Listen, someone important is trying to tell us something

What do you learn when you ask people about their personal experiences with international assistance efforts and make a genuine effort to listen to their answers? What do they say when you ask which approaches have been most effective and which not? What does that tell us about how things should change? I read “Time to Listen: Hearing People on the Receiving End of International Aid” and found answers to these questions.

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A member of ponds and women fisheries group in Labukhali, Bangladesh. Photo by Finn Thilsted, 2012.

Photo by Finn Thilsted, 2012.

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Development in difficult places – how do we reach the billion people that have been left behind?

Barotse floodplain, Zambia. Photo by Georgina Smith, 2012.

Barotse floodplain, Zambia. Photo by Georgina Smith, 2012.

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Reflections on Gender Transformative Research

For any organization trying to decide how best to achieve development impact, a good place to start is with a ‘Theory of Change’, or ToC. Formally defined as “a statement of the interconnected causal pathways that describe the types of interventions that bring about desired outcomes” [1], a ToC can be more plainly said to be a description of what you need to do to make a difference.

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I was fortunate to recently attend a workshop here in Penang on Gender Transformative Research (GTR) in Agricultural Development, where ToCs were discussed [2]. This was an important discussion because, as I explained in my last post, not all researchers are agreed about whether GTR should be pursued by agricultural research organizations [3]. Without a compelling rationale that forms part of a clear theory of change that situation is likely to persist.
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Gender Transformative Research: An Imperative

I believe a gender transformative approach is key if WorldFish is to achieve the development impacts it is looking for – but what is it and how will it affect our organizational culture?

Barotse floodplain, Zambia

The AAS program will address underlying gender norms such as discrimination and inequality down the value chains. Barotse floodplain, Zambia. Photo by Georgina Smith, 2012.

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Evolving solutions for new horizons: Reflections on a conversation

Stephen reflects on the outcomes of Seaweb’s 10th International Seafood Summit, that was held in Hong Kong from September 5-8, 2012

Lone fisherman on the wetlands of the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia.

Small-scale fisheries in developing countries employ a larger workforce and produce more fish for poor consumers than large-scale production. Photo by Georgina Smith, 2012.

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