Operationalising participatory research and farmer-to-farmer extension: the Kamayoq in Peru

While rural poverty is endemic in the Andean region, structural adjustment programmes have led to a dismemberment of agricultural research and extension services so that they are unable to serve the needs of smallholder farmers. The NGO Practical Action has been working in the Andes to address farmers' veterinary and agriculture needs. The work has included the training of farmer-to-farmer extension agents, known locally as Kamayoq. The Kamayoq have encouraged farmer participatory research, and local farmers pay them for their veterinary and crop advisory services in cash or in kind. The Kamayoq model is largely an unsubsidised approach to the provision of appropriate technical services and encouragement of farmer participation. The model also illustrates that, in the context of encouraging farmer participation and innovation, NGOs have advantages over research organisations because of their long-term presence, ability to establish trust with local farmers, and their emphasis on social and community processes.     

Operationalising participatory research and gender analysis: new research and assessment approaches

Participatory research approaches are increasingly popular with scientists working for poverty alleviation, sustainable rural development, and social change. This introduction offers an overview of the special issue of Development in Practice on the theme of ‘operationalising participatory research and gender analysis’. The purpose of this special issue is to add value to the discussion of methodological, practical, philosophical, political, and institutional issues involved in using gender-sensitive participatory methods. Drawing on 16 articles, we place some of the main issues, empirical experiences, and debates in participatory research and participatory technology development in the context of implementation, evaluation, and institutionalisation of participatory research and evaluation approaches.     

建设马克思主义学习型政党研究综述

党的十七届四中全会以来,学术界关于建设马克思主义学习型政党的研究,主要集中在对马克思主义学习型政党的科学内涵、时代意义、基本特征、基本经验、实现路径等方面展开论述,对这几个方面的研究成果进行梳理和总结,可以为建设马克思主义学习型政党的理论研究和具体实践提供参考。     

在世博安保工作中深化“问计于民、求策于民”将惠民思想贯穿于公安工作始终

在社会治安压力增大、社会矛盾凸显、社会维稳形势错综复杂、公安工作任务艰巨繁重的形势下,基层公安机关必须迅速转变工作理念和方法,学会"有困难找群众",学会"问计于民、求策于民"。面对当前存在的"群众难发动"、"时间难保证"、"合作难开展"的"三难"现象,要对"问计于民、求策于民"的渠道和方法加强调研,采取在宣传发动群众上走"专业化"之路、在落实具体工作上走"专项化"之路、在寻求社会合作上走"机制化"之路的警民合作方法,有力推动警民沟通,加强警社合作,大力夯实公安基层基础工作,促进公安工作的长远可持续发展。     

论以科学发展观指导高校学生党支部建设

加强和改进高校学生党支部建设，对夯实党的基层组织，培养社会主义事业的建设者和接班人，做好大学生思想政治工作等具有重要意义。深入贯彻落实科学发展观，加强和改进高校学生党支部建设的新内涵．以改革创新精神推进高校学生党支部建设。     

What could Development Studies be?

Over the past 10–15 years there has been an expansion of interest in the subject of Development Studies (DS). There are now significantly more taught courses focused on DS, and research funds are booming. However, over the same period, DS has faced sustained critiques about its essential nature. This has led us to ask: what is Development Studies? And what could or should it be?     

学习实践科学发展观需要破除六个认识误区

以人为本,全面、协调、可持续发展的科学发展观,是以胡锦涛为总书记的党中央从党和国家事业发展全局出发提出的重大战略思想。在全面理解和正确把握科学发展观的丰富内涵和精神实质方面,有些同志还存在一些认识上、思想上或观念上的误区。认真分析并摒弃这些误区,对于深入学习实践科学发展观具有重大的理论和实践意义。     

Horizontal mergers and efficiencies; theory and anti trust practice

Horizontal mergers can be challenged by anti trust authorities under both the US and EU Horizontal Merger Guidelines. More horizontal mergers are unconditionally approved in the US than in the EU. EU merger policy toughened after 1998 but became more in line with US practices after 2004. Differences in merger policies between the US and the EU can be explained by a greater scope of the efficiency argument in the US. The paper argues that firms only want to merge in oligopoly, if they expect to realize substantial merger specific efficiency gains, which counterbalances the price increasing effect of merger.      

新农村建设中的社会和谐问题研究(下)

新农村建设必须以科学发展观为指针,建立和完善政府的服务、管理和科学决策体制;以提升农民的生活质量为出发点,构建农村物质和精神文明体系;建立城乡之间的和谐共荣,消除制度上的不平等和贫富差距,从根本上实现城乡之间的心理和情感和谐;以教育为中心,加强人的建设,着重提升农民的文明程度,实现两个和谐。     

经济结构调整科学化的若干思考——兼谈结构调整效果的有限性

调整经济结构的关键在于推进调控体系的科学化,主要包括对调控理念、调控目标、调控手段以及调控体系等方面的优化与调整。在追求调控体系科学化的同时,也必须承认调控效果有限性的客观存在。应在增强科学性的同时,最大限度地控制有限性因素,以实现调控效果的不断提升,进而最终实现中国经济结构的优化。