Support Young Peruvian Women Coders at Laboratoria

Laboratoria is a social enterprise in Peru that trains young women to become employed web programmers. One of its founders is my former classmate at Columbia SIPA MPA-DP, Mariana Costa, who saw technology and entrepreneurial spirit as tools for supporting low income Peruvians to succeed. Laboratoria finds talented women youth from low-income backgrounds who cannot afford higher education and immerses them in a 6-month code bootcamp and leadership program. Upon graduation, Laboratoria supports them in job placement with tech companies in Lima.

Laboratoria is in the midst of an Indegogo campaign to get the funding needed to launch the next class in January 2015. They are very close to their goal, and could use some help to get there before the campaign ends (17 December). Check out the campaign here - it sounds like a really great program, and I know the people behind Laboratoria are very skilled, intelligent, creative, and passionate.

Responding to Questions about Development Work

A few weeks ago, Jonathan Favini,  a recently-graduated development professional posted a reflective essay at WhyDev about working in development despite its flaws and challenges. It also dealt with communicating your work to people who do not understand it completely. Take a look here: Cognitive Dissonance an Unspoken Qualification for Aid Work?
Jonathan closed his post with the following questions for others working in the sector:

How have you integrated recognition of the industry’s flaws into your professional identity? How have you learned to recognize development’s problems, while continuing to work in the field or advocating for its expansion? How do you motivate yourselves on tough days when you doubt the impact of your efforts?

Among others, WhyDev reached out to me to respond (perhaps based on my own quarrels with some of these questions in the past). You can see my brief response here, as well as a response from Chad Bissonnette of Roots of Development.

Here is a part of my reply:

To motivate myself in this work, I try to do the following: learn from mistakes and errors (both mine and others’) to avoid repeating them and to improve other work; make special note of success stories when I do find them and remember them for future reference; and never take myself too seriously, especially in interactions with people offering praise for ‘doing good work’ or ‘helping people.’ They may mean well, but they do not fully understand the work I do (and that’s not really their fault, either).

Propaganda Posters Reimagined: Green Revolution

[I am toying with some ideas for semi-regular blog features to get me posting more often. This one, Propaganda Posters Reimagined, will be an occasional development-themed take on some classic works of propaganda from throughout history.]

Today's installment: The Green Revolution

(Source of original image here)

Rice Basket: Markets and El Niño; Prawn-Fish-Rice

[I am toying with some ideas for semi-regular blog features to get me posting more often. This one, Rice Basket, will be an occasional collection of rice-related stories I found interesting. Or, more interesting than normal, since we all agree that rice is super-interesting. Right?]

• Putting the "rice" into "price" forecasting - The global rice market winks at El Niño and Thai problems: IRRI looks at where the rice market may be headed - early signs look good, but severe El Niño conditions and/or poor government policy reactions could lead to another rice price crisis (see what I did there?)
• Old synergies for new benefits - Climate Change Adaptation and Prawn-Fish-Rice Agroecosystems: Stuart Bunting posts on the LPFN blog about a climate adaptation strategy based in a Bangladeshi tradition of synergistic prawn-fish-rice culture.

Update on EcoAg Work - Policy, Marketing, Strategy, Governance

A few of my work projects have recently been published / shared on our blog, and I thought you might find them of interest. As you may recall, EcoAgriculture Partners and/or our initiative (Landscapes for People, Food and Nature) work on integrated landscape management, striving to simultaneously meet goals for food production, ecosystem health and human well-being. I recently worked on the following events / publications (along with many others! - and I did not write these blog posts) -

• Kenya Policy Dialogues for Integrated Landscape Management - event held in June 2014 - Bringing together public and civic sector actors from 5 landscapes to discuss policy issues and share experiences with each other and national policy makers.
• Landscape Labeling - released July 2014 - Developing a marketing approach for landscapes that highlights "their common vision for the landscape and their dedication to sustainable management."
• Landscapes for People, Food and Nature in Africa - event held in July 2014 - bringing together many major players interested to develop actionable strategies for landscape management in Africa, including researchers, national government representatives, community representatives, private sector representatives, and more.
• Toward Viable Landscape Governance Systems: What Works? - released June 2014 - Investigating what makes effective landscape governance systems work, and how to overcome the many challenges inherent in bringing together multi-stakeholder platforms (such as power imbalances).

