This edition of Window on the World looks at networks, institutions and publications in and outside of China that examine different aspect of development in China ranging from gender equality, civil society rights rural development and environment.
China AIDS Network
The China AIDS Network is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1993, focussing on the social and behavioural dimensions of AIDS research. This website aims to provide CAN members and other HIV/AIDS experts, researchers and practitioners with the opportunity to collaborate and share information relating to HIV/AIDS care and prevention projects and research in China and Australia.
China Development Brief
China Development Brief, established in 1996, is an independent, non-profit publication devoted to strengthening constructive engagement between China and other countries. Its core English language product is a monthly, electronic newsletter that reports on environment, development and civil society in China to a readership of decision and opinion makers in international development agencies, NGOs, research academies, policy think-tanks and mass media. Subscribers include multilateral financial institutions, foreign government donor agencies, grant-making foundations, international NGOs and some leading, private companies that are beginning to take seriously the notion of 'corporate social responsibility'.
In addition to the regular English language publication, China Development Brief publishes occasional directories profiling international and Chinese NGOs, and periodic, free-standing Special Reports – ranging from profiles of Chinese provinces to research studies based on original field work. China Development Brief also provides training and advisory services to Chinese NGOs, especially in the field of communications strategies and skills. They also provide consultancy services in research, training, project evaluation and conference facilitation.
China Environment Forum – Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars
The China Environment Forum (CEF), which was funded in 1997, seeks to initiate sustainable development approaches in China by promoting information sharing, facilitating policy debates, and most importantly, building networks between US and Chinese policymakers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), researchers, businesses and journalists to resolve common environmental and energy problems. Through monthly meetings, CEF aims to identify the most important environmental and sustainable development issues in China and explore creative ideas and opportunities for governmental and non-governmental cooperation.
The CEF's work focusses on four main areas: environmental health, energy, water and environmental NGOs, public participation and governance.
A new section on its webpage has been devoted to exploring China's growing environmental health challenges stemming from pollution of air, water and waste, as well as tracking policy changes, research, projects and activism around environmental health issues.
China Labour Bulletin
www.china-labour.org.hk/public
The China Labour Bulletin (CLB) was founded in 1994 in Hong Kong by independent trade unionist Han Dongfang. Since then, CLB has been actively promoting independent, democratic union organizing, and the protection of labour rights and standards in mainland China.
The organization's activities are based on the principle of furthering and supporting Chinese workers to claim their labour rights and secure their livelihood.
In particular, CLB provides information and education on trade union rights and labour standards to workers and union organizers in China; provides a forum for workers to express their opinions and demands on labour and economic issues; facilitates workers' collective actions and legal and administrative dispute settlement; mobilizes a network of labour activists in China; reinforces solidarity with the international trade union movement by updating overseas unions and the international community on the labour situation in China and advocating on behalf of detained Chinese labour activists.
China Population Information and Research Center
The China Population Information and Research Center (CIPC) was funded by the Chinese Government, with the assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in May 1980.
The central tasks of the Center are to carry out population and family planning research, edit and publish related publications, collect, package and disseminate population and family planning information, and develop education and training.
At present, research mainly focusses on population policy, population projection, balanced population and socioeconomic development, management of the family planning programme and the operational mechanism, and experiences from population and family planning programmes in other countries. CPIRC produces the following publications: China Population Today, China Family Planning Yearbook, Population and Family Planning, Population Abstracts and China Population Data Sheet.
It has 102 staff members and workers, of which 65 are professionals in the fields of medicine, demography, economics, foreign languages, Chinese literature, computer science, library science and information science.
China Women's Net
This is the official website of the All China Women's Federation, which is the main national organization in support of women. It provides news and information on women in China and their rights, activities of the organization throughout the country and profiles of outstanding Chinese women. The website also contains a database of speech from leaders of the Federation and links to websites from the various provincial branches of the organization.
Cleaner Production
www.chinacp.com/eng/index.html
Cleaner Production has been adopted by the Government of the People's Republic of China as one of the prime tools in its fight against industrial pollution. This website has been developed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which is the body responsible for the implementation of environmental policies. Prior to March 2003, this was the responsibility of the former State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC).
The site is designed to provide information in English on China's Cleaner Production policy and legislation, and on existing and planned activities to implement Cleaner Production in China. Information is included on other organizations in China responsible for various aspects of implementing environmental policies or combating pollution, on foreign donors and projects. The site includes case studies and audit reports carried out in factories in various sectors as well as profiles of factories implementing Cleaner Production. The site also provides links to English language sites of general interest in the field of Cleaner Production.
