New link posted on: January 17, 2010

The LearningForSustainability website -  - is a resource for government, natural resource management and development agency staff, NGOs and other community leaders working to support multi-stakeholder learning processes to guide sustainable development activities. This guide to on-line resources highlights a number of topic areas that are relevant to social learning. These include topics such as capacity building, networking, dialogue and evaluation. A short introduction to each section outlines the nature of the resource links provided, and provides pointers to other topic areas which are closely related in use. A separate section links to key manuals and guides on the Internet for facilitating participation and engagement.

Both ANDS supports the work of environmental organisations, primarily in the so-called South (developing countries) and the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. We support organisations through information, research, advocacy, campaigning, networking and capacity-building.

FAO Working Group on Participatory Approaches The IWG-PA (Informal Working Group on Participatory Approaches and Methods to Support Sustainable Livelihoods & Food Security) fosters horizontal, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration, sharing and learning within the Organization and with external partners, focusing on the nexus where participation, sustainable livelihoods and food security come together.

The Participation Toolkit website contains case studies, analyses, and articles on local democracy and how to involve citizens in governance. Users can learn from worldwide experiences, successes and failures, and apply the lessons learned to their own environment.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Programme of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) PLA Notes, a methods-focused regular series which provides a forum for sharing experiences for practitioners of participatory methodologies. Practitioners from non-OCED countries can subscribe for free. Their web site contains information on research activities and programme publications.

Resource Center for Participatory Learning and Action Network (RCPLA) initiative brings together a number of organizations based in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe committed to information sharing and networking within the framework of participatory methodologies and approaches.

The goal of the IIED Resource Center is to collect and make accessible existing and new information on participatory approaches. IIED has gathered a vast amount of authoritative information in these areas and initiated a global network of partner Resource Centers to help supply reliable information and training support to Southern organizations and meet the growing demand in both non-OECD and OECD countries.

The IDS Participation Group is based at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK. Together with their partners worldwide, the group supports participatory approaches to development. Their major focus is in supporting South-South sharing workshops, exchange visits and information exchange between practitioners, local people, government workers, NGO and donor staff. The Participation Group also convenes action research projects, disseminates writing, provides training and catalyses and supports participation networks around the world.

The Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) produces and sells publications on participatory development through its website and its London-based book store.

The IDS Informal Global Network provides details of networks and participation practitioners throughout the world.

The Global Participation Network provides an opportunity for development practitioners around the world to exchange information, share ideas, and discuss issues related to participatory development.

International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction is a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of the rural poor in developing countries through rural reconstruction: a sustainable, integrated and people-centered development strategy generated through practical field experiences.

Action Research - Queens University This site includes a range of materials from Action Research activities in the Faculty of Education at Queen's University. RESOURCES available here at Queen's are followed by LINKS to other Action Research sites that provide additional perspectives and resources.

Participatory Initiatives functions as a network of support for people interested in participatory decision-making, group facilitation and participatory community development in general.

PARnet is the Participative Action Research Network at Cornell University. One of the key action research sites in North America, it offers a number of valuable resources and links to other sites.

Through the work of the Participation Group, the Institute of Development Studies serves as a global center for research, innovation and learning in citizen participation and participatory approaches to development.

The Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) aims to encourage and support action research projects of varying scope (personal, local, national and international), accessible accounts of action research projects, and contributions to the theory and methodology of action research.

Participation Group in the Social Development Department of the World Bank promotes methods and approaches that encourage the involvement of various stakeholders, especially the poor, in development initiatives that affect them.

Action Research On Web (AROW) includes on-line learning resources; courses in action research and action inquiry for professional development and graduate course credit; Action Research e-Reports; project support and collaboration.