Also, as part of our staff retreat this past week we visited three farms in Virginia - check out the experience here.

Rice Basket: Collectivism and Ferns

[I am toying with some ideas for semi-regular blog features to get me posting more often. This one, Rice Basket, will be an occasional collection of rice-related stories I found interesting. Or, more interesting than normal, since we all agree that rice is super-interesting. Right?]

• Rice as cultural determinant? Did rice production create collectivism? Evidence from within China: Chris Blattman examines a study which contends that rice, requiring farmer cooperation through shared irrigation systems, leads to a different culture norm than wheat. From the paper: "China’s rice regions [also] have several markers of East Asian culture: more holistic thought, more interdependent self construals, and lower divorce rates. The wheat growing north looked more culturally similar to the West, with more analytic thought, individualism, and divorce." It is an interesting concept, to say the least, but even more interesting is Blattman's skeptical take on the study: "they use rice suitability estimates to instrument for rice production. This requires us to believe that the things that determine suitability (soil type, climate, temperature, etc.) only affect social and economic development through their effect on rice production. This seems like a stretch (what about disease prevalence? frequency of shocks? general agricultural productivity?) If you read an instrumental variables paper and they do not mention the words “exclusion restriction”, exercise caution."

• Unlocking the secrets of a nitrogen-fixing paddy cover crop (tangentially rice-related). Aquatic alfalfa: Finding the genome of an extraordinary plant: The Economist looks at a crowd-funded project on DNA sequencing of the Azolla fern. This sequencing may explain how the aquatic fern extracts nitrogen from the air and fixes it into chemicals such as ammonia, so that it is available to make proteins. It also may help us to understand how/if an Azolla bloom caused one of the biggest downward climate shifts we know about (49 million years ago). Bonus mentions of carbon and fossil fuels!

Corn on the Cob

I don't think I had a very "American" Fourth of July, as I spent it wrapping up a conference in Nairobi, Kenya. But today while travelling in western Kenya I had a chance to eat the Kenyan version of a very American meal: Corn on the Cob.

Indeed, you can find grilled maize everywhere in Kenya. This is not sweet corn though, so it is not too American... 

...but it does successfully fills the stomach!

Friday Music Video: Nikon Nigeria Ad

Here is one of my favorite commercials I have seen while watching the World Cup in Kenya:

Friday Music Video - Just a Band

It's Friday, and I am in Kenya, so that means it is time for an excellent Just a Band music video:



(as a reminder, here is a link to my last trip to Kenya)

Walter Isaacson talk on sciences and the humanities

Last week, I listened to Walter Isaacson give a speech entitled The Intersection of the Humanities and the Sciences (*). Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, is also the biographer of Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein (the Jobs book, by the way, is superb). If you have the time, I highly recommend this hour plus talk - it is full of awesome anecdotes and stories. Check it out.


(*) By the way, I am always amazed that so many people still feel very strongly about either the humanities or the sciences. Like other debates, I tend to expect people to find the mutually-beneficial middle ground. Either way, this talk explains why you need to be cognizant of both sides.

Travel Advice

Few young men of your age have the opportunity of seeing so many countries. Learn, get about, ferret things out, see everything, make people talk but talk little yourself. Take care who offers you a drink; don't give the girls more money than they're worth, and be careful to take your hat off to religious processions.

A little travel advice from Maurice Druon's "The Iron King," first book in the Accursed Kings trilogy, historical fiction about 14th century France (which George R. R. Martin calls "the original game of thrones")

Friday Video: Island of Lemurs

Get to your local IMAX theater soon - Island of Lemurs: Madagascar is here! I think the video says it all:

Mr. Rajaonarimampianina Goes to Washington

It has been 5 years since the World Bank, EU, United States, IMF, and other investors left Madagascar. They took jobs, economic treaties, and development money with them. Now, with an internationally-recognized president who is saying all the right things, the country is ready to reclaim those old partnerships.

