Development Cooperation Handbook/Introduction

This is:

• a reference book for social communicators on the scopes and challenges of development cooperation;
• an instruction manual for development workers on managing the design, implementation and evaluation of development cooperation projects.

This handbook organizes, for easier consultation, the knowledge resources and tools developed and shared by development cooperation actors participating to theVrinda Project.
 

The Vrinda Project

We have collected stories, experiences and resources

"Vrinda" (वृन्दा) in Sanskrit derives from the root "choice" and signifies the "harmony resulting from the choice of working together for the same objective". TheVrinda Project is a cooperative environment where development actors share their views and their knowledge because they believe that justice and peace result from mutual trust and reciprocal empowerment.

This wikibook is one of the project outputs, along with the web channel and other communication products that are being developed in cooperation with the wikibooks community. The Vrinda Project itself is a continuation of the project Eugad, "European Citizens working for the Global Development Agenda", that received financial support from EuropeAid and was completed in March 2011.

The Kautilya Society, is the Non Governmental Organization, that is leading the Vrinda Project (⇒ Kautilya Society for Intercultural Dialogue). All contributions in line with the Wikimedia founding principles are welcome.

Development Cooperation and knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing is an activity through which information, skills and expertise are exchanged among people, or members of a community or an organization. Development actors have recognized that knowledge constitutes an essential resource for development and that knowledge sharing is an essential for networking and advocacy. However information sharing constitutes a major challenge because many organizations consider their specialized know-how as a strategic asset and want to maintain their competitive advantage on others that compete in fund raising. This handbook, along with the linked audiovisual media, is:

• a testimony of the beauty and the power of knowledge sharing,
• an action of contrast to the ideologies of civilization clashes,
• a meeting ground for different experiences of social responsibility,
• a workshop for renewal of faith, hope and commitment.

The partners who help in collecting and distributing the resources of this handbook share a sense of "world citizenship", a positive-sum-game approach to inter-community relationships and a vision of the "Earth as a Common Home".
 

For those who accept this invitation: welcome on board!

 

Feedbacks

Please send an e-mail message if you'd like to provide feedback, criticism, correction, suggestions etc. regarding this wikibook or share any resource and tool that can be linked to it