Glopolis is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization which focuses on the analysis of economic globalization, trade, development, agriculture and climate change.
PCD project
Since April 2009 Glopolis is a part of a new EU funded project led by Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr (IMVF, Portugal), with Evert Vermeer Foundation (EVF, Netherlands), People to People (PtP, Estonia) and Cape Verdian Platform of NGOs being other partners. Overall aim of the project is to contribute to poverty reduction by enhancing Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) through awareness-raising among different stakeholders (civil servants, decision-makers, NGDOs, students, public). The project is addressing these different target groups in order to make them contribute by concrete steps to the improvement of Development Cooperation and the achievement of the MDGs due to enhanced PCD.
Duration: 2009 – 2012
Main activities and concrete outcomes of the project:
Activity 1 - Bringing Evidence through research and monitoring
Outcomes: Impact Study, Case Studies, „Coherence tools across Europe, “Fair Politics Manual”, Documentary Film, PCD Newsletter, Coherence Homepage
Activity 2 - Building capacities and engaging stakeholders
Outcomes: Workshops for NGDOs, Workshops for civil servants/decision makers,NGDOs coordination meetings, Advocacy meetings
Activity 3 - Acting together for fair politics
Outcomes: Advocacy materials, Opinion articles, Good Practices Awards, „Voices from the South“ campaign and tour (Press Conferences, Expert meetings, Student debates, Public event)
Concrete outcomes (selection):
- Case study - PDF version, 2000 words (5 pages), Czech and English version, one policy area/issue, multiple countries, summary and highlights of the main general negative impacts on developing countries of a policy area (EU/Czech competence) or an issue, focused on policy content
- Impact study - hard copy, 15000 words, available on Homepage, 500 copies in Czech (executive summary in English), one country, multiple policy areas, description, explanation and documentation of concrete effects that key EU or its Member States policies have on a specific development situation of a community or a region in a selected developing country (Ethiopia)
- Joint Study on PCD Tools - PDF version, 10.000 words (20 pages), Czech and English version, summary of the findings from the specific part of the impact studies dealing with policy - making processes and PCD instruments, compare them and draw conclusions on different tools for promoting PCD in the four European partner countries
- Workshop for NGDOs - 2 days-long, 20 participants, insight on PCD related issues and on methodologies, techniques on how to advocate/lobby/campaign for more coherent policies
- Good practices Awards - promotion and happening, award national authorities’ efforts to promote PCD will be awarded through original happenings (e.g. Fair Politicians of the Year or the release of political parties’ scorecards in term of PCD)
- “Voice from the South”- awareness and advocacy campaign and tour (press conference, 2 expert meetings, 3 debates with university students, 1 public event in Brussels)
For more information about the project and its partners please visit www.coerencia.pt
Articles
2. 5. 2012
NGOs Send Open Letter to European Commissioners on Biofuels
On 2 May 2012 the European Commission met to discuss the European biofuel policy, more specifically the problematic issue of high carbon emissions connected to indirect land use change (ILUC). More than 100 NGOs from all over the world, including Glopolis, signed an open letter to the European commissioners calling for the EU to put measures into place to avert the negative impacts biofuel policies have on climate change.
2. 4. 2012
Francis Namu Njoka: Western investors are aggravating the food crisis
European policies in support of biofuels have unfortunate consequences – western firms are taking over land in Africa to cultivate crops such as jatropha, essentially destroying local agriculture in the process. “These firms are creating a very poor impression of western countries in the eyes of Africans. People are alarmed over what could happen next,” says Francis Namu Njoka, a Kenyan biofuel and biomass expert.
22. 3. 2012
The Risks and Opportunities of Renewable Energy in East Africa
What is the role of renewable energy sources – especially biomass, biogas and biofuels – in Africa? Can renewable energy sources make a significant contribution to future development in Africa? What are the pitfalls and obstacles to renewable energy sources in Africa and what is the outlook for change? Answers to these and other questions were sought by Glopolis during the week from 12 March till 15 March during which a series of seminars and discussions for students, professionals and the general public were held. The keynote speaker was Francis Namu Njoka, a renewable energy expert from Kenya.
8. 3. 2012
Poverty refers not only to one’s economic situation, but also to other factors that influence life. Especially in the past years the term “energy poverty” has become more common.
23. 2. 2012
The Impacts of Biofuel Production in Developing Countries
In recent years African countries have enjoyed interest from abroad, thanks in part to a great amount of available land apparently ideal for cultivating crops for providing food security and for the production of biofuels.
21. 12. 2011
Conclusions from the biofuel seminar
On 14 December 2011, the Glopolis analytical centre in cooperation with the UN Information Centre held the seminar entitled Biofuel: Opportunities, Risks and Impacts on Developing Countries.
24. 11. 2011
Fact sheet: UN Climate Change Summit in Durban
Glopolis and the Czech Climate Coalition have issued a fact sheet on the approaching United Nations climate change conference in Durban, South Africa (28 November – 9 December 2011).
Publications
In the Pursuit of a more Coherent CAP for Development? Mind your step!
Glopolis issued a briefing paper on Common Agriculture Policy coherence for development.
Climate Change and Technology transfer
Glopolis issued a paper on climate change and technology transfer.
Practical Steps of the Czech Republic Towards Policy Coherence for Development
Glopolis issued a study focusing on how to use practical steps and existing mechanisms to streamline select decision-making processes in the public administration of the Czech Republic.
European Union
British Embassy
US
Embassy
Ministry of Foreign Affaires of the Czech Republic
Green European
Foundation
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Czech republic
Visegrad Fund
Open Society
Fund Foundation
RSJ