Photo source: Website of Madagascar's President http://www.presidence.gov.mg/?p=808

Malagasy President Hery Rajaonarimampianina launched a charm offensive in Washington, New York, and Paris last week. Was it enough to convince international donors and investors to untie the purse strings and re-engage with Madagascar? Let's look back at the visit, from the views of both an optimist and a pessimist.

Glass Half Full

• Hery really is saying all the right things (you can listen to the English translation of his UN press conference here). "My priority is to restore the rule of law in Madagascar, which will serve underpin sustainable development." He speaks of political reconciliation and a focus on creating a strong investment climate. His visits included representatives of national donors, international funding organizations, and private sector representatives (namely Exxon).
• The UN, World Bank, and IMF seemed very receptive to the Malagasy President. The World Bank in particular may release $300 million in aid.
• Companies like Exxon, who had pre-Crisis exploratory deals in Madagascar, were top among Hery's list of meetings, lending hope that the country will uphold old partnerships (if not contracts?)

Glass Half Empty

• Hery did not meet with President Obama or President Hollande, which some outlets liken to being "snubbed." It is difficult for me to agree that this was any real snubbing - these things take time before a proper state visit can be arranged - but it does mean the world missed out on Hery ignoring a Hollande Handshake.
• No discussion of AGOA or other bilateral ties with the United States.
• Despite saying a lot of the right things, Hery does refuse to make a definitive comment about the future of exiled President Marc Ravalomanana
• Corruption? Some Malagasy people seemed to think the President's trips to France and the USA were paid by international companies... and there have been other questions about those pesky 350 SUVs. For the record, Hery denies all these charges.
• What role will transitional President Andry Rajoelina play in the new government? Stay tuned...

Next steps

• Choosing a Prime Minister - let's hope it is not Rajoelina. Many still hypothesize that this was Rajoelina's plan all along: "pull a Putin" by installing a puppet President and making himself the more-powerful Prime Minister. But Hery was an independent candidate when Rajoelina was still in the race, and I like to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's hope Hery chooses someone who has stayed out of the Political Crisis as much as possible...
• International community: Open those purse-strings, turn on the faucet, call in that golden-egg-laying-goose... Re-invest in Madagascar, a country full of talented individuals and entrepreneurs.

Beatbox meets Cello: Friday Music Video

Kevin Olusola is pretty amazing. I am surprised I had not seen him until a commercial (gasp!) before a movie this week. Enjoy!

Pretty cool, huh? You can follow him here: @KOlusola


 You want some more? Ok... here is KO covering JT:

World turns its attention to Crimea; or, The non-coup coup that superseded all other international crises

Events in the Ukraine are moving quickly, so the scenario could be very different very soon. For now, Russia's moves in the Crimea have brought the two countries (and possibly allies) to the brink of war. The possibility of a Crimean War 2 (the long-awaited sequel to the original) is all the international relations experts are talking about. Here is an example of the coverage from the BBC. This situation has the potential to be significantly worse than Russia's last invasion of a sovereign nation (Georgia in 2008).

There are two related issues that are particularly interesting to me:

• First, that this situation began when Ukrainian protests (partially led by pro boxer Vitali Klitschko) led to a coup d'etat of the elected prime minister, but very few western observers decried it as a coup. 
• Second, that this crisis has taken all the Western attention away from every other international crisis, including Syria and Central African Republic. Or the fervor over Uganda's new laws. Everything has taken a back seat to what pundits have been dreaming about: a pseudo-Cold War crisis.

So, I just wanted to offer a few thoughts on these issues...

