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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=webmaster@ifiwatchnet.org
href="mailto:webmaster@ifiwatchnet.org">IFIWatchnet</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=members@lists.ifiwatchnet.org
href="mailto:members@lists.ifiwatchnet.org">members@lists.ifiwatchnet.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 15, 2006 4:10 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Members - IFIWN] The IFIWatchnet Newsletter - December
2006</DIV></DIV>
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<TD><SPAN class=Estilo3>If you have trouble viewing this e-mail,
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<DIV class=Estilo2 align=center>December 15th., 2006
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<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>Dear IFIWatchnet
members,</P>
<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>Various IFIwatchnet
participants have suggested to us that we need to
produce a regular newsletter to all IFIwatchnet network
members. This is not another bulletin about IFIs, but a
newsletter about our own networking activities, and how
people are using and can use IFIwatchnet to improve how
they share relevant campaign and advocacy
information.The newsletter will include, in maximum 2
pages: </P>
<DIV class=Estilo3>
<DIV align=justify>
<UL type=disc>
<LI>Details of one IFIwatchnet feature
<LI>Feedback on how IFIwatchnet has helped broaden the
reach of member documents, events, etc.
<LI>Statistics on the most active members, most
downloaded documents, etc
<LI>News from members on their communications;
<LI>Time- and money- saving technology and
communications tips (beyond<BR>IFIwatchnet).
</LI></UL></DIV></DIV>
<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>We will produce the
newsletter every two months in a way that does not take
a lot of time to produce and enriches rather than
distracts from our work.</P>
<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>We would like to members
to contribute. You may direct information that you would
like to see published in the newsletter to
newsletter@ifiwatchnet.org.</P>
<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>Ten days before each
edition, we will send a reminder. </P>
<P class=Estilo3 align=justify>The first edition of the
newsletter is here. We hope you find it interesting and
look forward to your feedback.</P>
<P class=Estilo3 align=right><I>Alex Wilks<BR>Chair of
the Steering Group of
IFIWatchnet</I></P></TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P class=Estilo5><STRONG><BR>IFIWatchnet
people</STRONG><BR><BR>There have been changes among Regional
Animators (RAs), the people in certain member groups which
help ensure IFIwatchnet is known and used by NGOs in their
region.</P>
<UL>
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Romil Hernández</STRONG> is the RA
for Asia, based at <A href="http://www.forum-adb.org">NGO
Forum</A> on the ADB in The Philippines. E-mail: <A
href="mailto:romil@forum-adb.org">romil@forum.adb.org</A>
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Mandla Hadebe</STRONG> took over
from Fiona Chipunza as African RA based at <A
href="http://www.afrodad.org">Afrodad</A>, in Zimbabwe.
E-mail:<A href="mailto:mandla@afrodad.co.zw">
mandla@afrodad.co.zw</A>
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>David Hoffman</STRONG> is the new
RA for Eastern Europe, based at <A
href="http://www.bankwatch.org">CEE Bankwatch’s </A>office
in the Czech Republic. We would like to thank Klára
Schirová, also from Bankwatch, for all her wonderful efforts
and hard work as RA since the beginning of IFIWatchnet.
E-mail: <A
href="mailto:david.hoffman@bankwatch.org">david.hoffman@bankwatch.org</A>
<LI><SPAN class=Estilo5><STRONG>Pieter Jansen</STRONG>, from
<A href="http://www.bothends.org">Both Ends</A> in the
Netherlands will be the new RA for Western Europe. He is
taking on Lucy Baker’s position (from the Bretton Woods
Project). Again, we would like to thank Lucy for her
contribution and vision, hard work and guidance through all
the years that took to build this wonderful network. E-mail:
<A href="mailto:pj@bothends.org">pj@bothends.org</A> </SPAN>
<LI><SPAN class=Estilo5><STRONG>Zoe Young</STRONG>, is the
main administrator of the <A
href="http://www.ifiwatchnet.org/eyes">video section</A> of
IFIWatchnet. E-mail: <A
href="mailto:zoe@esemplastic.net">zoe@esemplastic.net</A>
<BR></SPAN><BR><SPAN class=Estilo5><STRONG>An IFIwatchnet
feature explained</STRONG><BR><BR>This year various
technical improvements have been made to IFIwatchnet.
