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For rights and against povertyApproches and operational priorities of the CISP - Development of Peoples

Declaration of intent formulated by the participants in the 2007 and 2008 CISP Annual ConferencesEdited by Paolo Dieci

Rome Headquarters:

Via Germanico, 198 - 00192 Rome - ItalieTel. +39 06 3215498 - fax +39 06 3216163

e-mail: [email protected] www.developmentofpeoples.org

For rights and against poverty

Approches and operational priorities of the Cisp – Development of Peoples

Graphic Designers: Stefania Cima, Lea Laganà

Pictures: CISP

Translation: Amina Ahmed

For rights and against poverty - Approches and operational priorities of the CISP - Development of Peoples

Table on contents

Foreword

by Paolo Dieci p. 09

The role of aid in the crisis contexts

of modern world

by Lucio Caracciolo

(Translation not reviewed by the Author) p. 15

The CISP’s Strategic and Sectors’ Priorities

I - The right to social and economic security:

development of income opportunities, migration

and development, food security p. 21

II - The right to health,

access to water and sanitation p. 31

III - The right to a future: Children’s,

teenagers’ and youths’ rights and the

development of the environment

and natural resources p. 41

IV - The right to humanitarian assistance:

Emergency and Reconstruction p. 49

V - Support to public policies

for social cohesion and civil society p. 53

Annexes

List of participants in the CISP

Conferences of 2007 and 2008 p. 64

CISP Code of Conduct for International

Cooperation Programs p. 69

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FOREWORD by Paolo Dieci1

This “For Human Rights and against Poverty: CISP (Peoples’ Development) Operational and Strategic Priorities” reference book, is the outcome of the work, debates and analysis carried out during the 2007 and 2008 annual conferences of CISP. In attendance were CISP country representatives from 20 countries from Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. In addition, CISP managers from the headquarter office in Rome and several experts in a variety of fields were in attendance; as such, this must be considered a collective work.

During a five years period, going from 2003 to 2008, CISP has implemented, in adherence to the outline of the sectors’ priorities hereby reported, many projects in the following countries: Algeria ( both in the Sahrawi Refugees Camps and in other areas), Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Africa and the South of Sudan in Africa; Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela in Latin America and Caribbean; China and Sri Lanka in Asia; Lebanon and Palestine in the Middle East; Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Italy in Europe. CISP has also supported the work of many non-governmental local associations and organizations in other countries. This reference book is thus based on analysis and systemization formulated through a diversified and comprehensive field work.

The work has been carried out, in over a 6-day period, aimed at defining the most important operational and strategic priorities and at pinpointing, for each of them, the methodologies and approaches adopted by CISP.

This book is not intended as an in-depth study of all the matters it deals with2 but as a reference tool aiming at boosting our NGO’s main operational contents from within and, at the same time, promoting them outside.

We decided to publish this book, on the 25th Anniversary of CISP foundation3, aware that development aid plans are now facing very demanding challenges, with the purpose of sharing the basic goals and methods of our standard cooperation procedures with other operators, NGOs, public national and supranational institutions managing public development aid programs, our partners in the countries we operate in, our supporters and all citizens interested in our activities.


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The world needs bridges built on common interests and values.

A final reason to persevere would be that, organized solidarity rings as a never-ending call into politicians’ and governments’ ears, prodding them on taking full charge of the international situation; Italy, for instance, is still quite far from fulfilling the international agreement on destining the 0,7% GDP to foreign aid. We believe this to be a goal that, although still quite insufficient, cannot be disregarded. It is essential that the resources destined to humanitarian aid be increased and it is as well necessary the results achieved by aid initiatives be evaluated rigorously, CISP is firmly committed in this direction.

Since 1983, the work of the CISP has fully respected the objectives of its statutory mandate, at the heart of which is that of “carrying out actions conducive to the achievement of basic conditions for people’ self-development and self-determination, for the spreading and respect of human rights and fulfillment of human basic needs4.” CISP has been consistent on this goal throughout the years.

On the other hand, CISP has tried over the years to progressively update - through the development of constructive relations based upon a prospective of positive “cultural contamination” with other associations, universities and popular movements - its ability to analyze and interpret poverty and social exclusion dynamics. Being able to fully understand, on an economic, social, cultural and psychological level, the effective meaning of poverty, lack of basic rights and exclusion from the access to resources essential to the very human survival, is the key to successful development strategies.

CISP standard procedures also include the passionate and severe impact assessment on our projects, the adopted methods and operational strategies of our work. This reference book, all things considered, represents the outcome of that evaluation debate, and we believe its publication testifies our commitment to absolute transparency, prerequisite of all our actions and the strategic choices we submit each time we ask for support.

We do not by any means presume to defeat poverty and to restore denied human rights across the world, all by ourselves; such a claim, seen the seriousness of the world situation, will sound not only conceited but also utterly illogical. CISP aspires at contributing in the fight against poverty and for the affirmation of denied human rights, by also establishing deals, partnerships and collaborations with other associations, governmental, private and international institutions, certain that each party must contribute to this shared goal, each by (according to) its own definite mandate.

In broad terms, CISP aims at realizing human rights and opportunities, as sanctioned at both international and national levels, in the most remote and unknown areas of the world. While supranational organizations must first of all implement the respect of basic human rights and promote worldwide global strategies, such as the “Millennium Development Goals”, and involve all member states with (in committing themselves to) definite and biding obligations, NGOs’ role, alongside other operators and local

The main challenge concerns the very definition of the mandate and objectives that the international cooperation can realistically sustain in a present-day disturbingly instable world afflicted by dramatic divisions.

While some of the main “historical crises” are still far from resolution - for instance those affecting the Middle East and the Horn of Africa - other fronts of conflicts are bursting or worsening, as in the Caucasus.

Even where conflicts are latent and less “visible” to the eye of the European public opinion, as it happens to be in Colombia, they are discouragingly still ongoing, making miserable and very hard the lives of hundreds of thousand displaced people forced to move to precarious settlements in new areas of their countries or regions. The humanitarian tragedies that regularly occur within a fine proximity of the European shores to which migrants from Africa desperately try to reach and for which they willingly undertake a dangerous journey are a warning call resonating on a daily basis against the plights of the peoples of the world, to poverty and the wars that afflict them.

There are several conflicts, born from recent and still open divisions, raging at the very doors of Europe, in the Balkans for instance. The uncertainty enveloping the future status of Kosovo is a perfect example of these instabilities.

In this context, it is legitimate to wonder whether international cooperation is still useful; if we deem it is, to what effective purpose should it be considered as such? Why should we persevere in this objectively hard international context? These are not rhetorical questions but ethical ones that the CISP tries to give answers to.

First of all, the most immediate answer would be that, aid initiatives, when cleverly planned and managed jointly with local operators and implemented with passion and methodological rigour, are fruitful; they can make the difference in the lives of hundreds of thousand people. This is not a mere abstract statement, but an objective observation of facts. In the last past years, CISP humanitarian rehabilitative and development programs have been subjects of several evaluation studies with consequent data collection and elaboration, meetings with local communities and institutions, as well as in the field verifications (analysis). The results yielded by the survey encourage us to keep on going in the constant pursue of actual results and change in peoples’ lives. Unfortunately, it is not possible to relate here all the impact evaluation studies carried on our programs, we thus invite all those interested in the matter, to consult our website or to contact us; we are always ready to share the effective results of our activities.

Another reason for us to persist is due to the idea that, the more conflicts and divisions afflict the world, the more we need to strengthen the channels to solidarity and integration, at all levels. People and communities divided by conflicts are brought to work together, share the same offices, and pursue the same objectives in Bosnia, Lebanon, Palestine, Somalia, Colombia and in many other countries where the CISP operates.


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We believe that among the tasks of non-governmental organizations should figure that of facilitating and enabling interaction, trade, cooperation among institutions, associations, groups of people from different countries and continents.International cooperation should not be understood only as a specific area of Government and specialized agencies’ interventions, but it has to become increasingly seen as an opportunity of meeting and interacting among peoples and societies. This, in general terms is the overall objective of the projects of education for development implemented by our organization. At the same time, even in Europe there are issues related to social exclusion and denial of fundamental rights. Building on this fact, the CISP will continue and expand its operations in Italy, through initiatives to strengthen the associations that represent the least protected groups, which are among the communities of migrants.

We have explained the reasons of our perseverance, the values and objectives of our work. It would be inappropriate to claim, anywhere and at any time, that the evaluation of our projects carried out with our local partners lead us to believe that our experience in interventions is perfect or problem-free. It is never the case. The work of development co-operation is difficult, full of pitfalls; it is inevitably complicated by the intricate dynamics and the lacerating conflicts that arise from inequalities and the denial of rights. If it were an easy job, the international community would not have adopted today in 2008, the objective described as both ambitious and modest of halving poverty by the year 2015. But we can certainly claim that we have always found the competencies, passionate devotion to search problems solutions, research and quantification of results. And above all, sharing. This is a word often abused, but for us retains an important meaning; because we would never be truly effective in combating poverty if we do not perceive the problems and tragedies of those who have no rights as our own.

Notes:

1 Director of the CISP (International Committee for the Development of Peoples)2 For a more exhaustive knowledge of many of the issues dealt with in this reference book, such as food security, micro-credit, professional training, health and humanitarian aid, please also consult with the several in-depth essays available on CISP website (www.sviluppodeipopoli.org).3 The CISP has been founded on the 10th January 19834 From the CISP Statute5 Exactly Euro 76,240,711.89.

authorities, must instead guarantee that the benefits of such global strategies reach those they are intended for. The firm belief that any fight against poverty must necessarily be centred on the poor, the local communities and the popular associations representing their voices and interests, stem not only from legitimate ethical considerations but from also the deep sense of reality and the CISP researches on decades of activity in the international cooperation field.

Should the still visible impacts of implemented cooperation projects be investigated today, many years after their realization, it will clearly be evident that the most fruitful ones are those planned jointly with the local communities and which have enrolled the needy (ones) not as a mere passive recipient but as an active key partner in the shaping of future oriented development programs

Some may reasonably object that non-governmental cooperation organizations generally tend to operate more on a small scale range of action; it is also correct to state that CISP action is usually circumscribed in defined areas in countries afflicted by a number of complex problems. CISP has embraced this criticism as a stimulus to better define it methodologies and operational choices, in this regard we would like to underline two main considerations:

First: Even when interventions are designed to operate on a smaller scale, they can lead to immediate and positive results. In CISP’s financial balances between 2003-2007 the recorded aggregate ledger account was slightly over 76 millions of Euros5. This is a quite modest amount when compared to the huge number of the humanitarian crises registered throughout those 5 years as a result of conflicts and natural disasters. However, it is also rightfully highlights the contributions of million of tax-paying citizens whose efforts helped sustain governments’ humanitarian commitment, the efforts of all supporters, associations and foundations contributing to the success of our activities. CISP reports on its activities, financial statements and evaluation studies to all its supporters and its partners, on a regular basis; this reference handbook aims at supplementing these reports with the guidelines of CISP action.

