Building Strategic Business and Industry Training Partnerships that Lead to Legislative Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Holle, Teri L.

2012-01-01

Organization is essential to just about every sort of operation, but it is especially important in advocacy work. Without organization, an advocacy group may be nothing more than several individuals who agree on some large issue and try to react to threats to what they believe in. A well-functioning advocacy group has to have common goals and a…

Development of measures to evaluate youth advocacy for obesity prevention

OpenAIRE

Millstein, Rachel A.; Woodruff, Susan I.; Linton, Leslie S.; Edwards, Christine C.; Sallis, James F.

2016-01-01

Background Youth advocacy has been successfully used in substance use prevention but is a novel strategy in obesity prevention. As a precondition for building an evidence base for youth advocacy for obesity prevention, the present study aimed to develop and evaluate measures of youth advocacy mediator, process, and outcome variables. Methods The Youth Engagement and Action for Health (YEAH!) program (San Diego County, CA) engaged youth and adult group leaders in advocacy for school and neighb...

Advocacy for mental health: roles for consumer and family organizations and governments.

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Michelle; Minoletti, Alberto; Drew, Natalie; Taylor, Jacob; Saraceno, Benedetto

2006-03-01

The World Health Organization urges countries to become more active in advocacy efforts to put mental health on governments' agendas. Health policy makers, planners and managers, advocacy groups, consumer and family organizations, through their different roles and actions, can move the mental health agenda forward. This paper outlines the importance of the advocacy movement, describes some of the roles and functions of the different groups and identifies some specific actions that can be adopted by Ministries of Health. The mental health advocacy movement has developed over the last 30 years as a means of combating stigma and prejudice against people with mental disorders and improving services. Consumer and family organizations and related NGOs have been able to influence governments on mental health policies and laws and educating the public on social integration of people with mental disorders. Governments can promote the development of a strong mental health advocacy sector without compromising this sector's independence. For instance, they can publish and distribute a directory of mental health advocacy groups, include them in their mental health activities and help fledgling groups become more established. There are also some advocacy functions that government officials can, and indeed, should perform themselves. Officials in the ministry of health can persuade officials in other branches of government to make mental health more of a priority, support advocacy activities with both general health workers and mental health workers and carry out public information campaigns about mental disorders and how to maintain good mental health. In conclusion, the World Health Organization believes mental health advocacy is one of the pillars to improve mental health care and the human rights of people with mental disorders. It is hoped that the recommendations in this article will help government officials and activists to strengthen national advocacy movements.

Advocacy for active transport: advocate and city council perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosenby Marieah

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Effective advocacy is an important part of efforts to increase population participation in physical activity. Research about effective health advocacy is scarce, however, the health sector can learn from the experiences and knowledge of community advocates and those who are on the receiving end of this advocacy. The aim of this study is to explore advocacy for active transport from the perspectives of community advocates and representatives from City councils. Methods Cycling and walking advocates were identified from the local contact list of Cycling Advocates Network and Living Streets Aotearoa. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with cycle and walking advocates from throughout New Zealand. Advocates also nominated a suitable council officer at their local City council to be interviewed. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and categories of responses for each of the questions created. Results Several processes were used by advocates to engage with council staff, including formal council submissions, meetings, stakeholder forums and partnership in running community events promoting active transport. Several other agencies were identified as being influential for active transport, some as potential coalition partners and others as potential adversaries. Barriers to improving conditions for active transport included a lack of funding, a lack of will-power among either council staff or councillors, limited council staff capacity (time or training and a culture of providing infrastructure for motor vehicles instead of people. Several suggestions were made about how the health sector could contribute to advocacy efforts, including encouraging political commitment, engaging the media, communicating the potential health benefits of active transport to the general public and being role models in terms of personal travel mode choice and having workplaces that support participation in active transport

The Tradition of Advocacy in the Yoruba Courts.

Science.gov (United States)

Asante, Molefi Kete

1990-01-01

Examines the extensive system of advocacy (based on the idea of group consensus) among the Yoruba in Nigeria. Gives a detailed account of communicative forms and functions of advocacy in legal proceedings and their relationship to Yoruba culture. Explores how Yoruba people argue their cases and find harmony out of a context of disputations. (SR)

The state of advocacy in cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, G Larry

2015-12-01

Non-profit advocacy organizations have been important in raising public awareness, promoting education, and enhancing political activism for issues related to cancer. Grassroots efforts aimed at fund-raising have substantially augmented federal funding for community outreach and research. The objective of this review was to evaluate successful accomplishments of several major non-profit organizations that are focused on cancer. A review of news media, medical literature, and financial records (using GuideStar) was performed to access the organizational structure and productivity of several successful cancer advocacy organizations. Compared to other cancer advocacy groups, the American Cancer Society is the oldest (>100years old) and worth the most with net assets of over $1.25 billion dollars and an annual total revenue of over $900 million dollars. The ACS also has the highest overhead at 41%. Most of the gynecologic cancer advocacy groups are approximately 20years old and have collective total annual revenue of over $17M dollars. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund has been the most successful at raising funds and building net assets to date while maintaining an overhead of active and financially successful cancer organizations tend to be older, have higher overhead, spend less on total administration, spend more on fund-raising, have more events (rather than a limited number), and use aggressive social media strategies. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Treatments for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Evidence, Advocacy, and the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Di Pietro, Nina C.; Whiteley, Louise; Mizgalewicz, Ania; Illes, Judy

2013-01-01

The Internet is a major source of health-related information for parents of sick children despite concerns surrounding quality. For neurodevelopmental disorders, the websites of advocacy groups are a largely unexamined source of information. We evaluated treatment information posted on nine highly-trafficked advocacy websites for autism, cerebral…

Expert and Advocacy Group Consensus Findings on the Horizon of Public Health Genetic Testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M. Modell

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Description: Among the two leading causes of death in the United States, each responsible for one in every four deaths, heart disease costs Americans $300 billion, while cancer costs Americans $216 billion per year. They also rank among the top three causes of death in Europe and Asia. In 2012 the University of Michigan Center for Public Health and Community Genomics and Genetic Alliance, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Public Health Genomics, hosted a conference in Atlanta, Georgia to consider related action strategies based on public health genomics. The aim of the conference was consensus building on recommendations to implement genetic screening for three major heritable contributors to these mortality and cost figures: hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH, and Lynch syndrome (LS. Genetic applications for these three conditions are labeled with a “Tier 1” designation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because they have been fully validated and clinical practice guidelines based on systematic review support them. Methodology: The conference followed a deliberative sequence starting with nationally recognized clinical and public health presenters for each condition, followed by a Patient and Community Perspectives Panel, working group sessions for each of the conditions, and a final plenary session. The 74 conference participants represented disease research and advocacy, public health, medicine and nursing, genetics, governmental health agencies, and industry. Participants drew on a public health framework interconnecting policy, clinical intervention, surveillance, and educational functions for their deliberations. Results: Participants emphasized the importance of collaboration between clinical, public health, and advocacy groups in implementing Tier 1 genetic screening. Advocacy groups could help with individual and institutional

Leadership Influence: A Core Foundation for Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shillam, Casey R; MacLean, Lola

As the largest segment of the health care workforce, nurses have the greatest potential for advancing systems and services to improve health care delivery in the United States. This article presents a framework for nurse administrators to use in developing direct care nurses in their leadership influence competency as a means of increasing their advocacy potential. A systematic review resulted in establishing a nurse leadership influence framework based on the Kouzes and Posner leadership model. The framework includes leadership competencies by nursing professional organizations and was validated by 2 national nurse leader focus groups. Nurse administrators have the opportunity to adopt an evidence-based leadership influence framework to ensure development of advocacy competency in direct care nurses. The impact of nurse administrators systematically adopting a standardized leadership influence framework will result in setting a strong foundation for nurse advocacy. Successful long-term impacts will result in nurses skillfully integrating leadership influence and advocacy into all aspects of daily practice.

Diabetes Advocacy and Care in Nigeria: A Review

African Journals Online (AJOL)

TNHJOURNALPH

by the Federal Ministry of Health for the prevention and control ... Diabetes in Nigeria; the advocacy; policy and ... local healthcare policies and plan of .... considering its strategic role and importance ... strategic approach of the Government of.

The impact of parent advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on rare diseases: the IDEA League and IDEA League United Kingdom example.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Angela P; Baker, Marie

2011-04-01

The development of the Internet and subsequent evolution of social networking has significantly changed the effectiveness of patient advocacy groups for rare diseases. The greatest degree of change has occurred at the patient level, with an increased ability of affected individuals to share experiences and support, and to raise public awareness. Other changes have occurred, not only in the way rare diseases are diagnosed, studied, and treated, but also in how they are addressed at the level of legislation and public policy. The International Dravet syndrome Epilepsy Action League (IDEA League) is the leading patient advocacy organization for Dravet syndrome and related genetic ion-channel epilepsy disorders (hereafter referred to as Dravet syndrome or severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, SMEI). The IDEA League's mission encompasses international support and outreach for patients and families, as well as collaboration with physicians, medical education, health care coordination, and research. The IDEA League is an excellent example of the impact of patient advocacy groups, the Internet, and social networking on the landscape of rare diseases. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.

Advocacy Communication and Social Identity: An Exploration of Social Media Outreach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciszek, Erica L

2017-01-01

Increasingly, advocacy organizations employ social networking sites as inexpensive and often effective ways to disseminate outreach messages. For groups working to reach lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth, social media provide key platforms for connecting with target audiences. Although these young people increasingly utilize social media, little is known about how digital advocacy campaigns influence their sexual identity formation. This article applies concepts of social identity to examine how LGBTQ youth understand advocacy campaigns, how they perceive LGBTQ as a social category presented in campaigns, and what values they assign to LGBTQ group membership.

The African cancer advocacy consortium: shaping the path for advocacy in Africa

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Although there is significant evidence of a cancer epidemic in Africa, there is limited awareness about cancer in most African countries. By partnering with international organizations and institutions such as the University of Florida and the Prostate Net, the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) is committed to improving cancer advocacy in Africa. This paper presents some of the recent efforts on cancer advocacy in Africa, including the results of a SWOT analysis conducted for the cancer advocacy workshop and the guidelines developed by cancer advocates on best practices for cancer advocacy in Africa. One of the outcomes of these efforts is the African Cancer Advocates Consortium (ACAC) founded by cancer advocates in Africa to, “Make Cancer a Top Priority in Africa”. While we have started the work to strengthen cancer advocacy in Africa, we still have a long way to go. Our goal of making cancer a priority in Africa can mainly be achieved by: (1) increasing the manpower for cancer advocacy through education and training; and (2) strengthening the network of cancer advocates across the continent. PMID:23902674

Making a difference: Ten case studies of DSM/IRP interactive efforts and related advocacy group activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

English, M.; Schexnayder, S.; Altman, J. [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States). Energy, Environment and Resources Center; Schweitzer, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1994-03-01

This report discusses the activities of organizations that seek to promote integrated resource planning and aggressive, cost-effective demand-side management by utilities. The activities of such groups -- here called energy efficiency advocacy groups (EEAGs) -- are examined in ten detailed am studies. Nine of the cases involve some form of interactive effort between investor-owned electric utilities and non-utility to develop policies, plans, or programs cooperatively. Many but not all of the interactive efforts examined are formal collaboratives. In addition, all ten cases include discussion of other EEAG activities, such as coalition-building, research, participation in statewide energy planning, and intervention in regulatory proceedings.

Potential risks of "risk" language in breastfeeding advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Lora J Ebert; Taylor, Erin N

2011-06-21

In this article the authors analyze the use of "risks of formula language" versus "benefits of breastfeeding language" in breastfeeding advocacy texts. Feeding intentionality and 434 adult respondents' assessments of advocacy texts were examined at a mid-western university in the fall of 2009. No significant difference was observed between those who read text phrased in terms of "risks of formula feeding" and those who read text describing "benefits of breastfeeding" in feeding intentionality. Results supported the expectation that respondents would less favorably assess texts using risk language-respondents rated risk texts as less trustworthy, accurate, and helpful compared to benefit text. Texts were also varied in "medical" and "breastfeeding advocacy group" affiliations. Analyses revealed that texts including the medical logo were rated significantly more favorably compared to breastfeeding advocacy logo and no logo conditions. Findings suggest that use of risk language may not be an advantageous health promotion strategy, but may be counter-productive to the goals of breastfeeding advocates.

Self-advocacy training for cancer survivors. The Cancer Survival Toolbox.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh-Burke, K; Marcusen, C

1999-01-01

With the advent of managed healthcare, self-advocacy has been identified as an essential skill for cancer survivors. This article describes a self-advocacy training program, the Cancer Survival Toolbox, developed through a unique collaborative effort by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Association of Oncology Social Work, and the Oncology Nursing Society. Self-advocacy training is provided in audiotape format, as well as through the Internet and in interactive groups. The need for this training was established through surveys completed by 569 cancer survivors and 833 oncology professionals. Essential skills were identified through a literature review, and the content of the training was pilot tested with bicoastal groups of cancer survivors and with feedback from representatives of 15 national cancer organizations. While the majority of the 569 respondents to the survivor survey were highly educated and between the ages of 31 and 60 years, fewer than half reported that when they first received a diagnosis of cancer they were able to communicate their needs effectively, had the skills necessary to make decisions, or were able to negotiate with healthcare providers, insurers, and employers. Results of the survey of professional oncology nurses and social workers also supported the need for self-advocacy training. Fewer than one third of the 833 respondents to the professional survey reported that their patients who had received new diagnoses of cancer had essential self-advocacy skills. This self-advocacy training program is currently available on audiotape in English and Spanish. It is available in print in Chinese on the Internet. Data from the pilot groups indicate the program effectively addresses the self-advocacy skills of communication, information seeking, problem solving, decision making, and negotiating. Data are currently being collected to assess the efficacy of the audiotape format and the impact of the training on survivors and

Advocacy and education in Wisconsin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wise, M.

1986-01-01

Wisconsin's Radioactive Waste Review Board is required by law to advocate for and educate the public on the high-level nuclear waste issue. The goal of its education program is to empower people by giving them information and skills. Environmental advocacy and public activism are part of the State's Progressive political tradition. The Board seeks and uses public input while developing education programs, and helps local areas organize committees to develop their own programs

Japanese Culture and the Philosophy of Self-Advocacy: The Importance of Interdependence in Community Living

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuda, Eiji

2006-01-01

In Japan, there is a growing network of self-advocacy groups. Some groups are involved in campaigning. Other groups are involved in social events and education. The age of de-institutionalization is gradually arriving and community living for people with learning difficulties is becoming an urgent political issue. Self-advocacy groups can help…

Coleman Advocates for Children And Youth: a pioneering child advocacy organization (1974-2008).

Science.gov (United States)

Carnochan, Sarah; Austin, Michael J

2011-01-01

Coleman Advocates for Youth and Children is a pioneering 30-year-old child advocacy organization founded by several affluent community members and children's service professionals to stop housing abused and neglected children in juvenile hall. Today, low-income youth and parents in families of color are now assuming leadership in developing a unique hybrid approach that integrates community organizing with more traditional child advocacy strategies and focuses on increasing affordable housing and improving the city's educational system. The strategies employed by Coleman have also evolved, shifting from insider advocacy with administrative officials to public campaigns targeting the city budget process, to local initiative campaigns, and most recently to electoral politics. This organizational history features the issues mission and structure, leadership, managing issues, advocacy strategies and community relations, and funding.

Philosophy + Advocacy = Success

Science.gov (United States)

Tutt, Kevin; Townley, Marc

2011-01-01

Knowledge about music advocacy strategies has long been promoted as important for music educators, not only for the benefit of their individual programs but also for the specific benefit of music students and the general public. This article suggests an approach to advocacy grounded in the teacher's professional beliefs, phrased in terms…

Science Education & Advocacy: Tools to Support Better Education Policies

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, Christine; Cunningham, B.; Hehn, J. G.

2014-01-01

Education is strongly affected by federal and local policies, such as testing requirements and program funding, and many scientists and science teachers are increasingly interested in becoming more engaged with the policy process. To address this need, I worked with the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) --- a professional membership society of scientists and science teachers that is dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching --- to create advocacy tools for its members to use, including one-page leave-behinds, guides for meeting with policymakers, and strategies for framing issues. In addition, I developed a general tutorial to aid AAPT members in developing effective advocacy strategies to support better education policies. This work was done through the Society for Physics Students (SPS) Internship program, which provides a range of opportunities for undergraduates, including research, education and public outreach, and public policy. In this presentation, I summarize these new advocacy tools and their application to astronomy education issues.

Twenty-First Century Pathologists' Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Timothy Craig

2017-07-01

Pathologists' advocacy plays a central role in the establishment of continuously improving patient care quality and patient safety, and in the maintenance and progress of pathology as a profession. Pathology advocacy's primary goal is the betterment of patient safety and quality medical care; however, payment is a necessary and appropriate component to both, and has a central role in advocacy. Now is the time to become involved in pathology advocacy; the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) are 2 of the most consequential pieces of legislation impacting the pathology and laboratory industry in the last 20 years. Another current issue of far-reaching impact for pathologists is balance billing, and yet many pathologists have little or no understanding of balance billing. Pathologists at all stages of their careers, and in every professional setting, need to participate. Academic pathologists have a special obligation to, if not become directly involved in advocacy, at least have a broad and current understanding of those issues, as well as the need and responsibility of pathologists to actively engage in advocacy efforts to address them, in order to teach residents the place of advocacy, and its value, as an inseparable and indispensable component of their professional responsibilities.

Management, Leadership, and User Control in Self-Advocacy: An English Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Tilley, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project on an English self-advocacy organization. In light of recent political and economic developments that have threatened the sustainability of a number of self-advocacy groups for people with intellectual disability, I seek to explore how one particular organization managed to survive…

Media advocacy: lessons from community experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Jernigan, D H; Wright, P A

1996-01-01

Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media and community organizing as a resource for advancing a social or public policy initiative. Across the United States, communities are using media advocacy to promote healthier public policies and environments. The U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention commissioned numerous case studies of media advocacy on alcohol and tobacco issues in a diverse array of communities, including efforts in African-American and Latino communities or using computer-based electronic communication systems. The paper describes these efforts briefly, and summarizes lessons learned, including: media advocacy can lead to larger victories when used as a complement to community organizing in the context of a larger strategic vision for policy change; like policy advocacy, media advocacy is best done in the context of clear long-term goals; conscious framing, guiding the choice of spokespeople, visuals, and messages, can alter media coverage and public debate of health policies; advocates need to respect the media but also remember that they have power in relation to the media; and media advocacy is often controversial and not suited to every situation. The case studies show that media advocacy is a potent tool for public health workers, making an important contribution to campaigns to promote healthier public policies.

Advocacy and policy issues Tutorial 2

CERN Document Server

CERN. Geneva

2007-01-01

This tutorial is aimed at those who are new to the area of repositories and who want to learn more about key advocacy and policy issues. The tutorial will include information and advice on putting together an institutional advocacy campaign and developing policies for your repository. There will be opportunities for participants to share experiences and to ask questions. The tutorial will include a practical exercise in developing an advocacy presentation. Participants with experience of advocacy are welcome to attend the session to share their experiences, but should bear in mind that it is aimed primarily at those looking for help and advice in advocacy matters.

Management, leadership, and user control in self-advocacy: an english case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilley, Elizabeth

2013-12-01

This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project on an English self-advocacy organization. In light of recent political and economic developments that have threatened the sustainability of a number of self-advocacy groups for people with intellectual disability, I seek to explore how one particular organization managed to survive and grow. In particular, the paper explores themes of management, leadership, and user control, linking these to external perceptions about self-advocacy organizations. The organization in my study developed an "interdependent" governance model based on key organizational roles for nondisabled advisors and self-advocates, which proved popular with external funders. Despite the organization's notable achievements, its success raises questions for the wider self-advocacy movement, notably how leadership capacity can be developed among self-advocates.

Advocacy and IPR, tutorial 4

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2005-01-01

With open access and repositories assuming a high profile some may question whether advocacy is still necessary. Those involved in the business of setting up and populating repositories are aware that in the majority of institutions there is still a great need for advocacy. This tutorial will give participants an opportunity to discuss different advocacy methods and approaches, including the 'top down' and 'bottom up' approach, publicity methods and the opportunities offered by funding body positions on open access. Participants will have the opportunity to share experiences of what works and what doesn't. The advocacy role often encompasses responsibility for advising academics on IPR issues. This is a particularly critical area where repository staff are engaged in depositing content on behalf of academics. The tutorial will offer an opportunity to discuss the IPR issues encountered by those managing repositories. The tutorial will draw on the experience of participants who have been engaged in advocacy act...

Academic advocacy in public health: Disciplinary 'duty' or political 'propaganda'?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, K E; Stewart, E A

2017-09-01

The role of 'advocacy' within public health attracts considerable debate but is rarely the subject of empirical research. This paper reviews the available literature and presents data from qualitative research (interviews and focus groups conducted in the UK in 2011-2013) involving 147 professionals (working in academia, the public sector, the third sector and policy settings) concerned with public health in the UK. It seeks to address the following questions: (i) What is public health advocacy and how does it relate to research?; (ii) What role (if any) do professionals concerned with public health feel researchers ought to play in advocacy?; and (iii) For those researchers who do engage in advocacy, what are the risks and challenges and to what extent can these be managed/mitigated? In answering these questions, we argue that two deeply contrasting conceptualisations of 'advocacy' exist within public health, the most dominant of which ('representational') centres on strategies for 'selling' public health goals to decision-makers and the wider public. This contrasts with an alternative (less widely employed) conceptualisation of advocacy as 'facilitational'. This approach focuses on working with communities whose voices are often unheard/ignored in policy to enable their views to contribute to debates. We argue that these divergent ways of thinking about advocacy speak to a more fundamental challenge regarding the role of the public in research, policy and practice and the activities that connect these various strands of public health research. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Advocacy for Quality School Health Education: The Role of Public Health Educators as Professionals and Community Members

Science.gov (United States)

Birch, David A.; Priest, Hannah M.; Mitchell, Qshequilla P.

2015-01-01

Advocacy at the local school or school district level has received emphasis as a strategy for improving school health education. The involvement of health educators in advocacy for school health education has been described as "imperative" at all levels of school-based policy. Allensworth's 2010 Society for Public Health Education…

Engaging students in community health: a public health advocacy curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Curran, Nell; Ned, Judith; Winkleby, Marilyn

2014-03-01

Individual risk assessment and behavior change dominate the content of high school health education instruction whereas broader social, political, and economic factors that influence health-known as upstream causes-are less commonly considered. With input from instructors and students, we developed a 10-lesson experiential Public Health Advocacy Curriculum that uses classroom-based activities to teach high school students about the upstream causes of health and engages them in community-based health advocacy. The Curriculum, most suitable for health- or advocacy-related elective classes or after-school programs, may be taught in its entirety or as single lessons integrated into existing coursework. Although students at many schools are using the Curriculum, it has been formally evaluated with 110 predominantly Latino students at one urban and one semirural public high school in Northern California (six classes). In pre-post surveys, students showed highly significant and positive changes in the nine questions that covered the three main Curriculum domains (Upstream Causes, Community Exploration, and Public Health Advocacy), p values .02 to Curriculum is being widely disseminated without charge to local, national, and international audiences, with the objective of grooming a generation of youth who are committed to the public health perspective to health.

Practitioner Perceptions of School Library Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

School library advocacy is increasingly important due to decreases in funding and staff. National organizations attempt to engage school librarians in advocacy and have developed resources and tools to assist with this task. However, there is little research examining how practicing school librarians engage in advocacy and how their advocacy…

Sustainability and Interest Group Participation in City Politics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kent E. Portney

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Many cities across the United States have embraced programs aimed at achieving greater sustainability. This may seem surprising, particularly since adopting aggressive environmental protection programs is regarded by some as inimical to economic development. An alternative perspective is that in the modern city sustainability can be part of an economic development strategy. What is largely missing from the literature on sustainable cities’ policies and programs is systematic analysis of the political dynamics that seem to affect support for, and adoption and implementation of, local sustainability policies. To explore the actual behavior of cities with respect to sustainability and economic development policies, two original databases on 50 large U.S. cities are used. One source of data is composed of survey responses from city councilors, agency administrators, and leaders of local advocacy groups in each of these cities. The second database contains information as to what these 50 cities actually do in terms of sustainable programs and policies. In testing a series of hypotheses, findings suggest that: a high number of programs aimed at achieving sustainability is linked to the inclusion of environmental advocacy groups; that this relationship is not compromised by business advocacy; and that inclusion of environmental groups in policymaking seems to be supported, rather than impeded, by high rates of economic growth by the cities.

Advocacy for Children with Social-Communication Needs: Perspectives from Parents and School Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Meghan M.; Meadan-Kaplansky, Hedda; Patton, Kimberly A.; Pearson, Jamie N.; Cummings, Katrina P.; Lee, Chung eun

2018-01-01

Although parents of children with disabilities often advocate for special education services, most research has only examined advocacy from the perspectives of parents. Given that advocacy is an interpersonal exchange, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of parents and school professionals. In this study, focus groups were conducted with…

Self-advocacy for people with intellectual disability in Sweden – organizational similarities and differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ove Mallander

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Self-determination and the ability to express opinions and preferences are fundamental to all people. Self-advocacy (SA among people with intellectual disability (PWID presents opportunities for them to develop skills to have a say and influence changes in their local environments. The aim of this article is to explore and understand organizational similarities and differences of SA groups for PWID in Sweden by focusing their structures and activities. Within the theoretical framework of Resource-Dependency and New Institutional Perspectives, data from six Swedish SA groups belonging to two different national organizations, have been analyzed. Factors such as affinity and expectations show limited differences, while power distribution, rules and the role of support persons point to greater diversity. However, good relations within the local organizational field seems to be essential to maintain strong SA for PWID.

Energy efficiency advocacy groups: A study of selected interactive efforts and independent initiatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schweitzer, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); English, M.; Schexnayder, S.; Altman, J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Energy, Environment, and Resources Center

1994-03-01

Non-utility groups participate in a myriad of activities--initiated by themselves and others--aimed at influencing the policies and actions of utilities and their regulators related to Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and Demand-Side Management (DSM). Some of these activities are not directed toward a particular regulatory body or utility but are designed to influence public knowledge and acceptance of IRP and DSM. Other activities involve interaction with a particular utility or regulatory body. The traditional forum for this interaction is an adversarial debate (i.e., litigation or regulatory intervention) over the merits of a utility`s plan or proposed action. However, an increasingly common forum is one in which non-utility groups and utilities cooperatively develop plans, policies, and/or programs. Arrangements of this type are referred to in this report as ``interactive efforts``. This report presents the findings derived from ten case studies of energy efficiency advocacy groups (EEAG) activities to influence the use of cost-effective DSM and to promote IRP; nine of these ten cases involve some form of interactive effort and all of them also include other EEAG activities. The goal of this research is not to measure the success of individual activities of the various groups, but to glean from a collective examination of their activities an understanding of the efficacy of various types of interactive efforts and other EEAG activities and of the contextual and procedural factors that influence their outcomes.

Progress in improving provincial plans for nutrition through targeted technical assistance and local advocacy in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Jody; Nguyen, Phuong H; To, Quyen; Frongillo, Edward A; Menon, Purnima

2016-12-01

Vietnam has been decentralizing nutrition planning to provinces, which could help with local relevance and accountability. Assessment in 2009 found a continuing top-down approach, limited human capacity, and difficulty in integrating multiple sectors. Alive and Thrive (A&T) provided targeted assistance and capacity-building for 15 provincial plans for nutrition (PPNs). We aimed to (i) assess PPN content and quality improvements 2009-2014, and (ii) explain processes through which change occurred. Data consisted of interview-based assessments of provincial planning processes, annual PPN assessments, and tracking of A&T involvement. At endline, some provinces produced higher quality plans. Local planning skills improved, but capacity remained insufficient. Awareness of and support for nutrition improved, but some policy and legal environments were contradictory. Objectives were clearer, but use of data for planning remained inconsistent. Provinces became more proactive and creative, but remained constrained by slow approval processes and insufficient funding. Targeted assistance and local advocacy can improve decentralized planning, with success dependent on policy and programming contexts and ability to overcome constraints around capacity, investment, data use and remnants of centralized planning. We recommend strong engagement with planners at the national level to understand how to unblock major constraints; solutions must take into consideration the particular political, financial and administrative context. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The relationship between environmental advocacy, values, and science: a survey of ecological scientists' attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiners, Derek S; Reiners, William A; Lockwood, Jeffrey A

2013-07-01

This article reports the results ofa survey of 1215 nonstudent Ecological Society of America (ESA) members. The results pertain to three series of questions designed to assess ecologists' engagement in various advocacy activities, as well as attitudes on the relationship between environmental advocacy, values, and science. We also analyzed the effects of age, gender, and employment categories on responses. While many findings are reported, we highlight six here. First, ecologists in our sample do not report particularly high levels of engagement in advocacy activities. Second, ecologists are not an ideologically unified group. Indeed, there are cases of significant disagreement among ecologists regarding advocacy, values, and science. Third, despite some disagreement, ecologists generally believe that values consistent with environmental advocacy are more consonant with ecological pursuits than values based on environmental skepticism. Fourth, compared to males, female ecologists tend to be more supportive of advocacy and less convinced that environmentally oriented values perturb the pursuit of science. Fifth, somewhat paradoxically, ecologists in higher age brackets indicate higher engagement in advocacy activities as well as a higher desire for scientific objectivity. Sixth, compared to ecologists in other employment categories, those in government prefer a greater separation between science and the influences of environmental advocacy and values.

Community advocacy groups as a means to address the social environment of female sex workers: a case study in Andhra Pradesh, India.

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Punyam, Swarup; Pullikalu, Renuka Somanatha; Mishra, Ram Manohar; Sandri, Prashanth; Mutupuru, Balakrishna Prasad; Kokku, Suresh Babu; Parimi, Prabhakar

2012-10-01

To examine the association between the presence of community advocacy groups (CAGs) and female sex workers' (FSWs) access to social entitlements and outcomes of police advocacy. Data were used from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010-2011 among 1986 FSWs and 104 NGO outreach workers from five districts of Andhra Pradesh. FSWs were recruited using a probability-based sampling from 104 primary sampling units (PSUs). A PSU is a geographical area covered by one outreach worker and is expected to have an active CAG as per community mobilisation efforts. The presence of active CAGs was defined as the presence of an active committee or advocacy group in the area (PSU). Outcome indicators included acquisition of different social entitlements and measures of police response as reported by FSWs. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations. Areas with active CAGs compared with their counterparts had a significantly higher mean number of FSWs linked to ration cards (12.8 vs 6.8; p<0.01), bank accounts (9.3 vs 5.9; p=0.05) and health insurance (13.1 vs 7.0; p=0.02). A significantly higher percentage of FSWs from areas with active CAGs as compared with others reported that the police treat them more fairly now than a year before (79.7% vs 70.3%; p<0.05) and the police explained the reasons for arrest when arrested the last time (95.7% vs 87%; p<0.05). FSWs from areas with active CAGs were more likely to access certain social entitlements and to receive a fair response from the police, highlighting the contributions of CAGs in community mobilisation.