When a coup is not a coup...
It is continually frustrating that when a friendly-to-the-West leader is removed from power, it is branded as a coup, but when that leader is unfriendly-to-the-West, it is branded as some form of justice. In Ukraine, very few (English-language) observers are wringing their hands at Yanukovych's removal from power. Coup "wonk" Jay Ulfelder even called it a Just Coup (which led to an equally interesting introspection from the author regarding covering political science as it happens). This may seem overly pedantic to some, but ignoring a coup d'etat (or sanctifying it as a popular revolution) is a slippery slope. I am continually annoyed that a coup leader in Madagascar was able to rule for 4 years, not because I thought his predecessor was a saint but because the Malagasy people have (or had, at least) respect for the electoral process.

We as a global society need to think long and hard about how we react to removing rulers from power. There are plenty of reasons why we might support a coup d'etat in a place like Ukraine, but we need to admit to ourselves that we are doing exactly that. We should not veil ourselves in righteousness by redefining what is happening in real life.

Superseding other international crises
Sorry, Syria. Your incredible bloodshed lacks a directly-involved Great Power. France is involved in CAR, but that lacks the nostalgia of a Cold War standoff. Museveni and friends in Uganda are legislating and not invading. Nigeria and DRC are off the radar. Russia in the Crimea has taken the spotlight, and when Putin has the world's attention there is not time for anyone else.

If his actions in Ukraine are a feint, than Putin has drawn attention away from his ally al-Assad. If his intentions are more serious, than Putin has unintentionally distracted the world from places that already needed more international attention. I suppose this happens all the time, so I should not be surprised. But it is still frustrating...

Ethiopia was, and is, a fascinating place

When I traveled briefly in Ethiopia a few years ago, I was impressed by many things... but what impressed me the most was how much everyone knew about their country's impressive (and lengthy) history. Here is what I wrote upon my return:

The pride that the Ethiopian people have for their country is impressive. In Mekele, for example, I saw two working-class Ethiopians who had saved up money just to travel to the north from Addis and see the remains of palaces and bask in their inherited history.

This is probably not too surprising given the country's history and proud traditions, but it was pretty cool nevertheless. I was reminded of this when I read Richard Dowden's excellent article, "Ethiopia’s historic self-confidence writ large in the monastery at Debre Damo." (On the always-interesting African Arguments). Here is a bit:

Ethiopia is old. It was a powerful well-organised state when Britain was inhabited by warring tribes living in mud huts. It was Christian long before most of Europe. Going back further, the Steeles at Aksum are 300 BC. They make Stonehenge look crude

I encourage you to read the article... and maybe take an interest in modern Ethiopia as well.

Friday Music Video: Aomby

In keeping with the Peace Corps week theme of bringing Madagascar home to the USA, I share a video from the most beloved Malagasy band ever: Mahaleo. Here they are at L'Olympia in Paris singing one of my favorites, Aomby (I could not find a good version of another of my favorites, Antanambao (Eny Re), but I definitely recommend it)


Old and young Malagasy enjoy the folk-ish jams of Mahaleo. Need proof of their near-universal appeal in Madagascar? Check out this awesome video of some young musicians singing the same Mahaleo classic:

Sharing Peace Corps Language Resources

It's Peace Corps week, a time to celebrate the countries around the world and promote the Third Goal of Peace Corps: helping Americans understand the people and cultures of other countries. I suppose I should be sharing a story or two of Madagascar with you all, but isn't that really what this blog is about overall? So rather than rehash a specific experience, I thought I would share a broader Peace Corps experience: Language training. There are tons of Peace Corps materials assembled here, over 100 languages represented! Ryan Marsh explains it in more details here).

While we are at it, here is another collection of language resources from the State Department. Now get started on learning a new language or twelve!

Friday Music Video: Happy in Tana

My sister recently inducted Pharrell's "Happy" into our collective "Bouncy Songs" playlist. This seemed like a great opportunity to share this excellent video filmed in Antananarivo (Tana), Madagascar. It was made as a New Year's celebration by Alain Razafindravony. It is a perfect Friday afternoon video, Enjoy!



