#Ministry of Rural Development

[ruraldevelopmentcompany]

Unlocking Progress: Exploring the Role of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government

In the dynamic landscape of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government stands as a beacon of progress and empowerment. With a steadfast commitment to enhancing the lives of citizens residing in rural areas, this ministry plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable development and community resilience. At the heart of its mandate lies a dedication to improving infrastructure, fostering economic growth, and promoting social cohesion. The Ministry of Rural Development Trinidad and Tobago embodies the government's vision for inclusive growth and equitable distribution of resources across the nation.

Central to the ministry's mission is the promotion of grassroots initiatives that address the unique needs of rural communities. Through strategic partnerships and comprehensive programs, it endeavors to uplift marginalized areas, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to thrive. Whether it's enhancing access to education, healthcare, or basic amenities, the ministry remains unwavering in its pursuit of holistic development. Moreover, it actively engages with local stakeholders, empowering citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives.

One of the key functions of the ministry is to oversee the implementation of infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity and accessibility in rural areas. From road networks to water supply systems, these initiatives not only enhance the quality of life for residents but also create avenues for economic advancement. Additionally, the ministry collaborates closely with the Ministry of Works Trinidad & Tobago to ensure that these projects are executed efficiently and sustainably.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the integral role played by local government bodies in driving development agendas. The ministry works hand in hand with municipal corporations and regional corporations to decentralize governance and empower communities at the grassroots level. Through capacity building initiatives and technical support, it strengthens the institutional framework necessary for effective local governance.

Furthermore, the ministry extends its reach to the island of Tobago, where it operates under the name Ministry of Rural Development Tobago. This underscores its commitment to fostering development initiatives that are tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of Tobagonians.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government serves as a linchpin for progress, resilience, and empowerment in Trinidad and Tobago. By prioritizing the needs of rural communities and championing inclusive growth, it embodies the government's commitment to leaving no one behind in the journey towards sustainable development.

[navinsamachar]

उत्तराखंड के सर्वश्रेष्ठ कृषि पर्यटन ग्राम सूपी की सफलता की कहानी, अपार संभावनाएं और भविष्य की बड़ी चुनौतियाँ...

डॉ. नवीन जोशी @ नवीन समाचार, नैनीताल, 20 सितंबर 2024 (Story of UKs Best Agro-Tourism Village Soopi-Ntl) । केंद्रीय पर्यटन मंत्रालय की ओर से ग्रामीण पर्यटन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए उत्तराखंड के चार गांवों को अंतरराष्ट्रीय पर्यटन दिवस पर 27 सितंबर को नई दिल्ली में सर्वश्रेष्ठ पर्यटन ग्राम पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया जाएगा। इन चार गांवों में उत्तरकाशी जिले के जखोल गांव को साहसिक पर्यटन व हर्षिल गांव को…

[rhk111sblog]

Vietnam has just expanded the Land and their Facilities at the Barque Canada Reef, which is also being claimed by the Philippines and calls it as the Mascarado or Magsaysay Reef, but there has been NO COMPLAINTS so far from the Philippines about this new Activity by Vietnam there up to now

[reasonsforhope]

"A young entrepreneur is using 3D printers to create cheap school campuses in rural Madagascar.

It takes just $40,000 and 18 hours to build a “Thinking Hut,” as they’re called, and founder of the project Maggie Grout is aiming to get the cost even lower before handing the reins over to local professionals.

GNN previously reported on Maggie Grout’s idea in 2021 during the pandemic. It was then that she and a San Francisco architect came up with the idea of making them honeycomb-shaped so that additional modules could be added seamlessly.

And indeed, the first completed campus is called the “Honeycomb.”

Madagascar is one of the most challenging places in Africa to develop, but also the most opportune owing to a lack of any armed conflicts and a government welcoming of foreign workers.

But extreme poverty, lack of infrastructure, terrible roads, and a delicate, priceless natural ecosystem all pose challenges to anyone seeking to implement large-scale development projects.