Gender and Public Policy
This website was created in 2005 to analyse Chinese laws and policies in order to eliminate gender bias and to promote gender sensitive policies. It contains reviews of domestic and foreign laws and policies, details of legal consultants, information on new publications and a multimedia classroom and video download. Plans are also underway to hold an online roundtable discussion each month and invite users to suggest topics and participate.
Globalization Monitor
www.globalmon.org.hk/en/index.html
Globalization Monitor (GM) is a non-profit organization based in Hong Kong. It was founded shortly before the big Seattle protest against the WTO in l999. Its editorial board members are activists from trade unions, green movements, regional groups and other grassroots organizations. It has been the chief organization in Hong Kong, which devotes itself in promoting awareness on the negative effects of globalization.
In the past 5 years, GM has put out 18 issues of its journal, also called GM, on themes such as 'free trade', privatization and liberalization of capital flow.
GM also holds numerous talks and workshops among college students and grassroots organizations.
In 2004, GM, along with local trade unions and NGOs, founded the Hong Kong People's Alliance on the WTO (HKPA) to prepare for the campaign against the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the WTO in December 2005.
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
www.chinacp.com/eng/cporg/cporg_ndrc.html
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is a department of China's State Council. NDRC is a macroeconomic regulatory department, with a mandate to develop national economic strategies, long-term economic plans and annual plans, and to report to the National People's Congress on the progress of national economy and social development.
In particular, the NDRC produces studies and implements policies in the following fields: the country's fiscal and financial situation, the restructuring of economic systems, agriculture and rural economy, urbanization, trade, population and family planning, employment and social security, and environmental policies.
Rural Women Knowing All Magazine
Rural Women Knowing All Magazine is an organization that aims to create opportunities for self-employment and development of Chinese rural women in order to improve their life, health and education. Recently, the magazine underwent strategic planning and organizational adjustment, leading to the creation of the Cultural Development Center for Rural Women, which aims to establish a participative, democratized and sustainable NGO network for Chinese rural women as well as to advocate for gender awareness.
State Council National Working Committee on Women and Children
This is an official government website on women and gender that contains information on the national mechanism for women's advancement, official documents, policies, laws and news from the whole country. It also provides a monitoring database on the implementation of China Women's Development Program. It is connected to another website called 'The Information Centre on Children of China' (www.cinfo.org.cn), which also contains useful data and statistics on women and gender.
UNIFEM China
The United Nations Women's Fund established its office in China in 1998, running an initial programme focussed on empowerment of women through expanding economic opportunities, political participation, advancing women's human rights and combating violence against women and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In 2001, UNIFEM China initiated a pioneering project on transformational leadership in Shandong. Building on earlier UNIFEM work that supported women's income-generation and entrepreneurship development, the project aimed to increase women's participation in decision-making in their communities.
UNIFEM China also served as an implementing agency for UNDP from 2001 to 2003 in conducting a research analysis of the specific impact of the WTO accession on the status of women in agriculture and industry. This project strived to make national economists and researchers more sensitive to gender issues, as well as to better inform gender experts and women's groups on economic thinking and practices, contributing to national capacity building, policy dialogue and advocacy.
Women's Media Monitoring Network
This website, which is run by the Media Monitoring Network for the Beijing Women Journalists Association, is the only Chinese website that is specifically focussed on gender and media. It contains media watch and critiques of media, information and reflections on gender training for journalists, thematic studies, reference collection and information on the activities of the Media Monitoring Network. This website also hosts a column of discussion notes of the Beijing Gender Reading Group and an archive of activities of Beijing +5.
Women's Research Net
This is the official website of the Women's Studies Institute of China and the Chinese Women's Research Society, both of which come under the All China Women's Federation. The website contains information on women's studies and gender studies in China, policies and regulation on women, research funding bid invitations and introduction to research bodies. It also provides useful tools such as a database of experts, statistics and video and audio materials.
Women's Watch China
This website is run by the Centre for Women's Law Studies and Legal Services of Beijing University, which promotes gender mainstreaming into law-making through law review and thematic study, strategic law suits to promote legal reforms, and training and advocacy of relevant groups. Women's Watch China presents news of the Centre's work alongside notable cases and issues. Currently, the three main areas of concern are: violence against women, women's property rights and women's labour rights.
