About RDI
The Rural Development Institute (RDI) of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences (YASS) is a research institute based in Kunming, Yunnan. We work in collaboration with a range of local and international partners to promote community-based approaches to rural development, to advise and influence policy makers, and to enrich rural development theory through multi-disciplinary action-based research.
Our vision
Our vision is for a Yunnan where:
· All people, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background, are guaranteed equal rights under the protection of law.
· Citizens actively participate in civic society through exercising their rights and fulfilling social responsibilities and duties.
· Citizens take individual and collective responsibility for ensuring livelihood security for all.
· The natural environment is valued, preserved and enjoyed by all.
· The diverse cultures within this province are fostered and respected by all.
· We all share the benefits of development while promoting and maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Our mission
RDI is dedicated to fostering equitable and sustainable development for Yunnan’s rural communities. We do this by working in partnership with local and international agencies to:
· Encourage government and communities to adopt policies and practices that are appropriate for Yunnan’s unique and diverse cultural and environmental setting.
· Advocate for people-focused, community-based approaches to rural development.
· Advise and influence government on rural development policies based on data gathered through field research.
· Contribute innovative knowledge to rural development theory and practice, particularly in regards to the application of China’s national principle of building a ‘harmonious society.
Our values
Equality
· We value knowledge and believe that everyone has an equal right to it. We aim to share our knowledge to help advance development practices that will benefit rural communities.
· We believe in treating each other, our partners and communities with respect, sensitivity and understanding. Our organization is non-hierarchical and democratic.
Enthusiasm
· We are passionate about our work and in our concern for disadvantaged groups.
· We are determined in the pursuit of our mission and vision.
Listening
· We endeavor to listen to a multitude of voices, and refrain from forcing our own opinions on others.
· We aspire to be patient and understanding as we collaborate with our partners and local communities
· We take pride in our sense of curiosity and desire for exploration.
Learning
· We aim for humility in our work. We do not consider ourselves ‘experts’ but rather as researchers who are continuously learning.
· We seek to understand and learn from the knowledge, practices and experiences of the communities and partners we work with.
Strategic objectives
Short-mid term objectives (within next 3 years)
· To become an important consultative body for the government.
· To develop a reputation in western China for excellence in the field of rural development research.
· To transform our research sites into monitoring centers that will serve to record changes in rural development and government policy implementation.
Mid-long-term objectives (within 5-10 years)
· To become a key facilitator of collaborative rural development research in China.
· To become an important base for cooperation in international development research.
Research areas
RDI’s research will focus on the following topics in three key research areas over the coming five years:
Environmental and natural resource management in mountainous areas
· Natural resources property rights
· Environmental health
· Rural energy strategies
· Sustainability of forestry resources
· Development of critical ecological zones
Security and safety of vulnerable communities
· Livelihood security and integrated development in mountainous areas
· Development of infrastructure and public goods/resources
· Poverty alleviation
· Public Health
· Market development for local agricultural
· Economic development of border regions
Social development in minority and border areas
· Cultural diversity and social harmony
· Social stability in border regions
· Non-agricultural activities and population migration
· Local-governance of minority communities
Strategies
· Community participation. Communities have the right to self-governance. We believe community participation should be at the heart of all development activities; both problem analysis and problem solving must come from within communities. External stakeholders, such as NGOs and government, can only facilitate this process. Thus, our research aims to address the problems that rural communities face through collaboration with those communities.
· Integrated development. We adopt multi-disciplinary approaches to our research because we believe development problems can only be effectively solved by adopting multiple perspectives and approaches (economic, social, political, etc.).
· Action-based research. Action is indispensable for problem solving. We discourage study methodologies based solely on secondary data or theoretical research. Instead, we strongly advocate field-based primary research that focuses on solving practical problems in practical ways. We want our work to reflect the realities of the communities we work with, while capturing and incorporating local knowledge about development.
· Capacity building. The saying goes, ‘If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day: if you teach him how to fish you feed him for a lifetime.’ We value the knowledge and skills that communities possess. Our aim is to provide opportunities for communities to explore, harness, and build on their abilities and knowledge. In doing so we encourage them to exercise their rights and to take responsibility for their own development. We also apply this philosophy to ourselves and to our partners.
· Forming Partnerships. We aim to build mutually beneficial, cooperative relationships between communities, ourselves, government and other stakeholders. We try to find common ground in pursuit of our objectives while respecting the different values and approaches of our partners. We aim for synergy in our partnerships: making the most of skills, knowledge, experience and resources of all those involved to achieve the greatest possible benefit.
Organizational approaches
· Participatory management. Our organization is managed in a people-focused, democratic manner that emphasizes collective decision-making and the use of policies and processes to support participatory management practices.
· Individual autonomy. We believe staff should have full responsibility and authority for the management of projects. This includes all aspects of project management including responsibility for project monitoring and evaluation, learning, and reflection.
· Organizational capacity-building. We encourage and support professional development for our staff – particularly our junior staff – taking into account individual interests, knowledge and learning preferences. We encourage our staff to be proactive in their professional development and to pursue creative approaches to learning.
· Resource sharing. We are an open institute that welcomes partnerships and the sharing of knowledge and resources to achieve common goals. We work with a wide range of institutions, ranging from domestic and provincial research institutions, colleges and universities, and relevant governmental agencies.
· Teamwork. We believe that our organization is only as effective as the sum of its parts. While we promote individual responsibility we also expect and encourage teamwork among our staff and partners.