Then there is also a second consideration: it is precisely in the light and in full awareness of the limited range of its interventions that the CISP makes every endeavour to achieve concrete link between policies and projects, one might say between the “micro” dimension and the “macro” one. And this can be accomplished by designing the projects in order to strengthen and develop sectorial strategies applicable also in contexts different from those where the projects are implemented, and by encouraging political interventions and legislative of governments and institutions. This is the approach we gave to projects concerning children rights, as well as food security. The ability to dialogue with the outside world, to interact with governments, non governmental entities and with local institutions is indeed part of the DNA of the CISP.

It is an integral part of the cultural values of CISP as well as of its strategies, the priority given to establish relationship with the public, institutions, associations in Italy and Europe.

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The role of Aid in the context of the contemporary world crisis by Lucio Caracciolo6

(Translation not reviewed by the Author)

I had the pleasure to attend the annual conferences of CISP in 2007 and 2008 that, by comparison between operators, professionals and experts active in Italy and in many other countries, yielded the Declaration of Intent called “For the Rights and against Poverty: approaches and operational priorities of the CISP - Development of Peoples”.

My field of analysis and research is Geopolitics, the reflection and studies of the dynamics and changes taking place in the modern world marked by very strong and rapid transformations. Building on my professional position I have developed the interest in an active dialogue and debate with the CISP, which works daily on fostering development processes and support peacemaking in areas of the world marked by serious crises. I have therefore shared the goals of CISP in its two annual conferences in which I participated: the renewal and update of its mandate and mission.

I think, in fact that humanitarian aid agencies should adjourn their mandate to cope with the disappearance of some “old” certainties. One of these certainties - which obviously closely affect us - is the role of Europe as a major political force able to support and advance effective processes conflict resolution positive transformations. We, the Italians, have cherished high hopes in the European Union, very confident in the possibility that it will develop as a strong and genuine political unit. Now, we have to recognize that reality does not match our expectations. Today’s European Union looks seemingly a homogeneous space, but in reality, very strong are the differences within it. Just think about what we might call New Euroamerica. Countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria consider their security not guaranteed by their belonging to the European Union, but rather from their membership in NATO: this is so evident to the symbolic point that the flags of Poland and European Union together with that of the NATO are seen on the Presidential Palace, in Warsaw. No one in Italy would imagine putting the flag of NATO on the Quirinale, nor is it possible in France. While in Poland the flag of NATO can be observed, because the country’s entry into the Alliance, in 1999, represented the most important act in the reconquest of the Polish sovereignty. In fact, Poland that was divided several times over the last three centuries, between the Russian Empire and the German area, sees the United States, as the external super power, the protection and the supreme guarantee of its sovereign existence. The same goes for countries like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.


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less secure and stable world. It is true: there is a lack of stability. At the same time there are new players emerging, supranational groupings, in some cases representing civil society, new actors. Above all there is a strong willingness on the part of countries and companies to avoid stifling hegemonies. This desire is manifested in various forms, some of these forms take a paradoxical course, other more rational and understandable.

To put in a few words, this is a world in motion, no longer framed in the logic of the Cold War, but still not yet stabilized with new and clear balances.

In this world there are perhaps few certainties. One of these, however, is that: there is a great need to build bridges, opportunities for interaction and dialogue between peoples, cultures and societies. At the same time, there is a need for genuine and fruitful collaboration between actors, whether they are representative of civil society or institutions, which are committed to solving the problems of poverty and the affirmation of peace processes.

Notes:

6 Lucio Caracciolo is one of the leading European experts in geopolitics, professor, journalist and analyst. He is the editor of the magazine “Limes”. He participated in CISP’s annual conferences in 2007 and 2008 contributing to the reflections on the role of aid and international cooperation in the contemporary areas of crisis.

When the Poles exerted pressure to join the EU, it was on the basis of their own idea of “Europe”, widely different from the original Franco-German one that was based on an increasing integration and transfer of national sovereignty. The Poles do not believe that national sovereignty should be conceded in Europe; on the contrary, to the Poles, Europe and NATO represent the cement of the Polish sovereignty. The thing that interests them the most is the preservation of their national interests, rather than the sharing of differing national interests on a European platform.

These considerations are not intended as a critique of the Polish policy or the policy of any other new Member States; my point is just to clarify that when we talk about Europe and the European Union’s role in the contemporary world, we can not do this based on our perceptions, or on what we think Europe is or should be, but we must take into account the current limitations of the process of political integration and the projections made by other countries.

International cooperation has two main objectives: (i) to solve problems and help improve the concrete conditions and the lives people in poor countries and in crisis areas, (ii) accompany and support processes of positive transformation and, where possible and necessary , Peacemaking. The first objective is intrinsic into the very logic of cooperation and its implementation depends on the resources and capabilities that cooperation brings into play. From here, in the case of CISP, emerges the effort to upgrade its operational tools and project strategies that make the subject of the present publication. The second objective involves more actors and requires wider platforms of political and institutional nature. The reflections made on the level of European policy integration lead to believe that it is not obvious that Europe represents one of these platforms. In many theatres of crisis, for example, Europe is struggling to position itself with a unitary project. However, this observation does not want to feed skepticism, or lead to gloomy pessimism, but rather it suggest that it is now necessary, in every crisis, is to identify which are the players in the field, which the interests, the role of supranational actors and that of the states. Today, each area can be seen as a real mosaic difficult to interpret, but it is the interpretation of reality that can produces effective strategies. In this sense, strengthening the communication between research institutions, policy makers, national and supranational institutions, NGOs, it is now more necessary than ever.

There is a recurring and widespread perception - especially in Italy - that the world today is governed by a single great power, whose invasive character should be countered by the power of multilateral forum. Even in this case, I think we need one more effort to interpret what is happening in various parts of the world, from Iraq to Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and areas of Latin America The idea that we must strengthen the instruments of integration and worldwide political cooperation, is widely shared; however, it is less certain that it should be characteristic of the modern world the subjection to a sole “master”, beyond the intentions and the interests involved. In fact, what we are witnessing is instead a proliferation of forces, of actors, of states, whose actions can hardly be reduced to clear and unambiguous hegemonies. And this is precisely why we feel now, more than in any other historical period, the sensation that we are faced with a

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Strategic and sector priorities of CISP - Development of Peoples

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I. Right to social and economic security: development of income opportunities, migration, development and food security.

1.1 Brief profile of the CISP approach

Starting from the awareness of the multifaceted reality of the poverty affecting the social, political and economical situations of individuals, families and communities, CISP’s interventions aim at removing the main and diverse vulnerability factors which, in various contexts, determine conditions of suffering, poverty and denial of basic rights.

At the hart of CISP’s action is the conviction that access to primary goods, a dignified life, services, food and resources are inalienable rights of every individual.

CISP believes that the economic development processes, aiming at including the poorer and the disadvantaged social groups through sustainable and non-charitable means, are pathways to liberation from poverty and to dignity. Freedom from poverty because the poor is often condemned to further impoverishment due to a lack of real opportunities. Pathway to dignity, because CISP recognizes the poor people it works with as equal partners and potential economic players.

There are different, and often complementary to each other, practical tools to fight poverty, such as: micro-financing, the activation of productive micro-grants, professional training, expansion of the access to information and basic knowledge enabling exit strategies from social marginality, the impulse to economic diversification; these are some the priority options adopted by the CISP in the framework of projects against social exclusion and extreme poverty. The micro-finance projects supported by the CISP, are characterized by a high level of economic sustainability of the activated and/or supported micro credit schemes. Generally, the loans recovery rate is, for instance, higher than 95%.


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The CISP embraces, not only at a purely theoretical level but also in formulating operational strategies, the definition of food security, updated as follows:” a situation that occurs when the entire population has a material, social and economic access to adequate quantity of healthy and nourishing food, corresponding to its needs and enough to cover daily nutritional requirements and to grant an active and healthy life7”.

Notwithstanding deeply different contexts, food insecurity is usually caused by:

- excessive dependence on rain agriculture and on small scale farming as primary tools of self-subsistence;

- poor or nonexistent purchasing power, which leads to being cut off from access to foodstuff even when present in the local markets;

- political alienation and weak social organization of the population from rural and poor urban areas.

The programs implemented and supported by the CISP, seek usually to affect the causes of food insecurity, with the aim of supporting local communities in their efforts to escape conditions of vulnerability and exposition to food crisis.

Food insecurity and poverty are usually connected (one to the other) in a vicious circle, one determining and aggravating the other.

This relation is commonly exemplified by some choices made by poor families in times of severe food shortage, such as the selling below cost of the few tools of subsistence, amongst which the owned land.

These choices, taken in order to grant one’s own and family’s survival, will eventually aggravate poverty and vulnerability of said individual, not allowing any effort in securing his/her own social and food security through work nor the development of resources. CISP’s food security programs aim at breaking this vicious circle.

1.2 Operational and methodological priorities in the field of income opportunity development

1.2.1 The planning of micro-credit projects consistent with the legislative, economic and political context of referenceMany countries are provided with specific laws governing the micro-credit operation and defining the authorized managing bodies. In all the different countries it operates in, CISP always works within the frame of existing dispositions, both out of respect for the hosting and beneficiary country and as a necessary pre-conditioning step to secure the future institutional sustainability to its projects.

The CISP usual planning procedure also focuses on the field of income generation for individuals and groups with specific vulnerabilities (such as families and communities affected by AIDS) by setting up micro grants intended for the starting of productive activities.

Migrations, particularly from Africa, are often real attempts at escaping extreme poverty, conflicts and persecutions and also one of the most obvious – and in some cases most dramatic - evidences of this world serious inequality.

CISP efforts in the field of trans-national migratory processes in Africa hinge upon some transverse priorities which, when taken comprehensively, describe the CISP strategic vision on this matter, which can be summarized as follows:

- strengthening of the regional cooperation by establishing and enhancing NGOs’ and local partners’ networks in the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan African countries;

- the quantitative and qualitative development of the information system available to the potential migrants, in order to restore dignity to migration efforts; - awakening of the European and Maghreb public opinion to the issue of migration from Sub-Saharan Africa in order to prevent racism and xenophobia;

- promotion of illegal migrants’ voluntary return, by creating income opportunities and socio-economic reintegration in the countries of origin;

- furthering the knowledge on the state and evolution of illegal migration in the Maghreb and West African countries, starting from in the field work;

- the establishing of essential services for migrants in the Maghreb;

- strengthening of the Diaspora role, in support of economic development, basic education and health services.

Human rights are at the heart of CISP initiatives: the right to correct information, to dignity and to safety in transit areas, the right to assistance and protection in the countries of destination.

Food insecurity represents one of the most serious consequences of poverty, threatening the lives of millions of people worldwide. Food security must be one of the top priorities of any real commitment against poverty.The concept of food security, which was first formalized in the ‘70s, is now in constant evolution.


