Governing Civil Society Organisations and Constructing the Common Good

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hein Jessen, Mathias

This paper argues that civil society is something that must be produced and constructed in order to come into existence. This construction entails a specific production of what civil society is, which values are (and should be) present in it, what the common good is and how civil society and civil...... with specific (good) values, but is at the same time instrumentalised to provide welfare services the state can and will no longer provide. Civil society, civil society organisations and the common good are not given entities, but constantly produced and mobilised in different political conjunctures....

Global civil society: between nation states and transnational corporations

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S. A. Kvitka

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Global civil society is the subject of the formation of a new world order and the modern humanitarian outlook, which is based on the primacy of justice and human rights. One of the actors head of global civil society is an international non-governmental organizations. But wrong to equate global civil society with the activities of these organizations only. Mostly they influence governments and their humanitarian and international politics. Meanwhile, the role of global civil and its society various institutions is much greater and significant. The article discusses the various aspects of the civil society from the position that it took place between transnational companies (TNCs and nation-states. The role of the latter is gradually reduced - economic regulation take on multinationals and public administration is a field of activity of various institutions and structures that scientists considered it as a manifestation of global civil society. In Ukraine, which is also involved in the process of globalization, global civil society is one of the main factors of its national civil society.

DOES CIVIL SOCIETY CREATE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS?

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Gauca Oana

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether civil society itself can enhance or stimulate the creation of social entrepreneurs, by studying the traits of the civil society and the various definitions attributed to it. The main question that the paper wants to answer to is Does civil society create social entrepreneurs and the main approach used in this research paper is the theoretical one. By studying existing articles and books on the topic, the paper tries to emphasize the various dimensions that civil society can embrace, as pictured by various authors, as well as how these dimensions can relate to social entrepreneurs and the emergence of social businesses. The paper is not meant to be a breakthrough in the field, but rather to launch a question that is related to very important topics these days, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, social businesses and their connection to a very much debated topic-civil society. The paper is work-in progress and wants to stimulate research regarding the search of the sources of social entrepreneurship, in order to analyze them and better establish them as incubators for the future. It wants to be of use to whoever is researching the concepts illustrated above, as well as for those who want to get in touch with the new buzz words of the academic and entrepreneurial fields. The hereby paper stands, as previously stated, in a theoretical framework and the findings represent a mere analysis of the cause-effect relationship between the characteristics of civil society and those of social entrepreneurs. However, we are of the opinion that it can be a very good starting point for the ones interested in the domain, to analyze more sources of social entrepreneurship or further refine the answer to the question addressed in this article.

Remaking Public Spaces for Civil Society

Science.gov (United States)

Ranson, Stewart

2012-01-01

The collective action predicaments of the time require citizens to participate in remaking the governance of civil society so that they can become engaged and cooperate together. Can citizens become makers of civil society? This article draws upon Hannah Arendt's "On Revolution" to provide a theory of remaking in which citizens come together to…

How Global is Global Civil Society?

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Neera Chandhoke

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In recent times the concept of global civil society has made its appearance on national and international intellectual, as well as political agendas, in a major way. It is of some interest that two other concepts, both of which call for transcendence of national boundaries in precisely the same way as global civil society does, have also made their appearance on the scene of intellectual debates at roughly the same time: the concept of cosmopolitanism and that of transnational justice. All three concepts have dramatically expanded the notion of commitment to one’s fellow beings beyond the nation state. And all three concepts have extended critiques of policies that violate the dignity of human beings from national governments to the practices of inter-national institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Forum. In sum the inter-related concepts of global civil society, cosmopolitanism, and transnational justice have greatly enlarged the traditional domain of political theory. And yet for any political theorist who is acutely conscious of the phenomenon of power, these concepts are not unproblematic. For the practices of global civil society may just reinforce the intellectual and the moral power of the West over the postcolonial world. This is particularly true of say global human rights organizations. This paper will attempt to raise some questions of the concept and the practices of global civil society from the perspective of the countries of the South.

Civil society and the ‘commanding heights’:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spear, Roger; Paton, Rob

Civil society associations, including voluntary and community groups, trade unions, faithbased organisations, co-operatives and mutuals, have long influenced the economy. Civil society associations can run businesses and they can run organisations that aim to influence businesses. Together, these...

Michel Foucault and the Forces of Civil Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villadsen, Kaspar

2016-01-01

, presenting civil society as a ‘reality that does not exist’ but still has real effects. This new reality holds contradictory potentials. When articulated by political eschatology, civil society supports prophecies of the end of politics in a final accord where contradictions dissolve and the community...... absorbs the state. Neoliberal notions of civil society promise, on Foucault’s account, a more open-ended milieu of subject formation....

Institutions of Civil Society Participating in Public Relations

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Olga S. Belokrylova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The degree of maturity of the civil society of a country is now seen as an important indicator of the development of a socially oriented market economy. The authors explore two forms of state and civil society relations - qualitative, characterized by the diffusion of a relationship of trust in society, and quantitative, in the system of public procurement corruption identifiable pace of localization. Institutional capacity development of civil society in public relations is the simultaneous modernization of the qualitative and quantitative scope of its relationship with the state. The paper presents the mechanism of transition to a partnership model relations between the state and civil society, the most important form of which is the realization of public control, rapid formal institutionalization which has provided detection and elimination of large-scale irregularities in public procurement. Its swift formal institutionalization provided by representatives of civil society to identify and eliminate large-scale irregularities in public procurement. The experience of NGO Fund "Sodeistvie - XXI vek" to identify "blind" purchases, is offered as a tool to improve the efficiency of public control conduct free training of potential public controlles by institutions engaged in training of civil officials for the course "Management of state and municipal procurement".

Civil Society and Distributional Conflicts in Southeast Asia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Johannes Dragsbæk

2010-01-01

focuses on the competing theoretical definitions and assumptions about civil society, democratization and social change; the second part explores the attempts by civil society actors to impact conflicts over resources and distribution of welfare in Southeast Asia; the third section focuses...... on the conflictual relationship between civil society organizations (CSOs) and the state and various types of social and labour market regulations, laws and contractual relationships, and finally the need for progressive social reform is emphasized as one important type of social resistance against the downsizing...

NAHDLATUL ULAMA (NU SEBAGAI CIVIL SOCIETY DI INDONESIA

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Esty Ekawati

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Civil Society is non-government organization or an autonomous group which is faced with state and has a function for check and balance for the government policy. Civil society also has a function to social control. Lary Diamond said that civil society establish on cultural organization such as religion or ethnic or organization which keep the truth and believe. Nahdhatul Ulama is a religion organization in Indonesia which has function to social control for the government. Beside that, the activities of NU in education, democracy development and other social activities made NU still exist in social and political society in Indonesia.

Holistic Development: Muslim Women's Civil Society Groups in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Holistic Development: Muslim Women's Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. ... we conceptualize economic and political participation and measure inequality. ... Tanzania to help develop mechanisms for sustainable economic growth and ... Keywords: African women, muslim women, civil society, economic ...

Religion, civil society and conflict: What is it that religion does for and to society?

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Jaco Beyers

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Human consciousness instinctively tries to make sense of reality. Different human interpretations of reality lead to a world consisting of multiple realities. Conflict occurs when differing realities (worldviews encounter one another. Worldviews are socially created and determine human behaviour and, as such, most often find expression in religion. The discussion of conflict and the role of religion in civil society take place within the discourse of the sociology of religion. Religion is socially determined. Peter Berger’s insight into the sociology of religion therefore plays an important role in establishing the relationship between religion and civil society as one that takes on different forms. Thus, a clear definition of both civil society and religion was needed to understand the nature of these relationships. The role of religion in civil society with regard to the presence of conflict in society was further investigated in this article. The conditions under which conflict in society occurs were discussed, as were the conditions for tolerance in society, for religion ultimately becomes the provider of moral discernment when conflict occurs in civil society.

Civil Society Participation in the Governance of Educational Systems ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Donor organizations increasingly support the idea that civil society organizations should be involved in the process of national education reform. Yet despite this widespread endorsement, little is known about the quality and effectiveness of civil society participation in education reform. This project will explore the role of civil ...

Masa depan civil society di Indonesia: prospek dan tantangan

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Halili Halili

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to discuss on civil society, its prospects and challenges. It is urgent because civil society is a determining factor of lndonesia democratization. Civil society is a society within state which containing social association which has ability to fill public spaces between state and citizen, and interactwith state independt1y, wether indivual or collective. Prospect qf civil societyfarming is determined by establishment ofsome components: 1 existence cf societal autonomy, 2 access ofpublic to state agencies, 3 independent public arena; 4 arena publik yang mandiri, dan keempat arena publik yang terbuka. Prospect of ciuil society deuelopmentis influenced by optimalization ofsome factors: 1 establishment of, demo­cratic families, 2 growth of roles of non government organization toward both state and citizen, 3 increase of intellectual middle class, especially students, and 4 implementation of political education formally (e.g. civic or citizenship education and informally. The challenges of future of civil society are: 1 high of social fragmentation among people, 2 limited distribution of development results infold ofeconomy, social, and education, and also 4 paternalistic culture which is stiO strong among society.

Kingdom, church and civil society: A theological paradigm for civil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article deals with the role that churches can and should play in civil society to develop societal morally. The central-theoretical argument is that the biblical notion of the kingdom of God can, when it is systematically and theologically developed, offer an acceptable foundation for the civil action of churches. In light of this ...

Civil Society and Democratic Governance in Ghana: Emerging ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Though the essence of 'civil society' appeared in the writings of Rousseau, Ferguson, Tocqueville and Gramsci, the use of the term did not become prominent until the 18th century. Variously defined, the meaning, applicability and categorization of civil society are embedded in highly contextualized ideological debates of ...

Civil society: beyond non profit / Sociedad civil: más allá del non profit

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Miguel de Haro Serrano

2013-10-01

Full Text Available For a numerous group of recognized and proved authority authors, the Civil Society is limited to the Non Profit organizations. Non Profit is the great limit, the rigid and static border. The limes on the Roman Empire were less overwhelming than the non profit of certain academics. Dura lex and unfair law that keeps aside from the civil society scope the entities on the social economy and the whole market around mercantile enterprises and businesses. Nevertheless, the new changes in the today’s society and the new concept of businesses oriented to the society without forsaking the quest for economic profit, poses a Civil Society beyond non profit.

Civil Society Participation in the Governance of Educational Systems ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project will explore the role of civil society organizations in education reform in ... practices and model initiatives for civil society engagement in the educational sector. ... Eleven world-class research teams set to improve livestock vaccine ...

Sustainable Civil-Society Engagement: Potentials of a Transnational Civil Society in French-German, Polish-German, and Czech-German Border Regions

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Klaus Boehnke

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Based on representative survey data, the present study examines potentials for the sustainable development of a transnational civil society in French-German, Polish-German, and Czech-German border regions. The theoretical framework is a social capital approach in the tradition of Putnam. Transnational engagement is seen as a key element for the development of a border-crossing civil society. For the analysis, existing forms of social capital were classified according to their bridging and bonding functions and the potentials of local and transnational activities are described. Furthermore, using multilevel analysis, the predictive power of different variables like individual dispositions and specific contexts of the regions on cross-border activities are examined. Descriptively, the expected lower level of local civil-society engagement, in general, and also with regard to the transnational activities was found for post-socialist border regions. It is shown that, first and foremost, existing experience in civil-society engagement in the local context is a high-impact predictor for both transnational activities and an interest in such activities. Other variables like feelings of a historical burden or the economic situation of the region are less important.

Autism Society

Science.gov (United States)

... Español Improving the lives of all affected by autism. The Autism Society is the nation's leading grassroots ... more Improving the lives of all affected by autism. The Autism Society is the nation's leading grassroots ...

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP

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Loredana JITARU

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The Eastern Partnership (EaP launched in 2009 as the Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy introduced the civil society as a new strategic actor in the EU's relations with Eastern Partnership countries. The civil society‟s role is to participate in policy making, to suggest new initiatives and to promote shared values of partnership, such as: democracy, promoting better governance, state law, sustainable development, respect for human rights and for the fundamental freedoms. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, we analyse the role of the civil society in the EaP and we ask whether the increasing role of the civil society in the EaP will lead to the success of this project. In the second part, we analyse the perceptions and the attitudes of civil society towards European integration.

Engaging Civil Society in Countering Violent Extremism

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Bibi van Ginkel

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this Research Paper Dr. Bibi van Ginkel takes an in depth look at how multi-lateral institutions, engage with civil society to counter violent extremism. Dr. van Ginkel argues that civil society can play a crucial role in preventing and countering violent extremism in numerous ways – by working on development programs, through their work in conflict transformation, in providing a platform to raise political grievances and to facilitate dialogue, or through their work in empowering victims and survivors of terrorism. The Paper finds that over the last decade there has been a more intensive coordination of activities between the UN and other multi-lateral organisations and civil society but the question remains whether the implementation as well as the drafting of these policies will live up to their potential effectiveness. This Paper gauges how effective these measures have been and what more there is to do. The final section concludes with a series of policy recommendations.

Systematic classification of civil society contributions to nuclear safeguards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalinowski, Martin B. [Universitaet Hamburg, Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker, Centre for Science and Peace Research (ZNF) Hamburg (Germany)

2012-06-15

Civil Society is increasingly involved in the policy area of international arms control. Their opportunities are very limited for compliance control in the nuclear nonproliferation regime due to its particular sensitivity. The severe gaps of nuclear safeguards with respect to the capabilities to detect clandestine facilities render marginal civil society contributions highly influential and controversial. More and more data get available for the civil society that can be used to expose potential violations of the NPT. A systematic framework is presented to classify civil society contributions that allows for a systematic study. This classification uses the two parameters (a) affected safeguards stage and (b) degree of integration with the official procedures. These parameters may have the following defined values: (a) The affected safeguards stage can be i. Development and demonstration of new methodologies and technologies ii. Fact finding and data gathering iii. Sharing and publication of data and information iv. Technical analysis of data and information v. Determination of non-compliance vi. Political interpretation (b) The degree of integration can be i. Without a relation ii. Indirect connection iii. Informal interaction iv. Official contribution or mandate. A prominent example for civil society contributions is the increasing availability and capability to acquire and analyze satellite images. An emerging field is environmental sampling, analysis and related atmospheric transport simulation. These and other opportunities are put in the systematic framework to discuss their demonstrated and potential impact. In particular, possible contributions that civil society may offer for improving the detectability of unreported facilities and activities are considered with their chances and risks.

Transnationalising Civil Society?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Martin Bak

The paper takes a transnational perspective on developing an analytical framework for understanding how transnationalism interacts with civil society and how immigrant organisations use transnational strategies to challenge the pre-given positions of immigrants within given integration......- and citizenship-regimes. Locating transnationalism as part of the political opportunity structure also indicates that the state(s) to some degree can facilitate transnationalism, directly and indirectly. A substantial part of political engagement now occurs via transnational channels. What is uncertain is to what...

Civil Society in the Shadow of the Neoliberal State

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hein Jessen, Mathias

. With globalization and neoliberal policies and the dismantling of the Western welfare states, civil society has increasingly been mobilized for securing governmental and social aims that the states could or would no longer provide, and now the freedom, autonomy and critical role of civil society organizations...

Cultivating a Grassroots Aerospace Innovation Culture at NASA Ames Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Sarah; Sanchez, Hugo; Lewis, Ryan

2017-01-01

This paper details the adaptation of specific 'knowledge production' methods to implement a first of its kind, grassroots event that provokes a cultural change in how the NASA Ames civil servant community engages in the creation and selection of innovative ideas. Historically, selection of innovative proposals at NASA Ames Research Center is done at the highest levels of management, isolating the views and perspectives of the larger civil servant community. Additionally, NASA innovation programs are typically open to technical organizations and do not engage non-technical organizations to bring forward innovative processes/business practices. Finally, collaboration on innovative ideas and associated solutions tend to be isolated to organizational silos. In this environment, not all Ames employees feel empowered to innovate and opportunities for employee collaboration are limited. In order to address these issues, the 'innovation contest' method was adapted to create the NASA Ames Innovation Fair, a unique, grassroots innovation opportunity for the civil servant community. The Innovation Fair consisted of a physical event with a virtual component. The physical event provided innovators the opportunity to collaborate and pitch their innovations to the NASA Ames community. The civil servant community then voted for the projects that they viewed as innovative and would contribute to NASA's core mission, making this event a truly grassroots effort. The Innovation Fair website provided a location for additional knowledge sharing, discussion, and voting. On March 3rd, 2016, the 'First Annual NASA Ames Innovation Fair' was held with 49 innovators and more than 300 participants collaborating and/or voting for the best innovations. Based on the voting results, seven projects were awarded seed funding for projects ranging from innovative cost models to innovations in aerospace technology. Surveys of both innovators and Fair participants show the Innovation Fair was successful

Civil Society Organizations’ Contribution To Democratic Governance In European Union

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Dragoș – Cătălin Apostu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper tries to focus/put emphasis on what are Civil Society Organizations are and gives an outline of categories of such Organizations in Europe, it briefly looks at Governance and Democratic Governance concepts. It will then after focus on the major roles of Civil Society Organizations in European democratic Governance drawing other examples also from other countries where possible and try to bring out scholarly arguments on the negative impacts of civil society organizations. The paper ends with conclusions and analysis of SC participation through EU’s multilevel governance. Much of my discussion and commentaries shall be depicted and based on information and ideas put forward by the following scholars; Paul Magnette 2003, European Governance and Civic participation, Dawid Friedrich 2007/08, Actual and Potential Contribution of Civil Society Organizations to Democratic Governance in Europe, EU Governance White Paper 2001, Rollin F. Tusalem 2007, the role of Civil Society in the Third and Fourth-Wave Democracies and other scholars not limited to the above.

Governance and European Civil Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kutay, Acar

This book provides a critical analysis of the European Union’s approach to ‘governance’, focusing on the way in which civil society is incorporated within the EU decision-making process and arguing that it is not conducive to the democratisation of EU governance.\

Partners in peace : discourses and practices of civil-society peacebuilding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van M.

2009-01-01

Since the early 1990s, international development organizations and donor agencies increasingly recognize the contributions local civil society can make to peace. Despite their popularity, questions still remain on the actual nature, practices, and roles of local civil society organizations in

The reclaiming of online media by civil society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galis, Vasilis; Neumayer, Christina

as the oxymoron of radical activists on the left using capitalist media platforms and how this influences their political identity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cyber-material impact of online media on collective action initiated by civil society as well as the relationship between ideological......In light of the financial crisis and harsher migration policies, actions initiated by radical civil society groups are on the rise. This project argues that in this time it is important to understand the reclaiming of online media by civil society. To reach this understanding we will explore how...... activists of the radical left have mobilized protests and solidarity actions through online media. We have chosen to locate our study in Sweden and Greece. Greece has found itself in the eye of the global financial storm whereas Sweden is coming out of the recession more favorably. In general...

The important role of civil society groups in eco-innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yan; Holgaard, Jette Egelund

2012-01-01

the role of civil society groups in eco-innovation by addressing the following research questions: Why is it necessary to stress that civil society groups are as important as university, industry and government in eco-innovation? What inspiration can “triple helix twins” and “quadruple helix” provide when...... groups are not only foundations for developing innovation – they can be actors themselves; the existence of semi-governmental organizations in the Chinese case company, which is categorized under the concept of NGOs, shows the limitations of the concept of civil society groups in exposing important......, as they are helpful not only to provide pressure and push industry onto a green track, but also as supporters and carriers of green business. Corporate social responsibility is proposed as a stepping-stone to engage civil society groups in broader eco-innovation activity. Originality/value – The paper starts...

Crowding-in: how Indian civil society organizations began mobilizing around climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Ylä-Anttila, Tuomas; Swarnakar, Pradip

2017-06-01

This paper argues that periodic waves of crowding-in to 'hot' issue fields are a recurring feature of how globally networked civil society organizations operate, especially in countries of the Global South. We elaborate on this argument through a study of Indian civil society mobilization around climate change. Five key mechanisms contribute to crowding-in processes: (1) the expansion of discursive opportunities; (2) the event effects of global climate change conferences; (3) the network effects created by expanding global civil society networks; (4) the adoption and innovation of action repertoires; and (5) global pressure effects creating new opportunities for civil society. Our findings contribute to the world society literature, with an account of the social mechanisms through which global institutions and political events affect national civil societies, and to the social movements literature by showing that developments in world society are essential contributors to national mobilization processes. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Civil Society In Tanzania: An Analytical Review Of Sources Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sixty percent of civil societies deal with social development programmes. Additionally, results show that most civil societies had disproportionate staffing problems; and sixty six percent depended on international sources of funding while 46% reported that they secured funds from both local and foreign sources of financing.

Program of financial support of civil society organizations in Tijuana: Building a relationship between civil society and municipal government from a political change

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Sheila Delhumeau Rivera

2008-07-01

Full Text Available This document analyzes the relations between society and government that took place with the Financial Aid to Civil Society Organizations Program in Tijuana. The decentralization process of social policy in Mexico is revised as the context in which new programs and initiatives are developed promoting a stronger participation of the society in the policy process. The reflection on the social policy of the National Action Party in Baja California since 1989, has lead us to see the new challenges that the Financial Aid to Civil Society Organizations Program presents to the local and state government and the social organizations.

On the nature of advocacy as an institution of civil society

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Rauf O. Mamedov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective to determine the nature of advocacy in terms of the interests of society and the state. Methods dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena allowing to analyze them in the context of the totality of objective and subjective factors determined the use of research methods such as systematic comparativelegal and formallogical. Results it is shown that taking into account the implementation of public interests advocacy promotes the administration of justice within the frameworks of the legal assistance guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. However the public interest embodied in the human rights nature of the legal profession and ensuring the adversarial nature of the judicial process does not allow to consider advocacy solely the civil society institution. The conclusion is made about the narrowness of interpretation of the advocacy status as the institution of civil society in the Federal Law No 63FZ quotOn advocacy activity and advocacy in Russian Federationquot of 31.05.2002. The concept of advocacy is proposed not so much as an institution of civil society but as an important public institution participating in implementation of public interests thus promoting the administration of justice and thereby participating in the formation of the system of checks and balances in relations between the state and the civil society in Russia. Scientific novelty in the Russian scientific literature the study of advocacy as an institution of civil society is not addressed adequately. Innbspthis article the author attempts to comprehend the possibility of considering the advocacy to be a civil society institution in the light of implementation of public interests. Practical significance the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific and pedagogical activity in studying of institutions of civil society in Russia in general and advocacy in particular. nbsp

The Impact of Civil Society Organizations on Sustainable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Toshiba

society organizations appear to play important role in social, political and economic ... depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of its civil societies. This ..... media provided a strong leadership and organized protests against unpopular ...

Kontribusi Etika Islam pada Pendidikan Politik: Solusi bagi Problema Civil Society Indonesia Era Reformasi

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M. Abdul Fattah Santoso

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Paying attention to the gap between the fenomenal discource dan movement of civil society in the Indonesian politics in 1990s and its anomali movement in the reformation era, has been be studied the problems of Indonesian civil society in such era using documents and decriptive and critical analysis in order to be sought its ways out using reflective analysis. Instead of being strong, Indonesian civil society in the reformation era really weakened. The civil society those formerly had autonomy  were  coopted  by the state when their  leader  got power.  The leaders themselves looked inconsistent in democratic culture. Moreover, civil society grew as a mean of  struggle for power, and when the power was in hand they coopted the state. Besides, the public civility collapsed and the new primordialism, such as etnic nationalism, communalism, and religious sectarianism, appeared. As a solution to civil society’s weakness, is absolutely needed their empowerment through political education prioritizing Islamic ethics based on civic values: civility, autonomy, self-help, self-sufficiency, and social contract. Civility is an ethical solution for solving problems of anomalous growth of civil society as a mean of struggle for power, collapse of public civility, and leader’s inconsistency in public civility. Autonomy, self-help, and self-sufficiency are ethical solutions for solving the problem of civil society being coopted by the state when their leader gets power. Moreover, social contract is an ethical solution for solving the problem of civil society coopting the state.

Civil Society and Islamism in Iraq | CRDI - Centre de recherches ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

A vibrant civil society sector in some Middle Eastern states has managed over the years to fill a role traditionally held by state institutions, that of providing social services such as health care, education and housing. Islamic civil society organizations have been especially successful in this role, and in doing so have acquired ...

Civil Society and the Conduct of Free, Fair and Credible Election ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil Society and the Conduct of Free, Fair and Credible Election: Lessons from ... of Non Governmental agencies like civil society to prevent the government of the ... fair so as to rid the continent of its notorious record of post election violence.

Understanding civil society before and after 1989

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Ferenc Miszlivetz

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Entrapped in the ambiguities of the Realpolitik of the Yalta system, East and Central European societies had to proceed on a long path of learning in order to find the right modes of self-organization and articulation to defend their values and identities vis-à-vis dictatorship and authoritarian rule. These bitter lessons contributed to the emergence of a new «strategy», a new vision which materialized in the emerging political philosophy and the political and social practice of civil society. This development would not have been possible without a gradual and fundamental change in political thinking and goal-setting, expressed in the development of a new concept of civil society.Atrapados en las ambigüedades de la Realpolitik del sistema de Yalta, las sociedades del Centro y Este de Europea han tenido que proceder a un largo camino de aprendizaje a fin de encontrar formas correctas de autoorganización y la articulación de la defensa de sus valores e identidades vis-à- vis con una dictadura y una administración autoritaria. Estas amargas lecciones contribuyeron a la emergencia de una nueva «estrategia», una nueva visión materializada en la emergente filosofía política y la práctica social y política de la sociedad civil. Este desarrollo no hubiera sido posible sin el gradual y fundamental cambio en el pensamiento político y el establecimiento de metas, expresadas en el desarrollo de un nuevo concepto de sociedad civil. 

Global Civil Society and International Summits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrebye, Silas

2011-01-01

a central role in today’s activist landscape. I develop these typological conceptual representations based on an understanding of civil society as a mediating catalyst. By presenting six versions of citizenship participation based on an analysis of diverse ends and means, I identify how each of them has...

Citizenship, Democratic Participation, and Civil Society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boje, Thomas P.

2015-01-01

The interaction between organized civil society and the public sector has becoming stronger and more outspoken for several reasons. First, the public sector is increasingly turning to the civic organizations because the general failure of New Public Management strategies and market-driven solutio...... participatory democracy through active involving of all citizens....

The role of civil society in conflict resolution in the Democratic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil society organisations were directly involved in both the peace process and the subsequent transitional dispensation designed to resolve the conf lict, providing some sort of popular legitimacy to these two processes clearly dominated by politico-military forces. The central argument of this article is that while civil society ...

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF MODERN RUSSIAN MODERNIZATION

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Василий Вячеславович Рябев

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the functions of the civil society in contemporary Russian realias. The purpose is to identify and classify the most important functions of the civil society under the conditions of comprehensive modern Russian modernization. The article presents the author's classification of the functions of the civil society, based on the analysis of significant studies of foreign and Russian researchers. Here is a detailed analysis of each function focused on the most relevant to a modern Russian society, the potential of Russian civil society is revealed dealing with following issues: the institutionalization of the civic activity, the anti-corruption policy, the consolidation of democratic forces, the formation of the legal culture. The conclusions can be used in studies related to the civil society, the specific mechanisms for dealing with current social issues by means of civic participation, presented in this article, may be the object of interest for government institutions.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-10-6

The African Diaspora, Civil Society and African Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Opoku-Mensah, Paul Yaw

This paper, a work-in-progress, makes a contribution to the discussions on the appropriate modalities for incorporating the African diaspora in the African integration project.  It argues that the most appropriate entry points for incorporating the African diaspora into the integration project...... might not, necessarily, be in the formal political structures, although this is important. To the contrary, the most effective and sustainable might be within civil society---that is the links between the peoples and organizations of Africa and the diaspora. Using the case of the African academy......-- as an institution of civil society--- the paper outlines a conceptual framework for incorporating the diaspora into the African integration project....

Civil society in beweging: Vier moskeeorganisaties in Amsterdam Slotervaart

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Inge de Jong

2007-03-01

Full Text Available In this article, a picture is drawn of four mosques and affiliated foundations in the civil society of the Amsterdam city district Slotervaart. The focus in this article is concerned with civil society and religion. We took a closer look at what activities were being organised, what developments were underway, and what view the boards of the foundations and mosque councils held with respect to citizenship and the function of places of worship in Dutch society. The results of the study show that members of the board and volunteers try to build a bridge to Dutch society by appealing to the community from the perspective of theirn bonding function. The organisations find themselves in a field of force with internal and external developments in which they must function and within which they try to give their social responsibility shape.

Finding Political Opportunities: Civil Society, Industrial Power, and the Governance of Nanotechnology in the European Union

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Anna Lamprou

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The European Union encourages and institutionalizes participation by environmental, consumer, and labor organizations in the governance of nanotechnology. Interviews with leaders of the civil society organizations (CSOs show that they identified multiple problems with nanotechnology policy but had only limited success in gaining the changes that they sought. CSO leaders explain their lack of success as due to the overwhelming power of industry and the support of the European Commission for new industrial development, including nanotechnology. We analyze the perspectives of CSO leaders about their difficulties to develop the theory of the political opportunity structure in the situation of a highly scientized policy field with strong industrial monitoring. We suggest the need to extend the theory to pay more attention to the strategies that reformers can use to maneuver in and to open a relatively closed political opportunity structure. We argue that formal stakeholder engagement is not very effective and suggest instead the importance of the following: building coalitions with government actors, threatening or mobilizing grassroots mobilization, making the issue salient to the public, and pursuing the full range of institutional repertoires.

An analysis on the contribution of civil society to democratic consolidation in Turkey

OpenAIRE

Torus, Emre

2007-01-01

Cataloged from PDF version of article. This is an analysis on the contribution of civil society to democratic consolidation in Turkey. This thesis will try to understand this problematic by assessing the civil society’s formal structure, legal framework, internal values and its impact during the consolidation process. The key aim here is to understand the civil society’s role as a contributor to democratic consolidation by mapping the civil society and democratic consolidati...

The role of civil society in strengthening intercultural maternal health care in local health facilities: Puno, Peru

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Jeannie Samuel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Peru's Ministry of Health has made efforts to increase the cultural inclusiveness of maternal health services. In 2005, the Ministry adopted an intercultural birthing policy (IBP that authorizes and encourages the use of culturally acceptable birthing practices in government-run health facilities. However, studies suggest that indigenous women may receive inconsistent benefits from these kinds of policies. This article examines whether a grassroots accountability initiative based on citizen monitoring of local health facilities by indigenous women can help to promote the objectives of the IBP and improve intercultural maternal health care. Design: Findings are drawn from a larger qualitative research study completed in 2015 that included fieldwork done between 2010 and 2011. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 women working as citizen monitors in local health facilities in Puno and 30 key informants, including frontline health workers, health officials, and civil society actors in Puno and Lima, and human rights lawyers from the Defensoría del Pueblo Office in Puno. Results: Monitors confirmed from their own personal experiences in the 1990s and early 2000s that respect for intercultural aspects of maternal health care, including traditional indigenous birthing practices, were not readily accepted in publicly funded health facilities. It was also common for indigenous women to face discrimination when seeking health service provided by the state. Although the government's adoption of the IBP in 2005 was a positive step, considerable efforts are still needed to ensure high-quality, culturally appropriate maternal health care is consistently available in local health facilities. Conclusions: Despite important progress in the past two decades, policies aimed at improving intercultural maternal health care are unevenly implemented in local health facilities. Civil society, in particular indigenous women

The role of civil society in strengthening intercultural maternal health care in local health facilities: Puno, Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel, Jeannie

2016-01-01

Background and objective Peru's Ministry of Health has made efforts to increase the cultural inclusiveness of maternal health services. In 2005, the Ministry adopted an intercultural birthing policy (IBP) that authorizes and encourages the use of culturally acceptable birthing practices in government-run health facilities. However, studies suggest that indigenous women may receive inconsistent benefits from these kinds of policies. This article examines whether a grassroots accountability initiative based on citizen monitoring of local health facilities by indigenous women can help to promote the objectives of the IBP and improve intercultural maternal health care. Design Findings are drawn from a larger qualitative research study completed in 2015 that included fieldwork done between 2010 and 2011. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 women working as citizen monitors in local health facilities in Puno and 30 key informants, including frontline health workers, health officials, and civil society actors in Puno and Lima, and human rights lawyers from the Defensoría del Pueblo Office in Puno. Results Monitors confirmed from their own personal experiences in the 1990s and early 2000s that respect for intercultural aspects of maternal health care, including traditional indigenous birthing practices, were not readily accepted in publicly funded health facilities. It was also common for indigenous women to face discrimination when seeking health service provided by the state. Although the government's adoption of the IBP in 2005 was a positive step, considerable efforts are still needed to ensure high-quality, culturally appropriate maternal health care is consistently available in local health facilities. Conclusions Despite important progress in the past two decades, policies aimed at improving intercultural maternal health care are unevenly implemented in local health facilities. Civil society, in particular indigenous women themselves, can play an

Planning and Evaluation by Canadian Civil Society Organizations ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Planning and Evaluation by Canadian Civil Society Organizations : Bridging Gaps ... Specifically, the research team will assess the various planning, monitoring ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, ...

Civil Society Organisations and Conflict Management: The Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil Society Organisations and Conflict Management: The Nigerian ... and since violence begets violence, the approach has not really resulted in ... Christian religion and modern conflict resolution mechanism to intervene in the conflicts.

Civil Society and Islamism in Iraq | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project will examine Iraqi Islamist civil society organizations in an attempt to determine ... Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme. Institution Country. France ... IWRA/IDRC webinar on climate change and adaptive water management.

Developing civil society expertise to promote democratic ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

It will also build civil society partnership networks and capacity for effective engagement with principal stakeholders in defence affairs, helping to transform attitudes and ... IDRC is supporting research that studies the most effective ways to empower women, prevent gender-based violence, and make digital platforms work for ...

Civil society as a means harmonization of relations between the state and citizens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. A. Babarykina

2014-09-01

The modern Ukrainian society now appeared before a choice of civilization and experiencing historic change, the essence of which is to move from one qualitative state to another. Today, Ukrainian society is socio-cultural transformation that is associated with the making of post-industrial society. Effective development of modern Ukrainian society depends on preventing antagonism in the relationship of civil society and the state. Democracy allows the majority to influence policy and freely exercise of public interest.

Social Movements, Civil Society and Corporations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Bakker, Frank; Hond, Frank den; King, Brayden

2013-01-01

, is the central question that unites the papers in this special issue. In this essay, we review the differences and points of contact between the study of social movements, civil society and corporations, and offer an agenda for future research at this intersection that also frames the papers in the special issue...... of contestation and collaboration. The papers in this special issue are introduced in how they speak to these questions....

Organized Civil Society, Participation and Citizenship in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boje, Thomas P.

2015-01-01

welfare states and the chapter will discuss these differences and how the economic and social crisis has influenced the position of organised civil society and civic participation in general among European citizens. The chapter will conclude with a programmatic statement on the role of organised civil...... of citizens in the society. The economic and social crisis in Europe has accentuated the importance of different types of civic organisations in defending the social rights of the citizens and mediating between citizens and the political authorities. The main reason for this is the legitimacy crisis...... of the participatory democracy in the post-industrial countries. Additional factor to be considered are difficulties of realizing processes that are able to involve citizens in strategic decision-making at community as well as national level and difficulties in the identification and organization of welfare services...

Civil Society as one of the decisive factors of the Ukrainians’ consolidation in the Postcolonial period

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I. M. Grabovska

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The actual problem of the modern Ukrainian society has been considered in the article. Civil society’s development is a major factor in the consolidation of the community. The consolidation of the Ukrainian postcolonial community is a crucial condition for its further existence as the state. Hybrid War of Russia against Ukraine is threatening its national integrity. The actuality of the issue is determined also by the tasks of the implementation of the stable democracy in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to prove that civil society today is the most important factor, which is uniting the Ukrainian society. Today there are several concepts of the civil society. Many historical challenges have led to the creation of the civil society in these lands. For example, the establishment of the Magdeburg Law on ethnic Ukrainian lands united the cities’ public societies. Principles of life organisation by the Magdeburg Law were organic for Ukrainians. This was caused by a number of factors. In particular, it was the Ukrainian mentality. The Russian colonization of Ukraine destroyed the democratic principles of life in these lands, crashed civil solidarity and influenced the mentality of people. The phenomenon of the civil society is complex and multifaceted. Civil society is a space of the initiative of free citizens and NGOs, independent from the state and business. They willingly assume the responsibility for their maintenance of the social life outside the state and business. Civil society plays special role in postcolonial communities of the transition type. The Ukrainian society is such community now. The events of the Revolution of Dignity, and then the war in the eastern Ukraine have shown that the civil activity of the population by itself, the ability to act effectively and integrally created the conditions for preservation of the independent Ukrainian state. The consolidation of the Ukrainians in the most dangerous times of

Big Society? Disabled people with the label of learning disabilities and the queer(y)ing of civil society

OpenAIRE

Goodley, Dan; Runswick-Cole, Katherine

2014-01-01

This paper explores the shifting landscape of civil society alongside the emergence of ‘Big Society’ in the UK. We do so as we begin a research project Big Society? Disabled people with learning disabilities and Civil Society [Economic and Social Research Council (ES/K004883/1)]; we consider what ‘Big Society’ might mean for the lives of disabled people labelled with learning disabilities (LDs). In the paper, we explore the ways in which the disabled body/mind might be thought of as a locus o...

Researching Multilingualism and Superdiversity: Grassroots Actions and Responsibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Li

2014-01-01

The articles in this thematic issue document studies of grassroots actions in promoting multilingualism across different sectors of society as well as in different social and professional domains. In doing so, the contributors raise issues of the relevance of the notion of community in the age of superdiversity and the researcher's…

Analogue Forms of the Civil Society (Exemplified by the Islamic Countries

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Barashkov Grigoriy M.

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the analogue forms of civil society in the Islamic countries of the South. The author analyzes the formation and development of the civil society in this region of the world, its specifics and peculiarities. The author also shows that burgeoning civil society models of non-western area have their own specific features, which are determined by a unique way of civilizational development and by significant impact of the religious factor. The present research brings up a methodological novation – an analogous civil society. According to this novation, the developing political system (which takes part in civilizational competition with other systems and tries to use their historical experience and accumulated resources explicitly, for example, by attracting ideas, technologies, investments, or implicitly – by creating the same resources through modernization and social mobilization does not imply an organic link between ideologically reflected meaning of this system’s existence, the forms of such existence, and the main institutions’ functionality. Moreover, this smoothness is not very important and desirable for the analogue system or its components. The meaning of such system’s existence is using the forms, principles, mechanisms, elaborated through historical development of social and political systems for their own specific purposes, for the sake of diametrically opposed goals that sometimes are not very detailed.

Openness to civil society: The challenges for the TSOs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petitfrere, M.; Rollinger, F.

2007-01-01

Society's concerns have led to changes in the legal framework towards a greater requirement for public information and participation in decision-making processes. International organisations such as the OECD/NEA and the IAEA have also made similar changes. What changes are necessary to the way TSOs work to make space for a fourth player - the population - in controlling radiological and nuclear risk? Society's participation varies from access to existing information to a desire to participate in expert assessments in a pluralistic assessment process. IRSN has made openness to civil society one of its four strategic priorities, and a dedicated team is responsible for carrying out actions in consultation with players from civil society, including the local information committees (CLIs). These actions lie at the heart of IRSN's strategy, because it is only by developing experimental expert assessment processes involving parts of civil society that both sides can learn from one another. Two pluralistic expert groups have been set up on radiological protection, and their innovative method of operation is worth highlighting. Another participative action is the development jointly with the CLIs in the Loire basin of methods of collecting environmental monitoring data. Finally, to accompany and promote this new approach internally, an internal network dedicated to stakeholder involvement has been set up. IRSN also intends to take advantage of existing experiences elsewhere. These moves towards joint expert assessment are an inevitable development that demands a real change of culture on the part of all players, putting technical issues as part of a broader process of evaluation and decision-making. Actually, they form part of a sustainable development approach. (author)

Transnational Diaspora and Civil Society Actors Driving MNE Internationalisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rana, Mohammad Bakhtiar; Elo, Maria

2016-01-01

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are viewed as proactive global economic actors that enter new and emerging markets with intentional strategies, building on their inherent resources and firm-specific advantages. However, an international joint venture involves numerous actors in the market entry...... and civil society actors. It provides evidence of the reactive internationalisation of an MNE, showing how the transnational diaspora drove the MNE’s internationalisation and how a civil society actor, in conjunction with a diaspora member, facilitated the creation of an international joint venture (IJV...... and organisational capability base for this process, which would not have happened without their market-driving and enabling influence. The findings illustrate the central role of transnational diaspora entrepreneurship and the related innovation, motivation, contextual intelligence, networking and funding...

Global Civil Society: the Formation of the New Actor of World Politics. Part I

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Владимир Геннадьевич Иванов

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the analysis of the emerging global phenomenon: the rise of global civil society as the new actor of world politics. The author suggests that the importance of global civil society as a «third way» between the State and the Free Market is especially high at the time of modern economic crisis. Global civil society organizations work out the new socio-political agenda for the world and new approaches to the global problems. This shaping society is full of conflicts and contradictions but its rapid development in the 1990-2000th is the milestone for developing of truly global politics.

Democratic Dawn? Civil Society and Elections in Myanmar 2010–2012

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Michael Lidauer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available While the general elections in Myanmar in November 2010 were widely condemned, both national and international actors approached the by-elections of April 2012 as a political rite-de-passage to improve relations between the government and the opposition inside, and between the former pariah state and the international community outside the country. An undercurrent to the government-led transition process from an authoritarian to a formally more democratic regime was the development of a politically oriented civil society that found ways to engage in the electoral process. This article describes the emerging spaces of election-related civil society activism in the forms of civic and voter education, national election observation, and election-related agency in the media. Noting that, in particular, election observation offers connections for civil society to regional and international debates, the paper draws preliminary conclusions about further developments ahead of the general elections in Myanmar expected for 2015.

Civil society in a divided society: Linking legitimacy and ethnicness of civil society organizations in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Science.gov (United States)

Puljek-Shank, Randall; Verkoren, Willemijn

2017-06-01

Civil society (CS) strengthening is central to peacebuilding policies for divided, post-war societies. However, it has been criticized for creating internationalized organizations without local backing, unable to represent citizens' interests. Based on in-depth empirical research in Bosnia-Herzegovina, this article focuses on the legitimacy of CS organizations (CSOs). It explores why legitimacy for donors rarely accompanies legitimacy for local actors. We hypothesized that whilst donors avoid supporting mono-ethnic organizations, seen as problematic for peacebuilding, 'ethnicness' may provide local legitimacy. However, our analysis of CSOs' ethnicness nuances research characterizing organizations as either inclusive or divisive. Moreover, local legitimacy is not based on ethnicness per se, but CSOs' ability to skilfully interact with ethnically divided constituencies and political structures. In addition, we offer novel explanations why few organizations enjoy both donor and local legitimacy, including local mistrust of donors' normative frameworks and perceived lack of results. However, we also show that a combination of local and donor legitimacy is possible, and explore this rare but interesting category of organizations.

Deconstructing Civil Society Actors and Functions: On the Limitations of International Frameworks for Fragile States

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Simone Datzberger

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Over the past three decades, there has been a steady increase of funds by the international community to support civil society organizations (CSOs in fragile states. Surprisingly, this growing attention has not strengthened local civil society landscapes in a way that it would lead to processes of social transformation. On the contrary, civic freedom and space is shrinking around the globe. In analyzing prominent international aid-effectiveness frameworks and donor strategies towards civil society, this paper will put forward one central argument. The way in which civil society actors and functions are currently appropriated threatens deep-rooted social transformation thereby impeding processes of structural and political change—necessary for the transition from conflict to sustainable peace. In delineating, how actors and functional approaches informed peacebuilding and development policy and practice, their strengths and limitations will be examined. Doing so, we draw on different case studies and examples from the literature. We find that existing frameworks for fragile states operate on a presumed model of a public sphere and civil society that may or may not exist. Such an approach disregards an organic formation of a civil society landscape thereby impeding processes of structural, social, and political change in times of fragility.

Information Practices in Contemporary Cosmopolitan Civil Society

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Michael Olsson

2014-09-01

Full Text Available What is the nature of information?  What is its role in Contemporary Cosmopolitan Civil Society? What is the basis for the widespread current belief that we live in an ‘information society’? The present article will examine these questions through an examination of the historical origins of established ‘scientized’ views of information in the philosophy of the Enlightenment. It describes how postmodern and poststructuralist critique of such positivist approaches led to profound paradigmatic and methodological shifts in the social and information studies fields in recent decades. It consider how the emergence of social constructivist approaches to information research drawing on discourse analysis, practice theory and ethnographic theories and methodologies has led to a have led researchers to a radically different understanding of central concepts such as: the influence of emergent information and communication technologies on contemporary society; the relationship between knowledge and power, the nature of expertise and authoritative information; a re-thinking of community and consensus; a re-interpretation of notions of space and place in information dissemination, sharing and use and a reconsideration of the role of the researcher. The article illustrates this changing research landscape through reference to the work of scholars in the Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Research Centre at the University of Technology, Sydney, published in the Centre’s journal.

Enhancing Canadian Civil Society Research and Knowledge-Based ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Enhancing Canadian Civil Society Research and Knowledge-Based Practice in a Rapidly Changing Landscape for International Development ... Women in the developing world continue to face obstacles that limit their ability to establish careers and become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and ...

Civil Society, Adult Learning and Action in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Tandon, Rajesh

2000-01-01

Five case studies of individual and collective learning projects in India demonstrate that (1) the impetus for civic action arises from local conditions; (2) transformative action requires sustained adult learning; and (3) civil society is a complex concept reflecting diverse priorities and perspectives. (SK)

Political repression, civil society and the politics of responding to AIDS in the BRICS nations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Eduardo J; Harris, Joseph

2016-02-01

The policy responses to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations have played out amid radically different political environments that have shaped state-civil society relations in critical ways. In contrasting these different environments, this article offers the first comparison of the policy response to AIDS in the BRICS nations and seeks to understand the way in which political context matters for conditioning the response to a major epidemic. Using a comparative historical approach, we find that while collaborative state-civil society relations have produced an aggressive response and successful outcomes in Brazil, democratic openness and state-civil society engagement has not necessarily correlated with an aggressive response or better outcomes in the other cases. Response to the epidemic has been worst by far in democratic South Africa, followed by Russia, where in the former, denialism and antagonistic state-civil society relations fuelled a delayed response and proved extremely costly in terms of human lives. In Russia, a lack of civil societal opportunity for mobilization and non-governmental organization (NGO) growth, political centralization and the state's unwillingness to work with NGOs led to an ineffective government response. Top-down bureaucratic rule and a reluctance to fully engage civil society in democratic India substantially delayed the state's efforts to engage in a successful partnership with NGOs. Nevertheless, China has done surprisingly well, in spite of its repressive approach and narrow engagement with civil society. And in all cases, we find the relationship between state and civil society to be evolving over time in important ways. These findings suggest the need for more research on the links between democratic openness, political repression and policy responses to epidemics. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in

Extended Stay: Factors Contributing to Success or Failure When African Presidents Attempt to Amend Constitutions to Hold on to Power

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

million prize for “a democratic head of state that has left office in the last three years and demonstrated excellent leadership .” In 2009, 2010, 2012...formalized education was not found to be important. In 2014, new grassroots, pro- democratic civil society organizations capitalized on urban...The factor of formalized education was not found to be important. In 2014, new grassroots, pro- democratic civil society organizations capitalized on

Civil society organizations' roles in health development in Vietnam: HIV as a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoang, T.A.

2013-01-01

Civil society in contemporary Vietnam has been recognised as an important force in public health. Based on qualitative interviews and observations of 30 organisations and networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, this paper argues that civil society organisations (CSOs) focus almost exclusively on

The role of civil society in health care reforms: an arena for hegemonic struggles.

Science.gov (United States)

Filc, Dani

2014-12-01

The present paper argues that current mainstream understandings of civil society as ontologically different from the state and essentially positive (either normative or functionally) are problematic in order to understand the development of health care reforms. The paper proposes to ground an explanation of the role of civil society in health care reforms in a Gramscian understanding of civil society as analytically different from the state, and as an arena for hegemonic struggles. The study of health care reform in Israel serves as a case study for this claim. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Civil-Society Organizations’ Capacity Building in the Local Governmental Sector: Is It Working? A Case Study

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Máthé Réka Zsuzsánna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The role that a strong civil society plays in socio-economic development is a subject of major scholarly attention today. Many benefits from having a strong civil society are reported in the literature. There is, however, no generally accepted view regarding how capacity-building efforts can help to develop a strong civil society, especially in the Central and Eastern European countries.

Civil Society Engagement in the Sulu Archipelago: Mobilizing Vibrant Networks to Win the Peace

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-14

The revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe revitalized the idea of civil society. In the collapse of communist states, civil society played a...Security 26, no. 1 (Summer): 93-128. Arrow, Ruaridh. 2011. How to start a revolution. iTunes APP and Documentary. Produced by The Project Factory and

Non-Formal Education and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Russia: What Is the Relationship?

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, W. John; Kliucharev, Grigori A.

2011-01-01

The article describes collaborative research into the relationship between non-formal education and civil society in post-Soviet Russia. It shows how through social survey data and case studies of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other civil society organisations (CSOs), using a combination of social science perspectives, much can be…

Political culture of civil society within synergetic paradigm context

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I. Z. Derzhko

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Political culture relates to the development and improvement of human abilities for social life within a community and creates conditions for the realization of these abilities. Typically, it is a state or a particular cultural region within the state. Despite the fact that the political culture of a society cannot and should not be subject to a management, it should be regulated and coordinated through a policy - national, which must be state policy. This paradoxical situation requires the use of specific management approaches. There is some configuration management knowledge, training or life, to work effectively, it is necessary to act at the right time and in the right place. Synergetic paradigm creates a methodological basis for a rather broad and full use of all the cultural, regional and individual diversity. Such use may be appropriate and successful implementa­tion provided competent management and, above all, self, which in turn requires a developed political culture in both the public and the private sector. It is important to understand that social system like any complex system, with not one single and multiple alternative paths of evolution. It should be clearly aware of the existence of different trends of evolution, the ambiguity of the transition to the future. Future states of complex social systems do not just open and predict­able, there are range of possible forms of the future, the field of possible ways forward. Value under the tran­sitional regime elements authoritarian and democratic organization of society is one of the most controversial issues. Between these two forms of political domination exists a close relationship than it may seem at first glance. To determine the influence of civil society in the process of becoming a democratic political regime and democratic political culture, it is necessary to outline the main characteristics of this concept. Without dwelling on the analysis of understanding of civil

A Civil Society Demands Education for Good Jobs.

Science.gov (United States)

Murnane, Richard J.; Levy, Frank

1997-01-01

To educate children for a civil society, teachers should work to raise (noncollege-bound) students' skills to the levels that good jobs require. Maintaining the status quo and educating children to participate in Jeremy Rifkin's "third sector" are misguided options. The new basic skills should include hard skills (in basic mathematics,…

Civil Society and the Democratic Experience in Kenya

African Journals Online (AJOL)

But the first chapter is somewhat lean on details while chapter 2 is theoretically thin. .... the sequel that people 'used sectors of civil society as springboards to activate political careers' (p. 115). Indeed, many opposition ..... of services to the generality of the citizens? It would also be interesting to give a comprehensive ...

Intervenciones internacionales noviolentas en los territorios palestinos. Contribuciones de la sociedad civil global a la lucha no-violenta contra la ocupación

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Diego Checa Hidalgo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Este artículo presenta el fenómeno de las intervenciones internacionales noviolentas para la transformación de conflictos a partir del estudio del caso del conflicto palestino-israelí y de la lucha no-violenta emprendida por la sociedad civil palestina e israelí para poner fin a la ocupación. Este fenómeno es desarrollado desde sectores de la sociedad civil global para beneficiar a los movimientos sociales de base proporcionándoles protección frente a la violencia y facilitando sus procesos de empoderamiento. Junto a ellos, estas intervenciones están extendiendo la cultura de paz en la región y desafiando el militarismo existente en las sociedades israelí y palestina.Palabras clave: Resistencia Civil, Transformación de Conflictos, Oriente Medio, Sociedad Civil Global._______________This paper discusses the phenomenon of nonviolent international interventions for conflict transformation. It studies the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it analyses the non-violent struggle waged by the Palestinian and Israeli civil society to end the occupation. Global civil society sectors carry out nonviolent international interventions to benefit grassroots social movements. They provide protection against violence and facilitate empowerment processes. Together they are spreading the culture of peace in the region and challenging the existing militarism in the Israeli and Palestinian societies.Keywords: Civil Resistance, Conflict Transformation, Middle East, Global Civil Society.

Social Media for Enhancing Civil Society and Disaster Relief: Usage by Local Municipalities in Japan

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Muneo Kaigo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This main focus of this article is a case study that analyzes social media usage by a local municipality in Japan, and on the possibilities and problems of complementary communication channels such as social networking services for promoting civil society activities and linking civil society organizations. We examine how in the past, Japanese municipalities have been using social media and social networking services for enhancing civil society and how social networking services are a potential tool that can provide vital information and connect citizens, municipal governments and civil society. This article focuses on the first phase of the Tsukuba Civic Activities Cyber-Square [Tsukuba Shimin Katsudō no Hiroba] on Facebook Experiment in 2012 and how it functioned during and after the May 6, 2012 Tsukuba city tornado disaster for the subsequent relief and support activities during May 2012.

Green Regions? Comparing Civil Society Activism in NAFTA and the European Union

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Anthony R. Zito

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the role of environmental civil society in two regional organizations, the European Union and nafta. It uses the Transnational Advocacy Network approach to assess how non-governmental organizations make use of opportunities to influence policy, and the effects of civil society engagement. Despite wide differences between the two organizations, there are important commonalities: both provide resources and important access points for NGOS, both have limits and frustrations, and both encourage coalition-building among NGOS. 

The role of civil society in conflict resolution in the Democratic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1990-04-24

Apr 24, 1990 ... agreed to the participation of civil society in the peace negotiations held in. South Africa in 2002–2003. .... establishing non-governmental organisations in the DRC is just one among several forms of coping ...... the renewal of the Congolese political class, it runs the risk of setting a pervasive trend of civil ...

Neoliberal drivers in hybrid civil society organizations: Critical readings of civicness and social entrepreneurism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Linda Lundgaard

2018-01-01

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and social entrepreneurship take up a significant position in a welfare system in transformation. Voluntarism and civil society have played an important role in the development of the welfare state and its services in Denmark, as in the rest of Scandinavia......, for at least a century. Recently, however, the positioning and context for civic society organiza-tions has changed quite profoundly, due to neoliberal welfare policies and steering regimes. In this chapter, I point to neoliberalism as both a political discourse about the nature of rule, but also a set...... into hybrid organisations rooted in civic society and social entrepreneur-ism: firstly, the human rights subject versus the entrepreneurial labour market subject and sec-ondly, the commodification and performativity of civil services and human growth....

NETWORK CULTURE - INTEGRAL PART OF NEW VALUES OF CIVIL SOCIETY

OpenAIRE

Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Sukhanov

2014-01-01

New technologies not only improve working conditions or communication, they are also bringing new values to  the society. This article discusses the concept of «network culture», which is now perceived by society as an integral part of values that can only exist in a civil society. We can research ( find)   this kind of society in modern time period in Russia. The article analyzes the meaning of communication, how to use it, development processes in network media.  Nowadays network culture an...

Civil Society Organisations and Democratic Consolidation in Uganda1

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sulaiman.adebowale

2006-06-01

Jun 1, 2006 ... the CSOs' cause and has confined them to issues that do not ... such as business and labour, and as a result the state 'has gained greater social control .... Civil society is a reservoir of political, economic, cultural and moral re-.

Classical Concepts of Social Solidarity as the Basis of Theoretical Studies on the Institutions of Modern Civil Society

Science.gov (United States)

Naletova, Irina Vladimirovna; Okatov, Alexander Vladimirovich; Zhulikova, Olga Valentinovna

2016-01-01

Current importance of this investigation has been stipulated by the modern trends in the development of civil society. Differentiated processes of its development, increased significance of certain institutions of the civil society often require not just empirical description of the principal trends of the functions of civil society, but also need…

Karl Marx, Civil Society And Political Community in the Context Of The Jewish Problem

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Yunus ENTERİLİ

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Today, debates and discourses developed over the concepts of civil society and political society are usually made through religious discourses or religious identities, and the individual emerges as a problem of emancipation. In his “Jewish Question”, which Marx wrote during his youthful period with Bauer’s thoughts, it is thought that the religious identities and rhetoric accompanied the present debate about the emergence of the emancipation of individuals in social and political contexts. It is thought that this problem, which emerged as the problem of individual liberation or citizenship, and which is regarded as a Jewish problem and emerged in different forms in different geographies, is the result of the fact that the religious identities can not be torn from the religious part of the world. Another reason for the lack of emancipation of the individual is the understanding of colonialism that is at the core of the capitalist system. In today’s society, it wants to keep up with the existence of religions or to keep up with the capitalist system and wants to influence the capitalist system with state policies by making itself active in the political arena. Judaism and Christianity in this context religion, the effects of the formation of capitalist society, will be discussed from the rhetoric of Marx and Bauer. The issue of the citizenship identity of the individual in this study will be addressed through the relationship between civil society and political society. There will also be mentioned here some other thinkers (Hegel, Feuerbach etc. that affect Marx’s ideas about civil society and political society, besides Marx and Bauer. Civil society, citizenship, liberation of religion, political emancipation, the effects of emancipation of individuals such as the state will be handled through the Jewish example. Prior to this assessment, a better understanding of the subject will be addressed to the civil society and state relationship

Civil Society and Land Use Policy in Uganda: The Mabira Forest Case

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Patrick Hönig

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, the Ugandan government has repeatedly initiated proceedings to clear one-fourth of the Mabira natural forest reserve in central Uganda and give the land to a sugar company controlled by a transnational business conglomerate. Each time the government took steps to execute the Mabira project, civil society groups organised large-scale protests that pressurised the government into shelving its plans. The Save Mabira Forest campaign has been widely cited as an example of how sustained protests by civil society groups serve as a corrective of democratic deficits in decision-making processes pertaining to the commons and as a deterrent to profit-driven business schemes hatched in collusion with carefree or corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. However, an in-depth analysis of the campaign suggests that ecological and social justice concerns are mixed up with identity politics and exclusionist agendas. Examining the complex web of interactions between state, big business and civil society in Uganda, this paper sheds light on the multi-layered and often ambiguous role played by non-governmental organisations in post-conflict societies of sub-Saharan Africa.

Civil Society Action and Governance in Vietnam: Selected Findings from an Empirical Survey

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Jörg Wischermann

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, findings from 300 standardized interviews with representatives of Civic Organizations in Ho Chi Minh-City and Ha Noi are presented. Following a view of civil society as a specific mode of social action and interaction, data analysis unveils the existence of core dimensions of such action (respect, empathy/ sympathy, and the willingness to compromise and stick to agreed-upon rules, though the respective values of those dimensions vary strongly. Inseparably linked with such civil society action of whatever kind is consensus-seeking, an aversion to conflicts, and an affinity to synthesis. These attitudes and practices, dominating various Civic Organizations’ internal decision-making processes, represent elements of authoritarian political thinking in Civic Organizations’ leaders’ mindsets and courses of action. Combined, those characteristics make up civil society action “in Vietnamese colours”.

Civil society in modern Russia: formation and development (based on Central Federal District’s materials

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L. A. Bespalaya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers the problem of formation and development of civil society in contemporary Russia as an example of the Central Federal District. The author defines the necessary social, economic, political and cultural conditions for the successful development of civil society in our country.

Civil Society as a Self-Organizing Social System and the State: Some Objections to the Hegel Concept

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Ludmila J. Grudtsina

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In the present article author attempts by using different scientific methods used in synergy, to propose an alternative formula to the formula of Hegelian distinction of civil society and state, that are not as different and competing with each other systems as well as the necessary elements to each other converge single social system. This scientific idea is presented in an arithmetic progression in civil society - "mass", next level - the civil society itself, realizing itself, advancing and increasingly, next level – the legal state (ideal for which to strive. In this case, the state will not be the term, but the result in the formula. In the conclusion, author concludes that one can not ignore responsibility of authorities, seeking in the modern world to create institutes of civil society. Taking into account that this generally positive process can be used as a special instrument of government, including the effective management of the objective processes in society, where the presence of democratic prerequisites, no matter how weak they are, civil society inevitably grows up.

78 FR 4189 - Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue With Civil Society

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-18

... Dialogue With Civil Society ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal... Civil Society will convene in Washington, DC on March 12, 2013. The Committee provides advice on the.... Please call ahead to (202) 647-2413 to facilitate entry into the building. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

Globalization, Credence Goods and International Civil Society

OpenAIRE

Krautheim, Sebastian; Verdier, Thierry

2012-01-01

The process of globalization is characterized by an impressive growth in global value chains, as well as the proliferation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) interacting with production and sourcing decisions of multinational firms. In this paper, we present a simple North-South model of international trade allowing for the joint emergence of firm offshoring to South and NGO activism financed by donations from the civil society. In our model northern consumers care about unobservable “c...

Grassroots Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Kay

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The economic, social and political changes that have occurred in Russia over the last 10 years have had a profound effect on Russian women’s lives. Economic reform has brought poverty, insecurity and high levels of anxiety and stress to much of the population, both male and female. The impact of these changes on women was amplified in the early 1990s by their structural positioning both within the workforce and within the population, brought about by the legacies of the Soviet planned economy, Soviet attitudes to gender and long established demographic trends. Alongside these historical influences, ‘new’ essentialist attitudes towards gender and the appropriate roles and responsibilities of women in post-Soviet Russian society have been strongly promoted through the media, political and social discourses, imposing new pressures and dilemmas on many post-Soviet Russian women. Numerous women’s organisations have been established in Russia since the early 1990s, many of them with a specific remit of helping Russian women to overcome the upheavals and hardships which they face. Struggling to survive themselves with very few resources and minimal external support, Russia’s grassroots women’s organisations have nonetheless offered practical help and advice and emotional support and solidarity to their members. This paper is based on the findings of a period of intensive fieldwork carried out in 1995-6 with grassroots women’s organisations in Moscow and three Russian provincial centres. It will present the aims, activities and impact of the groups studied. It will also investigate the ways in which these groups and their membership positioned themselves in relation to the development of essentialist attitudes and opinions on gender within Russia on the one hand, and a dialogue with ‘western’ feminist theory and practice on the other.

Civil Society and Public Powers : Partners for Social Economy and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Civil Society and Public Powers : Partners for Social Economy and Solidarity ... Working paper : food security and sovereignty ... to announce the results of its 2017 call for proposals to establish Cyber Policy Centres in the Global South.

Reality Checks: The state of civil society organizations in Ethiopia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

the role of donors in supporting CSOs and the responses of the government to the ... Key words: civil society organizations; regulatory frameworks; service ..... rates; prevention and control of the spread of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria; gender.

Civil Society and the Democratisation Processes in Kenya and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil Society and the Democratisation Processes in Kenya and Uganda: A Comparative Analysis of the Contribution of the Church and NGOs. Jamu Anthony Okuku. Abstract. (Af. J. Political Science: 2002 7(2): 81-98). Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

Civil Society and Civic Consciousness = Sivil Toplum ve Sosyal Bilinç

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Mert BİLGİN

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The meta-narratives of modern times are considered as the most significant factors impeding the development of the civil society' that coincided with the western definition of democracy. Nevertheless, this article suggests that the real problem was institutional inadequacy, which was produced by lack of civic consciousness. The best evidence for this argument is the search by theoreticians for a civic consciousness despite their different ideological orientations. Indeed, the demise of meta-narratives in post-modern times does not tend to lead to a more civil society because of the vicissitude of this extant institutional inadequacy, which appears to be created by the decline of cultural understanding of civic consciousness.

Constraints to strengthening public sector accountability through civil society: the case of Morocco

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.I. Bergh (Sylvia)

2009-01-01

textabstractThis paper discusses the extent to which civil society contributes to strengthening public sector accountability in Morocco. The main argument in this paper is that despite a few recent encouraging examples, civil society’s role in strengthening public sector accountability remains

Reality Checks: The state of civil society organizations in Ethiopia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reality Checks: The state of civil society organizations in Ethiopia. ... limit the space for CSOs working on human rights and governance and it is legitimate and ... This paper contains contextualized arguments based on empirical data as reality ...

Canadian Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights and Global ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Canadian civil society organizations (CSOs) to inform Canadian policy on human rights and global justice. ... in the developing world continue to face obstacles that limit their ability to establish careers and become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and ...

The Dilemma of Civil Society in Cameroon Since 1990: Which Way ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sulaiman.adebowale

2008-04-09

Apr 9, 2008 ... of civil society when it has an impact on the society; if not it should be left out. .... campaign and the post-October 1992 election results. As a matter of ... from the General Agreement on Tariffs (GATT) text on Cameroon. ..... Nyamnjoh, F. B., 1997, 'Media, Tribalism and Democracy in Cameroon, in Gerddes,.

Immigration and civil society: New ways of democratic transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agustin, Oscar Garcia; Jørgensen, Martin Bak

2013-01-01

society actors to challenge the institutional order rather than an achievement measured against the main characteristics of representative democracy. The seven papers which constitute this special issue all deal with 8 different aspects of immigration, civil society and democratic transformations....... Together they offer insight into different national cases by describing and analysing immigrant mobilization in Denmark (Jørgensen), France (Suárez-Krabbe), Italy (Ambrosini), Portugal (Abrantes), Spain (García; Suárez-Krabbe), Sweden (Ålund et al.), the Netherlands (Suárez-Krabbe), and United Kingdom...

Climatic crime, stop - the call made by the civil society

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acosta, Alberto; Aurenche, Guy; Aykut, Stefan C.; Azam, Genevieve; Bassey, Nnimmo; Bihouix, Philippe; Bonneuil, Christophe; Cabanes, Valerie; Cabello, Joanna; Gilbertson, Tamra; Chapelle, Sophie; Combes, Maxime; George, Susan; Planche, Jeanne; Gemenne, Francois; Haeringer, Nicolas; Hamilton, Clive; Jordan, John; Jouzel, Jean; Masson-Delmotte, Valerie; Uyi Ojo, Godwin; Palais, Jon; Randall, Alex; Shiva, Vandana; Solon, Pablo; Klein, Naomi; McKibben, Bill; Sano, Yeb M.; Tutu, Desmond

2015-01-01

Whereas climate change actually kills as it upsets hundreds of millions of human lives - at first the poorest and most vulnerable ones, this book aims at expressing a call made by the civil society to build up a wide movement to refund our societies. It contains contributions of various people, researchers who are aware of the present deadlock, as well as victims, climate refugees or collectives struggling against the global warming process

Dissenting Daughters? Gender Politics and Civil Society in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gender Politics and Civil Society in a Militarized State. Amina Mama. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners · Terms and Conditions of Use · Contact AJOL · News. OTHER RESOURCES... for Researchers · for Journals ...

Civil Society Advocacy for Construction of Education Legislation in Brazil: Education Diplomacy in a National Network

Science.gov (United States)

Cara, Daniel; Pellanda, Andressa

2018-01-01

Advocacy efforts often contribute to broader Education Diplomacy goals. The Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education coordinated an effort among diverse civil society stakeholders to ensure their voice was included in developing Brazil's National Education Plan (NEP). As a result of their advocacy strategy, civil society participated in…

Global environment action plant of Japan Society of Civil Engineers. ; Agenda 21 / Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Doboku gakkai chikyu kankyo kodo keikaku. ; Agenda 21 / doboku gakkai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-15

This paper explains the involvement of the global environment action plan of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Agenda 21, with civil engineerings and global environmental problems, as well as the global environment action plan. Global environmental problems require handling the matters in three ways: identification and elucidation of events, effect analysis estimation, and alleviation, avoidance and prevention of the effect. Settlement and proliferation of civil engineering technologies transferred to developing countries demand indispensably understanding such features of the developing countries as social and economic conditions, natural conditions, climates, histories, races, and cultures. Realizing the sustainable development requires the followings: formation of civil engineerings that contribute to improving global environments; development of civil engineerings that make coexistence of human being and other living organisms possible; analyses of effects and mechanisms of global warming and weather change and the corresponding technique and system development; and development of techniques to build resource circulating type national land and cities. It is also essential to move forward positively structuring civil engineerings that contribute to solving such global environmental problems as acid rains and marine pollution, and technical development thereof; providing guidelines on execution of international civil engineering constructions, and technical development thereof; developing civil engineerings in developing countries and assisting training of people.

Governing AIDS through aid to civil society: Global solutions meet ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this article is to explore how international donors influence civil society organisations (CSOs) in Mozambique through funding mechanisms, the creation of partnerships, or inclusion in targeted programmes. The main focus is the relationship between donors and AIDS non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Partners in peace : discourses and practices of civil-society peacebuilding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van M.

2008-01-01

This study looks into images, and assumptions, of civil-society peacebuilding and its support by international development organizations, and how this relates to politics and practices of peacebuilding on the ground. It is built principally on a series of case studies of peacebuilding interventions

Creating Inquiry Between Technology Developers and Civil Society Actors: Learning from Experiences Around Nanotechnology.

Science.gov (United States)

Krabbenborg, Lotte

2016-06-01

Engaging civil society actors as knowledgeable dialogue partners in the development and governance of emerging technologies is a new challenge. The starting point of this paper is the observation that the design and orchestration of current organized interaction events shows limitations, particularly in the articulation of issues and in learning how to address the indeterminacies that go with emerging technologies. This paper uses Dewey's notion of 'publics' and 'reflective inquiry' to outline ways of doing better and to develop requirements for a more productive involvement of civil society actors. By studying four novel spaces for interaction in the domain of nanotechnology, this paper examines whether and how elements of Dewey's thought are visible and under what conditions. One of the main findings is that, in our society, special efforts are needed in order for technology developers and civil society actors to engage in a joint inquiry on emerging nanotechnology. Third persons, like social scientists and philosophers, play a role in this respect in addition to external input such as empirically informed scenarios and somewhat protected spaces.

African civil society initiatives to drive a biobanking, biosecurity and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper describes the formation of a civil society consortium, spurred to action by frustration over the Ebola crises, to facilitate the development of infrastructure and frameworks including policy development to support a harmonized, African approach to health crises on the continent. The Global Emerging Pathogens ...

78 FR 26100 - Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue With Civil Society; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-03

... businesses engaged with civil society. They may include: leaders of independent public policy advocacy... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8312] Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic... of the Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society...

COMMUNITY PRACTICE, THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND CIVIL SOCIETY MEASURES IN BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caru Bowns

2011-07-01

Most of the MDGs literature focuses on the first six Goals. Comparatively little research considers the interface between MDG7 Targets and community practice, i.e. those organizational and participatory measures integral to most civil society efforts to implement MDGs objectives. This study provides a discussion of the MDGs from an environmental design perspective pertaining to substandard urban environments and the importance of community practices to facilitate participation in decisions for sustainable development. A Brazil case study serves to exemplify urban poverty in one developing country and the civil society institutions that foster “grassroots” participation in Brazil. The conclusion addresses the potential of environmental design’s community practices to expand civic participation in implementing the MDGs.

THE RISE AND ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PAKISTAN: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEFINITIONS, TENDENCIES, AND PERSPECTIVES

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V. Ya. Belokrenitskiy

2013-01-01

Full Text Available What does civil society mean in an unevenly developed country with a high level of poverty and abundance of traditional and quasi-traditional norms and structures? What is the history of the evolving Pakistani civil society, what trends and perspectives awaits it in the conditions of long lasting deep crises in economy and security sphere? How does the civil society react to the strengthening of ideology of Islamic radicalism and Islamic nationalism? These are some issues discussed in the article. It does not claim to cover in full the relatively new phenomenon in a specific Asian country occupying a remarkable place in the policy of Russia to the south of its borders.

Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Water Governance in ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Water Governance in African Cities - Durban, Maputo, Nairobi. Achieving water security in Africa remains a major challenge for policymakers. Moreover, there is evidence linking climate variability to deteriorating water security in the region, particularly its cities. This project aims to ...

Civil society in Syria and Iran: activism in authoritarian contexts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, P.; Cavatorta, F.

2013-01-01

What are the dynamics of civic activism in authoritarian regimes? How do new social actors--many of them informal, "below the radar" groups--interact with these regimes? What mechanisms do the power elite employ to deal with societal dissidence? The authors of Civil Society in Syria and Iran explore

76 FR 22160 - Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue With Civil Society; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-20

... representatives who are leaders of U.S. and foreign civil society and U.S. and foreign businesses engaged with... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 7397] Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic... establishment of the Advisory Committee on the Secretary of State's Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society...

Ways of Civil Society Institutes Interaction with Local Governments in the Sphere of Anti-Corruption

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Kristina V. Кondrashova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this article author analyzes ways of civil society institutes interaction with local government bodies in the sphere of anti-corruption, legal regulation in the sphere of anti-corruption is analyzed (including the Federal law of December 25, 2008 No. 273-FZ "About anti-corruption", opinions of scientists-jurists are researched. In the conclusion the author reviews 4 examples mutually beneficial cooperation of institutes of civil society and local government bodies.

NGO Management Case Study: Civitas Foundation for Civil Society

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Ramona BERE

2000-06-01

Full Text Available As idealistic as it may sound, the truth is that NGOs act to make the world a better place. They often do that by taking action in areas where the government fails to succeed or does not do a very good job. In this context I would like to present a very special NGO: CIVITAS Foundation for Civil Society, evaluating its governance and services.

Civil society participation in the health system: the case of Brazil's Health Councils.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Martha Gabriela; Kohler, Jillian Clare

2016-10-26

Brazil created Health Councils to bring together civil society groups, heath professionals, and government officials in the discussion of health policies and health system resource allocation. However, several studies have concluded that Health Councils are not very influential on healthcare policy. This study probes this issue further by providing a descriptive account of some of the challenges civil society face within Brazil's Health Councils. Forty semi-structured interviews with Health Council Members at the municipal, state and national levels were conducted in June and July of 2013 and May of 2014. The geographical location of the interviewees covered all five regions of Brazil (North, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, South) for a total of 5 different municipal Health Councils, 8 different state Health Councils, and the national Health Council in Brasilia. Interview data was analyzed using a thematic approach. Health Councils are limited by a lack of legal authority, which limits their ability to hold the government accountable for its health service performance, and thus hinders their ability to fulfill their mandate. Equally important, their membership guidelines create a limited level of inclusivity that seems to benefit only well-organized civil society groups. There is a reported lack of support and recognition from the relevant government that negatively affects the degree to which Health Council deliberations are implemented. Other deficiencies include an insufficient amount of resources for Health Council operations, and a lack of training for Health Council members. Lastly, strong individual interests among Health Council members tend to influence how members participate in Health Council discussions. Brazil's Health Councils fall short in providing an effective forum through which civil society can actively participate in health policy and resource allocation decision-making processes. Restrictive membership guidelines, a lack of autonomy from the

[Foundation of the science and society alliance in France. Towards a conscious and recognised collaboration between actors of research and civil society].

Science.gov (United States)

Fellini, Nadia; Faroult, Elie

2015-01-01

In the last two decades, the debate on the meaning of science in relation to societies that create it, nourish it, and benefit from it, focused on civil society's ability to produce knowledge. This yielded first the concept of participatory science and later the wider concept of participatory research. Throughout Europe, numerous collective experimentations have generated countless interactions, and new interfaces between the world of research and civil society are constantly being created. But in spite of the proliferation of these experiences, a paradox slows down their acknowledgment and legitimation. On the one hand, these interactions often go unseen and unrecognized by the institutions, public policies, and even at times their very creators. On the other hand, scientists, are still overwhelmingly wary of civil society and, perceiving only its intellectual deficit and lack of comprehension, they fail to consider the study and development of these interactions as being of primary importance. The Sciences and Society Alliance, which was recently founded in France, provides a platform where these collaborative experiences can be collected, studied, supported, communicated, and institutionally acknowledged. The launch of this process,which is soon to be European in scope, answers the need to bring science into the democratic path tread by the societies that create it. In its ability to compose diversity, this process is an example of deep democracy.

ADAA end line report - MFS II country evaluations, Civil Society component

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaver, D.C.; Jacobs, J.; Terefa, W.; Getaw, H.; Getu, D.

2015-01-01

This report describes the findings of the end line assessment of the African Development Aid Organisation (ADAA) that is a partner of Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland (SKN). It assesses ADAA’s contribution towards strengthening Civil Society in Ethiopia and it uses the CIVICUS analytical

Civil society participation in the management of the common good: a case of ethics in biological resource centres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrici Calvo Cabezas

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The management of commons is now at the centre of researchers’ attention in many branches of science, particularly those related to the human or social sciences. This paper seeks to demonstrate how civil society participation in common goods or resources is not only possible but is also desirable for society because of the medium and long-term benefits it offers involved and/or affected parties. To this end, we examine the falsity of the discourse underlying the supposed incompetence of civil society to cooperate interpersonally in the pursuit of common objectives, and also analyse a specific example of the necessary and possible participation of civil society in managing common goods through biobanks.

Civil society and political power in the Dominican Republic Sociedad civil y poder político en República Dominicana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana MORGAN

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In the Latin American context, the Dominican Republic displays high levels of civic engagement and political activism, yet they have not translated into a civil society that is able to exercise considerable influence in reforming the political system or enhancing democracy. Building on this observation, this article explores two questions. The first is if there is tendency toward dual participation in civic and political organizations, which reduces civil society’s ability to pressure political parties and the State. The second refers to the nature of the connections that civil society participants have with the State and with political parties. The analysis demonstrates that an important segment of the population that participates in civic associations also participates in political parties and in clientelist networks.República Dominicana registra un alto nivel de asociacionismo social y activismo político en el contexto latinoamericano. Esto, sin embargo, no se ha traducido en mayor capacidad de la sociedad civil dominicana para reformar el sistema político y mejorar la democracia. Con este planteamiento de fondo, se exploran dos preguntas. La primera es si existe una tendencia a la coparticipación en las organizaciones sociales y políticas que reduce la capacidad de presión de la sociedad civil sobre los partidos y el Estado. La segunda refiere a la naturaleza del vínculo de los participantes en organizaciones de la sociedad civil con el Estado y los partidos. El análisis muestra el involucramiento de un segmento de participantes en actividades cívicas, también en actividades partidarias y en redes clientelares.

Civil Society and the Public Space in Africa | Hibou | CODESRIA ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil Society and the Public Space in Africa. Béatrice Hibou, Richard Banégas. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners · Terms and Conditions of Use · Contact AJOL · News. OTHER RESOURCES... for Researchers · for ...

The Civil Society Tradition in the Evolution of European Democracy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hulgård, Lars

The soft revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe, which were initiated at the end of the 1980s, led to a renewed growth in interest concerning civil society in Europe in general. This was so, even though such an interest had already existed since the late sixties and early seventies...... to enhancing the role of the citizenship....

Civil Society Participation in EU Gender Policy-Making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agustin, Lise Rolandsen

2008-01-01

The participation of transnational advocacy networks (TANs) in the policy processes of the European Union (EU) is a potential site of substantial representation of women (SRW). In the article, it is argued that the institutional context can both enable and constrain civil society actors’ claims......-making. TANs employ framing strategies to make their claims resonate with or challenge the dominant discourse of the EU policies. The institutions use contested frames to constitute legitimate claims-makers, by recognising certain claims as more valid than others. The possibilities of SRW are delimited, since...

Countering violent extremism in Indonesia: priorities, practice and the role of civil society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cameron Sumpter

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Indonesia has experimented with initiatives aimed at countering violent extremism (CVE since the wave of arrests following the first Bali bombing attack in 2002. Initial efforts involved police attempting to develop relationships of trust with terrorists in custody. Today, a broader range of strategies are employed, from promoting peace among youth and thwarting the allure of extremist narratives, to managing prisoners and assisting former terrorists reintegrate with society. The lead government body since 2010 has been the national counterterrorism agency, Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme (BNPT, which is tasked with coordinating stakeholders in Indonesia’s struggle with domestic terrorism. But managing the divergent and sometimes competing interests of Indonesia’s large state institutions has not been straightforward, and effective collaboration between relevant state agencies remains an obstacle to the success of CVE initiatives. Where government has fallen short, civil society organisations (CSOs often fill the gaps, and a number of dedicated practitioners now have invaluable experience, local contacts, and the specific knowledge required for countering extremism in the Indonesian context. CSOs also possess greater levels of trust among the communities they engage than security-centric state agencies could possibly hope to achieve. Yet instead of exploiting these civil society resources, the BNPT has largely preferred an independent (and top-down approach to CVE initiatives, collaborating if and when assistance is required. The Indonesian government should make better use of the unique legitimacy and expertise of civil society organisations.

STEP TO CIVIL SOCIETY (ON HISTORICAL ROLE OF JUDICIAL REFORM OF 1864

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Анна Дмитриевна Попова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the importance of the judicial reform of 1864 for the course of Alexander's modernization and analyzes the role of the judicial reforms for various aspects of life in the post-reform Russia. There is used a wide range of sources - archival materials, memoirs of contemporaries of that period, publications of periodicals. The author concludes that the judicial reform of 1864 should be considered as a significant step towards civil society. The analysis of the sources shows that the judicial reform of 1864 contributed to the increase in the protection of human rights and freedoms. The activities of new courts changed the public consciousness - in the society there was growing representation of rule of law, necessity to respect the rights and freedoms of others, to meet obligations. The judicial reform played a major role in the process of merging classes, the development of market relations. Thus, the introduction of the controversial independent public trial not only improved the justice, but was also an important step in the formation of civil society in Russia.

ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND CIVIL SOCIETIES AT PEMUTERAN VILLAGE, BALI IN COASTAL AND MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION

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I Wayan Mudana

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This study was focused on questions (1 what factors caused the economic, political, and civil societies to invest their social capital in the preservation of marine and coastal environments at Pemuteran Village? (2 What was the social capital invested by the economic, political, and civil societies in the preservation of coastal and marine environments at Pemuteran Village like? (3 What was done to discipline the maintenance of the social capital invested in the preservation of the coastal and marine environments at Pemuteran Village? Some critical theories were used to analyze the answers to the problems. Qualitative research method with the approach of cultural studies was employed in this study. The data were collected through observation, in-depth interview, and library research. The data were qualitatively and descriptively analyzed. The result of the study showed that the cooperation among the economic, political, and civil societies to invest their social capital in the preservation of the marine and coastal environments at Pemuteran Village was based on the awareness of the condition of the natural environment, ecological smartness, meaningfulness which was economic, political, sociological, and socio-religious in nature, and developmental policy. The social capital invested by the economic, political and civil societies was in the forms of the ideologies of tri hita karana, nyegara-gunung, menyama braya, kinship system, neighborhood relation, traditional village, and administrative village. It was maintained through cultural socialization process, and physical and spiritual disciplining process.

Islam, secularist government, and state-civil society interaction in Mozambique and South Africa since 1994

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaarsholm, Preben

2015-01-01

This article explores state–civil society interactions in Mozambique and South Africa with a focus on Islamic groupings, and places the two countries within an Indian Ocean coastal continuum of links to East Africa, India, and the Arab world. Contrasting the histories of dominant-party rule since...... the transitions in 1994 to multiparty-ism in Mozambique and to democracy in South Africa, the article discusses the development of Islamic organisations including both transnational Sufi orders and modernist reform movements as important components in local civil societies. The article contrasts the spaces...

Democratization in the Gulf Monarchies and American Civil Society

OpenAIRE

Azam, M. Nazrul Islam and Muhammad; Azam, Muhammad

2015-01-01

The paper deals with the efforts made by American private sector and civil society actors after 2000 to popularize democratic values and norms in the six Gulf states, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The study is focused on areas including politics, education, culture, media, human rights, and women empowerment. The paper also deals with approaches adopted, goals and objectives set and strategies devised and employed by the American NGOs regardi...

Democratization in the Gulf Monarchies and American Civil Society

OpenAIRE

Azam, M. Nazrul Islam and Muhammad

2010-01-01

The paper deals with the efforts made by American private sector and civil society actors after 2000 to popularize democratic values and norms in the six Gulf states, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The study is focused on areas including politics, education, culture, media, human rights, and women empowerment. The paper also deals with approaches adopted, goals and objectives set and strategies devised and employed by the American NGOs regardi...

Information on Nea programmes on nuclear energy and civil society and their co-ordination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mays, C.; Riotte, H.

2004-01-01

At its session in May 2002, the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy welcomed the activities that the NEA standing technical committees were carrying out in the field of nuclear energy and civil society, and agreed on the value of existing co-ordination among them. Tile Committee asked the Secretariat to prepare an information document on such co-ordination activities. With this in mind, the present room document offers an up-to-date account of relevant NEA activities and their co-ordination, pending a broader review of NEA's involvement in the area of nuclear energy and civil society, in the context of the NEA Strategic Plan at an appropriate time. (author)

NETWORK CULTURE - INTEGRAL PART OF NEW VALUES OF CIVIL SOCIETY

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Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Sukhanov

2014-06-01

Full Text Available New technologies not only improve working conditions or communication, they are also bringing new values to  the society. This article discusses the concept of «network culture», which is now perceived by society as an integral part of values that can only exist in a civil society. We can research ( find   this kind of society in modern time period in Russia. The article analyzes the meaning of communication, how to use it, development processes in network media.  Nowadays network culture and its influence on society are almost in all spheres of state and society, as well as changes in perception of information and content generation process. Development of the Internet and Internet technologies largely set the tone for  the development of popular culture and allows you to store or to influence the national culture. Internet press today is and example which shows us, how this kind of tool can be used to influence on citizens.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2014-3-6

Religion, civil society and conflict: What is it that religion does for and to society?

OpenAIRE

Jaco Beyers

2011-01-01

Human consciousness instinctively tries to make sense of reality. Different human interpretations of reality lead to a world consisting of multiple realities. Conflict occurs when differing realities (worldviews) encounter one another. Worldviews are socially created and determine human behaviour and, as such, most often find expression in religion. The discussion of conflict and the role of religion in civil society take place within the discourse of the sociology of religion. Religion is so...

Advocating for Change? How a Civil Society-led Coalition Influences the Implementation of the Forest Rights Act in India

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barnes, Clare; van Laerhoven, Frank; Driessen, Peter P J

2016-01-01

Forest policy implementation is a political endeavor involving both state and non-state actors. We observe that civil society organizations (CSOs) often federate into civil society-led coalitions (CSCs) in order to shape forest policies in their favor. They appear to be successful in doing this

Ethno-Religiosity in Orthodox Christianity: A Source of Solidarity & Multiculturalism in American Society

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Chris Durante

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This study will analyze the processes of community organization implemented by Eastern Orthodox Christian ethno-religious groups, and Greek Orthodox Christian communities in particular, to establish themselves in American civil society. It will be argued that the symbiotic relationship formed between ethnicity and religion in this tradition, as well as the democratized grassroots mode of community organization that American civil society fosters, contributes to a strong sense of belonging amongst members of the ethno-religious Orthodox Christian congregations. In turn, this sense of belonging has produced a multi-layered mechanism for solidarity-building in these communities. It will then be suggested that in addition to contributing to America’s religious diversity, the preservation of ethno-linguistic heritage by the various Orthodox Christian churches simultaneously contributes to America’s poly-ethnicity and linguistic diversity as well. Last, it will be argued that the continued survival of ethno-religiosity in American Orthodoxy can either lead to further isolation amongst the separate ethnic congregations, or it can alternatively open avenues for the cultivation of a form of Orthodox Christian multiculturalism that supports neither homogeneity nor isolationism.

Civil society contributions to a sustainable health workforce in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mans, Linda; van de Pas, Remco; Marschang, Sascha

Background: Following the adoption of the World Health Organization’s Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (WHO Code), eight civil society organizations implemented the European Union (EU) funded project “Health Workers for All and All for Health Workers”

Civil society engagement in multi-stakeholder dialogue: a qualitative study exploring the opinions and perceptions of MeTA members.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckland-Merrett, Gemma L; Kilkenny, Catherine; Reed, Tim

2017-01-01

The Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) is an initiative that brings together all stakeholders in the medicines market to create a multi-stakeholder dialogue and improve access, availability and affordability of medicines. Key to this multi-stakeholder dialogue is the participation of Civil Society Organisations. A recent MeTA annual review, identified uneven engagement of civil society organisations in the multi-stakeholder process. This study was designed to explore the engagement of Civil Society Organisations in the MeTA multi-stakeholder process and the factors influencing their participation. Participants were drawn from a convenience sample of key MeTA informants attending a MeTA global meeting in Geneva in 2014. Study participants consisted of members of MeTA, which included representatives from government, the private sector and civil society. In-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to identify perceptions around the barriers to civil society engagement in the multi-stakeholder process. Interviews were guided by a conceptual framework exploring the three main themes of the political environment, relative stakeholder strength and agenda setting/gatekeepers. Interviews were structured to enable additional themes to emerge and be explored. Fifteen interviews were conducted. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a general inductive approach. All interviewees provided written informed consent. Findings were captured within three main overarching themes: the political environment, relative stakeholder strength and agenda setting/gatekeepers, with the opportunity for additional themes to emerge in the interviewing process. The study conformed these three themes were important in the engagement process. Participants reported that civil society engagement is particularly limited by those who set the agenda. It was largely seen that the political environment was the significant factor that enabled or

Civil society and state in the age of modernization: political dimension

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Людмила Александровна Гайнутдинова

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Socio-political practice of state, when it represented only interests of elites becomes unacceptable in the age of modernization which requires larger degrees of freedom. The solution of this conflict opens possibilities of participation in political processes for many social groups by means of political inclusion. That processes defined the shape of modern civil society.

Peruvian grassroots organizations in times of violence and peace. Between economic solidarity, participatory democracy, and feminism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Waardt, M.F.; Ypeij, A.

2017-01-01

The new millennium has meant a new start for Peruvian society. After decades of political violence, economic crisis, and an internal war, democracy was restored, and economic growth resumed. The many grassroots organizations that had been established to address the economic and political crisis seem

Civil society, political mobilization, and the impact of HIV scale-up on health systems in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Richard G

2009-11-01

This article examines the role of civil society in shaping HIV and AIDS policies and programs in Brazil. It focuses on the historical context of the redemocratization of Brazilian society during the 1980s, when the initial response to the epidemic took shape, and emphasizes the role of social movements linked to the progressive Catholic Church, the sanitary reform movement in public health, and the emerging gay rights movement in the early response to the epidemic in Brazil. It highlights the broad-based civil society coalition that took shape over the course of the 1990s and the political alliances that were built up shortly after the 1996 International AIDS Conference in Vancouver, Canada, to pass legislation guaranteeing the right to access to antiretroviral treatment. It emphasizes the continued importance of civil society organizations-in particular, AIDS-related nongovernmental organizations-and leading AIDS activists in exerting continued pressure to guarantee the sustainability of treatment access and the impact that action focused on HIV and AIDS has had on the Brazilian public health system more broadly, particularly through strengthening health infrastructures and providing a model for health-related social mobilization.

The role of organized civil society in tobacco control in Latin America and the Caribbean El papel de la sociedad civil organizada en el control del tabaco en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

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Beatriz Marcet Champagne

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Civil society has been the engine that has permitted many of the accomplishments seen in tobacco control in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the role of civil society is not clearly understood. Civil society plays five main roles: advocate, coalition builder, provider of evidence-based information, watchdog and service provider. Some of these roles are played weakly by civil society in the region and should be encouraged to support beneficial societal change. Civil society working in tobacco control has evolved over the years to now become more professionalized. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use have brought about significant change with positive and negative consequences. Strengthening civil society not only supports the tobacco control movement but it provides competencies that may be used in many ways to promote change in democratic societies.La sociedad civil ha sido el motor que ha permitido muchos logros en el control del tabaco en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Sin embargo, no se comprende bien el papel que juega. La sociedad civil tiene cinco roles principales: abogar, construir coaliciones, proveer información basada en evidencia, ser perro guardián y proveer servicios. Algunos de estos roles se juegan débilmente y deben ser promovidos para apoyar cambios benéficos en la sociedad. La sociedad civil ha evolucionado a través de los años en el control del tabaco y ahora se ha profesionalizado más. El Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco (CMCT de la OMS y la iniciativa Bloomberg para Reducir el Uso del Tabaco han traído consigo cambios significativos con consecuencias positivas y negativas. El fortalecimiento de la sociedad civil no sólo significa un beneficio para el movimiento del control del tabaco sino que también provee las competencias que sirven de muchas formas para promover el cambio en las sociedades democráticas.

Communication Policy: the Efforts to Strengthen Civil Society

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Teguh Ratmanto

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In the last decades there were a tendency to make public institution more open and greater public participation in decision making. It is believed that transparency is the only way to strengthen public institutions which it is highly possible because of the progress in Information and Communication Technology. Nowadays Indonesia is entering the Era of Opennes. The idea of civil society and establisihng social welfare which is the first priority require partnership between the government and public. The whole stakeholder should cooperate to improve accessibility on ICT and should develope information and communication infra structure, and should improve application of ICT in every aspect of public services.

The grass-roots conservative against gender equality : The case study of antifeminism local movement in Japan

OpenAIRE

Suzuki, Ayaka

2017-01-01

Conservative movements are intensifying advertisement in fierce conflict with progressive social movements in the contemporary Japanese society. In particular, the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform has taken action in terms of revisionism since late 1990s. Conservative groups have held protest movements against gender equality since early 2000, which resulted in drastic impact on the government. These conservative movements have received attention as new grass-roots conservative mo...

The Problem of Modernization and Development of Russian Civil Society: the Dialectics of "We" versus "Me"

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К S Serdobintsev

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The article provides insight into the issue of modernization and development of civil society through the lens of national character. The axis of the publication is the following argument: the economic system and the appropriate type of society are constructed by people in accordance with geographical and natural conditions. As the "construction" process advances, the fundamental social values, norms as well as the corresponding type of personality embodying national character take shape according to the prominent activity patterns. It is possible to change national character altering the norms which regulate human behaviour in economic and socio-political spheres. Thus, the Russian non-market-oriented national character has emerged ("We-civilization" as opposed to the Western market-based one ("Me-civilization". However, things are gradually changing.

Reaching the grassroots: publishing methodologies for development organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinski, C

1987-01-01

There are 3 major distinctions between the traditional form of academic publishing and publishing for the grassroots as a development-organization activity, particularly in developing countries. Whereas academic publishing seeks to cover the target audience in its entirety, grassroots publishing can only cover a sampling. Academic publishing fulfills a need, while grassroots publishing demonstrates a need and a way to fulfill it. Finally, whereas academic publishing is largely a support activity aimed at facilitating the dissemination of information as a relatively minor part of a technical program, grassroots publishing is a more substantive activity aimed at producing a catalytic effect. Publication for the grassroots further calls for a different methodological approach. Given the constraint of numbers, publications aimed at the grassroots can only be examples or prototypes. The function of a prototype is to serve both as a basis for translation, adaptation, and replication and as a model end result. The approach to the use and promotion of prototypes differs according to the specific country situation. In countries with a heterogenous culture or several different languages, 2 items should be produced: a prototype of the complete text, which should be pretested and evaluated, and a prototype adaptation kit stripped of cultural and social biases. Promotion of the translation and replication of a publication can be achieved by involving officials at the various levels of government, interesting international and voluntary funding agencies, and stimulating indigenous printing capacities at the community level. The most important factors are the appropriateness of the publication in solving specific priority problems and the interest and involvement of national and state authorities at all stages of the project.

Improvement of workíng environment - from a grass-root strategy to institutionalized professionalism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Thomas

2002-01-01

Improvement of working environment as a tool to promote sustainable development - from a grass-root strategy to institutionalized professionalism. It is now more than 25 years since substitution of organic solvents started to be considered as a meaningful way in Denmark to reduce harmful effects...... on workers. During that period different groups of actors have been involved, new institutions to improve working environment have emerged, and legislation has been changed. The paper will describe the development from a grass-root strategy to improve working environment to a much more complex situation...... where working environment professionals play an important role, and where the concept of ‘cleaner technology’ is generally accepted as a tool to promote sustainable development in the Danish society. The paper will also discuss the necessity of incorporation of working environment considerations...

The emergence of the political voice of Syria’s civil society from within the non-violent movements of the Syrian uprising

OpenAIRE

Al-Om, Tamara

2016-01-01

In The Emergence of The Political Voice of Syria’s Civil Society from within the Non-violent Movements of the Syrian Uprising, Tamara Al-Om address one of the most important aspects and ironically least addressed, of the Syrian Uprising. As Al-Om points out in her article, we are far more tempted to focus on the sensational, i.e. war, than we are on the far less dramatic, i.e. a non-violent civil society movement. Further complicating the attempt to focus ion Syria’s civil society within the ...

Civic Education Partnerships: Civil Society Organisations, Donors and the State in Fiji

Science.gov (United States)

Baleinakorodawa, Paolo; Spence, Rebecca; O'Loughlin, Micheal

2011-01-01

This article reflects on some of the challenges and opportunities presented when working in partnership in the highly politicised and contested Fijian Civil Society environment over the past five years. The authors are practitioners who specialise in working with communities which experience conflict. The paper discusses and analyses the genesis…

The civil society and the regulation of the extractive industry in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article focuses on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in impacting on trends and developments in the extractive industry in Nigeria. For example, CSOs take on the government to promote accountability and probity in the management of the sector that is beset by ineffectual regulation; alleged collusion with ...

American Society of Civil Engineers | ASCE

Science.gov (United States)

Membership Your New Membership: Getting Started Member Value Civil Engineering Salaries Manage Your Account Vote Now Education & Careers Training & Courses Getting Licensed & Certified Live Exam Reviews Specialty Certifications Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge Volunteer Opportunities Jobs Ethics

Religion, civil society and conflict: What is it that religion does for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Worldviews are socially created and determine human behaviour and, as such, most often find expression in religion. The discussion of conflict and the role of religion in civil society take place within the discourse of the sociology of religion. Religion is socially determined. Peter Berger's insight into the sociology of religion ...

Constraining is enabling? Exploring the influence of national context on civil society strength

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamstra, J.; Pelzer, B.J.; Elbers, W.J.; Ruben, R.

2016-01-01

This article analyses the influence of national context on civil society strength based on four key dimensions: level of democracy, political stability, rule of law and economic development. Whereas existing studies mainly focus on Western and post-communist countries, we explicitly include

Constraining Is Enabling? Exploring the Influence of National Context on Civil Society Strength

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamstra, Jelmer; Pelzer, Ben; Elbers, Willem; Ruben, Ruerd

2016-01-01

This article analyses the influence of national context on civil society strength based on four key dimensions: level of democracy, political stability, rule of law and economic development. Whereas existing studies mainly focus on Western and post-communist countries, we explicitly include

Grass-root Mobilisation and Citizen Participation: Issues and Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasoo, S.

1991-01-01

Mobilization of citizen participation in grassroots organizations can be adversely affected when grassroots leaders perceive a lack of support. Periodic organizational diagnosis can lead to more equitable division of responsibilities and recruitment of more leaders and skilled participants. (SK)

Environmental Empowerment - the role of Co-operation between Civil Society, Universities and Science Shops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brodersen, Søsser; Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Hansen, Anne Grethe

2006-01-01

The University based Science Shops were established in the 1970s in the Netherlands, and in Denmark and other countries in the 1980s and 1990s. The aim was to give civil society organisations access to scientific knowledge and to empower citizen participation regarding environmental and social...... improvements. It has recently been suggested that the role of Science Shops should change as a consequence of the stated increasing professionalisation of the Non Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, and of industry’s increasing interest in introducing environmental management measures....... Increasing internationalisation of the environmental agenda has contributed to this as well as a general acceptance of environmental considerations in industry policy and strategy. However, with departure point in three different Science Shop projects, the article proposes that Science Shops are still...

Culture as Cure: Civil Society and Moral Debates in KwaZulu-Natal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper addresses the nature of 'really existing' civil society and the workings of the public sphere in informal urban settlements on the outskirts of Durban. It focuses on debates over morality and the health of the community which have emerged locally in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and highlights the positions ...

Governmental Promotion of Social Cohesion and Its Effect on Local Civil Society Organisations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Semino, Stella Maris

2015-01-01

This article examines how social policy influences social cohesion within a London borough. The focus is on the degree to which civil society organisations facilitate the representation of migrants within the public sphere. The policies considered are those introduced by New Labour and the current...

Achieving environmental excellence through a multidisciplinary grassroots movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Herechuk, Bryan; Gosse, Carolyn; Woods, John N

2010-01-01

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) supports a grassroots green team, called Environmental Vision and Action (EVA). Since the creation of EVA, a healthy balance between corporate projects led by corporate leaders and grassroots initiatives led by informal leaders has resulted in many successful environmental initiatives. Over a relatively short period of time, environmental successes at SJHH have included waste diversion programs, energy efficiency and reduction initiatives, alternative commuting programs, green purchasing practices, clinical and pharmacy greening and increased staff engagement and awareness. Knowledge of social movements theory helped EVA leaders to understand the internal processes of a grassroots movement and helped to guide it. Social movements theory may also have broader applicability in health care by understanding the passionate engagement that people bring to a common cause and how to evolve sources of opposition into engines for positive change. After early successes, as the limitations of a grassroots movement began to surface, the EVA team revived the concept of evolving the grassroots green program into a corporate program for environmental stewardship. It is hard to quantify the importance of allowing our staff, physicians, volunteers and patients to engage in changes that they feel passionately about. However, at SJHH, the transformation of a group of people unsatisfied with the organization's environmental performance into an 'engine for change' has led to a rapid improvement in environmental stewardship at SJHH that is now regarded as a success.

The Information Age and the Civil Society: An Interview with Jeremy Rifkin.

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, Peter

1996-01-01

For over a century, American education's mission has centered on preparing future workers to enter the marketplace. Just as the Industrial Age ended slave labor, the Information Age will end mass wage labor, freeing up millions for shortened work weeks and/or work in the civil society or nonprofit sector. Service learning helps by creating social…

Gold, the Golden Rule, and Government: Civil Society and the End of the State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.G. White

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Properly speaking, money and law are natural outgrowths of human society, evolving over time via the voluntary cooperation that lies at the heart of the social enterprise. And as gold and the golden rule have for millennia formed the basis, respectively, of society’s money and law, they accordingly constitute the “twin pillars of civilization,” governing the social enterprise such that, in Mises’s words, “the human species has multiplied far beyond the margin of subsistence.” It stands to reason, then, that if money and law are corrupted, the social enterprise will be corrupted as well. And as this is precisely what the state has done, essentially toppling the twin pillars of civilization, it is necessary to understand what the state is, where it came from, and how it has systematically gone about corrupting money and law, and thus the social enterprise as a whole. For only then can money and law be returned to their rightful owners, and only then can the state be put in its proper place. Which is no place so far as the proper functioning of civil society is concerned.

Stato e società civile in Gramsci (State and Civil Society in Gramsci

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Guido LIGUORI

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Gramsci is not, as at times has been said, the “theoretician of civil society”. Central to his reflections in the Prison Notebooks is instead the concept of the “integral State” or “extended State”, the dialectical union of State and civil society which allowed him to interpret the new social and political situation typical of much of the twentieth century. This new situation is characterized, on the one hand, by a new relationship between the economy and politics and, on the other, by the growing importance of the “apparatuses of consent” flanking the State’s traditional repressive apparatuses. For Gramsci the apparatuses of consent are sometimes public and sometimes apparently private but, in any case, their function is the same, namely to reinforce the hegemony of the dominant class, and to propagate a traditional common sense, thereby making it difficult to challenge the given set-ups of power. Since there has been a change in the State – the terrain of the struggle for power – the concept of revolution must also change: this is no longer an isolated insurrectionary event, as it was in the nineteenth century, but a long struggle for the conquest of “trenches and emplacements”, in other words the conquest of the centres that produce and extend consent.

Influence of Diaspora and Civil Society Actors on the Internationalisation of MNEs in Emerging Market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rana, Mohammad Bakhtiar; Elo, Maria

2015-01-01

influence. The findings illustrate the central role of diaspora related innovation, motivation, knowledge, network and funding that supported this emerging market INV development. The study contributes to internationalization research, transnational diaspora entrepreneurship and civil society research......Multinational enterprises (MNE) are viewed as proactive global economic actors that enter new and emerging markets with an intentional strategy, building on their inherent resources and firm-specific advantages. However, there are numerous actors involved at market entry-level who may constitute...... thresholds for the entry. Emerging markets tend to possess complex institutional contexts and thus may incorporate idiographic entry challenges. Our study presents two under-examined types of stakeholders as distinct actors related to emerging market entry process: diaspora and civil society. We illustrate...

State, market and civil society: Latin American development in comparative perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Menno Vellinga

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In the 1980s Latin America made a radical break with the model of development that had been pursued by most countries on the continent for the last fifty years and implemented a new development strategy, defined along neo-liberal lines. These changes have taken place under conditions of increasing globalization, e.g. they had to be realized increasingly within globally defined parameters and structures. The relationship between the state, the market and civil society was redefined. The traditional structures of interest representation of groups and classes, their legitimacy and effectiveness underwent significant changes in many countries. In this article we will explore the nature of these changes and their consequences for state reform and the relation to problems of national development. We will do so in a comparative perspective, including experiences from South East Asia. The debate about the relationship between state, market and civil society has received a new impetus from the 2008 crisis of the international financial system and the widely spread criticism of the workings of the market capitalism that it has generated. For Latin American development the conclusions of this debate and their possible translation into concrete policies are of the utmost importance.

Rebalancing EU Interest Representation? Assocative Democracy and EU funding of Civil Society Organizations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sanchez Salgado, R.

2014-01-01

European Union (EU) funding of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a substantial and important part of EU governance, but study of such funding is scarce and theoretically underdeveloped. To fill this gap, this article analyzes the main features of EU funding of CSOs and its effects on the EU

When Procedural Legitimacy Equals Nothing: Civil Society and Foreign Trade Policy in Brazil and Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinícius Rodrigues Vieira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Non-state actors contribute with inputs to the elaboration of the national interest in trade negotiations, thus enhancing its legitimacy. Nevertheless, does the participation of those actors necessarily equal influence on the part of all segments of civil society on policymaking? To answer the question, I argue that procedural legitimacy should be evaluated not only in relation to the inputs society provides to the State, but should also consider whether officials actually analyse societal contributions in decision-making. I demonstrate the empirical application of the model based upon Brazil's experience in multilateral trade negotiations during the 2000s, using Mexico as a shadow case. I conclude that foreign trade policymaking can only be democratised if, in procedural legitimacy, the State attributes equal weight to contributions from all types of societal actors, including civil society organisations and organised social movements, which tend to have less material resources and power than interest groups such as business associations and labour unions.

Legal Culture Viewed as a Factor of Civil Society Development in Russia

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Ya V Zubova

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The article focuses on the civil society and its development in Russia in connection with the notion of legal culture. The legal culture is integral to people's social activities and it is inextricably intertwined into the system of social relations as a result of the regulatory control of the activity, the ranking and regulation of the public intercourse based on the law. The legal culture is uniquely positioned for exercising strong influence upon an individual since it involves competence, adherence and respect for the legal standards expressing the accumulated moral and political requirements of the society.

The United States Civil War Causal Agent for Irish Assimilation and Acceptance in US Society

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gillespie, William

2001-01-01

The American Civil War was a cornerstone event for the Irish in America. Their participation proved their duty to Union and Confederate causes, increased their acceptance in American society, and hastened assimilation...

Noble Estate Self-Government in Russia: Between the State and Civil Society

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Alexander Yu. Morozov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to assessing the role of noble self-governance in the history of Russia. According to Boris Mironov, before the Great Reforms of the 1860s, each noble assembly was a part of civil society. This point of view has aroused objections and debate among Russian historians. Morozov analyzed the historiographical aspect of the problem and demonstrated the impact of the socio-political context of their scientific work on Russian historians. In his opinion, from a purely legal point of view, there is reason to conclude that the autonomy of noble assemblies increased in the first half of the 19th century. However, the question of the extent to which these opportunities were realized in practice has been poorly studied. In the literature, there are examples of effective methods of influencing the government at the noble assemblies despite legal restrictions, as well as examples of noble assemblies that did not restrain the arbitrariness of the crown authority, did not protect their members from its abuse, and did not serve as the expression of public opinion. Mironov’s attempt to place in doubt the fact of the widespread presence of absenteeism seems unconvincing to Morozov. However, he agrees with Mironov that after 1861, the nobility really became a part of civil society, because the activity of noble organizations increased substantially in many different directions, including the political. For almost half a century of its history, the noble corporate organization evolved from a traditional institution into a civil one, which retained many features of traditional organization.

The possible contribution of civil society in the moral edification of South African society: The example of the ‘United Democratic Front’ and the ‘Treatment Action Campaign’ (1983–2014

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Jakobus M. Vorster

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In spite of much candid protest and overt criticism against the service delivery record and corruption of the South African government, the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC, once again secured a persuasive victory in the 2014 national elections. This situation begs the question whether the ballot box is really the only efficient instrument for disgruntled voters to influence government policy and behaviour. This article examines the possibilities that the mobilisation of civil society offers in this regard. The central theoretical argument is that civil society can be an important instrument through which the citizenry can exercise their critical function with regard to the government in an effort to address poor service delivery and corruption and to influence government policy. Christian organisations can play a crucial role in this process. Two examples of past efficient action by civil society serve to illustrate this argument. With the assistance of churches and Christian organisations,these organisations profoundly influenced government policy and are consequently presented as models for action today. The first example is the ‘United Democratic Front’ (UDF that forced the pre-1994 South African apartheid government to a negotiated settlement despite the strict security laws that the state utilised to keep the UDF in check. The second example is the ‘Treatment Action Campaign’ (TAC that forced the post-1994 Thabo Mbeki government to adopt a policy of free provision of antiretroviral drugs to HIV-positive patients. These two influential civil organisations offer models of how civil society can act as critical watchdog. In future, these models can be used to mobilise civil society, including churches and Christian organisations, to act correctively in defining and enacting government policy, despite the ANC’s strong position in government and the large majority that the governing party can secure at the voting

Building capacity for low-carbon communities: The role of grassroots initiatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Middlemiss, Lucie; Parrish, Bradley D.

2010-01-01

Grassroots initiatives for change rely on people with limited power, limited resources and limited ability to influence others. From this position, people acting from the bottom up can change their own actions, seek to influence others around them and seek to change the social structures that they inhabit. These acts are invariably conceived, initiated and enacted within communities, and there is an emerging interest from practitioner, policy and academic circles in the importance of community as a space for realising pro-environmental change. In this paper, we ask what role grassroots initiatives can have in creating low-carbon communities. Using a theoretical framework from work on community-based practice change initiatives, we discuss the interplay between grassroots action and community capacity. We then present two cases of grassroots low-carbon community initiatives in light of this theoretical work. We conclude by discussing key themes emerging from the cases, including the potential for grassroots initiatives to build community capacity for low-carbon practices, and the importance of locally crafted solutions according to the structures specific to place.

Learning from the Grassroots: Exploring Democratic Adult Learning Opportunities Connected to Grassroots Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Gouthro, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

Grassroots organizations emerge when groups of people decide to work collectively to form an organization as a way to initiate change. Rather than seeking leadership from established government or corporate organizations or departments, the purpose of the organization, the framework for decision making, and the individuals involved in leadership…

The expanding role of civil society in the global HIV/AIDS response: what has the President's Emergency Program For AIDS Relief's role been?

Science.gov (United States)

Coutinho, Alex; Roxo, Uchechi; Epino, Henry; Muganzi, Alex; Dorward, Emily; Pick, Billy

2012-08-15

Civil society has been part of the HIV/AIDS response from the very beginning of the epidemic, often becoming engaged before national governments. Traditional roles of civil society--advocacy, activism, serving as government watchdog, and acting as community caretaker--have been critical to the response. In addition, civil society organizations (CSOs) play an integral part in providing world-class HIV prevention and treatment services and helping to ensure continuity of care. The President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has significantly increased the global scale-up of combination antiretroviral therapy reaching for more than 5 million people in developing countries, as well as implementation of effective evidence-based combination prevention approaches. PEPFAR databases in 5 countries and annual reports from a centrally managed initiative were mined and analyzed to determine the numbers and types of CSOs funded by PEPFAR over a 5-year period (2006-2011). Data are also presented from Uganda showing the overall resource growth in CSO working for HIV. Case studies document the evolution of 3 indigenous CSOs that increased the capacity to implement activities with PEPFAR funding. A legacy of PEPFAR has been the growth of civil society to address social and health issues as well as recognition by governments that partnerships with beneficiaries and civil society result in better outcomes. Scale-up of the global response could not have happened without the involvement of civil society and people living with HIV. This game changing partnership to jointly tackle the problems that countries face may well be the greatest benefit emerging from the HIV epidemic.

Grassroots Numeracy

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H.L. Vacher

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The readers and authors of papers in Numeracy compose a multidisciplinary grassroots interest group that is defining and illustrating the meaning, content, and scope of quantitative literacy (QL and how it intersects with educational goals and practice. The 161 Numeracy papers that have been produced by this QL community were downloaded 42, 085 times in a total of 178 countries, including all 34 OECD countries, during 2015 and the first quarter of 2016. A scatterplot of normalized downloads per month vs. normalized total downloads for the eight years of Numeracy’s life allows identification of the 24 “most popular” of the 161 papers. These papers, which range over a wide landscape of subjects, were produced by a total of 41 authors, only nine of whom are mathematicians. The data clearly show that the QL community is not just a bunch of mathematicians talking amongst themselves. Rather the community is a vibrant mix of mathematicians and users and friends of mathematics. The heterogeneity of this grassroots community, and Numeracy’s commitment to serve it, dictates our mode of publication and the nature of our peer review. The journal is assertively open access for readers and free of page charges and processing fees to authors. The peer-review process is designed to provide constructive feedback to promote effective communication of the diverse activities and interests of a community that brings with it a multitude of publication cultures and experiences.

PHILANTHRPY AND ITS ROLE IN FORMING CIVIL SOCIETY IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION

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V. R. Goryatcheva

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The institution of philanthropy is an important part of any civil society. The article provides definition of a charity institution and stresses the important role of legislation in the development of philanthropy. Legislation in the field of philanthropy in the Russian Federation, including mainlegal acts and the taxation system of non-governmental non-commercial organizations, are discussed. Essential tax deductions for charitable work lead to the emergence of patterns of tax evasion, including withdrawal of funds to offshore areas.

Changing social policy: Grassroots to legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemiska, Liz; McCann, Eileen M; Mancuso, Margaret

2002-05-01

Health care in the United States has evolved into a multimillion dollar business. As the health care industry has grown, so too has government regulation and involvement. As both insurers and patients vie to get the most for their health care dollars, federal and state governments attempt to mediate, prevent fraud and abuse, and protect all parties involved. Consumers feel the effects of this "tug of war" in the form of higher copayments, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs, as well as denial of coverage. This denial of coverage sparked a very successful grassroots effort to stop commercial insurers in the state of Connecticut from defining ostomy supplies as cosmetic and thus denying reimbursement. A tremendous amount of collaboration between Connecticut WOC nurses, state legislators, local American Cancer Society advocates, United Ostomy Association chapter members, and health care providers resulted in a powerful mobilization and support for House Bill No. 5120. This bill went beyond defining ostomy supplies as medically necessary but also set a minimum rate for reimbursement. Social policy changed, improving the lives of Connecticut citizens with an ostomy. Although many people fear they do not have the power to make necessary changes in government, this experience proved otherwise. The collaboration that occurred was patient advocacy at its best. This article describes the process that allowed this successful collaboration to take place with the hope that others will be inspired to get involved with patient advocacy through political involvement. It is the intention of this work to capture the essence of dedication of a grassroots campaign involving a small group of well-organized, highly focused participants who were responsible for changing public health care policy in the state of Connecticut.

State-Phobia, Civil Society, and a Certain Vitalism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villadsen, Kaspar; Dean, Mitchell

2012-01-01

, movements, energies, and cultures outside of the state, and yet they are afraid that their programmatic attempts to do so may stifle these non-state agents. This is evident in the cautious enchantment with “local communities” or civil society across social, cultural, and health policies of advanced welfare...... province of the welfare state. This movement and rationality gives Michel Foucault's genealogy of what he called “state-phobia” a renewed pertinence. Second, over the same period, an anti-state attitude spread throughout influential strands of social science, which made the state a no-go domain both...... analytically and normatively. This attitude was discernable among theorists of globalization and governance,2 as well as among those who celebrated the bottom up politics of plurality,3 life-politics,4 or the rise of communities, social movements, and social networks. These strands of thought held...

CHARITY INSTITUTION AS RUSSIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY FORMATION INSTRUMENT

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V. R. Goryatcheva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Broadly supported and actively functioning charity institution may essentially influence development of both the country economics and its civil society. Theoretical aspects of the impact of charity on the economy are discussed in detail. Brought about in the article is information that reflects activities of non-commercial organizations (NCO in Russia and abroad, global charity experience, ways of raising funds for NCO, methods of assessing feasibility of investment into non-commercial projects. Social entrepreneurship experience including that of running social projects is discussed.

Centre for Workers’ Management end line report - MFS II country evaluations, Civil Society component

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaver, D.C.; Wadhwa, S.; Pandey, R.; Madaan, A.; Prasad Mohapatra, B.

2015-01-01

This report describes the findings of the end line assessment of the Centre for Workers’ Management (CWM) in India, which is a partner of Hivos. It assesses CWM’s contribution towards strengthening Civil Society in India whilst using the CIVICUS analytical framework. It is a follow-up of a baseline

WTO rules and practices for transparency and engagement with civil society organizations

OpenAIRE

Perez-Esteve, Maria

2012-01-01

In a rapidly changing trade environment, marked by economic slowdown and impasse in the Doha Round, the success of the WTO in promoting and legitimizing the rules-based multilateral trading system rests, to a large extent, on maintaining effective relations with civil society, including non-governmental organisations. This paper provides an overview of the WTO's rules and practices for transparency and engagement with NGOs. First, it looks at both internal and external transparency. Second, i...

Radioactive waste and civil society: Toward confidence and efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferte, Jacques de la

2001-01-01

Radioactive waste management is a typical area where a confident and efficient relationship between decision makers and civil society is required to achieve progress. The Radioactive waste management community must now learn the lessons and borrow from the good and bad experiences of government and industry in the area of good governance. Key ingredients include not only good science and technology, but also an early association of stakeholders with the waste management development process, so as to care for social values and generate confidence in the public, notably at the local level. The new NEA Forum will now organise its future work around this concept, collecting and sharing the experience among its members, and working together in an on-going multi-year programme

Relational Goods and Their Subjects: The Ferment of a New Civil Society and Civil Democracy

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Pierpaolo Donati

2014-04-01

Full Text Available 96 Normal 0 21 false false false ES-TRAD JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} From some years now, the social sciences have been highlighting the existence of a type of goods that are neither material things, nor ideas, nor functional performances but consist, instead, of social relations and, for this reason, are called relational goods. This contribution proposes to clarify this concept from the viewpoint of relational sociology, which avoids both methodological individualism and holism. Subsequently, it argues that such goods can be produced only by specific social subjects, which the Author calls ‘relational subjects’. Relying upon many theoretical and empirical researches, the paper explains in which sense and in which way relational subjects, and the goods they generate, can contribute to making civil society more robust: that is, no longer the typically capitalist society of the market, but an ‘associational’ society able to sustain a mature democracy.  

Conceptual Dimension of Problems of Joint Activity of the State and Civil Society Institutes on Ensuring National Security of the Russian Federation

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Gulyaikhin Vyacheslav N.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the article the main methodological approaches to the problem of interaction of institutes of the state and civil society in the context of ensuring national security of Russia are analyzed. Two main alternative concepts (liberal and etatist to which the Russian researchers adhere are allocated. Supporters of liberal approach suppose that domination of the interests of civil society and ensuring equal cooperation with government institutions at the solution of problems of ensuring national security is necessary. Adherents of the etatist concept defend an unconditional priority of government bodies in this sphere. The authors provide the conceptual analysis of estimates by domestic researchers of the main activities of associations of the citizens connected with the counteraction to threats of national security. In the article positive impact of institutes of civil society on political and social and economic processes in Russia is noted, their assistance in development of the state institutes of the state and the potential of constructive interaction with federal and regional authorities on ensuring national security is estimated. The detailed analysis of the politological concept according to which more active participation of public organizations and socially responsible citizens in ensuring national security is necessary, is carried out. Their influence on development of a security system has to become more and more considerable because of social and economic problems which are objectively demanding participation of civil society in their decision-making. It is connected also with the need of modernization breakthrough, not possible without civil initiatives. In the article the conclusion that the Russian researchers attach great value to interaction of institutes of the state and civil society in ensuring national security of the Russian Federation is drawn, conceptually proving the need of their joint activity for this direction, and

Role of political parties in the formation of civil society in Uzbekistan

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Сирожжон Насипкулович Бердикулов

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The article considers the role of political parties in the development of civil society and the rule of law, as well as issues of political parties differ from other public organizations, the concept of a multi-party system, the importance of a multi-party system in ensuring political pluralism, inter-party competition, constructive opposition, the expression of the interests of the electorate, the space of political parties in parliament and local councils (soviets

Grassroots Indicators for Desertification: Experience and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The book documents why grassroots indicators should play a key role in the ... Adaptation strategies for two Colombian cities were discussed at ADAPTO's second ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, ...

Civil society and the Health and Social Care Act in England and Wales: theory and praxis for the twenty-first century.

Science.gov (United States)

Scambler, Graham; Scambler, Sasha; Speed, Ewen

2014-12-01

In this paper we revisit the notion of civil society in the light of recent attempts to privatize health care in England via the passing of the Health and Social Care Act of 2013. This legislation promises a re-commodification of the National Health Service (NHS) in England. The Bill was bitterly contested during its passage through parliament, most vigorously in 2011. Much of the opposition occurred at a time of widespread, global rebellion, most notably in the 'Arab uprisings' and through the 'occupy movement'. Despite a plethora of protests, we argue, a non-porous boundary between what we call the 'protest sector' of civil society and the wider public sphere of the lifeworld has become apparent in England. A good deal of collective action, whether campaign-focused (like opposition to the Health and Social Care Bill) or more generalized (like rejections of corporate greed), has so far proved ineffective, at least in the short-term; no crisis of legitimation is apparent. We highlight a new 'class/command dynamic', leading to oligarchic rule, in the present era of financial capitalism. We use this health care case-study to re-examine the notion of civil society and its changing properties in what Castells calls a 'networked society'. The contribution ends with a discussion of the role of the sociologist re-civil society and the advocacy of both 'action' and 'foresight sociologies'. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMMUNITY POWER AND GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

8, Political Decentralization and Popular Alternatives: A View from the South ... Power and Grassroots Democracy, the result of a multi-country research project and .... Its roots also lie in the progressive decomposition of the two prevalent .... inequalities — inequalities based on sex, age, color, sexual orientation, and so forth.

The Potentials of New Public Sphere For Emerging Global Civil Society

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Abul Sattar Khan

2011-12-01

Full Text Available New public sphere is characterized by the digital gadgets, global village, international citizenship and new global society. However, the common thread cutting through all these new concepts is the virtual soul of ‘connectivity’ that is riding on the ‘networking-tools’ which have now grown into an unprecedented giant ‘network-of-networks’ or simply put the ‘Internet’ with ‘social-networking’ and ‘social-software’ as the latest communication tools. International citizens travel on the information superhighways 24/7 and the communications across the planet never stops. It is however argued that NPS offers both challenges and prospects for the users depending on the availability of digital gadgets and digital literacy of the global citizens. This paper explores the pluses and minuses of this emerging environment for the members of global civil society by postulating a grounded model of the issue.

Institutions as Incentives for Civic Action: Bureaucratic Structures, Civil Society, and Disruptive Protests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cornell, Agnes; Grimes, Marcia

2015-01-01

This paper examines the link between political control of government bureaucracies and citizens’ likelihood to stage disruptive protests. A public administration heavily controlled by politicians, and staffed to a large extent with political appointees, allows politicians to intervene in policy...... to be more pronounced where civil society is stronger. We test the arguments empirically on data from 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and the findings are consistent with the hypotheses....

Imagining Research as Solidarity and Grassroots Globalisation: A Response to Appadurai (2001)

Science.gov (United States)

Novelli, Mario

2006-01-01

In response to Appadurai's "Grassroots globalization and the research imagination", this paper explores some of the theoretical, ethical, methodological and practical issues of developing a "strong internationalisation" of research with and amongst grassroots globalisation movements. Drawing on five years of solidarity and…

Crafting Sustainable Development Solutions: Frugal Innovations of Grassroots Entrepreneurs

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Mario Pansera

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A shift in the entrepreneurial landscape is taking place brought about by grassroots innovators with little formal education and technological knowhow, living and working in penurious environments. This research represents an emerging third wave of literature on Bottom of the Pyramid innovation, where products are offered for and by the underserved. Using primary and secondary data derived from four cases of grassroots entrepreneurs in the Indian Subcontinent, the study explores the phenomenon where resource scarce entrepreneurs craft solutions that are environmental friendly, with low overall ownership costs, and use locally available material. We argue that the grassroots phenomenon can be fruitfully exploited to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the UN as a post-2015 strategy for the future of global governance. These innovations might have a tremendous impact not only in terms of serving unmet and ignored consumer needs, but also longer term impacts through enhanced productivity, sustainability, poverty reduction and inclusion promotion.

Islam, civil society and social work; Muslim voluntary welfare associations in Jordan between patronage and empowerment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harmsen, E.

2007-01-01

This dissertation analyzes the religious discourse and the social work practices of Muslim voluntary welfare associations in Jordan on the basis of civil society theory. The need to react to western political, economic as well as cultural hegemony gave rise to relatively dogmatic and fundamentalist

Globalisation and health inequalities: can a human rights paradigm create space for civil society action?

Science.gov (United States)

London, Leslie; Schneider, Helen

2012-01-01

While neoliberal globalisation is associated with increasing inequalities, global integration has simultaneously strengthened the dissemination of human rights discourse across the world. This paper explores the seeming contradiction that globalisation is conceived as disempowering nations states' ability to act in their population's interests, yet implementation of human rights obligations requires effective states to deliver socio-economic entitlements, such as health. Central to the actions required of the state to build a health system based on a human rights approach is the notion of accountability. Two case studies are used to explore the constraints on states meeting their human rights obligations regarding health, the first drawing on data from interviews with parliamentarians responsible for health in East and Southern Africa, and the second reflecting on the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The case studies illustrate the importance of a human rights paradigm in strengthening parliamentary oversight over the executive in ways that prioritise pro-poor protections and in increasing leverage for resources for the health sector within parliamentary processes. Further, a rights framework creates the space for civil society action to engage with the legislature to hold public officials accountable and confirms the importance of rights as enabling civil society mobilization, reinforcing community agency to advance health rights for poor communities. In this context, critical assessment of state incapacity to meet claims to health rights raises questions as to the diffusion of accountability rife under modern international aid systems. Such diffusion of accountability opens the door to 'cunning' states to deflect rights claims of their populations. We argue that human rights, as both a normative framework for legal challenges and as a means to create room for active civil society engagement provide a means to contest both the real and the

"Sociedade civil global": agentes não estatais e espaço de interação na sociedade política "Global civil society": non-state agents and space of interaction in political society

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Victor Coutinho Lage

2012-06-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo visa compreender o conceito de sociedade civil global, a partir de um diálogo entre o construtivismo em Relações Internacionais e o pensador francês Michel Foucault. Dividido em três seções seguidas por uma conclusão, o texto almeja inserir-se em um espaço acadêmico de profunda contestação das bases filosóficas que permeiam as teorias convencionais nas ciências sociais e, em especial, nas Relações Internacionais. A primeira seção dedica-se à discussão acerca da sociedade civil global como espaço de interação agente-estrutura; na seção subsequente, ao conceito como um conjunto heterogêneo de agentes não estatais de escopo global. A terceira seção funde as duas partes da definição. Assim, propõem-se duas dimensões definidoras da sociedade civil global: na primeira, como espaço político; na segunda, como conjunto de agentes de características específicas. Por fim, uma breve conclusão encerra o texto - mas não a polêmica da discussão. Conclui-se que o contexto contemporâneo é marcado por uma complexidade de tal magnitude que torna urgente uma abordagem que evite oposições binárias e fronteiras ontológicas naturalizadas e reificadas, estando, assim, apta a interpretar de maneira mais adequada as relações sociais e políticas atuais.This article aims at understanding the concept of global civil society, from a dialogue between constructivism in International Relations and the French thinker Michel Foucault. Divided in three sections, followed by a conclusion, the text intends to insert itself in an academic space of a profound contestation concerning the philosophical basis of the conventional theories in the social sciences and, specially, in International Relations. The first section is dedicated to the discussion about global civil society as a space of agent-structure interaction; the next section treats the concept as a heterogeneous set of non-state agents of global scope. The

Environmental justice: a form of passive revolution and civil society against capitalist system hegemony

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Ana Keuly Luz Bezerra

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article aims to discuss the notion of civil society, hegemony and passive revolution in the thoughts of Antonio Gramsci and its relation to the need for implementation of environmental justice. The concept of civil society in Gramsci's view appears as a group of organisms commonly designated as “private”, formed by the organizations responsible for drafting much as the dissemination of ideologies, so understanding the school system, the churches, trade unions, political parties, professional organizations, material culture of the organization, while the concept of hegemony arises within the Marxist tradition as a response to new social settings. Despite its origins in the Russian social democracy and to be present at the thought of Lenin, this concept was developed in a more elaborated by Gramsci. The concept of “passive revolution”, “revolution–restoration” or “evolutionism” is crucial category that Gramsci uses to understand the formation of the modern bourgeois state in Italy (starting from the facts of the Risorgiment o, which culminated in the national unification, to define the fundamental features of the passage of Italian capitalism to step monopoly capitalism and to point fascism as a form of “passive revolution”. It is from this understanding that we use the concept of “passive revolution” to discuss pratics the principles of environmental justice, given that this concept applies to many episodes of the story, as well as more generally, the transition from the industrial model capitalist development of the capitalist system of sustainable development. It consists in a literature review from the work of Gramsci, where it can be concluded that the movements that call for environmental justice in Brazil and the world, mitigated by civil society through a process of passive revolution, based on the insertion of dignity human and the environment as key goals of the state, propose a new model of sustainable

Islamist Civil Society Activism Malaysia Abdullah: Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) Darul Arqam

OpenAIRE

Hamid, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul

2009-01-01

Without discounting the relevance of such a framework, this article seeks to look at the phenomenon of Islamism in Malaysia from the angle of Islamist civil society movements that are not directly involved in the domain of electoral politics, but that have nonetheless significantly in fenced political behavior of especially the majority Malay-Muslim population of Malaysia. The provisional impact of these new groupings form the main thread in our discussion, which narrows down to an inv...

Dealing with corruption in South African civil society: Orientating Christian communities for their role in a post-apartheid context

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Friedrich W. de Wet

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The way in which the full spectrum of Christian communities are challenged to realign themselves in addressing the impact of corruption on the contemporary South-African society can be a relevant indicator of civil society�s state and functionality in a post-apartheid democratic context. Utilising the interpretative and normative tools of practical-theological research, the researcher attempts to point out markers for Christian communities towards orientating themselves regarding their role in a complex landscape and in an asymmetrically shaped public sphere. The discussion includes an analysis of the current shape of civil society, an interpretation of the complex landscape of perceptions regarding corruption and an overview of the dilemmas faced by some of the major Christian church traditions in the post-apartheid South African context concerning their truthful presence in civil society. The discussion concludes by making a case for the need to anchor the realignment of the prophetic voice and the revitalisation of the transformative presence in a profound and far-reaching theological reorientation. Tension fields that involve critical and constructive action in a situation of endemic corruption cannot be negotiated without ridding the own presence from potential corruptive elements like hidden exclusivity, half-hearted concern and compromise.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Making use of the interdisciplinary results of social sciences and civil-society studies, the author provides an overview for Christian communities and their leaders in theologically orientating themselves for an appropriate angle of approach in entering the public sphere with a view on authentic and impactful participation in anti-corruption dialogue and actions. The key finding of the research amounts to the following: Tension fields that involve critical and constructive action in a situation of endemic corruption cannot be negotiated without

Agroecology to Promote Just Sustainability Transitions: Analysis of a Civil Society Network in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda

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Ellinor Isgren

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Agroecology is gaining ground within the debate on how to address systemic social and environmental problems in agriculture. However, it remains marginalized in agricultural research and development plans around the world. This paper analyzes agroecology as a socio-technical niche in Uganda, where its emergence in part can be seen as an unintended consequence of neoliberalist development. The case studied is a civil society network that links farmer groups and non-governmental organizations across different levels. Through the analytical lens of regime dimensions, we find that agroecology is practiced as a smallholder-centric approach that champions collective action, locally appropriate technologies, participatory methods in research and extension, and calls for more active state guidance of agricultural change along specific principles. However, two major concerns are raised; the niche converges with the dominant discourse around commercialization, and policy advocacy is hampered by the apolitical history of NGOs and an increasingly tense political climate. These two areas are critical for agroecology to contribute to just sustainability transitions, and civil society organizations with strong links to smallholder farmers need to be included in the growing scholarly debate both to inform it and to receive guidance from it. Transition frameworks can help facilitate the development of viable institutional designs and explicitly transformative strategies, but we also point towards the need for engagement with theories on civil society collective action and political mobilization.

African civil society initiatives to drive a biobanking, biosecurity and infrastructure development agenda in the wake of the West African Ebola outbreak.

Science.gov (United States)

Abayomi, Akin; Gevao, Sahr; Conton, Brian; Deblasio, Pasquale; Katz, Rebecca

2016-01-01

This paper describes the formation of a civil society consortium, spurred to action by frustration over the Ebola crises, to facilitate the development of infrastructure and frameworks including policy development to support a harmonized, African approach to health crises on the continent. The Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium, or GET, is an important example of how African academics, scientists, clinicians and civil society have come together to initiate policy research, multilevel advocacy and implementation of initiatives aimed at building African capacity for timely and effective mitigations strategies against emerging infectious and neglected pathogens, with a focus on biobanking and biosecurity. The consortium has been able to establish it self as a leading voice, drawing attention to scientific infrastructure gaps, the importance of cultural sensitivities, and the power of community engagement. The GET consortium demonstrates how civil society can work together, encourage government engagement and strengthen national and regional efforts to build capacity.

Community Power and Grassroots Democracy: The Transformation ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1997-01-01

Jan 1, 1997 ... Book cover Community Power and Grassroots Democracy ... But there are obstacles: the power of central bureaucracies, the lack of local skills and organizational experience, social divisions, and the impact of ... Knowledge.

How does single party dominance influence civil society organisations' engagement strategies? Exploratory analysis of participative mainstreaming in a 'regional' European polity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaney, Paul

2016-04-01

A raft of United Nations Treaties, European Union Directives and domestic laws oblige governments in 180 + countries to apply the Participative Democratic Model of mainstreaming equalities to public administration by involving those targeted by equality initiatives at all stages in their design and delivery. Notwithstanding Participative Democratic Model's deeply political nature, extant work has overlooked how governing party turnover influences civil society organisations' (CSOs) strategies. Here, this lacuna is addressed using a negative 'extreme case study' research design involving qualitative accounts from civil society organisations in Wales, a 'regional' European polity characterised by one-party dominance. The findings reveal how the absence of turnover distorts the Participative Democratic Model in relation to diverse factors including: strategic bridging, extraparliamentary politics, cognitive locks and party institutionalisation. Inter alia, the wider contribution of this analysis lies in showing the importance of turnover to effective engagement, the 'pathologies' associated with one-party dominance and the need for adaptive civil society strategies tailored to prevailing electoral politics and governing party turnover in liberal democracies.

The Civil Society Dynamic of Including and Empowering Refugees in Canada’s Urban Centres

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Oliver Schmidtke

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the critical role that civil society at the urban level plays in integrating and empowering immigrants and minorities in Canadian society. From a place-based approach, it investigates how key agencies in the local community have been instrumental in including immigrants in general and refugees in particular into the fabric of Canadian society. Empirically the analysis focuses on Neighbourhood Houses in Greater Vancouver and the Privately-Sponsored Refugee program in Canada. With the interpretative lens on the urban context, the article shows how immigrants and refugees have gained agency and voice in the public arena through place-based communities. The insight into these two empirical cases provides the basis for conceptualizing the socio-political dynamics of immigrant settlement and integration in terms of the effects generated by urban governance structures.

For sustainable participation by civil society in Europe in the oversight of nuclear activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delalonde, J.C.

2010-01-01

The Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, was signed in 1998 by the European Community and European countries including the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU). That same year, the Committee of the Regions adopted a resolution on nuclear safety and local and regional democracy. These two texts indicate strong political and legal recognition of access to information and participation in the nuclear field. Ten years later, it would seem to be important to observe how these principles are actually implemented. As of 2009, the ANCCLI and the European Commission opened an 18-month European dialogue on the practical application of the Aarhus Convention in the nuclear field. The principle of this approach, called ACN for Aarhus Convention and Nuclear, is to promote feedback about practical application of the Aarhus Convention in the nuclear field in the various European countries, and to share this feedback in order to identify both difficulties and good practices and to initiate progress jointly with the various stakeholders concerned (authorities, civil society, operators, experts, local authorities, etc.). It is also an opportunity to look at the conditions for sustainable participation by civil society in monitoring nuclear issues. (author)

The role of civil society organizations in the institutionalization of indigenous medicine in Bolivia.

Science.gov (United States)

Babis, Deby

2014-12-01

December 2013 marked a significant shift in Bolivia with the enactment of a law for the inclusion of indigenous doctors in the National Health System. This article traces the constellation of forces that led to the institutionalization of indigenous medicine in Bolivia. It identifies three factors contributing to this health policy change. The first factor is the crystallization of a strong indigenous movement fighting for the recognition of cultural rights through the foundation of civil society organizations. Second is the rise to power of Evo Morales, the first Latin American president of indigenous origin, who has promoted multicultural policies, formally supported through the promulgation of a new constitution. Lastly is the influence of the global acceptance of alternative medicine. Indigenous doctor organizations in Bolivia have been highly involved throughout the entire process of institutionalization and have played a crucial role in it. An analysis of the relationship between these civil society organizations and the Bolivian government reveals a strong partnership. This dynamic can be described in terms of Interdependence Theory, as each party relied on the other in the promotion and practice of the law to achieve the integration of indigenous medicine as part of the Bolivian Health System. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'Grassroots' : from washing lines to utopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kessel, van W.M.J.; Switzer, L.; Adhikari, M.

2000-01-01

The revival of popular protest against South Africa's apartheid in the first half of the 1980s was also marked by a proliferation of new mass media. This chapter presents a case study of 'Grassroots', a publication aimed at a Coloured and African readership in the Cape Peninsula, launched in 1980.

Civil Society and Residents’ Coping Strategies with Water Shortages and Household Food Insecurity in Gweru, Zimbabwe

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Winmore Kusena

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Domestic water shortages are distressing many urban areas in developing countries and require well planned and sustainable coping strategies in order to bequeath citizens decent lives. The objectives of this paper were to identify water related civil society groups present in Gweru; reveal devised coping strategies to combat water shortages and household food insecurity; and challenges faced by civil society and residents in obtaining sustainable coping strategies. A survey was conducted through interviews, questionnaires and observations as data collection instruments. The findings show that residents relied on borehole drilled in their respective areas by the municipality, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs and through individual initiatives. Although public boreholes were available, they were found at an average of only two in a given residential area, regardless of its population. Residents also collected water in containers during late hours of the night or early hours of the day. Gweru residents in addition devised strategies to cope with household food insecurity caused by water shortages and high monthly water bills. Combined with the aforementioned water shortage coping strategies, the stratagem by residents included coming up with payment plans, denying city personnel access into their premises for water disconnection; and self-reconnection in the event of disconnection. Community gardens initiated by Non-Governmental Organisations and food imports from neighbouring countries were some of the adaptive mechanisms dealing with household food insecurity. However, despite resolute efforts by civil society and residents to muddle through water supply and food security challenges, the city needs financial aid to enhance service provision that does not solely relying on residents. Financial injection and investment in sustainable alternative water sources for the city’s multiple uses will go a long way in solving the water shortages and

Community Power and Grassroots Democracy : The Transformation ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1997-01-01

. Couverture du livre Community Power and Grassroots Democracy. Editor(s):. M. Kaufman et H. Dilla Alfonso. Publisher(s):. Zed, CRDI. January 1, 1997. ISBN: Épuisé. 300 pages. e-ISBN: 155250137X. Download PDF · Read the e-book.

HIV, sex work, and civil society in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Joan

2011-12-01

Harm reduction programs for sex workers have been hampered by the prioritization of law enforcement over AIDS prevention. For example, the April 2010 "strike-hard" campaign against prostitution in Beijing, during which bars, nightclubs, saunas, and karaoke bars were raided, created an atmosphere that critically impeded human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outreach activities for sex workers. In China, criminalization has limited the growth of a coherent and cohesive set of nongovernmental organization (NGO) actors working with sex workers to prevent HIV infection. Compared with other risk groups for HIV sexual transmission, such as men who have sex with men, the NGO community for sex workers is fragmented and poorly coordinated with government efforts, and basic rights for sex workers are often violated. This article examines civil society groups working on AIDS prevention and care for female sex workers in China and reviews constraints to their operations. China's HIV prevention programs for sex workers are compared with sex worker HIV prevention in other Asian states where more well-developed NGOs exist and criminalization has been better balanced with harm reduction approaches, and recommendations are offered on improving China's policies and programs.

THE USE OF ICT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS OF GENERAL EDUCATION IN THE FORMING OF CIVIL SOCIETY

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Sergiy I. Netyosov

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The status and character of the use of ICT in the management of schools of general education and related utilization of information technology in the organization of management of educational institutions with the requirements of the formation of civil society is considered in the article. The author proves that the management of general education institutions involves a significant amount of social information, and the use of ICT in these activities contributes to the inclusion of the public in the mission of education. But the actual state of realization of ICTs in management of secondary schools is mainly directed at the use of technocratic information technology capabilities and the realization of social component in the management of institutions of general education is involved partially, that is an indicator of the rather slow progress of Ukraine toward the establishment of a civil society.

The Emergence of Cambodian Civil Society within Global Educational Governance: A Morphogenetic Approach to Agency and Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, D. Brent, Jr.; Brehm, William C.

2015-01-01

This paper uses Margaret Archer's morphogenetic approach to analyze the emergence of civil society within global educational governance. The purpose is to understand the intersection of historical structures with global actors and spaces that have accompanied the globalization of education. Based on findings from a study on the impact in Cambodia…

Public and Private Institutions: Educating Civil Society about European Security Concerns

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Rafael Bardají

1997-12-01

Full Text Available As an specialist in strategic studies and political adviser, the author developes three basic ideas in his speech: 1 the objective necessity of strategic thinking to increase defense awareness, with the goal of ameliorating the relations between civil society and the Armed Forces, and to create a strategic culture to help to make more permeable the Administration decision-making process; 2 public and private institutions have to understand each other, despite the fact that tradition and time pressures do negatively weigh on Administration decision-making; 3 both parts –Administration and specialists in security– have to make the effort of becoming more flexible, on the one hand, and more capable of producing relevant studies in political terms, on the other.

Community Power and Grassroots Democracy: The Transformation ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

But there are obstacles: the power of central bureaucracies, the lack of local skills and organizational experience, social divisions, and the impact of national and transnational structures. Community Power and Grassroots Democracy is a groundbreaking and insighful book that examines a collection of community initiatives ...

Church’s influence on the development of civil society in Ukraine

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M. V. Melnyk

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The term church refers to a group of people governed by similar rules and beliefs, who congregate in recognition of a higher Being. In most cases the term church and religion are used synonymously. While religions is domesticated by morals that are illuminated by faith, most states are guided by politics whose orientation is generally practical empirical. In most cases the church. Church institutions have long been not only present in public life but directly influence the activity of the Ukrainian authorities. Therefore, the Church has long been performing a mediation mission in settlement of the socio-political conflict in Ukraine, with different intensity going on since the declaration of its independence. That mission lies in the formation of philosophic and moral perceptions of children and adults, inoculation of tolerance / intolerance, etc.  The features of the democratization of the political process in Ukraine and the religious factors influence the formation of a consolidated democracy. It is noted that in today’s political democratization process involves the institutionalization of power and expanding the role of non-political non-governmental actors, which include the religious association. This paper therefore intends to evaluate the relationship between church and civil society in Ukraine. This paper falls under cross cutting themes like religion, values and civil society. However, the start of the transitional period in Ukraine was rather marked with a religious revival. Suppressed by the previous regime, religion in the transition to democracy finally found a way to make itself visible and redefine its position in the new emerging social context. But, what role did religion play in the period of post-communist transition? The authors will employ philosophical methodology. This method involves analyzing issues and rationalizing. The data that will be used includes mainly secondary data. This includes information that is

Energy autonomy in Le Mené: A French case of grassroots innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yalçın-Riollet, Melike; Garabuau-Moussaoui, Isabelle; Szuba, Mathilde

2014-01-01

Local citizen-led initiatives relating to energy are developing strongly in Anglo-Saxon countries and a growing body of research is examining their innovative potential. In France, similar grassroots initiatives – albeit with certain specificities – only began to emerge recently and so far, very few studies have dealt with them. The purpose of this article is to propose an exploratory and in-depth analysis of one advanced French case: Le Mene', a pioneer in local energy autonomy. We examine the conditions under which the initiative emerged and the processes through which a grassroots innovation is formed. In studying this case (interviews, analysis of documents), comparing it with other sources of data (expert interviews, comparative observation of other initiatives) and taking stock of various social sciences studies, we show that a social innovation was produced in Le Mene' through the hybridisation of actors, sociotechniques and discourses. This initiative was innovative not only in terms of the scope of the mechanisms implemented, but also in terms of the social organisation behind the development of the projects and the capacity to use energy production as a social resource. Finally, we reflect on the possible diffusion of these grassroots initiatives and their policy implications in France. - Highlights: • The case study is the Le Mené, a pioneer case for local energy autonomy. • This case is an emerging grassroots innovation in France. • Hybridisation (combining diversity and frames) is at the centre of the innovation. • This study focuses on the hybridisation of actors, sociotechniques and discourses. • Examines the potential diffusion of grassroots initiatives in France

Self-administration of the people of Sakha in Yakutian region from 17th to 19th century in context of imperial statehood

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Sargylana E. Nikitina

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The Russian civilization started to interact with the aboriginal traditional civilization in the Yakutian region by the 17th century, and by that time the potestas system was already formed within a common law in the Yakutian society. The clan aristocracy that received social privileges within the Russian statehood turned into an additional grass-roots level of government in the Yakutian district during the 17th-18th centuries.

Civil Society Organizations in Post-War Liberia: The Role of Education and Training in Strengthening Organizational Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Duo, Samuel N.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of non-formal education and training in the organizational change process of Civil society organizations (CSOs) in post war Liberia. CSOs are the local foundation for democracy and development in Liberia, and serve a wide range of roles in local communities. For example, in post-war Liberia,…

'I cannot be passive as I was before': learning from grassroots innovations in Ukraine

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Oksana Udovyk

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The study explores learning processes and outcomes inside grassroots innovations that are emerging in post-Euromaidan times in Ukraine. The study analyses the assumption that this non-traditional education space can be adequate for sustainability transition learning and critical consciousness development. First, the study describes, connects, and operationalizes the concepts of critical consciousness, sustainability transition, and grassroots innovations. Then, it analyses two cases of grassroots innovations (two online sharing platforms, using these operationalized concepts. The results show that learning and critical consciousness development inside grassroots niches are much more connected to previous experience, such as participation in the protest event Euromaidan, than to inner niche learning interactions. While, the online platforms keep alive some of the aspirations that motivated people to become a part of the Euromaidan protest. In this sense, such grassroots innovations keep the values and priorities of the participants “alive” and ensure that the critical consciousness that was acquired does not simply slide backwards. Do shocking events like Euromaidan protest have to happen in order to accelerate learning about values of solidarity and responsibility, as well as to develop critical consciousness needed for sustainability transition? Despite the impossibility to completely answer this question, this study gave some tips, suggesting components of critical conscious development needed for this type of learning¾dialog, reflection, action, leading to increase in efficacy and agency.

True progress is tobacco-free campaign: engaging civil society to implement FCTC Article 5.3 in the Philippines

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Ralph Emerson Degollacion

2018-03-01

The campaign is not yet over. It´s has taught us to be creative, flexible, and patient. Educating civil society about the true intentions of the tobacco industry is a fight worth pursuing. Sustained financial and technical support is needed in order to reach more groups in the country.

State-Funded Activism: Lessons from Civil Society Organizations in Ireland

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Anna Visser

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Civil society organizations (CSOs in Ireland receive significant state funding and institutional support according to the logic that they are important contributors to democratic governance, with the effect that the CSO sector has expanded and become more embedded in formal decision-making processes over the past several decades. At the same time, dependency on government funding exposes CSOs to three important challenges: to stay true to activist mandates in the face of pressure from state funders to focus on service provision; to maintain accountability to constituents while also satisfying the vertically oriented accountability requirements of the state; and to nurture collaboration among CSOs in a context of competition for state funding. University-based activists, who are also reliant on (increasingly scarce government funding, face similar challenges, and therefore should pay more attention to debates regarding state funding in the CSO sphere. By working together to overcome common challenges associated with state funding, activists in both spheres can more effectively contribute to progressive social change.

Educação e desafios da multiculturalização: uma pedagogia da sociedade civil Education and the challenges of multi-culturalization: pedagogy of civil society

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Manuel Barbosa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available A progressiva complexificação cultural das sociedades contemporâneas, que se seguiu à extraordinária aceleração da mobilidade e da movimentação das pessoas através das fronteiras dos Estados, vem criando enormes desafios à coesão e à convivência no interior desses cenários e exige, em respeito aos princípios fundamentais da democracia e aos direitos humanos, respostas urgentes e adequadas. As entidades governamentais, por meio de políticas sociais e culturais de antidiscriminação e de redistribuição de bens e serviços, são necessárias ao desenho dessas respostas, porém, não são suficientes para induzir a estima social pelos estranhos culturais, em particular os recém-chegados aos países economicamente mais estáveis e avançados. O apreço pelos outros culturalmente diferentes depende essencialmente de uma mudança de atitudes e comportamentos e estes só podem evoluir para formas mais amigas das diferenças culturais com a contribuição da sociedade civil mediante uma pedagogia do exemplo, centrada em novos valores, novas atitudes, novos olhares e novos comportamentos. Este texto, a partir da análise e da reflexão sobre essa problemática, argumenta em favor do papel educativo da sociedade civil na organização da vida em comum entre estranhos culturais e propõe as linhas mestras da pedagogia que redefine a agenda educativa dessa sociedade em contextos multiculturais.The progressive cultural complexity of contemporary societies in the wake of the extraordinary acceleration of mobility and of people's movement across state frontiers is creating enormous challenges for cohesion and living within those scenarios, and requires, in a framework of respect for fundamental principles of democracy and human rights, urgent and appropriate responses. The governmental agencies, through policies of social and cultural anti-discrimination and redistribution of goods and services, are necessary to the design of these

Australian Muslim civil society organisations: Pathways to social inclusion

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Nora Shikeen Amath

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There is great interest on issues related to Muslims and Islam; however, a large concentration of the scholarly literature as well as media and political discourses focus predominantly on political issues and actions related to fundamentalism, radicalisation, militancy and terrorism. The dominance of these issues in the discourses does not provide a holistic understanding of Muslims, particularly their role, place and identity as minorities in a Western society. Indeed, we know relatively little about the larger number of Muslim political actors engaged in civil society, especially those involved in creating pathways to social inclusion. Utilising descriptive phenomenology, this paper explores the complex issues of social inclusion and the Australian Muslim communities. Underpinning this discussion is the theory of social capital; as noted by a number of scholars and social policy experts, the theory of social inclusion alone is inadequate and ineffective in creating participation, equality and cohesion. This paper also observes that while many reports and studies provide pragmatic suggestions on how to work towards the social inclusion of Australian Muslims, the concentration on these suggestions tend to focus on how the government can provide these solutions. What is lacking in the literature is the recognition of the Australian Muslim community’s role and agency in initiating and executing the programs needed to address such issues of social exclusion. The 30 unstructured phenomenological interviews demonstrate that Australian MCSOs are proactively engaging with their communities to ensure that they are responding appropriately to these issues. Moreover, they are creating pathways and access for Australian Muslims to better participate, engage in and contribute to mainstream society. In particular, the MCSO actors revealed four themes related to social inclusion: supporting participation in education and training, facilitating participation

Struggle over energy transition in Berlin: How do grassroots initiatives affect local energy policy-making?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchet, Thomas

2015-01-01

This paper examines the growing role of grassroots initiatives in the governance of urban energy systems. In recent years, research has increasingly underlined the potential for sustainable innovation of community-led bottom-up actions but has at the same time underestimated their potential impact on the governance of energy systems. Based on a strategic action field framework (SAF), this paper analyses the conflicts over the remunicipalisation of Berlin's electricity grid and investigates the creation and strategic development of two grassroots initiatives as well as their interaction with the local government and the established grid operator. We argue that grassroots initiatives have an important impact on the local energy system, not just through their influence on the implementation of local energy policy but above all by their framing of a specific vision of a local energy transition. The paper discusses the scope and limits of such initiatives in an urban context. - Highlights: • Grassroots initiatives as actors with countervailing power in local energy policy. • They increase citizens' awareness and impact the action of the local government. • Grids as objects of struggle between competing visions of energy transition. • Urban context is both a resource and a constraint for grassroots initiatives action

For the youth : juvenile delinquency, colonial civil society and the late colonial state in the Netherlands Indies, 1872-1942

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dirks, Annelieke

2011-01-01

This dissertation project focuses on forced re-education policies for juvenile delinquents in the Netherlands Indies (now Indonesia) and uses this topic to show the interaction between a 'modernizing' Dutch colonial state and the growth of a colonial civil society, between approximately 1872 and

The ambiguities of the 'partnership' between civil society and the state in Uganda's AIDS response during the 1990s and 2000s as demonstrated in the development of TASO.

Science.gov (United States)

Grebe, Eduard

2016-01-01

This article critically investigates state-civil society relations in the Ugandan AIDS response by tracing the history of Uganda's 'multisectoral' and 'partnership' approaches, particularly as it pertains to The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO). It finds that the Ugandan government's reputation for good leadership on AIDS is more ambiguous than commonly supposed and that the much-vaunted 'partnership' approach has not enabled strong critical civil society voices to emerge or prevented the harmful impact of a socially conservative agenda. By the 1990s, TASO had become the most important provider of medical and psychosocial support services to HIV/AIDS patients, but was less effective in influencing policy or holding the state accountable (because the political context prevented a more activist stance). The effectiveness of civil society has been constrained by an authoritarian political culture and institutions that discourage vocal criticism. Despite these limitations, however, state-civil society partnership did contribute to the emergence of a relatively effective coalition for action against HIV/AIDS. Donors were essential in encouraging the emergence of this coalition.

Les ressorts de l’essor de la société civile en Guadeloupe Springs of expansion of civil society in Guadeloupe

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Murielle Vairac

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Les effets de la crise du capitalisme se sont traduits en Guadeloupe en janvier 2009 par un mouvement social sans précédent, dirigé par un collectif qui a suscité l’adhésion en raison de son expression du malaise social et de la gestion des revendications adressées au gouvernement. Ce mouvement social est innovant en Guadeloupe en raison de la pluralité des acteurs et de la nature de ses revendications. C’est donc sur son sens qu’il convient de s’interroger. Une société civile s’est réveillée créant de nouveaux espaces de débat.Capitalism’s crisis effects resulted in social movement unprecedented led by a group that mobilized in the style of expressing unrest and managing demands that were sent to French government. This social movement is new in Guadeloupe because of variety actions and type of demands. It’s therefore necessary to consider its meaning: a civil society woke up creating new spaces for debate.

Coding and encoding rights in internet infrastructure

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Stefania Milan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article explores bottom-up grassroots ordering in internet governance, investigating the efforts by a group of civil society actors to inscribe human rights in internet infrastructure, lobbying the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Adopting a Science and Technology Studies (STS perspective, we approach this struggle as a site of contestation, and expose the sociotechnical imaginaries animating policy advocacy. Combining quantitative mailing-list analysis, participant observation and qualitative discourse analysis, the article observes civil society in action as it contributes to shape policy in the realm of institutional and infrastructure design.

Developmental Local Government as a Model for Grassroots Socio ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the past five decades of political independence in Nigeria, local ... governments places a strong limitation on local autonomy and governance at the local level. ... negatively affecting grassroots socio-economic development in the Country.

State-Civil Society Partnership: issues for debate and new researches [Parceria entre o Estado e a Sociedade Civil: pontos para o debate e novas pesquisas

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Mário Vasconcellos

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we look at the literature related to partnership between state and civil society, especially partnership between public and non-for-profi t organisations. We discuss the differing perspectives of partnership and attempt to identify some of the main theoretical concerns about partnership between state and civil society in the governance context. In this paper, we argue that the historical background of partnership has not been included among factors used in explaining the resort to partnership in governance. In spite of existing analyses showing that partnership brings social benefi ts in their own right, we try to show that there is no evidence that this ‘social technology’ contributes effectively to bringing power to powerless people and social groups. Most of the literature shows that partnership tries to make relationship between local people and local governance stronger and improve the possibilities for powerless people and social groups to participate in local governance. However, we do not fi nd clear evidence in the literature that partnership allows for a shift in political power. Finally, we show that it is unclear whether the interaction between ordinary people and the state through a participatory process has successfully helped to build social cohesiveness for different social groups. The main contribution of this paper is to expand the understanding of the factors that infl uence the process of partnership between state and civil society (positively and negatively for local development. ---- Parceria entre o Estado e a Sociedade Civil: pontos para o debate e novas pesquisas ---- Resumo ---- Neste artigo analisamos a literatura de parceria entre o estado e a sociedade civil, em particular sobre a parceria entre as organizações públicas e as organizações sem fins lucrativos. Discutimos as diferentes perspectivas do conceito de parceria e objetivamos destacar algumas das principais preocupações teóricas sobre

Civil society organisations, social innovation and health research in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Beinare, Dace; McCarthy, Mark

2012-12-01

European Union strategies and programmes identify research and innovation as a critical dimension for future economic and social development. While European research policy emphasizes support for industry, the health field includes not-for-profit civil society organisations (CSOs) providing social innovation. Yet, the perspectives of CSOs towards health research in Europe are not well understood. STEPS (Strengthening Engagement in Public Health Research) was funded by the European Commission's Science in Society research programme. Within the study, we interviewed by telephone respondents of 13 European health CSOs, which represented collectively local and national organizations. Research was valued positively by the respondents. Health CSOs did not seek to do research themselves, but recognized the opportunity of funds in this field and welcomed the possibility of collaborating in research, of using the results from research and of providing input to research agendas. Links between research and users provides knowledge for the public and improves impacts on policy. Research and evaluation can help in demonstrating the benefit of innovative activities, and give support and legitimacy. However, the cultures of, and incentives for, researchers and health CSOs are different, and collaboration requires building trust, a shared language and for the power relations and objectives to match. Health CSOs contribute social innovation in organising services and activities such as advocacy that cannot be satisfactorily met by industry. Engaging CSOs in research and innovation will strengthen the European Research Area.

Improving the police activities in ensuring the constitutional rights and freedoms of man and citizen and interaction with civil society institutions: comprehensive measures

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Kirichek E.V.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Russian police reform is another important step to modernize the country and public administration system. The main purpose of ongoing reforms is to create the modern and efficient law enforcement system, to form a new image of police officer in the XXI century and to change the social role of law enforcement agencies in society. Unfortunately, the results expected by society aren’t achieved. It’s stated that the reform is only at its beginning, many decisions are still to be made and implemented. The main focus is on comprehensive measures aimed at improving the police activities in ensuring the constitutional rights and freedoms of man and citizen and interaction with civil society institutions. Some features and problems of interaction between police and civil society institutions are considered. Statistics is provided. A number of constructive conclusions concerning further progressive development of interaction of police with civil society institutions are made. Despite the significant number of papers devoted to these issues, it’s necessary to note the insufficient elaboration of problems in this area. The reason is the ongoing reforms in Russia in general and police reform in particular, the instability of the current legislation regulating these issues. A lack of a clear concept of the reform, arising from a clear understanding of the police role and functions, is evident. These and other circumstances determine the topicality and practical importance of the research, the necessity of studying the peculiarities of police activities to improve its efficiency. They also indicate the need for scientific and practical recommendations.

Sex work and the claim for grassroots legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fassi, Marisa N

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to contribute to understanding of legal models that aim to control sex work, and the policy implications of these, by discussing the experience of developing a grassroots legislation bill proposal by organised sex workers in Córdoba, Argentina. The term 'grassroots legislation' here refers to a legal response that derives from the active involvement of local social movements and thus incorporates the experiential knowledge and claims of these particular social groupings in the proposal. The experience described in this paper excludes approaches that render sex workers as passive victims or as deviant perpetrators; instead, it conceives of sex workers in terms of their political subjectivity and of political subjectivity in its capacity to speak, to decide, to act and to propose. This means challenging current patterns of knowledge/power that give superiority to 'expert knowledge' above and beyond the claims, experiences, knowledge and needs of sex workers themselves as meaningful sources for law making.

Human rights from the grassroots up: Vermont's campaign for universal health care.

Science.gov (United States)

McGill, Mariah

2012-06-15

In 2008, the Vermont Workers' Center launched the "Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign," a grassroots campaign to secure the creation of a universal health care system in Vermont. Campaign organizers used a human rights framework to mobilize thousands of voters in support of universal health care. In response to this extraordinary grassroots effort, the state legislature passed health care legislation that incorporates human rights principles into Vermont law and provides a framework for universal health care. The United States has often lagged behind other nations in recognizing economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights, including the right to health. Nonetheless, activists have begun to incorporate ESC rights into domestic advocacy campaigns, and state and local governments are beginning to respond where the federal government has not. Vermont serves as a powerful example of how a human rights framework can inform health care policy and inspire grassroots campaigns in the United States. This three-part article documents the Vermont Workers' Center campaign and discusses the impact that human rights activity at the grassroots level may have on attitudes towards ESC rights in the United States. The first part describes the Vermont health care crisis and explains why the center adopted international human rights principles for their campaign. The article then goes on to discuss the three-year campaign and analyze the health care reform bill that the Vermont legislature passed. Finally, the article discusses the campaign's local and national impact. Copyright © 2012 McGill.

A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S CIVIL SOCIETY DISCOURSE AND SOCIAL PLATFORM OF EUROPEAN NGOs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

KUTAY, RIZA ACAR

2011-01-01

European NGO network, the Social Platform of European NGOs. The common understanding conceives of these organizations as conducive to democratization of EU governance within the scope of participatory democracy. However, I endeavour to argue that the Commission has had an aim to make use of the civil...... society discourse for its institutional interests, while intentionally and unintentionally shaping (and reshaping) civic action in Europe. Participatory democracy project, which is promoted by the Commission, can be seen as a deliberate venture of shaping civic action and state-society relationships......, which has been particularly created by the Commission to disperse the participatory democracy and good governance discourse in Europe....

Civil Society and Paths to Abolition

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Seymour DRESCHER

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Through a comparative analysis, this article aims to present an overview of British, French, Russian, American and Brazilian abolitionist action, between the late eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth century. Indicating the struggles of pro-abolition civil associations, the paths taken in Britain, France, the US and Brazil are presented in parallel - either to emphasize approaches, either to highlight the undeniable peculiarities - revealing the marks of violence and negotiation present in the emancipation process.

Locating the fourth helix: Rethinking the role of civil society in developing smart learning cities

Science.gov (United States)

Borkowska, Katarzyna; Osborne, Michael

2018-06-01

In the Global North and increasingly in the Global South, smart city technologies are enthusiastically seen as a solution to urban problems and as an alternative to austerity. However, to move beyond a narrow technological focus, it is necessary to explore the degree to which smart initiatives are committed to building socially inclusive innovation with learning at its core. Using the particular case of the Future City Demonstrator Initiative in Glasgow, United Kingdom, the most high-profile initiative of its kind funded by government, the authors of this article assess the extent to which this smart city adopts such an inclusive approach. They use the quadruple helix model (government - academia - industry - civil society) as a starting point and develop an analytic framework composed of four strands: (1) supporting participation of citizens in decision-making; (2) implementing technological innovation which positions citizens as active users; (3) implementing technological innovation to benefit the community; and (4) evaluating technological innovation in the light of the experiences and needs of citizens. Unlike most analyses, the principal focus of this article is on the fourth element of the helix, civil society. The authors argue that Glasgow's rhetoric of smart urbanism, while aspiring to problem-solving, devalues certain principles of human agency. They emphasise that urban change, including the city's desire to become technologically innovative, would more fully facilitate active citizenship, social inclusion and learning opportunities for all if it were underpinned by the broader conceptions and frameworks of learning cities.

What role for government? The promotion of civil society through forestry-related climate change interventions in post-conflict Nepal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rutt, Rebecca Leigh; Lund, Jens Friis

2014-01-01

This study examines rationales behind the choice of local interlocutors by forestry-related climate change projects in post-conflict Nepal. In their stated objectives, all projects claim to involve the government, and most project decision makers are in favor of government involvement, yet project...... resources overwhelmingly favor civil society institutions. Project decision makers’ choices are shaped by a combination of donor conditionalities, contextual constraints, and beliefs about which institutional attributes matter and how to address historical marginalization. The projects’ empowerment of civil...... and collectively reassess the role of forestry-related climate change projects in the larger process of post-conflict reconstruction in Nepal....

Civil Society Organizations’ Participation in the EU and Its Challenges for Democratic Representation

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Nicolle Zeegers

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Online consultations and the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI are tools that have been put into place by the European Union (EU in order to increase the participation of citizens and Civil Society Organizations (CSO in its politics and policy making. The current CSO representation at the system level of the EU is claimed to be biased in favor of the interests of economic producers and CSOs coming from old member states. The central question of this article is whether these tools help make participation more representative of the diversity of societal groups within the EU. The concept of ‘actor representativeness’ as well as ‘discourse representativeness’ will be applied in order to answer this question.

New actors in environmental management: The case of the civil society in Ensenada

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Nain Martínez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The environment is a complex space where multiple interests converge, so the traditional government has been insufficient to respond to the new demands of the environmental management. In this sense, the theory governance suggests a bigger role for social actors in decision-making for a more effective resolution of environmental problems. This article focuses on the Civil Society Organizations (cso’s of Ensenada, due to its relevance in the public sphere and the ecological value of the area. Twenty two csos, its participants and the network of actors were characterized through a survey. It was found that three types of csos are focusing on the conservation agenda and urban sustainability.

Grass-roots approach: developing qualified nuclear personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1983-01-01

Nuclear power plants experiencing personnel recruitment problems are trying a grass-roots approach to increase the manpower pool. The Philadelphia Electric Co. and the Toledo Edison Co. are working with local educational institutions to offer nuclear-technology training specific to the needs of nuclear plants. The utilities' investment covers much of the cost of instruction as well as continued training for employees

Translating Public Policy: Enhancing the Applicability of Social Impact Techniques for Grassroots Community Groups

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Melissa Edwards

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on an exploratory action research study designed to understand how grassroots community organisations engage in the measurement and reporting of social impact and how they demonstrate their social impact to local government funders. Our findings suggest that the relationships between small non-profit organisations, the communities they serve or represent and their funders are increasingly driven from the top down formalised practices. Volunteer-run grassroots organisations can be marginalized in this process. Members may lack awareness of funders’ strategic approaches or the formalized auditing and control requirements of funders mean grassroots organisations lose capacity to define their programs and projects. We conclude that, to help counter this trend, tools and techniques which open up possibilities for dialogue between those holding power and those seeking support are essential.

Arab Civil Society and Education in Israel: The Arab Pedagogical Council as a Contentious Performance to Achieve National Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Agbaria, Ayman K.

2015-01-01

Focusing on recent developments in the field of education, this article grapples with the educational activism of Arab civil society in Israel. Specifically, it presents a case study of a recent initiative to establish an independent Arab Pedagogical Council (APC). I argue that this initiative, although controversial and challenging to the very…

Grassroots Leadership: Encounters with Power Dynamics and Oppression

Science.gov (United States)

Kezar, Adrianna

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the nature of power dynamics that faculty and staff grassroots leaders encounter as they attempt to create change. I identified five distinctive types of power dynamics--"oppression," "silencing," "controlling," "inertia," and "micro-aggressions" from the most overt to more subtle and covert forms. Staff experience multiple…

CERN to host conference on the Role of Science in the Information Society

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

"On December 8-9, CERN will host the Role of Science in the Information Society (RSIS) conference, together with UNESCO, the International Council for Science, and the Third World Academy of Sciences. A Summit Event to the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva, December 10-12), RSIS is a grassroots initiative to bring science into the picture of the Summit" (1 page).

Maps and civilization cartography in culture and society

CERN Document Server

Thrower, Norman J W

2008-01-01

In this concise introduction to the history of cartography, Norman J. W. Thrower charts the intimate links between maps and history from antiquity to the present day. A wealth of illustrations, including the oldest known map and contemporary examples made using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), illuminate the many ways in which various human cultures have interpreted spatial relationships.The third edition of Maps and Civilization incorporates numerous revisions, features new material throughout the book, and includes a new alphabetized bibliography. Praise for previous editions of Maps and Civilization:"A marvelous compendium of map lore. Anyone truly interested in the development of cartography will want to have his or her own copy to annotate, underline, and index for handy referencing."-L. M. Sebert, Geomatica

Sociedad civil: una concepción radical

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Domingo García Marzá

2012-02-01

Full Text Available El presente trabajo tiene como objetivos presentar un concepto de sociedad civil desde una perspectiva crítica, una perspectiva que pueda dar razón del potencial de cambio y transformación social que encierra este ámbito de la interacción social. Con este fin, se adentra en primer lugar en la difícil relación entre democracia y sociedad civil, analizándola desde el paso de las democracias participativas a las democracias deliberativas. El carácter global de la sociedad civil y los problemas de realización práctica nos conducen, en segundo lugar, a la discusión de la propuesta de autores como J. Habermas y M. Kaldor, destacando las insuficiencias de sus respectivos enfoques. A continuación, y en discusión con los trabajos de J. Keane, se presenta una propuesta de definición y fundamentación del concepto de sociedad civil apoyado en una hermenéutica crítica, capaz de justificar su núcleo moral como ética de la sociedad civil y, al mismo tiempo, de sus posibilidades reales de aplicación. Por último, se propone el concepto de recursos morales para reconstruir las características básicas que definen a los recursos propios de la sociedad civil.The objective of this paper is to present a concept of civil society from a critical perspective that can explain the potential for change and social transformation encompassed within this sphere of social interaction. To this end, we first explore the difficult relationship between democracy and civil society, through an analysis of the shift from participative to deliberative democracy. The global character of civil society and the problems of its practical achievement lead us, in a second stage, to discuss proposals from authors such as J. Habermas and M. Kaldor, and to uncover the inadequacies of their respective approaches. This is followed by a proposal, arising from debate on the works of J. Keane, in which the concept of civil society is defined and grounded �

MEASURING THE GRASSROOTS: Puzzles of Cultivating the Grassroots from the Top Down

Science.gov (United States)

Eliasoph, Nina

2014-01-01

Does a participatory, open-ended organizational format inspire creativity and draw on participants' local knowledge? Many nonprofits operate under this assumption, and many of their financial sponsors agree, and therefore demand precise accounts documenting the nonprofits' “participatory” formats. In the U.S. youth civic engagement projects described here, the practice of accounting itself had an effect, regardless of funders' goals. Volunteers devoted more time to documenting just how participatory, open-ended and grassroots they were than they devoted to any other topic. Organizers strenuously tried to avert attention from accounting's importance, but could not avoid it. Volunteers could not reflect on the accounting process, or on the political questions behind it; knowledge of it became a repressed institutional intuition. PMID:25253914

马克思对黑格尔市民社会理论的批判与超越%Marx＇s Critism and Transecendence on the Theory of Hegel＇s Civil Society

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

袁春剑

2011-01-01

市民社会在马克思早期著作中占有重要的地位，在遇到林木盗窃法以及关于摩塞尔地区农民贫困原因的论战等物质利益的困惑后使他感到黑格尔国家和现实的对立。马克思通过对黑格尔市民社会理论的批判认识到市民社会决定国家和法，并促使他从政治经济学中去解剖市民社会，从而实现对黑格尔市民社会理论的超越。%Civil society has played an important role in Marx＇s early works.After the confusion of the Act of Stealing Wood and the material interest,such as the debate about the reason of the famers＇ poverty in Moser,he sensed the antithesis between the Hegel＇s nation and the reality.Marx realized that civil society decided the country and law by criticizing the theory of Hegel＇ s civil society,which impels him to dissect the civil society from plutonomy.Then it surpassed the theory of Hegel＇s civil society.

Depoliticizing the politicized? : the effects of the EU’s civil society funding in the context of hegemonic struggles in Turkey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muehlenhoff, H.L.M.

2015-01-01

In my dissertation I analyze the effects of the European Union’s (EU) funding of human rights organizations in Turkey between 2002 and 2013. I argue that the EU’s funding is based on liberal as well neo-liberal governmentality which may politicize and/or depoliticize civil society organizations

Two faces of global open society

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Cvetićanin Neven

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The Essay considers 'the rule' of the so called post-civil political centre that corresponds to the familiar concept of open society, questioning the good as well as the bad sides of such 'rule'. The research is in the first place about global open society stability and attention is addressed to its present enemies - from terrorism, over organized crime, all the way to the so called local legitimates that are confronting the universal and global legitimates represented by the followers of the open society from the post civil political centre area. The Essay presents the debate with Fukuyama's thesis about the 'end of history' considering that open society, i.e. global post civil political centre has visible enemies who do not allow for dialectics of history to stand still as Fukuyama believed. Instead of Fukuyama's 'end of history' the Essay comes to the conclusion that present global situation is marked by post-modern opposition of liberal-democratic post civil centre and extreme anti civil margins, with reference to the opposition of open society and its enemies, which will put under limits further steps of history towards new socio-historical forms.

Grassroots community-based inclusive education. Exploring educational prospects for young people with disabilities in the post-conflict Rwandan communities.

OpenAIRE

Karangwa, Evariste

2006-01-01

Summary The journey through the study on ‘Grassroots community-based inclusive e ducation’ and its outcomes has been considerably shaped by the field. Th e earlier ‘déjà-vu’ attitudes about the Rwandan society and its socio-cu ltural context that the researcher had always been part of, was sensitiv ely changed through the exposure to a number of interventions in the fie ld and experiences within the communities surveyed. It is along this jou rney that new outlooks on the communities of the di...

Engagement citoyen et société civile

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Gautier Pirotte

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Cet article cherche à rapprocher par la réflexion la notion de société civile de celle de l’engagement citoyen à partir de l’expérience postcommuniste roumaine. Si le domaine de la société civile ne concentre pas tous les phénomènes d’engagement citoyen, il demeure néanmoins un espace privilégié d’expression de cet engagement. La question qui anime ce texte est assez simple : comment envisager l’étude de l’engagement du citoyen à l’intérieur des nouvelles sociétés civiles d’Europe Centrale et Orientale, et plus spécifiquement au sein de la nouvelle société civile roumaine ? Cette interrogation, si simple soit-elle, se révèle bien vite plus complexe si l’on tient compte des problèmes que soulèvent à la fois les concepts de société civile et d’engagement mobilisés ici mais aussi l’expérience postcommuniste souvent abordée de manière homogène alors qu’elle se révèle empiriquement très hétéroclite.Citizen commitment and civil society. A reflexion based upon the Romanian project of post-communist civil societyUsing the post-communist experience in Romania, this article reflects upon the way to bring together the concepts of civil society and citizen commitment. Whilst civil society does not concentrate all the phenomena of citizenship, the concept remains nonetheless a privileged expression of citizen commitment. The question underlying this text is relatively simple: how should the study of citizen commitment be approached within the new civil societies of Central and Eastern Europe, and more specifically within the new Romanian civil society ? As simple as it may appear, the question becomes rapidly more complex as soon as the problems deriding from the concepts of civil society and citizen commitment themselves are taken into consideration but also because the post-communist experience is often treated in a homogeneous way whilst it is in fact empirically very heterogeneous

Western Interventions in Current Wars: Political Justification and Civil Society´s Response

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Noelia Bueno Gómez

2017-01-01

Full Text Available On the one hand, it seems to be an agreement in Western countries in favor of values included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On the other hand, Western countries initiate or intervene in armed conflicts outside their territories, which implies actions contrary to such values. This article examines this apparent contradiction: it describes briefly the international context of contemporary conflicts and it refers to the just-war tradition in order to analyze both the position of the Charter of the United Nations and the justifications given by Western countries. Moreover, the arguments used by the US and the Spanish Governments to justify their interventions in the Afghanistan (2001 and Iraq (2008 wars, and the responses of civil society are considered.

Influencing Student Beliefs about the Role of the Civil Engineer in Society

Science.gov (United States)

Nesbit, Susan E.; Sianchuk, Robert; Aleksejuniene, Jolanta; Kindiak, Rebecca

2012-01-01

This study suggests that community service learning experiences facilitate the reconstruction of civil engineering student beliefs about both the type of work performed by civil engineers and the broad impact of civil engineering knowledge. Further, the service learning experiences highlight for students 1) the importance of relationships between…

Re-thinking civil disobedience

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Theresa Züger

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This article points out a struggle of today’s societies with the traditional concepts of civil disobedience and stresses the need for reevaluation of the concept of civil disobedience for policy making and public discourse. Starting with a minimal definition of civil disobedience, the article introduces Hannah Arendt’s approach for a legitimisation of civil disobedience and discusses her ideas for digital actions, which are increasingly framed as digital forms of civil disobedience. Addressing WikiLeaks as an example of digital civil disobedience, the author problematises the internal secrecy of WikiLeaks and the focus on Julian Assange as a single decision-maker. Both aspects challenge Arendt’s understanding of legitimate civil disobedience. Even though traditional criteria of civil disobedience need to be revisited in the digital age, organisations or disobedience actors might themselves in their actions be well-advised to comply with the principles they fight for.

The effects of national and international HIV/AIDS funding and governance mechanisms on the development of civil-society responses to HIV/AIDS in East and Southern Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Kevin J; Birdsall, Karen

2010-01-01

The study takes stock of the exponential growth in the number of new civil-society organisations (CSOs) working in the HIV/AIDS field in East and Southern Africa during the period 1996-2004. We researched this development through a survey of 439 CSOs in six countries and case studies focused on the evolution of community responses to HIV/AIDS in specific communities in eight countries. We describe the types of CSOs that emerged, their relationships with governments and donors, and their activities, organisational characteristics and funding requirements. The data presented show that the vision of social mobilisation of HIV/AIDS responses through community-level organisations has faced strong external challenges. Evidence from survey data, national HIV/AIDS spending assessments and case studies shows that in some respects the changing international aid environment undermines the prospects for development of the civil-society sector's contributions in HIV/AIDS responses. Of particular interest is to understand how the "Three Ones" and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness have reshaped international funding for HIV/AIDS responses. There has been relatively little attention paid to the impact of the new management and funding modalities--including national performance frameworks, general budget support, joint funding arrangements and basket funds--on civil-society agencies at the forefront of community HIV/AIDS responses. Evidence is presented to show that in important respects the new modalities limit the unique contribution that CSOs can make to national HIV/AIDS responses. It is also shown that the drive to rapidly intensify the scale of HIV/AIDS responses has involved using community organisations as service providers for externally formulated programmes. We discuss this as a strong threat to the development of sustainable civil-society economies as well as to CSOs' diversity and responsiveness. The ways in which CSOs are responding to these challenges are

El actor aglutinante: Nacionalismo y sociedad civil en Quebec.

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Pablo Giori

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article aims to reconstruct the history of civil society in Quebec (Canada to relate it with nationalism, the rise of the welfare state, trade unions, Catholic Church and civil society, the dynamic forces of society. Through in-depth interviews with key leaders, exploration of institutional archives and specific literature, we work with a particular case that, when compared to Catalonia, will allow us to evaluate the importance of civil society within nationalism. This actor is not usually considered as the central subject of researches and rarely token into account, unlike political parties, their leaders or intellectuals. Currently, in a context of crisis of the state and political parties, it has begun to be considered that civil society can be a key factor for its ability to produce alliances between sectors, build hegemony and dialogue directly with the population. The study is divided into four parts: 1 the development of the theoretical framework along with the construction of the object of study and the hypotheses; 2 an analysis about the importance of the involvement of civil society in the construction of the nationalist movement in Quebec; 3 a comparison with the Catalan case; and, 4 finally some conclusions.

Time to reassess capacity-building partnerships

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Brooke Lauten

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Since 2001 the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict has worked with local civil society organisations, child protection networks and grassroots organisations to build capacity to monitor and respond to abuses of children’s rights. Through our capacity-building partnerships, we work to shift the power structure that defines the roles of national and international NGO's in humanitarian programming.

Morocco in transition: Democracy, civil society and human development / Marruecos en transición: democracia, sociedad civil y desarrollo humano

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Silvia Mª Dorado Nogueras

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This article reflects an overview of the current socio-political situation in Morocco, a country with great relationship and link with Spain he has played, plays and will play an important role in the current geopolitical map. It provides a generic touch on developments in this country in recent years after the death of Hassan II, until the reign of Mohammed VI, and a new way to understand and address the political situation in the country. After a brief overview of the concepts and important events in recent years, will deepen the important role of civil society in all its manifestations and the importance of human development in this context and its relationship to democracy, to really reflect on whether human development in Morocco is producing the most appropriate according to the parameters in the theoretical and practical underpinning.

Civil society involvement in informing population on potential risks of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgescu, C.; Andrei, L.

1996-01-01

In 1977 the town Cernavoda, Romania has been selected for the construction of the first Romanian Nuclear Power Plant provided with five CANDU type reactors, planned, at that time, to cover one third of the country power demand. The first Cernavoda Unit has been commissioned on December 2, 1996. The paper presents the preoccupation of different non-governmental organizations with respect to the impact of the nuclear plant operation on the environment and public health and, more generally, of the Uranium mining, heavy water production plants and radioactive waste disposal problems. Such issues, concerning the the energy efficiency and the nuclear power problems in Romania were not exposed so far to the public debate and little, if any, reliable information was provided to the population. The paper stresses the role of civil society in informing population on the risks implied by the nuclear power projects. 2 refs

Some Partners Are More Equal than Others: EFA and Civil Society in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu Education Policy Processes

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Alexandra

2011-01-01

This article considers a parallel marginalisation of Education for All (EFA) as a holistic approach to education, and the civil society actors and coalitions who address sidelined Dakar goals of early childhood care and education, adult literacy, quality and non-formal education. I argue that in spite of over two decades of EFA rhetoric prizing…

NGOs’ roles in enhancing corporate accountability: Advocacy for grassroots social movements in developing countries

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Jae-Eun Noh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available As a response to increasing influences of transnational corporations (TNCs over the lives of the poor, development NGOs have tried to promote their responsibility in cooperative ways: partnership in development projects and voluntary regulations. Notwithstanding some degree of success, these cooperative ways have failed to bring fundamental changes to TNCs. This article outlines the limitations of the mainstream corporate social responsibility (CSR and the potential of grassroots social movements to make TNCs accountable. People in developing countries have been neglected in the CSR agenda; however, they have power to change corporations as labourers, consumers and citizens. Drawing on case studies, this article suggests that NGOs should support grassroots people in building global networks, constructing collective values and creating the information flow in order to overcome the current shortcomings of community-driven social movements. For these new roles as advocates and facilitators for grassroots movements, NGOs need to transform themselves by pursuing core values.

Chernobyl catastrophe and establishment of civil society in Ukraine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherbak, Yuri

2013-01-01

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine described secret exhibition for Chernobyl accident and a civil movement called the Green World movement. Chernobyl accident had also a great impact on the government and society in such totalitarian state as the Soviet Union was in 1986. Soviet authorities took unprecedented measures to block any information about the nature of explosion levels and number of victims. In 1987, a group of writers and scientists from the Academy of Science of Ukraine established 'Green World'. Green World received serious support from the quasi-nongovernmental organization. The main principles of the Green World were the following: (1) the primacy of environment over economy and politics; (2) democracy and full transparency in environmental issues; (3) all-people's participation in solving environmental issues; (4) combination of scientific and humanistic principles; (5) environmentalization of education and awareness-raising. The author was elected a member of the Soviet Union Parliament, and head of the Subcommittee for Nuclear Energy and Environment of the Parliamentary Committee for Environmental Issues. The 1990 Chernobyl Declaration stated the following; 'It was established that the full burden of the responsibility for the catastrophe should be placed on the state, its authorities and leadership, guilty of criminal actions, along with the political leadership of republics, who created a command-administrative bureaucratic system with its totalitarian regime.' (N.T.)

[Funding of a free healthcare campaign in a rural district of Cameroon: optimizing the role of civil society in sub-Saharan Africa].

Science.gov (United States)

Keugoung, B; Fouelifack Ymele, F; Dongtsa Mabou, J; Nangue, C; Ngouadjio Kougoum, P; Takoudjou, L; Hercot, D; Meli, J

2013-05-01

Financial barriers represent a major obstacle to access to health care in sub-Saharan Africa and thus to the implementation of the Bamako Initiative. We describe an experience in which a civil society organization financed a free healthcare campaign in a rural health district in Cameroon. In all, 2,073 patients received free consultations, laboratory tests, and drugs. Adults older than 40 years accounted for 55.7% of all patients. The most frequent diseases were: osteoarticular conditions (24.1%), malaria (20.8%), and intestinal parasitosis (12.5%). In health systems financed mainly by cost recovery, some population needs remain uncovered by health services. There is a need to involve and reinforce the role of civil society in health system financing. It can help to pool more funds and improve the management of health resources to increase financial access to health care for poor people.

Nuclear energy and civilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soentono, S.

1996-01-01

The role of energy is indeed very important since without it there will be no living-things in this world. A country's ability to cultivate energy determines the levels of her civilization and wealth. Sufficient energy supply is needed for economic growth, industrialization, and modernization. In a modern civilization, the prosperity and security of a country depends more on the capability of her people rather than the wealth of her natural resources. Energy supplies the wealth, prosperity and security, and sufficient reliable continuous supply of energy secures the sustainable development. The energy supply to sustain the development has to improve the quality of life covering also the quality of environment to support the ever increasing demand of human race civilization. Energy has a closer relationship with civilization in a modern society and will have to become even closer in the future more civilized and more modern society. The utilization of nuclear energy has, however, some problems and challenges, e.g. misleading information and understanding which need serious efforts for public information, public relation, and public acceptance, and possible deviation of nuclear materials for non-peaceful uses which needs serious efforts for technological and administrative barriers, precaution, prevention, safety, physical protection, safeguard, and transparency. These require cooperation among nuclear community. The cooperation should be more pronounced by heterogeneous growing Asian countries to reach harmony for mutual benefits toward better civilization. (J.P.N.)

The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Monitoring the Global AIDS Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Julia; Mallouris, Christoforos; Lee, Kelley; Alfvén, Tobias

2017-07-01

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are recognized as playing an exceptional role in the global AIDS response. However, there is little detailed research to date on how they contribute to specific governance functions. This article uses Haas' framework on global governance functions to map CSO's participation in the monitoring of global commitments to the AIDS response by institutions and states. Drawing on key informant interviews and primary documents, it focuses specifically on CSO participation in Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting and in Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria processes. It argues that the AIDS response is unique within global health governance, in that CSOs fulfill both formal and informal monitoring functions, and considers the strengths and weaknesses of these contributions. It concludes that future global health governance arrangements should include provisions and resources for monitoring by CSOs because their participation creates more inclusive global health governance and contributes to strengthening commitments to human rights.

The impact of spiritual and moral values of the youth on the Russian society civil culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N A Tkacheva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The authors conducted a sociological analysis of the spiritual and moral values of the youth and their impact on the civil culture, which largely determines the forms of individual and group social activity and the functioning of social institutions. The implementation of the key function of values, i.e. the achievement of material goods and the spiritual development, to a certain extent, will allow to overcome the cultural gap between elites and common citizens, which is considered one of the main reasons for the failure of reforms in Russia. The study of transformation processes determined great interest in the social potential of the youth as a subject of social reproduction, and the civil culture is a key factor and element of modernization for it changes and activates value orientations of the younger generations and leads to the qualitative transformations of all spheres of society. The article is based on the empirical data of a number of sociological surveys conducted in 2016 in five cities of the south of the Tyumen Region. The empirical data prove that there is an obvious emerging shift from paternalistic expectations, passivity and low estimates of the future to the rationality, individualization and self-reliance. The authors emphasize the influence of mass media as one of the factors of the civil culture formation, which is evident in the impact of media on the moral and spiritual values of the younger generations.

National and transnational strategies of LGBT civil society organizations in different political environments : Modes of interaction in Western and Eastern Europe for equality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holzhacker, Ronald

This article focuses on the national and transnational strategies of five European Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender civil society organizations (CSOs) pressing for equality and non-discrimination. We present three modes of interaction between CSOs and their political environment. The first

Civil liberties and nuclear terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, S.

1987-01-01

The importance of preventing nuclear terrorism is so great that it is easy to believe that the usual concern with civil liberties must take a back seat. But it is precisely when emergencies are invoked that the authors must not forget the importance of freedoms. Emergency powers are easily abused, and, even in the absence of abuse, mistakes can be made. It is hard to understand why they care about civil liberties if every suspect is guilty, every wiretap is necessary, and every search is justified. But sometimes suspects are innocent, wiretaps are used for political ends, and searches disrupt lives to no end. Civil liberties do not exist in a vacuum. If society is destroyed, civil liberties are likely to be destroyed as well. Virtually every legal doctrine this study addresses involves a recognition that individual rights must be balanced against valid social needs. The civil liberties focus on here fall under the general headings of freedom of speech and association, privacy, due process rights for suspects, and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. One essential point applied to all these areas: although a counterterrorist activity is legal, that does not mean the activity has no impact on civil liberties. It may be legal, for example, to have a massive federal police force that provides hundreds of guards for every shipment of plutonium. Even so, that procedure still raises civil liberties concerns, since many Americans would feel less free in a society of that type

E-learning for grass-roots emergency public health personnel: Preliminary lessons from a national program in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wangquan; Jiang, Qicheng; Qin, Xia; Fang, Guixia; Hu, Zhi

2016-07-19

In China, grass-roots emergency public health personnel have relatively limited emergency response capabilities and they are constantly required to update their professional knowledge and skills due to recurring and new public health emergencies. However, professional training, a principal solution to this problem, is inadequate because of limitations in manpower and financial resources at grass-roots public health agencies. In order to provide a cost-effective and easily expandable way for grass-roots personnel to acquire knowledge and skills, the National Health Planning Commission of China developed an emergency response information platform and provided trial access to this platform in Anhui and Heilongjiang provinces in China. E-learning was one of the modules of the platform and this paper has focused on an e-learning pilot program. Results indicated that e-learning had satisfactorily improved the knowledge and ability of grass-roots emergency public health personnel, and the program provided an opportunity to gain experience in e-course design and implementing e-learning. Issues such as the lack of personalized e-courses and the difficulty of evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning are topics for further study.

Improving the Health of Cambodian Americans: Grassroots Approaches and Root Causes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Juliet P; Kirkpatrick, Sean; Rojas-Cheatham, Ann; Sin, Talaya; Moore, Roland S; Tan, Sotheavy; Godoy, Shadia; Ercia, Angelo

2016-01-01

Cambodian Americans experience great disparities in health compared to other Americans, yet may be underserved by conventional healthcare systems. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a means to engage underserved communities in health research and programming. We describe results of our efforts to engage the Cambodian grassroots members as well as formal leaders in Oakland, California. In addition to a community advisory group, we convened a Community Work Group (CWG), composed of 10 grassroots community women of varying ages and backgrounds. The project aimed to leverage the lived experiences of these women and their understandings of health and wellness in identifying specific health issues and developing culturally resonant strategies. The CWG met weekly with staff facilitators using methods for collective analysis including theater, body mapping, and other expressive arts. The approach proved logistically challenging, but resulted in novel analyses and strategies. The group identified trauma, along with poor access to education, unemployment and underemployment, social isolation, and generation gap, together with community violence, as root causes of key behavioral health issues, namely, alcohol abuse, gambling, prescription drug misuse, and domestic violence. Strategies proposed and implemented by the group and project staff were a community garden, Cambodian New Year's celebrations, and a museum exhibit on the Cambodian refugee experiences. Grassroots community engagement can support projects in identifying social determinants of health and developing the capacities of community members to conduct research and actions to improve health.

Grassroots movement building and preemption in the campaign for residential fire sprinklers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pertschuk, Mark; Hobart, Robin; Paloma, Marjorie; Larkin, Michelle A; Balbach, Edith D

2013-10-01

Home fires account for 85% of fire deaths in the United States, the majority in 1- or 2-family homes lacking fire sprinklers. Since 1978, however, a grassroots movement has successfully promoted more than 360 local ordinances mandating sprinklers in all new residential construction, including 1- and 2-family homes. The homebuilding industry has responded by seeking state preemption of local authority, a strategy previously used by other industries concerned about protecting their profits. From 2009 through 2011, 13 states adopted laws eliminating or limiting local authority over residential fire sprinklers. This study of the residential sprinkler movement adds to our understanding of grassroots public health movements and provides additional evidence that preemption can have a negative impact on public health and safety.

[Right of access to healthcare in the context of the Royal Decree-Law 16/2012: the perspective of civil society organizations and professional associations].

Science.gov (United States)

Suess, Amets; Ruiz Pérez, Isabel; Ruiz Azarola, Ainhoa; March Cerdà, Joan Carles

2014-01-01

The recent publication of the Royal Decree-Law 16/2012 (RDL 16/2012), which introduces structural changes in the Spanish Public Healthcare System, can be placed in the broader context of budgetary adjustments in response to the current economic crisis. An analysis of the interrelationships among economic crisis, healthcare policies, and health reveals that citizen participation is one of several potential strategies for reducing the impact of this situation on the population. This observation raises the interest to know the citizens' perspectives on the modifications introduced by the RDL 16/2012. Narrative review of documents related to the RDL 16/2012 published by civil society organizations and professional associations in the Spanish context. A broad citizen response can be observed to the introduction of RDL 16/2012. The documents reviewed include an analysis of changes in the healthcare model inherent to the RDL 16/2012, as well as predictions on its impact on access to healthcare, healthcare quality, and health. The civil society organizations and professional associations offer recommendations and proposals, as well as collaboration in elaborating alternative strategies to reduce costs. The response of civil society organizations and professional associations underscores the importance of strengthening citizen participation in the development of healthcare policies aimed at maintaining the universal character and sustainability of the Spanish Public Healthcare System in the current moment of economic and systemic crisis. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Partnership in civil society : a case of building trust between non-profit associations and international NGOs in Lao PDR

OpenAIRE

Purdin, Sky

2015-01-01

The purpose of this Master's thesis is to develop a context-specific substantive theory of trust building based on the experiences of development workers in Laos, as well as the methods they identify as keys to a better partnership. The research material is based on eleven interviews with civil society development workers in Vientiane, Laos. The study context is partnerships between in-country International Non-Governmental Organizations and local Non-Profit Associations. ...

Local climate activities in co-operation between municipality, civil society and science shop

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

The Science Shop at DTU co-operates with the local municipal administration and the local branch of an environmental NGO about climate change. The co-operation was initiated by a proposal to the Science Shop from the municipal administration. Since the Science Shop requests civil society...... involvement in projects it was proposed to involve the local branch of the environmental NGO. The starting point was topics developed by the administration and the NGO together and announced to students as part of the Science Shop project supply. The focus is climate impact of local activities and strategies...... are initiated and co-ordinated by a group with members from municipal administration, the local NGO and the Science Shop. All projects have involved student projects, but most projects have also contributed to ongoing research activities. The projects up till now have focused on the municipal food supply...

[The Alliance for the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer in Spain. A civil commitment to society].

Science.gov (United States)

Morillas, Juan Diego; Castells, Antoni; Oriol, Isabel; Pastor, Ana; Pérez-Segura, Pedro; Echevarría, José Manuel; Caballero, Begoña; González-Navarro, Andrés; Bandrés, Fernando; Brullet, Enric; Iniesta, Antonio; Carballo, Fernando; Bouzas, Rosa; Ariza, Aurelio; Ibisate, Alfredo; García-Alfonso, Pilar; Escudero, Beatriz; Camacho, Silvia; Fernández-Marcos, Ana; González, Teresa; Quintero, Enrique; Lanas, Angel; Marzo, Mercè; Mascort, Juanjo; Andréu, Monserrat; Cerezo, Laura; Vázquez-Sequeiros, Enrique; Borrás, Josep María; Salas, Dolores; Ascunce, Nieves; Portillo, Isabel; Herráiz, Mayte; Valle, María Luisa; Sotoca, Amalia; Nieto, Santiago; Hué, Carlos; Paz-Ares, Luis

2012-03-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignant tumor in Spain, when men and women are considered together, and the second leading cause of cancer death. Every week in Spain over 500 cases of CRC are diagnosed, and nearly 260 people die from the disease. Epidemiologic estimations for the coming years show a significant increase in the number of annual cases. CRC is a perfectly preventable tumor and can be cured in 90% of cases if detected in the early stages. Population-based screening programs have been shown to reduce the incidence of CRC and mortality from the disease. Unless early detection programs are established in Spain, it is estimated that in the coming years, 1 out of 20 men and 1 out of 30 women will develop CRC before the age of 75. The Alliance for the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer in Spain is an independent and non-profit organization created in 2008 that integrates patients' associations, altruistic non-governmental organizations and scientific societies. Its main objective is to raise awareness and disseminate information on the social and healthcare importance of CRC in Spain and to promote screening measures, early detection and prevention programs. Health professionals, scientific societies, healthcare institutions and civil society should be sensitized to this highly important health problem that requires the participation of all sectors of society. The early detection of CRC is an issue that affects the whole of society and therefore it is imperative for all sectors to work together. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. y AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.

OSUL2013: Fostering Organizational Change through a Grassroots Planning Process

Science.gov (United States)

Schlosser, Melanie

2011-01-01

This paper provides background on planning and organizational culture change in libraries and describes a grassroots planning process taking place at the Ohio State University Libraries. Now in its third phase, the process aims to create a long-term plan for the organization while fostering a more collaborative, innovative culture.

The National Politics of Educational Advocacy in the Context of Global Governance: International Funding and Support for Civil Society Engagement in Cambodia

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, D. Brent, Jr.; Brehm, Willian C.; Storen, Inga

2018-01-01

This paper examines the Civil Society Education Fund's (CSEF) impact on the non-governmental organisation education partnership (NEP) in Cambodia. With financial backing from the World Bank and the Fast Track Initiative, the CSEF is an initiative that is managed internationally by the Global Campaign for Education. Its goal is to help national…

Grassroots innovations for sustainability in the United States : A spatial analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nicolosi, Emily; Medina, Richard; Feola, Giuseppe

2018-01-01

In response to unsustainable dominant systems of production and consumption, grassroots innovations for sustainability (GIs) experiment with new forms of sustainable living. A wide variety of GIs have emerged recently addressing a range of possible solutions, from new systems of provision and

Local self-organization of population and its role in the development of the civil society in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. P. Berezinskiy

2017-07-01

It has been shown that in general the bodies of self-organization of population are focused on the protection of social, eco-nomic and cultural issues, such as the organization and activities of local self-performed in compliance with law; transparency; voluntarily taking on certain powers of the respective local council; territoriality; election; accountability and responsibility to the respective councils; accountability and responsibility to the residents who have chosen community organizations; financial and institutional independence. It has been proven that the local self-organization of population in Ukraine plays an important role in the development of civil society, reflects the level of democratization at the local level and in the whole state. The experience of democratization of Ukrainian society confirms that democracy originates «from below», that is, with the personal participation of citizens in solving specific life issues that directly affect the conditions of their lives.

Putting a Face on the Issue: Corporate Stakeholder Mobilization in Professional Grassroots Lobbying Campaigns

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Edward T.

2014-01-01

Business scholars pay increasing attention to the expanded influence of stakeholders on firm strategies, legitimacy, and competitiveness. At the same time, analysts have noted that the transformed regulatory and legislative environments of recent decades have encouraged firms to become much more politically active. Surprisingly, relatively little research has tied together these two trends. The present study integrates perspectives on stakeholder management with research on corporate political activity to develop an understanding of the structural sources of stakeholder mobilization in professional grassroots lobbying campaigns. This study employs a unique, original data source to consider how the adoption of grassroots lobbying by a firm relates to its industry, degree of inside lobbying, partisan PAC contributions, and more. This research shows that corporate grassroots lobbying is shaped most significantly by a firm’s degree of inside lobbying, as highly active firms take a diversified strategy for gaining influence. Firms in industries with a heavy public presence as well as those concerned with taxation, government appropriations, and economic development also adopt these strategies readily. PAC contributions to Republican, but not Democratic, candidates also heighten firms’ propensity to lobby the public. PMID:24707060

Putting a Face on the Issue: Corporate Stakeholder Mobilization in Professional Grassroots Lobbying Campaigns.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Edward T

2012-12-01

Business scholars pay increasing attention to the expanded influence of stakeholders on firm strategies, legitimacy, and competitiveness. At the same time, analysts have noted that the transformed regulatory and legislative environments of recent decades have encouraged firms to become much more politically active. Surprisingly, relatively little research has tied together these two trends. The present study integrates perspectives on stakeholder management with research on corporate political activity to develop an understanding of the structural sources of stakeholder mobilization in professional grassroots lobbying campaigns. This study employs a unique, original data source to consider how the adoption of grassroots lobbying by a firm relates to its industry, degree of inside lobbying, partisan PAC contributions, and more. This research shows that corporate grassroots lobbying is shaped most significantly by a firm's degree of inside lobbying, as highly active firms take a diversified strategy for gaining influence. Firms in industries with a heavy public presence as well as those concerned with taxation, government appropriations, and economic development also adopt these strategies readily. PAC contributions to Republican, but not Democratic, candidates also heighten firms' propensity to lobby the public.

Understanding the Formation, Functions, and Challenges of Grassroots Leadership Teams

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Jaime; Kezar, Adrianna J.

2012-01-01

This study examined the nature, characteristics, and challenges of grassroots leadership teams and the role of these factors in promoting cognitive complexity in order to provide insight into collective forms of bottom-up change. The study is framed by the literature on leadership teams. Using interviews from a case study conducted at five higher…

What drives Web 2.0 adoption in South African civil society organisations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiru Pillay

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: The impact and consequences of social media adoption on society are only just being realised and studied in detail; consequently, there is no universal agreement as to the reasons for the adoption of these services. Even understanding why some social media services are popular remains to some extent elusive. The practical use of Web 2.0 does not provide any answers either with, for example, a noticeable difference in the way social media was strategically used by Barack Obama and Mitch Romney in the lead-up to the 2009 American elections. However, recent studies that have focused on social media adoption within specific sectors have begun to shed some light on these emerging adoption patterns; two studies in particular are illustrative: a 2012 study on the newspaper sector and a study on social media adoption and e-government. Objectives: This study investigates why South African civil society organisations (CSOs adopt Web 2.0 services and the perceived and actual benefits of such adoption. Method: A survey questionnaire was sent to 1712 South African CSOs listed in the Prodder database to explore why certain social media services were adopted and the perceived benefits thereof. Results: Internal reasons for the adoption of social media services by South African CSOs coalesce around organisational visibility and access to information. External reasons focus on organisations needing to become more relevant and more connected to like-minded organisations and initiatives. Conclusion: The pervasiveness of Web 2.0 technologies makes it inevitable that CSOs will have to restructure themselves to remain relevant.

Civil Sciety Organisations and peacebuilding in Northern Ghana. Understanding the factors that have facilitated the successful entry of Civil Society Organizations in conflict zones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathias Awonnatey Ateng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Civil Society Organizations (CSOs in the Northern Region of Ghana have played significant roles in peacebuilding processes, resulting in the peaceful settlement of disputes. This paper examined the factors that have facilitated the successful entry of CSOs in peacebuilding processes in northern Ghana. Employing qualitative and quantitative research approaches, the study revealed that, the neutrality and impartiality of CSOs have made conflicting parties to trust their work. Again, the capacity of CSOs, method of delivery and visibility has made their work more acceptable by all. Finally, the idea of coordination and networking has shaped the concept of peacebuilding and the avoidance of the duplication of efforts. This research concludes that CSOs are more recognized, respected and preferred by communities experiencing conflicts, than state institutions.

GRASSROOTS ONLINE JOURNALISM: Public intervention in Kuro5hin and Wikinews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Träsel

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Grassroots online journalism, as defined by Primo and Träsel
(2006, are the practices developed in web news periodicals, or
parts thereof, where the boundary between reading and publishing is either blurred or non-existent. The question is no longer whether individuals with no professional license or formal education will publish their own writing and influence, but how and to what extent they will do so. This paper presents results from a study focusing on interventions from various contributors in the journalistic content published in the participatory news websites Wikinews and Kuro5hin. A sample of ten texts was collected over seven weeks to create a corpus of interventions, which was later submitted to content analysis with the goal of verifying whether the interventions had a predominantly pluralizing character or not. The results show that, for Wikinews and Kuro5hin, the interventions are mostly pluralizing, which indicates grassroots online journalism can make important contributions to democracy.

Amy Caiazza, Mothers and Soldiers. Gender, Citizenship and Civil Society in Contemporary Russia. Routledge. New York and London 2002.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Zdravomyslova

2005-04-01

Full Text Available This book examines the importance of gender and citizenship ideologies and the opportunities available for interest groups and related civic initiatives in relation to the role of conscripts mother’s in contemporary Russia. Amy Ciazza asks: what is the role of gender culture in the development of the Russian civil society? The author argues that gender-typing of citizenship and popular beliefs about the different civic obligations of men and women can be efficiently mobilized by interest grou...

Grassroots Action Research and the Greater Good (La investigación acción de base y el bien mayor)

Science.gov (United States)

Rainey, Isobel

2011-01-01

This study examines the action research topics and topic preferences of two groups of grassroots teachers: active researchers, and potential researchers. The analysis of the topics appears to indicate that, over the past decade, action research at the teaching of English at the grassroots level to speakers of other languages has been principally…

WHISTLEBLOWING IN CIVIL SERVICE: EXPERIENCE OF EUROPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria A. Batishcheva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this article it is examined the whistleblowing practice in civil service across Europe. The analysis lets to arrive at a conclusion that the whistleblowing mechanism unevenly functions in different parts of Europe: it is more widespread in East and South. It is indicated the following reasons for that: differences in institutional systems of society, models of civil service («continental» and anglosaxon and sociocultural distinctions. Based on the Hofstede dimensions of national culture it is noted that cultural characteristics correlate with presence/absence of whistleblowing law and practice and effectiveness of this mechanism as a whole. Focusing on the role of whistleblowing in control of deviations of civil servants' behavior, it is supposed that the whistleblowing needs to be implemented in the Russian civil service. Obstacles to the whistleblowing design and implementation were also shown and some recommendations were given, taking into account sociocultural characteristics of the Russian society.

Whistleblowing In Civil Service: Experience Of Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria A. Batishcheva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this article it is examined the whistleblowing practice in civil service across Europe. The analysis lets to arrive at a conclusion that the whistleblowing mechanism unevenly functions in different parts of Europe: it is more widespread in East and South. It is indicated the following reasons for that: differences in institutional systems of society, models of civil service («continental» and anglosaxon and sociocultural distinctions. Based on the Hofstede dimensions of national culture it is noted that cultural characteristics correlate with presence/absence of whistleblowing law and practice and effectiveness of this mechanism as a whole. Focusing on the role of whistleblowing in control of deviations of civil servants' behavior, it is supposed that the whistleblowing needs to be implemented in the Russian civil service. Obstacles to the whistleblowing design and implementation were also shown and some recommendations were given, taking into account sociocultural characteristics of the Russian society.

William Knocke receives 2008 Virginia Outstanding Civil Engineer Award

OpenAIRE

Daniilidi, Christina

2008-01-01

William R. Knocke, W.C. English Professor and head of the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, was awarded the 2008 Virginia Outstanding Civil Engineer Award at the Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) banquet, held recently in Williamsburg, Va.

Rising Central Spending on Public Security and the Dilemma Facing Grassroots Officials in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue Xie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In response to worsening social instability in China, among grassroots communities in the poorer central and western provinces in particular, the Chinese central government has made budgetary arrangements, since 2003, to increase investment at the grassroots level to improve the capacity of local governments to maintain social order. However, this action by central government has created a dilemma for local cadres: how to perform their duty to maintain social stability while also balancing a heavy fiscal burden caused in part by the receipt of insufficient additional budgetary subsidies from higher government. This paper is an account of and an analysis of how local cadres in China perform their official duties when faced with this dilemma.

The role of civil society in health policy making in South Africa: a review of the strategies adopted by the Treatment Action Campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabi, Stella C; Rieker, Mark

2017-03-01

The diagnosis of AIDS in 1982 in South Africa was followed by a rapid rise in the number of people living with the virus and dying from AIDS-related illnesses. The 2016 report by the Statistics South Africa indicated that about 7.03 million South Africans were infected with HIV/AIDS - the highest rate in the world. Despite the emergence of effective drugs in the mid-1990s, medical treatment remained unavailable in South Africa, particularly in public hospitals. This prompted civil society groups to establish platforms to discuss health policy change in South Africa. Prominent among these was the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), formed in 1998, which aimed to advocate for improved HIV/AIDS health service delivery. The efforts succeeded in shaping the current HIV/AIDS policy through various initiatives such as the use of constitutional law in legal action against profiteering drug companies. This paper examines the role of civil society, and particularly the TAC engagement with the state in health policy making, and the subsequent implementation of health policy on HIV/AIDS in post-apartheid South Africa.

Victims, civil society and transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humphrey Michael

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The role of victim organizations in the transitional justice process is examined in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH. These organizations emerged in the context of the top-down accountability agenda driven by the international crisis intervention in the Balkan wars and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY. By contrast, in Latin America victim organizations emerged as a self-conscious movements of individuals galvanized by their traumatic experience of state repression and demanding accountability from the bottom-up. In BiH accountability became a condition for re-establishing state political and legal authority but also international financing for reconstruction and progress towards EU accession. Victim organizations were part of the NGO sector which grew rapidly in response to the neoliberal governance model of selforganizing civil society to transform post-socialist and postwar BiH. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs, run largely by professional middle class displaced from careers in the downsized state bureaucracy, became intermediaries between external donors and war affected populations. Victim organizations participated in the transitional justice process by supporting victims/witnesses in international and national prosecutions, tracing the missing persons and supporting the right of return of displaced populations. In BiH, victims’ organizations did not emerge as social movements advocating for citizenship and social justice, but became incorporated in the neoliberal governance model, sponsored by international agendas for stabilization, democratization and EU accession.

Grassroots (Economic Activism in Times of Crisis: Mapping the Redundancy of Collective Actions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo D’Alisa

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the current economic crisis of industrialized society, social movements face two types of challenges: firstly, they are confronting institutions that are less capable of and have no propensity for mediating new socio-economic demands; secondly, they are experiencing difficulties in building strong and lasting bonds of solidarity and cooperation among people. The latter are fundamental resources for the emergence of collective action; however, the highly individualized structure of contemporary society makes the creation of social ties ever the more difficult. As a consequence, contemporary waves of protest are often short-lived. Nonetheless, in response to the multidimensional crises, the consolidation of grassroots mutualistic and cooperative experiences, within which new affiliations for collective action are experienced, is on the rise. Indeed, it is a fact that even though conditions are not favorable, social movements have continued to ex-pand and promote community-led initiatives for social and economic sustainability. In some cases, these initiatives play a decisive role in the fight against poverty and in guaranteeing human livelihood. Solidarity-based exchanges and networks, such as barter groups, urban gardening, new consumer-producer networks and cooperatives, time banks, local savings groups, urban squatting, and others similar experiences are typical examples of continuous reactivation of people's desire to be agents of their own destiny. This combination of formal and informal networks are a testimony to an ability and an aspiration. Indeed, on one hand, they are indicative of citizens' capacity to self-organize in order to tolerate, absorb, cope with and adjust to the environmental and social threats posed by neoliberal policies. On the other hand, they are attempting to change an economic system, increasingly perceived as unfair and ecological disruptive, by building an alternative in the cracks of the former, based on greater

International Migration, US Immigration Law and Civil Society: From the Pre-Colonial Era to the 113th Congress (Edited by Leonir Mario Chiarello and Donald Kerwin, Scalabrini International Migration Network, 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Breana George

2014-09-01

Full Text Available International Migration, US Immigration Law and Civil Society: From the Pre-Colonial Era to the 113th Congress, published by the Scalabrini International Migration Network in collaboration with the Center for Migration Studies of New York, offers an overview of immigration law and policy that contextualizes the present challenges in reaching policy consensus in the immigration debate. This book review highlights the debate on executive action in relation to a chapter on the evolution of US immigration laws by Charles Wheeler and a chapter on the role of civil society in immigration policymaking by Sara Campos. 

Do victims only cry? Victim-survivors and their grassroots organizations in Peru

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Waardt, M.F.; Ouweneel, A.

2012-01-01

De Waardt discusses associations of victims of the 1980s violent conflict in Peru, which she relates to the Peruvian cultural tradition of grassroots organizations. She conveys the substantial existence of victim-survivor associations, the social support its members find amongst each other, and the

17 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND DEMOCRATIC SUSTAINABILITY IN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

To Socrates, civil disobedience was morally wrong even when there were justifiable reasons ... issue between the majority and the minority in the society. It is a protest ..... government businesses were halted for about a week and the government of .... 11 William A Herr, “Thoreau: A Civil Disobedience?,” Ethics, Vol. 81, No.

Disaster, Civil Society and Education in China: A Case Study of an Independent Non-Government Organization Working in the Aftermath of the Wenchuan Earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Menefee, Trey; Nordtveit, Bjorn Harald

2012-01-01

In May 2008 nearly 90,000 people died in the most powerful earthquake in modern Chinese history. Many were students killed in substandard schools, creating a sensitive disaster zone inside a nation whose civil society organizations are beginning to flourish. This paper examines the education earthquake relief program of an international NGO, and…

The Euro Crisis in Online Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Uldam, Julie; Kaun, Anne

2013-01-01

While Scandinavian countries may be coping with the Euro crisis relatively better than most other European countries, they are far from unaffected. Nonetheless, the mainstream media have represented Scandinavia and Sweden as prime examples of resilience at a governmental level (i.e. the ability...... of a national economy to withstand, adapt and overcome the financial crisis), disregarding the consequences of growing inequalities and the dismantling of welfare state. Consequently, reports on resilience at the civil society level (i.e. the ability of citizens and communities to withstand, adapt and overcome...... the financial crisis) remain largely absent from mainstream media reports. Instead, civil society initiatives that respond to the consequences of the crisis have to rely on self-representation and sharing of resources in online media. One example is the Swedish grassroots organisation, Megafonen....

Grassroot digital innovation and public administration in the Smart City milieu

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurora López-Fogués

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article presents the vision that Santander, Valencia, Bilbao and Donostia have of the Smart City (SC. It also explores how local corporations interact with grassroots digital innovation experiences, understood as networks of individuals and organizations that generate innovation through the use of digital technologies for social and environmental purposes. For the analysis we have used a theoretical framework based on human development and the multi-level perspective of socio-technical transitions. The results show that the discourse of cities about SC wants to move towards a participatory vision, but is still far from it in its practice. This is palpable in the way that local administrations interact with the experiences of digital social innovation where a unidirectional and instrumental practice still predominates. Additionally, we have analyzed 21 experiences of grassroots digital innovation: their vision of SC and how they interact with local administrations. Their idea of SC is more aligned with the values of human development, whereas their strategies are very different: from initiatives that choose not to have relation with administrations to others that aim for influencing them.

Mobilizing women at the grassroots to shape health policy: a case study of the Global Campaign for Microbicides.

Science.gov (United States)

Forbes, Anna

2013-11-01

Competition to advance issues on public policy agendas is constant. Political scientists agree that professional "policy entrepreneurs" (researchers, academics, and bureaucrats) serve as conduits in this process. Grassroots advocacy has always been part of the political landscape as non-professional people also take on the role of policy advocates or activists, to get specific problems and preferred solutions onto public and policy agendas and motivate policymakers to take action. The contribution of grassroots advocacy to significant policy changes is often under-funded because its impacts are hard to isolate and quantify, and are often most evident in retrospect. This paper examines the contribution of the Global Campaign for Microbicides to the movement to expand the range of HIV prevention options for women and describes how it mobilized hundreds of grassroots policy activists around the world to take coordinated action on this issue. It reviews the Campaign's accomplishments and highlights some of its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the paper considers the value of similar efforts on the part of grassroots advocates seeking to influence the post-ICPD and post-2015 development agendas as they are being negotiated. Decisions regarding what kind of advocacy work is carried out during this process, and by whom and how, will inevitably shape the content of these new frameworks. Copyright © 2013 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DEFENCE, DEMOCRACY AND SOUTH AFRICA’S CIVIL-MILITARY GAP

OpenAIRE

Lindy Heinecken

2011-01-01

Civil-military relations theory suggests that a functional and effective military requires a unique culture, separate from its parent society. This is based on the assumption that a “gap” between the military and society is inevitable as the military’s function, the lawful application of military force in accordance with government direction, is fundamentally different from civilian business. Those interested in civil-military relations are essentially concerned with determining when the “gap...

The Civil Behavior of Students: A Survey of School Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Keely; Caldarella, Paul; Crook-Lyon, Rachel E.; Young, K. Richard

2010-01-01

Many authors regard education as a way of increasing civility in society, and some have implemented interventions to improve civility in schools. However, very little empirical data exist on the extent and nature of students' civil behavior. The present study systematically gathered data from 251 school professionals regarding their perceptions of…

Tradición, modernidad y sociedad civil en la costa de Yucatán Tradición, modernidad y sociedad civil en la costa de Yucatán

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Citlalli Cantú Gutiérrez

2012-02-01

Full Text Available It describes the organizational processes of civil society on the coast of Yucatan. His players built their associations, came into conflict and collapsed their organizational structures. Weanalyze the causes of the recent past and shaping processes of associative structures of civil society. In the cases presented showed that the erosion of the ancestral forms of organization and influence of the individual patterns represent endogenous and exogenous historical causes that increase the entropy of the organizational processes of local civil society. Wediscuss the peaceful non-profit and organizational behavior defined by law, act limiting the right of rebellion and restoring the power. Yes organized civil society bows to government funding processes, becomes bureaucratized and mimics mechanisms, corruption can occurprocesses that collapses.Se describen procesos de organización de la sociedad civil en la costa de Yucatán, donde sus actores construyeron asociaciones civiles, entraron en conflicto y colapsaron sus estructuras organizativas. Se analizan las causas últimas y recientes de los procesos de conformación de estructuras asociativas de la sociedad civil. En los casos presentados se observó que la erosión de las formas ancestrales de organización y la influencia de los patrones individualistas representan causas históricas endógenas y exógenas que incrementan la entropía de los procesos de organización de la sociedad civil local. Se discute el carácter no lucrativo y pacífico del comportamiento organizacional definido en la ley; acto que limita el derecho a la rebelión y la recuperación del poder. Sí la sociedad civil organizada se pliega a los procesos gubernamentales de financiamiento, se burocratiza e imita mecanismos, pueden presentarse procesos de corrupción que la colapsa.

Civil-Military Relations: A Selected Bibliography

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-01

Society 29, no. 3 (Spring 2003): 373-391. Sage Rosen , Frederik. "Third-Generation Civil-Military Relations: Moving Beyond the Security- Development Nexus... Barak , Oren. The Lebanese Army: A National Institution in a Divided Society. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2009. 272pp. (UA853 .L4B37

Atores da sociedade civil e ação coletiva: relações com a comunicação de massa Civil society actors and collective action: relationship with mass communication

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Rousiley C. M. Maia

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Este artigo tem por objetivo investigar diferentes modos de entender as relações que os atores cívicos estabelecem com os media de massa, a fim de configurar a política pública e promover a comunicação com amplas audiências. Para tanto, exploramos dois modelos: um, derivado das teorias de mobilização de recursos e da mobilização política, e outro decorrente das teorias de identidade coletiva e do reconhecimento. Examinamos as premissas desses modelos e algumas das contribuições e lacunas teóricas que apresentam para tratar a influência que os atores coletivos cívicos podem exercer, por meio da comunicação de massa, nas esferas políticas e civil. O objetivo não é advogar a superação de um paradigma por outro, mas, ao invés disso, apontar que um modelo integrado permite articular as arenas informais da sociedade civil com as arenas formais do sistema político. Permite, também, fazer importantes distinções entre diversas formas de comunicação, tais como a expressão estética, a barganha e a argumentação, as quais apresentam lógicas, efeitos e critérios de sucesso distintos.The aim of this paper is to investigate different ways of understanding the relationship that civil society actors establish with the mass media, in order to shape public policies and to communicate with broad audiences. Therefore, we explore two models - one derived from the theories of resources mobilization and political mobilization, and the other derived from the theories of collective identity and recognition. We examine the premises and some theoretical contributions and weaknesses of these models to approach the influence that collective civic actors may exert on the political and civic spheres, through mass media communication. The objective is not to argue that one model should overcome the other, but rather to point out that an integrated model allows for the articulation between the informal arenas of civil society and the formal

Civil-military relations : enhancing international security

OpenAIRE

Fekete, Florian

2003-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The thesis describes how civil-military relations at the international level enhance international security, in particular, the way of development of international society in trying to orient its progress towards international peace, security and sustainable development. It focuses upon civil-military relationships in the League of Nations and the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, The International Committee of Re...

"Bases legales para la transformación de Sociedades Civiles en Sociedades Cooperativas" (Legal bases for the transformation of Civil Societies into Cooperative Societies

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Enrique Gadea Soler

2013-01-01

Full Text Available El Derecho interno vigente permite abiertamente la transformaciónde Sociedades Civiles con personalidad jurídica, Asociaciones y Fundaciones,en Cooperativas. Ello está además integrado en las propuestas del ParlamentoEuropeo en beneficio del empleo, la lucha contra la exclusión en la UEy el mantenimiento del bienestar social en la Unión.

Curriculum and Civil Society in Afghanistan

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Jones, Adele

2009-01-01

Although research has traditionally discussed the ways in which societies in conflict develop educational practices, only recently have scholars begun to examine the role of education in creating or sustaining conflict. In Afghanistan, changing regimes have had an impact on state-sanctioned curricula over the past fifty years, drastically altering…

Co-production of community mental health services: Organising the interplay between public services and civil society in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaeggemose, Ulla; Ankersen, Pia Vedel; Aagaard, Jørgen; Burau, Viola

2018-01-01

Co-production involves knowledge and skills based on both lived experiences of citizens and professionally training of staff. In Europe, co-production is viewed as an essential tool for meeting the demographic, political and economic challenges of welfare states. However, co-production is facing challenges because public services and civil society are rooted in two very different logics. These challenges are typically encountered by provider organisations and their staff who must convert policies and strategies into practice. Denmark is a welfare state with a strong public services sector and a relatively low involvement of volunteers. The aim of this study was to investigate how provider organisations and their staff navigate between the two logics. The present analysis is a critical case study of two municipalities selected from seven participating municipalities, for their maximum diversity. The study setting was the Community Families programme, which aim to support the social network of mental health users by offering regular contact with selected private families/individuals. The task of the municipalities was to initiate and support Community Families. The analysis built on qualitative data generated at the organisational level in the seven participating municipalities. Within the two "case study" municipalities, qualitative interviews were conducted with front-line co-ordinators (six) and line managers (two). The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded using the software program NVivo. The results confirm the central role played by staff and identify a close interplay between public services and civil society logics as essential for the organisation of co-production. Corresponding objectives, activities and collaborative relations of provider organisations are keys for facilitating the co-productive practice of individual staff. Organised in this way, co-production can succeed even in a mental health setting associated with social stigma

Grassroots Innovation Using Drones for Indigenous Mapping and Monitoring

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Jaime Paneque-Gálvez

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Indigenous territories are facing increasing pressures from numerous legal and illegal activities that are pushing commodity frontiers within their limits, frequently causing severe environmental degradation and threatening indigenous territorial rights and livelihoods. In Central and South America, after nearly three decades of participatory mapping projects, interest is mounting among indigenous peoples in the use of new technologies for community mapping and monitoring as a means of defense against such threats. Since 2014, several innovative projects have been developed and implemented in the region to demonstrate and train indigenous communities in the use of small drones for territorial mapping and monitoring. In this paper, we report on five projects carried out in Peru, Guyana, and Panama. For each one we describe the context, main objectives, positive outcomes, challenges faced, and opportunities ahead. Preliminary results are promising and have gained the interest of many indigenous societies who envision this technology as a powerful tool to protect their territories and strengthen their claims regarding specific environmental liabilities and justice issues. Based on the results presented here and a review of previous similar studies, we offer a critical discussion of some of the main opportunities and challenges that we foresee regarding the use of small drones for indigenous territorial mapping and monitoring. In addition, we elaborate on why a careful, well thought-out, and progressive adoption of drones by indigenous peoples may trigger grassroots innovations in ways conducive to greater environmental justice and sustainability.

Grassroots community organizations’ contribution to the scale-up of HIV testing and counselling services in Zimbabwe

Science.gov (United States)

Gregson, Simon; Nyamukapa, Constance A.; Sherr, Lorraine; Mugurungi, Owen; Campbell, Catherine

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate whether community engagement (participation in grassroots organizations) contributed to increases in HIV testing in Zimbabwe. Methods: Prospective data on membership of local community organizations (e.g. women's groups and burial societies) and uptake of HIV testing and counselling (HTC) and prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services were collected from 5260 adults interviewed in two consecutive rounds of a general-population cohort survey in eastern Zimbabwe between 2003 and 2008. The effects of community engagement on uptake of services during the follow-up period were measured using logistic regression to adjust for observed confounding factors. Results: Sixteen percent of men and 47% of women were consistent members of community organizations; 58 and 35% of these people discussed HIV in their meetings and were members of externally sponsored organizations, respectively. Fewer men (10.1%) than women (32.4%) took up HTC during follow-up [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.43–4.86, P organizations than for nonmembers: men, 15.0 versus 9.2% (1.67, 1.15–2.43, P = 0.007); women, 35.6 versus 29.6% (1.26, 1.06–1.49, P = 0.008). Membership of community organizations showed a nonsignificant association with PMTCT uptake amongst recently pregnant women (42.3 versus 34.2%; 1.30, 0.94–1.78, P = 0.1). The most consistent positive associations between community participation and HTC and PMTCT uptake were found in organizations that discussed HIV and when external sponsorship was absent. Conclusion: Grassroots organizations contributed to increased uptake of HTC services in eastern Zimbabwe in the mid-2000s. Partnerships with these organizations could harness community support for the further increases in HIV testing needed in sub-Saharan Africa. PMID:24047764

The recent process of decentralization and democratic management of education in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Santos Filho, José Camilo Dos

1993-09-01

Brazilian society is beginning a new historical period in which the principle of decentralization is beginning to predominate over centralization, which held sway during the last 25 years. In contrast to recent Brazilian history, there is now a search for political, democratic and participatory decentralization more consonant with grass-roots aspirations. The first section of this article presents a brief analysis of some decentralization policies implemented by the military regime of 1964, and discusses relevant facts related to the resistance of civil society to state authoritarianism, and to the struggle for the democratization and organization of civil society up to the end of the 1970s. The second section analyzes some new experiences of democratic public school administration initiated in the 1970s and 1980s. The final section discusses the move toward decentralization and democratization of public school administration in the new Federal and State Constitutions, and in the draft of the new Law of National Education.

Springing back: climate resilience at Africa's grassroots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vermuelen, Sonja; Dossou, Krystel; MacQueen, Duncan; Walubengo, Dominic; Nangoma, Everhart

2008-05-15

Climate change is often seen as a global problem demanding global solutions. But for poor people hit hard by the impacts, climate change is a not a boardroom abstraction, but day-to-day reality. Faced with local shifts in weather patterns and natural resources, they are forced to find ways of coping that are locally relevant. This kind of experience gained at the grassroots, boosts resilience as no top-down initiative can. Three case studies from rural communities in Benin, Kenya and Malawi show how it is done.

First report of the Civil Nuclear Power Working Group to the Technical Comittee of the National Society for Clean Air -Summer 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The accident at the Chernobyl reactor in April 1986 had serious consequences, not just for Russia but for many countries in Europe. Following the accident, the National Society for Clean Air formed a Working Group to look at the Society's policy on civil nuclear power. Its finding and recommendations are presented in this first report. The subject was considered under several headings - radioactivity (public education in measurement and dose evaluation), emergency procedures in the event of incidents overseas, radiation monitoring, a national monitoring and information service, plant safety, nuclear materials handling and radioactive waste disposal, energy policy and conservation. Four main recommendations are made on public education, risk assessment and radiation monitoring, radioactive waste disposal and energy policy. (U.K.)

The Khôra of the commons. The role of civil society in two productive landscapes of Llobregat River

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Javier Rocamonde Lourido

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The starting point of this article is The Khôra of the commons metaphor. First of all, we’ll discuss the role of civil society in the design and preservation of two productive landscapes linked to the Llobregat River. In addition, we will analyse the relationship between agents and landscape that follows dynamics dependent of social, economic and urban context. We will compare two case studies in order to better understand those phenomena (Infanta canal and Can Batlló factory. In conclusion this paper synthetizes several periods common to both case studies that explain the changing relationship between actors and landscape.

"The Civil Rights Movement of the 1990s?": The anti-abortion movement and the struggle for racial justice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Richard L

2006-01-01

In 1964, Claude and Jeanne Nolen, who were white, joined an interracial NAACP team intent on desegregating local restaurants in Austin, Texas as a test of the recently passed Civil Rights ACt. Twenty-five years later, the Nolens pleaded "no contest" in a courtroom for their continued social activism. This time the issue was not racial segregation, but rather criminal trespassing for blockading abortion clinics with Operation Rescue. The Nolens served prison sentences for direct action protests that they believe stemmed from the same commitment to Christianity and social justice as the civil rights movements. Despite its relationship to political and cultural conservatism, the anti-abortion movement since Roe v. Wade (1973) was also a product of the progressive social movements of the turbulent sixties. Utilizing oral history interviews and organizational literature, the article explores the historical context of the anti-abortion movement, specifically how the lengthy struggle for racial justice shaped the rhetoric, tactics, and ideology of the anti-abortion activists. Even after political conservatives dominated the movement in the 1980s, the successes and failures of the sixties provided a cultural lens through which grassroots anti-abortion activists forged what was arguably the largest movement of civil disobedience in American history.

Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development: Path to Managing Rural Grass-roots Party Organization from the Perspective of Impetus

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Xianzhe

2018-02-01

Impetus is the most fundamental guarantee for the survival and progress of organization. The rural grass-roots party organization should serve as a battle fortress of party helping realize the purpose of party in the village. Therefore, to strengthen the management of rural party branches, it is imperative to optimize their impetus, stepping on the basic paths: developing and utilizing material force, and digging and stimulating spiritual force for rural grass-roots party organization construction; adhering to the dialectical view on impetus to highlight both material and spiritual motivations.

Revisiting "Ella's Song"

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Smith, Yolanda Y.

2013-01-01

Ella Josephine Baker (1903-1986), an African-American human rights activist, influenced the trajectory of the modern civil rights movement with her emphasis on local action, liberative pedagogy, and grassroots involvement. She modeled a pedagogy of liberation convinced that grassroots efforts at participatory democracy could empower diverse…

Evaluation of civil engineering training in respect to disaster ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper focuses on the training aspect of civil engineers as one sector of professionals whose contribution is necessary in reducing disaster impact in society. The paper identifies areas, which need to be integrated in the current training of civil engineers to make them more effective in the use of engineering tools to ...

Grassroots scalar politics: Insights from peasant water struggles in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogesteger van Dijk, J.D.; Verzijl, A.

2015-01-01

Based on insights from peasant and indigenous communities’ struggles for water in Andean Peru and Ecuador, in this article we argue that the defense of grassroots interests -and with it the advancement of more equitable governance- greatly hinges on the capacity of these groups to engage in

Grasstops and Grassroots Approaches to Building Community Resilience

Science.gov (United States)

LeBeau, A.; Bader, D.

2017-12-01

Climate change and extreme weather events pose complex risks to cities all over the world, impacting not only the built environment, but also social infrastructure. Because urban communities are culturally and socioeconomically diverse, as well as systemically complicated, climate change and extreme weather events will impact people differently even within a single city—not only because of where they live, but also because of who they are. The City of Long Beach, California, is in its very early stages of understanding its vulnerabilities. However, city leaders and community partners including the Aquarium of the Pacific are committed to creating a model climate resilient city. Climate change risks most relevant to Long Beach include drought (and freshwater shortages), extreme heat, sea level rise, and poor air quality. Over the past 18 months, the Aquarium of the Pacific has been testing elements of a broad-reaching education strategy to reach community stakeholders. Two multi-level approaches are designed to build awareness and momentum for climate resilience. A grassroots approach, called RESILIENT LB, focuses on an interactive outreach booth that travels to community events. The booth is staffed by educators with specific training on climate communication. Facilitated conversations help people identify what they love about Long Beach and immediate impacts that climate change will have on the things they value. A second, complimentary approach involves long-term community engagement through a grasstops-to-grassroots approach. Aquarium educators have been facilitating different climate resilience workshops for leaders from a variety of groups across Long Beach. These workshops give leaders the chance to reflect on how their communities may be impacted by climate change, and highlight adaptation (rather than mitigation) to climate change. In this session, we will share how these programs have evolved, lessons learned, and areas of growth.

Civil Society and Public Powers : Partners for Social Economy and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Études. Estudio de casos brasileños : la dinámica de relaciones entre los foros de economía solidaria y las políticas públicas para la economía solidaria en Brasil. Téléchargez le PDF. Études. Estudio de casos bolivianos : las políticas públicas de economía social y el diálogo entre los poderes públicos y la sociedad civil.

Civil legal responsibility for environmental pollution

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Pajtić Bojan L.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Serbia's EU accession process has actualised the need to harmonise our legislation with the common legal regulations of the European community of nations. The accelerated economic growth produces environmental challenges associated with harmful emissions. This paper gives an account of international declarations, conventions, directives and other state and civil society instruments of legal protection against the environmental damage. A special focus is placed on our positive legislation and enforcement of legal regulations in ensuring the civil legal responsibility, i.e. prevention of the occurrence of damage and indemnification for the damage caused.

Design, Participation, and Social Change: What Design in Grassroots Spaces Can Teach Learning Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Zavala, Miguel

2016-01-01

While a science of design (and theory of learning) is certainly useful in design-based research, a participatory design research framework presents an opening for learning scientists to rethink design and learning as processes. Grounded in the autoethnographic investigation of a grassroots organization's design of a local campaign, the author…

Students: Preparing the Next Generation of Students for the Civil Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Rifkin, Jeremy

1996-01-01

Suggests that changes in employment brought on by the information age will force a reevaluation of the nature of education. Argues that the nonprofit civil sector, or the "Third Sector," will become crucial in providing employment. Proposes that community college service-learning programs will be crucial to future job-training efforts. (MAB)

Reflections on civil society and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Thacker, P

1997-07-01

This article discusses ways to empower women in rural Nepal. Nepal needs to plan for the expected doubling of its population in the next 28 years. It is important that priorities be established in national development strategies. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector will also play a role in development. Nepal is a multiethnic society with about 42% of its population living in poverty. About 42% are aged under 15 years. A major task of development is to engender a sense of hopefulness for young people, despite a deteriorating social situation. The government, the private sector, and NGOs must all act in a socially responsible manner by creating job opportunities and building infrastructure. Development should not concentrate on projects alone and should contribute to an equitable and just society, distributive justice, and sustainability. Economic growth is a lesser concern. Activism and intuition are necessary subjective approaches outside the realm of objective academic research. It is important to retain women's knowledge base of indigenous ways of doing things. Women are participating in NGOs in a variety of capacities. Although women's NGO participation may build important bridges of cooperation, their work remains invisible. NGOs are key players in exposing poor people's agenda in international forums. NGOs work with different ideologies and without political bases, which must be surmounted in building cooperation with the private sector. Elites must act responsibly to expose patriarchy and gender insubordination. Development interventions must be based on gender, economic, and social class relations.

Civil engineering at the crossroads in the twenty-first century.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Francisco; Seco, Andres

2012-12-01

The twenty-first century presents a major challenge for civil engineering. The magnitude and future importance of some of the problems perceived by society are directly related to the field of the civil engineer, implying an inescapable burden of responsibility for a group whose technical soundness, rational approach and efficiency is highly valued and respected by the citizen. However, the substantial changes in society and in the way it perceives the problems that it considers important call for a thorough review of our structures, both professional and educational; so that our profession, with its undeniable historical prestige, may modernize certain approaches and attitudes in order to continue to be a reliable instrument in the service of society, giving priority from an ethical standpoint to its actions in pursuit of "the public good". It possesses important tools to facilitate this work (new technologies, the development of communications, the transmission of scientific thought.···); but there is nevertheless a need for deep reflection on the very essence of civil engineering: what we want it to be in the future, and the ability and willingness to take the lead at a time when society needs disinterested messages, technically supported, reasonably presented and dispassionately transmitted.

Paradigm shifts and the interplay between state, business and civil sectors

Science.gov (United States)

Encarnação, Sara; Santos, Fernando P.; Santos, Francisco C.; Blass, Vered; Pacheco, Jorge M.; Portugali, Juval

2016-12-01

The recent rise of the civil sector as a main player of socio-political actions, next to public and private sectors, has largely increased the complexity underlying the interplay between different sectors of our society. From urban planning to global governance, analysis of these complex interactions requires new mathematical and computational approaches. Here, we develop a novel framework, grounded on evolutionary game theory, to envisage situations in which each of these sectors is confronted with the dilemma of deciding between maintaining a status quo scenario or shifting towards a new paradigm. We consider multisector conflicts regarding environmentally friendly policies as an example of application, but the framework developed here has a considerably broader scope. We show that the public sector is crucial in initiating the shift, and determine explicitly under which conditions the civil sector-reflecting the emergent reality of civil society organizations playing an active role in modern societies-may influence the decision-making processes accruing to other sectors, while fostering new routes towards a paradigm shift of the society as a whole. Our results are shown to be robust to a wide variety of assumptions and model parametrizations.

Social media and mobile communications adoption patterns of South African civil society organisations

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Kiru Pillay

2014-08-01

Objectives: This study focuses on how South African civil society organisations (CSOs deploy Web 2.0 services and technologies for social advocacy and the context of this technology use. Whilst the literature points to many studies relating to the use of the Internet for advocacy, it also suggests that the role and impact of emerging technologies have not been studied in any detail in CSOs. Such studies have the potential to provide new perspectives to current theoretical frameworks and also to add to the discourse around the use of emerging technologies for advocacy. Method: A survey of South African CSOs explored the level of knowledge of social media services and revealed which services in particular were being adopted. Results: The key findings that emerged were that the sector has a low level of knowledge of social media services and an accompanying low level of adoption. These are partly explained by factors such as macro-economic policies and low levels of Internet penetration and ICT readiness. Conclusion: Further research to determine why certain social media services have been embraced more willingly than others and an analysis of the patterns of adoption to determine any underlying significance or relationships is necessary. An analysis of how CSOs build their advocacy capabilities by appropriating social media and how they thus provide alternate discourses and agendas would be instructive.

At the Turning Point of the Current Techno-Economic Paradigm: Commons-Based Peer Production, Desktop Manufacturing and the Role of Civil Society in the Perezian Framework

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Vasilis Kostakis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Following the theory of techno-economic paradigm shifts (TEPS, this paper calls attention to the phenomenon of Commons-based peer production (CBPP. In the context of the current paradigm, it argues that civil society can play an important role in creating favourable conditions for a more sustainable global knowledge society. Approaching tentatively the ways in which 3D printing and other desktop manufacturing technologies can be used in CBPP, it also explores the ways in which the partnership with the state may provide a supportive innovative institutional basis for taking the maximum advantage of the emerging synergies in the vein of TEPS theory.

Einschränkung der Nationalen Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten Angesichts der Wachsenden Globalisierung und die Rolle der Zivilgesellschaft für Mögliche Gegenstrategien / Restriction of national design options given the growing globalization and the role of civil society for possible counter-strategies

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Friedrich Müller

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The nation-state has been severely restricted in the course of globalization in its effect, especially in economic, financial, social and environmental policy. But even so it became unnecessary. Because the nation state retains at the same time crucial political functions in the defense of the republic, democracy and the constitutional state, as well it mainly retains human development at the national, supra-national and trans-national level - and civil rights. Then it should join strategically to resistance movements in civil society that are working towards a public conscience on a global scale and a global civil society.Zusammenfassung:Der Nationalstaat ist im Verlauf der Globalisierung in seiner Wirkung stark eingeschränkt worden, vor allem wirtschafts-, finanz-, sozial- und umweltpolitisch. Er wurde aber deswegen nicht überflüssig. Denn zugleich behält er unverzichtbare politische Funktionen bei derVerteidigung von Republik, Demokratie und Rechtsstaat und besonders auch bei der nationalen, supranationalen und transnationalen Entwicklung der Menschen- und Bürgerrechte. Er sollte sich dabei mit den Widerstandsbewegungen aus der Zivilgesellschaft strategisch verbünden, die in Richtung auf ein öffentliches Gewissen im Weltmaßstab und auf eine globale civil society arbeiten.

Evaluation of civil society projects in countries with high HIV prevalence: a methodological discussion - DOI: 10.3395/reciis.v1i2.82en

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Wilza Vieira Villela

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This article approaches methodological aspects of the evaluation of community projects in countries where HIV/AIDS prevalence is high, from the assumption that these countries need to adjust epidemic reduction actions to development initiatives. It originates from work carried out in the Republic of Mozambique in 2006 , in which 160 of the 1124 civil society projects supported by the government were evaluated, with a focus on their relevance, design quality, efficiency, intervention quality, coverage, supervision, organizational capacity, and support received from the government. In order to set a value for the performance of each project, with an eye to the differences in each of the various organizations and of the context in which they were developed, a system of variables and indicators, composed of quantitative and qualitative information, collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, visits to the projects and document analysis was designed, which proved adequate for the purposes of the work. It is considered that the evaluation of the civil society interventions in poor countries, and other places where the epidemics are disseminated, must be guided by tools capable of intercepting the challenges generated from the combination of AIDS, poverty, and culture, so as to build an operational understanding of the socio-cultural and economic factors which contribute to the success or failure of community initiatives for combating the epidemics.

Meeting at the Edges: Spaces, Places and Grassroots Governance Activism in Delhi

OpenAIRE

Webb, Martin

2013-01-01

Through ethnography of activist organisations promoting transparency, accountability and active citizenship, and comprising coalitions of the city’s middle classes and urban poor, this article explores the spaces in which activists from different social backgrounds meet and carry out their work. By locating the positions of meeting rooms, offices and activists’ homes in urban space, I open up a view of the everyday practices of grassroots governance initiatives aimed at producing shared citiz...

On the history of codification of Hungarian civil law and the new Hungarian civil code

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Salma Jožef

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The first part of the paper examines the basic tendencies in the development of the codification of Hungarian civil law in the period of representative and civil society. The second part deals with the new Hungarian Civil Code (2013/14 its content, methods of regulation and its relation to other civil legislation, temporal validity with the adherence to the idea of validity pro futuro, as well as its tendency to harmonize its norms with the guidelines of the European civil law. In accordance with the idea of completeness, the lawmakers incorporated all of the areas of civil law according to the pandecta system - personal law, corporate law with civil association law, family law, obligations and inheritance. The Code is based on the principle of equality of parties in civil relations, the principle of good faith, fraus legis prohibition. Family law is based on specific principles of protection of marriage, family and children. Contract law is based on the freedom of contract, limited by good customs and morality. Tort law is guided by the principle of prohibiting the harm to others, full compensation of material and imaterial damages. Contractual responsibility is regulated separately, so that the tort rules apply if the specific rules of contractual responsibility donot say otherwise. Other grounds for obligations are also regulated, as well as unjustified enrichment, doing business without order or authority, unilateral expression of intention and securities. The grounds for inheritance are contractual, statutory or based on the will. Freedom of disposition by will is limited by statutory rules regulating the forced share. The system of transfer of property ex lege after the death is adopted. The state is a successor if there are no testamentary, statutory or contractual inheritors.

Biotechnologies and biomimetics for civil engineering

CERN Document Server

Labrincha, J; Diamanti, M; Yu, C-P; Lee, H

2015-01-01

Putting forward an innovative approach to solving current technological problems faced by human society, this book encompasses a holistic way of perceiving the potential of natural systems. Nature has developed several materials and processes which both maintain an optimal performance and are also totally biodegradable, properties which can be used in civil engineering. Delivering the latest research findings to building industry professionals and other practitioners, as well as containing information useful to the public, ‘Biotechnologies and Biomimetics for Civil Engineering’ serves as an important tool to tackle the challenges of a more sustainable construction industry and the future of buildings.

The Fundamentals of Civil Disobedience in John Rawls

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Eduardo Baldissera Carvalho Salles

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Investigating civil disobedience from a liberal perspective, the working thread through the thought of John Rawls, exposed in the work A Theory of Justice, presenting the phenomenon as a kind of political resistance as well as the theoretical framework that legitimizes as processing instrument contemporary society and guarantor of individual rights. Thus, discusses the duty to obey unjust laws defining what the justification of civil disobedience, designed to Rawls just almost just, democratic and orderly.

The Influence of Biblical Culture on American Spiritual Civilization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李惠子

2014-01-01

Biblical culture is deeply rooted into current American society and culture,widely impacting every aspect of American people’s life.Through discussing about the historical accumulation of biblical culture reflected in America’s societal and spiritual civilization,this essay analyses the importance and function of biblical culture from the aspect of society inheritance,value,literature creation and customs etc.,helping us to further understand and study American society and culture.

The Influence of Biblical Culture on American Spiritual Civilization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李惠子

2014-01-01

Biblical culture is deeply rooted into current American society and culture, widely impacting every aspect of American people’s life. Through discussing about the historical accumulation of biblical culture reflected in America’s societal and spiritual civilization, this essay analyses the importance and function of biblical culture from the aspect of society inheritance, value, literature creation and customs etc., helping us to further understand and study American society and culture.

Politics of civility: the case of the Association of Undocumented People of Madrid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agustin, Oscar Garcia

2013-01-01

The mobilization of undocumented immigrants in civil society reflects the politics of civility, defined by Balibar as the creation of a space for an inclusive political community based on equality. The case analysed in this article, the Association of Undocumented People of Madrid, refers......, they also require a more radical change in society (i.e. ‘societal change’). Thinking beyond the framework of national citizenship, migrants, as workers, attempt to foster alternative economic and social conditions....

Grassroots women have their say. Programme.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-08-01

The International Reproductive Rights Research Action Group was founded in 1992 to conduct international research on the meanings of "reproductive rights" for grassroots women in different settings. The qualitative ethnographic study conducted in Brazil, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, and the US sought to determine 1) concepts of entitlement about reproduction and sexuality; 2) how reproductive decisions are made; 3) how women practice resistance and accommodation in relation to self-identity and reproductive decision-making; and 4) what social, economic, legal, and political conditions and services affect women's decisions and reproductive life and rights. A number of interview techniques were employed with relatively small numbers of low-income people from diverse backgrounds in each country. The study revealed that significant similarities as well as differences existed among and within the study countries. The women studied exhibited a strong sense of entitlement over reproductive decisions, marriage, and sexual relations. In order to secure their needs, the women accommodated themselves to local expectations when they were unable to rely on a supportive environment to translate their sense of entitlement into effective rights.

La disolución de la sociedad civil: sobre los ideales y las vaguedades en la esfera de las asociaciones de voluntariado

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Paul Dekker

2012-02-01

Full Text Available El pensamiento sobre la sociedad civil siempre ha estado caracterizado por una doble referencia hacia las relaciones sociales existentes y hacia los ideales sociales. La principal hipótesis de numerosas investigaciones sobre la sociedad civil es que una floreciente esfera que lleva este nombre es el portador del ideal de una sociedad más civilizada. Este artículo empieza con una pequeña discusión sobre el trasfondo histórico y los debates públicos en torno a la sociedad civil, y continúa con un planteamiento más analítico del concepto como designación de un orden social asociacional y una esfera de la sociedad dominada por las asociaciones voluntarias. Más adelante nos centramos en esta esfera describiendo sus caracteres nacionales en Europa y analizando las reivindicaciones de sus beneficios civilizadores: la formación de capital social y de discurso público. Encontramos muy pocas evidencias para tales reivindicaciones y por ello profundizamos en el desarrollo de la sociedad moderna occidental, una sociedad en la que las asociaciones voluntarias se han convertido en menos relevantes, mientras que otras esferas de la sociedad, en particular los ensanchados márgenes de la sociedad civil, son más importantes para el desarrollo de una sociedad más civilizada.The thinking about civil society has always been characterized by the double reference to existing social relations and to societal ideals. The basic hypothesis of much civil society research is that a flourishing sphere with this name is the carrier of the ideal of more civilized society. This article starts with a brief discussion of the historical background and public debates about civil society, and continues with a more analytic approach of the concept as designation of an associational social order and a sphere of society dominated by voluntary associations. We further focus on this sphere, describe its national patterns in Europe and analyze claims of its

Who's making global civil society: philanthropy and US empire in world society.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Ann

2006-12-01

Theories of US hegemony commonly ignore the role of American philanthropy in the contemporary transformations of world society and the globalization of capitalism. In this essay, I suggest that the philanthropic foundation, and with it the institution of philanthropy, is being invigorated by the expansion of its domestic role to foreign activities and to globally framed activities within the USA. I propose that US philanthropy exports American understandings of democracy and simultaneously organizes global reflexivity through citizenship education for the US populace. I offer a preliminary theoretical interpretation of the empirical patterns of international grant-making activities by US foundations, considering John W. Meyer's concept of 'instrumental culture' and some arguments made by Foucauldian 'governmentality' scholars. I emphasize the need to conceptualize the cultural-symbolic and organizational dimensions of hegemony and suggest further sociological analysis of philanthropic activities as integral to current politically and economically led transformations of societies around the globe.

The idea of civil control in the European political and legal thought

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T D Sokolova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the problem of defining the role and functions of civil control from the political and legal thought perspective and in the context of the possible ways of civil society and state authorities interaction. The demand for external evaluation as a prerequisite for the development of political system and the demand for establishing an effective feedback mechanism within it together with the lack of a unified approach to the interpretation of civil control in the political science and legal doctrines determined the relevance of the study of the established traditions in the interpretation of civil control in social sciences and humanities. Whereas social and power relations always develop within a specific legislative framework, whose maturity and consistency largely determine the state of civil society, it is not possible to evaluate control functions of the public sector otherwise than through the study of the legal framework of the state. Thus, the article describes the evolution of the views on possible formats of social and power relations in the context of transformations of the European social thought and political and legal approaches to the perception of power institutions, building a dialogue between social and political organizations, defining the forms of civic participation in political decision-making and interpretation of civil control.

Making it in a 'saturated' market. How the Spence Center wins women's hearts with grass-roots marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, P L

1997-01-01

The Spence Centers, full-service, independent clinics for women, depend on grass-roots outreach to cultivate customers and build brand equity. The Centers have garnered national and international press coverage and made enough friends to open a fourth operation.

India's energy security: A sample of business, government, civil society, and university perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bambawale, Malavika Jain; Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2011-01-01

This article explores the concept of energy security perceived and understood by a sample of government, business, civil society, and university stakeholders in India. Based on a literature review, the authors hypothesize what energy experts suggest energy security is for India. The article then tests these hypotheses through the use of a survey completed by 172 Indian respondents. The article begins by describing its methodology before summarizing the results of the literature review to distill seven working hypotheses related to energy security in India. These hypotheses relate to (1) security of energy supply, (2) equitable access to energy services, (3) research and development of new energy technologies, (4) energy efficiency and conservation, (5) self-sufficiency and trade in energy fuels, (6) nuclear power, and (7) the energy-water nexus. It then tests these hypotheses with our survey instrument before concluding with implications for energy policy in India and beyond. - Research highlights: → We measured the concept of energy security for India through a survey that tested the importance of 16 dimensions. → For our sample of respondents from India, as hypothesized, security of fossil fuel supply, R and D in new technologies, centralized energy systems, and the availability of clean water emerged as important dimensions. → Equitable access to energy and low energy intensity did not emerge as important dimensions of energy security for our sample even though we hypothesized them to be so.

Cloud-based hospital information system as a service for grassroots healthcare institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Qin; Han, Xiong; Ma, Xi-Kun; Xue, Yi-Feng; Chen, Yi-Jun; Li, Jing-Song

2014-09-01

Grassroots healthcare institutions (GHIs) are the smallest administrative levels of medical institutions, where most patients access health services. The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed that 96.04 % of 950,297 medical institutions in China were at the grassroots level in 2012, including county-level hospitals, township central hospitals, community health service centers, and rural clinics. In developing countries, these institutions are facing challenges involving a shortage of funds and talent, inconsistent medical standards, inefficient information sharing, and difficulties in management during the adoption of health information technologies (HIT). Because of the necessity and gravity for GHIs, our aim is to provide hospital information services for GHIs using Cloud computing technologies and service modes. In this medical scenario, the computing resources are pooled by means of a Cloud-based Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to serve multiple GHIs, with different hospital information systems dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. This paper is concerned with establishing a Cloud-based Hospital Information Service Center to provide hospital information software as a service (HI-SaaS) with the aim of providing GHIs with an attractive and high-performance medical information service. Compared with individually establishing all hospital information systems, this approach is more cost-effective and affordable for GHIs and does not compromise HIT performance.

Ademe et Vous. International Newsletter No. 39, November 2016. Civil society at the forefront of the fight against climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Valerie; Seguin-Jacques, Catherine; Tappero, Denis

2016-11-01

The first edition of Climate Chance, the international summit for non-state actors and organisations, took place in Nantes on 26-28 September. It was the opportunity to assess the progress made by the civil society in the fight against climate change and to discuss the best way to support this action. As a long-term partner on various businesses' energy and environmental strategies, ADEME is providing small and medium-sized businesses and innovative start-ups with financial and technical support, via specific programs. The Habitat III conference, the third UN meeting on sustainable housing and development, was held from 17 to 20 October in Quito (Ecuador). Fully conscious of the major challenge that tomorrow's cities represent, ADEME took part in the discussions

Predicting civil religion at a cross-cultural level

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Lavrič Miran

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of civil religion has caught major attention among scholars studying the junction of religion and politics (J.-J. Rousseau, E. Durkheim, R. Bellah. The notion focuses on the phenomenon of cultural contents sacralizing and ritualizing the ruling political institutions of a society, extending support to the integration of the political and social system at a cultural level. The notion of civil religion has recently been operationalized crossculturally, but light has not been shed upon its predictors. In this paper authoritarianism is tested as a predictor of civil religion cross-culturally. Four student samples of Bosnian, Serbian, Slovenian and US students were analyzed. Very strong, significant associations between authoritarianism, as operationalized by a modified Lane scale, and civil religion were found in all cases. Moreover, upon introducing femininity, anxiety and gender into the analysis, a strong, dominant and significant impact on the part of authoritarianism was still found when civil religion was observed crossculturally. When the same predictors were applied to explaining general religiosity, authoritarianism fell short of being a significant predictor in most of the environments observed. Such results suggest an especially close link between civil religion and authoritarianism.

[Jörg Hackmann (Hrsg.). Vereinskultur und Zivilgesellschaft in Nordosteuropa : regionale Spezifik und europäische Zusammenhänge = Associational culture and civil society in North Eastern Europe : regional features and the European context] / Rüdi

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ritter, Rüdiger

2014-01-01

Arvustus: Vereinskultur und Zivilgesellschaft in Nordosteuropa : regionale Spezifik und europäische Zusammenhänge = Associational culture and civil society in North Eastern Europe : regional features and the European context. Wien: Böhlau Verlag 2012

A Grassroots Remote Sensing Toolkit Using Live Coding, Smartphones, Kites and Lightweight Drones

OpenAIRE

Anderson, K.; Griffiths, D.; DeBell, L.; Hancock, S.; Duffy, J. P.; Shutler, J. D.; Reinhardt, W. J.; Griffiths, A.

2016-01-01

This manuscript describes the development of an android-based smartphone application for capturing aerial photographs and spatial metadata automatically, for use in grassroots mapping applications. The aim of the project was to exploit the plethora of on-board sensors within modern smartphones (accelerometer, GPS, compass, camera) to generate ready-to-use spatial data from lightweight aerial platforms such as drones or kites. A visual coding 'scheme blocks' framework was used to build the app...

Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction, Satisfaction with Society and Satisfaction from their Salary in Greek Civil Servants who are working under conditions of Labour—Intensive

Science.gov (United States)

Antonakas, Nikolaos; Mironaki, Amalia

2009-08-01

The objective of this study is to determine empirically the existence of differences in three dimensions of satisfaction in Greek civil servants' gender, when they work under conditions of stress and tension. The three dimensions of satisfaction selected to be considered were job satisfaction, satisfaction with society and satisfaction from their salary. For this a two parts questionnaire was used. The first part included, besides sex and socially demographic characteristics of employees and the second part consisted of the above aspects of satisfaction. Used a sample of 290 employees and a factor analysis was conducted on the results of the questionnaire. The central question of this paper was whether the strength of the force of better wage, compared with the average civil servant, affects a different way to meet women and men's satisfaction who work under working conditions—intensity. The main finding of this study was the existence differences between women and men in the dimension of satisfaction from the salary.

Comunitarismo, sociedade civil e a reforma da educação na era FHC (1995-2002/Communitarianism, civil society and the education reforms in Brazil during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government (1995-2002

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Sidney Reinaldo da Silva

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Este artigo discute a relação entre as reformas da educação e a concepção de sociedde civil na era FHC, a partir de uma crítica ao comunitarismo. Apontamos que a concepção de formação humana pressuposta nas reformas do período em questão, voltada para a aprendizagem do trade off econômico e moral (ajudar os pobres como forma de compensar os benefícios recebidos pela sociedade, como o emprego, bolsas de estudos coaduna-se com o neoliberalismo e com o reforço da histórica cisão “moral” da sociedade brasileira. This paper argues the relationship between education reforms and the civil society conception in Brazil during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government (1995-2002. We analizes the communitarian people moral formation conception of such reforms showing how it harmonises with the neoliberal values like the exigence of the apprenticeship of the economic and moral trade-off: the market rationality. But such a trend does not help the brazilian people eliminate his historical moral cision grounded on deep economic inequalities conected with an “imoral” social subornination even for liberal values.

Museums, Memory, and the Just Nation in Post-Civil War El Salvador

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Robin DeLugan

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In 1992 El Salvador ended a 12-year civil war infamous in part for the high level of state violence against innocent civilians. A United Nations Truth Commission report, which detailed these and other excesses, recommended that state and society commemorate the war and its violence to advance the establishment of a more just nation. The postwar government did construct an impressive new National Museum of Anthropology to actively promote national culture, history, and identity. However, this important museum remains silent about the civil war. In contrast, new public—though not official - museums and monuments are finally bringing attention to the civil war and past state violence. This paper explores the social memory work of non-official museums, arguing that by combating silence and forgetting, their truth-telling aims to shape ideas about the nation and improve state-society dynamics.

The Resilient Society: On volunteering, civil society and corporate community involvement in transition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.C.P.M. Meijs (Lucas)

2004-01-01

textabstractChanges in the Dutch non-profit regime necessitate the direct participation of citizens and businesses in non-profit organisations. Dutch society must re-invent the commitment of citizens, businesses, foundations, universities and various other organisations by increasing both ‘community

The strategies of Portuguese civil society organizations in the field of the environment

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Brígida Rocha Brito

2012-01-01

Full Text Available “The strategies of civil society organizations in the field of the environment” is the result of research conducted as part of the Project “strategies of international players in the area of the environment” carried out at OBSERVARE, the Observatory for External Relations of Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa. The objective of the study was to understand and characterize the involvement of Portuguese NGOs, or of those based in Portugal, in the field of the environment, identifying and evaluating the relationships they have established with external partners, namely with regard to the following: privileged countries; types of partners; intervention areas; methodologies and tools. The study was based on the concepts of development cooperation, including players and tools, partnership in international relations, and social and environmental sustainability, taking also into account the Millennium Development Goals, in particular as regards the Seventh Target: Guaranteeing Environmental Sustainability. Given the broad scope of the study, a short questionnaire was built following the principle of guaranteed anonymity and made available online. After making a list of NGOs (ENGOs and DNGOs, the questionnaire was sent to many of these organizations, requesting them to respond to the questionnaire (N=43. From the data analysis and by confronting it with the concepts previously explored, it emerged that the majority undertake joint activity in Portugal and in partner countries, mostly with other similar organizations after the establishment of partnerships. The activity focuses on social and environmental projects of local relevance, with mixed funding that is mostly international in nature, and has clear objectives for promoting development.

A neoliberalisation of civil society? Self-help groups and the labouring class poor in rural South India.

Science.gov (United States)

Pattenden, Jonathan

2010-01-01

This paper notes the prominence of self-help groups (SHGs) within current anti-poverty policy in India, and analyses the impacts of government- and NGO-backed SHGs in rural North Karnataka. It argues that self-help groups represent a partial neoliberalisation of civil society in that they address poverty through low-cost methods that do not challenge the existing distribution of power and resources between the dominant class and the labouring class poor. It finds that intra-group savings and loans and external loans/subsidies can provide marginal economic and political gains for members of the dominant class and those members of the labouring classes whose insecure employment patterns currently provide above poverty line consumption levels, but provide neither material nor political gains for the labouring class poor. Target-oriented SHG catalysts are inattentive to how the social relations of production reproduce poverty and tend to overlook class relations and socio-economic and political differentiation within and outside of groups, which are subject to interference by dominant class local politicians and landowners.

Social Responsibility Networks (SRN: The Role of the International Civil Society in Redressing the Negative Effects of Globalization at the Local Level Social Responsibility Networks (SRN: The Role of the International Civil Society in Redressing the Negative Effects of Globalization at the Local Level

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Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Evidencias, tanto teóricas como emp��ricas, indican que la globalización de laeconomía ha intensificado la exclusión social, los problemas medio ambientales y haexacerbado desigualdades en materia social y laboral. Para revertir estas situacionesse requiere de sistemas transnacionales de gobernabilidad legítimos y transparentes,que cuenten con la participación activa y reconocida de los trabajadores.Este documento se basa en una investigación empírica en la cual se presentaun modelo de participación transnacional de los actores de la sociedad civil(incluyendo los sindicatos y otras organizaciones de trabajadores, así como tambiénlas corporaciones privadas y las agencias gubernamentales. De esta manera se desarrolla una plataforma que opera como un sistema de responsabilidad socialcuyo alcance sobrepasa a la responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE. There is both theoretical and empirical evidence which indicates that the processes of globalization have intensified the onset of social exclusion and environmental problems. Globalized processes may also exacerbate inequalities that, in order to be readdressed, require transnational, transparent, accountable and participative governance systems,  with an active and recognised contribution by the local community in the amelioration of these problems.This paper focuses on transnational participation of civil society actors as well as private corporations and state agencies, which together provide a platform for the development of a broader scope for corporate social responsibility (CSR.

What Political Framework Is Necessary to Reduce Malnutrition? A Civil Society Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Bernhard

2016-01-01

Around 800 million people worldwide are still starving. Around 2 billion are somehow able to allay their hunger yet remain malnourished because their food does not contain sufficient nutrients. There are many reasons for this: for people living in poverty and precarious conditions, the priority is to fill their stomach, and the quality of food seems less important. Since the 1960s, global food production has been focused on increasing yield, not food quality. Mass-produced convenience food with high fat and carbohydrate contents but containing few nutrients is on the rise and - as a result of price wars - often replaces healthier locally grown products. To overcome global hunger and malnutrition, civil society organizations urge governments to turn towards sustainable and human rights-based development, including sustainable agricultural and fishing policies, to contribute to the eradication of poverty. This development is first and foremost guided by the right to food. In a policy that enables farmers to produce enough food that is healthy and rich in nutrients, the following principles should be fulfilled. Governments should assume responsibility for the international impacts of their agricultural policy decisions. The food sovereignty of other countries should be respected. Policies should enable self-supply of the population with healthy food and should promote the protection of resources, the climate, biodiversity and animal welfare. Strengthening rural structures, local economies, labor rights and small-scale food producers, establishing public programs that provide locally produced food, applying stringent standards for food labeling and the regulation of unhealthy products and paying special attention to the first 1,000 days of life as the starting point of a good and healthy well-being are core elements of such a political framework. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Culture change, leadership and the grass-roots workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Mark; Penlington, Clare; Kalidasan, Varadarajan; Kelly, Tony

2014-08-01

The NHS is arguably entering its most challenging era. It is being asked to do more for less and, in parallel, a cultural shift in response to its described weaknesses has been prescribed. The definition of culture, the form this change should take and the mechanism to achieve it are not well understood. The complexity of modern healthcare requires that we evolve our approach to the workforce and enhance our understanding of the styles of leadership that are required in order to bring about this cultural change. Identification of leaders within the workforce and dissemination of a purposeful and strategic quality improvement agenda, in part defined by the general workforce, are important components in establishing the change that the organisation currently requires. We are implementing this approach locally by identifying and developing grassroots networks linked to a portfolio of safety and quality projects. © 2014 Royal College of Physicians.

The development of an information society for Uganda's industrial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines the environment within which Uganda can be productively involved in the process of building an information society for industrial development. There are concerted efforts by the government of Uganda and civil society organisations in the country towards the development of information literacy and ...

Popularizing Geological Education among Civil Engineering Students

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiang-jun; Zhou, Ying

2012-01-01

The sustainable development of an economy and a society cannot be realized without the help of modern geoscience. Engineering geology knowledge is necessary on a civil engineering construction site to ensure the construction work goes smoothly. This paper first discusses the importance of geoscience, especially the study of engineering geology.…

Service learning: Connecting higher education and civil society ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The decline in civic participation, dwindling support for social services and deficits in state budgets, has created a climate in which higher education, supported by several policies, has to make a commitment to contribute to the reconstruction and development of society by linking academic programmes to community-based ...

Schools and Civil Society: Corporate or Community Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Ranson, Stewart

2012-01-01

School improvement depends upon mediating the cultural conditions of learning as young people journey between their parochial worlds and the public world of cosmopolitan society. Governing bodies have a crucial role in including or diminishing the representation of different cultural traditions and in enabling or frustrating the expression of…

Triggering Solidarity Actions towards Contingent Workers and the Unemployed. The Point of View of Grassroots Trade Unionists and Labour Activists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Karakioulafis

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Since the 1980s, trade unions have suffered a decrease in membership, public legitimacy and the capacity to achieve their core objectives. Renewal strategies have varied, depending on the national context. Part of them focused on rank-and-file mobilization and social movement unionism. In the Greek context, the academic discussion about the crisis of trade unions took place mainly during the 2000s, but without having an impact within union circles or on union strategies. Additionally, grassroots and rank-and-file unions that adopted a social movement and radical unionism approach, and contested the 'institu-tionalized official' trade unions, remained marginal and their actions were not very visible. The recent fis-cal crisis and the implementation of the Memoranda brought up previous dysfunctions. In a context of in-creasing employment precarity and unemployment, the general position of official trade unions towards contingent workers and the unemployed has been strongly contested, while grassroots rank-and-file un-ions claim a more active role in this area. Given the above considerations, this article focuses on the strat-egies of trade unions towards contingent workers and the unemployed, in the Greek context. Results de-rive from interviews with Greek grassroots trade unionists and labour activists in the framework of the TransSOL (Transnational Solidarity at Times of Crisis EU-funded program.

Does cheating and gamesmanship to be reconsidered regarding fair-play in grassroots sports?

OpenAIRE

Ponseti Verdaguer, Francisco Javier

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the attitudes towards fair play, playing foul/hard, and the acceptability of teams' antisocial behaviour, such as cheating and gamesmanship, in the context of grassroots sports teams. The sample included 48 teams of basket, football, handball, volleyball and rugby, including 1333 adolescents (1013 boys and 320 girls) with a mean age of 12.50 years (Range: 10-15; SD = 2.09 years). In order to study these psychological variables, the athletes answered the Pr...

Human ergology that promotes participatory approach to improving safety, health and working conditions at grassroots workplaces: achievements and actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakami, Tsuyoshi

2011-12-01

Participatory approaches are increasingly applied to improve safety, health and working conditions of grassroots workplaces in Asia. The core concepts and methods in human ergology research such as promoting real work life studies, relying on positive efforts of local people (daily life-technology), promoting active participation of local people to identify practical solutions, and learning from local human networks to reach grassroots workplaces, have provided useful viewpoints to devise such participatory training programmes. This study was aimed to study and analyze how human ergology approaches were applied in the actual development and application of three typical participatory training programmes: WISH (Work Improvement for Safe Home) with home workers in Cambodia, WISCON (Work Improvement in Small Construction Sites) with construction workers in Thailand, and WARM (Work Adjustment for Recycling and Managing Waste) with waste collectors in Fiji. The results revealed that all the three programmes, in the course of their developments, commonly applied direct observation methods of the work of target workers before devising the training programmes, learned from existing local good examples and efforts, and emphasized local human networks for cooperation. These methods and approaches were repeatedly applied in grassroots workplaces by taking advantage of their the sustainability and impacts. It was concluded that human ergology approaches largely contributed to the developments and expansion of participatory training programmes and could continue to support the self-help initiatives of local people for promoting human-centred work.

Protection of personality rights in civil law

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Simonović Ivana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Personality rights have long been described as the youngest member of the civil law family of absolute subjective (individual civil rights. By establishing these rights, an individual is guaranteed full and direct legal authority and control over one's personal assets, which include the most important human values such as: life, integrity, dignity and privacy. The ultimate importance of these personal assets is supported by appropriate legal protection of personality rights, which have been guaranteed in numerous provisions of constitutional law, civil law, criminal law and administrative law. The legal protection of personality rights stems from the understanding that a human being cannot be reduced to a biological entity; being part of the community, man is also a social being. Taking into account constant interactions and mutual relations between members of the society, man should be guaranteed certain rights. It primarily implies the guaranteed right to inviolability of one's personality, which is the basis for generating other personality rights. These rights are inherent, inalienable and absolute in terms of their effects; as such, they provide protection from the interference of the state and any third party. Focusing on the rules of civil law, the authors have explored the potentials and the scope of legal protection of personality rights provided by awarding a civil sanction. Although civil sanction is basically monetary sanction, it is deemed to be quite appropriate for the protection of personal (non-patrimonial assets.

SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE REGULATION OF THE CONTRACT OF PARTNERSHIP IN THE NEW CIVIL CODE

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IOLANDA-ELENA CADARIU-LUNGU

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Following the model of the Italian Civil Code, of the Civil Code from Quebec, the Swiss and the Dutch ones, the new Romanian Civil Code has adopted the monist conception of regulating the private law relationships, gathering in the same normative act traditional civil law dispositions as well as dispositions that are specific to the commercial relationships among professionals. In this regulating context, one of the fundamental changes the new Civil Code brings is the unification of the legal regime applicable to civil and commercial contracts, with all the consequences that derive from this new legislative approach. This fundamental modification is first determined by the profound change of the character of social, economic and juridical relationships, by the change of the cultural level of the Romanian society, by the closeness of the two branches of civil and commercial law and, last but not least, by the evolution of the business environment. In this line of thought, we can identify important changes in the matter of the contract of partnership which, as regulated by the new Civil Code, constitutes the common law both for the simple partnerships (former civil societies as well as for the commercial companies, to which the special legislation still in force in the matter still applies. In this study we aimed at analyzing the general common features of all associative forms listed by art. 1.888 Civil Code and the new elements in the matter, with critical observations where needed, which take the form of a comparison with the specific legislation in the field from the Civil Codes that served as a source of inspiration for the Romanian legislator.

Social cohesion and civil law: marriage, divorce and religious courts

OpenAIRE

Douglas, Gillian; Doe, Christopher Norman; Gilliat-Ray, Sophie; Sandberg, Russell; Khan, Asma

2011-01-01

This Cardiff University study of religious courts and tribunals across the UK has been funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme. The project, „Social Cohesion and Civil Law: Marriage, Divorce and Religious Courts‟, explores how religious law functions alongside civil law in England and Wales.\\ud The context, though not the catalyst, for our study, is the lecture given by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2008 on the relationship between religious law - primarily though not exclusi...

CIVIL JUSTICE IN SOUTH AFRICA

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D. Van Loggerenberg

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The South African adversarial system of civil procedure in the High Court owes its origin to that of England. As with all civil procedural systems, the South African system is not stagnant. Its primary sources, namely Acts of Parliament and rules of court, are constantly amended in an attempt to meet the changing needs of society. Court delay and costinefficient procedural mechanisms, however, contribute to public dismay. The High Court, in the exercise of its inherent power to regulate its process, do so with the purpose of enhancing access to justice. The advantage of the system lies in the fact that it is not cast in stone but could, subject to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, be developed to make it more accessible to the public whilst protecting the public’s fundamental rights entrenched in the Constitution and, in this regard, particularly the right to afair trial embedded in sec. 34 of the Constitution. This contribution gives an overview of the system with reference to the court structure, the judiciary, the process in the High Court and its underlying principles, appeals, class actions and alternative civil dispute resolution mechanisms.

Improving brain computer interface research through user involvement - The transformative potential of integrating civil society organisations in research projects

Science.gov (United States)

Wakunuma, Kutoma; Rainey, Stephen; Hansen, Christian

2017-01-01

Research on Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) often aims to provide solutions for vulnerable populations, such as individuals with diseases, conditions or disabilities that keep them from using traditional interfaces. Such research thereby contributes to the public good. This contribution to the public good corresponds to a broader drive of research and funding policy that focuses on promoting beneficial societal impact. One way of achieving this is to engage with the public. In practical terms this can be done by integrating civil society organisations (CSOs) in research. The open question at the heart of this paper is whether and how such CSO integration can transform the research and contribute to the public good. To answer this question the paper describes five detailed qualitative case studies of research projects including CSOs. The paper finds that transformative impact of CSO integration is possible but by no means assured. It provides recommendations on how transformative impact can be promoted. PMID:28207882

Improving brain computer interface research through user involvement - The transformative potential of integrating civil society organisations in research projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, Bernd Carsten; Wakunuma, Kutoma; Rainey, Stephen; Hansen, Christian

2017-01-01

Research on Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) often aims to provide solutions for vulnerable populations, such as individuals with diseases, conditions or disabilities that keep them from using traditional interfaces. Such research thereby contributes to the public good. This contribution to the public good corresponds to a broader drive of research and funding policy that focuses on promoting beneficial societal impact. One way of achieving this is to engage with the public. In practical terms this can be done by integrating civil society organisations (CSOs) in research. The open question at the heart of this paper is whether and how such CSO integration can transform the research and contribute to the public good. To answer this question the paper describes five detailed qualitative case studies of research projects including CSOs. The paper finds that transformative impact of CSO integration is possible but by no means assured. It provides recommendations on how transformative impact can be promoted.

Ungoverned Spaces and Armed Civil Conflicts: The Predicament of Developing Nations

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

questions about deviance , collective action, and civil war in a society. The second, Section B, deals with the dynamic relationship between the state...influencing this dynamic relationship. A. SOCIOLOGY OF POWER, AUTHORITY, AND CIVIL WAR Why do some people effectively control the behavior of others? Why...do people even go farther to legitimize control by some people over their behavior ? What causes some people to be opposed to the control of their

Crisis or Fluidity? Florian Znaniecki’s Theory of Civilization

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Elżbieta Hałas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The preoccupation with the processes of globalization, which has become a key concept in the analysis of the sociocultural condition of postmodernity, has led to a decreased interest in the theory of civilization. The ideological burden of the concept of civilization and its stigmatization by critics of post-Enlightenment modernity also contribute to this current state. However, issues associated with the processes of civilization have once again come to the fore, as shown by the reconstruction of threads associated with civilization in social theory, including sociological works. The views on civilization presented by Weber, Durkheim and Mauss, by their successors Sorokin, Elias and Nelson, down to the contemporary publications of Huntington and Eisenstadt are widely known, whereas works published on this subject in Polish by Florian Znaniecki are not. On a backdrop of the genesis of civilization-associated discourse and its antinomy as regards religion, the article presents Znaniecki’s concept of civilization processes as the social integration of culture, developed on the basis of his theory of cultural and social systems. Two types of human participation in culture are significant here: cultural communities and social groups which create a cultural bond. The de-civilizing processes which Znaniecki described are shown. The article analyzes Znaniecki’s idea of a fluid civilization and the conditions which are necessary for its existence, in the shape of reflexive cultural knowledge as the answer to a cultural crisis. The new type of cultural crisis stems from cultural innovations. The article shows the differences between Znaniecki’s concept of fluidity and Bauman’s liquid modernity. It presents the concept of “civilization of the future” as a pan-human civilization, which requires the formation of a new type of cultural community – the world culture society.

Civil Society in Mexico and Regionalisation A Framework for Analysis on Transborder Civic Activism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.A. Icaza Garza (Rosalba)

2004-01-01

textabstractAbstract: The paper theoretically analyses the emergence of oppositional TCA responses towards the disruptive socio-economic effects of regionalisation processes. In particular the paper discusses how neo-Gramscian and Polanyian IPE traditions look at the transborder agency of civil

What can the World Health Organization learn from EU lessons in civil society engagement and participation for health?

Science.gov (United States)

Battams, Samantha

2014-01-01

This article explores challenges for and the development of civil society engagement and stakeholder representation, transparency, and accountability measures in the European Union, with a specific focus on health policy. The stance of the European Union on stakeholder participation within reform debates of the World Health Organization (WHO) is also considered, along with EU lessons for multi-stakeholders at the WHO. The European Commission has developed a number of measures for stakeholder engagement and transparency; however, the European Union has been prone to lobbying interests and has found difficulty in leading and making accountable the private sector when it comes to achieving its own health policy goals. The strong influence of corporate lobbyists on the European Union has come to light, with concerns about a lack of transparency and accountability in decision-making processes. While the WHO could learn from the European Union in terms of its strategies for stakeholder engagement, it could also heed some of the important lessons for the European Union when it comes to working with a broad range of stakeholders.

Southern voices on climate policy choices: Analysis of and lessons learned from civil society advocacy on climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reid, Hannah; Ampomah, Gifty; Prera, Maria Isabel Olazabal; Rabbani, Golam; Zvigadza, Shepard

2012-05-15

This report provides an analysis of the tools and tactics advocacy groups use to influence policy responses to climate change at international, regional, national and sub-national levels. More than 20 climate networks and their member organisations have contributed to the report with their experiences of advocacy on climate change, including over 70 case studies from a wide range of countries - including many of the poorest - in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. These advocacy activities primarily target national governments, but also international and regional processes, donors and the private sector. Analyses and case studies show how civil society plays key roles in pushing for new laws, programmes, policies or strategies on climate change, in holding governments to account on their commitments; in identifying the lack of joined-up government responses to climate change; and in ensuring that national policy making does not forget the poor and vulnerable. The report is the first joint product of the Southern Voices Capacity Building Programme, or for short: Southern Voices on Climate Change.

Territorial Identity and Grassroots Economic Activism: The Politicization of Farmers’ Mobilizations in the French Basque Country

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xabier Itçaina

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The French Basque Country (FBC represents an emblematic case of the politicization of local development through grassroots economic activism. These mobilizations are particularly obvious in the agricultural sector. Based on a qualitative research on small farmers’ organizations and short food circuits, this article shows that Basque farmers’ mobilizations constitute a case of a dual politicization of small-scale farming and territorial identity. This process has gone through two phases: the first period (1970-2000 was characterized by the politicization of local productive systems. Throughout the decade 2000-2010, a new mode of grassroots economic activism emerged, signalled by new alliances between producers and consumers, and by an increasing ideological pluralism. Two case studies illustrate these developments. The first relates to a case of explicit politicization with the controversy around the foundation in 2005 of an alternative Basque Chamber of Agriculture. The second case study is devoted to the development of short food circuits in the FBC, considered here as a case of implicit politicization of the encounter between productive and consumption circuits. Both cases illustrate the politicization of new economic social movements, and the constant overlapping of sectoral and territorial claims in the Basque territory.

Cultura ciudadana. Renegotiating the Boundary between State and Society

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Stacey L. Hunt

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper I analyze the continued existence of the Colombian state despite widespread crime and violence. Contemporary theorists posit that the state must subscribe to the image of an entity that is relatively autonomous from civil society and able to monopolize violence. However, citizen culture (cultura ciudadana, the innovative crime reduction policy I study here, is based on the premise that the state is unable to provide security for its inhabitants given the existence of a culture of violence. The policy encourages citizens to assume responsibility for their own security provision by adopting a culture of citizenship. I argue that citizen culture functions to legitimize the state despite ongoing violence by transferring responsibility for security provision from the state to civil society. It does so by inundating public space with educational spectacles, symbols, and slogans that circumscribe public debate and instruct citizen’s behavior. Citizen culture uses educational and symbolic programming to shift responsibility for security provision from the state to society, thereby altering the boundary between state and society and redefining the very essence of the modern state.

Power, Discourse, and Learning Global Citizenship: A Case Study of International NGOs and a Grassroots Movement in the Narmada Valley, India

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Natasha

2009-01-01

The field of transnational contestation conceptualized as global civil society (GCS) is gaining academic interest as a political "counter-force" against the exigencies of globalization. However, social actors within GCS occupy unequal positions of power in relation to each other. This article examines how the discourses of transnational action…

[Developments in civil and disciplinary law. A view of the revision of the Netherlands Society for Dentistry (NMT) administration of justice].

Science.gov (United States)

Brands, W G

2004-06-01

According to some people, the renewed Dutch civil disciplinary law is not fulfilling the expectations. Some procedures seem to be reductant for accused dentists. Besides the civil disciplinary law, also the professional disciplinary law of Dutch Dental Association is questionable. The Association is planning to change the current professional disciplinary law. However, the proposed amendments may have the consequence that a Dutch dentist more frequently will be faced with a civil disciplinary law procedure or normal civil law procedure.

Structure of the Russian internet-community according to the motives and types of civil activity

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Trotsuk Irina V.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Today in the sociological discipline, there is an impressive collection of empirical data and conceptual approaches to the study of civil society as a complex and ambiguous phenomenon, including a set of empirical indicators for assessing its development, strength, and sustainability. However, the authors believe that this impressive collection of theoretical models and empirical findings still does not explain a specific phenomenon, which is very important for the Russian society - various formats of civil activism that are not always permanent or widespread, and, thus, ignored by the researchers. The article provides a model for conceptualization and empirical study of civil activism that aims to fill this gap and was tested in the online survey. The questionnaire of the online survey provides the criteria for structuring the Internet community according to the involvement in civil activity, and allows identifying its key motives and barriers. The results of the online survey, in particular, present seven types of Internet users according to different formats of civil activism: super-activists, volunteers, online activists, members of public organizations, passive observers, only voting in the elections, and outsiders.

The paradox of civilizing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gilliam, Laura

As in most other European Countries, immigrants from “non-Western” countries are increasingly perceived as a threat to integration, equality and harmony in Danish society. Especially the immigrant boys are depicted as aggressive, troublesome and in lack of social competencies. This makes this group...... minority youngsters, which are seen as a threat to the stability and harmony of Danish society. Based on ethnographic material from 11 months of fieldwork among ethnic minority pupils in two schools in Copenhagen, this paper will look into the schools’ effort to civilize youth of outsider status. Through....... For their part, the boys - in search of alternative strength and recognition - invert the image of good behavior presented to them by the school, and come to identify strongly with aggression, rude language and tough masculinity. Drawing on Elias’ discussions of dominant group’s efforts to both integrate...

Abordagem grassroots e resistência: atualizando a concepção de desenvolvimento sustentável

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Augusto Marcos Carvalho de Sena

Full Text Available Resumo Em contrapartida às especificidades impositivas do modelo de produção capitalista - incluindo-se nesse modelo os meandros de arranjos produtivos que inserem o meio ambiente enquanto alinhado à versão tríplice da concepção tradicional de desenvolvimento sustentável -, tem surgido uma massa crítica de literatura focada na resistência ao modo de funcionamento do capitalismo ocidental. Em relação à teoria, economia solidária (pilar econômico, movimentos sociais (pilar social, ecologia política (pilar ambiental e raízes culturais (pilar cultural são aparatos importantes que não devem ficar à margem na estruturação de uma concepção alternativa do desenvolvimento sustentável. Tais aparatos são considerados elementos de resistência, visto terem fatores diferenciados quando comparados com as características tradicionais dos pilares da criticada concepção de desenvolvimento sustentável. Assim, o objetivo do presente ensaio teórico é conceber alternativas à concepção padrão do desenvolvimento sustentável, considerando aspectos da abordagem grassroots importantes para esse propósito. A contribuição é relevante tendo em vista a consideração de aspectos alternativos e complementares envolvidos na leitura da atualização conjecturada. Os prospectos do desenvolvimento grassroots têm sido usados como guia prático em ações de desenvolvimento local envolvendo comunidades menos desenvolvidas em várias partes do mundo, sem a conjectura que sinaliza para elementos conceituais que podem oferecer uma conformação alternativa à concepção do desenvolvimento sustentável. Conclui-se que a versão tradicional do desenvolvimento sustentável pode ser atualizada com elementos alternativos advindos da abordagem grassroots.

Network effects in environmental justice struggles: An investigation of conflicts between mining companies and civil society organizations from a network perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Cem Iskender; Ozkaynak, Begum; Rodríguez-Labajos, Beatriz; Yenilmez, Taylan

2017-01-01

This paper examines conflicts that occur between mining companies and civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world and offers an innovative analysis of mining conflicts from a social network perspective. The analysis showed that, as the number of CSOs involved in a conflict increased, its outcome was more likely to be perceived as a success in terms of environmental justice (EJ); if a CSO was connected to other central CSOs, the average perception of EJ success was likely to increase; and as network distance between two conflicts increased (or decreased), they were more likely to lead to different (or similar) EJ outcomes. Such network effects in mining conflicts have policy implications for EJ movements. It would be a strategic move on the part of successful CSOs to become involved in other major conflicts and disseminate information about how they achieved greater EJ success.

Implementation of a School Districtwide Grassroots Antibullying Initiative: A School Staff and Parent-Focused Evaluation of Because Nice Matters

Science.gov (United States)

De Pedro, Kris Tunac; Pineda, Diana; Capp, Gordon; Moore, Hadass; Benbenishty, Rami; Astor, Ron Avi

2017-01-01

Military-connected youths experience stressful life events, including deployments and multiple school transitions, that make them vulnerable to bullying. Social workers have highlighted the power of grassroots school community initiatives that address risk issues among youths while empowering the community (see http://www.thecommunityguide.org).…

Less Arguing, More Listening: Improving Civility in Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Crocco, Margaret; Halvorsen, Anne-Lise; Jacobsen, Rebecca; Segall, Avner

2018-01-01

Today's youth increasingly are being expected to engage in civil deliberation in classrooms while simultaneously living in a society with a high level of political incivility. However, teaching students to argue--particularly in oral form--is enormously complex and challenging work. In this article, the authors report on a study of four high…

Fields and Facebook: Ta’ayush’s Grassroots Activism and Archiving the Peace that Will Have Come in Israel/Palestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jon Simons

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Israeli peace activism has increasingly taken place on new media, as in the case of the grassroots anti-Occupation group, Ta’ayush. What is the significance of Ta’ayush’s work on the ground and online for peace? This article considers the former in the light of social movement scholarship on peacebuilding, and the latter in light of new media scholarship on social movements. Each of those approaches suggest that Ta’ayush has very limited success in achieving its strategic goals or generating outrage about the Occupation in the virtual/public sphere. Yet, Ta’ayush’s apparent “failure” according to standard criteria of success misses the significance of Ta’ayush’s work. Its combination of grassroots activism and online documentation of its work in confronting the Occupation in partnership with Palestinians has assembled an impressive archive. Through the lens of Walter Benjamin’s philosophy of history, Ta’ayush can be seen to enact a “future perfect” peace that will have come.

The new totalitarian society

OpenAIRE

Vlajki Emil

2011-01-01

The new totalitarian society is a euphemized expression denoting the New World Order, which in itself denotes the American globalization. The underpinning of this mindset is rationality, which is characteristic of Western civilization. Christianity engendered rationality by introducing it through St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and especially formal logic. Since it is obvious that religion and logic cannot ultimately be harmonized, this combination has proven lethal in many cases throughout hi...

Registration of civil status: formal link between family and succession intestate

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Malena Proenza-Reyes

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The work presented to assess the main issues of the registration procedure in the field of civil status to inheritance effects, regard certificates issued by the Civil Registry official proof of family status as the main requirement to have place intestate succession; advertising of the facts and acts which constitute the formal link between this family and inheritance law on registration insufficient treatment, generates the violation of subjective rights that can be a starter. Supported the present methods of social research and analysis-synthesis and analysis of content, make important results in the national context from the characteristics presented Cuban society today and especially the Registers of Civil Status in the country.

India's energy security: A sample of business, government, civil society, and university perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bambawale, Malavika Jain, E-mail: sppmjb@nus.edu.s [Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Oei Tiong Ham Building, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772 (Singapore); Sovacool, Benjamin K., E-mail: bsovacool@nus.edu.s [Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Oei Tiong Ham Building, 469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772 (Singapore)

2011-03-15

This article explores the concept of energy security perceived and understood by a sample of government, business, civil society, and university stakeholders in India. Based on a literature review, the authors hypothesize what energy experts suggest energy security is for India. The article then tests these hypotheses through the use of a survey completed by 172 Indian respondents. The article begins by describing its methodology before summarizing the results of the literature review to distill seven working hypotheses related to energy security in India. These hypotheses relate to (1) security of energy supply, (2) equitable access to energy services, (3) research and development of new energy technologies, (4) energy efficiency and conservation, (5) self-sufficiency and trade in energy fuels, (6) nuclear power, and (7) the energy-water nexus. It then tests these hypotheses with our survey instrument before concluding with implications for energy policy in India and beyond. - Research highlights: {yields} We measured the concept of energy security for India through a survey that tested the importance of 16 dimensions. {yields} For our sample of respondents from India, as hypothesized, security of fossil fuel supply, R and D in new technologies, centralized energy systems, and the availability of clean water emerged as important dimensions. {yields} Equitable access to energy and low energy intensity did not emerge as important dimensions of energy security for our sample even though we hypothesized them to be so.

#digital_disruption @amnesty international: from digital to networked to hybrid activism - A case study of the meaning and adoption of digital activism in changing 20th century civil society organisations

OpenAIRE

Özkula, Suay Melisa

2017-01-01

Like many organisations in the 21st century, longstanding civil society organisations are facing new challenges in adapting to the digital age. This thesis addresses those concerns through an exploration of the social meaning and contextualised effects of digital activism at case study Amnesty International. It provides a socio-cultural account of AI and a conceptual perspective on digital activism as part of Amnesty's digitalisation processes. It explores existing concerns around the tension...

Sociedad civil, política y dominio colonial en Cuba (1878-1895

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José A. PIQUERAS

2010-02-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN: El presente artículo se interesa por la evolución de la sociedad cubana en el período de entreguerras comprendido entre 1878 y 1895 y por el marco político en que pudieron expresarse la diversidad de formas e intereses sociales. Se destaca el desarrollo superior de la sociedad civil en relación a un sistema político que debía asegurar el dominio español. La instauración de ese sistema político, sin embargo, legalizó las expresiones políticas y las situó en un terreno público contribuyendo a poner de relieve las insuficiencias y el carácter opresivo de la dependencia, fomentando con ello la conciencia de discriminación que estuvo en la base de la nación emergente en vísperas de la insurrección de 1895. Palabras Clave: Cuba, política, sociedad civil, nacionalismo, insurrección. ABSTRACT: This article deals with the evolution of Cuban society in the period between wars (1878-1895 and with the political framework in which a variety of social forms and interests were expressed. It focuses on the higher development of civil society in comparison with a political system which had to ensure Spanish control. The establishment of that political system, however, legalized political expression and placed it in the public arena, thus helping to underline the inadequacy and oppressive character of dependence, and to foster the awareness of discrimination which was in the foundations of the emerging nation on the eve of the 1895 insurrection. Key words: Cuba, Politics, Civil Society, Nationalism, Insurrection.

The Double Conditioning of Political Participation: Grassroots Politics on Facebook. Conjunctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou, Jannick; Farkas, Johan; Hjelholt, Morten

2015-01-01

Th e emergence of social network sites as a part of everyday life has given rise to a number of debates on the demo-cratic potential aff orded by these technologies. Th is paper addresses political participation facilitated through Facebook from a practice-oriented perspective and presents a case...... of Facebook to facilitate political participation. Th e study fi nds that user participation on the Facebook page is ‘ double conditioned’ by the material structure of the social network site on the one hand and by the discourses articulated by the organisation and users on the other. Finally, the paper...... discusses the fi ndings and raises a number of problems and obstacles facing participatory grassroots organisations, such as Fight For Th e Future, when using Facebook....

Current status of International Linear Collider Project in Technical Design stage and activities of Japan Society of Civil Engineers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

In order to invite the International Linear Collider (ILC) in Japan, Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) established the Linear Collider Subcommittee of JSCE (LC subcommittee) in April, 2006. Abstracts of the activities and objects of LC subcommittee are stated. The LC subcommittee consists of five working groups. Each working group investigated the previous reports of 2006 and 2007 and reported some important notices. The working group on planning and project and management reported the site conditions of Japan, tunnels and facilities. The working group on geological survey, test and environmental design stated the earthquake, fault, ground water, water quality, long-term displacement and survey methods. The working group on structural and environmental design described the tunnel design in fault and fracture zone, hollow, beam tunnel and service tunnel. The working group on construction and maintenance reported some examples of troubles in granite zone, survey for steering, shaft and inclined shaft. The working group on information investigation of ILC described analysis of reference materials, construction of LHC, beam tunnel and some points under consideration. (S.Y.)

Sociedad civil y educación de la conciencia moral

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José Manuel TOURIÑÁN LÓPEZ

2009-11-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN: El sentido de lo social se ha enriquecido en nuestros días debido al carácter transnacional de las acciones globales. Ya no hablamos simplemente de derechos sociales que requieren la subsidiación del Estado con unos medios que no pertenecen a ningún individuo en particular; hablamos de derechos que reclaman la cooperación positiva de los Estados y la sociedad civil, más allá de las fronteras territoriales. Esto modifica el carácter de territorialidad del Estado y el sentido del compromiso de la sociedad civil.Este nuevo desafío tiene que asumir las consecuencias de entender la transnacionalidad y la glocalización como condiciones inherentes de los derechos de tercera generación y esto exige replantear los problemas en la sociedad civil desde una ética que asume la realidad del otro y está elaborada a partir de la singularidad de las situaciones y la universalidad de los valores.ABSTRACT: The meaning of «social» has been enriched nowadays due to the cross-cultural nature of global actions. We do not now simply refer to social rights under the State supervision with means that do not belong to any concrete individual. We talk about rights that require the positive co-operation of States and civil society, co-operation which surpass countries' boundaries. Indeed, this modifies the state belonging sense and the civil society's commitments.This new challenge has to be able to manage the consequences of seeing both cross-culturalism and glocalism as inherent conditions of the third generation rights, and all of that requires rethinking the problems within civil society from an ethic scheme that understands «the other» and that is also based on the singularity of each situation and the universalisation of (human values.SOMMAIRE: Le sens de ce qui est social c'est enrichi dans nos jours, étant donné le caractère transnational des actions globales. Nous ne parlons pas simplement de droits sociaux qui requièrent l

Network effects in environmental justice struggles: An investigation of conflicts between mining companies and civil society organizations from a network perspective.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cem Iskender Aydin

Full Text Available This paper examines conflicts that occur between mining companies and civil society organizations (CSOs around the world and offers an innovative analysis of mining conflicts from a social network perspective. The analysis showed that, as the number of CSOs involved in a conflict increased, its outcome was more likely to be perceived as a success in terms of environmental justice (EJ; if a CSO was connected to other central CSOs, the average perception of EJ success was likely to increase; and as network distance between two conflicts increased (or decreased, they were more likely to lead to different (or similar EJ outcomes. Such network effects in mining conflicts have policy implications for EJ movements. It would be a strategic move on the part of successful CSOs to become involved in other major conflicts and disseminate information about how they achieved greater EJ success.

Network effects in environmental justice struggles: An investigation of conflicts between mining companies and civil society organizations from a network perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Cem Iskender; Ozkaynak, Begum; Rodríguez-Labajos, Beatriz

2017-01-01

This paper examines conflicts that occur between mining companies and civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world and offers an innovative analysis of mining conflicts from a social network perspective. The analysis showed that, as the number of CSOs involved in a conflict increased, its outcome was more likely to be perceived as a success in terms of environmental justice (EJ); if a CSO was connected to other central CSOs, the average perception of EJ success was likely to increase; and as network distance between two conflicts increased (or decreased), they were more likely to lead to different (or similar) EJ outcomes. Such network effects in mining conflicts have policy implications for EJ movements. It would be a strategic move on the part of successful CSOs to become involved in other major conflicts and disseminate information about how they achieved greater EJ success. PMID:28686618

Post-Suharto Muslim engagements with civil society and democratization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruinessen, M.M. van

2004-01-01

Does Islam as a system of beliefs or as a political force have something positive to contribute to the hoped-for democratisation of Indonesia, or will it largely be an impediment and a threat to the emergence of an open society? Many participants in the political process have strong opinions on

Employment discrimination and HIV stigma: survey results from civil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article presents findings from three surveys of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and civil society organisations about the experience of employment discrimination and stigma in the workplace. The work seeks to contribute to efforts by businesses and other organisations to effectively respond to the HIV epidemic within the ...

Mungiki, Vernacular Organization and Political Society in Kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Bodil Folke

2010-01-01

of Mungiki have been recruited by political leaders and functioned as violent militia; concurrently, it seeks representation in formal and parliamentary politics. The organization is distinct from ‘respectable’ segments of Kenya's civil society who participate in NGO activities and mainstream churches...

Proceedings of the 2007 annual conference of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering : where the road ends, ingenuity begins : cold regions civil engineering in Canada's North

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgins, K.L.W.

2007-01-01

This conference provided a forum to discuss recent developments in all areas of civil engineering. It provided an opportunity for national and international delegates from industrial, research, and academic institutions to interact and learn about innovative technologies in the different areas of civil engineering and to identify future directions. The presentations addressed a broad range of issues, such as the need for sustainable infrastructure while improving the safety of roads, dams, water supply and sewage treatment systems. Technical sessions addressed infrastructure management issues, risk assessment, hydrotechnical engineering and transportation engineering. The conference featured 98 presentations, of which 25 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database

[Vereinskultur und Zivilgesellschaft in Nordosteuropa : regionale Spezifik und europäische Zusammenhänge = Associational culture and civil society in North Eastern Europe : regional features and the European context. Hrsg. von Jörg Hackmann] / Sir

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tamul, Sirje, 1951-

2013-01-01

Arvustus: Vereinskultur und Zivilgesellschaft in Nordosteuropa : regionale Spezifik und europäische Zusammenhänge = Associational culture and civil society in North Eastern Europe : regional features and the European context (Quellen und Studien zur baltischen Geschichte, 20; Veröffentlichungen der Aue-Stiftung, 26). Hrsg. von Jörg Hackmann. Böhlau Verlag. Köln u.a. 2012

Environmental justice and healthy communities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-01

The environmental justice movement has come a long way since its birth a decade ago in rural and mostly African American Warren County, North Carolina. The selection of Warren County for a PCB landfill, they brought national attention to waste facility siting inequities and galvanized African American church and civil rights leaders` support for environmental justice. The demonstrations also put {open_quotes}environmental racism{close_quotes} on the map and challenged the myth that African Americans are not concerned about or involved in environmental issues. Grassroots groups, after decades of struggle, have grown to become the core of the multi-issue, multiracial, and multi-regional environmental justice movement. Diverse community-based groups have begun to organize and link their struggles to issues of civil and human rights, land rights and sovereignty, cultural survival , racial and social justice, and sustainable development. The impetus for getting environmental justice on the nations`s agenda has come from an alliance of grassroots activists, civil rights leaders, and a few academicians who questioned the foundation of the current environmental protection paradigm--where communities of color receive unequal protection. Whether urban ghettos and barrios, rural {open_quotes}poverty pockets,{close_quotes} Native American reservations, or communities in the Third World, grassroots groups are demanding an end to unjust and nonsustainable environmental and development policies.

The Good Society: Lessons for Integrated Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neesham C.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper I argue that philosophies of the good society can inform theories of integrated governance in two significant ways. Firstly, they can provide a reasonable foundation for legitimating forms of authority to govern a society across the government, corporate and civil sector. Secondly, they promote value systems that can be constitutive of a normative theory of integrated governance. In developing this argument, I explore conceptions of the good society put forward by Marquis de Condorcet, Adam Smith and Karl Marx, and evaluate the modalities in which the social projects proposed by these authors involve issues of integrated governance. For this purpose, I examine the three theories in relation to three questions: (1 What goals (or objectives should social action be directed to? (2 What should be the scope and limits of social responsibility lying behind the social authority of each sector (government, market or civil society? (3 How is social authority to be exercised beyond legislation? What source(s of legitimacy should one appeal to? Although Condorcet’s idea of the natural social order, Smith’s system of natural liberty and Marx’s political economy of human value have all received their fair share of criticism from empirical theories of society, I suggest that these conceptions are still useful to us today as radical normative experiments. These experiments can have guiding value in formulating models of integrated governance. However, the fundamental differences displayed by these three conceptions reveal the importance of determining whether one can develop models of integrated governance that would accommodate plural, incompatible, or unknown conceptions of the good society.

Performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance. Performance evaluation examples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

The Japan Society of Civil Engineers has updated performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance in June 2005. Based on experimental and analytical considerations, analytical seismic models of soils for underground structures, effects of vertical motions on time-history dynamic analysis and shear fracture of reinforced concretes by cyclic loadings have been incorporated in new recommendations. This document shows outdoor civil structures earthquake resistance and endurance performance evaluation examples based on revised recommendations. (T. Tanaka)

(DeCentralization of the Global Informational Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna Möller

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Centralization and decentralization are key concepts in debates that focus on the (antidemocratic character of digital societies. Centralization is understood as the control over communication and data flows, and decentralization as giving it (back to users. Communication and media research focuses on centralization put forward by dominant digital media platforms, such as Facebook and Google, and governments. Decentralization is investigated regarding its potential in civil society, i.e., hacktivism, (encryption technologies, and grass-root technology movements. As content-based media companies increasingly engage with technology, they move into the focus of critical media studies. Moreover, as formerly nationally oriented companies now compete with global media platforms, they share several interests with civil society decentralization agents. Based on 26 qualitative interviews with leading media managers, we investigate (decentralization strategies applied by content-oriented media companies. Theoretically, this perspective on media companies as agents of (decentralization expands (decentralization research beyond traditional democratic stakeholders by considering economic actors within the “global informational ecosystem” (Birkinbine, Gómez, & Wasko, 2017. We provide a three-dimensional framework to empirically investigate (decentralization. From critical media studies, we borrow the (decentralization of data and infrastructures, from media business research, the (decentralization of content distribution.

The impact of the information society on the customs relations

OpenAIRE

Troyan, Elena

2017-01-01

The Information Society is a new civilization; it is based on the information technologies. They influence on all spheres of life, including the customs service. Customs in the information society cooperates with other state bodies of the Russian Federation and the participants of foreign economic activity, so that it becomes involved in the global information process. The article examines how the information society effects on the customs legal relations, as well as identifies the positive a...

HIPAA's Individual Right of Access to Genomic Data: Reconciling Safety and Civil Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Barbara J

2018-01-04

In 2014, the United States granted individuals a right of access to their own laboratory test results, including genomic data. Many observers feel that this right is in tension with regulatory and bioethical standards designed to protect the safety of people who undergo genomic testing. This commentary attributes this tension to growing pains within an expanding federal regulatory program for genetic and genomic testing. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 expanded the regulatory agenda to encompass civil rights and consumer safety. The individual access right, as it applies to genomic data, is best understood as a civil-rights regulation. Competing regulatory objectives-safety and civil rights-were not successfully integrated during the initial rollout of genomic civil-rights regulations after 2008. Federal law clarifies how to prioritize safety and civil rights when the two come into conflict, although with careful policy design, the two need not collide. This commentary opens a dialog about possible solutions to advance safety and civil rights together. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ética civil y ética religiosa en España

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaminos Chica, Antonio

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This study shows the existence of a civil ethics in Spain, consistent with the process of secularisation and modernisation experienced by european societies. Following a discussion of what “civil ethics” are actually based on, using data from the international pew globes attitudes project survey, a series of hypotheses for Spain are contrasted concerning the weight of structural factors (sex, age, education and ideology inthe acceptance of a civic or religious ethics; and its influence on opinions, attitudes and behaviors related to religion in public life. The empirical analysis of the specified hypotheses reveals the influence that theethical option exerts on public opinion with regard to the State, society and religion. the results are consistent with those obtained in previous research, and are validated by using alternative phrasing and allowing for innovative analysis of civil and religious ethics in Spanish society.

Se muestra la existencia en España de una ética civil, coherente con el proceso de secularización y modernización experimentado por las sociedades europeas. tras una exposición de las bases conceptuales de lo que se considera “ética civil”, y empleando los datos de la encuesta internacional Pew Global Attitudes Project, se contrastan un conjunto de hipótesis para España relativas al peso de factores estructurales (sexo, edad, educación e ideología en la aceptación de una ética cívica o religiosa, y la influencia de esta en opiniones, actitudes y comportamientos relacionados con la religión en la vida pública. el contraste empírico de las hipótesis especificadas revela la influencia que tiene la opción ética en la opinión pública referida al estado, la sociedad y la religión. los resultados son acordes con los expuestos por investigaciones anteriores, validándolos, al emplear expresiones alternativas y permitiendo un análisis novedoso de la ética civil y religiosa en la sociedad española.

Terrorism as a slap in the face of the civilized world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Šubrt

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article summarizes the key scientific approaches to the study of terror in the contemporary world focusing on the concepts of (demodernization, (decivilization, and the revival of religious movements with rational economic aims under the slogans of “just war” or “cosmic war” with the forces of evil. The author starts from Norbert Elias’ work on the civilization process and the formation of the modern state as a pacified society to underline that the problem of violence lies outside Elias’ scope, and demonstrate the existing approaches to supplementing his theory with (a the definition of decivilization trends and the criteria for the identification of decivilization processes; (b the description of the role and place of brutal violence in modern society; (c a comprehensive but also heterogeneous picture of terrorism, especially suicide terrorism, i.e. its causes, manifestations and consequences. The author agrees with S.P. Huntington, that we live in a world with an increased risk of conflicts between civilizations and cultural strains rooting in the religious tradition (the re-politicization of religion and religious nationalism are considered attempts to fuse traditional religion with modern politics. Thus, the author concludes that the contemporary terrorism and especially its suicidal form is not only a specific form of (political struggle, but also - metaphorically speaking - a “slap in the face” of the civilized Western world, an effort to challenge, shake and undermine the stability and the patterns of life in modern society. However, terrorism wants to influence not only the power system of society, but also the collective psyche of large groups and parts of the population to create a sort of theatre of horror with the rationally designed, staged and performed means of violence.

“Why do I have to trust you?” The perspective from civil society on active citizenship in post–communist Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhembo Elona

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Civil society (CS is the main medium in which active citizenship can flourish and have an impact on good governance and democracy. The communist past has played a major role in CS underdevelopment across Eastern European countries but research primarily targeting the elites has explained little of how citizenry has developed and mapped little of the cross-country variation. This paper attempts to increase understanding, looking at the case of Albania, where low levels of active citizenships are documented1, as the main indicator of this underdevelopment. Data from in-depth interviews with key informants explain that it results from a combination of historical factors with current determinants such as the low perceived level of impact, the transparency of CS actors and the political influence believed to often dictate their agendas. These and additional explorations of gender and age differences lead to suggested new strategies to boost active citizenship in the country.

Professional Mobility of the Staff in the Risk Society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otenko Vasyl I.

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Unanticipated crises in various spheres of society are becoming a main object of attention of the mankind and civilization forming a new model of civilization – the risk society. Although this model is reflected in many works by scientists from different areas, methodological and practical justification of mechanisms for complex study of risks both at the society and enterprise level still remain relevant. The main resource for solving the problem of adaptation to life in the risk society is a person, who has both a high level of creativity and social responsibility. The unpredictability of enterprise risks can be overcome by developing professional mobility of its staff. This quality of a person is formed under the influence of a large number of external and internal factors. Among them the most difficult are the creative motivation of a person’s behavior and his/her internal mental set. In order to develop a methodological basis for formation of the staff professional mobility, it is necessary to formulate the main idea and hypothesis of a new theory, justify a list of disciplines studying certain aspects of the risk society and professional mobility, analyze paradigms of related sciences and choose ideas to form foundations of a new paradigm for creating a multidisciplinary system of concepts, principles and methods of research information support, rules of qualitative and quantitative assessment of its subject.

Risk society and amoral morality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nedeljković Radica M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The modern world is the world of change. Modernity changed all aspects of life in width and depth. The changes are so fast and so many people have impression that they are trapped in a multitude of events that they cannot understand nor control. Instead of society as a system, we are talking about society as a network of different relationships of individuals and social groups. Instead of a harmonious society as a space in which the man resides, developing their potential and needs, we are talking about society as a threatening force that destroys everything in its way as 'Moloch' (Giddens, the 'risk society' (Beck in which the doctrine produced in equal measure the conditions for prosperity, but also the risks and destruction; the simulation of society (Baudrillard which glorifies lies and deceit. Instead of society as a community, we are talking about the disappearance of society (Popper. Can we, therefore, rationally understand and express the world, the world of modernity; this world of profound change resembles the maze in which we are lost and wandering without meaning? Starting with Ulrich Beck and his theory of the risk society, the author points out that the way in which the western civilization started, which is imposed as a mandatory form for the rest of the world, leads to amoral morality. The ideology of progress, which is irrational and without a clear vision and clearly defined values, pushes us into an uncertain future of numerous risks and ever growing individualism. Thus we come to the conviction that without common values, collective values, we are lost in this world of risk. Solidarity and trust are the key values for the stable community, but they are non-existent in the risk society dominated by individualism. In the period of uncertainty in the risk society, only religion provides a healthy basis for communal living. Therefore, the way out of the crisis is not in politics, which is placed at the service of the economy, but

[History of the Strasbourg Society of Biology].

Science.gov (United States)

Antony, Pierre; Romier, Christophe; Mantz, Jean-Marie

2017-01-01

The Society of Biology of Strasbourg (SBS) is a learned society that was created in 1919 based on the model of the Society of Biology of which it is a subsidiary. Like its Parisian colleague, SBS aims at diffusing and promoting scientific knowledge in biology. To achieve this goal, SBS initiated since its creation a dialogue interface between researchers in biology and physicians, and more recently with other scientific disciplines, industry and the civil society. At the dawn of its first century, the Society of Biology of Strasbourg must continue to reinvent itself to pursue its development and to fulfil its mission of sharing scientific knowledge. This work continues in strong collaboration with our partners that share with SBS the willingness to foster excellence in biological research in Strasbourg, its region and beyond. © Société de Biologie, 2017.

Civil war: is it all about disease and xenophobia? A comment on Letendre, Fincher & Thornhill.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrix, Cullen S; Gleditsch, Kristian Skrede

2012-02-01

Letendre, Fincher & Thornhill (2010) argue that pathogen intensity provides the ultimate explanation for why some countries are more prone to civil war than others. They argue that the economic and political factors highlighted in previous research on civil war are largely caused by underlying differences in pathogen intensity, and contend that disease proneness increases the risk of civil war through its effects on resource competition and xenophobia. They present empirical evidence that they interpret as consistent with their argument: a statistically significant correlation between pathogen intensity and civil war onset. In this comment, we raise concerns over their interpretation of the empirical evidence and their proposed causal mechanisms. We find that the data provide stronger evidence for the reverse causal relationship, namely that civil war causes disease to become more prevalent. This finding is consistent with the literatures on the public health effects of civil war as well as research on state capacity and public health. © 2011 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2011 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Philosophical Reflection Smart-Society as a New Model of the Information Society and its Impact on the Education of the 21st Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Voronkova

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article presents philosophical and educational reflection of smart-society as a new model of the information society and presents its impact on human (intellectual capital. It reveals timeliness of this topic, which is innovative and hardly developed. It analyses international experience in establishment and growth of smart-society and dimensions of axiological field of smart-society, which is based on axiological matrix of information and knowledge, which are considered and being civilized dimensions of modern society. The main idea is to prove the evolution of the information society to smart-society and the possibility of establishment of smart-society in Ukraine. The analysis of smart-society formation was made and its characteristics were defined, which claims priority role in the world information space formation and contribute to the competitiveness of Ukraine in the international information space.

Florence Richardson Wyckoff (1905-1997), Fifty Years of Grassroots Social ActivismVolume III: Watsonville Years 1960-1985

OpenAIRE

Wyckoff, Florence Richardson; Jarrell, Randall

1990-01-01

Florence Wyckoff's three-volume oral history documents her remarkable, lifelong work as a social activist, during which she has become nationally recognized as an advocate of migrant families and children. From the depression years through the 1970s, she pursued grassroots, democratic, community-building efforts in the service of improving public health standards and providing health care, education, and housing for migrant families. Major legislative milestones in her career of advocacy were...

Societies of Control: State techno-surveillance and Civic Resistance in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Ricaurte Quijano

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to discuss the global and local implications of State surveillance in the light of the theoretical approach around control societies. We hold that the systematic, continuous and total techno-surveillance is an undeniable fact that promotes and requires multivaried forms of civil resistance. To demonstrate our position, we conducted a brief count of the actions undertaken by the Mexican civil society against the laws that promote the use of technology as a monitoring tool in Mexico, and the presence of spyware in Mexican operators. Finally, we present the consequences of techno-surveillance for journalists, activists and human rights advocates. This article concludes that monitoring practices in control societies are implemented by means of socio-technical mechanisms which articulate the public with the private sphere and are carried out with the civilian consent. However, various forms of civic resistance emerge in the continuity of the private and the public, the virtual and the physical, the local and the global.

A participação da sociedade civil em instrumentos da política ambiental brasileira

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roseli Nunes Coletti

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the evaluation of the civil society participation in the decision-making process of a number of instruments of the Brazilian environmental policy, such as: environmental zoning, environmental impact evaluation, environmental licensing. The current relevance of the matter is emphasized. A brief literature review of the issue is done in order to establish a conceptual theoretical framework about the opportunities for public participation in environmental decision-making process. The need to improve the instruments, techniques and communicative processes is emphasized through documental analysis, in order to encourage a wide and unrestricted participation of the civil society in decision--making of the environmental processes.

Art and Civil Action : Cultural Organizations in the European Civil Domain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gielen, Pascal; Lijster, Thijs

2017-01-01

In this article, the place of new cultural organizationsin the civil domain is analysed. The authors describe a theoretical model that they call the ‘civil chain’, describing the different phases in which civil organizations develop themselves. The civil chain delivers analytic insights into the

Features of transformation of the civil identity in the Russian political process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ponedelkov Aleksander Vasilievich

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The analysis of the dynamics of the political process in Russia shows that institutional changes are taking place in the political system. Integration into the world community is accompanied with a request from the Russian society to a civil dialogue with the government, social stability based on democratic principles, the institutionalization of the turnover of the elites. Problems of search of civil identity are caused by the actualization in the public mind the necessity to mobilize the nation on the principles of patriotism, moral revival.

Motivation of staff in the civil service of Ukraine: problems and prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataliia Trokhymivna Honcharuk

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The problems and prospects of motivation in the civil service of Ukraine are analyzed in the article. Categorical analysis in the scientific literature the terms “motivated”, “motivation of staff of the Civil Service”, “motivation”, “financial motivation” has been done. The evolution of concepts and theories of motivation based on the needs, interests, motives and incentives is analyzed. The authors propose to take all the best from these concepts and theories to use in today’s development of Ukrainian society. The current state of public servants motivation and its regulatory provision is researched. Domestic and foreign experience motivation of public service motivation is generalized. The possibility of using new technologies of human resource management improvement in the public service is researched, the new provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service” dated November 11, 2011 № 4050 on the motivation of civil servants in Ukraine is described.

A Grassroots Remote Sensing Toolkit Using Live Coding, Smartphones, Kites and Lightweight Drones.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Anderson

Full Text Available This manuscript describes the development of an android-based smartphone application for capturing aerial photographs and spatial metadata automatically, for use in grassroots mapping applications. The aim of the project was to exploit the plethora of on-board sensors within modern smartphones (accelerometer, GPS, compass, camera to generate ready-to-use spatial data from lightweight aerial platforms such as drones or kites. A visual coding 'scheme blocks' framework was used to build the application ('app', so that users could customise their own data capture tools in the field. The paper reports on the coding framework, then shows the results of test flights from kites and lightweight drones and finally shows how open-source geospatial toolkits were used to generate geographical information system (GIS-ready GeoTIFF images from the metadata stored by the app. Two Android smartphones were used in testing-a high specification OnePlus One handset and a lower cost Acer Liquid Z3 handset, to test the operational limits of the app on phones with different sensor sets. We demonstrate that best results were obtained when the phone was attached to a stable single line kite or to a gliding drone. Results show that engine or motor vibrations from powered aircraft required dampening to ensure capture of high quality images. We demonstrate how the products generated from the open-source processing workflow are easily used in GIS. The app can be downloaded freely from the Google store by searching for 'UAV toolkit' (UAV toolkit 2016, and used wherever an Android smartphone and aerial platform are available to deliver rapid spatial data (e.g. in supporting decision-making in humanitarian disaster-relief zones, in teaching or for grassroots remote sensing and democratic mapping.

A Grassroots Remote Sensing Toolkit Using Live Coding, Smartphones, Kites and Lightweight Drones.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, K; Griffiths, D; DeBell, L; Hancock, S; Duffy, J P; Shutler, J D; Reinhardt, W J; Griffiths, A

2016-01-01

This manuscript describes the development of an android-based smartphone application for capturing aerial photographs and spatial metadata automatically, for use in grassroots mapping applications. The aim of the project was to exploit the plethora of on-board sensors within modern smartphones (accelerometer, GPS, compass, camera) to generate ready-to-use spatial data from lightweight aerial platforms such as drones or kites. A visual coding 'scheme blocks' framework was used to build the application ('app'), so that users could customise their own data capture tools in the field. The paper reports on the coding framework, then shows the results of test flights from kites and lightweight drones and finally shows how open-source geospatial toolkits were used to generate geographical information system (GIS)-ready GeoTIFF images from the metadata stored by the app. Two Android smartphones were used in testing-a high specification OnePlus One handset and a lower cost Acer Liquid Z3 handset, to test the operational limits of the app on phones with different sensor sets. We demonstrate that best results were obtained when the phone was attached to a stable single line kite or to a gliding drone. Results show that engine or motor vibrations from powered aircraft required dampening to ensure capture of high quality images. We demonstrate how the products generated from the open-source processing workflow are easily used in GIS. The app can be downloaded freely from the Google store by searching for 'UAV toolkit' (UAV toolkit 2016), and used wherever an Android smartphone and aerial platform are available to deliver rapid spatial data (e.g. in supporting decision-making in humanitarian disaster-relief zones, in teaching or for grassroots remote sensing and democratic mapping).

Impact of "Grassroots on Work" (GROW) Extension Program to the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Students' Sense of Civic Responsibility

Science.gov (United States)

Paga, Mark Leo Huit

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the medium term effect of service-learning program or "Grassroots on Work" extension program to civic responsibility of AB Political Science students. Methodology: This study employed an impact evaluation research design and both qualitative and quantitative. The data on goals and…

Lineage of global civil engineering. Global civil engineering no keifu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashimoto, M

1994-04-15

This paper considers which way the global civil engineering should go in the future. Civil engineering has now a paradigm with a new dimension debuted as the global environmental problems are taken up specifically. Achieving the target of civil engineering requires a critical review that how the cost effect and efficiency discussions in only the dimensions of the conventional technologies and economies can be incorporated into the dimensions and measures of new fields to create the new horizons. Conceiving the relationship between civil engineered structures and environmental climate encounters the indispensable judgment criterion on how such social scientific conditions as weather, culture, religion, economy, and politics are combined to reach a judgment. The global civil engineering is desired to have the ideas and directional role to work on the ultimate assignment of environment and development called a global environmental problem analytically, comprehensively, innovatively and creatively as the civil engineering science, rather than as a mere existence of one area of the advanced civil engineering science. 5 refs., 1 tab.

Reality Checks: The state of civil society organizations in Ethiopia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

development; human rights and advocacy; Ethiopia .... first two studies were carried out in Addis Ababa City, Bahir Dar (Amhara Region), ... from members of CSOs (in the case of societies), beneficiaries of CSOs (in the case of ... organizations, associations, networks, and groups that promote public interests and that.

Issues of Media Education of the USA and Canada in the Information Society

Science.gov (United States)

Holovchenko, Hlib

2014-01-01

The experience of different countries concerning the formation of preconditions for the development of the information society has been considered. The consequences of "totalitarian" model during the transition to open democratic civil society and the role of education and educators in this process have been defined on the example of…

Stasis and Bellum Civile

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lange, Carsten Hjort

2017-01-01

David Armitage’s new monograph Civil Wars: A History in Ideas (2017) will undoubtedly long remain a standard reference work. It presents readers with a vision of civil war as part of the longue durée. The argument might be further strengthened, however, if a more inclusive Greco-Roman approach...... to ancient civil war is accepted. This essay focuses on stasis vs. bellum civile, the origins of the concept of civil war, the approach of later Roman writers (such as Appian and Cassius Dio) to the concepts of stasis and bellum civile, and, finally, the question of what makes a civil war a civil war....... Whatever concepts were used, the Romans were not the first to experience internal war as a civil war—that is, a war between the citizens of a polity....

Performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance. Technical documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

The Japan Society of Civil Engineers has updated performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance in June 2005. Experimental and analytical considerations on the seismic effects evaluation criteria, such as analytical seismic models of soils for underground structures, effects of vertical motions on time-history dynamic analysis and shear fracture of reinforced concretes by cyclic loadings, were shown in this document and incorporated in new recommendations. (T. Tanaka)

Nuclear Research and Society: Introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meskens, G.

2007-01-01

Throughout the last decades, the ever growing use of technology in our society has brought along the need to reflect on the related impact on the ecosystem and on society as such. There is growing evidence that the complexity of issues of risk governance and ethics coming with applications of nuclear technology, fossil fuels, human cloning and genetically modified crops cannot be tackled by pure rational technological and economical reasoning alone. In order to provide an answer to the concerns of civil society, this complexity needs a transdisciplinary approach, taking into account social and ethical aspects. Starting from the insight that a full understanding of the benefits and risks of applications of radioactivity and nuclear technology requires also an understanding of the context of application and a sense for the social and ethical aspects of the situation, SCK-CEN started in 1999 with its PISA research programme (Programme of Integration of Social Aspects into nuclear research). The aim of the research was (and still is) to give the nuclear researchers more insight into the complex social and ethical aspects of nuclear applications and to shed at the same time new lights on how to organise in a more effective way the dialogue and interaction with civil society. Originally, the programme was set up along thematic research tracks, involving nuclear scientists, engineers, philosophers and social scientists, and focussing on specific projects carried out by way of PhD- or post-doc research in cooperation with universities. The research tracks focussed on themes such as Sustainability and nuclear development, Transgenerational ethics of radioactive waste management, Legal aspects and liability, Risk governance and Expert culture. In addition to this thematic research, PISA organised reflection groups in interaction with universities, authorities and private actors. These interdisciplinary discussion sessions aimed to exchange knowledge and views on typical

Science in the Information Society

CERN Document Server

2003-01-01

CERN will host the Role of Science in the Information Society (RSIS) conference on Monday and Tuesday, focusing on how science-driven information and communication technologies can help close the digital divide. There will be an army of bodyguards at CERN at the beginning of December. CERN will not only host the official visits, but also around 500 scientists, politicians, and members of civil society who will descend on the Main Auditorium for the Role of Science in the Information Society (RSIS) conference on 8-9 December. The RSIS conference hosted by CERN is a high-profile event focusing on how to make information technologies work for the greatest human benefit - a marked change from keeping a relatively low profile so far, making its discoveries available to all with little input in how they are applied. The RSIS, held 8-9 December at CERN, will be a Summit Event of the World Summit on the Information Society taking place at Palexpo on 9-13 December. RSIS participants will apply a scientific point of...

[Is it possible to rejuvenate the aging global civilization?

Science.gov (United States)

Makrushin, A V; Aladin, N V; Vasiliev, A S

2017-01-01

Society is not only social system but also biological system. Growing complexity of biological systems will inevitably lead to the loss of their potential immortality and to the appeared attribute of aging. The aging of the present-day civilization is evidenced by the problems having accumulated. The answer to the question concerning the possibility to prevent collapse depends on the answer to the more general question - whether supra-organismal system that due to the growth of the structure complexity has acquired the property to age without losing achieved complexity can return to ancestral potential immortality. A positive response is given to this question. Supra-organismal systems having been freed from the necessity to age exist. Those are communities of social insects. Some of them were mortal initially but in the course of evolution have lost attribute of aging. Therefore, complex supra-organismal systems, including present-day civilization, can return to ancestral potential immortality not losing the achieved structural complexity. The main obstacle to rejuvenating civilization is not the nature of things but the human mentality.

The Politics of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs Post-Reformation 1998

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditya Perdana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Setelah Reformasi tahun 1998, sebagian organisasi organisasi masyarakat sipil (OMS mendorong agenda perubahan kebijakan dari luar pemerintahan dan terlibat dalam berbagai tim asistensi implementasi program pembangunan dari berbagai kementrian. Perubahan tindakan politik kelompok OMS dari luar pemerintahan dan menjadi bagian pemerintahan disebabkan oleh adanya kesempatan politik yang lebih terbuka dan akomodatif dari rejim politik paska Reformasi. Meskipun OMS memanfaatkan kesempatan politik tersebut, OMS menghadapi tantangan serius dalam arena politik yaitu fragmentasi kelompok masyarakat sipil dalam mendorong berbagai perubahan dan reformasi kebijakan dan tidak adanya dukungan perubahan struktur budaya politik yang masih mewarisi hubungan patronase diantara para aktor. Studi ini memperkuat argumen dari Aspinall (2013a dan Mietzner (2013 dalam hal memanfaatkan kesempatan politik paska Reformasi dan tantangan serta respon OMS dalam struktur warisan politik rejim Suharto di dua arena politik: pembuatan kebijakan dan politik elektoral. OMS di Indonesia mengalami ketidaksolidan dan lemah dalam mendorong isu-isu perubahan dalam pembentukan kebijakan di DPR dan lemahnya dukungan politik elektoral bagi pemenangan kandidat dari kelompok OMS di semua pemilihan umum.Untuk mendapatkan data yang terkait aktivitas politik OMS dalam ranah pembuatan undang-undang serta partisipasi politik aktor OMS dalam pemilu, studi ini menggunakan metode pelacakan proses. After the Reformation (reformasi in 1998, some civil society organizations (CSOs have endorsed policy changes from outside the government and have involved in many ministries’ assistance team to implement government’s development programs. These CSOs’political action changes from outside to become inside the government are caused by the openness of political opportunity from political regime after Reformasi

PERARES: Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steinhaus, Norbert; Mulder, Henk A.J.

2014-01-01

PERARES is a four-year project funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme which started in 2010. The acronym stands for "Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society”. The project brings together Science Shops, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and

PERARES : Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, Henk; Steinhaus, Norbert; Azman, Azlinda; Arlus, Feri; Jamsari, A; Campbell, James; Steinhaus, Norbert; Ong, Tan Kek; Winyayong, Panom

2013-01-01

PERARES is a four years funded project by the European Community's Seventh Framework Program which started in 2010. It brings together Science Shops, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Universities from 16 European countries. The PERARES project aims to strengthen public engagement in research

Club football in Denmark - a game between state policy and the DFA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Søren; Storm, Rasmus K.; Wikman, Johan Michael

2018-01-01

Football in Denmark stands as a very popular game engaging men and women of all ages. Most of them are playing under the wings of the Danish Football Association (DFA). This paper provides a description and understanding of the organisation of football, with a specific focus on the DFA. We ask; how...... is club based football organised in Denmark and how does it reflect state policy? Our study is grounded in an analysis of 21 documents selected due to their importance to the organisation of football. Moreover, an online questionnaire survey was sent to the chairpersons of 1247 grassroots football clubs...... (N:475). To deeper understand the development of and organisations involved in Danish football we include the understanding of society formed by four basic social orders viewed upon as ideal types; civil society, market, state and associations (Pestoff). Our findings show that the organisation...

The new totalitarian society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlajki Emil

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The new totalitarian society is a euphemized expression denoting the New World Order, which in itself denotes the American globalization. The underpinning of this mindset is rationality, which is characteristic of Western civilization. Christianity engendered rationality by introducing it through St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and especially formal logic. Since it is obvious that religion and logic cannot ultimately be harmonized, this combination has proven lethal in many cases throughout history. For instance, the Inquisition, which, contrary to what happened at scholastic universities, severely berated rational thinking in practice. Catholicism helped carry out genocide against the Jews, and Orthodoxy is in a certain manner tied in with Stalinism. The new totalitarian society is anchored in American Protestantism. On the whole, Christian rationalism is a sphere of science, techniques and technologies efficiently employed to promote the West to the status of a society of plenty and the conception of human rights, which turn into their opposite and irrational behavior of the worst kind. An example of such inhumanity is the attack against Yugoslavia/Serbia in 1999.

Promoting Environmental Justice through Civil-Based Instruments in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Toxopeüs and Louis J. Kotzé

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Achieving environmental justice in South Africa is critically important, not only because of historical reasons rooted in the country’s apartheid past, but also to ensure that everyone in the country, especially marginalized and vulnerable sectors of society, are properly protected from disproportional environmental impacts. Another aim of environmental justice in South Africa is to ensure that everyone equally shares in the benefits of the country’s resources. In this article, we interrogate ways through which to achieve environmental justice in South Africa through the use of civil-based instruments (CBIs of environmental governance. The central hypothesis is that CBIs are particularly well-suited to contribute to the achievement of environmental justice since they are essentially instruments which empower civil society to become central stakeholders in environmental governance by fostering active participation in the decisions that may impact on the environment and people’s health and well-being. Through these instruments all of society, particularly disenfranchised people suffering most from environmental injustice, are afforded a platform to pursue their environment-related interests that may be affected by the decisions taken by government and private actors such as polluting companies. For the purpose of the discussion we focus specifically on public participation, access to information and access to justice, all of which are generally accepted as CBIs, including in international law.

Performance evaluation recommendations and manuals of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

Performance evaluation recommendations and manuals of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance have been updated in June 2005 by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Based on experimental and analytical considerations on the recommendations of May 2002, analytical seismic models of soils for underground structures, effects of vertical motions on time-history dynamic analysis and shear fracture of reinforced concretes by cyclic loadings have been evaluated and incorporated in new recommendations. (T. Tanaka)

Partnerships and Grassroots Action in the 500 Women Scientists Network

Science.gov (United States)