Instead, Grout brought her 3D printers over in a single shipping container and has now printed a school in the town of Fianarantsoa, a city in south-central Madagascar with 200,000 people.

“From that first project, I really learned how to streamline the logistics,” Grout told Fast Company. “I learned how to put together the supply chain when there’s not a lot of locally available materials. And then I learned how to work in harmony with the local people.”

Local people are the key—lack of institutional presence in rural areas means that almost any economic activity has a foundation built on years of trust between community individuals. When foreigners come in, building trust is often the biggest challenge to getting a project off the ground in Madagascar.

However, from the onset, Grout said she wanted to rely on the locals as much as possible. During the first project, she learned how to best manage a team of cross-cultural partners. She used local people to install traditional windows and doors, and worked with the Madagascar Ministry of Education to bring in teachers.

“We do think through the holistic collateral impacts of what we’re doing,” Grout says. “We’re really just aiming to be a stepping stone for [the community] to be successful on their own… We don’t want them to be dependent on us.”

Her long-term goal is to establish Thinking Huts in many different countries."

-via Good News Network, June 9, 2023. Video via 60 Second Docs, July 18, 2022

Note: A bit older but still good - and still ongoing! This year they started a formal partnership with the Madagascar Ministry of Education and are working on a new campus, The Honeycomb Project.

[infiniteglitterfall]

I keep thinking about a post or a comment I saw months ago that basically said, "if this isn't a genocide then why haven't I seen any photos of Israel on fire"

So here are some photos of Israel on fire.

Starting with the obvious:

October 7th, 2023. Hamas attacked 21 towns. Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Re'im, and Nir Oz were essentially burned to the ground; it will take years to rebuild them.

Satellite images during the attack show fires burning all over.

On October 7, Israel’s farming industry lost approximately 40% of its workforce and 30% of its physical area when the nation’s agricultural center became a warzone and the site of mass death and destruction.

The war forced thousands of people in Israel’s north and south to abandon their homes, leaving hundreds of acres of farmland to lie fallow while the IDF secured the area from further Hamas attacks.

Devastating losses About 20% of Israel’s agricultural land is located in the Gaza border area.... 75% of the vegetables consumed in Israel usually come from the Gaza border region, plus 20% of the fruit and 6.5% of the milk. Meanwhile, Israel’s northern region — which has been facing increasing rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon — accounts for a third of the country’s agricultural land, and according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, about 73% of its domestic egg production is concentrated in the Galilee and Golan regions.

Hezbollah's rocket attacks upon Israeli civilian areas, and Hamas rocket attacks from Lebanon, have caused massive fires across northern Israel.

The elimination of Israel has been a primary goal for Hezbollah, just as it is for Hamas and its affiliated groups.

Unlike Hamas, which targets Jews per se and cites the Protocols of the Elders of Zion to explain why, Hezbollah's reasoning follows that of the dictatorship of Iran:

"God, according to Hezbollah theology, cursed all Jews as blasphemers damned for all time and throughout history. Hezbollah, as well as the political/religious leaders of Iran, believe that the destruction of Israel will bring about the 'reappearance of the Imam (the Shiite Islamic Messiah).'"

Fire and brimstone it is, I guess.

April:

Nature and Parks Authority says that some 80,000 dunams (20,000 acres) in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights have gone up in flames since the start of the month.

The Katzrin fire in early June:

Since the fighting erupted, the total scorched area in Israel is three times greater than the area consumed by the two greatest fires in Israeli history: the Sha'ar Hagai blaze west of Jerusalem in 1995, and the Mount Carmel forest fire in 2010. In each of those blazes, some 20,000 to 25,000 dunams of forest went up in smoke.

The total area burnt down now is also three times the combined area incinerated in 2016 when extreme weather conditions caused a wave of fires that consumed some 41,000 dunams. A similar size of woodland and forest also burned down during the Second Lebanon War. In 2019, a huge blaze consumed large swaths of central Israel's Mevo Modi'im community.