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1.2.4 Credit, training and technical assistance connection and their relation with the marketAs already shown, CISP development strategies are mainly based on the training and technical assistance to people aiming at starting micro-company activities. In this case, CISP’s approach to the training issue is based on the rule of a strong consistency of the offered training programs to market opportunities.

This leads, in practice, to at times adopt new approaches in training programs, different from the less effective conventional schools with regard to the different countries economies.

Often the small and successful businesses have been launched and are run by people with no classic vocational training but with experience acquired by other means, such as through apprenticeship.The involvement of economic operators with training experience, grants a double advantage; on one hand, ensuring the training content effectively fits local markets’ needs and opportunities, and facilitating, on the other hand , and at a later stage, the activation of up and down links, going both ways, so that new economic operators can take over subcontract works from companies.

1.2.5 Assumption of a new gender perspectivePrograms aimed at extending rights and promoting social inclusion must be aware of the specific barriers, existing almost everywhere, against women’s access to economic resources; due to the fact they are usually cut out of any kind of ownership, women are, for instance, excluded from acceding to loans.

These types of programs therefore aim at effectively having women as at least 50% of their targeted beneficiaries, in certain cases this percentage can noticeably increase.

The CISP usually lays down a minimum reserved quota for women’s inclusion as a precondition to any financial support, in those areas where social barriers are particularly strong.

1.2.6 The carrying out sector surveys and evaluationOne of the main operational strategies of CISP, which often works in partnership with local, European and university research institutes, consists of conducting ad hoc and applied field researches aiming at defining the following points:

- Analytical defining of the main barriers to employment and self-employment experienced by the supported social groups.

- Peculiarities of labor and financial markets in the countries of intervention;

- Analysis of the micro-credit programs’ impact on the field.

- Market prospects analysis to direct micro-entrepreneurs towards the more promising product sectors.

In countries not yet provided with a set of rules on the matter, CISP collaborates in defining a regulation jointly with other partners both governmental and non-governmental.In setting the size of the loans, CISP takes into account the characteristics of the local context which can differ from an area to another even in the same country.

1.2.2 Practical division of roles and qualifications in the outline of economic development strategiesIt is CISP firm belief that micro-finance could be a potential driving force in development processes, it does not however aim to become itself a financial institution, out of respect for the local law dispositions and also because it believes its main goal is to facilitate and support a positive cooperation network between specialized micro-finance institutions, public and private sectors, as well as training bodies for the management of micro and small concern.

CISP usually assists in activating these networks and, improving and providing technical support to all parties involved.

1.2.3 Operational and financial flexibilitySince there is not only one micro-financial “model” nor a micro-financial “ideal model”, CISP has worked on highly differentiated types of initiatives, the most relevant of which are:

- The Opening of village/country banks following the Grameen Bank’s model. The major part played by the groups standing surety for the individual redemptions of the loans (usually small loans of sometimes almost €100), represents, in this case, a common criteria although models may vary according to the contexts of reference, the winning operational strategy, in this case, requires a door-to-door bank system specifically addressing customers with no experience, no tools and no knowledge of bank deals.

- When the granting of loans proceeds at the same pace of the training and the development of cooperative structures and in the outline of existing laws, in these cases, loans could easily reach a much larger amount (sometimes up to 20.000-25.0000Euro) and are designed to facilitate the starting-up of economic activities in contexts with encouraging market potential.

- The granting of secured loans through local banks. In some countries CISP, in cooperation with some banks, has provided minor entrepreneurs with secured loans and with specific training programs.

- The creation of assistant centers for micro and small concerns following the off wall incubators model, with the establishment of centers for the technical support, the training and guidance of entrepreneurs aiming at facilitating their access to loans by benefitting from agreements outlined by the CISP, micro-finance institutes and assistance centers.


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consistent information and evaluations. The establishment of other types of opportunities in countries of origin could concur not only in decreasing migration flows but also in their more rational management. In other words, a strategic initiative on this matter must focus on avoiding migration, though perceived as an exclusion phenomenon, be seen as only valid option.

1.3.3 Active involvement and networking of institutions, civil society and public opinion in the countries of origin and of transit.As already noted the migration contexts evolve over time, the countries that once contributed the most in terms of generating migrants are nowadays interested by the transiting and settling of the new migration flows.Therefore it becomes of the utmost importance that all players of civil society, institutions and universities and NGOs enhance the cooperation at an international level of the defining and the implementation of effective policies on the matter also through lobbying and advocacy on human rights (full access to services included).CISP in particular believes that assistance services should be established by promoting the role of local actors; in this context aid provided by international organizations must be considered only as temporary measures. Information and public opinion on migration issues must be addressed with great care, especially in those countries only recently interested by the phenomenon, in order to prevent racism and xenophobia.

1.3.4 The harmonization and the concerting of policies on migrationOne of the top political priorities involves the attuning and coordination of laws and interventions. A migration policy must not be conceived only on the basis of its repercussions on one single country.

Another priority consists in the enhancement of the technical and financial tools necessary to the research of structural solutions to migration processes which could be described as real “exclusion” processes in areas affected by military conflicts, famine and social disintegration of the communities of reference.

A third political priority is the enhancement of communication channels between governments and civil societies in order to jointly address the migration phenomenon protecting and respecting migrants’ integrity and peoples’ rights.

1.4 Operational and methodological priorities in food security

1.4.1 Reduction of dependence on rain-fed agriculture Also in geographical areas very rich in potentially available water resources, there is a low spread of irrigation systems, due to both the lack of experience and knowledge in this field and the difficulties in ensuring the sustainability of the necessary infrastructures over the years. The CISP targets this operational priority with the utmost attention to not only the establishment of irrigation canals but also to the enhancement of rural associations and cooperatives fit to manage irrigation systems and to exploiting the natural products destined to both internal use and markets.

1.3 Operational and methodological priorities in the Migration and Development sectors

1.3.1 Centrality of the access to information in migration processesMigration processes may vary over the years due to the development of the economic, social and cultural factors, such as for instance the different degrees of freedom reached by the countries of transit and/or destination, but at the same time they involve change in terms of new legislative rules, attitudes, control skills and repression by the countries migrants tend to flow to. These variations should be in principles the basis of decisions on how and whether to carry out migration plan.Actually, although migration networks, especially irregular ones, are perfectly able to adapt and to individuate new and potentially more effective strategies, however the potential migrants’ capacities, in acquiring reliable information on which to base their migration plans, are not to be overrated.Some “macro” factors constitute real obstacles barring potential migrants from accessing reliable information and evaluations necessary to their purposes:

- There is no interaction between the societies of destination and communities of origin.

- Those who trade in illegal immigration and those trafficking in human beings rely on “marketing” strategies aiming at motivating people to migrate while, at the same time, withholding correct information from them;

- Information exchange between migrants in the countries of origin and those at countries of destination are spoilt by lack and distortion of the truth as migrants, when reporting to families back at home, tend to usually boast success, often disregarding an objective account of their real situation, and thus further encouraging migration options.

In the light of the above cited factors, the relevance of spreading correct information among the potential migrants’ communities appears the obvious viable option in order to plan a rational migration project.

1.3.2 Integrating the projects in support of voluntary return with the interventions in favor of local economic developmentThe programs in support of migrants’ voluntary return do not represent the only “answer” to migration, especially so when not integrated by measures addressing migration root causes.A comprehensive and effective approach on the “return issue” aims at integrating programs encouraging the voluntary return with projects for the promotion of the local development in communities of origin.

Reflections and actions on “Migration and Development” issues must be improved with the purpose of increasing the opportunities; migration is per se and opportunity to be seized upon


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The birth of a “micro-finance” institution: the Benishangul Gumuz Micro Finance Share Company in Ethiopia.

The CISP has been working in the Regional State of Benishangul Gumuz in Ethiopia for many years (since 1986). In the late 90s, in the outline of a rural development campaign in the Metekel area, CISP has set up a pilot micro-finance plan initially implemented on a small scale, with only 10 villages involved. This pilot program has been under way from the beginning of 1998 to the early 2001, after that it has been officially and legally given birth to the Benishangul Gumuz Micro Finance Share Company (BGMFSC), a micro-finance organization completely autonomous from the CISP, at an institutional level, operating under local laws. The establishment of the BGMFSC has brought and opened new development opportunities in the area; nowadays the BGMFSC operates in the whole region, counting more than 30.000 customers and a loans recovery rate close to 98%.

This result has been achieved by following main stages, as below listed:

- the selection, in collaboration with local institutions, of a group of professionals, from both the public and private sectors as well as the banking one, recruited as the managing first team for the new institution;

- the full training of this first selected group on the running of micro-finance institutes, has been carried out by CISP specialists also through on the field learning trips in other parts of the country;

- the organization of introductory meetings to inform local communities on micro-finance rules and functioning in order to meet with their approval for the establishment of credit groups in the villages each one composed of 5 people;

- the establishment, at a further stage, of different centers, each composed of 6 groups, after the village (rural) banks pattern;

- the first loans have been issued at the next stage, on the basis of rules (on interest rate, restoration time, etc.) settled during the meetings with the groups;

- the following stage consisted in supporting of the groups’ activities, by collecting the comments and indication of the program’s participants;

- the last stage consisted in the definition of the program’s General Rules (manuals) and legalization in accordance with local laws.

1.4.2 Diversification of rural economies and development of non-agricultural economiesThe countries and regions most exposed to famine are very often those with economies strongly based on rain-fed agriculture. Aiming at diversifying local economic systems by supporting and encouraging non-agricultural activities it is therefore a top priority strategy in the pursuing of Food Security. CISP pursues this operational option by organizing professional training and by supporting micro-financing programs with the purpose of cutting socio-economic dependency on the sole rain-fed agriculture and opening up to new and supplementary income opportunities.

1.4.3 Organization of the rural world and producers’ cooperative developmentOne of the most recurring poor communities’ causes of social and economic vulnerability is their weakness – if not downright lack – of their association and organizational system; thus, CISP points to the establishment and enhancement of trade associations - i.e.: fishermen’s associations, farmers’ cooperative for the production and the marketing of agricultural products, minor stockbreeders’ cooperatives – which can help in building services of common interests that cannot be reached nor activated by a single operator, marketing field for instance.

1.4.4 Enhancement of functional services destined to minor producers The lack of adequate services for minor producers is one of the main factors contributing to their vulnerability, others being for example the livestock pathologies’ diffusion detrimental to bovine and ovine stocks and the infesting parasites impact on crops.Without the proper services – whether technical, informational or veterinary services – it will be difficult to address and solve all these problems, CISP’s Food Security programs thus aim at enhancing the public services networks in these fields through training and Capacity Building.

1.4.5 Link between food aid and food securityIt is necessary to intervene promptly and strongly whenever and wherever dramatic humanitarian famine induced risks occur in order to stop them before they fully become humanitarian tragedies.

