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The link between education, prosperity and democracy South Korea has enjoyed steady growth over the past three decades. The young industrialised nation has already overtaken the av er age level of development of OECD countries, and at fifteenth in the Human Development Index ranks as one of the world’s most developed nations – ahead of Denmark, Belgium and Austria. In the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study on education, South Korea performed best out of all OECD participants. The high level of education in South Korea is seen as one of the reasons for its economic upturn – and this in turn has provided a sound platform for political transformation. In the late 1980s, the country began to put past authoritarian regimes behind it. As a top-transformer, it now ranks seventh out of 128 in the Bertelsmann Transformation Index – with a broad democratic consensus in both institutions and public life, as well as a flourishing civil society. Good training improves employment prospects All around the world, opportunities for those in the employment market increase in line with their level of training. The following graph shows the employment rates for 2009 as a percentage of the population segment between 25 and 64, based on educational qualifications. First and second step of basic education* Upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education** Tertiary education*** Germany 54.9 75.5 86.4 Brazil 68.7 77.4 85.6 OECD average 56.0 74.2 83.6 Israel 44.3 69.0 82.4 Mexico 61.7 71.9 81.7 USA 52.5 68.9 80.8 * International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) Level 1 and 2; ** ISCED Level 3 and 4; *** ISCED Level 5 and 6. source: OECD, Education at a glance 2011 20 akzente 02/2012
In Focus In terms of the second transformation field, renewable energy, Brazil may be a leader in large-scale hydroelectric power and in the production of biofuel derived from sugar cane. But the ecological side effects of these technologies place restrictions on growth – and Brazil has barely begun to exploit its enormous potential where other forms of renewable energy are concerned. Cooperation in this field, says Krammenschneider, is also of benefit to Germany. Since Brazil is not just a major market for German-made energy and environmental technology, it is also a location where specific challenges can generate new ideas for technology developments in German industry. It is not simply about a one-way transfer of knowledge, therefore, ‘it is about scientific and technological cooperation.’ The side effects of this could well be beneficial for the German economy – ‘as long as sustainable development remains the primary focus.’ The revolutions in North Africa have opened the door for new development approaches And one other thing is now clear: as far as the Brazilian transformation process is concerned, ‘we might be able to put fuel in the tank, but the Brazilians are doing the driving.’ The partner decides the direction – and that will sometimes mean being at variance with the outcome. This is what Meinolf Spiekermann discovered in Tunisia. Here, and in Algeria and Morocco, <strong>GIZ</strong> was to implement the project ‘Strengthening Municipal Structures – Maghreb’ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Spiekermann was fobbed off in Tunis for three years. In the country then under the autocratic rule of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the Ministry of the Interior had no interest in promot ing strong and self-aware towns and cities. ‘The door for this project did not open until the revolution in spring last year,’ Spiekermann recalls. Then the Interior Minister asked Germany to help develop democracy at the municipal level. Today the project is anchored in twelve towns and cities around the country, five of them twinned with partners in Germany, seven in structurally weak regions. Suddenly the process cannot move quickly enough, for the revolution began in towns and cities such as these. Now the urban populations want to see tangible administrative change, first and foremost at the local level. Municipal councils represent the first rung of state administration that citizens come into contact with. But the process is not as straightforward as that. It may seem a relatively minor step to set up a citizens’ bureau to handle all the affairs and processes that directly concern the population. But for this to happen there first has to be comprehensive administrative reform. ‘People aspire for change and improvement in their lives. They see cities giving that opportunity to them more than rural areas.’ Sheela Patel, Director of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) A network of cities in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco is being developed in order to create the opportunity to share and replicate lessons learned at the regional level on <strong>issue</strong>s ranging from municipal development, local administration and waste disposal to energy efficiency, transport and urban renewal. Morocco quickly bought in to the network concept, having recognised at an early stage the challenge posed by rapidly growing cities and the need for comprehensive management. Tunisia is now rap idly following suit, although it is showing at least the same level of interest in an exchange with German cities or bodies such as the German Association of Cities as in the regional network. The Algerian Government is still hesitant, while the cities themselves seem eager to participate in the learning network. Such discrepancies are difficult to predict. ‘The more momentum of their own they develop, the more surprising the results may be,’ says Spiekermann. ‘And the greater the success.’ Urban developer Meinert agrees: ‘You need critical mass to support such momentum.’ And you need ‘people who acknowledge their responsibility – at all levels, from the mayor right down to the man or woman in the street.’ In this respect, Bogotá had a stroke of good fortune in » akzente 02/2012 21
Page 1 and 2: issue 02/12 The GIZ Magazine Transf
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS GLOBAL NEWSROUND World new
Page 5 and 6: germany Dialogue on the future GIZ
Page 7 and 8: Every other day, Firtale Berhe from
Page 9 and 10: e e With his new motorcycle, vet Ha
Page 11 and 12: Transformation THEMES IN FOCUS: Com
Page 13 and 14: India: Industrialisation and democr
Page 15 and 16: Brazil investing in urban peace The
Page 17 and 18: IN FOCUS widespread in internationa
Page 19: the process of change itself, in wh
Page 23 and 24: FACTS AND FIGURES No.1 Up 40 places
Page 25 and 26: ten triggered by the symbolic actio
Page 27 and 28: In the Chinese province of Sichuan,
Page 29 and 30: Schweden Finnland Norwegen Estland
Page 31 and 32: e Practice is key: students work on
Page 33 and 34: COMMITMENT A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR MORO
Page 35 and 36: industries, tourism and textiles, w
Page 37 and 38: x. Deutschland Tschechische Republi
Page 39 and 40: With her ‘Café Castello’, Teod
Page 41 and 42: One question, five people WHAT CHAN
Page 43 and 44: The Learning Landscape at the Germa
Page 45 and 46: Published by: Published by: Publish
Page 47 and 48: AUTHORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS FEATURED
Page 49: issue 02/12 The GIZ Magazine Transf

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