According to a Haaretz analysis of satellite images, which matches with estimates by authorities, some 210,000 dunams (about 52,000 acres) of land burned down in Israel and Lebanon: about 150,000 dunams in Israel from Hezbollah attacks and Israel Defense Forces anti-aircraft fire, and around 60,000 dunams in Lebanon. The burned-down areas in Israel stretch over a large area in the Galilee and Golan Heights, while in Lebanon they are concentrated near the border – due to the Israeli military policy of setting deliberate fire to [complex fortified] areas there in order to keep Hezbollah combatants away and to damage the vegetation that provides them with cover.

...These included trenches, bunkers, rocket-launching positions and arms storage sites.

June 4:

'If the fire spreads to the mountain – everything changes': Residents try to survive amid Hezbollah rockets

As rockets rain on their homes and wreak havoc, some Israelis believe the government's lackluster response shows it has forfeited the north to terrorists. "This is Hezbollah's new strategy – intentionally firing on open areas to ignite fires and burn the north," says former mayor.

Gay Eyal, the security officer of the Golan Regional Council, hasn't slept a wink since yesterday. More than 20 communities in the north, including two evacuated towns of Avivim and Dovev, fall under his wide purview.

"It seems this is the new method of the enemy: They see and hear what's happening – they understand burning the north is more effective," Eyal stated grimly. "We're coming off a night of fires. And this morning another blaze started in the Yir'on Forest. Our biggest fear is the fire spreading to Mount Meron. If that mountain ignites, all the communities of Meron, Safsufa, and the Galilee panhandle will be in danger." Eyal claims they prepared in advance, positioning 24 water trailer rigs of 1,000 liters each in every community. "It's a drop in the bucket. We geared up this past year with many water trailers to assist with firefighting, but it's not enough. We're working with fire stations in Safed, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, and Carmiel – our council is dealing with four fire stations. The firefighters are doing everything they can, working ceaselessly. They're tearing themselves apart, but the fire is spreading like a field of thorns."

...Another resident from the north who was out all night at the various fire scenes also tells Israel Hayom this morning: "It's impossible to describe what we went through here last night. Everything burned, an entire region was ablaze. I drove between the fruit orchards, between communities as the fires raged, and my heart burned. The feeling is terrible, of destruction. There's no way to explain the feeling of people watching their life's work burning before their eyes."

June 12:

Hezbollah launched some 215 rockets and several more missiles and drones at northern Israel on Wednesday, in what it said was a response to the killing of a senior commander in the terror group by an Israeli airstrike a night earlier.

The successive Hezbollah attacks began on Wednesday morning with a barrage of at least 90 rockets fired at several [CIVILIAN] areas in northern Israel, including Tiberias — for the first time amid the war — Safed and Rosh Pina, sending tens of thousands of people to shelters, as Jewish Israelis celebrated the Shavuot holiday.

The Israel Defense Forces said another 70 rockets were then launched at the Mount Meron area, home to a sensitive air traffic control base. Ten more rockets were fired at the northern community of Zar’it, and an anti-tank guided missile struck a factory of the Plasan armored vehicle manufacturer in Kibbutz Sasa, causing damage. Later in the morning, a drone launched from Lebanon detonated in an open area near the northern community of Zivon, local authorities said. Several more rockets were fired in the afternoon hours at the upper and western Galilee areas.

[najia-cooks]

[ID: Sweet potatoes with black, charred skin on a decorative plate. One has been opened to show bright orange flesh, sprinkled with sugar. End ID]

بطاطا حلوة مشوية / Batata hiluwa mashwiyya (Roasted sweet potatoes)

Sweet potatoes are considered a traditional and nostalgic food in Palestine—a gift from the land, a seasonal delicacy, a potentially profitable crop, "red gold." Every fall and winter, as they are grilled in taboon ovens throughout Gaza, their smell fills the air.