Food aid should necessarily be limited in time and space in order to counter immediate food needs avoiding, at the same time, the establishment of an aid dependence syndrome which could lead local beneficiary communities on relying on food aid as sole and structural way-out to hunger.

At the same time, CISP tries to steer food aid processes as a social and economic restoration tool by activating joint strategies, in partnership with local operators and institutions, which could implement environmental development plans, for example, through reforestation and anti-erosion programs based on a “Food for Work” system.

Notes:7 FAO, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2001, Rome.

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II. Right to health and access to water and sanitation

2.1 Short profile of CISP’s approach

CISP endorses the critical considerations, concepts, principles and strategies formalized by the Italian Observatory on Global Health in its second Report of December 2006 (“A caro prezzo- Le disegualianze nella Salute”) and, in the first place, the categories of inequality and inequity in health.

Inequalities in Health are present everywhere: between individuals, between different population groups and between different geographical areas. In many cases this is inevitable, because - for example - determined by factors related to genetic or due to accidental exposure to a peculiar pathogen; in other cases the differences are even necessary, such as differences between men and women or between youth and old

The word “iniquity” implies a moral aspect and ethical. It refers to inequalities that are unnecessary and avoidable, and thus to be considered as unjust. Among these are inequalities brought about by factors such as exposure to life conditions and works stressful and harmful to health , social barriers, economic and other that impede access to health services and primary goods such as water. It is against these inequalities that the actions of CISP are addressed to. The actions of the CISP in this area have embraced different project typologies, drawing inspiration from recommendations and internationally accepted guidelines (Alma Ata conference of 1978 on Primary Health Care) and adapting them to the different contexts.

The processes of globalization, demographic trends and the resulting “epidemiological transition” cause that today even the poorest countries and disadvantaged face, although in ways and to varying degrees, problems that until a few years ago were typical only of wealthier countries. For example, even the poorest countries are now addressing issues related to technological development, to financing and rationalization of services.To the increase of the problems in health systems should correspond the complexity of the projects.

Falls within this context, the need for projects that are highly technical and specialized, to support public health systems, networks of health services, health information systems, management and administration of hospitals, the planning and programming territorial Health, evaluation of services, the definition of policies for staff training, a proper management of health technologies, the rational management of medicines, emergency medicine.


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2.2 Operational priorities and methodological in the health sector

2.2.1 Reference to the policies and strategies internationally recognized in health sector co-operation and developmentIn this sector the actions of CISP have always taken inspiration (sometimes with criticism) from recommendations and guidelines internationally accepted (primarily from the Alma Ata Conference of 1978) combined with the principles of its own Code of Conduct for international programs and adapted to the different contexts. This special attention to strategies reflections and methodological existing at an international level is precondition to develop strategic and methodology guidelines based on a direct and concrete experience.

2.2.2 Comprehensive approach to health and health careCISP’s projects include the adoption of a comprehensive approach on the various determinants of health and on the different factors that affect the health of a population on the one hand and the functioning of health services on the other.There are indeed several cases in which the projects of the CISP in health sector have included also actions not strictly related to health, but rather social sector, psycho social in support of vulnerable groups, education and sometimes micro-economy. As a matter of fact, often health services are called to take charge of vulnerable groups, excluded from society, who need an aggregate and not only clinical, attention.CISP has already implemented and keeps on implementing “vertical” programs (Malaria, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS etc), but always integrated with more generic interventions to support and develop the local health systems.

2.2.3 Support to the development of health systemsIn its interventions the CISP, except in special emergency situations, does not aim to the creation of new services but to strengthening and upgrading the health services already existing.In fact, the creation of new services could generate situations of dependence on aid and of hard sustainability for the local authorities and stakeholders once the external aid comes to an end, resulting in the interruption of service at the end of the cooperation project.While the intervention in support of health policies and services already existing is the premise to ensure continuity to actions. In concrete, this approach is reflected in the support of local health services through technical assistance, supply of equipment and resources, interventions for the rehabilitation of infrastructures, training of local staff, support activities in the territory such as information campaigns and health education, taking always into account the capacity of local services - so strengthened - of autonomously keep the system in operation after the conclusion of the cooperation program.

2.2.4 Investing in strengthening key local stakeholdersIn health sector, as in all the others sectors in which the CISP intervenes, the distinguishing element is represented by the support, in terms of training and capacity building, to the different local actors responsible for promoting, in a continuative and sustainable way, the protection and care of the local population’s health.

Generally, in the health sector, CISP identified the following priority areas:

- Primary Health Care and Mother and Child Care (PHC - MCH);

- Reinforcement of whole health systems (organization and administration of the hospital services and territorial, health information systems, management of health technologies and clinical engineering, strengthening networks of health services from the periphery to central area, basic centres and hospitals).

- Construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of health infrastructures.

- Fight against particular diseases and issues (vertical programs) such as malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV/ AIDS, malnutrition, etc.., according to a logic of integration strengthening health systems as a whole.

- Information campaigns and health education targeted at the population.

- Training, retraining and upgrading of health personnel at all levels.

CISP interventions, aimed at extending the access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation services, come within its total commitment against inequalities and towards the improvement of health conditions of the population and communities less protected and economically vulnerable. With the conviction that water is an essential resource for people wellbeing and a fundamental right of man, the actions of CISP comprise different project plans, that include the realization of wells with different depths in rural areas and semi urban, the development and maintenance of water infrastructures of high technical complexity , such as waterworks and sewerage systems both for urban and rural zones, implementation of rainwater harvesting system, its usage, and finally activate schemes of water supply for first emergency also through the use of portable tanks.

The projects implemented by CISP in this sector are directed primarily towards concrete achievements and high level of economic sustainability. The focus on sustainability issues is reflected in the assumption of three priorities: the precise identification of the local actors who have the responsibility to manage the resource and ensure access to communities; the attention to upgrading technical and managerial capabilities and maintenance of facilities by such actors, either representing municipal entities or committees of village for managing the wells; the effort to promote and rationalise cost recovery systems through which ensure the economic sustainability of implemented schemes.

The CISP is against the processes of water resource privatization that basically do not take into account that water is a universal right not sacrifiable for private economic interests. This choice is accompanied by the awareness of difficulties in the management of water resources for public bodies or committees. For this reason a strategy for universal access to water should also pass through the strengthening of those entities in charge of its management and distribution.


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Particularly required are competencies in public health and organization and management services in the territory. It is a consolidated praxis of CISP – with respect to technical assistance - to collaborate with Italian institutions specialized in health (hospitals, healthcare bodies, universities and research institutions etc.). CISP has in fact established and strengthened in Italy a wide network of collaborators.

The collaboration with these institutions normally result in:

- sending its own expert staff on the field for missions short or long length;

- providing training internships, of different duration, in Italy for health-care workers of the beneficiary countries;

- providing technical and scientific permanent support to the projects (for example, in drafting studies, guidelines, recommendations, protocols etc.)

2.2.7 Research and StudiesIn the above mentioned perspective of technical assistance and cultural, the CISP on several occasions has included in its health projects components of research and study on problems of different kinds that are however linked to the health situation of population. These studies (for instance on accessibility to services, quality of assistance in specific sectors, child malnutrition and clinical procedures) are usually carried out jointly by Italian experts and institutions and local authorities, with at least three objectives:

- Contribute to the cultural growth and scientific of the local staff.

- Highlight - and then bring to attention of the local authorities through a scientifically founded method - the existence of clinical problems, organizational or public health, of peculiar relevance and gravity for the local health systems.

- Contribute to modify and orient adequately local health policies and international cooperation of donors.

2.2.8 Assumption of a gender perspective in identifying and managing projectsHealth is a universal right of all: males, females, adults, elders and children. Nevertheless inequalities in health care more often affect women’s lives as effect of the existing gender inequality in the access to resources and services. For this reason, already in the phase of identification, the CISP gives priority to the assessment of needs broken down by gender, in order to ensure strategies planning defined in an inclusive way and consider as priority the needs of the female population.Moreover women have a vital role in the protection and promotion of child health whose rate of mortality together with that maternal are considered by international community among the most representative indicators of health and wellbeing of a populations.

In every context there is a multiplicity of actors who for various reasons have to do with public health.We are referring to parties that are in charge of the organization and management of a variety of services, both sanitary and not, that have to do with Health (take for instance the importance of schools as critical contexts for the implementation of health education campaigns), or to local realities (e.g. associations and village committees), municipal institutions, bodies of the government

2.2.5 Centrality of the human resources developmentHuman resources development involves processes of comprehensive and permanent cultural growth. They are processes defined together with local partners and institutions that external aid may help to start up but that then have to continue independently of that same aid. In actual fact, a cooperation intervention can begin a process structured in the following phases:

- Analysis of professional skills, profiles, qualifications and staff needed to manage services.

- Analysis of the already existing professional resources.

- Identification of the local training opportunities existing, those already exploited and those not used.

- Definition of plans and schemes for permanent vocational training and qualification relevant to the identified needed skills (the definition of curricula of training and education).

- Mobilization of new cultural resources and professional locally available (Universities, research centres, experts) for the implementation of training programs also by promoting “ad hoc” agreements of collaboration.

- Implementation of modules, training courses and qualifying (real and proper ”courses”).

- Determination and testing of monitoring and evaluation systems.

- Promotion of forms of training on-the-job, that is to say the joint work of international experts and/or local with the personnel of local services.

2.2.6 Centrality of qualified technical assistance To pursue the above mentioned goal it is fundamental to have qualified technical assistance at disposal. This means the presence, permanent and lasting, in the project of highly qualified personnel and institutions. CISP pays particular attention to the selection and recruitment of staff, both for the overall coordination of tasks and for a more proper technical function and sectoral .


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In certain rural zones of developing countries these campaigns include also the provision of latrines on the basis of adequate technical standards. More generally, efforts are always addressed to positively affect behaviours and hygiene practices. For this reason CISP cooperates not only with authorities responsible for the management of water schemes, but also with health authorities, in order to evaluate concretely the impact of projects on the health of communities. In several cases, CISP, before carrying out infrastructure interventions, realizes adequate surveys to highlight the main social and cultural issues associated with environmental health9.

2.3.3 Use of local enterprises, public and private, for the infrastructure works Use of local companies responds to a double motivation: on the one hand to make of the interventions in this sector the driving force of an economic development and employment, thus enhancing local technical resources and professionals; on the other to increase the grade of technical sustainability of the facilities. Companies that perform the works of the implementation will be more equipped in the future to face any necessary maintenance and repair.

2.3.4 Investing in the strengthening of key local stakeholdersThe realization of plans and infrastructures, as per praxis of CISP, is always coupled with effective training activities and capacity building for local stakeholders that are responsible, with different capacities, of ensuring standing access and sustainable to safe water for local communities.