The Landscape Values Institute is a non-profit consortium of international researchers and planners interested in advancing knowledge about landscape values to improve land allocation and management. Landscape value and special place mapping is a planning technique whose principles are grounded in sustainable land use and environmental protection, meaningful public participation, and the inclusion of multiple values in land use decision making. Landscape value and special place mapping is a type of public participation geographic information system or (PPGIS) used to support land use planning efforts at multiple scales ranging from local, to regional, to national scales

PPgis.net - Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and Technologies. PPgis.net serves as a global avenue for discussing issues, sharing experiences and good practices related to community mapping, participatory mapping, counter mapping, Public Participation GIS (PPGIS), Community Integrated (CiGIS), Mobile Interactive (MiGIS) and other geo-spatial information technologies and systems used to support integrated conservation and development, sustainable natural resource management and customary property rights in developing countries and First Nations. Members of the network are able to share information and lessons learned and post questions, resource documents and announcements which are relevant to the practice.

Participatory GIS (PGIS) initiatives run by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are listed and described on this site.

The Society for Conservation GIS The Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) is a non-profit organization that builds community, provides knowledge, and supports individuals using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and science for the conservation of natural resources and cultural heritage.

Uma Bawang Residents' Association (UBRA): Mapping the land to safeguard traditional rights in Malaysia.

Native Lands works to protect biological and cultural diversity in Latin America, with a focus on Central America and southern Mexico. It assists indigenous peoples to develop and carry out their agendas for the preservation of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. It has programs in participatory and regional mapping and in the organization of conferences, workshops, and technical exchanges.

The Philippine Association for Inter-Cultural Development (PAFID) uses Participatory 3-D Modeling, GPS and GIS applications to support Indigenous Cultural Communities throughout the Philippines in claiming for their rights over ancestral domains.

The Aboriginal Mapping Network is a collection of resource pages for First Nation mappers who are looking for answers to common questions regarding mapping, information management and GIS. It is a network where First Nation mappers can learn about what other native mappers are doing, and share their own experiences throughout the aboriginal community.

Participatory Avenues <http://www.iapad.org> promotes the diffusion of Participatory 3D Modeling (P3DM) as best practice for merging people's knowledge and traditional spatial information. The web supports the culture of knowledge dissemination and acts as focal point for sharing information and technical progress on community-based mapping and Public Participation GIS (PPGIS). P3DM has a wide range of applications ranging from collaborative research and planning for natural resource management, to dealing with conflict resolution and resource tenure.

Innovative Resources Management Inc. (IRM) uses participatory mapping as one element of an integrated approach to decentralized natural resources management.

Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) is a Philippine-based research and mapping institute established in 1997 with the primary purpose of engaging in national and regional research with the intention of contributing to an understanding and sustainability of the environment through developing a science for social change. The ESSC-Visayas (ESSC Regional Office for the Visayas region) focuses on the assessment of Community-Based Forest Management Implementation by people's organizations, and the facilitation of complementing dialogs among the watershed stakeholders for sustainable management. It is also engaged in community resource mapping and accounting (CRMA) in the Maasin watershed in Iloilo and Caruod watershed in Bohol province.

The International Land Coalition is a global alliance of intergovernmental, governmental and civil-society organizations. The Coalition works together with the rural poor to increase their secure access to natural resources, especially land, and to enable them to participate directly in policy and decision-making processes that affect their livelihoods at local, national, regional and international levels. Many thanks

 “Earth Talk" Environmental Sustainability Discussion Community:  A new and innovative environmental advocacy discussion community and learning network which seeks to contribute to global ecological sustainability by enabling communication connections between those working on behalf of forests, water and climate.

Agroforestry Net is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational resources about agroforestry, trees, and sustainable stewardship of land and water resources. The website includes a wide variety of free agroforestry publications including the popular "Agroforester's Library" and "Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands".

The Overstory is a free e-mail agroforestry journal for practitioners, researchers, professionals, and enthusiasts with subscribers in 172 countries. One issue is sent every two weeks focusing on a concept related to designing, developing, and learning more about agroforestry systems.

The Working Group on Collaborative Management of Natural Resources (CMWG) promotes and supports field-based co-management initiatives, draws lessons and methods from experience, supports the development of CM policies and advocates the inclusion of the principles and practices of collaborative management, as relevant, in the programmes and structures of IUCN and other organizations.

The Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) is the official Capacity Building Organization of the Indo-German Watershed Development Program (IGWDP). It undertakes developmental activities in resource-fragile rainfed areas through capacity building of village groups and NGOs for participatory watershed development, self-help promotion, direct implementation of watershed projects and others.

The Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) contributes to the IUCN mission by providing expertise on the crucial economic, social and cultural factors affecting natural resources and biological diversity, and provides guidance and support towards effective policies and practices in environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Forest, Trees and People Programme (FTPP) is an initiative run jointly by the research Information Center of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences  and the FAO Community Forestry Unit and the . The network is designed to share information about improved methods of planning and strengthening community-based forestry with particular emphasis on participatory methodologies. It published a quarterly newsletter in English, French and Spanish.

People and Plants Initiative carries out applied research projects, community workshops, exchanges and training courses with young ethno-botanists from developing countries who are interested in conservation and community development and produces videos and publications, including methods manuals, working papers and the People and Plants Handbook. It is supported by WWF International, UNESCO and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The FAO Forestry Web site offers user-friendly access to constantly updated information on key policy and technical aspects of sustainable forest management.

Earthscan is a leading publisher of books on environment and sustainable development. Its aim is to increase understanding of environmental issues and their implications at all levels, from the local to the global, and to influence opinion and policy in ways that promote sustainable forms of development.

The main objective of the Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RCOFTC) is to organize, provide, facilitate and support training for community forestry initiatives throughout the Asia-Pacific Region. RECOFTC undertakes and facilitates relevant research, technical assistance, exchange of information, workshops and seminars.

ILEIA long-term objective is to develop Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) and promote its adoption by collecting and exchanging information, facilitating farmer-guided research to assess the viability of LEISA production systems and by contributing to the political debate on sustainable agriculture.

Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions SRISTI is a non-governmental organization setup to strengthen the creativity of grassroots inventors, innovators and ecopreneurs engaged in conserving biodiversity and developing eco-friendly solutions to local problems. 

The Protected Areas Geographic Information System (PAGIS) project is designed to build geographic information system (GIS), spatial data management, and Internet capabilities at all National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) and National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS). This is a joint NOS project with the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management's National Marine Sanctuary Division and National Estuarine Research Reserve Division, the Special Projects Office, and the Coastal Services Center.

Nature-GIS A European thematic network for Protected Areas/Nature Preservation and Geographical Information.

The International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP) at the University of Indiana, encourages the exchange of knowledge among diverse disciplines, areas and resource types to foster mutual exchange of scholarship and practical experience concerning (land) property rights. The site includes a comprehensive database of research papers.

 The Digital Library of the Commons (DLC) maintained by the University of Indiana, is a gateway to the international literature on the commons, or the world’s collective resources such as land and water. The DLC website contains an archive of conference papers, dissertations, working papers and reports.

 The eight country region of the Amazon contains the greatest concentration of biodiversity anywhere on Earth, and conserving its resources while accommodating sustainable development has become one of the great conservation challenges of the 21st Century. Using the tools of GIS and the internet, Amazon GIS aims to influence conservation decision-making and promote effective strategies towards sustainable development.

 The African Conservation Foundation supports the Conservation of Africa's Flora & Fauna "From lions to groundshrews, giraffes to warthogs, leopards to meerkats and from savannas to tropical forests, the African Conservation Foundation helps to conserve and protect the indigenous species and habitats of this continent. As a network and support organization, ACF assists conservation projects by providing training, equipment, research and communication technologies, as well as other urgently required resources for wildlife research, education and conservation.

Indigenouswater presents the viewpoints of indigenous peoples on the subject of water and water resources development. The purpose of this website is to promote better understanding of indigenous perspectives on water and development among non-indigenous water professionals, and to enhance dialogue between indigenous political and spiritual leaders on one hand, and the agents of water resources development on the other.

Terralingua supports the integrated protection, maintenance and restoration of the world's biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity –– known as biocultural diversity –– by creating innovative tools to analyze the links between these diversities and demonstrate their global significance.