This recipe uses a method of preparation common in rural Palestine, which applies direct heat to char the potatoes; the black, crackly skin is then peeled off, leaving tender, steaming, sweet flesh with a roasted aroma. The peeled sweet potato is eaten on its own, or sprinkled with sugar.

The recent history of sweet potatoes in Gaza is a microcosm of Israel's economic control of the region during that time. Though they grow well in Gaza's soil, they are a risky commitment for its farmers, as the seeds or seedlings must be imported from Israel at considerable expense (about 40 shekels, or $10, per plantlet), and they need to be weeded every day and irrigated every other day. Water for irrigation is scarce in Gaza, as Israel drains and contaminates much of the supply.

Nevertheless, the crop would be a profitable one if Gazan farmers were allowed to export it. In the shmita year of 2014, for the first time since the Israeli military's deadly 51-day invasion two months prior, restrictions briefly eased to allow Gazans to export some agricultural products to Europe; the first shipment contained 30 tons of sweet potatoes. However, an estimated 90% of the sweet potato crop was at that time unsuitable for export, having been damaged by Israeli shrapnel. The Gazan Ministry of Agriculture estimated that damages of this kind cost the agricultural sector about 550 million USD during this year.

Gazan economist Maher al-Taba’a holds that Israel temporarily allowing export of a token amount of sweet potatoes “is nothing more than media propaganda which is meant to confuse international audiences" by giving the impression that the siege on Gaza was looser than it had been before the 2014 ceasefire agreement; meanwhile, the number of allowed exports had actually decreased since before the invasion occurred. Gazan farmers, in fact, were not even allowed to export produce to Palestinians in the West Bank until 2017.

The next shmita year (an agricultural sabbath during which ultra-Orthodox Jews allow their fields to lie fallow) began in September of 2021, around the same time as the beginning of the sweet potato harvest. In anticipation of the shmita year, and in keeping with the trickle of Gazan exports that had been allowed into Israel in the intervening years, many farmers had planted more than they otherwise would have. But Israel delayed accepting the imports, leading many farmers to throw away rotting produce, or to sell their produce in the local market for far lower prices than they had been expecting.

Israel's habit of closing off Gaza's exports arbitrarily and without notice recurred during the harvest season of 2022. When Israeli former MK Yaakov Litzman called on Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Oded Forer to import sweet potatoes from Gaza due to a shortage of the produce in Israel, Forer refused, citing Israeli soldiers whom Palestinian resistance fighters had taken hostage as rationale for his decision. Other officials were surprised at the linking of an agricultural matter to a political one.

Farmers had no choice but to enter the harvest season hoping that the decision would be reversed and that their time, labor, money, and scarce water resources would not go to waste. With these last-minute decisions that cause Gazan farmers to be unable to fulfill their contracts, Israel damages the future viability of Gazan exports to European markets.

Support Palestinian resistance by calling Elbit System’s (Israel’s primary weapons manufacturer) landlord and donating to Palestine Action’s bail fund.

Equipment:

A fire, wood-burning oven, gas stove, or broiler

A baking sheet

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes. Choose a variety with red or orange skin and orange flesh, such as garnet or jewel.

Sugar, cinnamon, date syrup, or tahina, to serve.

Instructions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes. Place them at the bottom of a taboon oven, or on a baking sheet or griddle laid over a cooking fire or gas burner. You may also place them on a baking sheet or cast-iron pan inside an oven with a broiler setting.

2. Turn the gas burner on medium-high, or the broiler on low. Heat the sweet potatoes, occasionally rotating them, until their skin is blistered and blackened in multiple places and they are tender all the way through.

3. Remove potatoes and allow them to cool slightly. Slice each potato open lengthwise, or peel away its skin, and eat the interior.

Roasted sweet potatoes may be eaten on their own, or sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon-sugar, or drizzled with date syrup, tahina, chocolate sauce, etc.