In each context considered exists an institutional cycle for water, that involves local basic realities (for instance village committees), community services and municipal, public institutions and different sectors of the governments. Although this cycle varies depending on the reference context, however it is crosscutting the commitment of CISP to strengthen the different instances of the cycle – bringing them close to the primary needs of local communities - and above all to integrate their different agenda with priorities. For instance, CISP favours functional connections and collaborations between village committees and government offices, between municipal enterprises and national institutions, in order to enhance operational synergies and strategic and achieve greater efficiency and sustainability.

2.3.5 Cost Recovery versus privatizationThe pursuit of sustainable services and water supplying schemes does not correspond to their privatization, where are local communities themselves that have the ownership, within the national legal framework, of the cost recovery systems. This basic principle is reflected in the practice of CISP in activities aimed at determining the cost of water in participatory way, stimulating and activating participatory community processes in order to establish the structures in charge of services management with staff appointed by the community itself. The definition and implementation of cost recovery system not only does not coincide with privatization, but in many ways represents the most credible alternative to it, because it can ensure over the time, even in very fragile political systems and economic, the delivery of services sustainable and no-profit.

2.2.9 Health technologiesModernization and introduction of new technologies in health services (system) have by now become central issues in international cooperation.The centrality of this question implies that it can not be addressed only in terms of the providing equipments and materials for hospitals, clinics and health centres, but in a more general perspective of contribution to the growth of the territorial health systems and integrated, able to respond to health needs of the whole population.The transfer of technologies – especially when does not undergone a strict evaluation of appropriateness - often introduces new risks, increases management costs of health systems and the polarizing of investments, contributes to increase existing inequalities between the different groups of the population in the access to health care services.It is therefore crucial ensuring the implementation of choices correct and maximum efficiency in the management of information technologies especially in contexts where financial resources for health promotion are often sacrificed in favour of painful and controversial macroeconomic adjustments.The aim of the projects of CISP is to facilitate paths to the modernization of health systems, even through new technologies, adapted to local contexts, sustainable, integrated by plans of long – term training and technical assistance, and above all consistent with health priorities and spending power of the different countries

2.3 Operational priorities and methodological in Water and Sanitation sector

2.3.1 Assumption of international quality standards and nationalProjects of CISP are inspired methodologically by some qualitative parameters identified above all in the “Sphere”8 programme. They are standards that define very concrete issues, such as chemical proprieties and bacteriological essential to recognize the potability of water, the acceptable average number of users per well depending on its technical characteristics, the desirable time needed per family for water supply.Moreover the CISP recognizes the need to readapt in each country quality standard criteria on the basis of an accurate analysis of its social context, demographic and economic. In many countries CISP has also participated in the definition of these adjustments.In any case, CISP believes strongly in the determining and implementing of parameters standard acknowledged as effective by the communities of non-governmental organizations, donors and governments. In fact, these parameters, on the whole, represent strong agreements between different actors that are interested to the same aims.In addition to the mentioned qualitative criteria, CISP projects are always consistent with national legal frameworks of the countries where they are realize, that often provide criteria to follow for cost recovery and establish the authority responsible for managing the service.

2.3.2 Integration between extending access to water and sanitationAs a general rule of CISP safe water and environmental sanitation constitute indivisible elements. Implementation of schemes is always accompanied by public hygiene campaigns and sanitation, obviously organized differently depending on the contexts.


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Emergency Medicine and maternal and child health care in Tibet (China)

Through ongoing ten years of interventions in the Autonomous Region of Tibet, CISP has carried out support operations to local health services as a whole by adopting an integrated logical.

The interventions – were initially focused almost exclusively on developing emergency medicine and first aid at a local level – over the time have included initiatives in support of maternal-child health care services.

Emergency medicine has been conceptually considered as the link between third level hospital care, prevention and basic health care, especially in the sector of mother and child health care which is one of the most lacking.

The technological improvement of hospitals was accompanied by supporting actions to services for mother and infant in rural and periphery areas, either through training of basic health operators and the provision of basic equipments to more isolated health centres, but also through health education campaigns and information for the population.

2.3.6 Taking on a gender perspective in identifying and managing projectsWater and sanitation are universal rights to the benefit of all: males, females, adults, elderly and children. However lack of these rights or their uncertainty affects more severely women’s lives. Projects cannot ignore this reality and the CISP aims always to the maximum possible involvement of women in the identification and management of projects. For instance: in many rural areas are women, in the lack of water sources close to the villages, who take charge of the supply and this often means addition of more hours of hard work to days already marked by heavy burden of work. The CISP in the identifying of the indicators measuring outcomes generally includes also the reduction, entailed by the schemes, of the burden of work for women.

2.3.7 Focus on prevention and resolution of conflictsBoth in “macro” and “micro” social contexts, water – or lack of water – has always represented a potential factor of conflict. CISP keeps constantly present this fact and exercises the utmost care so that projects in this sector serve to support peace processes and reconciliation. In concrete terms, this means as normal practice of CISP: the quest for an equitable balance in access to water resources between communities with different language and socio economic conditions ( such as sedentary or nomadic, pastoral or agricultural); activation of joint management procedures and promotion of agreements between the different communities on the same territory; active involvement in service management of key figures of the local communities. For example, when the hydro geological conditions do not permit the construction of the same numbers of wells for different ethnic groups, the CISP promotes agreements between them that provide the use to the community without wells, of that existing in neighbouring communities, at the same economic conditions. Water, like other fundamental resources, should be considered a real pre-condition for peace, especially in areas where it is at risk for the scarcity of resource.

Notes:

8 The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Sphere is based on two core beliefs: first, that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict, and second, that those affected by disaster have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to assistance. Sphere is three things: a handbook, a broad process of collaboration and an expression of commitment to quality and accountability.9 See for example, the studies referred to as “KAP - Knowledge, Attitude and Practice “ made during the implementation of water programs in Ethiopia.

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III. Right to a future: children rights, adolescents and youth. Environment development and natural resources

3.1 Short profile of CISP approach

Dealing with issues concerning children, adolescents and youth’s rights, environmental and natural resources’ development, clearly imply different approaches and methodologies. However there is a common red thread that links them all: the right to a future. Protecting and supporting children’s and adolescents’ rights to grow and develop, as well as protecting and improving the environment, involves in real terms investing in the future of a society and of the planet on a global scale. Moreover, asserting children’s, adolescents’, and youth’s rights, means above all ensuring a future for them (free from) that is not marked by marginalization and social exclusion.

Obviously, children, adolescents and youths represent groups which differentiate from each other not only biologically but also socially; however they all lack political power and are at risk of marginalization. It is in the light of this consideration that the Convention passed by the UN General Assembly on the 20th November 1989 and effective from the 2nd of September 1990, applies to all those who have not attained the age of majority.

CISP’s projects in support of these groups usually aim at the following priorities:

- Reduction of the vulnerability and the social hardships, economic and psychological of children, adolescents and young people in difficult conditions.

- Promotion of the youth’s role as the driving force to development, beginning from their access into the labour market.

- Training and networking of youth and their organizations.

The CISP’s actions have been oriented to activate the concrete measures for law enforcement in the child protection field. In practice, they have been focused on the implementation of processes that give prominence and substance to those International Conventions endorsed by Governments. If, on the one hand, the work for the ratification


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Starting from the experience of CISP in this area it is possible to deduce the general objectives, significances and values that characterize the action of our organization. Among them we can emphasize:

- The need to preserve the natural resources and ecosystems, identifying real opportunities for their exploitation in favour of local communities.

- The inclusion of the more vulnerable groups in the economic dynamics triggered by the use of environmental resources, in particular through the creation or development of protected areas.

- Strengthening community participation with the aim of identifying and mitigating factors of vulnerability, looking to an effective empowerment of local communities.

- Include risk management in any activities related to the administration of the territory.

- The strengthening of the inter-institutional coordination as the operational tool and strategic to influence the setting of public policy.

3.2 Operational priorities and methodological in asserting the rights of Children, Adolescents and Youth

3.2.1 Centrality of the cultural dimension In the phase of projects identification and planning, CISP gives special attention to the analysis of social dynamics and cultural prevailing in different contexts. The purpose of this analysis is both to identify the obstacles that should be removed for the assertion of denied rights (among which is the right to an education of girls and boys), and the key players that should be actively involved in processes that aim to change attitudes and behaviours. It is within this framework that, for example, campaigns against girl’s genital mutilation are carried out in collaboration with religious leaders and civil with recognized authority.

3.2.2 Research of concrete connections between planning projects and political changes and legislative

CISP tries to combine the implementation of specific projects with the promotion of policies in favour of children, adolescents and youth. And where laws are lacking, this kind of connection also often leads to the creation of new laws. In general, CISP’s interventions focus on strengthening the commitment of responsible institutions to protect children and thus tighten the implementation of international conventions that are too often disregarded.

of these conventions is a responsibility of the international agencies and of the UN system, then on the other, ensuring that these same conventions do not remain a dead letter but instead find concrete confirmation in reality, is the primary responsibility of non-governmental cooperation. It is within this framework, just to point out some real examples, that CISP carries out interventions in support of children and youth that are dropping school. Such intervention are also evident through the financial aid for their families, the psychosocial recovery and affirmation of dignity and rights of boys and girls victims of sexual exploitation, the awareness raising activities and training for police officers and judicial bodies to avoid that street children are treated as dangerous criminals and affirm the social value of prevention instead of the blind and ineffective repression.

CISP has identified as one of its priorities providing information and raising awareness on children rights; conscious of the fact that their actual implementation depend mainly by a concrete commitment of institutions and civil society.

The commitment of CISP on environment is inspired by a vision not purely “protectionist” of natural resources that are on the contrary identified as opportunities to be exploited for the benefit of local communities and future generations.

With this perspective, CISP has given priority to the following areas:

- Sustainable tourism.

- Risk management, disasters prevention and mitigation.

- Administration of protected areas.

- Development of productive activities based on environmental resources.

More specifically, CISP’s efforts in this sector have been characterized so far by some strength points summarized as follows:

- The Assertion of the important linkage between an increase of the local communities income opportunities and the protection and enhancement of the biodiversity and the environmental resources.

- Inclusion of the communities excluded and of other social sectors in active economic development systems through exploitation of ecosystems, with special focus on natural parks.

Falls within this sector also the experience gained by CISP in the prevention and mitigation of disasters, for which it was established an approach based on local management of risk.


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It is also of major importance to give to girls, boys, adolescents and young people, especially those living in vulnerable social conditions, the opportunity to represent themselves even by means of arts and creativity. A society open to the needs and rights of the less protected groups is also a society ready to learn from these same groups that are not seen as the passive recipients of assistance, but, on the contrary, as active protagonists in the construction of their own present and future.

3.2.8 Starting synergisms between public institutions and private sector for youth employmentWithin the framework of projects generally oriented to promote economic development and employment, CISP gives priority to implementing youth employment plans, both through identifying relevant policies, and the activation of cooperation between private enterprises, governments, and credit institutions to activate credit facilitations , vocational training and access to labour market.