including:<BR><BR>- Custom calendar feeds for events<BR>-
Who's in town feature<BR>- Document upload feature<BR>-
Dedicated blogs to cover IADB, WB and IMF meetings<BR>- New
e-mail list serve for RAs and Steering Group. <BR><BR>This
newsletter explains what is the IFIwatchnet blog and how it
was used for the Bank/Fund Annual meetings in Singapore. A
blog is a weblog, a simple web technology which lists
articles by date. Articles are often written in an informal,
chatty, style. In this case we established a new section of
the IFIwatchnet site to which members could post information
and intelligence about the Bank/Fund meetings. The blog was
an important means to spread civil society information and
views about the Singapore government’s banning and
harassment of civil society groups (mainly IFIwatchnet
members). The blog was used not only by many civil society
groups, but also by journalists from Reuters and other news
agencies.
</SPAN><BR><BR></LI></UL></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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<DIV align=justify><SPAN class=Estilo5><STRONG>New website
technology and testing phase</STRONG><BR><BR>We have decided
to move the website to a new content management system (CMS).
We have nearly finished the first version of the new website.
We will send you the link on XX December and will appreciate
your feedback by YY January. We will also be testing it
ourselves during this time. <BR><BR>The shift is to make it
easier for you all to post material and to ensure that we can
take advantage of several recent improvements in web
technologies. We have decided – in discussions with the
IFIwatchnet Steering Group – that ActionApps, the technology
developed by the Associate of Progressive Communications which
we have used so far has not advanced fast enough. After great
consideration, Drupal (www.drupal.org) was selected as the
best suite of tools to keep IFIWn's technology updated for
several years to come. The site conversion involves a delicate
conversion of data and resources, but we believe that the
future of the network is intimately connected to the correct
choice of technology now.<BR><BR>We would deeply appreciate
your feedback on the draft site once we send the
link.<BR><BR></SPAN></DIV></TD>
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<DIV align=left><SPAN
class=Estilo5><STRONG>Statistics</STRONG><BR><BR><U>Top 10
most accessed documents</U><BR><BR><EM>October, November and
December 2006</EM><BR></SPAN>
<UL>
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Mark Weisbrot, CEPR:</STRONG>
Ecuador's Rebellious Presidential Candidate May Have a Point
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>ITeM:</STRONG> IFIs LA Monitor
Newsletter - October, 2006
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Mandla Hadebe, Afrodad:</STRONG>
Export Credit Agencies Support White Elephant Projects. ECAs
Taking African Countries For a Ride
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>International Rivers
Network:</STRONG> Internal investigation shows World Bank
water project destroys livelihoods in Pakistan
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>UDN:</STRONG> Uganda Scores Low on
Open Budget Index
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Graham Saul:</STRONG> WB energy
and poverty framework sells climate and people short
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>World Bank:</STRONG> Bringing
equity into development (World Bank board note 28 june 2006)
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Bretton Woods Project:
</STRONG>Highlights of UK NGO meeting with Paul Wolfowitz 13
November 2006, World Bank London offices, 10 - 11 am
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Mark Weisbrot, Luis Sandoval,
Belén Cadena:</STRONG> Ecuador's Presidential Election:
Background on Economic Issues
<LI class=Estilo5><STRONG>Earthworks, BIC, BWP,
CRBM:</STRONG> Tarnished gold - mining and the unmet
promises of development <SPAN
class=Estilo5><BR></SPAN><STRONG><BR></STRONG></LI></UL></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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