Didn't get enough? Me neither. Here's some more:

Ecotourism Skepticism and the case of Jisha, China

I have long been skeptical of ecotourism initiatives. They are often promoted by conservationists and development projects as the perfect market-based environmental initiative: an income-generating activity that also protects natural resources. Yet many factors need to coalesce for any tourism project to be successful, and even more factors are necessary for ecotourism. For instance, in Madagascar I lived in villages along the Ankeniheny-Zahamena rainforest corridor (Didy and Antanandava). The area is beautiful, yet the northern part where I lived is off the tourist trail. Poor infrastructure in terms of roads and hotels keep the relatively few tourists that visit Madagascar's rainforests away. Still, every NGO I knew promoted ecotourism as a solution to preserving the rainforest and generating income. People in the villages took these cues and asked for English language training, guide training, and funding to build lodging. All of this despite the fact that barely any tourists visited the national park (Zahamena) and even less visited the community-managed forest in Didy (and none of these were English-speakers, aside from Peace Corps Volunteers). I tried to describe some of my thoughts in a rambling Peace Corps service-era post here. In short, ecotourism may work in very specific examples where there are the right conditions for it, but promoting it in any and all conservation hot spots can be a dangerous technique.

With that thinking in mind, I was very curious to watch the below video via Conservation Bridge entitled "The Death of Ecotourism in Jisha, China." It tells the story of an ecotourism project, the brainchild of a conservation scientist, that tears a community apart. The end result is an unused guesthouse and new hostilities among community members. Interestingly, the reason cited is the competing interest of a for-profit business; there is no mention of tourist demand for the project in the video, although the case study does mention the community profiting from tourism growth already. Speaking of the case study, here is its closing quote to entice you to watch:

Despite the assistance and knowledge that Li Bo and his legal consultant offered, the ecotourism lodge that the villagers built still goes unused. The divisions within the community have hindered the village’s ability to successfully get their community based tourism business off the ground, and Li Bo and his team have since left the village and moved on to work in other organizations.

The video is interesting and worth the watch:

Pursuing Graduate Studies at "Wonk University" - Book Review

Pursuing graduate studies is difficult regardless of your chosen field of study, which is why there are loads of guides, books, magazines, and websites to help you select the right school for you. This is true of medical schools, law schools, social work schools, art schools... Yet there are very few resources dedicated to graduate studies in public policy and international relations. Instead, potential applicants of such "wonk" programs must search through university propaganda, random alumni connections, and subsections of online discussion boards (Grad Cafe, for me). Most of these applicants quickly realize that they are map-less in a forest of competing acronyms and buzzwords.

Until now, that is, as someone took a shot at making a map for those very applicants. That someone is Dan Perez and that map is Wonk University - The Inside Guide to Apply and Succeed in International Relations and Public Policy Graduate Schools. Dan, a graduate of Columbia's Schoool of International and Public Affairs, wrote an excellent overview for applying to "wonk" universities. Dan defines these schools to include Master degrees in public policy, public administration, international relations, international development, and more. Think MPAs, MPPs, MIAs, MAIDs, MDPs... you get the idea. He breaks down every part of the grad school process, from school research to comparisons to selection to applications to actual attendance and job searching. This book attempts to fill the void that "wonk" applicants have felt for years as they tried to manage these processes more or less alone. So, does it succeed?

When I received a copy of the book to review, I was a bit skeptical. Having only graduated in May, I have not yet fully determined my own feelings on the grad school experience. It took me and most of my grad school colleagues many months to find good job fits for ourselves. Even once we found those fits, they were usually lower-level than we would like. Some grads returned to their old jobs or ones very similar. Others took low-paying fellowships or jobs. Still others remain unemployed. As grad students, we pull ourselves out of the work force for two years only to return to a seemingly more-competitive job market. On top of all of this, many students I have met do not really know what they want to get out of grad school, and are therefore a bit lost. Or they felt like their experience was not "as good" as their colleague's and they must be doing something wrong. I often find myself wondering if everyone who applies to grad school should be there or if they just feel they "had" to go. This is what makes offering "wonk" grad school advice so challenging - each person has a different set of experiences, plans, and goals. How could someone write a book to address them all?