Cultural Heritage, a search engine about the conservation of cultural heritage, restoration and maintenance of the architecture, preservation of the urban landscape

The Borneo Project was created in 1991 to assist Borneo's indigenous peoples in their struggle to regain control of their ancestral lands. Since 1995, The Borneo Project has trained 25 indigenous mapping instructors who have in turn helped more than 60 villages map their traditional lands. Mapping is the first phase of an ongoing project to preserve large tracts of aboriginal homelands in the rainforest of Sarawak.

Native Lands works to protect biological and cultural diversity in Latin America, with a focus on Central America and southern Mexico. It assists indigenous peoples to develop and carry out their agendas for the preservation of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. It has programs in participatory and regional mapping and in the organization of conferences, workshops, and technical exchanges.

Environmental Sustainability Portal - a portal dedicated exclusively to global environmental sustainability offers a large collection of environmental links and latest environmental news stories updated daily.

The Participatory Management Networking Service (PMNS) is a joint service of IUCN, the Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) and WWF. The web integrates information on participatory management of natural resources, including community-based management, collaborative management and Indigenous Peoples management. The web collates and disseminates information to support the implementation and assessment of participatory management of natural resources.

The mission of the Biodiversity Support Program (BSP)  is to promote conservation of the world's biological diversity, believing that a healthy and secure living resource base is essential to meeting the needs and aspirations of future generations. BSP carries out its mission by supporting projects that combine conservation with social and economic development, research and analysis of conservation approaches, and information exchange and outreach.

UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC) provides information services on conservation and sustainable use of the world's living resources, and helps others to develop information systems of their own.

World heritage Information Network (WHIN): a clearing-house for information about the natural and cultural sites identified as being of "outstanding universal value" and inscribed on the World Heritage List by the Intergovernmental World Heritage Committee. This list is established as part of the international implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) objective is to gives people an alternative to destructive uses of the land by making wildlife a valuable resource. Wildlife, in fact, is the most economically and ecologically sound land use in much of Zimbabwe. Through CAMPFIRE, Zimbabwe seeks to involve rural communities in conservation and development by returning to them the stewardship of their natural resources, harmonizing the needs of rural people with those of ecosystems.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)  directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: protecting endangered spaces, saving endangered species, and addressing global threats. From working to save the giant panda, tiger, and rhino to helping establish and manage parks and reserves worldwide, WWF has been a conservation leader for more than 39 years.

The Indigenous Knowledge Programme (IKP) of which UNDP is a founding member, is in the process of establishing two separate small-grant facilities that will fund proposals originating from indigenous peoples' nations and communities in the areas of research on preserving indigenous knowledge and traditional resource rights, and indigenous peoples' community development.

The Indigenous Knowledge Pages, made available by the Center for International Research and Advisory Networks CIRAN contain information on indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) found on the Internet.

The World Conservation Union mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. IUCN is the world's largest environmental knowledge network. Within the framework of global conventions IUCN has promoted sustainability and helped over 50 countries to prepare and implement National Conservation Strategies.

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity's objectives are "the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources." The Convention is thus the first global, comprehensive agreement to address all aspects of biological diversity: genetic resources, species, and ecosystems. It recognizes - for the first time - that the conservation of biological diversity is "a common concern of humankind" and an integral part of the development process. To achieve its objectives, the Convention - in accordance with the spirit of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development - promotes a renewed partnership among countries. Its provisions on scientific and technical cooperation, access to genetic resources, and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies form the foundations of this partnership.

The Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Information Network (IBIN) is a mechanism to exchange information about experiences and projects and to increase collaboration among indigenous groups working on common causes related to biodiversity use and conservation.

GIS for Development (GIS4D) bookstore. Carefully selected literature on Participatory GIS (PGIS) and Public Participation GIS (PPGIS)

PPgis.net - Open Forum on Participatory Geographic Information Systems and Technologies. PPgis.net serves as a global avenue for discussing issues, sharing experiences and good practices related to community mapping, participatory mapping, counter mapping, Public Participation GIS (PPGIS), Community Integrated (CiGIS), Mobile Interactive (MiGIS) and other geo-spatial information technologies and systems used to support integrated conservation and development, sustainable natural resource management and customary property rights in developing countries and First Nations. Members of the network are able to share information and lessons learned and post questions, resource documents and announcements which are relevant to the practice.