3.2.9 Centrality of the awareness raising of European public opinion on the rights of children, adolescents and youth of Europe and of the world.CISP makes of the rights of children, adolescents and youth the main objectives of its awareness raising activities and education development. In particular, these activities are aimed at two main goals: one is to establish, in Europe, concrete forms of solidarity towards situations and social contexts where there is a systematic violation of those rights and where the access to education, health care and a life free from exploitation are clearly threatened. The other aims to forge dialogue channels and exchanges between Europeans countries and third world countries to define good practices in programmes and social policies for the social inclusion of children, adolescents and young people in vulnerable conditions. The denial of the rights of children, adolescents and youth is often manifest also in some European countries that can have great benefit from practical experiences already used successfully in different social contexts and cultures.

3.3 Operational priorities and methodology in exploiting the environment and natural resources

3.3.1 Tourism development and its opening to the local communities, economic exploitation of the environment The projects and actions of the CISP are designed to favour the inclusion of local communities (with particular emphasis on artisanal fishermen) in the tourist market.Actions are, in fact, oriented towards the growth and stabilization of the incomes, reduction of antropical impact on the territory, and the exploitation of natural resources and local culture. CISP also focuses on the development of rural economy through the promotion of micro enterprises that do not damage the environment.

3.2.3 Preference for integrated interventions in favour of mothers, households and communitiesIn many cases, the main obstacle to the assertion of a child’s rights is represented by the poverty in the social contexts and family in which he/she lives. In the light of these considerations, CISP’s initiatives are directed to encourage the development of income generating activities in support of families in local communities. Peculiar attention is given to the socio-economic support of mothers who have almost always the responsibility of providing protection and education for girls and boys.

3.2.4 Priority to the access to educationThe CISP gives absolute priority to education and schooling. In contexts where a large part of the population is excluded from school systems because of marginal status and poverty, CISP, with local public and private partners, promotes innovative initiatives. Among them, the establishment of territorially recognized schools for nomadic children, based on the logic that “where children are unable to go to school, it is essential that the creation of schools follow them”.

3.2.5 Fight against sexual and commercial exploitation of children and adolescentsThe CISP is fighting the commercial sexual exploitation of girls and, boys by setting up mechanisms of psycho-social protection and health, by providing education opportunities, vocational training and access to labour market. This means giving them real paths towards the freedom and escape they need.Objectives for all CISP projects include raising awareness within the community in order to achieve effective involvement of pertinent institutions. They are encouraged and urged to assume responsibility for the protection of human rights and seek punishment for those who permit and feed this kind of exploitation

3.2.6 Access to higher education For over 10 years, CISP offers access to both, higher education training programs in the field of international cooperation from European and other developing countries as well as professional training opportunities with non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and governmental institutions. This result was achieved through the management, with 2 other NGO, of the Master in Cooperation and Development at the University of Pavia that is now a study program also of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and of the Institute for Advanced Studies of Pavia (IUSS). Starting from this experience, and always in collaboration with other NGOs and the University of Pavia, CISP operates also two other International Masters programs, one in Palestine ( Bethlehem ) and the other in Colombia (Cartagena).

3.2.7 Assertion of the right to be listened to and to “self representation”The projects for the protection of children’s rights, as by CISP praxis, include the implementation of dialogue channels and interaction between these individuals and the societies in which they live. Among the rights to be defended are the rights to be heard of self-expression and to claim their own needs.


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The outcome of more than ten years of the Master Program in Cooperation and Development in Pavia

The Master in international cooperation, now operated by the Cooperation and Development School ( CDS) of the Institute for Advanced Study of Pavia (IUSS), that was launched by CISP in 1997 in collaboration with two other Italian NGOs (COOPI and VIS) and with the University of Pavia, can certainly be considered a positive experience. Here are few indicators that might give an idea of how much: to date more than 300 students have successfully graduated ; each year the number of internship offers is double compared to that of students (30-35) and this is indicative of the growing interest of external institutions to be a partner of the Master program; the number of applications remains high, despite the presence on national territory of more additional training opportunities compared to the early years; the estimated employment rate of the graduates is close to 90%; many former students of the early years have important positions in NGOs, international organizations and universities.The Master of Pavia, is open to young people from around the world, and is distinguished by some general elements summarized below.First of all the full involvement, from the outset, of three operators in the field of international cooperation, the three NGOs which have been called to sit in the “Scientific Committee”, and fully take part in the strategic planning of the didactics, selection of students and that, in short, have brought their own “culture” within the University.The second, characterizing element, relates to the organization of educational curriculum that provides a strong exchange between disciplines, methods and topics.The third important element is represented by the openness to international academic, other universities and scientific institutions, in order for benefit of a constant cultural upgrading and educational.It should be also emphasised the capacity of this Master to foster partnerships to create other similar Masters in other countries, within the framework of development cooperation agreements.In 2003 it was launched a Master Program in International Cooperation for Development (ELACID) in Cartagena Des Indias – Colombia in collaboration with the University of San Buenaventura, while in 2003 it is born the Master Program in International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) at the University of Bethlehem, Palestine.

3.3.2 Revaluation and exploitation of traditional systems of indigenous environmental management.More specifically, CISP’s interventions are aimed at the achievement of the following general results: recovery and protections of forests, reduction of degrading factors and erosions of hydrographical basins, improvement of the quality of life of indigenous communities, development of traditional medicine techniques, greater integration of indigenous communities and implementation of national constitutions with regard to the rights of ethnic minorities and native communities.

3.3.3 Formalization of local policies and approaches with regard to environmental risks management Concretely, this kind of approach has contributed to the diminishing level of vulnerability of poorer local people, the inclusion of risks management schemes in local development plans, and the strengthening and improvement of community organizational capacity in coping with natural disasters. Other objectives pursued are updating national laws, reduction of victims of natural disasters, greater participation and community cohesion, reduction in the level of social and economic vulnerability, and improvement of the territorial plans of regulation.

3.3.4 Setting up sustainable systems and effective for the waste disposalBoth in urban and rural contexts, the absence of systems environmentally sustainable waste disposal is a real threat to the health status of populations. For this reason CISP gives a clear priority to this issue. It collaborates with municipal agencies to improve their technical and organizational capacity for intervention and promotes sustainable systems of collection and disposal compatible with different contexts.

This commitment extends also to areas where are residing refugee communities, who are for their own status particularly exposed to health risks related to considerable concentration of waste in small territories.

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IV. Right to humanitarian assistance: Emergency and first reconstruction


For CISP the Humanitarian Interventions and first reconstruction are concrete tools to save lives. Among their aims there is also the task to put into practice International humanitarian laws in the wake of what was set out from the Geneva Convention of 1864, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and then the two additional Protocols of 1997 in Hague. The protection and promotion of the psychophysical integrity and dignity of individual and community, represent the values that guide CISP’s action in this field.

In general, emergency interventions and reconstruction are viewed by CISP as assistance to populations through the provision of basic necessities stuff, food, products for hygiene, clothing, and rehabilitation of basic infrastructures such as housing, sanitation, waterworks and sewerage systems, health centers.

This assistance always takes into account the fact that even in contexts of extreme emergency the main protagonists of the relief operations are the communities and local actors, which the CISP supports in their effort to limit and prevent the extension and worsening of the crisis and to start the first reconstruction

There are at least three different contexts where the CISP carries out emergency actions and reconstruction:

- In a context of extreme emergency caused by disasters and natural calamities, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, epidemics.

- Emergencies caused by mankind, in situations of war between countries, civil war or in situations of widespread violence.

- Chronic emergencies fuelled by social situations and political that persist for many years (eg emergency of Sahrawi refugees which lasts since 1975) or structural factors of social fragility and economic, that expose regularly some areas and communities at risk of famine.

The management of emergency interventions and of first reconstruction normally, for CISP, are aimed at four general purposes; to avoid further loss of lives among the people survived; to facilitate the earliest possible return to normal life; promote rehabilitation plans and reconstruction; encourage conflicts solving processes and peace.


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effectiveness avoiding duplications, dispersions and bad use of aid, preventing tensions and conflicts that may arise among the population in case of iniquitous distributions and aid supplied unequally between groups in need.For this purpose all intervention of emergency of CISP are carried out with proper coordination of other organizations and agencies involved in providing assistance: local authorities – centrals and peripherals – United Nations Agencies , non-governmental organizations, local associations.In some cases, CISP was also promoter, together with other NGOs and institutions, of specific networks for the coordinated management of interventions.

4.2.5 Staff securityIt is an issue of crucial importance, for CISP, the security of all operators (international and local) involved in projects implemented in emergency contexts. As it is well known, in such situations often there are serious risk factors for the safety of personnel, which may be arising from repetition of the natural phenomena that caused the disaster, or resumption and escalation of conflicts. In all countries where it operates, CISP provides itself with a security code that lays down the procedures and operational modalities to follow; even in this case it makes every possible effort to achieve coordination between all actors - international and local – present in the same area.

Emergency interventions and reconstruction in Lebanon after the Israeli-Lebanese conflict of July/August 2006

Thanks to more than a decade of presence in the country, the CISP has intervened in Lebanon during the tragic summer of 2006, through immediate assistance to people displaced. Immediately after the cease-fire, in affected areas, the CISP carried out environmental hygiene operations, water supply and fuel and disinfection interventions, accompanied by information campaigns and health education.

Special partner in these interventions was the Lebanese Red Cross, with which we continue to develop activities for the rehabilitation of basic infrastructure.

Also, the CISP supports the vocational training and capacity building of the Lebanese Red Cross, given the essential role it plays in providing Humanitarian and social assistance in a country chronically exposed to emergencies.

Of particular importance is, for CISP, the research of real and effective link between emergency management, rehabilitation and development promotion. This linkage is not considered by CISP just as a diachronic one, that considers the three issues in their temporal succession, but also as sync, that adopts even in emergency contexts, methodologies and strategies consistent with the purpose of development. In practice this means working to encourage a leading role of local communities from the phase of first aid and avoid the risk of an emergency management that - rather than strengthen – weakens the already worn out fabrics of society.

4.2 Operational and methodological priorities in emergency and reconstruction

4.2.1 Priority to weaker and more vulnerable groups of the populationA strategic priority is represented by centrality given to the assistance for weaker and vulnerable groups among which are children, senior citizens and others vulnerable because of their peculiar social-economic and environmental conditions. CISP recognizes that emergencies tend to aggravate pre-existing inequalities and seeks to ensure that the benefits of humanitarian assistance should be primarily given to groups of population who have greater need.

4.2.2 Support and strengthening of “social assets” and local stakeholdersOne of the criteria qualifying CISP’s interventions – especially in the promotion of a linkage between emergency, rehabilitation and development – is related to the support and strengthening of the “social assets”, that is, of the relations between groups and individuals aimed at achieving shared goals.This, in practical terms, is translated into the development of collaborative relationships between different parties operating in the same territory, such as public institutions, associations and private enterprises.Moreover, interventions of CISP are always accompanied by training operations and capacity building of local stakeholders which, with different capacities, have the responsibility to restore and ensure the continuity and sustainability of basic services.

