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"Contrary to conventional economic theories, the relationship between income growth and agricultural employment is extremely diverse, even among regions starting from similar levels of development, such as Asia and Africa. Due to its labor-intensive green revolution and strong farm-nonfarm linkages, Asia's development path is mostly characterized by fast growth with relatively slow agricultural exits. In contrast to Asia, urban biased policies, low rural population density, and high rates of population growth have led a number of African countries down a path of slow economic growth with surprisingly rapid agricultural exits. Despite this divergence both continents now face daunting employment problems. Asia appears to be increasingly vulnerable to rising inequality, slower job creation, and shrinking farm sizes, suggesting that Asian governments need to refocus on integrating smallholders and lagging regions into increasingly commercialized rural and urban economies. Africa, in contrast, has yet to achieve its own green revolution, which would still be a highly effective tool for job creation and poverty reduction. However, the diversity of its endowments and its tighter budget constraints mean that agricultural development strategies in Africa need to be highly context specific, financially sustainable, and more evidence- based"

IDRC and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) are funding a new programme on climate change adaptation. The Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) began in 2012 and will run until 2019. CARIAA invites submissions of joint concept notes for the establishment of research consortia in three climate change hot spots: semi-arid regions, deltas, and glacier and snowpack dependent river basins. Find out more at http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Programs/Agriculture_and_the_Environment/CARIAA/Pages/default.aspx "

"The role of young people in the agricultural sector have been debated extensively, and for good reason. Youth unemployment is a huge challenge with potentially severe consequences, and the agricultural sector is the biggest employer in most developing countries. Currently, the global population of young people aged 12-24 is around 1.3 billion, and projected to peak at 1.5 billion in 2035. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that globally, around 55% of young people reside in rural areas. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and south Asia, this number increase to as much as 70%. In SSA alone, youth (aged between 15 and 24) comprise as much as 36% of the labor force. With food production having to increase with 60% by 2050 in order to sustain expected food demands (FAO, 2011), adequate integration of young people in the agricultural sector can be a vital factor of reaching those targets.."

"For the first time since the beginning of the programme in June 2012, all participants and coordinators (coming from the three participating countries and the six partners' institutions) will gather together for a regional workshop in Hong Kong, organized by the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong (HKU). In addition to the provision of courses on the use of projections and scenarios in the preparation of education sector development plans and the opportunity to discuss and consolidate their draft country plan documents (that they are required to submit at the end of the distance programme), this will be a wonderful occasion for participants and partner institutions to exchange and share their country experiences. Participants are eager to meet each other. As Mrs. Nguyen Lan Huong, from Viet Nam, said in a recent interview: "We also look forward to the one-week study visit to the Hong Kong Institute of Education, where we will have a chance to see in person other participants and actually activate our professional network for the long-term benefit" .(Click here to read)"

"L'Association sénégalaise des ingénieurs de l'agriculture (ASIA) a proposé au ministère de l'Agriculture ses services dans l'élaboration comme dans la mise en œuvre des politiques agricoles pour "mieux s'impliquer dans la réflexion et le processus de développement de l'agriculture". "

"Experience from outside UNESCO-UNEVOC Regional Forum Europe and North America network enriches work of penultimate meeting ahead of next year's global forum in Bonn. The second session Tuesday (29 October) of the UNESCO-UNEVOC regional forum Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America on advancing, improving and greening TVET hosted by Moscow's National Observatory on Vocational Education/Centre for VET Studies, widened its scope to a broad international focus. The three-day event, attended by over 100 experts in training, system analysis and policy advice, opened Monday with the spotlight on two of UNEVOC's priorities - youth employment and skills development and bringing an ecological perspective to TVET. Tuesday's theme was regional and international harmonization in TVET. Delegates looked well beyond the regional boundaries of Europe, CIS and North America, which is one of the five regional clusters around which UNEVOC organizes its global work. Representatives of the Africa, Arab States, Asia and Pacific, and Latin America and Caribbean regions presented the progress in advancing UNESCO-UNEVOC's agenda, based on the Shanghai Consensus proposals identified last year at UNESCO's Third International Congress on TVET."

"The importance of financial literacy and specifically the need to promote financial education has been recognised as an important contributor to improved financial inclusion and individuals' financial well-being as well as a support to financial stability. The relevance of financial education policies is acknowledged at the highest global policy level: in 2012, G20 Leaders endorsed the OECD/INFE High-level Principles on National Strategies for Financial Education that specifically identify youth as one of the priority targets of government policies in this domain. That same year, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers of Finance identified financial literacy as a critical life skill."

