The current international debate over patient rights to essential drugs versus intellectual property rights is inescapable. Across fields such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and biotechnology, southern hemisphere countries appear to be finding it increasingly difficult to afford and benefit from technologies and ideas produced by big…

Considerable resources have been spent to rescue a few countries from crises caused by dramatic shifts in financial inflows and outflows. Measures should be sought to render the institutions and mechanisms of international financial transactions more transparent, accountable, and supportive of the delicate balance between short-term stability and…

This newsletter discusses development projects in developing nations, including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Peru. The following major articles are included: (1) "Radio Santa Maria: A Case Study of Participatory Evaluation" (John K. Mayo, Charles B. Green, and Miguel E. Vargas); (2) "Instruction by Audio Conference: An…

This journal special issue contains the following articles on the role of information and communications Technology (ICT) in development in the countries of the South: (1) "Digitally Empowered Development" (Allen L. Hammond); (2) "Global E-Commerce Policies Seen from the South" (Somkiat Tangkitvanich); (3) "Building…

Noting the failure of large, centralized production systems in developing countries, this journal issue describes the functions, types, and strategies of micro-enterprises in the modernization process of developing countries, especially in Africa. The journal analyzes the characteristics and failures of micro-enterprises and informal industries,…

This publication describes the formation and evolution of rural agribusiness (RA) in the southern hemisphere as a precondition for improving the lives of families in rural communities, and focuses on RA endeavors created by development projects in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. After a short introduction, the first section of this study…

A variety of topics related to innovative uses of media in international development are addressed in this newsletter, which includes the following articles: "The Radio Mathematics Project: New Examples of Technology Transfer," by Klaus Galda; "An Overview and Guide: Planning Instructional Radio," by Maurice Imhoof;…

A summary and an analysis of the findings of the Land Resources for Populations of the Future project are provided in this report. The project, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization, studied the food production capabilities of 117 developing countries to determine how many people they could support at different levels of farming and…

Four chapters report studies on the family and describe activities of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations system. Discussed in chapter I are United Nations declarations, resolutions, and plans of action regarding the concept of the family; activities of United Nations bodies; activities of the Food and…

The application of lessons gained from rural experience with development communications to the problems of delivering social services to the poorer segments of the urban areas is described in a report on the squatter upgrading project in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. A Project Support Communications Unit established to provide communication…

Unprecedented population growth and mounting fiscal austerity in Africa is causing a decline in the significant increases in educational progress, especially as measured by the median literacy rate, which were made between 1962 and 1985. Planning and implementation of educational programs carefully designed to effect economic growth is one path…

Included in this issue of UNICEF News are several brief articles focusing on the theme of appropriate technology. Topics discussed include (1) the improvement of family life through the scientific application of appropriate technology; (2) UNICEF and the household fuels crisis; (3) the workload of African women; (4) ways energy, food, health, and…

Sub-Saharan Africa faces a historic challenge: to achieve economic and social progress while experiencing extraordinary population growth. With an estimated 1989 population of 512 million, the 42 countries of sub-Saharan Africa have the highest birth and death rates of any major world region. Throughout the region, population has outstripped…

This journal issue is devoted to the many problems faced by children with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) who live in both developing and developed countries. Section 1 provides general information on the pandemic, defining AIDS and exploring the social aspects of the disease. It also addresses child health, child mortality, moral and…

This newsletter begins with an interview with Dr. Nora Quebral, Chairman of the Department of Communication at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, who discussed the past, present, and future of development communication with staff members John Middleton and Heddy Reid. In "The Future of Computers in Education in the Developing…