4.2.3 Taking on a gender perspectiveIn contexts characterized by gender inequalities, the emergencies tend to worsen and heighten the barriers to access to services and resources for women. For this reason CISP assumed the gender perspective as a core point to defining humanitarian interventions. In hard facts, this means a concrete commitment in two directions: to guarantee that identification of needs takes into account with priority of the women needs; promote a leading role for women in the management of the relief and of rehabilitated services.

4.2.4 Aid coordinationThe adoption of mechanisms to organize all the parties involved and active in providing humanitarian assistance and reconstruction is essential in order to ensure efficiency and

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V. Support of public policies for social cohesion and civil society


The action of CISP in these sectors starts from the awareness that government and local communities are the foremost responsible for the development of their territories.

International cooperation may intervene in support of public policies, contributing to their improvement and their extension with respect to coverage, equity and accessibility of services provided. Often poverty and social exclusion do not occur with uniformity in a given context and are rather the result of deep inequalities between individuals and social groups. It is, in fact, obvious that even in countries considered rich according to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), among which the same European and North American, there exist serious situations of poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, it is equally evident that even in countries where macro-economic indicators highlight an overall situation of poverty, there are groups of advantaged and wealthy, which often form elites that coincide with the political class or can directly influence their policies.

From a general point of view these considerations may apply to several countries in the world, in each of the five continents. Latin America, however, with respect to an improvement at regional level of the GDP growth (5.0%), remains the region with the highest index of inequality in the world: the richest 10% of the populations holds 48% of the total wealth and the 10% poorest owns 1,6%10. No wonder, then, that social cohesion theme has been declared a priority during the Summit of Heads of State and Government of Latin America and the European Union in Guadalajara (Mexico) in 2004. This common position was then ratified in subsequent summits held in Vienna 2006 and Lima 2008. It is in light of this reality, that in the practice of CISP the explicit guidance of its projects to support public policies that contribute to the objective of stronger levels of social cohesion, is particularly relevant in this macro-region, although there are also other areas in which the action of CISP aims to reduce inequalities and promote denied human rights.It is important to be noted that, for both the CISP – and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)11 - the concept of social cohesion is not univocal. It is a concept so complex and articulated that depicts a set of pre-conditions for the success of any development strategy. Among these, the most significant are;


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CISP proposes itself as an active player in the support of an articulation of institutions in specific territories, to promote the development of processes inclusive through the establishment of local strategies for social cohesion. The projects developed by CISP are, thus, aimed at strengthening local capacity to define and implement development strategies. CISP’s commitment in strengthening levels of social cohesion, is inspired by general objectives such as:

- defending the rights, dignity and cultural identity of indigenous peoples and disadvantaged groups;

- the promotion of a community participatory in order to influence processes of social transformation;

- strengthening of participation of the community with the prospect of its empowerment in different fields;

- adopting an overall approach to development that takes into account the need to preserve natural resources and ecosystem, not merely from the protectionist viewpoint, also identifying in these resources real opportunities for the local communities;

- inclusion of the weaker groups in economic dynamics triggered by exploitation of environmental resources.

At the same time, CISP effectively supports the role of organized forces of the civil society as regard to the strategies of fight against social exclusion. In this context, becomes, for CISP, an issue of priority importance the strengthening of associations.

Association in is way of operating is internally highly differentiated and articulated. CISP’s attention is directed primarily to non-profit organizations involved in the protection of vulnerable groups. Over the past 10 years, CISP developed numerous projects specifically targeting the capacity-building of organizations and entities operating in the “private social sphere”, both in Italy and is in third countries. In some cases, CISP provides training and technical assistance to enable the organizations to improve the levels of effectiveness and efficiency of their work. In such cases, particular attention is given to capacity-building in the fields of monitoring and evaluation of the activities and services implemented in order to improve quality standards. In Italy, most of the associations the CISP works with are involved in providing services of reception and assistance to migrant populations.

In this case, CISP’s operational priorities are the strengthening of the capacities in planning and designing organizations of civil society, the strengthening of partnerships

the existence of mechanisms for dialogue and consultation between associations, communities and institutions, the existence of mechanisms accepted by all parties for mediation of conflicts , coordination inter-institutional and inter-sectorial.

Moreover, the prospect of social cohesion includes equity intra-generational and intergenerational (true dimensions of the concept of sustainable development) and social inclusion.

The difference between social inclusion and social cohesion lies in the fact that the latter includes attitudes and the behaviour of all the actors involved in society. In this sense, social cohesion may be defined as the dialectics between institutional mechanisms of social inclusion and exclusion and the reactions, perceptions and attitudes of people confronted with the way in which these operate12.

The idea of social cohesion is opposite the lack or loss of legitimacy and capacity to govern, as provided by the rules of a true participatory democracy, by the national states that fail to hinder the increase in inequalities, the rise of identities “invented” just to protect privileges of very rich territories, excessive economic rationalization, the extreme tendency to individualism (of singles and/or groups), and the total emptying of the concept of common good13. At the same time it is necessary to strengthen the accountability and active participation of citizenship, so that it can exert effective pressure on public authority for the improvement and increase of sustainable social policies, but also to promote an ethical behaviour in all private sectors of the society.

Social cohesion is a mean and an end at the same time. As an end is – or rather should be - the primary objective of public policies, insofar as they aim to make citizens of a nation aware that they are an active part of society, which contributes to progress and reaps benefits from it. At the same time, social cohesion is also a mean to develop an environment that fosters the economic growth, boosted also by new investments attracted by a climate of confidence and the existence of clear rules respected by all. Social cohesion facilitates negotiation and agreement of all concerned parties on a social contract that clearly fixes rights and duties, emphasizing the solidarity of those who have access to wealth towards the excluded and/or vulnerable groups to which such an access is barred.

For the CISP, social cohesion essentially means supporting the human rights of the most vulnerable groups and less protected, extend access to basic rights, support of governability through organization and participation of community, progressive reduction of social differences and promotion of a fair distribution of opportunities among individuals.

Beside identifying it as a crosscutting issue in several projects, CISP has initiated and promoted initiatives particularly significant and totally focused on social cohesion, also participating in international networks between governments, civil society members and supranational institutions, that have the task of defining sectoral policies – especially in the field of education – aiming at reducing inequalities and preventing the rise of phenomena of social exclusion.


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5.2.4 Community Participation The promotion of community participation is considered key to affecting the processes of social transformation. Therefore, it is not merely a methodological point, but a real strategic choice.

5.2.5 The adoption of an inclusive and diverse approach adapted to local conditions The support of the development of indigenous cultures pushes for the promotion of inclusive approaches open to cultural pluralism and respectful of diversity. The diversification of intervention strategies on the basis of the local socio-cultural characteristics is a method that the CISP seeks to systematize and develop in the medium term. It responds to the need of creating a space for development together with identities belonging to the indigenous cultures.

Moreover, in addition to be consisting with the ethical imperatives of self-determination of peoples, this approach guarantees the success of interventions, in fact countless are the cases of failure of interventions that have disregarded the specific characteristics of indigenous groups, who often live in extremely fragile natural environments.

5.3 Operating and Methodological Priorities for the strengthening of associations

5.3.1 Analysis of the role and interests represented by local associationsFor CISP, the support of associations both in Italy and abroad is not an end in itself but acquires its value and meaning from the interests, needs and realities it represents. Therefore, prior to any project, a body of analysis is carried out, focusing in the role played by the associations that will be supported in their contexts of reference. Following this, together with the associations themselves, CISP generally takes an in-depth analysis of their training needs in order to identify critical areas where actions are required.

5.3.2 Relationship between associations and democratic participationThrough its work with the associations, the CISP seeks to strengthen the participatory systems of operations and social actions within the associations themselves. More specifically, for example, CISP supports methods that encourage the participation of its members to association.

5.3.3 The focus on monitoring and evaluation as tools of strengthening the accountability and effectiveness of interventions disclosed to beneficiariesThis aspects is particularly significant because the CISP considers the citizens and local communities addressed by associations as the “primary beneficiaries” of its interventions in support of associations. Strengthening the capacity of associations to monitor and evaluate its actions make them more transparent to the public opinion and the beneficiaries of the services they provided.

networks to support the interests of beneficiaries and redeem their denied rights and the development of associations capable of providing the basic services to the population.

Through the implementation of projects falling within these categories, CISP also created and availed practical tools for the self-training of associations’ managers and operators and extended its partnership and collaboration relations to the entities representing the civil society, in Europe, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East.

5.2 Social Cohesion: operational and methodological priorities

5.2.1 Inter-institutional coordination and inter-sectorial definitionThe inter-institutional coordination is a crucial operational priority in the conduct of projects. In concrete terms, it consists of researching the complementarities between projects and governmental actions to avoid duplications, and at the same time, affect the definition of public policies.

The CISP promotes the activation of local and international networks. In Latin America, CISP has specifically taken a strategic and methodological approach not only well-suited for different contexts, but also aimed to activate the mechanisms that foster social cohesion. This goal was pursued through the involvement and coordination of the efforts of international bodies, national and local associations, in order to synchronize their actions using an inclusive approach.

The inter-sectorial articulation is essential for the set-up of comprehensive and integrated processes of development that can improve the levels of social cohesion. This way, the inter-sectorial structure, requested by a growing number of local players, becomes an intrinsic dimension of development interventions which, in some cases, can improve the impact of the actions taken.

5.2.2 Public institutions’ accountability and the enhancement of their capabilitiesThe current trend in development projects, including those of a humanitarian nature, is growing in the direction of encouraging the national government bodies and local authorities’ accountability, thereby avoiding the risk of converting civil society’s interventions in being considered as the equivalent of exempting public institutions of their responsibilities. At the same time, the exchange of experiences and analysis of best practices in various areas is enriching the wealth of knowledge necessary for the development of public policies directed to the increasing levels of social cohesion.

5.2.3 Access and RightsThe operational approach followed by CISP is designed to grant populations access to concrete human rights, including rights to housing, health, education, food, water and justice.


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Territorial Agreements: a true alliance for the community

Through the Social Cohesion project implemented in eight municipalities of Antioquia (Colombia), the CISP has set itself the objective of consolidating the roots of the displaced populations due to internal armed conflicts, through an approach that aims to generate self-sufficiency and reintegrate the populations in the socio-economic fabric in order to facilitate the processes and concrete oportunities for long-term development.With such a project, CISP intends to consolidate the communities, develop their cultural autonomy, personnel and social identity by applying the principles of participatory democracy

This is a project implemented by the community for the community, this is why it is vital to obtain their participation and coordinate their efforts with local players to generate, Territorial Agreements between beneficiaries and institutions, that allow the inclusion of community projects within the programs of public, local , national and district policies.