[zvaigzdelasas]

China revealed this week it aims to spend more than a billion dollars to bolster manufacturing and domestic tech in a bid to remain globally competitive, while divulging little new support for the struggling real estate market.

Industrial support clearly ranked first on Beijing’s priority list for the year ahead, according to three major plans released this week as part of China’s annual parliamentary meetings.

One of those reports, from the Ministry of Finance, said the central government would allocate 10.4 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) “to rebuild industrial foundations and promote high-quality development of the manufacturing sector.”

While that’s down from the 13.3 billion yuan earmarked for the same category last year, the sector overall gained greater prominence. In 2023, plans to spend on industrial development came second to support for consumption.

“Unlike other economies that went through a wrenching adjustment in their housing market, China’s investment rate isn’t falling,” HSBC’s chief Asia economist Frederic Neumann and a team said in a report Friday. “Instead, [capital expenditure] is shifting towards infrastructure and, importantly, manufacturing.”[...]

Chinese authorities in 2020 intensified a crackdown on real estate developers’ high reliance on debt for growth. Property sales have since plunged while developers have run out of money to finish many projects, cutting into what was once about 25% of China’s GDP when including related sectors such as construction.[...]

Despite widespread attention on whether Beijing would bail out the property sector, real estate got no mention in the finance ministry’s spending plans, and limited attention in a ministry-level press conference about the economy during the parliamentary meetings. Instead, the housing minister was included in the lineup for a press conference about people’s livelihoods.

“Supporting the modernization of the industrial system” came first in the finance ministry’s report, followed by “supporting the implementation of the strategy of invigorating China through science and education.”

Within that second priority, the finance ministry said it would allocate 31.3 billion yuan for improving vocational education. Amid high youth unemployment, especially for university graduates, electric car company BYD and battery maker CATL are among those working with vocational schools to train staff for their expanding workforce.[...]

The report from the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, reiterated government plans to support some developers’ financing needs — under the eighth item on the priority list that called for preventing financial risks. The government work report presented by Premier Li Qiang gave real estate a similar level of prominence.

8 Mar 24

China will improve home sales in a "forceful" and "orderly" way, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said on Saturday (Mar 9), as weak demand in the country's beleaguered residential property market persists.[...]

Some developers should be allowed to go bankrupt or restructured according to legal and market-based rules, Ni said told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament in Beijing.

Premier Li Qiang said this week that China will quicken the development of "a new model" for the troubled sector, focussing on building more affordable housing and meeting demand for homes.

But China will insist that "housing is for living in, not for speculation" when formulating a new development model for the sector, Ni said, reiterating an official line against property speculation.

9 Mar 24

[beguines]

[F]armers have self-initiated practices of decolonization through campaigns to unionize agriculture. Working through the Gaza branch of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) which represents local agricultural committees in rural and urban areas as well as refugee camps, farmers along the eastern 'border' work to ensure access to land and natural resources to maintain their livelihoods. UAWC also supports farmers by facilitating access to agricultural tools and expertise for Gazan farmers living under occupation to develop new cultivation practices that respond to the demands and pressures of neo-liberal markets and climate change. Whether it is the introduction of new and previously foreign crops into Gaza, like pineapple and broccoli, or the building of novel infrastructure for cultivation, like the hanging strawberry farms of Beit Lahiya, UAWC works with farmers to produce more sustainable solutions in agriculture to counters the export blockade regular encroachment on their lands and water scarcity in the strip. As a direct challenge to Israeli eco-colonial practices, and despite having no affiliation with Palestinian political factions, UAWC was designated as a 'terrorist organization' by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in November 2021, alongside five other leading Palestinian human rights organizations. Despite international condemnation of this outrageous designation, the work of UAWC has become increasingly stigmatized, also putting pressure on their ability to garner international funding.