Native Geographies covers the historical and contemporary relationships of American Indians to place, including land use and environmental issues, indigenous mapping techniques, sacred sites, territorial nationhood, and legal rights to ceded and sovereign lands. Native Geographies focuses on place and territorial identity in the historical and contemporary life of North American Indians and as a result, provides insight regarding other indigenous (Native) peoples around the world. Native Geographies GIS & Countermapping Links

The East-West Center was established by the United States Congress in 1960 “to promote better relations and understanding between the United States and the nations of Asia and the Pacific through cooperative study, training and research." A comprehensive list of references on the use of spatial information in the context of biodiversity and cultural conservation is found on the subweb of the "Spatial Information Technology and Society: Ethics, Values, and Practice" a project handled by Jefferson Fox, Peter Hershock, and Krisnawati Suryanata.

GIS Development is a publishing group in the field of geographic information sciences. Its aim is to propagate the importance of Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS in the field of development, planning and management. It integrates the activities pertaining to the field of GIS, GPS and Remote Sensing all over the world with a special focus on Asian countries. It covers not only the technological know-how associated with Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS but also deals with the application of the technologies in different fields of development planning. It endeavors to update the readers about the recent happenings through collection of rare information.

The School of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geography, Victoria University of Wellington maintains a web site focusing on Mobile Interactive Geographical Information System (MIGIS) an approach to community based planning which uses GIS in conjunction with, and fully informed by, Participatory Rural Appraisal. MIGIS relies on community support and muted expert facilitation. It is designed to bring the best of indigenous knowledge and scientific information together to provide common ground on which farmers, government administrators, and planners can optimize their understanding of each other and work as a team to plan for a better future.

The CGIAR Consortium for Spatial Information is a global network of research laboratories, using GIS technologies for land use management, sustainable agriculture and poverty alleviation.

GISDECO is an international network of GIS experts, planners and project managers engaged in GIS applications in developing countries. GISDECO focuses on the exchange of practical experiences with GIS-applications by organizing seminars and workshops in various countries.

The Communication Initiative  A partnership of development organizations seeking to support advances in the effectiveness and scale of communication interventions for positive international development. The CI strategy includes providing real-time information on communication and development experiences and thinking, facilitating horizontal linkages between people engaged in communication action. Among other activities, the CI produces a website that summarizes more than 17,000 links on communication and development. It also produces a weekly electronic magazine as well as discussion forums and listings of events and vacancies.

Participatory Development Forum promotes a philosophy of participation that advocates for people's capacity and right to define and control their own development, in order to achieve social justice and equality. The Participatory Development (PD) Forum is an international network of several hundred development practitioners, non-governmental organizations, academics/action researchers, private sector representatives, and policy makers interested in advancing reflection and practice in the area of participatory development.

Eldis is a gateway to on-line information on development and the environment, focusing on countries of the South. It provides an ever increasing number of descriptions and links to a variety of information sources, including web sites sites, databases, library catalogues, bibliographies, full-text documents, email discussion lists, research project information, map and newspaper collections.

The IDS Participation Group at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK maintains a PRA collection database that can be searched online.

PARchives provides access to articles and unpublished reports, papers presented at the World Congresses on Action Research, Action Learning and Process Management and Participatory Action Research. Indexed documents cover a wide range of topics and participatory approaches.

ILEIA's database, ILEIADOC, contains records in the fields of ecologically-oriented agriculture and participative processes, with a strong emphasis on unpublished literature.

World Bank Indigenous Knowledge Initiative includes a database of Indigenous Knowledge and Practices, established to enhance the utilization of indigenous knowledge in development programs and projects.

Participation in Monitoring and Evaluation is a new section of the web site developed and maintained by the Participation Group in the Social Development Department of the World Bank. It offers access to downloadable reference documents and case studies.

M&E News is an Internet based service focusing on innovations in monitoring and evaluation methods that are relevant to development projects with social development objectives. Updated monthly, it is a highly valuable source of information for participatory monitoring & evaluation resources (events, full-text documents).