Recent developments in the role and design of social protection programmes: A policy dialogue, expert workshop and south-south learning event

This issue of Poverty in Focus brings a set of articles that discuss some of the recent developments and innovations in the social protection area in developing countries. Most invited authors were presenters at the Policy Dialogue, Expert Workshop and South-South Learning Event organised by IPC-IG with the support of AusAID, the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs and the Institute for Applied Economic Research of the Brazilian Government in December 2012. The workshop was an opportunity to bring together policymakers, researchers and practitioners from developing countries as well as representatives from different multilateral organisations to discuss social protection innovations from three perspectives: a) an informative perspective to foster and support the dialogue and cooperation between policymakers from different countries; b) an analytical perspective focusing on the evidence of the impact of social protection programmes; and c) a learning perspective in which researchers and policymakers could strengthen the learning process and share their thoughts on the knowledge gaps in this area. [...

Landscape change and the sustainable development strategy of different types of ethnic villages driven by the grain for Green Program

The Grain for Green Program (GGP) is an important ecological project in China that was implemented to tackle serious soil erosion and forest loss for sustainable development. Investigating landscape change is an efficient way to monitor and assess the implementation of GGP. In this paper, 180 ethnic villages, including 36 Miao and Dong (MD) villages with combined populations of Miao people and Dong people, 65 Dong villages, and 79 Miao villages in Qiandongnan Prefecture were selected to investigate the influence of GGP on ethnic villages by evaluating the landscape changes before and after the implementation of the GGP within 1-km and 2-km distance buffers around ethnic villages. The results show that the GGP has more significant positive impacts on reforestation around Miao villages than Dong villages and MD villages because Miao villages are mostly located in higher and steeper areas, which are the focus of the GGP. Based on the analysis, a continuation of the GGP in Qiandongnan Prefecture is recommended, as it can incentivize the recovery of forest cover in steeper slopes. More attention should now be paid to the Dong villages and MD villages, which were not previously a focus of the GGP

Voices from the Margins: Experiences of Street-Involved Youth In Winnipeg

In this study we sought to hear the voices of street-involved youth. We wanted to give them a forum through which to tell their stories. We wanted to know: 1) How they came to be involved with the street? 2) What their lives were like at that point in time? 3) What things made life on the street easier or harder? 4) What might facilitate their transition off the street and keep them off? A key feature of this study is that it was conducted from the perspective of street experienced youth. We interviewed twelve young people who had been involved with the street at some point in their lives. Their stories highlight their personal struggles to survive and transcend the harsh realities of the street. The data for this study come from their narratives about their experiences. In addition, four former street youth served as research interns who assisted in the development of the research project and with interviewing

Giant palaeo-landslide dammed the Yangtze river

Field evidence is presented to demonstrate that a very large landslide blocked the Jinsha River (the main stem of the Yangtze) near the present day town of Qiaojia, Yunnan Province. The discovery is significant because no persistent river-blocking landslide has been reported so far downstream in a major catchment. At the location of the landslide dam the upstream catchment area is 445 × 103 km^2. Sediments deposited behind the dam indicate that the minimum crest height was approximately 200 m with a lake volume of 11.4 +/− 1.3 km^3. The landslide occurred on the western (Sichuan) side of the river and displaced an estimated volume of at least 3.75 km^3, with material riding up to 550 m above the river on the eastern (Yunnan) side of the valley. The location is at the intersection of the Xiaojiang and Zemuhe fault zones which form part of the eastern boundary fault of the Sichuan-Yunnan Fault Block, an area where many earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7.0 have been documented in the historical record

Shared Responsibility: Building Healthy Communities in Winnipeg's North End

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of inner-city residents and service providers and represent their ideas about building healthy communities. The term “inner city” is often associated with a variety of urban problems. Though there are clearly problems with the physical infrastructure, including a lack of adequate and affordable housing, in our observations, Winnipeg’s inner city is rich in resident capacity and overall social capital. The multiple barriers residents face to the fullest expression of their talents and abilities are the major threats to community health. Many agencies and community groups in the inner city have been active in addressing a variety of issues. We wanted to find out what was being done from the perspectives of people who live and work in the North End