Advocacy for eye care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thulasiraj D Ravilla

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The effectiveness of eye care service delivery is often dependant on how the different stakeholders are aligned. These stakeholders range from the ministries of health who have the capacity to grant government subsidies for eye care, down to the primary healthcare workers who can be enrolled to screen for basic eye diseases. Advocacy is a tool that can help service providers draw the attention of key stakeholders to a particular area of concern. By enlisting the support, endorsement and participation of a wider circle of players, advocacy can help to improve the penetration and effectiveness of the services provided. There are several factors in the external environmental that influence the eye care services - such as the availability of trained manpower, supply of eye care consumables, government rules and regulations. There are several instances where successful advocacy has helped to create an enabling environment for eye care service delivery. Providing eye care services in developing countries requires the support - either for direct patient care or for support services such as producing trained manpower or for research and dissemination. Such support, in the form of financial or other resources, can be garnered through advocacy.

The voice of Florence Nightingale on advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Selanders, Louise C; Crane, Patrick C

2012-01-31

Modern nursing is complex, ever changing, and multi focused. Since the time of Florence Nightingale, however, the goal of nursing has remained unchanged, namely to provide a safe and caring environment that promotes patient health and well being. Effective use of an interpersonal tool, such as advocacy, enhances the care-giving environment. Nightingale used advocacy early and often in the development of modern nursing. By reading her many letters and publications that have survived, it is possible to identify her professional goals and techniques. Specifically, Nightingale valued egalitarian human rights and developed leadership principles and practices that provide useful advocacy techniques for nurses practicing in the 21st century. In this article we will review the accomplishments of Florence Nightingale, discuss advocacy in nursing and show how Nightingale used advocacy through promoting both egalitarian human rights and leadership activities. We will conclude by exploring how Nightingale's advocacy is as relevant for the 21st century as it was for the 19th century.

Advocacy: Perspectives of Future Nurse Administrators.

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OʼConnor, Mary

Advocacy is a core competency of the nurse, and especially the nurse leader. It is a multidimensional concept that requires knowledge, experience, self-confidence, and above all, courage. This article describes and illustrates the perspectives of nursing administration graduate students, as they depict advocacy in many relationships. These include advocacy for the patient, family, self, community, organization, profession, and society. The themes that emerged from narratives written by these nurse leaders were the development of courage and the finding of their voices. Stories demonstrate participants' courage to speak up despite feeling conflicted due to issues of autonomy, moral distress, or fear of retribution. Implications for nurse administrators to support advocacy at all levels are presented.

CORRELATION BETWEEN GROUP LOCAL DENSITY AND GROUP LUMINOSITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng Xinfa [School of Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031 (China); Yu Guisheng [Department of Natural Science, Nanchang Teachers College, Jiangxi 330103 (China)

2012-11-10

In this study, we investigate the correlation between group local number density and total luminosity of groups. In four volume-limited group catalogs, we can conclude that groups with high luminosity exist preferentially in high-density regions, while groups with low luminosity are located preferentially in low-density regions, and that in a volume-limited group sample with absolute magnitude limit M{sub r} = -18, the correlation between group local number density and total luminosity of groups is the weakest. These results basically are consistent with the environmental dependence of galaxy luminosity.

Achieving Health SDG 3 in Africa through NGO Capacity Building - Insights from the Gates Foundation Investment in Partnership in Advocacy for Child and Family Health (PACFaH) Project.

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Walker, Judith-Ann

2016-09-01

As global impact investors gear up to support roll out of the Sustainable Development Goals in the developing world, African CSOs are urged to ensure that governments shift health funding sources away from aid and loans to innovative domestic funding sources which prioritize health. To do so, African CSOs require support to build their capacity for policy and budget advocacy. Governments and development partners have failed to invest in long term capacity building projects for indigenous NGOs and instead support INGOs to push the health advocacy agenda forward. In Nigeria, the Gates foundation has risen to the challenge of building capacity of indigenous NGOs for social accountability in child and family health. The 3 year pilot project - Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health Project (PACFaH) mainstreams capacity building as an effective implementation strategy for 8 indigenous NGOs to deliver on - policy; budgetary; legislative; and administrative advocacy in four issue areas: 1) family planning; 2) nutrition; 3) routine immunization; and 4) reduction of under-5 deaths from diarrhea and pneumonia. This paper documents the achievements of the eight advocacy NGOs in PACFaH, at midterm and notes that while there have been challenges, working through capacity building as an implementation strategy has enabled the local groups in the delivery of evidence based advocacy.

42 Editorial ADVOCACY IN ORTHOPAEDICS

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-09-11

Sep 11, 2017 ... East African Orthopaedic Journal. Advocacy may be ... taxation of medical equipment and implants in Kenya. In 2013 a change ... Asia countries especially India were doing the opposite. They reduced ... Most developing countries have been dealing with communicable ... The role of advocacy is huge here.

The art and science of political advocacy.

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Kosiorowski, Donna

2014-01-01

School nurses throughout the nation, individually and collectively, work to bring about change for the school nursing profession and to safeguard the health of children and the public. School nurses practice amidst education reform, health care reform, changes in society, and medical and technological advancements. School nurses must be active in decisions that affect their daily practice by involvement in the local, state, and federal political process. School nurses must craft the art and develop the science of political advocacy.

Iranian Nurses' Attitudes and Perception towards Patient Advocacy.

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Motamed-Jahromi, Mohadeseh; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Borhani, Fariba; Zaher, Homa

2012-01-01

Patient advocacy is an inherent component of professional nursing ethics; in other words, nurses' enough knowledge would be essential to gain a positive attitude towards nursing advocacy. Using a descriptive-analytic design, this study aimed to assess the correlation between nurses' perception and attitudes towards patient advocacy, amongst 385 nurses in Kerman, Iran; hence, a three-part questionnaire was applied: part I, a demographic data sheet, part II, attitude measuring instrument, and part III, perception measuring instrument in nursing advocacy. The results implied that fairly positive attitudes and perception were found amongst the participants, and nurses' attitudes, in general, were positively correlated to their perception toward nursing advocacy. This means that with an improvement in perception, the attitude would also improve. In addition to our findings, it seems that these nurses needed more advocacy educational programs and support from responsible employers.

Health Advocacy--Counting the Costs

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Dyall, Lorna; Marama, Maria

2010-01-01

Access to, and delivery of, safe and culturally appropriate health services is increasingly important in New Zealand. This paper will focus on counting the costs of health advocacy through the experience of a small non government charitable organisation, the Health Advocates Trust, (HAT) which aimed to provide advocacy services for a wide range of…

Employee Advocacy on Social Media : The role of management in enhancing employee advocacy

OpenAIRE

Latvala, Taru

2017-01-01

In recent years, employee advocacy has become a growing trend all over the world, especially now that social media offers new dimensions. The employee advocacy phenomenon is finally starting to gain attention in Finland as well, but businesses have yet to harness the full potential. The research focused on the managerial perspective of the phenomenon. The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon in the Finnish context, focusing on social media. The objective was to create ...

A distributed model: redefining a robust research subject advocacy program at the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center.

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Winkler, Sabune J; Cagliero, Enrico; Witte, Elizabeth; Bierer, Barbara E

2014-08-01

The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center ("Harvard Catalyst") Research Subject Advocacy (RSA) Program has reengineered subject advocacy, distributing the delivery of advocacy functions through a multi-institutional, central platform rather than vesting these roles and responsibilities in a single individual functioning as a subject advocate. The program is process-oriented and output-driven, drawing on the strengths of participating institutions to engage local stakeholders both in the protection of research subjects and in advocacy for subjects' rights. The program engages stakeholder communities in the collaborative development and distributed delivery of accessible and applicable educational programming and resources. The Harvard Catalyst RSA Program identifies, develops, and supports the sharing and distribution of expertise, education, and resources for the benefit of all institutions, with a particular focus on the frontline: research subjects, researchers, research coordinators, and research nurses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Home, Office of Public Advocacy, Department of Administration, State of

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Visiting Alaska State Employees State of Alaska Department of Administration Division of Office of Public Advocacy Alaska Department of Administration, Office of Public Advocacy Home Programs Sections Forms Vendor Support Search Office of Public Advocacy State of Alaska Administration > Office of Public Advocacy

Advocacy as a Practice of Critical Teacher Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley-Levine, Jill

2018-01-01

Teacher advocacy has been examined as a practice of activism external to the school and as a practice of educational leadership. However, researchers have not merged these ideas by framing advocacy as a practice of leadership that takes place within the classroom and across the school. This article illustrates how, through advocacy on behalf of…

Counselor Advocacy: Affecting Systemic Change in the Public Arena

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Lee, Courtland C.; Rodgers, Roe A.

2009-01-01

This article provides direction for developing advocacy competency in the public arena. Direction for increasing public awareness, affecting public policy, and influencing legislation is presented. A process of creating change entailing establishing a sense of social/political urgency regarding an issue, organizing and educating a group of people…

The Local Group: Our Galactic Neighborhood.

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Hodge, Paul

1987-01-01

Presents information on the properties and largest spirals of the Local Group galaxies. Explains the three categories of galaxies, identifies the brightest members of the Local Group, and discusses recent discoveries within the group. (ML)

Nilpotent -local finite groups

Science.gov (United States)

Cantarero, José; Scherer, Jérôme; Viruel, Antonio

2014-10-01

We provide characterizations of -nilpotency for fusion systems and -local finite groups that are inspired by known result for finite groups. In particular, we generalize criteria by Atiyah, Brunetti, Frobenius, Quillen, Stammbach and Tate.

Building Evidence for Music Education Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Shorner-Johnson, Kevin

2013-01-01

The economic challenges facing public schools and music education are immense. In this context, music teachers and supporters will need to engage in persuasive advocacy to protect resource allocations to music programs. It is worthwhile to consider the model of music education advocacy that allowed music to be adopted into the Boston Public…

Nursing Actions in practicing inpatient advocacy in a Burn Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Carniato Dalle Nogario

2015-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVEUnderstanding nursing actions in the practice of inpatient advocacy in a burn unit.METHODA single and descriptive case study, carried out with nurses working in a referral burn center in southern Brazil. Data were collected through focus group technique, between February and March 2014, in three meetings. Data was analysed through discursive textual analysis.RESULTSThree emerging categories were identified, namely: (1 instructing the patient; (2 protecting the patient; and (3 ensuring the quality of care.CONCLUSIONSThis study identified that the nurses investigated exercised patient advocacy and that the recognition of their actions is an advance for the profession, contributing to the autonomy of nurses and the effectiveness of patients' rights and social justice.

The Role of Policy Advocacy in Assuring Comprehensive Family Life Education in California

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Brindis, Claire D.; Geierstanger, Sara P.; Faxio, Adrienne

2009-01-01

As part of their 10-year $60 million Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, The California Wellness Foundation funded 18 state and local organizations to conduct policy advocacy to strengthen teen pregnancy prevention policies. This article describes how some of these grantees accomplished noteworthy goals, including the passage of the…

Development and Assessment of the Social Issues Advocacy Scale

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Nilsson, Johanna E.; Marszalek, Jacob M.; Linnemeyer, Rachel M.; Bahner, Angela D.; Misialek, Leah Hanson

2011-01-01

This article describes the development and the initial psychometric evaluation of the Social Issues Advocacy Scale in two studies. In the first study, an exploratory factor analysis (n = 278) revealed a four-factor scale, accounting for 71.4% of the variance, measuring different aspects of social issue advocacy: Political and Social Advocacy,…

Health Policy and Advocacy for New Mexico Medical Students in the Family Medicine Clerkship.

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Cole McGrew, Martha; Wayne, Sharon; Solan, Brian; Snyder, Tiffany; Ferguson, Cheryl; Kalishman, Summers

2015-01-01

Learners in medical education are often inadequately prepared to address the underlying social determinants of health and disease. The objective of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Health Policy and Advocacy curriculum incorporated into our family medicine clerkship. We developed a Health Policy and Advocacy course for medical students within our family medicine clerkship. We evaluated the curriculum using a survey of our own design administered to students before and after their clerkship year. We created a mean score for each subscale that measured (1) physician's role, (2) knowledge, and (3) confidence in ability and calculated differences between the pre-survey and the post-survey scores for four medical school classes. We also conducted a focus group to get student input on the new curriculum. Mean scores on the pre- and post-surveys were highest for the subscale regarding attitudes about a physician's role in health policy and advocacy and did not change over time. Scores for self-reported knowledge and confidence in abilities increased significantly from the beginning to the end of the clerkship year. Students were generally positive about the curriculum but had some concerns about finding time for advocacy in their future practices. Training in health care policy and advocacy can be successfully implemented into a medical school curriculum with positive outcomes in students' self-reported knowledge and confidence in their abilities. Work remains on providing advocacy role models for students.

Participatory advocacy: a counter to media imperialism.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, M

1996-01-01

Western media have a history of defining news worldwide, presenting news from a Western perspective which distorts and denies the truth as perceived from developing countries. Western news coverage of developing countries seems to emphasize countries' fragility, instability, and corruption, leading people to believe that the economic problems of developing countries are due to internal failures. That view is then transferred back to indigenous peoples and communities through major Western news agencies and mass media. Participatory communication is based upon the notion that people have the right to decide how they want themselves and their situations to be portrayed, to decide what information is useful to them and their community, and to be integral players in the communication process. With regard to media imperialism, the author discusses implications for advocacy activities, participatory communication approaches, participatory advocacy, participatory advocacy in South Asia, girl child drama in Nepal, drug abuse television drama in Nepal, and the advocacy challenge.

Effectiveness of narrative pedagogy in developing student nurses' advocacy role.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazarian, Priscilla K; Fernberg, Lauren M; Sheehan, Kelly D

2016-03-01

The literature and research on nursing ethics and advocacy has shown that generally very few nurses and other clinicians will speak up about an issue they have witnessed regarding a patient advocacy concern and that often advocacy in nursing is not learned until after students have graduated and begun working. To evaluate the effectiveness of narrative pedagogy on the development of advocacy in student nurses, as measured by the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale. We tested the hypothesis that use of a narrative pedagogy assignment related to ethics would improve student nurse's perception of their advocacy role as measured by the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale using a quasi-experimental nonrandomized study using a pre-test, intervention, post-test design. Data collection occurred during class time from October 2012 to December 2012. The Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale tool was administered to students in class to assess their baseline and was administered again at the completion of the educational intervention to assess whether narrative pedagogy was effective in developing the nursing student's perception of their role as a patient advocate. Students were informed that their participation was voluntary and that the data collected would be anonymous and confidential. The survey was not a graded assignment, and students did not receive any incentive to participate. The institutional review board of the college determined the study to be exempt from review. School of Nursing at a small liberal arts college in the Northeastern United States. A consecutive, nonprobability sample of 44 senior-level nursing students enrolled in their final nursing semester was utilized. Results indicated significant differences in student nurse's perception of their advocacy role related to environment and educational influences following an education intervention using an ethics digital story. Using the Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale, we were able to measure the effectiveness of

Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets: strengthening the advocacy capacities of national farmer organisations through collaborative research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ton, G.; Grip, de K.; Lançon, F.; Onumah, G.; Proctor, F.J.

2014-01-01

The Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets programme (ESFIM) supported the advocacy capacities of national farmer organisations (NFOs) for improving smallholder market access. The programme gave NFOs in 11 countries the opportunity to contract local experts to strengthen the evidence-base of

Professor Brand Advocacy: Do Brand Relationships Matter?

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Jillapalli, Ravi K.; Wilcox, James B.

2010-01-01

The trend among students to advocate their professors online continues to generate interest within marketing academia. Brand advocacy in products and services has played a vital role in marketing. However, no known research to date has embraced the idea of brand advocacy in marketing education. This research builds on the recent human brand…

The Local Group : Inventory and History

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tolstoy, E.; Kerschbaum, F; Lebzelter, T; Wing, RF

2011-01-01

An overview is presented of what we know about the Local Group of galaxies, primarily from optical imaging and spectroscopy. AGB stars are on the whole a very sparse and unrepresentative stellar population in most Local Group galaxies. However, more detailed studies of star formation histories and

Teachers, School Boards, and the Power of Money: How the Right Wins at the Local Level

Science.gov (United States)

Schirmer, Eleni B.; Apple, Michael W.

2016-01-01

This article examines national conservative political advocacy groups' growing interest in local politics, and analyzes how they form alliances and gain political power. Following efforts to restrict collective bargaining for Wisconsin public employees, Kenosha school board members' attempts to legally protect teachers' rights provoked concern…

Families of Children with Disabilities in Elementary and Middle School: Advocacy Models and Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Alper, Sandra; And Others

1996-01-01

This article describes models and methods of advocacy for families of children with disabilities in elementary and middle school, including self-advocacy, social support advocacy, interpersonal advocacy, and legal advocacy. Issues for parents during these years are discussed, as are the role and needs of siblings. Advocacy is seen as a dynamic…

A pilot study evaluating the effects of a youth advocacy program on youth readiness to advocate for environment and policy changes for obesity prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Millstein, Rachel A; Woodruff, Susan I; Linton, Leslie S; Edwards, Christine C; Sallis, James F

2016-12-01

Youth advocacy for obesity prevention is a promising but under-evaluated intervention. The aims of this study are to evaluate a youth advocacy program's outcomes related to youth perceptions and behaviors, develop an index of youth advocacy readiness, and assess potential predictors of advocacy readiness. Youth ages 9-22 in an advocacy training program (n = 92 matched pairs) completed surveys before and after training. Youth outcomes and potential predictors of advocacy readiness were assessed with evaluated scales. All 20 groups who completed the evaluation study presented their advocacy projects to a decision maker. Two of six perception subscales increased following participation in the advocacy program: self-efficacy for advocacy behaviors (p assertiveness (p < .01), health advocacy history (p < .001), knowledge of resources (p < .01), and social support for health behaviors (p < .001). Youth increased days of meeting physical activity recommendations (p < .05). In a mixed regression model, four subscales were associated with the advocacy readiness index: optimism for change (B = 1.46, 95 % CI = .49-2.44), sports and physical activity enjoyment (B = .55, 95 % CI = .05-1.05), roles and participation (B = 1.81, 95 % CI = .60-3.02), and advocacy activities (B = 1.49, 95 % CI = .64-2.32). The youth advocacy readiness index is a novel way to determine the effects of multiple correlates of advocacy readiness. Childhood obesity-related advocacy training appeared to improve youths' readiness for advocacy and physical activity.

Gay-Straight Alliances vary on dimensions of youth socializing and advocacy: factors accounting for individual and setting-level differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Poteat, V Paul; Scheer, Jillian R; Marx, Robert A; Calzo, Jerel P; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu

2015-06-01

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) are school-based youth settings that could promote health. Yet, GSAs have been treated as homogenous without attention to variability in how they operate or to how youth are involved in different capacities. Using a systems perspective, we considered two primary dimensions along which GSAs function to promote health: providing socializing and advocacy opportunities. Among 448 students in 48 GSAs who attended six regional conferences in Massachusetts (59.8 % LGBQ; 69.9 % White; 70.1 % cisgender female), we found substantial variation among GSAs and youth in levels of socializing and advocacy. GSAs were more distinct from one another on advocacy than socializing. Using multilevel modeling, we identified group and individual factors accounting for this variability. In the socializing model, youth and GSAs that did more socializing activities did more advocacy. In the advocacy model, youth who were more actively engaged in the GSA as well as GSAs whose youth collectively perceived greater school hostility and reported greater social justice efficacy did more advocacy. Findings suggest potential reasons why GSAs vary in how they function in ways ranging from internal provisions of support, to visibility raising, to collective social change. The findings are further relevant for settings supporting youth from other marginalized backgrounds and that include advocacy in their mission.

The Phenomenon of Legislative Advocacy among Parents of Children with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Meghan M.; Sandman, Linda; Perez, Beatrize; O'Leary, Meghann

2018-01-01

Although parents of children with disabilities have forged systemic changes for individuals with disabilities, little is known about the phenomenon of legislative advocacy (LA) including methods and barriers. In this United States-based study, 49 parents of individuals with disabilities participated in focus groups about LA reporting both positive…

Evaluation of resident attitudes and self-reported competencies in health advocacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fok Mark C

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The CanMEDS Health Advocate role, one of seven roles mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada, pertains to a physician's responsibility to use their expertise and influence to advance the wellbeing of patients, communities, and populations. We conducted our study to examine resident attitudes and self-reported competencies related to health advocacy, due to limited information in the literature on this topic. Methods We conducted a pilot experience with seven internal medicine residents participating in a community health promotion event. The residents provided narrative feedback after the event and the information was used to generate items for a health advocacy survey. Face validity was established by having the same residents review the survey. Content validity was established by inviting an expert physician panel to review the survey. The refined survey was then distributed to a cohort of core Internal Medicine residents electronically after attendance at an academic retreat teaching residents about advocacy through didactic sessions. Results The survey was completed by 76 residents with a response rate of 68%. The majority agreed to accept an advocacy role for societal health needs beyond caring for individual patients. Most confirmed their ability to identify health determinants and reaffirmed the inherent requirements for health advocacy. While involvement in health advocacy was common during high school and undergraduate studies, 76% of residents reported no current engagement in advocacy activity, and 36% were undecided if they would engage in advocacy during their remaining time as residents, fellows or staff. The common barriers reported were insufficient time, rest and stress. Conclusions Medical residents endorsed the role of health advocate and reported proficiency in determining the medical and bio-psychosocial determinants of individuals and communities. Few residents, however, were

On the nature of advocacy as an institution of civil society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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

Young deafblind adults in action: becoming self-determined change agents through advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Susan M; Parker, Amy T

2012-01-01

Six young deafblind adults took a 1-week course on civic engagement and advocacy, which provided the focus for a participatory action research study with a collective case study design. They selected advocacy topics, were briefed on these policy issues, and were paired with experienced mentors for meetings with legislators in Washington, DC. Eight themes were identified from constant comparative and in vivo analysis of classroom discussion notes, interviews, and journals: (a) defining advocacy and advocate, (b) rights and equality, (c) expectations, (d) role of education in change, (e) deafblind expertise, (f) characteristics of effective change agents, (g) advocacy is teamwork, (h) future advocacy. In the classroom, the participants learned about policy issues, communication considerations, and leadership, then applied this knowledge in the legislative arena. Through the advocacy process, they learned to apply their personal strengths as advocates and experienced the importance of teamwork in advocacy.

Developing a comprehensive curriculum for public health advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hines, Ayelet; Jernigan, David H

2012-11-01

There is a substantial gap in public health school curricula regarding advocacy. Development of such a curriculum faces three challenges: faculty lack advocacy skills and experience; the public health literature on effective advocacy is limited; and yet a successful curriculum must be scalable to meet the needs of approximately 9,000 public health students graduating each year. To meet these challenges, we propose a 100-hour interactive online curriculum in five sections: campaigning and organizing, policy making and lobbying, campaign communications, new media, and fund-raising. We outline the content for individual modules in each of these sections, describe how the curriculum would build on existing interactive learning and social media technologies, and provide readers the opportunity to "test-drive" excerpts of a module on "grasstops" organizing. Developing advocacy skills and expertise is critical to meeting the challenges of public health today, and we provide a blueprint for how such training might be brought to scale in the field.

Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network

Science.gov (United States)

... Grants Bladder Cancer Think Tank Bladder Cancer Research Network Bladder Cancer Genomics Consortium Get Involved Ways to ... us? Who we are The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) is a community of patients, caregivers, survivors, ...

Tools Beyond Control: Social Media and the Work of Advocacy Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis E. Hestres

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Advocacy organizations rely on social media services, such as Facebook and Twitter, to engage their supporters. These services increasingly influence how citizens and advocacy organizations engage politically online through the technical features and policies they choose to implement—a phenomenon that can sometimes disrupt the work of advocates. Interviews with digital strategists at several US advocacy organizations revealed low levels of awareness of this phenomenon, despite its potential impact on their work; substantial dependence on these services for advocacy work; and a shared sense of necessity to embrace these tools, despite their potential downsides. Implications for the scholarship and practice of Internet governance and digitally mediated advocacy are discussed.

Effects of an Advocacy Trial on Food Industry Salt Reduction Efforts-An Interim Process Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevena, Helen; Petersen, Kristina; Thow, Anne Marie; Dunford, Elizabeth K; Wu, Jason H Y; Neal, Bruce

2017-10-17

The decisions made by food companies are a potent factor shaping the nutritional quality of the food supply. A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocate for corporate action to reduce salt levels in foods, but few data define the effectiveness of advocacy. This present report describes the process evaluation of an advocacy intervention delivered by one Australian NGO directly to food companies to reduce the salt content of processed foods. Food companies were randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 22) or control ( n = 23) groups. Intervention group companies were exposed to pre-planned and opportunistic communications, and control companies to background activities. Seven pre-defined interim outcome measures provided an indication of the effect of the intervention and were assessed using intention-to-treat analysis. These were supplemented by qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews. The mean number of public communications supporting healthy food made by intervention companies was 1.5 versus 1.8 for control companies ( p = 0.63). Other outcomes, including the mean number of news articles, comments and reports (1.2 vs. 1.4; p = 0.72), a published nutrition policy (23% vs. 44%; p = 0.21), public commitment to the Australian government's Food and Health Dialogue (FHD) (41% vs. 61%; p = 0.24), evidence of a salt reduction plan (23% vs. 30%; p = 0.56), and mean number of communications with the NGO (15 vs. 11; p = 0.28) were also not significantly different. Qualitative data indicated the advocacy trial had little effect. The absence of detectable effects of the advocacy intervention on the interim markers indicates there may be no impact of the NGO advocacy trial on the primary outcome of salt reduction in processed foods.

Competition Advocacy: the Italian Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Rebecchini

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Competition advocacy is considered, together with enforcement, the core business of an antitrust authority. Broadly speaking there are at least three main tasks regularly performed by most, if not all, antitrust agencies that are amenable to the advocacy function: addressing laws and regulations in order to remove unnecessary impediments to competition; engaging in sector enquiries to understand markets behavior and identify critical issues; explaining the benefits of open competitive markets to the public opinion. This article examines these three main tasks and outlines the challenges for competition agencies, with references to the experience of the Italian Competition Authority (ICA and the initiatives undertaken at international level.

Legislating for advocacy: The case of whistleblowing.

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Watson, Chanel L; O'Connor, Tom

2017-05-01

The role of nurses as patient advocates is one which is well recognised, supported and the subject of a broad body of literature. One of the key impediments to the role of the nurse as patient advocate is the lack of support and legislative frameworks. Within a broad range of activities constituting advocacy, whistleblowing is currently the subject of much discussion in the light of the Mid Staffordshire inquiry in the United Kingdom (UK) and other instances of patient mistreatment. As a result steps to amend existing whistleblowing legislation where it exists or introduce it where it does not are underway. This paper traces the development of legislation for advocacy. The authors argue that while any legislation supporting advocacy is welcome, legislation on its own will not encourage or enable nurses to whistleblow.

Anatomy of Advocacy: A Case Study of the White House Petition

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Burns, Elizabeth; Kimmel, Sue; Dickinson, Gail

2016-01-01

Little research has been conducted examining advocacy efforts in the school library field despite the fact that program advocate is a prominent role for school librarians. One element of advocacy is the engagement in political initiatives that may affect school library programs. This case study investigates the effectiveness of one advocacy effort…

The value of advocacy in promoting social change: implementing the new Domestic Violence Act in South Africa.

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Usdin, S; Christofides, N; Malepe, L; Maker, A

2000-11-01

South Africa's first democratic government passed the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) into law in 1998 as part of local and international commitments to protecting the human rights of women. Although the Act was welcomed as groundbreaking legislation, delays in implementing it led to increasing frustration. This paper describes an advocacy campaign conducted by the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication in partnership with the National Network on Violence against Women, to ensure the effective implementation of the DVA. Lessons from the campaign stress the importance of coalition building to draw on diverse strengths, and the use of a combination of advocacy tools, including lobbying, media advocacy and social mobilisation to achieve campaign goals. Given the critical role NGOs dealing with victims/survivors of domestic violence and the justice system played in lobbying for change and drafting the new law, their exclusion from the implementation process was ironic. While many advocacy efforts focus on the development of policy and legislation, ongoing efforts are needed to ensure effective implementation, the commitment of adequate resources and monitoring to identify gaps and propose new solutions. Our experience highlights the important role of policy advocates in connecting the multiple streams at play in the policy and legislative arena.

Perspective: Medical professionalism and medical education should not involve commitments to political advocacy.

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Huddle, Thomas S

2011-03-01

It is increasingly suggested that political advocacy is a core professional responsibility for physicians. The author argues that this is an error. Advocacy on behalf of societal goals, even those goals as unexceptionable as the betterment of human health, is inevitably political. Claims that political advocacy are a professional responsibility are mistaken, the author argues, because (1) civic virtues are outside the professional realm, (2) even if civic virtues were professionally obligatory, it is unclear that civic participation is necessary for such virtue, and (3) the profession of medicine ought not to require any particular political stance of its members. Claims that academic health centers should systematically foster advocacy are also deeply problematic. Although advocacy may coexist alongside the core university activities of research and education, insofar as it infects those activities, advocacy is likely to subvert them, as advocacy seeks change rather than knowledge. And official efforts on behalf of advocacy will undermine university aspirations to objectivity and neutrality.American society has conferred remarkable success and prosperity on its medical profession. Physicians are deserving of such success only insofar as they succeed in offering society excellence and dedication in professional work. Mandatory professional advocacy must displace such work but cannot substitute for it. The medical profession should steadfastly resist attempts to add advocacy to its essential professional commitments.

Advocacy for Child Wellness in High-Poverty Environments

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Mullen, Carol A.

2014-01-01

Child wellness needs to be understood holistically so that children and youth from high-poverty environments can succeed in schooling and life. Teachers who foster advocacy in themselves are well equipped to teach students to take ownership of their own well-being. Such advocacy can enrich the classroom curriculum and mitigate the negative effects…

Promoting Systemic Change through the ACA Advocacy Competencies

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Toporek, Rebecca L.; Lewis, Judith A.; Crethar, Hugh C.

2009-01-01

In 2003, the American Counseling Association (ACA) adopted the ACA Advocacy Competencies (J. A. Lewis, M. S. Arnold, R. House, & R. L. Toporek, 2002) to provide guidance to counselors and acknowledge advocacy as an ethical aspect of service to clients. This article provides a foundation for this special section by sharing a historical perspective…

Preventing abuse to pregnant women: implementation of a "mentor mother" advocacy model.