The Territorial Agreement is the result of a formal process that has been gradually developed with communities, local governments and institutions to resolve the different social, economic and productive problems facing the uprooted and displaced populations. The document defines the type of commitment that an institution or a person undertakes with the community, that is, it defines the line of action (housing, training, materials, etc.), the products, services or amount of contributions to an action, the responsibility of the different players. The community as all entities must sign the document to give it validity. The signing of the Territorial Agreements therefore is essential to the community to formalize the agreements and commitments on technical assistance, logistical support and material resources, agreed upon with the municipalities, public and private institutions to promote actions allowing social cohesion and local endogenous development which represents a way to promote stabilization and a sense of belonging of the inhabitants.

We consider that the alliances consolidated through the Territorial Agreements, broaden the impact of the interventions and provide important results by improving the living conditions of communities and implementing mechanisms to empower them and achieve comprehensive development actions.

5.3.4 Development of positive synergies between public and private entities operating in the social realm Civil societies, in the “North” as in the “South” possess human and cultural resources that can and should be exploited to the concrete affirmation of individual and collective rights. These resources should be recognized, supported and encouraged. Both the interventions in support of the work of migrants carried out by European associations and those in support of street children carried out by local associations in Africa and Latin American share some traits such as the recruitment of motivated and skilled personnel, low levels of bureaucracy, strong adherence to the needs of the people and lower costs compared to similar public interventions. This does not mean that the public interventions should be discouraged, but that the challenge of sustainability can also be faced through the assertion of a new and more significant role to the non-governmental organizations, alongside and with those who seek to assert their basic and indispensable rights and needs. In light of these considerations, CISP’s projects aim at strengthening the interaction between the public systems and associations.

5.3.5 Development of associations and education for developmentEducating for solidarity and raising public awareness on diversity are all functional areas of action to improve social cohesion. CISP considers education and raising awareness on development in Europe as a significant strategic priority because it identifies a concrete instrument to strengthen the consent of European communities to global strategies aimed at combating inequality and asserting the denied rights in poor countries but also in the “Northern” societies. One of the aims of the projects of awareness and education for development in Europe, is the strengthening of local associations, rooted in their areas, to foster strong bonds of partnership between their local realities and similar realities of African countries, Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe. In other words, for CISP, the education for development is also a practical tool to “build bridges” bringing culture and society closer, initiating concrete paths of mutual understanding and effective solidarity. Together with these associations, CISP seeks to disseminate the knowledge gained from programs implemented in third countries, results achieved, evidence emerging from the relationship with the society and local communities in various regions of the world. The goal is to translate the experiences gained from projects, in information, awareness, involvement, and exposure of problems faced, through public campaigns and by promoting partnerships with Italian and European associations, as well as, local institutions.


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The Territorial Agreements that were proposed in different communities were structured to include different components. The signatory parties such as SENA, the municipality, CORANTIOQUIA, and the CISP among others, committed to contribute to productive activities, housing, rehabilitation, improvement of environment and services, and activities of Community and institutional empowerment. To carry out these commitments, we have also proposed a working table, as a strategy for the inter-sectorial and inter-institutional participation that should intervene in the policies of local production development and sustainability, through the Development Plans. In this way, the community prepares and promotes new projects relevant to its endogenous development, in other words, the project gives them the tools to manage their own development plans, which is one of the main objectives and a guarantee for social cohesion and territorial consolidation of communities.

A Steering Committee was proposed to coordinate the implementation of what has been established by the agreement, to approve projects and any changes that may occur on them later, to decide whether or not to include entities or institutions in the agreement, to define the quarterly working agenda and the activities to be undertaken and to verify progress made. The committee is headed by a president democratically elected by the community, responsible for defining the agenda of meetings, to convene and chair meetings and supervise the implementation of the agreements. A representative from each one of the signatory institutions is nominated, in addition to a representative appointed by the community. The Committee seeks to approve its decisions unanimously, taking into account the views of the Community representative.

It must be underlined that the strategy of Territorial Agreements emerged from the Project on Social Cohesion and Development, but it is left to the communities as a tool that can be used for future projects to promote social development planning. By sharing the document and trough the training in community empowerment, institutions and communities should be able to implement an agreement whenever they consider it necessary.

Notes:10 Nana Corossacz ( International Dep. CGIL), “Italia - America latina e Caraibi. Lavoro, Sindacato e Solidarietà, Relazione introduttiva”, IILA – September 28, 2007. 11 ECLAC, Social Cohesion: Inclusion and sense of belonging in Latin America and the Caribbean, January 2007.12 There are a number of attempts to define this concept. One of these definitions, for example, is that coined by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) : “social cohesion is the set of positive externalities accruing from social capital, in addition to the sum of factors promoting equity in the distribution of opportunities among individuals”. Another is that developed under the program EUROsociAL: “Social cohesion is an attribute of societies that involves equal opportunities so that people can exercise their fundamental rights and ensure their welfare, without Discrimination of any kind and in response to diversity. From a individual perspective, social cohesion implies the existence of People who feel part of a community, participate active in various areas of decision and are capable of exercising active citizenship. Social cohesion also implies development of public policies and mechanisms of solidarity between individuals, groups, territories and generations” (EUROsociAL , Marco conceptual, ver 2 May 2007) . Consistent with what above said, we are not giving here, “the” definition of social cohesion, since all the definitions are necessarily limited and likely with the risk of tightening over concepts that are then translated into actual operations.13 See: “The tragedy of the commons”, Garrett Hardin, Science, 162, 1968.

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Annexes


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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CISP CONFERENCE OF 2008

Africa Algeria Eveline ChevalierEthiopia Filippo AscolaniKenya Marcella Ferracciolo Tania MiorinMalawi Roberto BarbagliNamibia Bruno VendittoNiger Thierry PolletCongo DR Corrado Quinto Valentina OtmačićSomalia & Sudan Sergio PassadoreSouth Africa Ivano Bray

Latin America & Caribbean Argentina Pasquale TotaroColombia Luigi Grando Federica Ardinghi Vittorio ChimientiCuba Paola LarghiEcuador Amparo Eguiguren Oswaldo FrancoGuatemala Melvyn Teni CuVenezuela Andrea Simancas

Asia & Middle East Lebanon Simone Abou JaoudePalestine Luisa Rueda Arturo Avendaño

Europe Bosnia&Herzegovina Jasmina Ovičina Almir Mazalović Italy Yasmin Ahmed Daniela Alberti Fabrizio Bruschi Valeria Costa Sandro De Luca Silvia Declich Paolo Dieci Gianluca Falcitelli Giordana Francia

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CISP CONFERENCE OF 2007

Africa Ethiopia Filippo AscolaniKenya/Somalia Sergio PassadoreMalawi Valeria CostaNamibia Bruno VendittoCongo DR Corrado Quinto South Africa Ivano Bray

Latin America & Caribbean Colombia Vittorio Chimienti Germán GallegoCuba Paola LarghiEcuador Amparo Eguiguren Guatemala Melvyn Teni Cu

Asia & Middle East Lebanon Chiara SartorisPalestine Luisa Rueda

EuropeBosnia&Herzegovina Jasmina Ovičina Italy Yasmin Ahmed Daniela Alberti Fabrizio Bruschi Sandro De Luca Silvia Declich Paolo Dieci Gianluca Falcitelli Giordana Francia Paola Latini Leonardo Maesano Giulia Olmi Vittorio Panizza Daniela Pierandozzi Ornella Polato Deborah Rezzoagli Abdurahman Sharif Redona Spahiu Riccardo Stefanori Carlo Tassara Maura Viezzoli


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Italy Claudia Gatti Paola Latini Leonardo Maesano Francesco Mazzone Giulia Olmi Vittorio Panizza Daniela Pierandozzi Ornella Polato Deborah Rezzoagli Redona Spahiu Riccardo Stefanori Carlo Tassara Arianna Toselli Maria Alessandra Verrienti Maura Viezzoli


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Code of Conduct for International Cooperation ProgrammesEndorsed on the 07.04.1997

CISP applies a Code of Conduct consistent with its strategic and methodological guide-lines when formulating and implementing its humanitarian, rehabilitation or development cooperation projects. The Code of Conduct enhances the work of the managerial staff and of all those who, in Italy and abroad, identify, implement and monitor the projects.

1. Projects must be designed to meet the real needs of the people and be defined in accordance with the economic, social, and cultural characteristics of the different contexts. This means always ensuring that projects are implemented in respect of local cultures.

2. Cooperation intends to enhance local technical, professional and material resources. This means, for example, that the functions assigned to expatriate personnel must not mortify or marginalize the role and contributions of local personnel, which, on the contrary, must be promoted and supported. Within this context, the promotion of South-South regional cooperation actions is crucial.

3. Activities undertaken in third countries tend to strengthen, improve and, if necessary, modify national development plans, that, in any case, must be taken into account when cooperation activities are planned. As a matter of fact, cooperation cannot substitute or replace the role of local planning authorities and agencies. On the contrary, only by acting in total respect for the role of these authorities and by a continuous dialogue with them, cooperation can have the authority and the status required to negotiate, whenever necessary, the introduction of corrective measures into local policies and plans.

4. In order to guarantee a high effectiveness of the projects implemented, attention must be paid to their identification, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Beneficiaries must be involved in the different phases of such activities and be informed on their results.

5. Professionalism is a fundamental ethical principle which characterize the relationship existing between CISP, the countries and the communities with which it works. It is also a precondition for the establishment of sound and effective relationships based on mutual respect and cooperation.


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6. Always in respect of the principle of non-interference in the political and religious life of third countries, CISP considers it appropriate the promotion of the role played by institutions and organizations, which actually contribute to development and democratisation processes, also through the implementation of specific and operational collaborations. In this regard, CISP gives particular importance to the enhancement of the role of the associations of women, small producers and other marginal individuals and groups (refugees, indigenous communities, ethnic minorities, etc.).

7. In order to guarantee transparency, governments, partners and local communities must all be fully informed on funding sources that make it possible the implementation of projects.

8. Projects must be managed in order to ensure economic, social and institutional sustainability and guarantee long-term benefits. At the same time, financial resources must be used appropriately in order to guarantee the achievement of benefits for local populations.

9. Coordination between international cooperation agencies and organizations and the institutions in the recipient countries is an important means of ensuring greater effectiveness to the work and the policies implemented. At this regard, CISP is willing at all times to disseminate information on its activities.

10. With regard to humanitarian activities aimed at overcoming complex emergency situations, CISP acts in accordance with the Code of Conduct elaborated by the International Committee of the Red Cross which affirms, among others, the following principles: the universal right to humanitarian assistance without any restriction due to ideology, religion, race, sex or other considerations; the political and operational independence while implementing relief actions in order to avoid any possible support of one of the opposing factions, especially in situations of conflict; respect for the rights of the individual, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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