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Dear reader,
In The Netherlands, lively debates about international involvement have been going on for the past few weeks. A report of the Dutch scientific council concluded that development aid should be more effective, the national government fell over the future presence of the Dutch forces in Afghanistan and some political parties are questioning the international activities of local authorities. Apparently, these criticasters disregard the fact that international cooperation by municipalities has proven to be effective in strengthening the capacity of developing countries, helping them to take on economic development and poverty reduction themselves, thereby making them less dependent on foreign aid.
You can read more about this and other news, publications and upcoming courses in our newsletter. You are most welcome to send us your comments. Enjoy reading!
The team of The Hague Academy for Local Governance
The call for the Talent for Governance scholarships 2010 has resulted in a great number of applications. Talent for Governance’ programme manager Marlies de Jong: “This overwhelming response clearly shows that young talented civil servants, from all around world, are devoted to make a difference at the local level.” Read more..
On Wednesday March 3, permanent residents of the Netherlands will vote in local elections for new city councils. Elections are simultaneously held in about 400 municipalities. Municipal international cooperation plays an important role in the election campaign as conservative and right-wing parties propose drastic cuts to compensate shrinking local budgets. Read more ..
Talent for Governance has called on all civil servants in the Netherlands to support their young talented colleagues in developing countries by participating in the City-Pier-City run at 14 March 2010 and/or the NK Veldloop Municipalities on 31 March 2010. Read more..
At a conference of foreign ministers from the group Friends of Haiti, held in Montreal on 25 January, the Mayor of Montréal and Vice-President of UCLG made clear the readiness of local governments to work alongside all mobilized partners in the reconstruction of Haiti. In The Netherlands, municipalities collected 2,5 million euro for the reconstruction of public services and municipal governance capacity, following the earthquake which has devastated the capital city and many other cities and towns. Read more..
During the fifth edition of the UN Habitat World Urban Forum, which will be held from 22 until 26 March in Rio de Janeiro, The Hague Academy will organise a masterclass on how to strengthen social cohesion and manage conflict in cities. You can now register for this masterclass on the website of the World Urban Forum. Please click here for more information.
The following courses are scheduled for 2010:Click here for the outline of the courses.
For more information please contact us at info@thehagueacademy.com or call +31 70 373 8695.
We still have some spaces left for our new course on Peacebuilding and Local Governance. This course aims to enhance understanding of how local governments in instable and violence-prone environments can be assisted to carry out their tasks and responsibilities in an effective and accountable manner. Deadline for applications is the 16th of April. For all relevant information about the programme and applications, click here. Registration for the Local Economic Development course is possible until the 1st of April. Discounts will be given for applicants applying before the 15 th of March. Please visit our website for more information.
The summercourse Decentralisation and Local Governance, that will be organised from 5 to 9 July, is now open for registration. The course, with contributions from international top experts in the field of decentralisation, is designed for professionals dealing with decentralisation processes and local service delivery in developing and transitional countries. Deadline for applications is the 14th of May. Please check the website for more information.
The international economic slowdown has a deep impact on local governance and challenges local governments to improve its role in economic policies and promoting local economic development. This is the conclusion of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) report ‘the Impact of the Global Crisis on Local Governments’.
Read more..
On 18 January 2010 the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) presented its report ‘Less pretension, more ambition: development aid that makes a difference’ to the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation. By questioning some long-established development mantras this report has ignited a lively debate within the Dutch development community. One important recommendation is to stimulate self-reliance by focusing more on development and less on immediate poverty reduction. The Hague Academy sees this as an encouragement to invest in the capacity of government institutions in developing countries, so that they will be better equipped to provide services for their citizens and foster economic growth. Read more..
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Click to see an overview of
our training courses for 2010.
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