International

A 'Global Directory of Web Sites that List Online Volunteer Opportunities' has been put online by the Canadian group Macdonald Youth Services as part of their range of resource on online volunteering.

Take a look at http://www.mys.ca/directory/.

ANSER, the Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, is being set up in Canada, and has announced its first conference in June 2008 in Vancouver. See http://www.anser-ares.ca.

(Source: VSSN list)

The Department for International Development, which runs a number of funding programmes aimed at organisations that support international development and poverty reduction, has recently agreed to provide information on http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk (managed by Directoy of Social Change).

The web site at Project Management for Development Organizations is what you might expect from such a name.

We haven't delved in yet, but project management disciplines can apply elsewhere too. http://www.pm4dev.com/english/home.htm.

(Source: NGO Manager newsletter)

Capacity Building for Local NGOs, published by the Catholic Institute for International Relations, is available online in pdf format.

Singapore is moving to having a separate set of accounting standards for charities, as it sets up a new Accounting Standards Council. A government minister observes that "This practice of having a separate set of accounting practices is consistent with the practice in the UK."

Channel NewsAsia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/296309/1/.html.

The Economic and Social Research Council has published 'From local to global', which examines the implications of modern communications technology for civil society organisations and other activists and follows from a series of seminars held with NCVO.

Its news headline is "Local campaigns are building transnational movements, but global citizenship remains a challenge" and goes on to say that such technology is "helping to speed up international mobilisation to causes and campaigns and are contributing to changes in governance structures".

Canadian e-newsletter Charity Village reports that new legislation to control shady backroom lobbying of the country's government could be a major burden for some voluntary organisations when it comes into effect. They will need to file reports with a Commissioner of Lobbying by the 15th of the month following any “reportable” communication with Designated Public Office Holders.