Well, this book eased my concerns in the first of its ten big lessons:

Everyone's experience in a Wonk University is their OWN. To enjoy the experience, first understand YOUR needs, then find the University that meets them.

Alright, you hooked me. This book is meant to be a starting point for everyone, a way of addressing the common questions while also allowing room for personal reflection and decision-making. Each of the book's chapters could be a book unto itself, but instead the author sticks with an overview format that is short and easy-to-read. It is up to the reader to follow-up on any one specific chapter.

The book specifically addresses 12 universities, including Columbia SIPA, Harvard Kennedy School, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Princeton Woodrow Wilson, Tufts Fletcher, and a few others. This means your personal school-of-interest might not be in here. But do not worry, it is in good company with the likes of NYU Wagner or London School of Economics (in fact, only schools in the United States are focused). Yet the beauty of this book is not in the detailed data for the select programs, but rather in the advice that is applicable to just about any "wonk"-type grad school. You can find reasonably-reliable data for your particular school elsewhere, but here you get generalized (yet useful) advice, such as:

• "You learn more from your 20 closest classmates than any professor." (Which I have been preaching since I first arrived at SIPA)
• Don't choose a school based on a specific professor. (Anyone in my graduating class who was expecting a class at SIPA from a certain poverty trap-breaker would have been wise to just wait for the Coursera course)
• Personal networking is more likely to land you a job then anything else.
• Free food is the lifeblood of grad students. (In my experience, mostly cheap pizza. Do NOT hesitate or you will miss out)

There are still a few thoughts I would love to see addressed in future editions, in addition to including a few more schools. Some of the sections seem to encourage putting your own career development above all else. It is important to be determined and know what you want from grad school, but there are other aspects you need to focus on to both grow personally and professionally. These aspects include keeping commitments to group members (which you will have so, so very many of during your studies) - I have known too many people who put their own personal commitments above group commitments, which makes you wonder how they will operate in the workplace. Also included is the need to network in a genuine social sense and not a cold, calculating one. At times, I felt like the book was suggesting students choose colleagues based on how helpful you think they will be later in life. There are definitely people like this in grad school (and in life, as anyone at a happy hour in DC can tell you), but this strategy was always a huge turn-off for me. Still is, matter of fact.

Finally, I would like to see more attention given to whether or not potential applicants should be going to graduate school at all. Perhaps a discussion of alternative ways to break into a specific sector or reach a certain job-level would be useful. I know it seems like everyone has a master's degree in certain places (cough cough, DC) or certain fields (ahem, international development), but there needs to be a discussion of what other options are out there for people. I am curious to hear more about alternative methods of study or career advancement (*).

Overall, I liked the book, even though as an alum I am no longer the target audience (though I know a few colleagues who may still benefit from the job search section). This book is a great first step for anyone considering master's-level grad school in development / policy / international relations / etc. I think it would be especially useful for those who are attempting to research grad schools while working overseas with poor internet resources; as someone who applied to grad school while in rural Madagascar, I could have definitely used this book as a starting point.

So if you're considering grad school but don't know where to begin, try this book. If you'd like to learn more, check out the website, wonkuniversity.com.




(*) Duncan Green is asking similar questions on his blog - so perhaps that is one starting point.

[Speaking of grad school, for Development Grad Students it is not too late to read Jennifer Ambrose's resolutions]



A few disclaimers: I also attended SIPA, though did not know Dan. I received a free copy of the book to review, but with no strings attached. Just FYI...

Catching up on the Malagasy Political Scene

As you may be aware, Madagascar has a new president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Hery was supported in his candidacy by interim President Andry Rajoelina, and the candidate he defeated, Jean-Louis Robinson, was supported by the president Rajoelina ousted, Marc Ravalomanana. The good news is the election process was peaceful, and it seems as though the international community is ready to re-commit to Madagascar (hopefully including foreign aid, investment, and partnerships). The not-as-good-news is the continuation of some of the political crisis' worst qualities.

