2000), it focuses on progress of human lives and well-being. Well-being includes living with substantial freedoms. Human development enhances capabilities. According to HDR, capabilities include, the basic freedoms of being able to meet bodily requirements, such as the ability to avoid starvation and undernourishment, or to escape preventable morbidity or premature mortality. They also include the enabling opportunities given by schooling, for example, or by the liberty and the economic means to move freely and to choose one’s abode. (2000, p 19). While human rights guarantee freedom by legal protection and moral obligations, human development enhances capabilities to ensure freedom. Both has same destination but through different agenda for development. According to Theis (2004: 11) the growing popularity by UN agencies, INGOs, and some western governments to adopt RBA is because, “…together, human rights and development are more effective than either one on its own. ” RBA depends much more on international legal standards. The biggest challenge of RBA is the “realization” and “enforcement” of these standards. It is also difficult to pursue governments to ratify human rights treaties. Though the treaties are ratified; it is difficult to hold government accountable to fulfill her obligations. However, we are not digging into the issues of constraints and of difficulties to promote human rights here.

End notes:

[i] Theis (2004) has drawn this table and explains how BRA came into existence. [ii] Britt Kalla (2006) noted Arjun Sengupta’s argument, which says economic growth can be accompanied by augmented inequalities or disparities and rising concentrations of wealth and economic power as well as the ignoring of human rights standards relating to economic, social and cultural (ESC) but also civil and political (CP) rights.

Handbook of Human Conflict technology by Tina Monberg

The results of Tina Monberg’s researches in conflict management has finally produced a new handbook to deal with conflicts in working environment. Psychotherapist and mediator Tina Monberg has published "Handbook of Human Conflict Technology", an essential book for managers at every level in every industry and for anyone interested in the conflict phenomenon. The concept at the basis of the book has been implemented into a number of Danish organisations. It explains how companies can execute their own conflict strategy to ensure any disagreements arising have a positive impact on their internal settings.

Tina Monberg provides practical models that can be customised to suit the needs of any company. That’s one of the strongest points of the theory which allows everyone and every environment to shape the basic strategy in order to adapt it to any particular situations. Monberg realizes that every environment can be different and a too tight system might not be working for everyone.

Many case-studies have been examined in the book to show companies that have succeeded using this strategy and a questionnaire at the back of the book has been designed to reveal your own company’s conflict culture.

The book is easy to navigate with an introductory paragraph at the beginning of each chapter addressing exactly what issues will be raised and what questions answered. This is a practical guide written in a straight-forward style that will motivate managers to introduce their own conflict strategy.

"Tina Monberg has written an excellent book about conflict resolution. This book should be required reading for any CEO!"
- Jens Graff, Erhvervsbladet

"The book gives new ways, so that conflicts can be turned around and used for the positive. It shows practical methods of how to build a conflict concept and shows how to involve all of the organisation in working with conflicts."
- Jyllands Posten

******

Publication date: 2007, ISBN: 978-1-899820-39-9, Number of pages: 280

About Author

"Mediationcenter was established in 2000 by Tina Monberg. Tina Monberg is a lawyer and qualified psychotherapist. She was educated as a mediator by Professor Frank E. A. Sander of Harvard Law School and in win-win negotiation by Professor Robert H. Mnookin of Harvard Law School. She has previously run her own law firm and worked as a corporate lawyer, but now functions as a mediator, coach and teacher, working at mediationcenter a/s and mediationcenter ltd. Tina has specialized in preventing, handling, and solving business conflicts in an interest-based way, so that from a conflict, no one comes out as a loser. In relation to this, she has created a conflict management concept, which has been implemented into a number of Danish organisations. She has worked together with The Danish Bar Association to help implement mediation into Denmark. Tina wrote the books "Two Winners - Mediation as Positive Conflict Resolution" and "Handbook of Human Conflict Technology" and has co-written several management books.

Mediationcenter provides conflict mediation and develops strategies to bring solutions to a wide range of disagreements and disputes. The aim is to transform the conflict by bringing renewed energy and cooperation to the dialogue and create an environment, where mutual interests are recognised. It is a process, which aligns all parties for a positive outcome. mediationcenter believes that this is only possible with a complete understanding of the human elements involved, where relations can be preserved and ideally improved.

The key points of mediationcenter’s philosophy are:

• Human nature is fundamentally good.


• The best results are obtained when all interests - individual and group - are attended to.


• Conflict and cooperation are not mutually exclusive entities, but parts of the same process.


• Growth is only created in the presence of cooperation and shared interests, not through fear."

For detail,

Tina Monberg
tm@mediationcenter.dk
Book Promotion Ltd.
Manuela Mesco
Manuela.mesco@book-promotion.com
www.book-promotion.com