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McFarlane, J; Wiist, W

1997-01-01

Abuse to pregnant women is common and can result in complications to maternal and child health. Although screening and detection of abuse in primary health care settings is becoming more commonplace, intervention models that include community outreach have not been developed or tested. An advocacy model was developed and tested for pregnant abused women by melding research on advocacy programs for abused women exiting shelters with the principles of home visitation used to improve outcomes to pregnant women. Advocacy was offered by "mentor mothers," who were residents of the project's service area. The advocacy consisted of weekly social support, education, and assisted referrals to pregnant women identified as abused as part of routine screening offered at the first prenatal visit to a public health clinic. Effectiveness of the advocacy intervention was measured as contact success rate, number and type of advocacy contacts, and number and type of referrals made to the first 100 women to complete the advocacy program. The mentor mother advocates were successful in contacting the abused woman 33% of the time, regardless of whether a telephone call, home visitation, or in-person meeting was attempted. The average number of advocacy contacts was 9.2 (SD = 7.6) with the majority (74%) being via the telephone. The average number of referrals per woman was 8.6 (SD = 7.6) with the largest percentage (38%) being for medical services. Outreach advocacy as an intervention model for pregnant abused women is recommended.

Antiscience and ethical concerns associated with advocacy of Lyme disease.

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Auwaerter, Paul G; Bakken, Johan S; Dattwyler, Raymond J; Dumler, J Stephen; Halperin, John J; McSweegan, Edward; Nadelman, Robert B; O'Connell, Susan; Shapiro, Eugene D; Sood, Sunil K; Steere, Allen C; Weinstein, Arthur; Wormser, Gary P

2011-09-01

Advocacy for Lyme disease has become an increasingly important part of an antiscience movement that denies both the viral cause of AIDS and the benefits of vaccines and that supports unproven (sometimes dangerous) alternative medical treatments. Some activists portray Lyme disease, a geographically limited tick-borne infection, as a disease that is insidious, ubiquitous, difficult to diagnose, and almost incurable; they also propose that the disease causes mainly non-specific symptoms that can be treated only with long-term antibiotics and other unorthodox and unvalidated treatments. Similar to other antiscience groups, these advocates have created a pseudoscientific and alternative selection of practitioners, research, and publications and have coordinated public protests, accused opponents of both corruption and conspiracy, and spurred legislative efforts to subvert evidence-based medicine and peer-reviewed science. The relations and actions of some activists, medical practitioners, and commercial bodies involved in Lyme disease advocacy pose a threat to public health. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antiscience and ethical concerns associated with advocacy of Lyme disease

Science.gov (United States)

Auwaerter, Paul G; Bakken, Johan S; Dattwyler, Raymond J; Dumler, J Stephen; Halperin, John J; McSweegan, Edward; Nadelman, Robert B; O’Connell, Susan; Shapiro, Eugene D; Sood, Sunil K; Steere, Allen C; Weinstein, Arthur; Wormser, Gary P

2015-01-01

Advocacy for Lyme disease has become an increasingly important part of an antiscience movement that denies both the viral cause of AIDS and the benefits of vaccines and that supports unproven (sometimes dangerous) alternative medical treatments. Some activists portray Lyme disease, a geographically limited tick-borne infection, as a disease that is insidious, ubiquitous, difficult to diagnose, and almost incurable; they also propose that the disease causes mainly non-specific symptoms that can be treated only with long-term antibiotics and other unorthodox and unvalidated treatments. Similar to other antiscience groups, these advocates have created a pseudoscientific and alternative selection of practitioners, research, and publications and have coordinated public protests, accused opponents of both corruption and conspiracy, and spurred legislative efforts to subvert evidence-based medicine and peer-reviewed science. The relations and actions of some activists, medical practitioners, and commercial bodies involved in Lyme disease advocacy pose a threat to public health. PMID:21867956

"We Are Not Really Marketing Mental Health": Mental Health Advocacy in Zimbabwe.

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Reuben Hendler

Full Text Available Few people with mental disorders in low and middle-income countries (LMICs receive treatment, in part because mental disorders are highly stigmatized and do not enjoy priority and resources commensurate with their burden on society. Advocacy has been proposed as a means of building political will and community support for mental health and reducing stigma, but few studies have explored the practice and promise of advocacy in LMICs.We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with leaders in health and mental health in Zimbabwe to explore key stakeholder perceptions on the challenges and opportunities of the country's mental health system. We coded the transcripts using the constant comparative method, informed by principles of grounded theory. Few interview questions directly concerned advocacy, yet in our analysis, advocacy emerged as a prominent, cross-cutting theme across participants and interview questions.Two thirds of the respondents discussed advocacy, often in depth, returning to the concept throughout the interview and emphasizing their belief in advocacy's importance. Participants described six distinct components of advocacy: the advocates, to whom they advocate ("targets", what they advocate for ("asks", how advocates reach their targets ("access", how they make their asks ("arguments", and the results of their advocacy ("outcomes".Despite their perception that mental health is widely misunderstood and under-appreciated in Zimbabwe, respondents expressed optimism that strategically speaking out can reduce stigma and increase access to care. Key issues included navigating hierarchies, empowering service users to advocate, and integrating mental health with other health initiatives. Understanding stakeholder perceptions sets the stage for targeted development of mental health advocacy in Zimbabwe and other LMICs.

"We Are Not Really Marketing Mental Health": Mental Health Advocacy in Zimbabwe.

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Hendler, Reuben; Kidia, Khameer; Machando, Debra; Crooks, Megan; Mangezi, Walter; Abas, Melanie; Katz, Craig; Thornicroft, Graham; Semrau, Maya; Jack, Helen

2016-01-01

Few people with mental disorders in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) receive treatment, in part because mental disorders are highly stigmatized and do not enjoy priority and resources commensurate with their burden on society. Advocacy has been proposed as a means of building political will and community support for mental health and reducing stigma, but few studies have explored the practice and promise of advocacy in LMICs. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with leaders in health and mental health in Zimbabwe to explore key stakeholder perceptions on the challenges and opportunities of the country's mental health system. We coded the transcripts using the constant comparative method, informed by principles of grounded theory. Few interview questions directly concerned advocacy, yet in our analysis, advocacy emerged as a prominent, cross-cutting theme across participants and interview questions. Two thirds of the respondents discussed advocacy, often in depth, returning to the concept throughout the interview and emphasizing their belief in advocacy's importance. Participants described six distinct components of advocacy: the advocates, to whom they advocate ("targets"), what they advocate for ("asks"), how advocates reach their targets ("access"), how they make their asks ("arguments"), and the results of their advocacy ("outcomes"). Despite their perception that mental health is widely misunderstood and under-appreciated in Zimbabwe, respondents expressed optimism that strategically speaking out can reduce stigma and increase access to care. Key issues included navigating hierarchies, empowering service users to advocate, and integrating mental health with other health initiatives. Understanding stakeholder perceptions sets the stage for targeted development of mental health advocacy in Zimbabwe and other LMICs.

Advocacy for Kids: A View from the Residential Trenches.

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Parsons, Jon R.

1995-01-01

Presents the concept of advocacy in the trenches, wherein residential care staff intercede with and for dysfunctional families, dysfunctional children, and the bureaucracy. This advocacy emphasizes individualized treatment and case-by-case networking, focusing not on broad causes but on what is in the best interest of each child. (ET)

Social Justice Advocacy among Graduate Students: An Empirical Investigation

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Linnemeyer, Rachel McQuown

2009-01-01

Although social justice advocacy has increasingly been acknowledged as important in the field of psychology (e.g., Goodman et al., 2004; Toporek et al., 2006a, Vera & Speight, 2003), there is a dearth of empirical research examining social justice advocacy across graduate psychology students. This mixed-methods study examined demographic and…

Does public health advocacy seek to redress health inequities? A scoping review.

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Cohen, Benita E; Marshall, Shelley G

2017-03-01

The public health (PH) sector is ideally situated to take a lead advocacy role in catalysing and guiding multi-sectoral action to address social determinants of health inequities, but evidence suggests that PH's advocacy role has not been fully realised. The purpose of this review was to determine the extent to which the PH advocacy literature addresses the goal of reducing health and social inequities, and to increase understanding of contextual factors shaping the discourse and practice of PH advocacy. We employed scoping review methods to systematically examine and chart peer-reviewed and grey literature on PH advocacy published from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2015. Databases and search engines used included: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index, Google Scholar, Google, Google Books, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Grey Literature Report. A total of 183 documents were charted, and included in the final analysis. Thematic analysis was both inductive and deductive according to the objectives. Although PH advocacy to address root causes of health inequities is supported theoretically and through professional practice standards, the empirical literature does not reflect that this is occurring widely in PH practice. Tensions within the discourse were noted and multiple barriers to engaging in PH advocacy for health equity were identified, including a preoccupation with individual responsibilities for healthy lifestyles and behaviours, consistent with the emergence of neoliberal governance. If the PH sector is to fulfil its advocacy role in catalysing action to reduce health inequities, it will be necessary to address advocacy barriers at multiple levels, promote multi-sectoral efforts that implicate the state and corporations in the production of health inequities, and rally state involvement to redress these injustices. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Teen Photovoice Project: A Pilot Study to Promote Health Through Advocacy

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Necheles, Jonathan W.; Chung, Emily Q.; Hawes-Dawson, Jennifer; Ryan, Gery W.; Williams, La’Shield B.; Holmes, Heidi N.; Wells, Kenneth B.; Vaiana, Mary E.; Schuster, Mark A.

2009-01-01

Background Clinicians, public health practitioners, and policymakers would like to understand how youth perceive health issues and how they can become advocates for health promotion in their communities. 1,2 Traditional research methods can be used to capture these perceptions, but are limited in their ability to activate (excite and engage) youth to participate in health promotion activities. Objectives To pilot the use of an adapted version of photovoice as a starting point to engage youth in identifying influences on their health behaviors in a process that encourages the development of health advocacy projects. Methods Application of qualitative and quantitative methods to a participatory research project that teaches youth the photovoice method to identify and address health promotion issues relevant to their lives. Participants included 13 students serving on a Youth Advisory Board (YAB) of the UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion working in four small groups of two to five participants. Students were from the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area. Results Results were derived from photograph sorting activities, analysis of photograph narratives, and development of advocacy projects. Youth frequently discussed a variety of topics reflected in their pictures that included unhealthy food choices, inducers of stress, friends, emotions, environment, health, and positive aspects of family. The advocacy projects used social marketing strategies, focusing on unhealthy dietary practices and inducers of stress. The youths’ focus on obesity-related issues have contributed to the center’s success in partnering with the Los Angeles Unified School District on a new community-based participatory research (CBPR) project. Conclusion Youth can engage in a process of identifying community-level health influences, leading to health promotion through advocacy. Participants focused their advocacy work on selected issues addressing the types of unhealthy food

Learning about Advocacy, A Case-Study of Challenges, Everyday Practices

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Ringsing, B.; Leeuwis, C.

2008-01-01

Advocacy has become an important area of development support. Simultaneously, the interest in learning-oriented monitoring of advocacy programmes has increased. Starting from the premise that learning has sociopolitical dimensions, this article explores how the challenges and contradictions of such

Swedish nurses' perceptions of influencers on patient advocacy: a phenomenographic study.

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Josse-Eklund, Anna; Jossebo, Marie; Sandin-Bojö, Ann-Kristin; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Petzäll, Kerstin

2014-09-01

A limited number of studies have shown that patient advocacy can be influenced by both facilitators and barriers which can encourage and discourage nurses to act as patient advocates. This study's aim was to describe Swedish nurses' perceptions of influencers on patient advocacy. Interviews with 18 registered nurses from different Swedish clinical contexts were analysed using the phenomenographic method. Ethical revisions were made in accordance with national legislation and guidelines by committees for research ethics at Karlstad University. Three levels of hierarchically related influencers on patient advocacy were found in the descriptive categories. The fundamental influencer, the nurse's character traits, was described in the perceptions that advocacy is influenced by nurse's having a moral compass, having control over the care situation, being protective and feeling secure as a nurse. The second most vital influencer, the nurse's bond with the patient, was expressed in the perceptions of knowing the patient and feeling empathy for the patient. The third level of influencers, the organisational conditions, was described in the perceptions that the organisational structures and organisational culture influence patient advocacy. The results correspond with findings from earlier research but add an understanding that influencers on patient advocacy exist at three hierarchically related levels. The nurse's character traits are the fundamental influencer to patient advocacy, but in order to be comfortable and secure when advocating for patients, nurses also need to be familiar with both the patient and the situation. A supposition could be that all influencers interact, which needs to be further addressed in future studies. © The Author(s) 2014.

Who's Involved with Hunger: An Organization Guide for Education and Advocacy. Fifth Edition.

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Kutzner, Patricia L.

This document presents an annotated bibliography of organizations that battle world hunger, seek to educate the public about the problem, and/or provide advocacy services. Among the groups that are described are the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, U.S. federal government agencies, U.S. congressional agencies, U.S.…

Disease Campaigns and the Decline of Treatment Advocacy.

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Best, Rachel Kahn

2017-06-01

In the past fifty years, disease advocacy organizations have multiplied and gained political influence, but they have often been reluctant to ask the government to intervene in health care provision. This article asks why. Using original quantitative and qualitative data on the goals and political claims of over one thousand organizations from 1960 through 2014, I find that many early disease advocacy organizations prioritized health care access. But unfavorable political climates discouraged new organizations from focusing on access to treatment. When health care became particularly controversial, even organizations with health care-related missions refrained from pursuing this goal politically. Eventually, politically active organizations began to drop treatment provision from their missions. Over the decades, the troubled politics of health care reshaped the field of disease advocacy, diminishing its focus on medical treatment. Copyright © 2017 by Duke University Press.

77 FR 13390 - Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice of Open Season for Recruitment of IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) Members. DATES: March 19, 2012 through April 27...

76 FR 12418 - Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-07

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice of Open Season for Recruitment of IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) Members. DATES: March 14, 2011 through April 29...

75 FR 9028 - Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Recruitment Notice for the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice of Open Season for Recruitment of IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP) Members. DATES: March 15, 2010 through April 30...

In delicate balance: stem cells and spinal cord injury advocacy.

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Parke, Sara; Illes, Judy

2011-09-01

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major focus for stem cell therapy (SCT). However, the science of SCT has not been well matched with an understanding of perspectives of persons with SCI. The online advocacy community is a key source of health information for primary stakeholders and their caregivers. In this study, we sought to characterize the content of SCI advocacy websites with respect to their discussion of SCT and stem cell tourism. We performed a comprehensive analysis of SCI advocacy websites identified through a web search and verified by expert opinion. Two independent researchers coded the information for major themes (e.g., scientific & clinical facts, research & funding, policy, ethics) and valence (positive, negative, balanced, neutral). Of the 40 SCI advocacy websites that met inclusion criteria, 50% (N=20) contained information about SCT. Less than 18% (N=7) contained information on stem cell tourism. There were more than ten times as many statements about SCT with a positive valence (N=67) as with a negative valence (N=6). Ethics-related SCT information comprised 20% (N=37) of the total content; the largest proportion of ethics-related content was devoted to stem cell tourism (80%, N=30 statements). Of those, the majority focused on the risks of stem cell tourism (N=16). Given the still-developing science behind SCT, the presence of cautionary information about stem cell tourism at advocacy sites is ethically appropriate. The absence of stem cell tourism information at the majority of advocacy sites represents a lost educational opportunity.

Operation of the Selected Local Action Group

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Lukáš Nevěděl

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this article is to compare the current operation of elected local action group with the concept of learning regions. This comparison is built on detailed knowledge and understanding of the operation of local action group Podbrnensko citizens’ association (Podbrnensko CA and learning regions in general. The following is assumed: the understanding of community-based processes from the perspective of residents, the important stakeholders who influence the operation of communities or locations. The operation of local action groups is in line with the current concept led by local community development (community led local development, CLLD, which uses elements of the LEADER method. In this method the solution of development problems comes primarily from the inside, not from the outside of the studied territory. The methods used for the collection of empirical data were mostly observation and interviews with all partners involved in LAG (31 people, all mayors in LAG (29 people and 176 people from region, i.e. methods, which result in so called deep data. Between the primary techniques applied in the research are: participant observation, unstructured or semi-structured interviews and public debates.

Assessing and Mobilizing Faith Organizations to Implement Childhood Obesity Prevention Advocacy Strategies.

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Bozlak, Christine T; Kenady, James M; Becker, Adam B

2018-01-01

Childhood obesity remains a public health problem requiring mobilization across diverse social and political sectors. The faith-based sector can contribute to obesity prevention advocacy when existing resources are supported and leveraged. This article describes an advocacy resource assessment conducted in six Chicago faith organizations. Key administrators and congregation members were surveyed to identify organizational resources that could be mobilized for childhood obesity prevention advocacy. Survey data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each organization and for all combined. Organizational resources for advocacy were identified, with varying degrees of resources within organizations. Congregation members and faith leaders expressed interest in advocacy training and activities but acknowledged competing organizational priorities. Participating organizations received a stipend to pursue recommended action items based on their assessment. Faith organizations have unique resources and human capital and can be key partners in childhood obesity prevention. Conducting an assessment prior to planning interventions and advocacy approaches can strengthen partnerships, leverage assets among partners, and ensure efforts are relevant and beneficial for faith organizations. It may also be strategic to incorporate funding in grant budgets in order to empower faith organizations to act on findings from the assessment process.

A rapid assessment and response approach to review and enhance Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation for Tuberculosis control in Odisha state, India

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Satyanarayana Srinath

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in India with the country accounting for 1 in 5 of all TB cases reported globally. An advocacy, communication and social mobilisation project for Tuberculosis control was implemented and evaluated in Odisha state of India. The purpose of the study was to identify the impact of project interventions including the use of 'Interface NGOs' and involvement of community groups such as women's self-help groups, local government bodies, village health sanitation committees, and general health staff in promoting TB control efforts. Methods The study utilized a rapid assessment and response (RAR methodology. The approach combined both qualitative field work approaches, including semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with empirical data collection and desk research. Results Results revealed that a combination of factors including the involvement of Interface NGOs, coupled with increased training and engagement of front line health workers and community groups, and dissemination of community based resources, contributed to improved awareness and knowledge about TB in the targeted districts. Project activities also contributed towards improving health worker and community effectiveness to raise the TB agenda, and improved TB literacy and treatment adherence. Engagement of successfully treated patients also assisted in reducing community stigma and discrimination. Conclusion The expanded use of advocacy, communication and social mobilisation activities in TB control has resulted in a number of benefits. These include bridging pre-existing gaps between the health system and the community through support and coordination of general health services stakeholders, NGOs and the community. The strategic use of 'tailored messages' to address specific TB problems in low performing areas also led to more positive behavioural outcomes and improved efficiencies in service delivery

Effectiveness of the IMPACT:Ability program to improve safety and self-advocacy skills in high school students with disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dryden, Eileen M; Desmarais, Jeffery; Arsenault, Lisa

2014-12-01

Individuals with disabilities experience higher rates of abuse than the nondisabled. Few evidence-based prevention interventions have been published despite a need for such work. This study evaluated Ability, a safety and self-advocacy training for individuals with cognitive and/or physical disabilities. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess change in safety and self-advocacy knowledge, confidence, and behaviors among special education high school students in Boston, MA. Instruments were interviewer-administered at 3 time points. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare change between the intervention (N = 21) and wait-list (N = 36) groups. Repeated measures analysis was used to test change in the complete sample (N = 57). Students were diverse (58% males, 82% nonwhite) with a range of disabilities. Significantly greater improvement in key outcomes, including safety and self-advocacy knowledge, confidence, and behavior, were observed in intervention students compared to the wait-list group. Results in the complete sample showed evidence of further improvements in students' sense of safety and general self-efficacy. These findings are encouraging given the effects were demonstrated in a heterogeneous urban population. Ability may be an effective safety and self-advocacy training for students with disabilities. Further research will be required to determine effectiveness within particular subpopulations of students. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Advocacy participation and brand loyalty in virtual brand communtity

OpenAIRE

Munnukka, Juha; Uusitalo, Outi; Jokinen, Elisa

2014-01-01

Brand owners use virtual communities to strengthen brand loyalty by engaging consumers in active content creation activities. Personal and reciprocal communication and consumers’ participation in virtual brand communities are the main sources through which communities contribute to brand loyalty formation. This research examines the antecedents and consequences of advocacy participation in virtual brand communities. The results show that the VBC members’ advocacy participation ...

Using a digital storytelling assignment to teach public health advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

de Castro, A B; Levesque, Salem

2018-03-01

The need and expectation for advocacy is central to public health nursing practice. Advocacy efforts that effectively call attention to population health threats and promote the well-being of communities rely on strategies that deliver influential messaging. The digital story is a lay method to capture meaningful, impactful stories that can be used to advocate for public health concerns. Readily available, user-friendly digital technologies allow engagement in digital media production to create digital stories. This paper describes how digital story making can be utilized as an academic assignment to teach public health advocacy within an undergraduate nursing curriculum. Providing nursing students this artistic outlet can facilitate meeting academic learning goals, while also equipping them with creative skills that can be applied in future professional practice. Nursing educators can take advantage of institutional resources and campus culture to support the use of novel digital media assignments that facilitate application of advocacy concepts. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developing advocacy for geothermal energy in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, P.M.

1990-01-01

There is little public advocacy for geothermal energy in the United States outside of the geothermal community itself. Yet, broad-based advocacy is needed to provide impetus for a nourishing economic, regulatory and R and D environment. If such an environment could be created, the prosperity of the geothermal industry would improve and positive environmental effects compared to most other energy sources would be realized. We need an organized sustained effort to provide information and education to all segments of our society, including market-makers and end users, administrators, legislators, regulators, educators, special-interest groups and the public. This effort could be provided by an organization of three main components, a network to gather and disseminate pertinent information on marketing, educational and lobbying opportunities to action committees, a repository of current information on geothermal energy, and action committees each responsible for certain parts of the total marketing, education and lobbying task. In this paper, the author suggests a mechanism for forming such an organization and making it work. The author proposes an informal organization staffed largely by volunteered labor in which no one person would have to devote more than a few percent of his or her work time

Theorising accountability for NGO advocacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Unerman, J.; O'Dwyer, B.

2006-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a staged theoretical argument regarding whether non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can be considered responsible and accountable for the direct and indirect consequences, on a wide range of stakeholders, flowing from their advocacy activities.

College Student Narratives about Learning and Using Self-Advocacy Skills

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Daly-Cano, Meada; Vaccaro, Annemarie; Newman, Barbara

2015-01-01

Self-advocacy is the ability to communicate one's needs and wants and to make decisions about the supports needed to achieve them (Stodden, Conway, & Chang, 2003). Research shows self-advocacy skills are related to academic performance and successful adaptation to college (Adams & Proctor, 2010; Getzel & Thoma, 2008; Hadley, 2006;…

Advocacy: exploring the concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Mardell, A

1996-10-01

The concept of the nurse as the patient's advocate is one that has become popular in the last fifteen years or so in both North America and the United Kingdom, having its basis in nursing theory. The UKCC first embraced the concept, stating in the Code of Professional Conduct that nurses must; 'act always in such a manner so as to promote and safeguard the interests and well being of patients and clients'. This is a laudable principle and one that nurses cannot dispute as there are many members of our society who are weak and vulnerable and may be unable to speak up for themselves. But are nurses always in a position to be an advocate for their patients? As the nature of nursing is so diverse then the nature of advocacy will be different in the multifarious settings in which nurses practise. Can theatre nurses ever be in a position to act as an advocate for a patient who is often anaesthetised? What precisely is advocacy and is the Concise Oxford Dictionary definition of 'one who pleads for another' appropriate in the nursing context? Then there is the position of nurses in the healthcare organisation in which they practise. In advocating for their patients, nurses may find they are pleading a case for a patient, or a group of patients, that could bring the nurse into conflict with their medical colleagues or with the management of the organisation by whom they are employed. Additionally, they may not posses the skills and knowledge to advocate effectively under such circumstances. Nursing is littered with the casualties of such conflicts over the years, the most publicised of whom, in the UK, was probably Graham Pink who lost his job as a charge nurse after drawing public attention to what he considered to be an unacceptable standard of care in the hospital in which he worked.

Effective citizen advocacy of beneficial nuclear technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKibben, J. Malvyn; Wood, Susan

2007-01-01

In 1991, a small group of citizens from communities near the Savannah River Site (SRS) formed a pro-nuclear education and advocacy group, Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA). Their purpose was to: (1) counter nuclear misinformation that dominated the nation's news outlets, (2) provide education on nuclear subjects to area citizens, students, elected officials, and (3) provide informed citizen support for potential new missions for SRS when needed. To effectively accomplish these objectives it is also essential to establish and maintain good relations with community leaders and reporters that cover energy and nuclear subjects. The organization has grown considerably since its inception and has expanded its sphere of influence. We believe that our experiences over these fifteen years are a good model for effectively communicating nuclear subjects with the public. This paper describes the structure, operation and some of the results of CNTA. (authors)

Dams and transnational advocacy: Political opportunities in transnational collective action

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Teng

Possible arguments to explain the gradual decline in big dam development and its site transferring from developed to developing countries include technical, economic, and political factors. This study focuses on the political argument---the rise of transnational anti-dam advocacy and its impact on state policy-making. Under what conditions does transnational anti-dam advocacy matter? Under what conditions does transnational advocacy change state dam policies (delay, scale down, or cancel)? It examines the role of transnational anti-dam actors in big dam building in a comparative context in Asia. Applying the social movement theory of political opportunity structure (POS) and using the qualitative case-study method, the study provides both within-case and cross-case analyses. Within-case analysis is utilized to explain the changing dynamics of big dam building in China (Three Gorges Dam and proposed Nu/Salween River dam projects), and to a lesser extent, Sardar Sarovar Project in India and Nam Theun 2 Dam in Laos. Different domestic and international POS (DPOS and IPOS) impact the strategies and outcomes of anti-dam advocacies in these countries. The degree of openness of the POS directly affects the capacity of transnational efforts in influencing state dam policies. The degree of openness or closure is measured by specific laws, institutions, discourse, or elite allies (or the absence of these) for the participation of non-state actors on big dam issues at a particular moment. This degree of openness is relative, varying over time, across countries and regions. This study finds that the impact of transnational anti-dam activism is most effective when both DPOS and IPOS are relatively open. Transnational anti-dam advocacy is least effective in influencing state dam policies when both DPOS and IPOS are relatively closed. Under a relatively open DPOS and closed IPOS, transnational anti-dam advocacy is more likely to successfully change state dam policies and even

Advocacy and Accessibility Standards in the New "Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors"

Science.gov (United States)

Waldmann, Ashley K.; Blackwell, Terry L.

2010-01-01

This article addresses the changes in the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification's 2010 "Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors" as they relate to Section C: Advocacy and Accessibility. Ethical issues are identified and discussed in relation to advocacy skills and to advocacy with, and on behalf of, the client; to…

The Use of Science in Environmental Advocacy for Coastal Resource Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Maida Aguinaldo

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Environmental advocacy in Bolinao has played an important role in the prevention, remediation, and rehabilitation of potential and felt impacts of the various activities in the coastal zone. Most initiatives have been spurred by the sharing of knowledge and information in mobilizing community advocates. Facilitating action in four key areas–development planning, coastal aquaculture, concession systems, and tourism– involved the provision of venues for information transfer. These included the conduct of orientations and consultations, sharing of results of research project undertaken, lobbying, and use of primers, newsletters, and theater. Mechanisms for sustaining these actions and upholding the Coastal Resource Management (CRM principles (sustainable, equitable, empowering long after projects have been phased out were initiated through the establishment of a Coastal Resource Management Center, and the institutionalization activities through existing institutions, such as the local government, academic institutions, and peoples’ organizations.Maximizing knowledge and information, popularizing information, and sharing this with members of the community and getting them to use it, as well as enjoining them to act, are the challenges that must be faced. Environmental advocacy, as a tool for empowering different community sectors in evolving a consensus for CRM has become an integral feature of development work in Bolinao.

Advocacy Interventions to Reduce or Eliminate Violence and Promote the Physical and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Abuse: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rivas, C

2016-01-01

had considerable clinical heterogeneity in relation to staff delivering advocacy; setting (community, shelter, antenatal, healthcare; advocacy intensity (from 30 minutes to 80 hours; and abuse severity. Three trials evaluated advocacy within multi-component interventions. Eleven measured some form of abuse (eight scales, six assessed quality of life (three scales, and six measured depression (three scales. Countries and ethnic groups varied (one or more minority ethnic groups in the USA or UK, and local populations in Hong Kong and Peru. Setting was associated with intensity and duration of advocacy. Risk of bias was high in five studies, moderate in five, and low in three. The quality of evidence (considering multiple factors such as risk of bias, study size, missing data was moderate to low for brief advocacy and very low for intensive advocacy. Incidence of abuse Physical abuse Moderate quality pooled data from two healthcare studies (moderate risk of bias and one community study (low risk of bias, all with 12-month follow-up data, showed no effect on physical abuse for brief (< 12 hours advocacy interventions (standardised mean difference (SMD 0.00, 95% confidence interval (CI - 0.17 to 0.16; n = 558. One antenatal study (low risk of bias showed an association between brief advocacy and reduced minor physical abuse at one year (mean difference (MD change - 1.00, 95% CI - 1.82 to - 0.18; n = 110. An antenatal, multi-component study showed a greater likelihood of physical abuse ending (odds ratio (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.75 immediately after advocacy (number needed to treat (NNT = 8; we cannot exclude impact from other components. Low to very low quality evidence from two intensive advocacy trials (12 hours plus duration showed reduced severe physical abuse in women leaving a shelter at 24 months (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.77; NNT = 8, but not at 12 or 36 months. Sexual abuse Meta-analysis of two studies (n = 239 showed no effect of advocacy on sexual abuse (SMD

[Nursing beliefs and actions in exercising patient advocacy in a hospital context].

Science.gov (United States)

Barlem, Jamila Geri Tomaschewski; Lunardi, Valéria Lerch; Barlem, Edison Luiz Devos; Ramos, Aline Marcelino; Figueira, Aline Belletti; Fornari, Nerizane Cerutti

2015-10-01

Analyzing beliefs and actions of nurses in exercising patient advocacy in a hospital context. A quantitative cross-sectional exploratory and descriptive study, conducted with 153 nurses from two hospitals in southern Brazil, one public and one philanthropic, by applying Protective Nursing Advocacy Scale - Brazilian version. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Nurses believe they are advocating for patients in their workplaces, and agree that they should advocate, especially when vulnerable patients need their protection. Personal values and professional skills have been identified as major sources of support for the practice of advocacy. Nurses do not disagree nor agree that advocating for patients in their working environments can bring them negative consequences. It is necessary to recognize how the characteristics of public and private institutions have helped or not helped in exercising patient advocacy by nurses.