Electoral Shenanigans
During the vote-counting, supporters of Robinson cried foul, saying the vote totals were not matching unofficial tallies. Robinson and supporters demanded a recount, but the electoral commission CENIT upheld its count and Hery was named the new President.

Post-election Violence
A grenade, the weapon-of-choice of random acts of (allegedly political) violence in the capital of Tana the last few years, exploded at the presidential inauguration, killing a child and injuring 33. Just a horrible marring of what should be seen as a successful transition of power.

Rajoelina pulls a Putin?
But how much of a transition is it? Rajoelina strongly backed the new president, and many wonder what his next move will be. Huffington Post has a good summary of the post-election situation, including this quote which is probably surprising to very few followers of the Malagasy political scene: "(Rajoelina) now seems to be plotting a Putin-esque power grab, trading president for prime minister."

I remain optimistic - the return of foreign investment and development funds alone might be worth it. Even more so if Malagasy people can return to improving their own lives (which many were doing despite the crisis). But the story is far from over, so keep a close eye on Madagascar's politics over the next few months...

Friday Video: The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative

As part of my work with EcoAgriculture Partners, I am supporting the work of an awesome network of committed partners: The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative (LPFN).

Here is a video telling the LPFN story:

More Views on Manyara Ranch and the Maasai Steppe

Previously I wrote about my trip to the Arusha, Tanzania, for a dialogue on landscape-level action in the Maasai Steppe. You can read more about that dialogue at the LPFN blog (written by yours truly) and at this web page, which also features a good slide show.

Landscape-level action is not easy, but the Focal Landscape Dialogue gave Maasai Steppe Heartland stakeholders hope that they can achieve their goals through coordinated effort across sectors. In this way, their vital natural resources and wildlife can be conserved while production and livelihood interests are simultaneously advanced across the region. The dialogue participants can now move forward together and demonstrate the benefits of a landscape approach to sustainable development.

One small part of this landscape is the Manyara Ranch. This is where we visited during the dialogue and where much of my previous post focused. You may recall that pastoralists and wildlife clashed in the area that was neither private nor public property. I previously wrote: "...Tanzania decided to grant the Ranch to the Tanzania Land Conservation Trust with the dual mandate of restoring the area to wildlife use and benefiting local communities. Soon, grasslands regenerated and wild animals returned in droves." But as we dig a bit deeper, the situation surrounding Manyara Ranch becomes far more intriguing and controversial.

The Other Side of Conservation
When the issue of what to do with Manyara Ranch came before the government of Tanzania, AWF and its conservation allies lobbied hard for the establishment of a protected area. The Maasai communities, meanwhile, lobbied for their own reclamation of the land. The conservation forces won, as Tanzania created a Trust to administer the land, but with the added caveat of supporting the surrounding communities. AWF's investments appear to represent successes in both ecosystem regeneration and community development in the surrounding villages.

A few scholars have investigated further into these surrounding communities, however, and what they have found is concerning. Mara Goldman's 2011 article, Strangers in Their Own Land, found Maasai interested in conservation but also desiring ownership over the Ranch. A few quotes:
"I see that Manyara has been taken from us and I do not have faith that it will be ours again."
"I see that it has no purpose. They said it was ours, but now we get fined for entering and grazing on the grass."
"I would like it to be ours completely, like long ago. My advice would be to leave it as it is, a small conservation area, with the cattle of the ranch there, and our cattle there, all mixed together. We would all mix together and not kill any animals."

Ngeta Kabiri takes another view in Wildlife Conservation and Land Acquisitions: A Case Study of the Tanzania Land Conservation Trust. This view is focused on Manyara Ranch as an example of a land grab in Africa, albeit one focused on conservation interests rather than natural resource exploitation or large-scale agricultural production.

Compared with other land grabs, conservationist pose as risk free and as adding value to the acquired land and to the local communities as opposed to what would otherwise happen if, for example, lands such the Manyara Ranch were to fall in alternative hands. Thus the green grabs declare a win-win verdict for people and nature, even though local communities remain apprehensive of the land acquisition projects. Thus, while proponents claim they have finally delivered on the elusive Integrated Conservation and Development Projects, one that counter the pervasive risks associated with other large land deals, community disquiet interrupts this attempt to read TLCT as a case of the best practice in contemporary land grabs.