Shourideh C. Molavi, Environmental Warfare in Gaza: Colonial Violence and New Landscapes of Resistance

[fatehbaz]

[A] team of technicians [is] working under sub-contracts for the National Mapping Agency [of Indonesia] to draw squares and rectangles around vast swaths of building and property across the archipelago. [...] [They] draw a perimeter [...] on the island of Kalimantan, a region that has witnessed the world's fastest forest clearing rates since 2012, as the oil palm [plantation] sector has expanded across rural Indonesia. [...] Even if state agency scientists demand that every building is drawn, his supervisors are afraid that the technicians will interpret too much. [...] [Bureaucrats] shrugged [...], reasoning that maps are crucial for Indonesia’s “pembangunan” (development), an ever-shifting ideology that has haunted the nation since [...] the 1950s. [...]

---

The contract employing the technicians stemmed from an incident in December 2010, when former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono compared two conflicting maps of Papua Island. The two forest maps, one published by the Ministry of Forestry and the other by the Ministry of Environment, were presented in a cabinet meeting regarding [...] nationwide [...] plantation permits in primary forests. Each map showed primary forests of different sizes and boundaries. [...] A scandal broke out, with environmentalists claiming that these discrepancies are an example of how corrupt officials manipulate maps and issue plantation permits on protected forest land. Earlier in 1998, Indonesia’s timber and oil palm industry became increasingly decentralized and privatized. [...] Under a 2016 Presidential Decree, Indonesia’s National Mapping Agency [...] accelerate[d] the remapping of Indonesia’s 18,309 islands. [...] The base map [...] [is] conventionally understood as a “ground truth” to physical reality [...].

Yet, senior bureaucrats of the National Mapping Agency have always been aware that maps could never represent the real world. The agency’s Deputy Director recently stated to the Indonesian press that data on palm oil plantation ownership is “secret.”

Herein lies a tension between desires to conceal deforestation and the official appearance of attempts to reveal what’s happening on the ground. The accuracy of forest maps [...] [and a] map’s legibility can also be understood as part of a measured and managed public revelation and the concurrent concealment of information, narratives, and images of the trees that still stand. [...]

---

[S]ocial orders are based on "public secrets": forms of knowledge that are generally known insofar as they must not be overtly acknowledged. Simply put, one has to know what not to know.

Public life, its discourse, and practice, then, depend upon the management of transgression.

In Indonesia, it was understood that forest maps contained inaccuracies. From the fixed borders that enabled industrial plantation expansion to the inconsistent mapping standards, state maps were dissimilar all the way down. [...]

The pursuit of different versions of correspondence between territory and map segregates who gets to see and who gets to know what makes a forest. [...]

---

Bureaucrats have advanced data science projects to automate the delineation of forest borders, to know the forest in precise ways that crowd out what for others is actually there. [...] [Previously, technicians] had spent hours determining what pixel makes the cut. Perhaps drawing in this green pixel matches the vegetation nearby; perhaps adding a brown pixel grants more property for the house owner. The blur in the images makes for a deliberation that also implicates his wrists and fingers that grow sore from his tactful eyes. [...] Indeed, “there are no straight lines” on the edges of Kalimantan’s forest; someone feels these borders into vision. [...]

Data science initiatives, on the other hand, draw borders without explanation to remove this interpretive labor. [This process maps land by taking satellite photos, and then letting the automated model predict the extent of forest, removing the human interpretation and confirmation.] [...] Points are converted into labeled pixels and fed into models that in turn label points anew: points feed points. Unlike the field survey, with data science, ground truth is found within the image, not in the forest.

---

Indonesia’s forests are seen and known by different techniques. [...] Yet in keeping with the public secret of how forests are seen and governed by the state, each of these techniques also cultivates a willful not knowing.

Against the backdrop of the decades-long expropriation of indigenous land by patronage networks between timber and palm oil firms and central and district officials, broader shifts to institute efficiency and automation in mapping enable bureaucrats to relinquish their knowledge of such inconvenient truths. These technical initiatives recast the mapping of Indonesia as a preemptive activity [...]. The task of knowing what not to know emerges not only from the discursive theater of public human affairs, but out of the contest between the design and deployment of various mapping systems [...].

Is it possible to capture the world without seeing it? Or, who’s watching when a tree falls? Perhaps it doesn’t matter who, but how that watching is designed into a system that preempts a forest [...].

---

Text by: Cindy Lin. "How to Make a Forest". e-flux Architecture (At the Border series). April 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[ruraldevelopmentcompany]

Unlocking Progress: Exploring the Role of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government

In the dynamic landscape of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government stands as a beacon of progress and empowerment. With a steadfast commitment to enhancing the lives of citizens residing in rural areas, this ministry plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable development and community resilience. At the heart of its mandate lies a dedication to improving infrastructure, fostering economic growth, and promoting social cohesion. The Ministry of Rural Development Trinidad and Tobago embodies the government's vision for inclusive growth and equitable distribution of resources across the nation.

Central to the ministry's mission is the promotion of grassroots initiatives that address the unique needs of rural communities. Through strategic partnerships and comprehensive programs, it endeavors to uplift marginalized areas, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to thrive. Whether it's enhancing access to education, healthcare, or basic amenities, the ministry remains unwavering in its pursuit of holistic development. Moreover, it actively engages with local stakeholders, empowering citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives.

One of the key functions of the ministry is to oversee the implementation of infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity and accessibility in rural areas. From road networks to water supply systems, these initiatives not only enhance the quality of life for residents but also create avenues for economic advancement. Additionally, the ministry collaborates closely with the Ministry of Works Trinidad & Tobago to ensure that these projects are executed efficiently and sustainably.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the integral role played by local government bodies in driving development agendas. The ministry works hand in hand with municipal corporations and regional corporations to decentralize governance and empower communities at the grassroots level. Through capacity building initiatives and technical support, it strengthens the institutional framework necessary for effective local governance.

Furthermore, the ministry extends its reach to the island of Tobago, where it operates under the name Ministry of Rural Development Tobago. This underscores its commitment to fostering development initiatives that are tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of Tobagonians.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government serves as a linchpin for progress, resilience, and empowerment in Trinidad and Tobago. By prioritizing the needs of rural communities and championing inclusive growth, it embodies the government's commitment to leaving no one behind in the journey towards sustainable development.

[deliriousnewyorker]

So when Heracles does it he's granted immortality but when I divert agricultural runoff into the rivers Alpheios and Pinelos I get hit with a citation from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food?

[newspatron]

Co-operative Ministry of India & the Extraordinary Vision of Amit Shah

The Co-operative Ministry of India is a critical government agency that plays a vital role in the country’s economic development. Under the leadership of Amit Shah, the ministry has made significant strides in strengthening the cooperative movement and empowering farmers and other marginalized communities.This article will explore Amit Shah’s vision for the Co-operative Ministry, his key…

[collapsedsquid]

The European Union has again extended a ban on Ukrainian grain imports to five countries, including Poland. The move follows anger and protests from Polish farmers who were left with unsold grain or forced to sell it cheaply when faced with lower Ukrainian prices. Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Krzysztof Ciecióra explained: "We have fulfilled their main demand, i.e. stopping the pressure of grain imports from Ukraine.  "Today there is no such permission. It is not legal until September 15 at least. These grains will not flow to Poland. Only transit is possible." Although the decision of the EU, supported by the government, brings temporary relief, it was not met with much approval from Polish farmers, who fear that in a few months, they will face the same problems again. [...] "Today we practically do not know what to sow, what to grow to make it marketable. This undermines the stability. Even the contacts between mills and feed-mixing plants broke off, where there were already permanent supply cycles.

Assisting Ukraine is crucial for Polish security, we must do everything possible to support Ukraine, no wait are you seriously expecting us to allow Ukranian food into our country?

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

A tale of resilience and restoration in Brazil’s Paraíba do Sul River Basin

In the heart of Brazil, spanning across the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais, lies the Paraíba do Sul River Basin, a region that is home to some of the country’s largest industrial and population centres. Here, the water resources are a lifeline for over 14 million people, playing a crucial role in supplying water, generating electricity, diluting effluents, and serving various other purposes. However, the basin has witnessed extensive deforestation in the past, particularly during the 18th and 19th-century coffee cycle, leaving a significant portion of its territory covered by degraded and unproductive pastures.

Amidst the escalating climate crisis and its associated impacts, the urgency for a transition to a low-carbon economy has never been more pressing. The government of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has stepped up to this challenge, setting an ambitious goal at COP26 to increase the forest coverage of the Atlantic Forest in the state from 30% to 40% by 2050. This translates to the restoration of an additional 440,000 hectares, with the potential to absorb 159 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Propelling the delivery of this is the “Conexão Mata Atlântica” project, initiated in 2017 through a collaborative effort involving the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and the Federal Government, represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI). Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), along with matching funds from the state government, the project stands as a testament to the power of collective action.

In Rio de Janeiro, the project has adopted an innovative approach focusing on Payments for Environmental Services (PES) to incentivize and value the environmental actions taken by rural producers in private areas. The objective is multifaceted – mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and ensuring water and food security, all while aiming to increase carbon stocks. The project has emerged as an effective strategy in preserving forests and recovering degraded areas, offering both economic and social benefits, and contributing to the environmental wellbeing of the region.

Continue reading.

[eaglesnick]

“Withholding information is the essence of tyranny. Control of the flow of information is the tool of the dictatorship.” ― Bruce Coville

The statutory guidance document, "The Civil Service Code" states that as a civil servant you are:

 "...appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality."  (The Civil Service Code: GOVUK: 16/03/2015)

Under the expanded heading “Objectivity" the code states:

“You must:

provide information and advice, including advice to ministers, on the basis of the evidence, and accurately present the options and facts

take decisions on the merits of the case

take due account of expert and professional advice."

Not so this Tory government with its right wing, anti-democratic agenda.

The Financial Times reported in 2022 that civil servants were to be protected from views and opinions from anyone who did not agree with government policy.

”UK civil servants have been ordered to trawl through the social media accounts of guest speakers at one government ministry, including going back up to five years to see if they have ever criticised government policy, as part of a new vetting process. The new Cabinet Office rules cover the vetting of outsiders coming into the department to take part in “learning and development” events and urge managers to carefully check the backgrounds of such guests.”  (Financial Times: 14/08/22)

So much for "Objectivity"   How can civil servants "take due account of expert and professional advice" or “present options and facts"  if they are not allowed to be exposed to those who have a different view to the government? 

One year on, and we find that 15 government departments are now actively  monitoring  the social media activity of anyone likely to influence civil servants and government policy.

“Under the guidelines issued in each department, including the departments of health, culture, media and sport, and environment, food and rural affairs, officials are advised to check experts’ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. They are also told to conduct Google searches on those individuals, using specific terms such as “criticism of government or prime minister”. (Guardian: 18/11/23)

Needles to say the hypocritical Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced with much heralding of the event that he was appointing a “free speech" tsar to tackle the phenomenon of cancel culture.

“Sunak To Appoint Free Speech Tsar To Tackle Cancel Culture” (richieallen.co.uk: 16/01/23)

But opposition to cancel culture is strictly limited. Apparently “free speech” is not to be allowed within the civil service. Here it is government policy that civil servants be shielded from ANYONE who has criticised the government or who holds a contrary view to perceived Tory wisdom.  While others might be condemned (usually correctly) for censoring alternative views to their own this is not a principle encouraged among those who run the country. For them there is only one view, one set of believes that matter, those of their Tory masters.