Physician advocacy in Western medicine: a 21st century challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagshaw, Philip; Barnett, Pauline

2017-12-01

Physician advocacy occurs when doctors speak up for the health and healthcare of patients and communities. Historically, this was strong in some Western countries with doctors finding that it enhanced their authority, prestige and power. But it weakened in the 20th century when the biomedical model of heath triumphed and medicine became a dominant profession. In the second part of the 20th century, this dominance was threatened by political, technological and socioeconomic forces. These weakened medicine's state support, brought it under managerial control and undermined the social contract on which trust between doctors and the community was based. Defence of the profession was assumed by medical colleges, societies and associations. They had some success in retaining professional autonomy but did not undertake open advocacy, particularly on social justice issues, and did not therefore enhance their standing in the community. Opinion is divided on the level of advocacy that it is ethically proper for the medical profession to employ. Some contend doctors should only advise authorities when expert opinion is requested. Others contend doctors should speak out proactively on all health issues, and that collective action of this type is a hallmark of professionalism. This lack of consensus needs to be debated. Recent developments such as clinical leadership have not revitalised physician advocacy. However, continued deterioration of the UK National Health Service has led some English medical colleges to take up open advocacy in its defence. It is to be seen whether medical colleges elsewhere follow suit, as and when their healthcare systems are similarly threatened.

Property A and Coarse Embedding for Locally Compact Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Kang

property A. In a joint work with Knudby, we characterize the connected simple Lie groups with the discrete topology that have different approximation properties (see Article B). Moreover, we give a contractive Schur multiplier characterization of locally compact groups coarsely embeddable into Hilbert......In the study of the Novikov conjecture, property A and coarse embedding of metric spaces were introduced by Yu and Gromov, respectively. The main topic of the thesis is property A and coarse embedding for locally compact second countable groups. We prove that many of the results that are known...... to hold in the discrete setting, hold also in the locally compact setting.In a joint work with Deprez, we show that property A is equivalent to amenability at infinity and the strong Novikov conjecture is true for every locally compact group that embeds coarsely into a Hilbert space (see Article A...

Pension reform in the European periphery: the role of EU reform advocacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stepan, M.; Anderson, K.A.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY: This paper analyzes the impact of international reform advocacy on national pension reforms. We analyze European Union (EU) reform advocacy in two EU member states: Greece and Hungary. Although the EU has articulated a fairly coherent template for sustainable pensions, its use of soft

Nuclear power and legal advocacy: the environmentalists and the courts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, C.E.

1980-01-01

The US nuclear power industry began to stop growing in 1977, two years before the accident at Three Mile Island. This book examines the regulatory and judicial policymaking associated with nuclear power, with special attention given to the role of legal advocacy by interest groups. Research for the study had three goals: (1) a comparative analysis of the antinuclear environmental groups and the nuclear industry; (2) a determination of the policital strategy used by each interest group and the reasons for its choice of strategy in the course of litigation; and (3) an analysis of the role of the judiciary in the nuclear power controversy. The study focuses on the controversy surrounding the construction of a nuclear plant in Midland, Michigan as a representative case study to illustrate the role of interest groups, regulators, and the courts. The appendix lists related court cases. 170 references

Environment, advocacy, and community participation: MOPAWI in Honduras.

Science.gov (United States)

Brehm, V M

2000-02-01

This paper analyzes the work of Mosquitia Pawisa (MOPAWI) in relation to the development of its strategic linkages among the grassroots, the state, and ultimately the international level of politics in practice. Over the years, MOPAWI has developed a large and complex program addressing many aspects of development in La Mosquitia. Working strategically at two levels, MOPAWI has endeavored to change government policy for the region through continued lobbying and advocacy. It has also worked alongside with local communities to find ways of improving livelihoods without harming the environment. The key strength of the MOPAWI work has been the high level of community participation and mobilization by managing their own development in a time of profound change. Overall, the experience of MOPAWI suggests that nongovernmental organizations can play a strategic role in obtaining environmental protection, government recognition of ethnic diversity, and rights for indigenous people.

Weber's Critique of Advocacy in the Classroom: Critical Thinking and Civic Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Mark

1998-01-01

Discusses the four aspects of Max Weber's argument against including advocacy in the political science classroom. Believes that Weber's critique is a useful starting point for considering the issue in relation to contemporary education. Describes two models, critical thinking and civic education, that present advocacy in the political science…

Health and human rights advocacy: perspectives from a Rwandan refugee camp.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlish, Carol; Ho, Anita; Rounkle, Ann-Marie

2012-07-01

Working at the bedside and within communities as patient advocates, nurses frequently intervene to advance individuals' health and well-being. However, the International Council of Nurses' Code of Ethics asserts that nurses should expand beyond the individual model and also promote a rights-enabling environment where respect for human dignity is paramount. This article applies the results of an ethnographic human rights study with displaced populations in Rwanda to argue for a rights-based social advocacy role for nurses. Human rights advocacy strategies include sensitization, participation, protection, good governance, and accountability. By adopting a rights-based approach to advocacy, nurses contribute to health agendas that include more just social relationships, equitable access to opportunities, and health-positive living situations for all persons.

The importance of health advocacy in Canadian postgraduate medical education: current attitudes and issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Poulton

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Health advocacy is currently a key component of medical education in North America. In Canada, Health Advocate is one of the seven roles included in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s CanMEDS competency framework. Method: A literature search was undertaken to determine the current state of health advocacy in Canadian postgraduate medical education and to identify issues facing educators and learners with regards to health advocacy training. Results:  The literature revealed that the Health Advocate role is considered among the least relevant to clinical practice by educators and learners and among the most challenging to teach and assess. Furthermore learners feel their educational needs are not being met in this area. A number of key barriers affecting health advocacy education were identified including limited published material on the subject, lack of clarity within the role, insufficient explicit role modeling in practice, and lack of a gold standard for assessment. Health advocacy is defined and its importance to medical practice is highlighted, using pediatric emergency medicine as an example. Conclusions: Increased published literature and awareness of the role, along with integration of the new 2015 CanMEDS framework, are important going forward to address concerns regarding the quality of postgraduate health advocacy education in Canada.

The importance of health advocacy in Canadian postgraduate medical education: current attitudes and issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulton, Alexander; Rose, Heather

2015-01-01

Health advocacy is currently a key component of medical education in North America. In Canada, Health Advocate is one of the seven roles included in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada's CanMEDS competency framework. A literature search was undertaken to determine the current state of health advocacy in Canadian postgraduate medical education and to identify issues facing educators and learners with regards to health advocacy training. The literature revealed that the Health Advocate role is considered among the least relevant to clinical practice by educators and learners and among the most challenging to teach and assess. Furthermore learners feel their educational needs are not being met in this area. A number of key barriers affecting health advocacy education were identified including limited published material on the subject, lack of clarity within the role, insufficient explicit role modeling in practice, and lack of a gold standard for assessment. Health advocacy is defined and its importance to medical practice is highlighted, using pediatric emergency medicine as an example. Increased published literature and awareness of the role, along with integration of the new 2015 CanMEDS framework, are important going forward to address concerns regarding the quality of postgraduate health advocacy education in Canada.

How social movements influence policies : Advocacy, framing, emotions and outcomes among reproductive rights coalitions in Peru.

OpenAIRE

Coe, Anna-Britt

2010-01-01

With its origins in the early 1990s, feminist advocacy directed at influencing public policies is a relatively new phenomenon in Latin America that is commonly studied at the national level. The aim of this thesis was to study feminist advocacy on reproductive rights at the sub-national level in Peru. Specifically, it explored two research questions: how do feminist movements carry out advocacy to intervene with government agencies and what effects does their advocacy have on policies. This a...

Fourier-like frames on locally compact abelian groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Ole; Goh, Say Song

2015-01-01

We consider a class of functions, defined on a locally compact abelian group by letting a class of modulation operators act on a countable collection of functions. We derive sufficient conditions for such a class of functions to form a Bessel sequence or a frame and for two such systems to be dual...... frames. Explicit constructions are obtained via various generalizations of the classical B-splines to the setting of locally compact abelian groups. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved....

Advocacy coalitions and wind power development: Insights from Quebec

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jegen, Maya; Audet, Gabriel

2011-01-01

This article addresses the issue of wind energy acceptance in the Canadian province of Quebec and, in particular, the impact of different models of wind power development on the degree of social acceptance. We show that the dominant advocacy coalition, which favors a hard path energy development in general, enforces a large-scale development of wind energy. Two other coalitions - a soft path coalition and a nationalist coalition - oppose this development, but not wind energy per se. We argue that difference in belief systems explains their opposition rather than planning issues or NIMBY concerns. We also contend that, despite its predominance over (wind) energy policy, the hard path coalition is willing to learn and make concessions towards the soft path coalition, but not towards the nationalist coalition. - Highlights: → We address social acceptance of wind energy. → We illustrate the interaction of advocacy coalitions. → Different advocacy coalitions support different models of wind energy development. → Models of wind energy development influence the degree of social acceptance. → Opposition is not aimed at wind energy per se, but at the hard path model.

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.

Advocacy Coalitions involved in California’s Menu Labeling Policy Debate: Exploring Coalition Structure, Policy Beliefs, Resources, and Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Payán, Denise D.; Lewis, LaVonna B.; Cousineau, Michael R.; Nichol, Michael B.

2017-01-01

Advocacy coalitions often play an important role in the state health policymaking process, yet little is known about their structure, composition, and behavior. In 2008, California became the first state to enact a menu labeling law. Using the advocacy coalition framework, we examine different facets of the coalitions involved in California’s menu labeling policy debate. We use a qualitative research approach to identify coalition members and explore their expressed beliefs and policy arguments, resources, and strategies by analyzing legislative documents (n=87) and newspaper articles (n=78) produced between 1999 and 2009. Between 2003 and 2008, six menu labeling bills were introduced in the state’s legislature. We found the issue received increasing media attention during this period. We identified two advocacy coalitions involved in the debate—a public health (PH) coalition and an industry coalition. State organizations acted as coalition leaders and participated for a longer duration than elected officials. The structure and composition of each coalition varied. PH coalition leadership and membership notably increased compared to the industry coalition. The PH coalition, led by nonprofit PH and health organizations, promoted a clear and consistent message around informed decision making. The industry coalition, led by a state restaurant association, responded with cost and implementation arguments. Each coalition used various resources and strategies to advance desired outcomes. PH coalition leaders were particularly effective at using resources and employing advocacy strategies, which included engaging state legislators as coalition members, using public opinion polls and information, and leveraging media resources to garner support. Policy precedence and a local policy push emerged as important policymaking strategies. Areas for future research on the state health policymaking process are discussed. PMID:28161674

Who Leads Advocacy through Social Media in Japan? Evidence from the “Tsukuba Civic Activities Cyber-Square” Facebook Page

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sae Okura

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Although the importance of advocacy activities by civil society organizations (CSOs in policy and decision-making procedures has been greatly emphasized in the literature of political science and social policy, we have relatively little understanding of the relevance and impact of the leading actors who structure the diverse networks and discourses through social media; further recognition is needed in both fields. The purpose of this study is to analyze civil society organizations at the local government level involved in advocacy activities through the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Our study focuses on a specific Japanese Facebook community page—the “Tsukuba Civic Activities Cyber-Square”—aimed at enhancing civil society activities in Japan. This page is operated by the municipal government of Tsukuba, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba and Intel Corporation. Our findings indicate that social networking services such as Facebook can provide civil society organizations with: (1 more political opportunities to advocate; (2 more chances to connect with the local government; and (3 create opportunities to exert greater presence, despite their limited financial and political resources.

Accelaration of Jamkesda (Regional Health Security Participation and Jamkesda Member Visit based on Age Group Phenomenon in Nganjuk Regency PHC, Year 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mugeni Sugiharto

2015-03-01

ABSTRACTBackground:Introduction: Jamkesda is pro- poor government policy to fulfill their health care right base on mandate of law. Departemen of Health in Nganjuk Regency run socialization by involving all local power Hence, in 2012 Jamkesda participation would reach highest in East Java. Purpose:This resaerch aimed to identify Jamkesda participation acceleration and Jamkesda member visit based on age group phenomenon in Nganjuk Regency year 2012. Method:Descriptive research with cross sectional design. Population was Nganjuk Regency government Agency with all Jamkesda managing agencies as sample. Analysis unit was institution. Respondents were officials who managed Jamkesda.Result:Jamkesda in Nganjuk Regency was integrate to Sub Divison of Special Service an Health Costing primary task. In 2012 it showed highest Jamkesda participation in East Java. Socialization strengthening in form of social support and advocacy and media use to accelerate local health coverage and to erase Poor Notification Letter to have medication. Medication visit phenomenon was varied in number in every district, the highest was Nganjuk District (11.18%. Women (56.1% who took medication in PHC was higher than men (43,99% particularly those at 15–< 54 years old age group. The commonest disease was hypertension. Conclusion: Participation acceleration through social support and advocacy strategy is able to obtain local public support both formal and non formal for its success. Highest medication visit to PHC was Nganjuk district by women with hypertension as commonest disease they complained. Suggestion:Social support and advocacy socialization strategy can be implemented in other places with similar situation and condition Key words: Jamkesda, Socialization, Social Support, Advocacy

Political Action Day: A Student-Led Initiative to Increase Health Advocacy Training Among Medical Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harbir Gill

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Health advocacy is a critical aspect of the competent physician's role. It is identified as a core competency by several national physician regulatory organizations, yet few formal training programs exist. We developed an initiative to teach medical students health advocacy skills. Methods: At Political Action Day, students from Alberta medical schools lobbied the provincial government. A day of training seminars preceded Political Action Day that focused on teaching health advocacy and communication strategies. The following day, medical students met with elected representatives at the Legislative Assembly. An entry and exit survey was administered to students. Results: On October 26-27th, 2008, 40 students met with 38/83 (46% elected representatives including the Minister of Health and Wellness. Feedback from students and politicians suggests the event was effective in teaching advocacy skills. This initiative inspired students to be politically active in the future. Conclusions: Political Action Day helps fulfill the health advocacy competency objectives, and requires minimal curriculum time and resources for integration. It is an effective tool to begin teaching advocacy, and should be further expanded and replicated at other Canadian medical schools.

Advocacy coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate: Exploring coalition structure, policy beliefs, resources, and strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Payán, Denise D; Lewis, LaVonna B; Cousineau, Michael R; Nichol, Michael B

2017-03-01

Advocacy coalitions often play an important role in the state health policymaking process, yet little is known about their structure, composition, and behavior. In 2008, California became the first state to enact a menu labeling law. Using the advocacy coalition framework, we examine different facets of the coalitions involved in California's menu labeling policy debate. We use a qualitative research approach to identify coalition members and explore their expressed beliefs and policy arguments, resources, and strategies by analyzing legislative documents (n = 87) and newspaper articles (n = 78) produced between 1999 and 2009. Between 2003 and 2008, six menu labeling bills were introduced in the state's legislature. We found the issue received increasing media attention during this period. We identified two advocacy coalitions involved in the debate-a public health (PH) coalition and an industry coalition. State organizations acted as coalition leaders and participated for a longer duration than elected officials. The structure and composition of each coalition varied. PH coalition leadership and membership notably increased compared to the industry coalition. The PH coalition, led by nonprofit PH and health organizations, promoted a clear and consistent message around informed decision making. The industry coalition, led by a state restaurant association, responded with cost and implementation arguments. Each coalition used various resources and strategies to advance desired outcomes. PH coalition leaders were particularly effective at using resources and employing advocacy strategies, which included engaging state legislators as coalition members, using public opinion polls and information, and leveraging media resources to garner support. Policy precedence and a local policy push emerged as important policymaking strategies. Areas for future research on the state health policymaking process are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP): a pioneering response to the neglect of mental health in Anglophone West Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulmalik, Jibril; Fadahunsi, Woye; Kola, Lola; Nwefoh, Emeka; Minas, Harry; Eaton, Julian; Gureje, Oye

2014-01-27

Developing countries in Africa and other regions share a similar profile of insufficient human resources for mental health, poor funding, a high unmet need for services and a low official prioritisation of mental health. This situation is worsened by misconceptions about the causes of mental disorders, stigma and discrimination that frequently result in harmful practices against persons with mental illness. Previous explorations of the required response to these challenges have identified the need for strong leadership and consistent advocacy as potential drivers of the desired change. The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP) is a project that aims to provide and enhance the acquisition of skills in mental health leadership, service development, advocacy and policy planning and to build partnerships for action. Launched in 2010 to serve the Anglophone countries of The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, this paper describes the components of the program, the experience gained since its initiation, and the achievements made during the three years of its implementation. These achievements include: 1) the annual training in mental health leadership and advocacy which has graduated 96 participants from 9 different African countries and 2) the establishment of a broad coalition of service user groups, non-governmental organizations, media practitioners and mental health professionals in each participating country to implement concerted mental health advocacy efforts that are focused on country-specific priorities.

A Queer Theorist's Critique of Online Domestic Violence Advocacy: Critically Responding to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Web Site.

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Samuel Z

2018-01-01

Since the foundations of the contemporary anti-violence movement in the 1960s and 1970s, advocates have sought to establish a critical understanding of domestic violence that we can use to direct our efforts for social change. Yet many advocates and advocacy organizations continue to rely on a problematic narrative of sameness that marginalizes and erases diverse victims' experiences and needs. In this article, I conduct a critical discourse analysis of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Web site to identify outcomes of this narrative for the inclusivity of advocacy efforts. I argue that despite the organization's numerous claims to represent diverse victims' experiences, Web site content reveals that its purportedly general account of domestic violence normalizes the experiences of a small group of victims-namely, heterosexual, cisgender women. Further, the Web site's content greatly limits the potential for thinking about and discussing violence across difference. I conclude with recommendations for changes in advocacy practices.

Educational Expertise, Advocacy, and Media Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Malin, Joel R.; Lubienski, Christopher

2015-01-01

The efforts of many advocacy organizations to advance their preferred policies despite conflicting evidence of the effectiveness of these policies raise questions about factors that shape successful policy promotion. While many may like to think that expertise on an issue in question is an essential prerequisite for influence in public policy…

Global and local scour at pile groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sumer, B. Mutlu; Bundgaard, Klavs; Fredsøe, Jørgen

2005-01-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on scour around pile groups with different configurations exposed to steady current. Two kinds of tests were carried out: rigid-bed tests and actual scour tests. In these, the mean and turbulence properties of the flow were measured...... across the pile groups. The pile-group configurations were such that the global scour was distinguished from the local scour. The results show that the global scour can be quite substantial....

International Dengue Vaccine Communication and Advocacy: Challenges and Way Forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Ana; Van Roy, Rebecca; Andrus, Jon

2016-01-01

Dengue vaccine introduction will likely occur soon. However, little has been published on international dengue vaccine communication and advocacy. More effort at the international level is required to review, unify and strategically disseminate dengue vaccine knowledge to endemic countries' decision makers and potential donors. Waiting to plan for the introduction of new vaccines until licensure may delay access in developing countries. Concerted efforts to communicate and advocate for vaccines prior to licensure are likely challenged by unknowns of the use of dengue vaccines and the disease, including uncertainties of vaccine impact, vaccine access and dengue's complex pathogenesis and epidemiology. Nevertheless, the international community has the opportunity to apply previous best practices for vaccine communication and advocacy. The following key strategies will strengthen international dengue vaccine communication and advocacy: consolidating existing coalitions under one strategic umbrella, urgently convening stakeholders to formulate the roadmap for integrated dengue prevention and control, and improving the dissemination of dengue scientific knowledge.

All hazardous waste politics is local: Grass-roots advocacy and public participation in siting and cleanup decisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lowry, R.C.

1998-12-31

The combined effects of federalism and interest group pluralism pose particularly difficult problems for hazardous waste siting and cleanup decisions. Most national environmental groups have only limited involvement in local hazardous waste politics, while local grass-roots advocates have very different interests and sometimes are pitted against one another. Both the Environmental protection Agency and the Department of energy recently have begun to use site-specific citizen advisory boards at cleanup sites. This approach appears to improve communications at some sites, but does not address the issues of ``not in my back yard`` politics and alleged inequitable exposure to hazardous wastes.

Advocacy Narratives and Celebrity Engagement: the Case of Ben Affleck in Congo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Budabin, Alexandra Cosima; Richey, Lisa Ann

2018-01-01

Global celebrities are increasingly important in human rights--promoting causes, raising awareness, and interacting with decision-makers—as communicators to mass and elite audiences. Deepening the literature on transnational advocacy and North-South relations, this article argues that celebrities...... Initiative. The study explains how the ability for celebrities to contend with narratives reflects elite practices in human rights advocacy....

Global and local scour at pile groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sumer, B. Mutlu; Bundgaard, Klavs; Fredsøe, Jørgen

2005-01-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on scour around pile groups with different configurations exposed to steady current. Two kinds of tests were carried out: (1) Rigid-bed tests, and (2) Actual scour tests. In the former tests, the mean and turbulence properties...... of the flow were measured across the pile groups. The pile group configurations were such that the global scour was distinguished from the local scour. The results show that the global scour can be quite substantial....

HOW MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS USE LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY TO MITIGATE POLITICAL RISKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violeta Iftinchi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In their international activities multinational corporations (MNCs face various risks. Political risk is one of them. Expropriations, transfer and convertibility restrictions, breach of contracts, acts of terrorism, domestic political violence or other adverse regulatory changes and/or negative government action represent forms of political risks. Incorporating political risk in their risk management strategies becomes a necessity for MNCs in their search for profits and new markets. This article presents how MNCs use lobbying and advocacy as means to engage with governments and politicians in the country of origin (home country, in the country where a MNC has operations (host country or at international level (by creating ties with international organisations in order to mitigate political risks. The case of Repsol and its investment in Argentina is used to demonstrate the application of such tools. The article presents two limitations that might determine the success or failure of MNCs’ lobbying and advocacy activities: governments' unpredictable views towards MNCs and reputational risks. The article has also identified a main difficulty in identifying and examining MNCs way of using lobbying and advocacy to engage with government officials and politicians. This difficulty comes from the informal character of such contacts which makes lobbying and advocacy almost impossible to identify.

The role of advocacy coalitions in a project implementation process: the example of the planning phase of the At Home/Chez Soi project dealing with homelessness in Montreal.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Vallée, Catherine; Hurtubise, Roch; Lévesque, Paul-André

2014-08-01

This study analyzed the planning process (summer 2008 to fall 2009) of a Montreal project that offers housing and community follow-up to homeless people with mental disorders, with or without substance abuse disorders. With the help of the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), advocacy groups that were able to navigate a complex intervention implementation process were identified. In all, 25 people involved in the Montreal At Home/Chez Soi project were surveyed through interviews (n=18) and a discussion group (n=7). Participant observations and documentation (minutes and correspondence) were also used for the analysis. The start-up phase of the At Home/Chez may be broken down into three separate periods qualified respectively as "honeymoon;" "clash of cultures;" and "acceptance & commitment". In each of the planning phases of the At Home/Chez Soi project in Montreal, at least two advocacy coalitions were in confrontation about their specific belief systems concerning solutions to address the recurring homelessness social problem, while a third, more moderate one contributed in rallying most key actors under specified secondary aspects. The study confirms the importance of policy brokers in achieving compromises acceptable to all advocacy coalitions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Supramenable Groups Acting on Locally Compact Spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kellerhals, Julian; Monod, Nicolas; Rørdam, Mikael

2013-01-01

Supramenability of groups is characterised in terms of invariant measures on locally compact spaces. This opens the door to constructing interesting crossed product $C^*$-algebras for non-supramenable groups. In particular, stable Kirchberg algebras in the UCT class are constructed using crossed ...

Assessing the Efficacy of a School Health Education Advocacy Lesson with College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Wallen, Michele; Chaney, Beth H.; Birch, David A.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The researchers evaluated the efficacy of an advocacy lesson to assess change in intentions to advocate for school health education. This study also measured changes in participants' understanding the importance of school health education and perceived effectiveness in applying advocacy skills. Methods: A convenience sample of college…

Shaping corporate social responsibility management and reporting through engagement : The role of advocacy organisations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Clune, C.

2017-01-01

Advocacy organisations have traditionally played a prominent role in shaping corporate social responsibility (CSR) management and reporting practices through organisational-level and institutional-level engagement. Recent years have seen advocacy organisations expand the nature and content of their

Treatments and services for neurodevelopmental disorders on advocacy websites: Information or evaluation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Pietro, Nina C; Whiteley, Louise Emma; Illes, Judy

2011-01-01

The Internet has quickly gained popularity as a major source of health-related information, but its impact is unclear. Here, we investigate the extent to which advocacy websites for three neurodevelopmental disorders—cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fetal alcohol spectrum...... disorder (FASD)—inform stakeholders about treatment options, and discuss the ethical challenges inherent in providing such information online. We identified major advocacy websites for each disorder and assessed website accountability, the number, attributes, and accessibility of treatments described......, and the valence of treatment information. With the exception of FASD websites, we found that advocacy websites provide a plethora of information about a wide variety of readily available products and services. Treatment information is primarily targeted at families and is overwhelmingly encouraging, regardless...

Planning for the next generation of public health advocates: evaluation of an online advocacy mentoring program.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connell, Emily; Stoneham, Melissa; Saunders, Julie

2016-04-01

Issue addressed Despite being viewed as a core competency for public health professionals, public health advocacy lacks a prominent place in the public health literature and receives minimal coverage in university curricula. The Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia (PHAIWA) sought to fill this gap by establishing an online e-mentoring program for public health professionals to gain knowledge through skill-based activities and engaging in a mentoring relationship with an experienced public health advocate. This study is a qualitative evaluation of the online e-mentoring program. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with program participants at the conclusion of the 12-month program to examine program benefits and determine the perceived contribution of individual program components to overall advocacy outcomes. Results Increased mentee knowledge, skills, level of confidence and experience, and expanded public health networks were reported. Outcomes were dependent on participants' level of commitment, time and location barriers, mentoring relationship quality, adaptability to the online format and the relevance of activities for application to participants' workplace context. Program facilitators had an important role through the provision of timely feedback and maintaining contact with participants. Conclusion An online program that combines public health advocacy content via skill-based activities with mentoring from an experienced public health advocate is a potential strategy to build advocacy capacity in the public health workforce. So what? Integrating advocacy as a core component of professional development programs will help counteract current issues surrounding hesitancy by public health professionals to proactively engage in advocacy, and ensure that high quality, innovative and effective advocacy leadership continues in the Australian public health workforce.

A medical student leadership course led to teamwork, advocacy, and mindfulness.

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Warde, Carole M; Vermillion, Michelle; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian

2014-06-01

Many medical trainees seek work among underserved communities but may be unprepared to cope with the challenges. Relationship-centered qualities have been shown to promote physician resilience and prevent burnout. The UCLA-PRIME program aims to prepare medical students to work among vulnerable groups and begins with a 3-week leadership course. We describe this course and share lessons with those seeking to foster leadership, advocacy, and resiliency in our future physician workforce. Twenty students participated in our curriculum that emphasized five competencies: leadership, advocacy, teamwork, mindfulness, and self-care. Course activities complemented the students' work as they developed a community outreach project. They assessed and reflected on their leadership, relationship, and team behaviors, were coached to improve these, learned mindfulness meditation, and participated in community forums. Our evaluation assessed course quality, project completion, leadership, mindfulness, and team relational coordination. Students were very satisfied with all aspects of the course. They designed a medical student elective addressing the health challenges of an incarcerated and formerly incarcerated population. While we found no change in leadership practices scores, students had high team relational coordination scores and improved mindfulness scores upon course completion. Our course to develop medical students as resilient leaders, team members, and advocates for medically underserved groups consisted of a community-based service project, coupled with a facilitated relationship-centered curriculum. It promoted qualities in students that characterize effective and resilient physician leaders; they were more mindful, related to each other effectively, and coordinated their activities well with one another.

Fostering Skills in Self-Advocacy: A Key to Access in School and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Luckner, John L.; Becker, Sharon J.

2013-01-01

Self-advocacy occurs when deaf or hard of hearing individuals explain to hearing teachers, classmates, bosses, and officemates the nature of their hearing loss, their language skills, and the accommodations they require in order to effectively do their work, participate in conversations, and get involved in other activities. Self-advocacy may be…

News, Documentary and Advocacy Journalism

OpenAIRE

Charles, Mathew

2013-01-01

This chapter examines how alternative models of journalism are emerging to counter the news values associated with the so-called mainstream media - news values, which are increasingly criticised for serving only the interests of the political and economic elite. In particular, this chapter looks at advocacy journalism, which focuses on a shift away from objectivity towards the arguably more ethical practice of attachment. The neutral and detached reporter, who remains outside of events and re...

The Milky Way, the Local Group & the IR Tully-Fisher Diagram

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, S.; Spergel, D.; Rhoads, J.; Li, J.

1996-01-01

Using the near infrared fluxes of local group galaxies derived from Cosmic Background Explorer/Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment band maps and published Cepheid distances, we construct Tully-Fisher diagrams for the Local Group.

Sobolev Spaces on Locally Compact Abelian Groups: Compact Embeddings and Local Spaces

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Przemysław Górka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We continue our research on Sobolev spaces on locally compact abelian (LCA groups motivated by our work on equations with infinitely many derivatives of interest for string theory and cosmology. In this paper, we focus on compact embedding results and we prove an analog for LCA groups of the classical Rellich lemma and of the Rellich-Kondrachov compactness theorem. Furthermore, we introduce Sobolev spaces on subsets of LCA groups and study its main properties, including the existence of compact embeddings into Lp-spaces.

Health Advocacy Organizations and the Pharmaceutical Industry: An Analysis of Disclosure Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Raveis, Victoria H.; Friedman, Anne; Rothman, David J.

2011-01-01

Health advocacy organizations (HAOs) are influential stakeholders in health policy. Although their advocacy tends to closely correspond with the pharmaceutical industry's marketing aims, the financial relationships between HAOs and the pharmaceutical industry have rarely been analyzed. We used Eli Lilly and Company's grant registry to examine its grant-giving policies. We also examined HAO Web sites to determine their grant-disclosure patterns. Only 25% of HAOs that received Lilly grants acknowledged Lilly's contributions on their Web sites, and only 10% acknowledged Lilly as a grant event sponsor. No HAO disclosed the exact amount of a Lilly grant. As highly trusted organizations, HAOs should disclose all corporate grants, including the purpose and the amount. Absent this disclosure, legislators, regulators, and the public cannot evaluate possible conflicts of interest or biases in HAO advocacy. PMID:21233424

What History Is Teaching Us: 100 Years of Advocacy in "Music Educators Journal"

Science.gov (United States)

Hedgecoth, David M.; Fischer, Sarah H.

2014-01-01

As "Music Educators Journal" celebrates its centennial, it is appropriate to look back over the past century to see how advocacy in music education has evolved. Of the more than 200 submitted articles on advocacy, four main themes emerged: music education in community, the relevancy of music education, the value of music education, and…

Epilepsy health consumer groups and charities; how representative of patients are they? The results of a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grinton, M; Leavy, Y; Ahern, D; Hughes, F; Duncan, S

2013-07-01

In the United Kingdom all health care providers are encouraged to consult with user groups. The submissions of charities and patient advocacy groups to NICE and SIGN are considered reflective of the patient groups they purport to represent, yet little is known about how representative they are. This pilot study was designed to ascertain how many patients attending a hospital based epilepsy clinic were members of such advocacy groups. Patients were asked to complete a brief 9-question questionnaire before they left the clinic. One hundred and twenty-five questionnaires were distributed, of which 101 were returned. Seventeen percent of patients were members of advocacy groups, with several being members of more than one charity/group. Only seven percent of the respondents had ever been contacted by an advocacy group to canvass their opinions. Seventy percent of patients questioned stated they thought a frank discussion with their physician, or specialist nurse was more likely to influence patient services. Patients with long duration of disease and taking multiple anti-epileptic drugs were more likely to be members of charity/advocacy groups. As patient charities in the U.K. are often in receipt of public funds, and actively seek to influence public policy this raises the question of whether they should be required to consult more widely with the people they claim to represent. Copyright © 2012 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Child Advocacy in the United States: The Work of the Children's Defense Fund. Innocenti Essays No. 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Weill, James D.

This essay provides an overview of the goals and activities of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. that works to improve the well-being of American children through systemic change and whose goal is to make it unacceptable for any child in the United States to grow up homeless, hungry, sick,…

The legitimate role of advocacy in environmental education: how does it differ from coercion?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Cairns

2002-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This paper examines the controversy in the field of environmental education over the role of advocacy versus presentation of scientific information. The former involves a view of education as process, while the latter perceives education solely as content. Environmental issues involve ethical concerns and value judgments. Scientific information cannot give us the answers to our environmental questions, as these questions have all the inherent complexity of any social issue. Advocacy differs from coercion, bias, and prejudice. Coercion, bias, and prejudice have no place in environmental education, while advocacy for ecological systems does.

Gambling advocacy: lessons from tobacco, alcohol and junk food.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Samantha L; David, Jennifer; Randle, Melanie; Daube, Mike; Senior, Kate

2016-06-01

To explore the attitudes and opinions of public health experts in gambling and related unhealthy commodity industries towards the tactics used by the gambling industry to prevent reform and the advocacy responses to these tactics. In-depth interviews (30-60 minutes) with a convenience sample of 15 public health experts and stakeholders with a public health approach to gambling (n=10), or other unhealthy commodity industries (food, alcohol, tobacco, n=5). Participants described the influences of political lobbying and donations on public policy, and industry framing of problem gambling as an issue of personal responsibility. Industry funding of, and influence over, academic research was considered to be one of the most effective industry tactics to resist reform. Participants felt there was a need to build stronger coalitions and collaborations between independent academics, and to improve the utilisation of media to more effectively shift perceptions of gambling harm away from the individual and towards the product. Gambling industry tactics are similar to the tactics of other unhealthy commodity industries. However, advocacy initiatives to counter these tactics in gambling are less developed than in other areas. The formation of national public health coalitions, as well as a strong evidence base regarding industry tactics, will help to strengthen advocacy initiatives. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Rivalry of Advocacy Coalitions in the Czech Pension Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Potůček Martin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The Czech Republic, as many other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, faced and is still facing a pension-reform challenge. The diversification of pension pillars led to the massive displacements of participant contributions from the public PAYG pension pillars to the newly constructed private, defined-contribution, fully-funded pillars. In the Czech Republic, the adoption of the relevant law was preceded by serious political conflict between supporters and opponents of this step (both among different political actors and among professionals. In an analysis of the conflict we critically apply the Advocacy Coalition Framework. We work mainly with the analysis of policy documents, public statements of the individual actors and an analysis of voting on the relevant law in both chambers of the Czech Parliament towards the identification of the crystallization process of two clear-cut coalitions between actors from both sides of the spectrum. The Advocacy Coalition Framework in exploring the dynamics of the public-policy process proved to be able to explain situations where there is sharp political conflict. Through the lens of the devil-shift of both camps (advocacy coalitions with different beliefs, each fell into extreme positions within the coalition to affirm the correctness of their arguments and positions.

A practice model for rural district nursing success in end-of-life advocacy care.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Frances M; Fitzgerald, Les; Bish, Melanie R

2017-08-24

The development of a practice model for rural district nursing successful end-of-life advocacy care. Resources to help people live well in the end stages of life in rural areas can be limited and difficult to access. District nurse advocacy may promote end-of-life choice for people living at home in rural Australia. The lack of evidence available internationally to inform practice in this context was addressed by exploratory study. A pragmatic mixed method study approved by the University Faculty Ethics Committee and conducted from March 2014 to August 2015 was used to explore the successful end-of-life advocacy of 98 rural Australian district nurses. The findings and results were integrated then compared with theory in this article to develop concepts for a practice model. The model illustrates rural district nurse advocacy success based on respect for the rights and values of people. Advocacy action is motivated by the emotional responses of nurses to the end-of-life vulnerability people experience. The combination of willing investment in relationships, knowing the rural people and resources, and feeling supported, together enables district nurses to develop therapeutic emotional intelligence. This skill promotes moral agency in reflection and advocacy action to overcome emotional and ethical care challenges of access and choice using holistic assessment, communication, organisation of resources and empowering support for the self-determination of person-centred end-of-life goals. Recommendations are proposed from the theoretical concepts in the model. Testing the model in practice is recommended to gain the perceptions of a broader range of rural people both giving and receiving end-of-life-care. A model developed by gathering and comparing district nursing experiences and understanding using mixed methods and existing theory offers evidence for practice of a philosophy of successful person-centred advocacy care in a field of nursing that lacks specific

Why Advocacy and Policy Matter: Promoting Research and Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Ellen V. Sigal, PhD, is Chairperson and Founder of Friends of Cancer Research (Friends), a think tank and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. Friends drives collaboration among partners from every healthcare sector to power advances in science, policy and regulation that speed life-saving treatments to patients. During the past 20 years, Friends has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of policies ensuring patients receive the best treatments in the fastest and safest way possible. Dr. Sigal is Chair of the inaugural board of directors of the Reagan-Udall Foundation, a partnership designed to modernize medical product development, accelerate innovation and enhance product safety in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She serves on the Board of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, where she chairs its Public Private Partnerships Committee. In 2001, Dr. Sigal was appointed to a six-year term on the Board of Governors of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) as a representative of patients and health consumers. Additionally, in 2016 Dr. Sigal was named to Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel, to the Parker Institute for Immunotherapy Advisory Group and joined the inaugural board of advisors for the George Washington University’s Milken Institute of Public Health. She also holds leadership positions with a broad range of cancer advocacy, public policy organizations and academic health centers including: MD Anderson Cancer Center External Advisory Board, the Duke University Cancer Center Board of Overseers, and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Council.

A Case Study of the Philadelphia Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Policymaking Process: Implications for Policy Development and Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Purtle, Jonathan; Langellier, Brent; Lê-Scherban, Félice

Policymakers are increasingly proposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes as an evidence-based strategy to reduce chronic disease risk; and local health departments (LHDs) are well-positioned to play a role in SSB policy development and advocacy. However, most SSB tax proposals fail to become law and limited empiric guidance exists to inform advocacy efforts. In June 2016, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed an SSB tax. To identify features of the Philadelphia SSB tax policymaking process that contributed to the proposal's passage. Qualitative case study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with key informants closely involved with the policymaking process. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Local news media about the SSB tax proposal were analyzed to triangulate interview findings. Analysis was conducted in NVivo 10 using inductive qualitative content analysis. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the SSB tax policymaking in process. Nine key informants (2 city councilpersons, 4 city agency officials, 1 community-based advocate, 1 news reporter, and 1 researcher). The Philadelphia SSB tax proposal was introduced with the explicit goal of financing universal prekindergarten and deliberately not framed as a health intervention. This framing shifted contentious debates about government involvement in individual behavior toward discussions about how to finance universal prekindergarten, a goal for which broad support existed. The LHD played an important role in communicating research evidence about potential health benefits of the SSB tax proposal at the end of the policymaking process. During local SSB tax policy development processes, LHD officials and other advocates should encourage policymakers to design SSB tax policies so that revenue is directed toward community investments for which broad public support exists. When communicating with policymakers and the public, LHDs should consider emphasizing how SSB tax revenue will be used in addition

Social Justice Advocacy in Graduate Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyle, Amy Gratch

2018-01-01

This article includes a description and analysis of a graduate teacher education course designed to engage teachers in taking action for social justice. In the course, students participate in a community of learners in which they examine their cultural identities and engage in social justice advocacy work. Students developed content knowledge and…

Strong advocacy led to successful implementation of smokefree Mexico City.

Science.gov (United States)

Crosbie, Eric; Sebrié, Ernesto M; Glantz, Stanton A

2011-01-01

To describe the approval process and implementation of the 100% smokefree law in Mexico City and a competing federal law between 2007 and 2010. Reviewed smokefree legislation, published newspaper articles and interviewed key informants. Strong efforts by tobacco control advocacy groups and key policymakers in Mexico City in 2008 prompted the approval of a 100% smokefree law following the WHO FCTC. As elsewhere, the tobacco industry utilised the hospitality sector to block smokefree legislation, challenged the City law before the Supreme Court and promoted the passage of a federal law that required designated smoking areas. These tactics disrupted implementation of the City law by causing confusion over which law applied in Mexico City. Despite interference, the City law increased public support for 100% smokefree policies and decreased the social acceptability of smoking. In September 2009, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the City law, giving it the authority to go beyond the federal law to protect the fundamental right of health for all citizens. Early education and enforcement efforts by tobacco control advocates promoted the City law in 2008 but advocates should still anticipate continuing opposition from the tobacco industry, which will require continued pressure on the government. Advocates should utilise the Supreme Court's ruling to promote 100% smokefree policies outside Mexico City. Strong advocacy for the City law could be used as a model of success throughout Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Parental advocacy styles for special education students during the transition to adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehm, Roberta S; Fisher, Lucille T; Fuentes-Afflick, Elena; Chesla, Catherine A

2013-10-01

In an ethnographic study of planning for the transition to adulthood, we explored parental advocacy styles in special education settings for youth and young adults with chronic health conditions and developmental disabilities. Of 61 parents, 43 were satisfied with outcomes in negotiations for school services for their children. We identified three parental advocacy styles for these parents: (a) high-profile parents, who insisted on specific, wide-ranging services for their children that often resulted in conflict with educators; (b) strategic parents, who negotiated for selected goals and were willing to compromise, and (c) grateful-gratifier parents, who formed close relationships with educators and trusted them to make appropriate decisions. Eighteen parents were overwhelmed, burned out, or unfocused, and generally dissatisfied with outcomes of educational planning meetings. Professional efforts to enhance parental advocacy can target development of skills and strategies that have worked for successful negotiators.

Effectiveness of IMPACT:Ability to Improve Safety and Self-Advocacy Skills in Students With Disabilities-Follow-Up Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dryden, Eileen M; Desmarais, Jeffrey; Arsenault, Lisa

2017-02-01

Research shows that individuals with disabilities are more likely to experience abuse than their peers without disabilities. Yet, few evidenced-based abuse prevention interventions exist. This study examines whether positive outcomes identified previously in an evaluation of IMPACT:Ability were maintained 1 year later. A survey measuring safety and self-advocacy knowledge, confidence, and behaviors among special education high-school students was administered 12 months post-training. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare baseline to follow up and postsurvey to follow up and repeated measures analyses were conducted to test the effect of time across the 3 time points (baseline, post, and 1-year follow up) (N = 47). Follow-up study participants had a range of disabilities, just over half were boys, and most were either black or Latino/Hispanic. Difference between scores at baseline and follow-up for all the measures of interest represented gains from baseline. Statistically significant post-training improvements in participants' safety and self-advocacy knowledge and confidence were maintained 1-year later. These results provide additional support for the case that IMPACT:Ability is a promising safety and self-advocacy training program for diverse groups of students with disabilities. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Strengthening Music Programs While Avoiding Advocacy Pitfalls

Science.gov (United States)

West, Chad; Clauhs, Matthew

2015-01-01

This article examines ways in which music education advocacy efforts have become disconnected from the unified visions and declarations of music educators espoused in the Tanglewood and Housewright declarations and are thus reifying the disconnect between what we value and what we say we value. We first analyze the policies posited by the recently…

Reducing violent injuries: priorities for pediatrician advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolins, J C; Christoffel, K K

1994-10-01

A basic framework for developing an advocacy plan must systematically break down the large task of policy development implementation into manageable components. The basic framework described in detail in this paper includes three steps: Setting policy objectives by narrowing the scope of policy, by reviewing policy options, and by examining options against selected criteria. Developing strategies for educating the public and for approaching legislative/regulatory bodies. Evaluating the effectiveness of the advocacy action plan as a process and as an agent for change. To illustrate the variety of ways in which pediatricians can be involved in the policy process to reduce violent injuries among children and adolescents, we apply this systematic approach to three priority areas. Prohibiting the use of corporal punishment in schools is intended to curb the institutionalized legitimacy of violence that has been associated with future use of violence. Efforts to remove handguns from the environments of children and adolescents are aimed at reducing the numbers of firearm injuries inflicted upon and by minors. Comprehensive treatment of adolescent victims of assault is intended to decrease the reoccurrence of violent injuries.

A human rights approach to advocacy for people with dementia: A review of current provision in England and Wales.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Jeremy; Laing, Judy; Valentine, Christine

2018-01-01

In this article, we review current advocacy services for people with dementia in England and Wales (provided, respectively, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 , the Mental Health Act 1983 /2007 and the Care Act 2014) through the lens of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). We examine what a human rights' approach to advocacy support would entail, and whether current frameworks in England and Wales are adequate for this approach and provide a sufficient safeguard. First, we consider how the human rights of persons with dementia have become increasingly important and the extent to which the CRPD provides an opportunity to bolster safeguards and protection. Second, we discuss cause and case advocacy, and how these advocacy models could be shaped by the CRPD to promote the rights of persons with dementia at each stage of the disease. Third, we highlight current dilemmas and challenges in the provision of advocacy support in England and Wales by focusing on case law, commissioning of services and current practice. In particular, we analyse how the different legislative schemes have given rise to some confusion about the various advocacy provisions, as well as potential for overlap and discrepancies between different regimes. We also highlight the need for further research to address important gaps in knowledge, including the scale of need, patterns of referral and attitudes to advocacy services. The article concludes by highlighting how advocacy support could be recalibrated as a universal right to promote the aims and aspirations of the CRPD, and how education is needed to address the stigma of dementia and promote the benefits of advocacy in protecting the rights of those with dementia.

Bridging dermatologists with patient advocacy organizations through smartphones.

Science.gov (United States)

Kourosh, A Shadi; Schoenberg, Evan D; Dejace, Jean M; Bergstresser, Paul R

2014-03-01

Patient advocacy organizations seek to increase their benefits for patients with skin disease; low awareness and patient referrals among dermatologists have presented an obstacle to this. To determine whether the Skin Advocate iPhone App would increase awareness and referrals to patient advocacy organizations in the Coalition of Skin Diseases (CSD) among Texas dermatologists and dermatology residents and patient registrations among CSD member organizations. We present results of an institutional review board-exempted investigation conducted among member organizations of the CSD and among dermatologists and dermatology residents in Texas from April 1, 2011, through March 31, 2013. Effects were measured in a blinded fashion subjectively through pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys and objectively through internal analytics that tracked downloads and use of the iPhone app, as well as pre-intervention and post-intervention numbers of registrations for CSD member organizations. The Skin Advocate iPhone App. Awareness and referrals to patient advocacy organizations in the CSD among Texas dermatologists and dermatology residents and patient registrations among CSD member organizations. Throughout the study, mean app use ranged from 3.3 to 3.6 uses per user per month, maintaining the 3-fold improvement compared with self-reported referral for 90% of the study population and a 12-fold improvement for 64% of the study population. Our data revealed substantial improvement in self-reported physician awareness and referrals, and increased patient registrations for CSD organizations. The Skin Advocate iPhone App improved physician awareness and subsequent referrals to CSD member organizations.

Assessment of Newspaper Advocacy for Rural Development and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of Newspaper Advocacy for Rural Development and Environmental Education in Nigeria. ... Journal of Agricultural Extension ... It analyzed five leading national newspapers for a period of twelve months to ascertain their level of coverage and reportage of environmental and rural development information and ...

Principles for interactions with biopharmaceutical companies: the development of guidelines for patient advocacy organizations in the field of rare diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Susan; Bogard, Elizabeth; Boice, Nicole; Fernandez, Vivian; Field, Tessa; Gilstrap, Alan; Kahn, Susan R; Larkindale, Jane; Mathieson, Toni

2018-01-22

Rare diseases are a global public health concern, affecting an estimated 350 million individuals. Only 5% of approximately 7000 known rare diseases have a treatment, and only about half have a patient advocacy organization. Biopharmaceutical companies face complex challenges in developing treatments for rare diseases. Patient advocacy organizations may play a major role by positively influencing research and development, clinical trials, and regulations. Thus, collaboration among patient advocacy organizations and industry is essential to bring new therapeutics to patients. We identified an unmet need for guidelines on day-to-day decision-making by rare disease patient advocacy organizations when working with biopharmaceutical partners. We convened an Independent Expert Panel experienced in collaborations between patient advocacy organizations and biopharmaceutical companies (April 2017) to develop consensus guidelines for these relationships. The guidelines were based on an original version by the International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association (IFOPA). The Expert Panel reviewed and broadened these to be applicable to all patient advocacy organizations. Comments on the draft Guidelines were provided first by Panel participants and subsequently by six independent experts from patient advocacy organizations and industry. The Panel comprised four experts from the rare disease community who lead patient advocacy organizations; three leaders who perform advocacy functions within biopharmaceutical companies; and two facilitators, both having leadership experience in rare diseases and industry. The finalized Guidelines consist of four main sections: Identification and Engagement With Companies, Patient Engagement and Patient Privacy, Financial Contributions, and Clinical Trial Communication and Support. The Guidelines address the daily considerations, choices, and consequences of patient advocacy organizations as they engage with biopharmaceutical

Credibility and advocacy in conservation science

Science.gov (United States)

Horton, Cristi C.; Peterson, Tarla Rai; Banerjee, Paulami

2015-01-01

Abstract Conservation policy sits at the nexus of natural science and politics. On the one hand, conservation scientists strive to maintain scientific credibility by emphasizing that their research findings are the result of disinterested observations of reality. On the other hand, conservation scientists are committed to conservation even if they do not advocate a particular policy. The professional conservation literature offers guidance on negotiating the relationship between scientific objectivity and political advocacy without damaging conservation science's credibility. The value of this guidance, however, may be restricted by limited recognition of credibility's multidimensionality and emergent nature: it emerges through perceptions of expertise, goodwill, and trustworthiness. We used content analysis of the literature to determine how credibility is framed in conservation science as it relates to apparent contradictions between science and advocacy. Credibility typically was framed as a static entity lacking dimensionality. Authors identified expertise or trustworthiness as important, but rarely mentioned goodwill. They usually did not identify expertise, goodwill, or trustworthiness as dimensions of credibility or recognize interactions among these 3 dimensions of credibility. This oversimplification may limit the ability of conservation scientists to contribute to biodiversity conservation. Accounting for the emergent quality and multidimensionality of credibility should enable conservation scientists to advance biodiversity conservation more effectively. PMID:26041036

Co-compact Gabor Systems on Locally Compact Abelian Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Mads Sielemann; Lemvig, Jakob

2016-01-01

In this work we extend classical structure and duality results in Gabor analysis on the euclidean space to the setting of second countable locally compact abelian (LCA) groups. We formulate the concept of rationally oversampling of Gabor systems in an LCA group and prove corresponding characteriz...

Know Violence in Childhood – India: Advocacy, communication and ...

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

Know Violence in Childhood (KVIC) is a global learning and advocacy initiative to ... Among the activities are mapping and gap analysis of existing state-level ... in India, including heat stress, water management, and climate-related migration.

The Origin of the Galaxy and Local Group

Science.gov (United States)

Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Freeman, Ken; Matteucci, Francesca

This volume contains the updated and expanded lecture notes of the 37th Saas-Fee Advanced Course organised by the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy. It offers the most comprehensive and up to date review of one of the hottest research topics in astrophysics - how our Milky Way galaxy formed. Joss Bland-Hawthorn & Ken Freeman lectured on Near Field Cosmology - The Origin of the Galaxy and the Local Group. Francesca Matteucci's chapter is on Chemical evolution of the Milky Way and its Satellites. As designed by the SSAA, books in this series - and this one too - are targeted at graduate and PhD students and young researchers in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. Lecturers and researchers entering the field will also benefit from the book. *%K Physics, Astrophysics, Near Field Cosmology, Galaxy, Local Group *%O Milky Way

75 FR 7540 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-19

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION... Tax Issue Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comment, ideas...

75 FR 4139 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

76 FR 45004 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-27

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax...

77 FR 67735 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications...

75 FR 62631 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

78 FR 78516 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee. AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications...

76 FR 45007 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-27

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications...

78 FR 41193 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-09

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications...

75 FR 33895 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

75 FR 47348 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-05

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

75 FR 39332 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

75 FR 55406 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

75 FR 25317 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-07

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Volunteer Income Tax Issue...

76 FR 56879 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-14

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small...

76 FR 37200 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self...

76 FR 22170 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-20

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self...

76 FR 63715 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-13

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small...

76 FR 46897 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-03

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small...

76 FR 6189 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self...

76 FR 10942 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-28

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self...

Legal advocacy and nuclear power: the impact of litigation on the Midland nuclear plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, C.E.

1979-01-01

The use of litigation as an interest-group strategy is analyzed in relation to the controversy over the development of nuclear power. An assessment is made of the impact of the judicial process, with the litigation involving the Midland, Michigan, nuclear plant serving as a representative case study. In the construction permit hearings for the Midland nuclear plant, which began in 1970, the interest groups were Consumers Power Company, a Michigan utility, and the Saginaw and Mapleton Intervernors, environmentalists dwelling near the proposed plant site. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a construction permit for the plant after a two-year licensing process, but the environmental groups appealed the permit to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In 1976, the permit was remanded by the court to the Commission for reconsideration, and Consumers Power Company appealed that decision. In 1978, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous and definitive opinion, Consumers Power Company vs Aeschliman, that upheld the Commission's original issuance of the construction plant. The Midland case well illustrates the detrimental impact that legal advocacy has had on atomic energy by prolonging the regulatory process. The positive consequences of the Court ruling favoring the utility's position were outweighed by the expense involved in the initial ten years of thelicensing and subsequent lawsuits concerning the Midland plant. Consequently, Consumers Power Company is representative of most other American electric companies in its determination that it cannot build additional nuclear plants without mitigation of the uncertainty and duration of the regulatory process. Thus, it may be concluded that the environmental groups' use of legal advocacy at Midland and elsewhere has proven to be an effective strategy for undermining the nuclear industry and for deterring the future development of nuclear power

Should patient groups accept money from drug companies? No

OpenAIRE

Mintzes, Barbara

2007-01-01

Patient groups provide valuable support and advocacy for vulnerable people but funding the work can be difficult. Alastair Kent argues that not accepting industry money will unnecessarily limit the groups' effectiveness, but Barbara Mintzes believes that the money undermines their independence

Should patient groups accept money from drug companies? Yes

OpenAIRE

Kent, Alastair

2007-01-01

Patient groups provide valuable support and advocacy for vulnerable people but funding the work can be difficult. Alastair Kent argues that not accepting industry money will unnecessarily limit the groups' effectiveness, but Barbara Mintzes believes that the money undermines their independence

Handicapped Infants and Euthanasia: A Challenge to Our Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J. David

1985-01-01

The issue of pediatric euthanasia for handicapped newborns is examined and contrasting viewpoints emphasizing the quality and the sanctity of life are considered. The author asserts that advocacy for handicapped children involves decisions regarding the euthanasia question. (CL)

Domestic Worker, Transnational Advocacy and the State of Exception: A Case Study on The Advocacy of Domestic Worker’s Rights in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gema Ramadhan Bastari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explains why domestic workers (PRT remain not considered as formal workers in Indonesia. This problem becomes very urgent as PRT covers 76% of the national labor population and there has been considerable pressure from transnational community. This question is answered by applying  Agamben's theory of state of exception. This paper deploysdiscourse analysis method to examine a number of texts related to the Government of Indonesian's stance and the advocacy for PRT’s rights in Indonesia. This study finds that the Government of Indonesia has established a state of exception allowing to ignore PRT’s rights as workers under existing law. The study, then, concludes that the Government of Indonesian cannot be expected to meet PRT’s rights. Consequently, the strategy of advocacy should be directed to encourage other countries to push Indonesia so as to meet PRT’s rights.

75 FR 33893 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 55405 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-10

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 25317 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-07

... Small Business/Self Employed Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Issue Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas and...

75 FR 18957 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-13

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 47348 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-05

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 62630 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-12

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 7539 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-19

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 11999 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-12

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 39331 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

75 FR 4140 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-26

... Small Business/Self Employed Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

76 FR 10944 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-28

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Tuesday...

75 FR 4140 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-26

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION... Tax Credit Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public... Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Wednesday, February 24, 2010, at 1 p...

LYNX community advocacy & service engagement (CASE) project final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-14

This report is a final assessment of the Community Advocacy & Service Engagement (CASE) project, a LYNX-FTA research project designed : to study transit education and public engagement methods in Central Florida. In the Orlando area, as in other part...

Enhancing Advocacy for Eye Care at National Levels: What Steps to Take for the Next Decade?

Science.gov (United States)

Rabiu, Muhammad Mansur; Al Rajhi, Abdulaziz; Qureshi, Mohammed Babar; Gersbeck, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness by the year 2020-(VISION 2020- The Right to Sight), established in 1999, is a partnership of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), governments, bilateral organizations, corporate bodies and the World Health Organization. The goal is to eliminate the major causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020. Significant progress has been made in the last decade. For example, the adoption of three major World Health Assembly resolutions (WHA 56.26, 59.25 and 62.1) requesting governments to increase support and funding for the prevention of blindness and eye care. Additionally, the approval of the VISION 2020 declaration, development of plans and establishment of prevention of blindness committees and a designation of a coordinator by most participating countries represent other major achievements. Furthermore there has been increased political and professional commitment to the prevention of visual impairment and an increase in the provision of high-quality, sustainable eye care. Most of these achievements have been attributed to the advocacy efforts of VISION 2020 at the international level. The full success of this global initiative will likely depend on the extent to which the WHA resolutions are implemented in each country. However, most ratifying countries have not moved forward with implementation of these resolutions. To date, only few countries have shown consistent government support and funding for eye care pursuant to the resolutions. One of the main reasons for this may be inadequate and inappropriate advocacy for eye care at the national level. As such it is believed that the success of VISION 2020 in the next decade will depend on intense advocacy campaigns at national levels. This review identified some of the countries and health programs that have had fruitful advocacy efforts, to determine the factors that dictated success. The review highlights the factors of successful advocacy in two

Domestic Violence Assessments in the Child Advocacy Center

Science.gov (United States)

Thackeray, Jonathan D.; Scribano, Philip V.; Rhoda, Dale

2010-01-01

Objective: This study was designed to identify the frequency, methods, and practices of universal assessments for domestic violence (DV) within child advocacy centers (CACs) and determine which factors are associated with CACs that conduct universal DV assessments. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional, web-based survey distributed to…

New Education Advocacy Organizations in the U.S. States: National Snapshot and a Case Study of Advance Illinois. Executive Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Manna, Paul; Moffitt, Susan

2014-01-01

This executive summary describes a Wallace-commissioned report that identifies the emergence of a new kind of education advocacy organization in the United States. The report also assesses how these groups influence education policy, provides an overview of their work across the country, and offers a case study of one, Advance Illinois. The report…

Medical advocacy on behalf of detained immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Venters, Homer D; Foote, Mary; Keller, Allen S

2011-06-01

Detention of immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a rapidly growing form of incarceration in the U.S. with almost 400,000 people detained in 2008 (Schriro in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2009, http://www.ice.gov/doclib/091005_ice_detention_report-final.pdf ). ICE detainees are predominantly from Mexico and Latin America and only a small minority of detainees are asylum seekers. Immigrant detainees lack a legal guarantee of medical care (unlike criminal arrestees and prisoners) and face challenges in receiving medical care, particularly those with chronic medical conditions (Venters and Keller in J Health Care Poor Underserved 20:951-957, 2009). Although we and others have long been involved in advocating for detained asylum seekers, few resources are dedicated to medical advocacy for the broader population of ICE detainees. At the NYU Center for Health and Human Rights (CHHR), a program of medical advocacy was initiated in 2007 on behalf of ICE detainees focused on improvement of care in detention and medical parole. Our preliminary efforts reveal a pressing need for more involvement by physicians and other health advocates in this area.

Social Media as a Tool for Online Advocacy Campaigns: Greenpeace Mediterranean’s Anti Genetically Engineered Food Campaign in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Pınar Özdemir

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Advocacy has been one of the main fields of study in public relations and is established amongst the main functions of public relations. The strong need of non-governmental organizations for public support in order to reach their goals locates public relations and advocacy at a central position for these organizations. Social media, which have been introduced by the further development of Internet technology, especially Web 2.0, has had a significant impact upon public relations and advocacy activities of non-governmental organizations in particular. This development also led non-governmental organizations towards online advocacy campaigns that promote active participation of supporters with more cost effective methods that can easily become widespread. The aim of this study is to place the advocacy campaigns of non-governmental organizations into the context of public relations and to discuss how social media can be utilized in online advocacy through the case study of the Yemezler! (We do not buy it! campaign by Greenpeace Mediterranean that has been significantly successful in a short period in Turkey. The Dragonfly Effect model developed by Aaker and Smith (2010 is employed as a framework in the analysis of the Yemezler! campaign.

Combining natural language processing and network analysis to examine how advocacy organizations stimulate conversation on social media.

Science.gov (United States)

Bail, Christopher Andrew

2016-10-18

Social media sites are rapidly becoming one of the most important forums for public deliberation about advocacy issues. However, social scientists have not explained why some advocacy organizations produce social media messages that inspire far-ranging conversation among social media users, whereas the vast majority of them receive little or no attention. I argue that advocacy organizations are more likely to inspire comments from new social media audiences if they create "cultural bridges," or produce messages that combine conversational themes within an advocacy field that are seldom discussed together. I use natural language processing, network analysis, and a social media application to analyze how cultural bridges shaped public discourse about autism spectrum disorders on Facebook over the course of 1.5 years, controlling for various characteristics of advocacy organizations, their social media audiences, and the broader social context in which they interact. I show that organizations that create substantial cultural bridges provoke 2.52 times more comments about their messages from new social media users than those that do not, controlling for these factors. This study thus offers a theory of cultural messaging and public deliberation and computational techniques for text analysis and application-based survey research.

Parent Advocacy: Two Approaches to Change, One Goal

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hanlon, Elizabeth; Griffin, Amy Tetteh

2004-01-01

The authors describe "top-down" and "bottom-up" models of leadership in the world of advocacy; they became parent advocates after learning that their children had special needs. They argue that change in our communities--and, eventually, in our world--demands that "all" advocates for children with disabilities work together. The authors describe…

Latina/o School Principals: Identity, Leadership and Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Elizabeth T.; Hernandez, Frank; Mendez-Morse, Sylvia; Byrne-Jimenez, Monica

2016-01-01

This study sought to further define and inform about the influence of Latina/o principals in schools as an alternative to traditional forms of leadership. The principals' Latina/o identity, their leadership styles and advocacy towards the improvement of student achievement were examined. This research focused on three questions: (a) How did…

Mass of the Local Group from Proper Motions of Distant Dwarf Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

van der Marel, Roeland

2010-09-01

The Local Group and its two dominant spirals, the Milky Way and M31, have become the benchmark for testing many aspects of cosmological and galaxy formation theories, due to many exciting new discoveries in the past decade. However, it is difficult to put results in a proper cosmological context, because our knowledge of the mass M of the Local Group remains uncertain by a factor 4. In units of 10^{12} solar masses, a spherical infall model for the zero-velocity surface gives M 1.3; the sum of estimates for the Milky Way and M31 masses gives M 2.6; and the Local Group Timing argument for the M31 orbit gives M 5.6. It is possible to discriminate between the proposed masses by calculating the orbits of galaxies at the edge of the Local Group, which requires knowledge of transverse velocity components. We therefore propose to use ACS/WFC to determine the proper motions of the 4 dwarf galaxies near the edge of the Local Group {Cetus, Leo A, Tucana, Sag DIG} for which deep first epoch data {with 5-7 year time baselines} already exist in the HST Archive. Our team has extensive expertise with HST astrometric science, and our past/ongoing work for, e.g., Omega Cen, LMC/SMC and M31 show that the necessary astrometric accuracy is within the reach of HST's demonstrated capabilities. We have developed, tested, and published a new technique that uses compact background galaxies as astrometric reference sources, and we have already reduced the first epoch data. The final predicted transverse velocity accuracy, 36 km/s when averaged over the sample, will be sufficient to discriminate between each of the proposed Local Group masses at 2-sigma significance {4-sigma between the most extreme values}. Our project will yield the most accurate Local Group mass determination to date, and only HST can achieve the required accuracy.

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…

76 FR 22171 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-20

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

76 FR 32024 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-02

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

75 FR 33894 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-15

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

76 FR 2197 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-12

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee. AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

75 FR 7540 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-19

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

76 FR 17995 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

75 FR 18955 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-13

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee. AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

75 FR 25316 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-07

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit...

78 FR 24694 - Family Advocacy Command Assistance Team (FACAT)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-26

... be composed of personnel from appropriate disciplines, including, medicine, psychology, and child... in all allegations of child abuse and neglect. DATES: Comments must be received by June 25, 2013... multi-disciplinary Family Advocacy Command Assistant Team to respond to allegations of child sexual...

The Effects of Advocacy Advertising and Situational Crisis on Perceptions of Social Responsibility, Potential Supportive Behavior and Attitudes Toward Advertisements.

Science.gov (United States)

Cozby, Jeanie G.; And Others

Data were collected from 176 college students in a study of the effects of corporate advocacy advertising in crisis situations. The subjects read one of two sets of oil company advertisements, one set using a low advocacy and the other set using a high advocacy approach to explain company activities in relation to current events and social issues.…

Understanding Parent Advocacy during the Transition to School of Children with Developmental Disabilities: Three Canadian Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, Nancy L.; Pyle, Angela; Villeneuve, Michelle; Dods, Jennifer; Dalton, C. J.; Minnes, Patricia

2014-01-01

Research has shown the benefits of parent involvement for student participation in education. Parent advocacy is a critical form of involvement by parents for children who are young, have disabilities, and are making transitions. Studies have classified forms of parent advocacy but have not illuminated the components necessary for effective parent…

75 FR 11998 - Open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Issue Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-12

... Earned Income Tax Credit Issue Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Issue... Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Issue Committee will be held Tuesday, April 20, 2010 from 8 a.m. to...

Feminized Power and Adversarial Advocacy: Levelling Arguments or Analyzing Them?

Science.gov (United States)

Condit, Celeste Michelle

1989-01-01

Examines the journalistic analysis of the 1988 Presidential Debates from a feminist perspective in order to identify the revisions needed in the debate process. Provides historical background of feminized power and adversarial advocacy. (MM)

"We are the best to stand in for patients": a qualitative study on nurses' advocacy characteristics in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadzie, Grace; Aziato, Lydia; Aikins, Ama de-Graft

2017-01-01

Patient advocacy has been identified as a core duty of the nurse, and certain nurse characteristics influence the performance of the role. However, these characteristics have not been adequately explored in Ghana. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of nurses about the characteristics of nurses that influence their role as patient advocates. An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 15 nurses from a regional hospital in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select participants and individual in-depth interviews were conducted in English using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Data analysis was done concurrently employing the principles of thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for the study from the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research and the Ghana Health Service Ethical Review Committee. Themes generated revealed nurse traits which enhanced the advocacy role of nurses such as being empathetic, nurturing, ethical, assertive and persistent and nurse states which hindered the performance of the role such as fatigue and frustration. However, "compassionate" emerged as an additional nurse trait from this study. Out of empathy, participants availed themselves for patients to share their problems with them. In their nurturing roles, spending more time with patients and providing personal care fostered closeness which helped in identifying patients' problems. Helping patients navigate the health system was also found. They perceived patient advocacy as a moral responsibility and identified good communication skills and determination to help patients get their problems solved as important in patient advocacy. Some participants also described compassion-based activities such as pleading on patients' behalf, providing material and financial assistance, facilitating care and providing emotional support in their advocacy. However, heavy workload and lack of appreciation from

Advocacy Narratives and Celebrity Engagement: the Case of Ben Affleck in Congo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Budabin, Alexandra Cosima; Richey, Lisa Ann

2018-01-01

shape human rights narratives by selecting issues and interacting with dominant framings. This hypothesis is tested through a discourse analysis of professional entertainer Ben Affleck’s spoken and written texts along with organizational materials covering the establishment of the Eastern Congo...... Initiative. The study explains how the ability for celebrities to contend with narratives reflects elite practices in human rights advocacy.......Global celebrities are increasingly important in human rights--promoting causes, raising awareness, and interacting with decision-makers—as communicators to mass and elite audiences. Deepening the literature on transnational advocacy and North-South relations, this article argues that celebrities...

75 FR 62630 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and...

75 FR 39330 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and...

75 FR 55404 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and Publications/MLI Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Tax Forms and...

Limits of commutative triangular systems on locally compact groups

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Commutative triangular systems of probability measures on locally compact groups have been studied extensively and ... in [S3,S4], we extend our earlier result to some particular triangular systems on algebraic groups. We also discuss ..... Now G can be embedded as a closed subgroup in. G2 ¼ G1=D and G0. 2 ¼ ًG0 آ ...

Know Violence in Childhood – India: Advocacy, communication and ...

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

Know Violence in Childhood – India: Advocacy, communication and media engagement ... the scale and nature of violence in childhood; support state governments with actionable inputs that can be integrated in strategies to prevent violence in childhood; and advocate findings from the programmatic work more widely.

CAMPAIGN JOURNALISM ON ROMANIAN TELEVISIONS: TOWARDS A NORMATIVE VIEW OF ADVOCACY IN THE MEDIA

OpenAIRE

IRINA DIANA MĂDROANE

2016-01-01

Advocacy media campaigns, staged by Romanian television channels and focused on changing social policies, have gained increasing visibility in the Romanian public sphere. The article examines models of journalism and normative theories about the role of the press in a democracy in order to carve out a normative position from which this emerging media format can be analysed. It situates media advocacy within the frame of interpretive journalism, aimed both at facilitating democratic debate ...

Plotting Confucian and Disability Rights Paradigms on the Advocacy-Activism Continuum: Experiences of Chinese Parents of Children with Dyslexia in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Poon-McBrayer, Kim Fong; McBrayer, Philip Allen

2014-01-01

This study represents an initial effort to understand the advocacy journey of Chinese parents of children with dyslexia in Hong Kong. Qualitative methods involving individual and group interviews were used to solicit detailed recount and perceptions of the experiences of 25 parents. Findings revealed a largely sequenced three-stage journey of…

The Dynamics of the Local Group in the Era of Precision Astrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Besla, Gurtina; Garavito-Camargo, Nicolas; Patel, Ekta

2018-06-01

Our understanding of the dynamics of our Local Group of galaxies has changed dramatically over the past few years owing to significant advancements in astrometry and our theoretical understanding of galaxy structure. New surveys now enable us to map the 3D structure of our Milky Way and the dynamics of tracers of its dark matter distribution, like globular clusters, satellite galaxies and streams, with unprecedented precision. Some results have met with controversy, challenging preconceived notions of the orbital dynamics of key components of the Local Group. I will provide an overview of this evolving picture of our Local Group and outline how we can test the cold dark matter paradigm in the era of Gaia, LSST and JWST.

77 FR 37101 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-20

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

77 FR 40411 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-09

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

77 FR 21157 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-09

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

77 FR 55525 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-10

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and...

On the Chabauty space of locally compact abelian groups

OpenAIRE

Cornulier, Yves

2010-01-01

This paper contains several results about the Chabauty space of a general locally compact abelian group. Notably, we determine its topological dimension, we characterize when it is totally disconnected or connected; we characterize isolated points.

Advocacy, communication and social mobilisation for tuberculosis control in Pakistan: a qualitative case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Haq, Z; Khan, W; Rizwan, S

2013-03-01

A national-level study in four districts, one each in all four provinces of Pakistan, a high tuberculosis (TB) burden country. To examine how advocacy, communication and social mobilisation (ACSM) campaigns by the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) in Pakistan engaged the populations of interest, to what extent they were successful in promoting services and desired behaviours, and how these campaigns could be improved. This was a qualitative case study comprising 13 focus groups and 36 individual interviews in four districts. All three levels of the ACSM programme, i.e., planners, implementers and beneficiaries, were included among the respondents. Improved political commitment, availability of funds, partnership with the private sector, visibility of the NTP and access to directly observed treatment (DOT) were achieved. Individual and social environmental issues of poor patients and marginalised communities were addressed to some extent, and could be improved in the future. Empathy and respect from physicians, and better service delivery of the DOTS-based programme were desired by the patients. The strategic advocacy ensured political and financial commitment; however, identification and targeting of vulnerable populations, and carrying out context-based social mobilisation and effective counselling are crucial to increase the use of DOT. Evaluations should be built-in from the beginning to increase the evidence on effectiveness of ACSM campaigns.

Social Media as a Tool for Online Advocacy Campaigns: Greenpeace Mediterranean’s Anti Genetically Engineered Food Campaign in Turkey

OpenAIRE

B. Pınar Özdemir

2012-01-01

Advocacy has been one of the main fields of study in public relations and is established amongst the main functions of public relations. The strong need of non-governmental organizations for public support in order to reach their goals locates public relations and advocacy at a central position for these organizations. Social media, which have been introduced by the further development of Internet technology, especially Web 2.0, has had a significant impact upon public relations and advocacy ...

Ethnic Differences for Public Health Knowledge, Health Advocacy Skills, and Health Information Seeking Among High School Students: Community Agents of Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Kratzke, Cynthia; Rao, Satya; Marquez, Ruben

2018-03-06

Although adult health advocacy programs have been examined in communities, little is known about integrated adolescent health advocacy programs in high schools. The purpose of this study was to examine the health advocacy program impact and ethnic differences among high school students. Using a cross-sectional study, high school students participating in the school-based program completed evaluation surveys. The program domains included upstream causes of health, community assets, and public health advocacy. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine ethnic differences for public health knowledge, health advocacy skills, and health information seeking behaviors. Using thematic analysis, open-ended survey item responses were coded to identify themes for students' perceptions of community health. Non-Hispanic (n = 72) and Hispanic high school students (n = 182) in ten classes reported owning smartphones (95%) and laptops (76%). Most students (72%) reported seeking online health information. Non-Hispanic students reported significantly higher health advocacy skills for speaking with the class about health issues, identifying community services, or creating health awareness at school than Hispanic students. Non-Hispanic students were more likely to seek health information from fathers and television than Hispanic students. Hispanic students were more likely to seek health information from hospital or clinic staff than non-Hispanic students. Emergent themes included health advocacy skills, community awareness, and individual and community health changes. High schools benefit from integrating health advocacy programs into the core curriculum. Adolescents gain important skills to improve their individual health and engage in changing community health.

Conservation Through Different Lenses: Reflection, Responsibility, and the Politics of Participation in Conservation Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Abrash Walton, Abigail

2010-01-01

This essay considers the arenas of advocacy, politics, and self-reflection in strengthening conservation and resource management initiatives. It frames key questions that reflective conservation practitioners may address in seeking to enhance the results of conservation projects, including equity and more inclusive participation by nonprivileged groups. The essay touches on the importance of understanding conservation work within particular political and historic dynamics, including the need to understand non-Western and/or indigenous or traditional perspectives on conservation. The author makes the case that Western or privileged conservation practitioners are uniquely situated to advocate effectively for change.

Disease Advocacy Organizations Catalyze Translational Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon Fontaine Terry

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Disease advocacy organizations have long played an important role in the continuum from basic science to therapy development in rare disease research. PXE International has sometimes led the field in innovative ways, venturing into specific activities that have traditionally been conducted by scientists. As lay founders, we have engaged in gene discovery, gene patenting, diagnostic development, epidemiological studies, clinical trials and therapy research and development. This article will describe the steps that we took, and the ways in which we have scaled these efforts for the larger community.

Constraints on baryonic dark matter in the Galactic halo and Local Group

Science.gov (United States)

Richstone, Douglas; Gould, Andrew; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Flynn, Chris

1992-01-01

A four-color method and deep CCD data are used to search for very faint metal-poor stars in the direction of the south Galactic pole. The results make it possible to limit the contribution of ordinary old, metal-poor stars to the dynamical halo of the Galaxy or to the Local Group. The ratio of the mass of the halo to its ordinary starlight must be more than about 2000, unless the halo is very small. For the Local Group, this ratio is greater than about 400. If this local dark matter is baryonic, the process of compact-object formation must produce very few 'impurities' in the form of stars similar to those found in globular clusters. The expected number of unbound stars with MV not greater than 6 within 100 pc of the sun is less than 1 based on the present 90-percent upper limit to the Local Group starlight.

Analysis of misoprostol and chlorhexidine policy gains in Pakistan: the advocacy experience of Mercy Corps Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarwar, Zahida; Cutherell, Andrea; Noor, Arif; Naureen, Farah; Norman, Jennifer

2015-11-25

While Pakistan has made progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 for maternal health, it is unlikely to achieve the target; further, it is also not on track for Millennium Development Goal 4 regarding child health. Two low-cost, temperature stable and life-saving drugs, misoprostol and chlorhexidine, can respectively avert maternal and newborn deaths, and are particularly pertinent for poor and marginalized areas which bear the brunt of maternal and newborn deaths in Pakistan. In response, Mercy Corps led focused advocacy efforts to promote changes in policies, protocols, and regulatory environments for misoprostol (2012-2014) and for chlorhexidine (2014). These short-duration advocacy projects facilitated significant policy gains, such as inclusion of misoprostol and chlorhexidine into province-specific essential drug lists, development and endorsement of clinical protocols for the two drugs by provincial health departments, inclusion of misoprostol into pre-service training curriculum for several health cadres, and application for registration of chlorhexidine (at the concentration required for newborn care) by two pharmaceutical companies. These results were achieved by a consultative and evidence-based process which generated feedback from community members, program implementers, and policymakers, and ultimately put the government in the driver's seat to facilitate change. Community Action Dialogue forums were linked with provincial-level Technical Working Groups and Provincial Steering Committees, who passed on endorsed recommendations to the Health Secretary. The key factors which facilitated change were the identification of champions within the provincial health departments, prioritization of relationship building and follow-up, focus on concrete advocacy aims rather than broad objectives, and the use of multi-stakeholder forums to secure an enabling environment for the policy changes to take root. While these advocacy initiatives resulted in

Attitude Certainty and Attitudinal Advocacy: The Unique Roles of Clarity and Correctness.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheatham, Lauren; Tormala, Zakary L

2015-11-01

When and why do people advocate on behalf of their attitudes? Past research suggests that attitude certainty is one important determinant. The current research seeks to provide more nuanced insight into this relationship by (a) exploring the unique roles of attitude clarity and attitude correctness, and (b) mapping clarity and correctness onto different forms of advocacy (sharing intentions and persuasion intentions). Across four studies, we find that correctness but not clarity plays an important role in promoting persuasion intentions, whereas both correctness and clarity help shape sharing intentions. Thus, this research unpacks the certainty-advocacy relation and helps identify experimental manipulations that uniquely drive persuasion and sharing intentions. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Constrained Local UniversE Simulations: a Local Group factory

Science.gov (United States)

Carlesi, Edoardo; Sorce, Jenny G.; Hoffman, Yehuda; Gottlöber, Stefan; Yepes, Gustavo; Libeskind, Noam I.; Pilipenko, Sergey V.; Knebe, Alexander; Courtois, Hélène; Tully, R. Brent; Steinmetz, Matthias

2016-05-01

Near-field cosmology is practised by studying the Local Group (LG) and its neighbourhood. This paper describes a framework for simulating the `near field' on the computer. Assuming the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model as a prior and applying the Bayesian tools of the Wiener filter and constrained realizations of Gaussian fields to the Cosmicflows-2 (CF2) survey of peculiar velocities, constrained simulations of our cosmic environment are performed. The aim of these simulations is to reproduce the LG and its local environment. Our main result is that the LG is likely a robust outcome of the ΛCDMscenario when subjected to the constraint derived from CF2 data, emerging in an environment akin to the observed one. Three levels of criteria are used to define the simulated LGs. At the base level, pairs of haloes must obey specific isolation, mass and separation criteria. At the second level, the orbital angular momentum and energy are constrained, and on the third one the phase of the orbit is constrained. Out of the 300 constrained simulations, 146 LGs obey the first set of criteria, 51 the second and 6 the third. The robustness of our LG `factory' enables the construction of a large ensemble of simulated LGs. Suitable candidates for high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of the LG can be drawn from this ensemble, which can be used to perform comprehensive studies of the formation of the LG.

Global Advocacy for Physical Activity (GAPA): global leadership towards a raised profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Claire; Shilton, Trevor; Bull, Fiona

2013-12-01

Physical inactivity has been recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the leading causes of death due to non-communicable disease (NCD), worldwide. The benefits of action over inactivity can cut across health, environment, transportation, sport, culture and the economy. Despite the evidence, the policies and strategies to increase population-wide participation in physical activity receive insufficient priority from across high, middle and low-income countries; where physical inactivity is a rapidly-emerging issue. There is an increased need for all countries to invest in policies, strategies and supportive environments that inform, motivate and support individuals and communities to be active in ways that are safe, accessible and enjoyable. This commentary presents some recent efforts towards physical activity promotion globally, led by the Global Advocacy for Physical Activity (GAPA). It provides an overview of the background and history of GAPA; describes GAPA and the council's key achievements and milestones; places physical activity promotion within the global NCD agenda; presents GAPA flagships; and reflects on the lessons learned, ingredients for success and the major challenges that remain. The commentary documents insights into the effectiveness and challenges faced by a small non-governmental organisation (NGO) in mounting global advocacy. These lessons may be transferrable to other areas of health promotion advocacy.

America's Languages: The Future of Language Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Rivers, William P.; Brecht, Richard D.

2018-01-01

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of "Foreign Language Annals," and recognizing the seminal role this journal has in informing the language education profession about policies and programs, we sketch a future for advocacy for language education in the United States. Drawing on the Languages for All initiative and the work of the…

The Influence of Local Ethnic Diversity on Group-Centric Crime Attitudes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjorth, Frederik

2017-01-01

Several studies provide evidence of group-centric policy attitudes, that is, citizens evaluating policies based on linkages with visible social groups. The existing literature generally points to the role of media imagery, rhetoric and prominent political sponsors in driving group-centric attitudes......-down’ influence on group-centric attitudes by elite actors is complemented by ‘bottom-up’ local processes of experiential learning about group–policy linkages....

75 FR 39330 - Open Meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Iowa, Kansas...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas) AGENCY... Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that a meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel...

75 FR 10864 - Open Meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Iowa, Kansas...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-09

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas) AGENCY... Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that a meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel...

Financial stability in biobanking: unique challenges for disease-focused foundations and patient advocacy organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bromley, Russell L

2014-10-01

In the last decade, many disease-focused foundations and patient advocacy organizations that support biomedical research have created patient registries and biobanks. This article reviews the motivations behind the creation of those biobanks and how they are different from biobanks sponsored by government or industry. It also discusses some of the different funding models being employed by these organizations. Finally, it highlights some of the unique challenges faced by disease-focused foundations and advocacy organizations that sponsor biobanks, and how they are overcoming those challenges to achieve both financial and operational sustainability.

Professionalization as an Advocacy Strategy: A Content Analysis of Canadian Child Care Social Movement Organizations' 2008 Discursive Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Langford, Rachel; Prentice, Susan; Albanese, Patrizia; Summers, Bernadette; Messina-Goertzen, Brianne; Richardson, Brooke

2013-01-01

Do early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals make good advocates? Canadian advocates have fought for better child care policies since the mid-1940s. What has happened to this advocacy with the recent increased professionalization of the ECEC sector? How does increased professionalization limit, innovate or expand advocacy strategies?…

Policy advocacy and leadership training for formerly incarcerated women: an empowerment evaluation of ReConnect, a program of the Women in Prison Project, Correctional Association of New York.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, R M; Rahman, R; Williams, A

2014-12-01

There is limited knowledge on re-entry initiatives for formerly incarcerated women specifically on building women's advocacy and leadership skills. Our research highlights an empowerment evaluation on ReConnect, a 12-session; innovative advocacy and leadership development program rooted in an integrated framework of empowerment, and transformational leadership theories. Using thematic analysis, we coded three focus groups with 24 graduates, for themes that matched our framework's concepts. ReConnect graduates reported being empowered by the information they received on parental rights, housing, and employment. Participants agreed that ReConnect improved their communication skills, preparing them to advocate for themselves and community members. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 51.7 - Eligibility for protection and advocacy services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

.... 51.7 Section 51.7 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRAM Basic... rights. This restriction does not prevent a P&A system from representing clients in commitment or...

Inclusive Education National Research Advocacy Agenda: A Call to Action

Science.gov (United States)

Morningstar, Mary E.; Allcock, Heather C.; White, Julia M.; Taub, Deborah; Kurth, Jennifer A.; Gonsier-Gerdin, Jean; Ryndak, Diane L.; Sauer, Janet; Jorgensen, Cheryl M.

2016-01-01

The TASH Inclusive Education National Committee responded to Horner and Dunlap's call to ensure that future research integrates inclusive values with strong science by developing an inclusive education national research advocacy agenda. Qualitative methods were implemented to answer three questions: (a) "What is the state of inclusive…

On the mass of the Local Group

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez, Roberto E.; Kravtsov, Andrey V.; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.

2013-01-01

We use recent proper motion measurements of the tangential velocity of M31, along with its radial velocity and distance, to derive the likelihood of the sum of halo masses of the Milky Way and M31. This is done using a sample halo pairs in the Bolshoi cosmological simulation of $\\Lambda$CDM cosmology selected to match properties and environment of the Local Group. The resulting likelihood gives estimate of the sum of masses of $M_{\\rm MW,200}+M_{\\rm M31,200}=$ $2.40_{-1.05}^{+1.95}\\times10^{1...

How Do US Pediatric Residency Programs Teach and Evaluate Community Pediatrics and Advocacy Training?

Science.gov (United States)

Lichtenstein, Cara; Hoffman, Benjamin D; Moon, Rachel Y

2017-07-01

In 2013, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education updated requirements for training in community pediatrics and advocacy in pediatric residency programs. In light of this update, the aim of this study was to better understand how community pediatrics is being taught and evaluated in pediatric residency programs in the United States. Cross-sectional exploratory study using a Web-based survey of pediatric residency program directors in September 2014. Questions focused on teaching and evaluation of 10 community pediatrics competencies. Of 85 programs (43% response rate), 30% offered a separate training track and/or 6-block individualized curriculum in community pediatrics or advocacy. More than 75% required all residents to learn 7 of 10 competencies queried. Respondents in urban settings were more likely to teach care of special populations (P = .02) and public speaking (P pediatrics and advocacy teaching among responding US pediatric residency programs. Although respondents reported a variety of teaching and evaluation methods, there were few statistically significant differences between programs. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Local groups as a tool for quality assurance of community health services].

Science.gov (United States)

Mjell, J; Hjortdahl, P

2001-05-30

The aim of this study was to assess the use of local interprofessional or audit groups as a tool of quality enhancement. Fifty-six doctors, physiotherapists and nurses attended nine local interprofessional groups. The aim was to improve the quality of each professional's practice and to improve communication between the professions. The groups had a total of 62 meetings with each professional attending on average 5.7 meetings. All groups initiated quality enhancement projects. Initially the groups were very active and showed great initiative, but there were few final results. However, many groups reported improved communication and cooperation between the participating professionals. The experience from this project may be summarised as follows: The professionals within one and the same group should have more or less the same background and specialty. We recommend caution with organising interprofessional groups unless their participants work in the same practice. Interprofessional groups should spend adequate time for the members to get to know each other, and they should be guided by an experienced leader.

Few-Group Transport Analysis of the Core-Reflector Problem in Fast Reactor Cores via Equivalent Group Condensation and Local/Global Iteration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, Jong Hyuck; Cho, Nam Zin

2011-01-01

In deterministic neutron transport methods, a process called fine-group to few-group condensation is used to reduce the computational burden. However, recent results on the core-reflector problem in fast reactor cores show that use of a small number of energy groups has limitation to describe neutron flux around core reflector interface. Therefore, researches are still ongoing to overcome this limitation. Recently, the authors proposed I) direct application of equivalently condensed angle-dependent total cross section to discrete ordinates method to overcome the limitation of conventional multi-group approximations, and II) local/global iteration framework in which fine-group discrete ordinates calculation is used in local problems while few-group transport calculation is used in the global problem iteratively. In this paper, an analysis of the core-reflector problem is performed in few-group structure using equivalent angle-dependent total cross section with local/global iteration. Numerical results are obtained under S 12 discrete ordinates-like transport method with scattering cross section up to P1 Legendre expansion

The role of advocacy in occasioning community and organizational change in a medical-legal partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson-Carpenter, Kaston D; Collie-Akers, Vicki; Colvin, Jeffrey D; Cronin, Katie

2013-01-01

Health disparities among low-income individuals remain a significant problem. A number of social determinants are associated with adverse health outcomes. Medical-legal partnerships address legal concerns of low-income individuals to improve health and wellness in adults and children. The Medical-Legal Partnership at Legal Aid of Western Missouri provides free direct legal services for patients with legal concerns affecting health. There is limited evidence regarding the association between advocacy-related efforts and changes within both the medical-legal partnership structure and in health-care facilities. Three health-care organizations in Kansas City, MO participated in implementing the medical-legal partnership model between 2007 and 2010. Advocacy efforts conducted by key medical-legal partnership personnel were strongly associated with changes in health-care organizations and within the medical-legal partnership structure. This study extends the current evidence base by examining the types of advocacy efforts required to bring about community and organizational changes.

Thirty years of advocacy in San Francisco: lessons learned and the next generation of leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ntanya

2008-01-01

Professional advocacy organizations are often challenged by the question of their authentic community representation and their ability to balance short-term pragmatism with strategic plans for long-term, systemic change. Coleman Advocates, one of the nation's most effective child advocacy organizations, has taken up this challenge under the leadership of a next-generation leader of color who followed a dynamic director of the baby boom generation. In this piece, Coleman's thirty years of social change strategies are analyzed from the perspective of this new executive director, who has facilitated the latest organizational shift that deepens its commitment to building bottom-up grassroots leadership and community power while keeping the best of the professional, staff-led advocacy model. Issues of race, accountability, power, and movement building are addressed through the lens of one organization's evolution, with the goal of building a long-term movement that will achieve racial and economic equity for all children and families.

42 CFR 51.31 - Conduct of protection and advocacy activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... individuals with mental illness to address abuse, neglect or other violations of rights. (b) A P&A system... REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRAM Protection... individuals with mental illness or compromising the authority of the P&A system to pursue such remedies...

Policing for Conflict Zones: What Have Local Policing Groups Taught Us?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Baker

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The police are invariably severely reduced or even cease to be active in times of conflict. Policing as an activity, however, persists, with local groups taking up the role of maintaining order and combating crime. Such local policing is very diverse in its practices and in the nature of its links with the state. Using examples of local policing practices in four sub-Saharan conflicts, this article considers different patterns of harnessing local capacity to provide policing services. The patterns range from authorities utilising existing local policing providers or initiating new local responses, to local non-government organisations [NGOs] seeking to fill policing gaps left by the state, or long-established local provision continuing unchanged. Each response, whether one of cooperation, delegation, neglect or abandonment, is evaluated for its effectiveness, and lessons to be learned from their practices are offered. Together the four case studies suggest new pathways to achieving police effectiveness and reform in challenging conflict environments.

Masses for the Local Group and the Milky Way

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Yang-Shyang; White, Simon D. M.

2008-01-01

We use the very large Millennium Simulation of the concordance Lambda cold dark matter cosmogony to calibrate the bias and error distribution of Timing Argument estimators of the masses of the Local Group and of the Milky Way. From a large number of isolated spiral spiral pairs similar to the Milky

Evaluating a Human Rights-Based Advocacy Approach to Expanding Access to Pain Medicines and Palliative Care: Global Advocacy and Case Studies from India, Kenya, and Ukraine.

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Lohman, Diederik; Amon, Joseph J

2015-12-10

Palliative care has been defined as care that is person-centered and attentive to physical symptoms and psychological, social, and existential distress in patients with severe or life-threatening illness. The identification of access to palliative care and pain treatment as a human rights issue first emerged among palliative care advocates, physicians, and lawyers in the 1990s, with a basis in the right to health and the right to be free from cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. Using a case study approach, we evaluate the results of a human rights-based advocacy approach on access to pain medicine and palliative care in India, Kenya, and Ukraine. In each country, human rights advocacy helped raise awareness of the issue, identify structural barriers to care, define government obligations, and contribute to the reform of laws, policies, and practices impeding the availability of palliative care services. In addition, advocacy efforts stimulated civil society engagement and high-level political leadership that fostered the implementation of human rights-based palliative care programs. Globally, access to palliative care was increasingly recognized by human rights bodies and within global health and drug policy organizations as a government obligation central to the right to health. Copyright © 2015 Lohman, Amon. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Development and implementation of a science training course for breast cancer activists: Project LEAD (leadership, education and advocacy development).

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Dickersin, K; Braun, L; Mead, M; Millikan, R; Wu, A M; Pietenpol, J; Troyan, S; Anderson, B; Visco, F

2001-12-01

To develop and implement Project LEAD (leadership, education, and advocacy development), a science course for breast cancer activists. Students were breast cancer activists and other consumers, mainly affiliated with advocacy organizations in the United States of America. Project LEAD is offered by the National Breast Cancer Coalition; the course takes place over 5 days and is offered 4 times a year, in various cities in the United States of America. The Project LEAD curriculum has developed over 5 years to include lectures, problem-based study groups, case studies, interactive critical appraisal sessions, a seminar by an 'expert' scientist, role play, and homework components. A core faculty has been valuable for evaluating and revising the course and has proved necessary to provide consistent high quality teaching. Course evaluations indicated that students gained critical appraisal skills, enhanced their knowledge and developed confidence in selected areas of basic science and epidemiology. Project LEAD comprises a unique curriculum for training breast cancer activists in science and critical appraisal. Course evaluations indicate that students gain confidence and skills from the course.

Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy for Developing Local Global Health Curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Webber, Sarah; Butteris, Sabrina M; Houser, Laura; Coller, Karen; Coller, Ryan J

2018-02-07

A significant and growing proportion of US children have immigrant parents, an issue of increasing importance to pediatricians. Training globally minded pediatric residents to address health inequities related to globalization is an important reason to expand educational strategies around local global health (LGH). We developed a curriculum in the pediatric global health residency track at the University of Wisconsin in an effort to address gaps in LGH education and to increase resident knowledge about local health disparities for global community members. This curriculum was founded in asset-based community development (ABCD), a strategy used in advocacy training but not reported in global health education. The initial curriculum outputs have provided the foundation for a longitudinal LGH curriculum and a community-academic partnership. Supported by a community partnership grant, this partnership is focused on establishing a community-based postpartum support group for local Latinos, with an emphasis on building capacity in the Latino community. Aspects of this curriculum can serve other programs looking to develop LGH curricula rooted in building local partnerships and capacity using an ABCD model. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Involving youth with disabilities in the development and evaluation of a new advocacy training: Project TEAM.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Jessica; Barth, Yishai; Curtis, Katie; Livingston, Kit; O'Neil, Madeline; Smith, Zach; Vallier, Samantha; Wolfe, Ashley

2013-04-01

This paper describes a participatory research process in which six youth with disabilities (Youth Panel) participated in the development and evaluation of a manualized advocacy training, Project TEAM (Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications). Project TEAM teaches youth with disabilities how to identify environmental barriers, generate solutions, and request accommodations. The Youth Panel conducted their evaluation after the university researcher implemented Project TEAM with three groups of trainees. The Youth Panel designed and administered a survey and focus group to evaluate enjoyment and usefulness of Project TEAM with support from an advocate/researcher. Members of the Youth Panel analyzed survey response frequencies. The advocate/researcher conducted a content analysis of the open-ended responses. Sixteen of 21 Project TEAM trainees participated in the evaluation. The evaluation results suggest that the trainees found the interactive and individualized aspects of the Project TEAM most enjoyable and useful. Some instructional materials were difficult for trainees with cognitive disabilities to understand. The Youth Panel's involvement in the development of Project TEAM may explain the relatively positive experiences reported by trainees. Project TEAM should continue to provide trainees with the opportunity to apply concepts in real-life situations. Project TEAM requires revisions to ensure it is enjoyable and useful for youth with a variety of disabilities. • Group process strategies, picture-based data collection materials, peer teamwork, and mentorship from adults with disabilities can enable youth with disabilities to engage in research. • Collaborating with youth with disabilities in the development of new rehabilitation approaches may enhance the relevance of interventions for other youth with disabilities. • Youth with cognitive disabilities participating in advocacy and environment-focused interventions may prefer interactive and

Fighting poor-quality medicines in low- and middle-income countries: the importance of advocacy and pedagogy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravinetto, Raffaella; Vandenbergh, Daniel; Macé, Cécile; Pouget, Corinne; Renchon, Brigitte; Rigal, Jean; Schiavetti, Benedetta; Caudron, Jean-Michel

2016-01-01

The globalization of pharmaceutical production has not been accompanied by a strengthening and harmonization of the regulatory systems worldwide. Thus, the global market is characterized today by a situation of multiple standards, and patients in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to the risk of receiving poor-quality medicines. Among those who first raised the alarm on this problem, there were pioneering humanitarian groups, who were in a privileged position to witness the gap in quality of medicines between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries. Despite an increasing awareness of the problem and the launch of some positive initiatives, the divide in pharmaceutical quality between the North and the South remains important, and insufficiently addressed. More advocacy is needed for universal access to quality-assured medicines. It should target all those who are strongly "involved" with medicines: regulators, international organizations, journalists, purchasers, prescribers, program managers, policy makers, public health actors and the patients. Advocacy should be based on evidence from research and monitoring programs, and technical concepts should be translated in lay language through communication tools that address all the stakeholders. The fight to ensure universal access to quality medicines needs the participation of all, and can only be successful if grounded in common understanding.

From Lyme Disease to Art and Advocacy | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

Science.gov (United States)

... Tick Bites Follow us From Lyme Disease to Art and Advocacy Bruce Davidson always enjoyed the outdoors. ... his recovery, Davidson has become "hyper-focused" on art and uses these talents to help others. "I ...

THE ROLE OF PERSONAL BRAND IN THE ADVOCACY ACTIVITY,IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina Anamaria IOAN

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The advocacy activity is of significant importance for the business community, the perception of its need to influence the legislative process in order to have a transparent legislative procedure, the necessity of understanding the way in which the decisions are taken and the desire of the business community to assist the changing of laws and norms being linking elements of the advocacy activity to the business environment. The branding impact is practically immeasurable in social and cultural terms as it over exceeded the commercial origins. It has spread in education, sports, fashion, tourism, arts, theater, literature, regional and national politics and in almost all other fields that we could think of. The non-profit and charitable organizations that compete with the commercial brands in the emotional territory of the minds and hearts of people, for the money in their pockets, use branding more and more.

Theory of a gauge gravitational field at localization of the Einstein group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tunyak, V.N.

1985-01-01

Theory of a gauge gravitational field when localizing a group of movements of the Einstein homogeneous static Universe (the R x SO Einstein group (4)) has been formulated. Proceeding from tetrade components of the Einstein Universe the relation between the Riemann metrics and gauge fields of the Einstein group has been established. Metric coherence with torsion transforming to the Kristoffel coherence of the Einstein Universe has been found when switching out gauge fields. It is shown that within the limit of infinite radius of the Einstein Universe curvature the given Einstein-invariant gauge theory transforms to the tetrade gravitation theory with localized triade rotations. Exact solutions in the form of nonsingular cosmological models have been obtained

Factors Related to Play Therapists' Social Justice Advocacy Attitudes

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Parikh, Sejal B.; Ceballos, Peggy; Post, Phyllis

2013-01-01

The authors used a correlational research design to examine how belief in a just world, political ideology, socioeconomic status of family of origin, and percentage of racial minority clients were related to social justice advocacy attitudes among play therapists. A multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that belief in…

Corruption of Client Advocacy in a Community Mental Health System.

Science.gov (United States)

Denner, Bruce

This speech discusses client advocacy, a paraprofessional service offered in many community mental health centers to help bridge the gap between therapist and client. While having an advocate on the mental health team is an attractive idea, these client advocates are quite susceptible to "corruption." The author discusses two major causes of this…

Affording and Constraining Local Moral Orders in Teacher-Led Ability-Based Mathematics Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Tait-McCutcheon, Sandi; Shuker, Mary Jane; Higgins, Joanna; Loveridge, Judith

2015-01-01

How teachers position themselves and their students can influence the development of afforded or constrained local moral orders in ability-based teacher-led mathematics lessons. Local moral orders are the negotiated discursive practices and interactions of participants in the group. In this article, the developing local moral orders of 12 teachers…

Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Glenn D.; Gibson, Clark C.; Evans, Tom P.

2016-01-01

Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff. PMID:27956644

Decentralization can help reduce deforestation when user groups engage with local government.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Glenn D; Andersson, Krister P; Gibson, Clark C; Evans, Tom P

2016-12-27

Policy makers around the world tout decentralization as an effective tool in the governance of natural resources. Despite the popularity of these reforms, there is limited scientific evidence on the environmental effects of decentralization, especially in tropical biomes. This study presents evidence on the institutional conditions under which decentralization is likely to be successful in sustaining forests. We draw on common-pool resource theory to argue that the environmental impact of decentralization hinges on the ability of reforms to engage local forest users in the governance of forests. Using matching techniques, we analyze longitudinal field observations on both social and biophysical characteristics in a large number of local government territories in Bolivia (a country with a decentralized forestry policy) and Peru (a country with a much more centralized forestry policy). We find that territories with a decentralized forest governance structure have more stable forest cover, but only when local forest user groups actively engage with the local government officials. We provide evidence in support of a possible causal process behind these results: When user groups engage with the decentralized units, it creates a more enabling environment for effective local governance of forests, including more local government-led forest governance activities, fora for the resolution of forest-related conflicts, intermunicipal cooperation in the forestry sector, and stronger technical capabilities of the local government staff.

Predictors of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Children's Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewers

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Bonach, Kathryn; Heckert, Alex

2012-01-01

This study examined various predictor variables that were hypothesized to impact secondary traumatic stress in forensic interviewers (n = 257) from children's advocacy centers across the United States. Data were examined to investigate the relationship between organizational satisfaction, organizational buffers, and job support with secondary…

Conceptual Challenges for Environmental Education: Advocacy, Autonomy, Implicit Education and Values

Science.gov (United States)

Schlottmann, Christopher

2012-01-01

"Conceptual Challenges for Environmental Education" is a critical analysis of environmental education from the perspective of educational ethics. It spells out elements of the conceptual foundations of an environmental education theory--among them implicit education, advocacy, Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and climate…

The Evolution of U.S. Antitrust Agencies’ Approach to Standards and Standard Essential Patents: From Enforcement to Advocacy

OpenAIRE

James Rill

2015-01-01

Advocacy must be based on sound factual and economic analysis and correct legal principles—there is a serious question whether agency advocacy concerning SSOs and essential patents satisfies these criteria. James F. Rill (Baker Botts)

Advocacy in the Western Hemisphere Region: some FPA success stories.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, D J

1996-01-01

The International Planned Parenthood Federation's Vision 2000 Strategic Plan has emphasized advocacy and the training of family planning associations (FPAs) in the Western Hemisphere region. During the summer of 1995 training programs in advocacy leadership management were sponsored for six FPAs in the Bahamas, Suriname, Belize, Colombia, Honduras, and Brazil. At the Western Hemisphere Regional Council Meeting in September 1995 awards were presented to FPAs for media outstanding projects. These FPAs used outreach to the community to promote the goals of Vision 2000. The Bahamas FPA won the Rosa Cisneros Award for articles published in a magazine that is distributed in primary and secondary schools and deals with the activities, achievements, and opinions of students. Issues include: love, relationships, responsibility, and teen pregnancy. A weekly television talk show also addresses the issues facing youth including education, music, community work, sexuality, pregnancy, and the relationship between teenagers and adults. The Family Planning Association of Honduras was also nominated for the award for a radio show on the health of mothers and children, the problems of adolescents, and FP. The newspaper Tiempo received the award for feature articles on social issues and FP. In 1994 the Association distributed thousands of booklets on contraceptives as well as fliers on vasectomy, female sterilization, oral contraceptives, IUDs, condoms, responsible parenthood, high-risk pregnancy, vaginal cytology, and cervical cancer. Similar posters were placed in hospitals and health centers, in 1997 FP posts, and 400 commercial outlets. The Family Planning Association of Suriname also carried out an impressive advocacy program during the period of 1968-93 with the goals of establishing a balance between population growth and the available resources to achieve well-being with regard to education, health care, nutrition, and housing.

Participatory Video: Toward a Method, Advocacy and Voice (MAV) Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Sitter, Kathleen C.

2012-01-01

Using the new conceptual framework of participatory visual media as method, advocacy and voice (MAV), the author explores an action research study using an exemplar in which advocates from the disability community created and distributed a series of videos about love and sexuality as a critical human rights issue in the disability community. The…

Is Social Work Advocacy Worth the Cost? Issues and Barriers to an Economic Analysis of Social Work Political Practice

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, John

2011-01-01

Advocacy is central to the social work profession's commitment to social betterment and justice, yet much of what we know about it is based on conventional wisdom. We have little evidence on the effectiveness of interventions and even less on the costs and benefits of advocacy campaigns. This article discusses some of the conceptual and…

Examining the Usefulness of Student-Produced PSAs to Learn Advocacy in a Human Behavior and the Social Environment Course

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Yee Han; Quinn, Andrew

2018-01-01

Advocacy is a complex set of applications that applies knowledge of human behavior in the social environment to promote the rights of others. The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of student-created public service announcements (PSAs) to help BSW students learn cause-based advocacy. Our results suggest that assigning a PSA…

Tobacco Control and Health Advocacy in the European Union: Understanding Effective Coalition-Building.

Science.gov (United States)

Weishaar, Heide; Collin, Jeff; Amos, Amanda

2016-02-01

Coalitions of supporters of comprehensive tobacco control policy have been crucial in achieving policy success nationally and internationally, but the dynamics of such alliances are not well understood. Qualitative semi-structured, narrative interviews with 35 stakeholders involved in developing the European Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. These were thematically analyzed to examine the dynamics of coalition-building, collaboration and leadership in the alliance of organizations which successfully called for the development of comprehensive European Union (EU) smoke-free policy. An alliance of tobacco control and public health advocacy organizations, scientific institutions, professional bodies, pharmaceutical companies, and other actors shared the goal of fighting the harms caused by second-hand smoke. Alliance members jointly called for comprehensive EU smoke-free policy and the protection of the political debates from tobacco industry interference. The alliance's success was enabled by a core group of national and European actors with long-standing experience in tobacco control, who facilitated consensus-building, mobilized allies and synchronized the actions of policy supporters. Representatives of Brussels-based organizations emerged as crucial strategic leaders. The insights gained and identification of key enablers of successful tobacco control advocacy highlight the strategic importance of investing into tobacco control at European level. Those interested in effective health policy can apply lessons learned from EU smoke-free policy to build effective alliances in tobacco control and other areas of public health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

Cultural carrying capacity: Organ donation advocacy, discursive framing, and social media engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bail, Christopher A

2016-09-01

Social media sites such as Facebook have become a powerful tool for public health outreach because they enable advocacy organizations to influence the rapidly increasing number of people who frequent these forums. Yet the very open-ness of social media sites creates fierce competition for public attention. The vast majority of social media messages provoke little or no reaction because of the sheer volume of information that confronts the typical social media user each day. In this article, I present a theory of the "cultural carrying capacity" of social media messaging campaigns. I argue that advocacy organizations inspire more endorsements, comments, and shares by social media users if they diversify the discursive content of their messages. Yet too much diversification creates large, disconnected audiences that lack the sense of shared purpose necessary to sustain an online movement. To evaluate this theory, I created a Facebook application that collects social media posts produced by forty-two organ donation advocacy organizations over 1.5 years, as well as supplemental information about the organization, its audience, and the broader social context in which they interact. Time series models provide strong evidence for my theory net of demographic characteristics of social media users, the resources and tactics of each organization, and broader external factors. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for public health, cultural sociology, and the nascent field of computational social science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Belief in the immutability of attitudes both increases and decreases advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Omair; Wheeler, S Christian

2016-10-01

People with an entity theory of attitudes (i.e., the belief that attitudes are relatively unchanging) are more certain of their attitudes than are people with an incremental theory (i.e., the belief that attitudes are relatively malleable), and people with greater attitude certainty are generally more willing to try to persuade others. Combined, these findings suggest that an entity theory should foster greater advocacy. Yet, people with entity theories may be less willing to advocate because they also perceive others' attitudes as unchanging. Across 5 studies, we show that both of these countervailing effects occur simultaneously and cancel each other out. However, by manipulating how advocacy is framed (as standing up for one's views or exchanging one's views with others), whom people focus on (themselves or others), or which implicit theory applies to oneself versus others, each implicit theory can either increase or decrease willingness to advocate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Leadership development of individuals with developmental disabilities in the self-advocacy movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, J

2010-11-01

Exploring the life stories of leaders in the self-advocacy movement can expand our knowledge about leadership development of individuals with developmental disabilities. A better understanding of this process may assist with supporting the movement and leadership development of youth with disabilities. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 leaders in the self-advocacy movement within the USA in order to explore their life stories. Purposeful sampling contributed to a diverse sample of leaders. A grounded theory approach led to the identification of major themes and factors associated with their leadership development. Four major themes emerged: (1) disability oppression and resistance; (2) environmental supports and relationships; (3) leadership skills; and (4) advanced leadership opportunities. Findings have conceptual and practical relevance for future interventions and research. © 2010 The Author. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Group-theoretical and topological analysis of localized rotation-vibration states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadovskii, D.A.; Zhilinskii, B.I.

1993-01-01

A general scheme of qualitative analysis is applied to molecular rovibrational problems. The classical-quantum correspondence provides a description of different classes of localized quantum rotation-vibration states associated with localized classical motion. A description of qualitative features, such as localized motion, and of qualitative changes, such as localization phenomena, is based on the concept of the simplest Hamiltonian. It uses only the topological properties of the compact reduced phase space and the action of the symmetry group on this space. The qualitative changes of the simplest Hamiltonian are analyzed as bifurcations caused by rotational or vibrational excitation. The relation between the stationary points of the classical Hamiltonian function on the reduced phase space and the principal periodic trajectories in the coordinate space is analyzed for vibrational Hamiltonians. In particular, the relation between the nonlinear normal modes, proposed by Montaldi, Roberts, and Stewart [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 325, 237 (1988)], and normal- and local-mode models widely used in molecular physics is discussed. Along with a general consideration of localized rotational and vibrational states a more detailed analysis of the vibrational dynamics of an X 3 molecule with the D 3h symmetry, such as the H 3 + molecular ion, is given

Forming a support group for people affected by inflammatory bowel disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swarup N

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Nidhi Swarup,1 Saumya Nayak,2 Jessie Lee,2 Srinivas Pai Raikar,2 David Hou,2 Senthil Sockalingam,2 Ken J Lee2 1Crohn’s and Colitis Society of Singapore (CCSS, The Arcadia, 2QuintilesIMS, Science Park One, Singapore Abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD – primarily Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – is a debilitating lifelong condition with significant health and economic costs. From diagnosis to management, IBD can cause huge psychosocial concerns to patients and their caregivers. This study reports an experience of a Crohn’s patient, leading to the formation of the first IBD patient support group in Singapore and how this group has evolved in the last 4 years in supporting other IBD patients. IBD patient advocacy and/or support groups facilitate open conversations on patients’ fears, concerns, preferences and needs, and may potentially improve disease knowledge and quality of life for individuals with the condition or their families. Keywords: patient advocacy groups, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, patients, caregivers

Issues Supervising Family Violence Cases: Advocacy, Ethical Documentation, and Supervisees' Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, Dawn L.

2010-01-01

Selected clinical and ethical issues associated with providing supervision involving family violence cases are outlined. It is argued that supervisees helping clients with trauma histories require skills beyond learning how to process the trauma with their clients. Advocacy, social action, and coordinating case conferences are some of the…

The Advocacy Experiences of Parents of Elementary Age, Twice-Exceptional Children

Science.gov (United States)

Besnoy, Kevin D.; Swoszowski, Nicole C.; Newman, Jane L.; Floyd, Amanda; Jones, Parrish; Byrne, Caitlin

2015-01-01

For many parents, successfully advocating for their twice-exceptional child can be intimidating and overwhelming. Using grounded theory, we conducted a study with parents (n = 8) of elementary age, twice-exceptional children to learn about their advocacy experiences. Findings revealed that parents simultaneously advocated for their child's…

How Local Landholder Groups Collectively Manage Weeds in South-Eastern Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Sonia; Rogers, Sarah

2017-09-01

For two decades researchers and policy makers have been arguing that community-based collective action is needed to effectively control weeds. Yet there has been little social research into the ways that collective weed control emerges at local scales. The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms through which three local landholder groups in south-eastern Australia collectively manage weeds and the measures they use to evaluate success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of three Landcare groups—Jerrawa Creek/Upper Lachlan, MacLaughlin River and Towamba Valley—as well as government staff external to the groups. The results reveal that for all three groups collective weed control is about supporting individual weed control efforts as well as proactively engaging landholders with the worst infestations. The groups were seen to be successful because they focused on the common challenge that weeds pose to all landholders, thereby removing the shame associated with having weeds, and because they organised community events that were as much about building and maintaining social relationships as improving weed control. Groups were positive about what they had achieved as collectives of landholders, but also saw an important role for government in providing funding, engaging with landholders who were unwilling to engage directly with the group, and controlling weeds on public lands.

Advocacy for booster seat legislation in Florida: a lesson in politics and policy formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Haring, R Sterling; Frattaroli, Shannon; Schneider, Eric B; Holland, M Becker; Vernick, Jon S

2015-04-01

MVCs are a major contributor to child injury and death. Infant restraint seats and child booster seats have been shown to reduce the odds of severe injury or death when used correctly. While all states have mandated the use of these restraint systems, the age at which a child can be legally restrained using an adult seat belt varies from state to state. Efforts to strengthen Florida's weak child restraint laws have failed for more than a decade; in the 2014 legislative session, advocates succeeded in raising the state's age requirement from 3 years to 5  years. While many factors contributed to this year's success, some key elements included efficient communication of supporting data, a strong and broad advocacy network and the leveraging of election year political rivalries. Efforts to further strengthen the law will continue into future legislative sessions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Psychometric Properties of the Patient Self-Advocacy Scale: The Persian Version

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaghayegh Vahdat

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Advances in science and technology and the changes in lifestyle have changed the concept of health in terms of etiology and mortality. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the original Patient Self-Advocacy Scale for use with an Iranian population. Methods: In the current study, 50 chronic patients between the ages of 25 and 75 were selected as samples. This study was conducted in May 2013 at Bou Ali Sina Hospital in Sari. The translation process and cultural adaptation of the Patient Self-Advocacy Scale were conducted. The face validity and content validity of the instrument were formally verified by analyzing the feedback of patients and health professionals. In order to evaluate questionnaire’s reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC was calculated for each item and each domain; and the Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the entire instruments and each domain. Results: Of the 50 patients participating in the study, 36% were male and 64% were female. The mean age of the patients was 42.5. To comply with the Iranian culture and the study target population, slight changes were applied to the process of translation and validation. In the present study, intraclass correlation coefficient for each item was 0.8-1, which demonstrates excellent reliability of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.75 for overall scale. Conclusion: The Persian version of Patient Self-Advocacy Scale was valid and reliable. Hence, it can be used by public health researchers and health system policy makers for programming and offering patient-oriented health services based on patients’ comments, needs, and preferences.

A comparative content analysis of media reporting of sports betting in Australia: lessons for public health media advocacy approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Jennifer L; Thomas, Samantha L; Randle, Melanie; Bowe, Steven J; Daube, Mike

2017-11-14

Harmful gambling is a significant public health issue. There has been widespread discussion in the Australian media about the extent and impact of sports betting on the Australian community, particularly relating to young men and children. Given the role that the media plays in influencing policy change and political agendas, and the acknowledgement that media based advocacy is a fundamental component of successful advocacy campaigns, this research aimed to investigate how different stakeholder groups discuss sports betting within the Australian print media. The study uses this information to provide recommendations to guide public health media advocacy approaches. A quantitative content analysis of print media articles was conducted during two significant Parliamentary Inquiries about sports betting - (1) The Joint Select Committee Inquiry into the Advertising and Promotion of Gambling Services in Sport (2012/2013), and (2) 'The Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering (2015/2016). A total of 241 articles from 12 daily Australian newspapers were analysed. Statistical analysis was used to compare frequency of, and changes in, themes, voices and perspectives over time. Discussions about the marketing and communication of sports betting was a main theme in media reporting (n = 165, 68.5%), while discussions about gambling reform decreased significantly across the two time periods (p sports betting industry (p sporting code (p sports betting is important in developing effective public health advocacy approaches. This study indicates that discussions about the marketing strategies utilised by the sports betting industry was still a main theme in media articles. However, discussions relating to sports betting reforms, in particular to protect individuals who may be vulnerable to the harm associated with these products and their promotional strategies (for example children and young men) decreased during the time periods. Public health advocates may seek to address the

Mental Health Priorities: Stigma Elimination and Community Advocacy in College Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, Patrick J.; Corrigan, Patrick W.; Kanodia, Nupur; Buchholz, Blythe; Abelson, Sara

2015-01-01

Low rates of psychological help-seeking among college students have been attributed to a lack of awareness about on-campus resources and to mental illness stigma. One mental health advocacy organization, Active Minds, collaborates with its university-recognized student-run on-campus chapters to promote service use and psychological healthy…

Educators' Reports on Incidence of Harassment and Advocacy toward LGBTQ Students

Science.gov (United States)

Dragowski, Eliza A.; McCabe, Paul C.; Rubinson, Florence

2016-01-01

This study is based on a national survey investigation of 968 educators, who reported the incidence of LGBTQ harassment in schools, and their advocacy efforts on behalf of this population. LGBTQ-related knowledge, attitudes, norms, and perceived ability to advocate were also assessed. Ninety percent of educators reported observing LGBTQ harassment…

Beyond Study Abroad: A Human Rights Delegation to Teach Policy Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Gammonley, Denise; Rotabi, Karen Smith; Forte, Janett; Martin, Amanda

2013-01-01

Advancement of human rights is a core competency in the social work curriculum. Presented is a model to teach policy practice from a human rights perspective based on a violence-against-women delegation visit to Guatemala. Postdelegation policy advocacy responses included White House and State Department briefings on the problems, including…

Delivery of core medical training: the role of a local faculty group.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, David; Dewhurst, Graeme

2011-10-01

All physicians who are training young doctors of the future recognise the current challenge of doing this in the NHS. The recently published Temple Report documents the challenge and some of the solutions. For Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Deanery, one of the responses was to implement a new structure and process at local level--the local faculty groups (LFGs)--to ensure appropriate curriculum delivery. This paper sets out the history, structure and purpose of LFGs, describes what happens during a LFG meeting in both open and closed sessions and presents feedback of learning from two years in action across 11 acute trusts in the South East Coast (SEC) strategic health authority area. The experience of trainers in SEC is that the local faculty group structure and associated processes is one strand in the more effective delivery of education in the current NHS environment.

Structure and age of the local association (Pleiades group)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggen, O.J.

1975-01-01

The available photometric and motion parameters for some 500 early-type stars brighter than M/sub V/ = -1/sup m/ are used to compute space-motion vectors. It is concluded that (a) about one-third of the stars are members of the local association (Pleiades group) which are easily isolated from the other interarm stars because V = -25 km sec -1 ; (b) some 50 stars with aberrant velocity vectors, and often referred to as ''runaway stars'', may actually be members of the old-disk, or even the halo, population; (c) perhaps the local association (or Gould Belt) stars cannot be separated from other interarm objects on the basis of positional criteria alone; and (d) the age spread in the local association ranges from that of the cluster NGC 2287 to pre-main-sequence stars in several star-producing regions within the association including the large Taurus Aurigae dark cloud and isolated small clouds, such as that near HR 5999/6000. (19 figures, 11 tables, 47 references) (U.S.)

Advocacy and Awareness: Integrating LGBTQ Health Education Into the Prelicensure Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

McNiel, Paula L; Elertson, Kathleen M

2018-05-01

An identified gap in the curriculum related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) health needs prompted nursing faculty to implement a collaborative educational offering. LGBTQ individuals experience significant health disparities, compared with heterosexual counterparts. Enhancing established LGBTQ population-specific training to highlight health disparities and awareness of special health care needs was piloted with two clinical groups of senior baccalaureate nursing students (N = 16). Didactic, simulated, and panel discussion related to LGBTQ terminology, current health standards of care, and the importance of advocacy was provided by campus advocates, experienced health care providers, and a student panel identifying as LGBTQ. Health specific learning outcomes were established and evaluated. Posteducation, anonymous surveys, and journaling were completed. Survey respondents (n = 13) reported increased awareness and understanding of health disparities specific to the LGBTQ population. LGBTQ-specific health education has been implemented as a permanent curriculum change. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):312-314.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Effective social justice advocacy: a theory-of-change framework for assessing progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Klugman, Barbara

2011-11-01

This article offers a theory-of-change framework for social justice advocacy. It describes broad outcome categories against which activists, donors and evaluators can assess progress (or lack thereof) in an ongoing manner: changes in organisational capacity, base of support, alliances, data and analysis from a social justice perspective, problem definition and potential policy options, visibility, public norms, and population level impacts. Using these for evaluation enables activists and donors to learn from and rethink their strategies as the political context and/or actors change over time. The paper presents a case study comparing factors that facilitated reproductive rights policy wins during the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa and factors that undermined their implementation in the post-apartheid period. It argues that after legal and policy victories had been won, failure to maintain strong organizations and continually rethink strategies contributed to the loss of government focus on and resources for implementation of new policies. By implication, evaluating effectiveness only by an actual policy change does not allow for ongoing learning to ensure appropriate strategies. It also fails to recognise that a policy win can be overturned and needs vigilant monitoring and advocacy for implementation. This means that funding and organising advocacy should seldom be undertaken as a short-term proposition. It also suggests that the building and maintenance of organisational and leadership capacity is as important as any other of the outcome categories in enabling success. Copyright © 2011 Foundation Review. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advocacy, Assessment and Accountability: Using Policy to Impact Practice in Ohio

Science.gov (United States)

Lorson, Kevin; Mitchell, Stephen

2016-01-01

Physical education teachers and programs are affected by increasing accountability demands. The purpose of this article is to explain Ohio's journey from advocacy for state physical education academic content standards to state-level policy that led to the development of state-wide assessments and data reporting on each school's report card. The…

Group learning versus local learning: Which is prefer for public cooperation?

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shi-Han; Song, Qi-Qing

2018-01-01

We study the evolution of cooperation in public goods games on various graphs, focusing on the effects that are brought by different kinds of strategy donors. This highlights a basic feature of a public good game, for which there exists a remarkable difference between the interactive players and the players who are imitated. A player can learn from all the groups where the player is a member or from the typically local nearest neighbors, and the results show that the group learning rules have better performance in promoting cooperation on many networks than the local learning rules. The heterogeneity of networks' degree may be an effective mechanism for harvesting the cooperation expectation in many cases, however, we find that heterogeneity does not definitely mean the high frequency of cooperators in a population under group learning rules. It was shown that cooperators always hardly evolve whenever the interaction and the replacement do not coincide for evolutionary pairwise dilemmas on graphs, while for PG games we find that breaking the symmetry is conducive to the survival of cooperators.

Pericles Should Learn to Fix a Leaky Pipe – Why Trial Advocacy Should Become Part of the LLB Curriculum (Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willem H Gravett

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The inescapable reality is that most law school graduates are headed for professional life. This means that law schools have some accountability for the competence of their graduates, and thus an educational responsibility to offer their students instruction in the basic skills of legal representation. The most obvious and direct gain from the university law school offering more training in the generally neglected applied legal skills of trial advocacy, interviewing, counselling, drafting and negotiation, is the benefit to students in helping them bridge the gap between traditional basic legal education and practice. Although I strongly believe that the LLB curriculum should also include courses in legal writing, negotiation, client counselling, and witness interviewing, I emphasise adding a clinical course in trial advocacy to the LLB curriculum for a number of specific reasons. Trial advocacy consists of a set of skills that transcends the walls of the courtroom. It is difficult to conceive of a practising lawyer who does not, in some way and at some time, utilise the skills of advocacy - fact analysis, legal integration and persuasive speech. Even the technical "forensic skills" of trial advocacy, such as courtroom etiquette and demeanour, learning how to phrase a question to elicit a favourable response, and making an effective oral presentation, transfer readily to a wide range of applications within both the legal and business worlds. In addition to learning how to prepare and present a trial from the opening speech through to the closing argument, in a trial advocacy course students would also learn to apply procedural, substantive and ethical rules of law to prove or defend a cause of action. Moreover, if university law schools fail to contribute to establishing a substantial body of competent trial lawyers, our failure will ultimately take its toll on our system of justice. The quality of courtroom advocacy directly affects the rights

Star Formation Histories of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies. (Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 1996)

Science.gov (United States)

Grebel, E. K.