This second article is long, but it is a great history of the Ranch and a lot of the issues, even if it comes down on the side of "land grab." I think AWF and the Ranch are legitimately working with local communities to mutual benefit, and the further Maasai Steppe landscape-level collaboration is evidence of this. But these other viewpoints raise the challenges every development practitioner must be aware of in any setting, and we should all focus on the priority of empowering communities rather than dispossessing them.

Summarizing Madagascar's Major Protest Events

A paper from last year collects data from over 800 worldwide protest events between 2006 and 2013. The sheer size of the data is stunning, and the paper gathers interesting conclusions about who the protest targets are, what the protests are about, and an overall increase in civil disruption demanding real democratic processes. Here's a link to the paper: World Protests: 2006-2013 (Sept 2013) - Ortiz, Burke, Berrada, and Cortés

The whole paper is worth a read - it's long, but good for skimming as you can jump around between sections. You can also see the individual protest events by date and country. Given my interest in Madagascar, I thought it would be interesting to pull out the summaries of the Malagasy protest events.

01/09-03/09 Madagascar 
Main Grievance/Demand: Demonstrations by political movements ("Young Malagasies Determined") demanding freedom of expression, the resignation of ministers and the departure of President Marc Ravalomanana
Methods of Protest: Marches, protest assemblies, civil disobedience / direct action, destruction of property, violence
Main Opponent: Government,political party / group
Reported Repression: 135 killed, police violence, new laws

03/09-05/09 Madagascar 
Main Grievance/Demand: Demonstrations of political movements asking for the return to a civilian rule and elections after Andry Rajoelina's coups d'état
Methods of Protest: Marches, protest assemblies, civil disobedience / direct action, destruction of property, violence
Main Opponent: Corrupt political / economic system, military / police
Reported Repression: 1 killed, 34 injured, police violence

05/12 Madagascar 
Main Grievance/Demand: Return to civilian rule and speeding up the transition process
Methods of Protest: Marches, protest assemblies, civil disobedience / direct action
Main Opponent: Government
Reported Repression: Arrests, police violence

01/13 Madagascar 
Main Grievance/Demand: Violent protests in Anosy due to land grabbing by the mining company "Rio Tinto"
Methods of Protest: Marches, protest assemblies, civil disobedience / direct action, destruction of property, violence
Main Opponent: Corporations / employers, government
Reported Repression: Police violence

Protests are growing in Madagascar and around the world, so as the newly elected Malagasy President takes office, let's hope he and every global leader pay attention to the conclusion from the paper:

"Leaders, policymakers and advisors will only invite further unrest if they fail to prioritize and act on the one demand raised in more of the world’s protests between 2006 and 2013 than any other — the demand for real democracy."

Friday Video: Agricultural Innovation Systems Explained

I love this, both as an agricultural development nerd and as an animation fan with no artistic ability. Maybe I will bust out the Legos (or GI Joes - post-conflict development?) and put something together like this, someday!

Via Wageningen UR's Centre for Development Innovation

The Landscape Approach

I mentioned last month that I started working at EcoAgriculture Partners. To start the new year, I wanted to explain a bit more about the approach taken by the organization - the "Landscape" Approach. Ecoagriculture itself refers to rural communities managing their resources to jointly achieve three broad goals at a landscape scale: enhancing livelihoods; enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services; and developing more sustainable and productive agricultural systems. The "landscape scale" portion is the key to this integrated approach - it refers to a multifunctional perspective, where people and their institutions are an integral part of the system rather than external agents operating within a landscape. It views the environment not as untouched wilderness but as inhabited land where people and their production systems interact with the natural world for mutual benefit.

Here is a cool visual example via EcoAgriculture Partners:

There are other examples to clarify the approach, such as at the GPFLR website or this interesting video from CIFOR: