1. Security Sector Reform and Good Governance in Developing Countries Nicole Ball's presentation at Tulane's Institute for International Development
   
   
2. Resources for Conflict Vulnerability Assessment in Africa
   An extensive listing of initiatives that produce data or reports related to conflict early warning and vulnerability is now available! Included are brief descriptions and website addresses/email addresses.
   
   
3. 'In August this year World Vision conducted an assessment of local problems resulting from HIV among a population in Northern Zambia. The assessment used The Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP) developed by CERTI and previously field-tested in Uganda. Prior to the assessment World Vision had wanted to focus on improving the health of HIV orphans, believing that a health approach was most needed. However, WV staff agreed to use the much less focussed RAP that aims to see problems in their local context. Results of RAP interviews with local people revealed that lack of income was the biggest health problem facing the community, including the orphans. Not only that, but local people considered it to be a major cause of HIV because those young girls without income sell themselves and contract the disease. Since the girls most likely to have no income were HIV orphans, the data suggested that lack of income was both a major cause and effect of HIV, particularly among this target group. The RAP included facilitating community planning of interventions to address lack of income. These plans will be presented to World Vision international for approval; an approach very different to what was expected before the RAP was implemented. This is exactly the kind of deeper insight into problems that the RAP was designed to produce.'

Partner Updates:

JHU - CERTI UPDATE