"Sent: 2014-09-16 12: Subject: Reminder: Call for Papers - Study on Transversal Skills in TVET From: Barbara Trzmiel [b.trzmiel@unesco.org] Dear e-Forum members, UNESCO in Bangkok is looking for interested research institutes to participate in a regional study that will explore ways in which transversal skills are imparted and assessed in TVET in the Asia-Pacific region, and in particular: * analyze the current status of pedagogies and assessment of transversal skills in TVET; * identify remaining bottlenecks; and * highlight proven practices in teaching and assessment of these skills. Please see follow this link to access more information: http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/epr/Image ... ... s/Call_for_Papers_TrasnsversalSkills_TVET_UNESCO_BKK.pdf"

People who are food and nutrition insecure largely reside in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and for many, fish represents a rich source of protein, micronutrients and essential fatty acids.

"Dear e-Forum members, UNESCO in Bangkok is looking for interested research institutes to participate in a regional study that will explore ways in which transversal skills are imparted and assessed in TVET in the Asia-Pacific region, and in particular: * analyze the current status of pedagogies and assessment of transversal skills in TVET; * identify remaining bottlenecks; and * highlight proven practices in teaching and assessment of these skills. Please see the attached call for papers for more information. Interested institutions should send the following information: * institutional profile, * expression of interest of no more than one A4 page (if applying for the available research grant please include a justification) * CVs of researchers, * research framework, including brief background on transversal skills in the country, and research methodology (details of sample selection, scope of primary research, scope of secondary research) either as hard copy or by email to:"

"As part of the NEN Close Up series, the Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia Division hosted a knowledge sharing event on rural youth and economic empowerment in the Near East and North Africa. Through a regional grant, IFAD is partnering with Making Cents International, a social enterprise based in Washington DC, and Silatech, a social initiative working to create opportunities for young people throughout the Arab world, to help increase the employment and self-employment opportunities of more than 18,000 young people of ages 15-35. Covering four countries, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen, the 3-year joint programme, Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, is seeking to test innovative financial and non-financial engagement tools for young rural people. The event provided an opportunity to learn from the programme and to discuss how the findings can inform IFAD's future engagement with young people in rural areas. Click here to read the full news on IFAD."

"[KUALA LUMPUR] New approaches to agricultural research and development (R&D) that support local innovation are needed in order to tackle global poverty, say agriculture experts. At a conference, Re-imagining Agricultural Research in Development Dialogue, held in Penang, Malaysia last month (29-31 January), experts from the agricultural sector convened to discuss how agricultural research could best be used to benefit the 870 million people still living on less than US$1.25 a day. "The [conference] was motivated by the realization that agricultural research was not benefiting the poorest of the poor," Boru Douthwaite, Knowledge Sharing and Learning theme leader for the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), tells SciDev.Net. "

About half of the training programme has been completed by participants in Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. IIEP is taking this opportunity to pose questions to some participants and coordinators.

Manuel de formation des agriculteurs FAO Bangkok RAP PUBLICATION 2011/06B

The United States Agency for International Development's Maximizing Agricultural Revenue through Knowledge, Enterprise Development and Trade Project promotes more sustainable and efficient use of aquaculture and fishery resources in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region with an emphasis on the Lower Mekong Initiative countries.

"Voulez-vous faire parti du programme sur les questions foncières de la FAO pour la région Asie - Pacifique? Avez-vous un diplôme universitaire supérieur en administration foncière ou autre domaine pertinent; 5 ans d'expérience professionnelle sur la thématique foncière, incluant une expérience dans des pays en développement ou en transition; une maitrise de l'anglais professionnel ainsi qu'une connaissance d'une autre langue officielle des Nations Unies? Alors votre profil peut nous intéresser! "

Activity Subject # msgs Started by Start date October today Copyright and development of cultural industries in Africa (moderation pending) Awoumou Ma... 2014-10-02 today [L&W] Latest news on European research in learning and work - October 2014 Sabine Man... 2014-10-02 today Ambassador (moderation pending) ahmed loqm... 2014-10-02 yesterday Invitation to join online discussion on ESD and TVET on UNESTEAMS platform UNESCO-UNE... 2014-10-01 yesterday [Creative Industries] Le droit d'auteur et le développement des industries créatives en Afrique Awoumou Ma... 2014-10-01 yesterday Deadline extended: Call for Papers - Transversal Skills in TVET: Focus on Pedagogies and Assessment in the Asia-Pacific Region Barbara Tr... 2014-10-01

"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training is a five-year project that enables teachers to better prepare youth for employment in the Lower Mekong countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam though the use of innovative training approaches. USAID works to bridge the gap between the private sector, universities and vocational centers to build up the supply of skilled workers to meet the demands of local businesses. The project will partner with local education providers to utilize mobile technology, online learning and traditional in-person workshops to promote learning and regional networking in targeted Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries in ways that help residents from rural and marginalized areas access educational services."

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training is a five-year program activity that enables teachers to better prepare youth for employment in the Lower Mekong countries of Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam through the use of innovative training approaches. USAID works to bridge the gap between the private sector, universities and vocational centers to build up the supply of skilled workers to meet the demands of local businesses. The project partners with local education providers to utilize available technology, online learning and traditional in-person workshops to promote learning and regional networking in targeted Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries in ways that help residents from rural and marginalized areas access educational services.