Report on a mission to China: Notes for Faculty Seminar, 9/26/91

Notes/outline for presentation by Seidmans on creating UNDP proposal for working in China on legislative drafting

Human Development Index for rural Andhra Pradesh

The method used to measure Human Development are reviewed in order to measure Human Development Index for rural AP by considering indicators such as economic attainment, longevity and education. Using UNDP method to estimate Human Development Index, which is predominantly normative approach to club different indicators by giving weights. The estimates are worked out with and without considering inequalities in economic attainment indicator. IAMR survey data for year 2001 is used for this study. However, for making comparison over time, data and analysis undertaken in other study is also used. In other methods, primarily for the analysis of data for year 2001, inequalities in all indicators were taken into consideration to measure Human Development using both UNDP and Principal Component Analysis. The comparison of results show that there has been only marginal improvement in Human development during the 1990s in rural AP considering only inequality in economic indicator using UNDP method. However, the results may differ significantly in case inequalities in all the variables are taken into account and depending upon the methodology used as is demonstrated by analysis of data for year 2001. But unfortunately comparison of analysis over time using the modified approach was not possible due to lack of detailed data for other years.Human Development

Human security: securing economics, politics and governance in a globalized world

Uno de los temas más fascinantes del presente debate acerca del papel del Estado en las relaciones internacionales está representada por el concepto de la seguridad humana. Este concepto fue introducido por primera vez en el Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano publicado por el UNDP en 1994 como uno de los cinco pilares de un nuevo “orden mundial centrado en las personas”. En mi intervención voy a presentar los rasgos sobresalientes de las teorías de la seguridad humana y la gestión de la seguridad que operan sobre la base de las propuestas de la seguridad global en los documentos oficiales de la ONU, el UNDP y la OSCE, a fin de interpretar la seguridad humana como parte de un contexto más amplio de la gubernamentalidad neoliberal colocando tanto individuos y colectividades “en el trabajo” en una búsqueda de una auto-gobernanza económica.One of the more fascinating themes of the present debate about the role of the State in international relations is represented by the concept of human security. This concept was first introduced in the Human Development Report published in 1994 by the UNDP as one of the five pillars of a new “people-centred world order”. In my contribution I will present the salient traits of theories of human security and security governance that operate on the foundation of proposals for global security in the official documents by UN, UNDP, OSCE in order to interprete human security as a part of a wider neo-liberal governmentality, putting both individuals and collectivities “at work” in a search for an economic self-governance

Laos legislative drafting programme

Draft documents, proposals, notes, and other various papers related to the Seidman's efforts to develop a legislative drafting programme in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) between 1994 and 1997. This project was developed with support from the Lao National Program, UNDP and World Bank to help strengthen the country's legal framework

A UNDP project to strengthen Kazakhstan's parliamentary democracy

An executive report, and draft documents related to the UNDP project to strengthen Kazakhstan's parliamentary democracy

Terms of reference for national consultant -- strengthening the rule of law: supporting the judicial system in Nepal

Draft UNDP report entitled: Terms of reference for a national consultant: relating to supporting the judicial system in Nepal

Sanduq: A microfinance innovation in Jabal Al-Hoss, Syria

Jabal al-Hoss is one of the poorest areas in Syria where UNDP has supported the establishment of self-reliant local financial institutions, sanduq (sg.) lit. savings box: a novel concept in centralized banking system. The sanadiq (pl.) are self-managed and autonomous in their decision-making, which has included the adoption of financial practices consistent with local values. The start-up is self-financed through member share capital, from which small loans are given for up to three months. Whenever initial financial intermediation is satisfactory, UNDP provides an additional capital injection, thereby increasing outreach, loan sizes and loan periods. Between September 2000 and December 2002, 22 sanadiq were established, comprising 4,691 members, with shareholder equity of US$130,000. UNDP contributed$370,000 in equity. The repayment rate as of 31 December 2002 was 99.7%. Return on average equity was 17%, almost half of which (46%) was paid to shareholders, the balance (54%) retained as capital. Loans permit farmers to bypass trader-moneylenders and sell their produce at a higher price; laborers turn into farmers; and microentrepreneurs use quick-turnover repeat loans for new investments and rapid business growth. Special attention is given to women who constitute 41% of the membership, most of them illiterate. They opted for integrated sanadiq, in which female members participate in management committees. They find access to loans easy, as sanadiq do not require physical collateral. Loans are used by younger and older women to do business of their own, eg, fattening sheep, raising cows, opening small shops and renting land to plant cash crops. The additional income is used for business growth and family support. It is not rare that women – many with large families – are the better entrepreneurs, focusing on high-yielding activities outside traditional agriculture. In 2002 first steps were taken towards the establishment of a network which will provide apex services and initiate the dialog on a legal framework; and of a central fund (Sanduq Markazi) supervised by the Central Auditing Agency. During phase II, 2003-2007, with support from the Japanese Government and UNDP, the focus is now on the expansion and legal consolidation of the network of sanadiq. There are also plans for extending such networks throughout Syria as a strategy for rural development, poverty alleviation and employment generation. (For further details and a pictorial view see www.undp-hoss.com) --

Letter to colleagues regarding UNDP actions in China

Letter from Bob Seidman containing an abbreviated proposal written by himself and Ann Seidman for a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Chinese Committee on International Cooperation, Exchanges, and Trade (CICET) project on bill legislation, and a brief report written by the Seidmans after four weeks spent in Beijing

Notes on UNDP involvement and future drafting projects

Notebooks/diaries containing Ann Seidman's thoughts and feelings regarding her interactions with members of the UNDP, as well as planning for future projects in legislative drafting