No abstract

No abstract

Over the past 60 years, the international development landscape has become far more complex. There is now a much wider range and number of organisations involved in some aspect of poverty alleviation, and an increasing emphasis on collaborative activities and forming partnerships to achieve development goals. This approach has been reinforced by the eighth Millennium Development Goal, which calls for a global partnership for development, the emerging Sustainable Development Goals, as well as recent multi‐stakeholder partnerships including the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, which evolved from the Busan Partnership agreement devised at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. However, there are many challenges to partnerships, both in terms of defining their form and operation, but also achieving sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships for development. The advocating of partnerships in development policy suggests significant normative advantages to a more collaborative approach; however, other literature are more cautious, highlighting a number of pitfalls including reductions in effectiveness, difficulties in implementation and conflicts of interest. This article reviews the contemporary nature of partnerships for international development and considers their role in achieving more effective development cooperation.

No abstract

This paper is motivated by two key themes in international development: the recent surge of interest in wellbeing as the desired outcome of development, and the continuing promotion of group-based activities within development policy and practice. Drawing on findings from research conducted in Northeast Thailand, this paper discusses the development and implementation of a multidimensional framework, which was used to investigate how groups affect the wellbeing of individuals and the community. The research highlights the problematic nature of community groups, as there were often large gaps between aspirations and satisfaction with group membership. Through analysis of these findings, the value of using a wellbeing-focused framework is illustrated, as it provides a more comprehensive way of analysing the diverse and dynamic motivations, experiences and outcomes of group membership. Overall, the wellbeing approach results in greater understanding of the role of groups within the community and the development process.

No abstract

Google Earth is a web-based virtual globe that has seen increasing use over the past five years as a teaching tool and learning resource for geography, earth and environmental science students. This paper explores some of the potential uses of Google Earth in sustainable development education, and assesses its value for staff and students. Over a two year period, different projects were devised that required undergraduate students to engage with Google Earth and reflect on its value. The projects included a final year investigation into climate change in northern Africa which was also used as a learning resource for postgraduate students, a project to assist disaster response coordination following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and a first year exploration of development issues in a variety of locations in the global South. The findings of the research highlight the variety of uses of Google Earth in both physical and human geography, both as a teaching tool and a learning resource. It has great potential to raise awareness of places, issues and technology, to inspire investigation and learning, and enhance understanding of global issues including climate change.

This paper summarises a project undertaken at the Newton Park campus of Bath Spa University over one week in October 2015. The project provided a space for interdisciplinary collaborations between geography and art students to explore the commonalities and differences in how they saw, interpreted, and creatively represented the campus, using a variety of methods. This paper outlines the project and reflects on the processes, outcomes, and challenges of collaboration. It highlights how this approach can enhance student learning experiences, by facilitating more interdisciplinary collaboration across the sciences, arts and humanities, and social sciences. In doing so, it explores the potential and pitfalls of collaborative cultural geography in practice across disciplines.