The star formation histories of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are reviewed. First the question of Local Group membership is considered based on various criteria. The properties of 31 (36) galaxies are consistent with likely (potential) Local Group membership. To study the star formation histories of these galaxies, a multi-parameter problem needs to be solved: Ages, metallicities, population fractions, and spatial variations must be determined, which depend crucially on the knowledge of reddening and distance. The basic methods for studying resolvable stellar populations are summarized. One method is demonstrated using the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. A comprehensive compilation of the star formation histories of dwarf irregulars, dwarf ellipticals, and dwarf spheroidals in the Local Group is presented and visualized through Hodge's population boxes. All galaxies appear to have differing fractions of old and intermediate-age populations, and those sufficiently massive and undisturbed to retain and recycle their gas are still forming stars today. Star formation has occurred either in distinct episodes or continuously over long periods of time. Metallicities and enrichment vary widely. Constraints on merger and remnant scenarios are discussed, and a unified picture based on the current knowledge is presented. Primary goals for future observations are: accurate age determinations based on turnoff photometry, detection of subpopulations distinct in age, metallicity, and/or spatial distribution; improved distances; and astrometric studies to derive orbits and constrain past and future interactions.

Mapping Spaces, Centralizers, and p-Local Finite Groups of Lie Type

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laude, Isabelle

We study the space of maps from the classifying space of a finite p-group to theBorel construction of a finite group of Lie type G in characteristic p acting on itsbuilding. The first main result is a description of the homology with Fp-coefficients,showing that the mapping space, up to p...... between a finite p-group and theuncompleted classifying space of the p-local finite group coming from a finite groupof Lie type in characteristic p, providing some of the first results in this uncompletedsetting.......-completion, is a disjoint union indexedover the group homomorphism up to conjugation of classifying spaces of centralizersof p-subgroups in the underlying group G. We complement this description bydetermining the actual homotopy groups of the mapping space. These resultstranslate to descriptions of the space of maps...

Motions of galaxies in the neighborhood of the local group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faber, S.M.; Burstein, D.

1988-01-01

Two samples of spiral galaxies, as well as elliptical galaxies, are presently used to investigate the velocity field of galaxies relative to the cosmic microwave background to a distance of 3000 km/sec. The velocity-field models optimized include motions due to a spherically-symmetric Great Attractor, a Virgocentric flow, and a Local Anomally of which the Local Group is a part. While the spiral samples are in good agreement with the Great-Attractor-Virgo model for the motion of elliptical galaxies, new observations indicate that the Great Attractor is not spherically symmetric in its inner regions and may require modification of the model. 27 refs

Inspired Leadership: Engaging the Voice and Embodying Advocacy

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, Kamra Angelica

2017-01-01

The journey of finding my voice has forced me to show up and be seen in my work. I silenced my own voice at a dehumanizing call center, as a faceless target for frustrated customers. l discovered the power of connection by embodying advocacy and engaging my voice and body in my work. Primarily, I listen to my gut and trust my intuition. Secondly, I advocate by speaking up for those who cannot advocate for themselves. During the Streamers production process, when I felt the twinge in my gut,...

Local Control for Intermediate-Risk Rhabdomyosarcoma: Results From D9803 According to Histology, Group, Site, and Size: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolden, Suzanne L., E-mail: woldens@mskcc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Lyden, Elizabeth R. [Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska (United States); Arndt, Carola A. [Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Hawkins, Douglas S. [Division of Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children' s Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (United States); Anderson, James R. [Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Madison, Wisconsin (United States); Rodeberg, David A. [Department of Surgery, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina (United States); Morris, Carol D. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (United States); Donaldson, Sarah S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States)

2015-12-01

Purpose: To determine local control according to clinical variables for patients with intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) treated on Children's Oncology Group protocol D9803. Patients and Methods: Of 702 patients enrolled, we analyzed 423 patients with central pathology–confirmed group III embryonal (n=280) or alveolar (group III, n=102; group I-II, n=41) RMS. Median age was 5 years. Patients received 42 weeks of VAC (vincristine, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide) or VAC alternating with VTC (T = topotecan). Local therapy with 50.4 Gy radiation therapy with or without delayed primary excision began at week 12 for group III patients. Patients with group I/II alveolar RMS received 36-41.4 Gy. Local failure (LF) was defined as local progression as a first event with or without concurrent regional or distant failure. Results: At a median follow-up of 6.6 years, patients with clinical group I/II alveolar RMS had a 5-year event-free survival rate of 69% and LF of 10%. Among patients with group III RMS, 5-year event-free survival and LF rates were 70% and 19%, respectively. Local failure rates did not differ by histology, nodal status, or primary site, though there was a trend for increased LF for retroperitoneal (RP) tumors (P=.12). Tumors ≥5 cm were more likely to fail locally than tumors <5 cm (25% vs 10%, P=.0004). Almost all (98%) RP tumors were ≥5 cm, with no difference in LF by site when the analysis was restricted to tumors ≥5 cm (P=.86). Conclusion: Local control was excellent for clinical group I/II alveolar RMS. Local failure constituted 63% of initial events in clinical group III patients and did not vary by histology or nodal status. The trend for higher LF in RP tumors was related to tumor size. There has been no clear change in local control over RMS studies, including IRS-III and IRS-IV. Novel approaches are warranted for larger tumors (≥5 cm).

Peace, justice and disabled women's advocacy: Tamil women with disabilities in rural post-conflict Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandasamy, Niro; Soldatic, Karen; Samararatne, Dinesha

2017-03-01

This article draws on grounded qualitative research with rural Tamil women who acquired a disability during the civil war in Sri Lanka and conceptualizes an intersectionality-peace framework. Three main themes were developed from the interviews: narratives of conflict, survival outcomes of social assistance and mobilization of cross-ethnic relationships. With the support of a local women's disability advocacy organization, Tamil women with disabilities were enabled to overcome social stigma and claim a positive identity as women with disabilities. The organization's focus on realizing disability rights created new opportunities for these highly marginalized rural women. The women were also supported to form cross-ethnic relationships with women who similarly faced multiple oppressions. These relationships transformed the women into 'agents of peace', using their newfound disability identity to foster cross-ethnic dialogue and create safe spaces in the post-conflict context.

Changes in the policy environment for infant and young child feeding in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia, and the role of targeted advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Jody; Frongillo, Edward A; Nguyen, Phuong H; Kim, Sunny S; Menon, Purnima

2017-06-13

There is limited literature examining shifts in policy environments for nutrition and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) over time, and on the potential contribution of targeted advocacy to improved policy environments in low- and middle-income countries. This study tracked changes in the policy environment over a four-year period in three countries, and examined the role of targeted nutrition and IYCF advocacy strategies by a global initiative. Qualitative methods, including key informant interviews, social network mapping, document and literature review, and event tracking, were used to gather data on nutrition and IYCF policies and programs, actor networks, and perceptions and salience of nutrition as an issue in 2010 and 2014 in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. Theoretical frameworks from the policy sciences were used to analyze policy change over time, and drivers of change, across countries. The written policy environment improved to differing extents in each country. By 2014, the discourse in all three countries mirrored international priorities of stunting reduction and exclusive breastfeeding. Yet competing nutrition priorities such as acute malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutrition transitions remained in each context. Key actor groups in each country were government, civil society, development partners and the private sector. Infant formula companies, in particular, emerged as key players against enforcement of IYCF legislation. The role of a targeted IYCF advocacy and policy support initiative was well-recognized in supporting multiple facets of the policy environment in each country, ranging from alliances to legislation and implementation support. Despite progress, however, government commitment to funding, implementation, and enforcement is still emerging in each country, thus challenging the potential impact of new and improved policies. Targeted policy advocacy can catalyze change in national nutrition and IYCF policy environments

Telling the history of self-advocacy: a challenge for inclusive research.

Science.gov (United States)

Walmsley, Jan

2014-01-01

This paper tells the story of Central England People First's (CEPF) History Project. This was an inclusive research project, owned and controlled by members of CEPF which sought to chart its 21-year history, 1990-2012. It illustrates both the strengths of such a project and some of the challenges. It concludes that using inclusive research methods enabled the story to be told, but that it was less successful in addressing questions about why the organization grew and prospered in the 1990s, only to struggle in its later years, and what this tells us about the conditions which enable self-advocacy to flourish. The paper was collaboratively written by the CEPF History Project team and an academic ally. Different fonts differentiate the contributions, although it is acknowledged that lots of the ideas were shared. This paper explores issues in telling the history of self advocacy using inclusive research methods. It explains how and why CEPF recorded its history, what we found out, and some of the questions we have had to think about: whose voices we hear what to include, what to leave out what parts of the research people with learning difficulties can do what self advocacy means to different people how to make use of research other people have done. It raises some new questions about directions for inclusive research. The Paper was written by the CEPF History team - Craig Hart, Ian Davies, Angela Still and Catherine O'Byrne - working with Jan Walmsley. We wanted to make it clear what were Jan Walmsley's ideas and what were our ideas. We have done this by writing our ideas in a different font. BUT lots of the ideas belong to all of us. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Advocacy for School-Based Sexuality Education: Lessons from India and Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Samuels, Fiona; Kivela, Jari; Chetty, Dhianaraj; Herat, Joanna; Castle, Chris; Ketting, Evert; Baltussen, Rob

2013-01-01

Drawing on evidence from a wider study on the cost and cost-effectiveness of sexuality education programmes in six countries, and focusing on the examples of India and Nigeria, this paper argues that advocacy is a key, yet often neglected component of school-based sexuality education programmes, especially where sex and sexuality are politically…

Sugar-sweetened beverages coverage in the British media: an analysis of public health advocacy versus pro-industry messaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott-Green, Alex; Hyseni, Lirije; Lloyd-Williams, Ffion; Bromley, Helen; Capewell, Simon

2016-07-19

To assess the extent of media-based public health advocacy versus pro-industry messaging regarding sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). We conducted a systematic analysis to identify and examine all articles regarding SSBs published in all mainstream British print newspapers and their online news websites from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014. We initially conducted a brief literature search to develop appropriate search terms and categorisations for grouping and analysing the articles. Articles were then coded according to the publishing newspaper, article type, topic, prominence and slant (pro-SSB or anti-SSB). A contextual analysis was undertaken to examine key messages in the articles. We identified 374 articles published during 2014. The majority of articles (81%) suggested that SSBs are unhealthy. Messaging from experts, campaign groups and health organisations was fairly consistent about the detrimental effects of SSB on health. However, relatively few articles assessed any approaches or solutions to potentially combat the problems associated with SSBs. Only one-quarter (24%) suggested any policy change. Meanwhile, articles concerning the food industry produced consistent messages emphasising consumer choice and individual responsibility for making choices regarding SSB consumption, and promoting and advertising their products. The food industry thus often managed to avoid association with the negative press that their products were receiving. SSBs were frequently published in mainstream British print newspapers and their online news websites during 2014. Public health media advocacy was prominent throughout, with a growing consensus that sugary drinks are bad for people's health. However, the challenge for public health will be to mobilise supportive public opinion to help implement effective regulatory policies. Only then will our population's excess consumption of SSBs come under control. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use

SaludableOmaha: development of a youth advocacy initiative to increase community readiness for obesity prevention, 2011-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Stewart, Catherine; Robbins, Regina; Riggs, Cara; Mayberger, Susan; Cervantes, Alberto; Huang, Terry T-K

2012-01-01

Childhood obesity rates in minority populations continue to rise despite leveling national trends. Although interventions that address social and environmental factors exist, processes that create demand for policy and environmental change within communities have not been identified. We developed a pilot program in South Omaha, a Nebraska Latino community, based on the community readiness model (CRM), called SaludableOmaha. We used CRM to explore the potential of youth advocacy to shift individual and community norms regarding obesity prevention in South Omaha and to advocate for health-promoting community environments. We used CRM to assess supply and demand for health programs, engage the community, determine the community's baseline readiness to address childhood obesity, and guide youth advocacy program development. We conducted our project in 2 phases. In the first, we trained a cohort of youth. In the second, the youth cohort created and launched a Latino health movement, branded as SaludableOmaha. A third phase, which is currently under way, is directed at institutionalizing youth advocacy in communities. At baseline, the community studied was at a low stage of readiness for change. Our program generated infrastructure and materials to support the growth and institutionalization of youth advocacy as a means of increasing community readiness for addressing obesity prevention. CRM is an important tool for addressing issues such as childhood obesity in underserved communities because it provides a framework for matching interventions to the community. Community partnerships such as SaludableOmaha can aid the adoption of obesity prevention programs.

Crisis and Policy Reformcraft: Advocacy Coalitions and Crisis-induced Change in Swedish Nuclear Energy Policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nohrstedt, Daniel

2007-04-15

This dissertation consists of three interrelated essays examining the role of crisis events in Swedish nuclear energy policymaking. The study takes stock of the idea of 'crisis exceptionalism' raised in the literature, which postulates that crisis events provide openings for major policy change. In an effort to explain crisis-induced outcomes in Swedish nuclear energy policy, each essay explores and develops theoretical assumptions derived from the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF). The introduction discusses the ACF and other theoretical perspectives accentuating the role of crisis in policymaking and identifies three explanations for crisis-induced policy outcomes: minority coalition mobilization, learning, and strategic action. Essay 1 analyzes the nature and development of the Swedish nuclear energy subsystem. The results contradict the ACF assumption that corporatist systems nurture narrow subsystems and small advocacy coalitions, but corroborate the assumption that advocacy coalitions remain stable over time. While this analysis identifies temporary openings in policymaking venues and in the advocacy coalition structure, it is argued that these developments did not affect crisis policymaking. Essay 2 seeks to explain the decision to initiate a referendum on nuclear power following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. Internal government documents and other historical records indicate that strategic considerations superseded learning as the primary explanation in this case. Essay 3 conducts an in-depth examination of Swedish policymaking in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl accident in an effort to explain the government's decision not to accelerate the nuclear power phaseout. Recently disclosed government documents show that minority coalition mobilization was insufficient to explain this decision. In this case, rational learning and strategic action provided a better explanation. The main theoretical contribution derived from the three

Crisis and Policy Reformcraft: Advocacy Coalitions and Crisis-induced Change in Swedish Nuclear Energy Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nohrstedt, Daniel

2007-04-01

This dissertation consists of three interrelated essays examining the role of crisis events in Swedish nuclear energy policymaking. The study takes stock of the idea of 'crisis exceptionalism' raised in the literature, which postulates that crisis events provide openings for major policy change. In an effort to explain crisis-induced outcomes in Swedish nuclear energy policy, each essay explores and develops theoretical assumptions derived from the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF). The introduction discusses the ACF and other theoretical perspectives accentuating the role of crisis in policymaking and identifies three explanations for crisis-induced policy outcomes: minority coalition mobilization, learning, and strategic action. Essay 1 analyzes the nature and development of the Swedish nuclear energy subsystem. The results contradict the ACF assumption that corporatist systems nurture narrow subsystems and small advocacy coalitions, but corroborate the assumption that advocacy coalitions remain stable over time. While this analysis identifies temporary openings in policymaking venues and in the advocacy coalition structure, it is argued that these developments did not affect crisis policymaking. Essay 2 seeks to explain the decision to initiate a referendum on nuclear power following the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. Internal government documents and other historical records indicate that strategic considerations superseded learning as the primary explanation in this case. Essay 3 conducts an in-depth examination of Swedish policymaking in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl accident in an effort to explain the government's decision not to accelerate the nuclear power phaseout. Recently disclosed government documents show that minority coalition mobilization was insufficient to explain this decision. In this case, rational learning and strategic action provided a better explanation. The main theoretical contribution derived from the three essays is to posit

Assessment of a tool for measuring non-profit advocacy efforts in India, Uganda and Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Lalwani, Tanya; Rajaratnam, Julie Knoll; McOwen, Jordan; Gordis, Deborah J; Bowen, Lisa A; Bernson, Jeff

2016-03-01

To improve maternal and child health, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) implemented an innovative policy advocacy project in India, Uganda and Yemen from 2009 to 2011. PATH assisted WRA in designing an approach to measure the short- and long-term results of WRA's advocacy efforts.Expert rating instruments have been widely used since 1970s to track country-level program efforts focusing on family planning, maternal and neonatal health, and HIV/AIDS. This article assesses and establishes the strength and applicability of an expert rating tool, the Maternal Health Policy Score (MHPS), in measuring and guiding a non-profit's advocacy efforts.The tool was assessed using five criteria: validity of results, reproducibility of results, acceptability to respondents, internal consistency and cost. The tool proved effective for measuring improvements in the policy environment at both the national and subnational levels that the non-profit intended to effect and useful for identifying strong and weak policy domains. The results are reproducible, though ensuring fidelity in implementation during different rounds of data collection may be difficult. The acceptability of the tool was high among respondents, and also among users of the information.MHPS provides a quick, low-cost method to measure overall changes in the policy environment, giving advocacy organizations and grant makers timely information to gauge the influence of their work and take corrective action. WRA demonstrated the use of MHPS at multiple points in the project: at the onset of a project to identify and strategize around policy domains that need attention, during and at the end of the project to monitor progress made and redirect efforts. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Advocacy for the Provision of Dental Hygiene Services Within the Hospital Setting: Development of a Dental Hygiene Student Rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Juhl, Jacqueline A; Stedman, Lynn

2016-06-01

Educational preparation of dental hygiene students for hospital-based practice, and advocacy efforts promote inclusion of dental hygienists within hospital-based interdisciplinary health care teams. Although the value of attending to the oral care needs of patients in critical care units has been recognized, the potential impact of optimal oral health care for the general hospital population is now gaining attention. This article describes a hospital-based educational experience for dental hygiene students and provides advocacy strategies for inclusion of dental hygienists within the hospital interdisciplinary team. The dental hygienist authors, both educators committed to evidence-based oral health care and the profession of dental hygiene, studied hospital health care and recognized a critical void in oral health care provision within that setting. They collaboratively developed and implemented a hospital-based rotation within the curriculum of a dental hygiene educational program and used advocacy skills to encourage hospital administrators to include a dental hygiene presence within hospital-based care teams. Hospital-based dental hygiene practice, as part of interprofessional health care delivery, has the potential to improve patient well-being, shorten hospital stays, and provide fiscal savings for patients, institutions, and third party payers. Advocacy efforts can promote dental hygienists as members of hospital-based health care teams. Further research is needed to document: (1) patient outcomes resulting from optimal oral care provision in hospitals; (2) best ways to prepare dental hygienists for career opportunities within hospitals and other similar health care settings; and (3) most effective advocacy strategies to promote inclusion of dental hygienists within care teams. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Narrating, writing, reading: life story work as an aid to (self) advocacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meininger, H.P.

2006-01-01

This article is about life story work with people with learning disabilities. It talks about reading and writing stories, and listening to them. Telling your life story, writing it down and talking about it with others can be an important part of self-advocacy for people with learning disabilities.

Issue-Advocacy versus Candidate Advertising: Effects on Candidate Preferences and Democratic Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfau, Michael; Holbert, R. Lance; Szabo, Erin Alison; Kaminski, Kelly

2002-01-01

Examines the influence of soft-money-sponsored issue-advocacy advertising in U.S. House and Senate campaigns, comparing its effects against candidate-sponsored positive advertising and contrast advertising on viewers' candidate preferences and on their attitude that reflect democratic values. Reveals no main effects for advertising approach on…

Navy Family Advocacy Program. Appendix. Analysis of Central Registry Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-12-01

2/76) 2 Suspected Abuzso/Malect/Sexua1 Assault an ae2404 65.) "Suspected Abuso /Neglect/ Sexual Assault and Rape Report" 2226 60.5 NAVMED 6320/15A...ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTS ........... 50 HAPTER V: SUMAY ANALYSIS Or rAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM REPORTS . 56 APPENDIX...cont’d)I PAGE CHAPTER IV: SEXUAL ASSAULT TV-1 Fore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 IV-2 Type of Maltreatment ............... 53 IV-3

Climate Change: On Scientists and Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Gavin A.

2014-01-01

Last year, I asked a crowd of a few hundred geoscientists from around the world what positions related to climate science and policy they would be comfortable publicly advocating. I presented a list of recommendations that included increased research funding, greater resources for education, and specific emission reduction technologies. In almost every case, a majority of the audience felt comfortable arguing for them. The only clear exceptions were related to geo-engineering research and nuclear power. I had queried the researchers because the relationship between science and advocacy is marked by many assumptions and little clarity. This despite the fact that the basic question of how scientists can be responsible advocates on issues related to their expertise has been discussed for decades most notably in the case of climate change by the late Stephen Schneider.

Local land management in Benin with special reference to pastoral groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.J. de Haan (Leo); T. Djedjebi

2000-01-01

textabstractA review of local land management experiences in West Africa reveals that the resolution of conflicts over the uses of resources between herders and farmers depends on factors like land and water rights, promotion of the interests of pastoral groups and the Intervention of

Cosmological term in general relativity theory and localization of de Sitter and Einstein groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tunyak, V.N.

1984-01-01

The theory of gauge gravitational field with the de Sitter group localization is formulated. proceeding from the de Sitter Universe tetrad components the relationship between Riemann metrics and de Sitter gauge field is established. It is shown that General relativity theory (GRT) with a cosmological term is the simplest variant of the de Sitter gauge gravitation theory passing in the limit of infinite curvature radius of the de Sitter Universe into the Poincare - invariant GRT without cosmological term. Similarly the theory of gauge gravitational field at localization of the dynamical group of the Einstein homogeneous static Universe (Einstein group RxSO(4)) is formulated

Advocacy for the Archives and History Office of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: Stages and Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deken, J.

2009-01-01

Advocating for the good of the SLAC Archives and History Office (AHO) has not been a one-time affair, nor has it been a one-method procedure. It has required taking time to ascertain the current and perhaps predict the future climate of the Laboratory, and it has required developing and implementing a portfolio of approaches to the goal of building a stronger archive program by strengthening and appropriately expanding its resources. Among the successful tools in the AHO advocacy portfolio, the Archives Program Review Committee has been the most visible. The Committee and the role it serves as well as other formal and informal advocacy efforts are the focus of this case study My remarks today will begin with a brief introduction to advocacy and outreach as I understand them, and with a description of the Archives and History Office's efforts to understand and work within the corporate culture of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. I will then share with you some of the tools we have employed to advocate for the Archives and History Office programs and activities; and finally, I will talk about how well - or badly - those tools have served us over the past decade.

Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool for Communicating and Strengthening Library Values

Science.gov (United States)

Moreillon, Judi; Hall, Ruth Nicole

2014-01-01

"Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool for Communicating and Strengthening Library Values" is a case study conducted in LS5633: The Art of Storytelling. The purpose of this study was to investigate graduate student candidates' development of library values through the use of digital tools to create and disseminate advocacy…

Promoting Health Through Policy and Systems Change: Public Health Students and Mentors on the Value of Policy Advocacy Experience in Academic Internships.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquez, Daniela; Pell, Dylan; Forster-Cox, Sue; Garcia, Evelyn; Ornelas, Sophia; Bandstra, Brenna; Mata, Holly

2017-05-01

Emerging professionals and new Certified Health Education Specialists often lack academic training in and actual experience in National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Area of Responsibility VII: Communicate, Promote, and Advocate for Health, Health Education/Promotion, and the Profession. For undergraduate and graduate students who have an opportunity to complete an internship or practicum experience, gaining experience in Competencies 7.2: Engage in advocacy for health and health education/promotion and 7.3: Influence policy and/or systems change to promote health and health education can have a profound impact on their career development and their ability to advocate for policies that promote health and health equity. Compelling evidence suggests that interventions that address social determinants of health such as poverty and education and those that change the context through improved policy or healthier environments have the greatest impact on public health, making it vital for emerging public health professionals to gain experience in policy advocacy and systems change. In this commentary, students and faculty from two large universities in the U.S.-Mexico border region reflect on the value of policy advocacy in academic internship/fieldwork experiences. Based on their experiences, they highly recommend that students seek out internship opportunities where they can participate in policy advocacy, and they encourage university faculty and practicum preceptors to provide more opportunities for policy advocacy in both classroom and fieldwork settings.

Advocacy opportunities for pediatricians caring for maltreated children.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford-Jakubiak, James E

2014-10-01

Pediatricians are advocates for children. It is one of the central elements of the job description. In the course of their work, pediatricians have many opportunities to advocate for abused and neglected children. The most effective form of advocacy that most pediatricians will engage in with regard to child abuse and neglect is by being highly skilled doctors who provide excellent clinical care to children and families, knowing how to recognize child abuse and what to do when they encounter it, and being familiar with the resources of their communities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Nations Children Teaching Self-Advocacy: An Exploration of Three Female Foster Youth's Perceptions regarding Their Preparation to Act as Self-Advocates

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jason Curtis

2010-01-01

Emancipated foster youth must have real world opportunities to learn to become participating citizens through self-advocacy to create educational justice. Emancipation for foster youth occurs between the ages of 18-22 and it is a state's responsibility to provide continuous support through direct instruction in self-advocacy. The aim of states and…

COMMUNICATING REDD+ ISSUES AT LOCAL LEVEL: CREATING LATENT AND MANIFEST CONFLICT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukas Rumboko Wibowo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available ”Carbon offsetting”in forestry-related projects is widely regarded as the ideal solution to the three challenges of   the  21st Century:  climate change, biodiversity conservation  andsocio-economic development. At the same time, there is scepticism about the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and  Forest  Degradation (REDD  proposal  particularly because of   the  weak  governance and institutional capacities in many developing countries, which could jeopardize the delivery of benefits at the local level. One major problem is that most people have little knowledge on the causes and consequences of the climate change. This is partly because the information  is largely scattered among scientific journals, and obscured by jargon and sophisticated  mathematical  models. Consequently, REDD+ is beyond thereach of  manyof the people affected by REDD+. This  paper examines the efforts and the capacity of  the local governments and other development  agents in explaining the REDD + issues and its impacts on the local people, especially customary communities. The research shows that lack of  policy communication and promotion, as well as consultations with the affected groups arethe main contributing factors to latent and manifest conflicts. In turn, this conflicth as proven that NGOs,  district governments and scientists have not been successful intermediaries. Thus, in the future policy communication on REDD+ should beaimed at improved network formation (i.e. between farmer groups with business partners and NGOs  and other related actors, learning, negotiation and relationship building (i.e. between members of farmer groups,  not only withtheir leaders within the farmer groups but also with governmental and business sectors. Policy communication should also create a  new  configuration of   support  and  services in  form  of   advocacy, empowerment and management skills and technical skills for conserving their

Two Future Ready Librarians Explore Advocacy in and outside of the Library

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Shannon McClintock; Ray, Mark

2018-01-01

As part of the national Future Ready Librarians initiative at the Alliance for Excellent Education, Mark Ray and Shannon McClintock Miller serve as national advocates for school library programs and librarians. Mark and Shannon began their library advocacy careers in school libraries. For eight years, Shannon was the district librarian in Van…

School Counselor Advocacy for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students: Intentions and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Jack D.; Hutchison, Brian; Bahr, Michael W.

2017-01-01

This study sought to understand school counselor advocacy for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students using the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 2015). The authors analyzed data from a non-random sample of 398 school counselors in the United States. Participants completed demographic items and the Attitudes subscale of the Sexual Orientation…

Equity and Advocacy Expectations of Culturally Diverse Families' Participation in Special Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalyanpur, Maya; Harry, Beth; Skrtic, Tom

2000-01-01

This article contends that the equity and advocacy expectations embedded in the legal mandate for parent participation in the special education decision-making process directly contradict the hierarchy of professional status and knowledge on which the positivist paradigm of professionalism is based and are also in conflict with the values held by…

Advocacy Week: A Model to Prepare Clinical Social Workers for Lobby Day

Science.gov (United States)

Kilbane, Teresa; Pryce, Julia; Hong, Philip Young P.

2013-01-01

Legislative advocacy is an important and long-standing skill in social work. However, this role cannot be left solely to social workers who specialize in macro and policy practice. Rather, clinical social workers who assist clients as they face "private" troubles (Mills, 1959) also need to face the structural barriers that contribute to…

Advocacy Disabled in Publishing Newspapers Media in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazzlan Sama

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the role of news media in communicating information about Disabled news to the public. The focus of the discussion centered issue and advocacy role of the news media conducted to understand the issues of persons with disabilities. Studies conducted using the method of analysis to systematically review the library of selected journals that conduct media exposure of persons with disabilities at the global level and so focused towards media conference in Malaysia. In this research, the data was obtained through databases ERIC, google scholar, Journal of Education, Journal of Social Sciences and Journal of Communication. A total of 30 articles were based on keywords such as disabled people, newspapers, news exposure to people with disabilities. However, researchers have obtained 13 articles that met after being filtered. The results obtained showed that the press releases are also still not open and not to report the news on disabilities. This is because there is a stigma that prevents acceptance of disabilities such as discrimination and negative attitudes towards them. Outlook negative stereotypes of people with disabilities who are strangers, the great ones, defects often appear in the media. Even now there is increasing advocacy for press media publishing news on this special group but the content or dissemination of information about them is still less show. Artikel ini membincangkan peranan media akhbar dalam menyampaikan maklumat berita tentang Orang Kurang Upaya kepada masyarakat. Fokus perbincangan ditumpukan isu dan peranan advokasi media akhbar dijalankan untuk memahami isu orang kurang upaya. Kajian yang dijalankan menggunakan kaedah analisis perpustakaan secara sistematik review terhadap jurnal-jurnal terpilih yang menjalankan kajian paparan media ke atas orang kurang upaya di peringkat global dan seterusnya difokus ke arah media akhbar di Malaysia. Dalam penyelidikan ini, data-data diperolehi melalui pengkalan

The Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group of United Cities and Local Governments: Towards Improving Aid Effectiveness in the Local Government Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Kehoe

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Capacity and Institution Building (CIB Working Group gather together professional practitioners of local government associations (LGAs and individual local governments active in international cooperation, with the overall objective to improve the quality, coordination and alignment of their development cooperation interventions. The Working Group is the successor of the CIB Platform, which existed for many years within the former International Union of Local Authorities (IULA as an informal gathering of staff members of local government associations (LGAs involved in the field of municipal international cooperation (MIC and association capacity building (ACB. In addition to information exchange, the CIB Platform undertook specific initiatives such as a World Bank-funded program supporting ACB in several countries. In May 2004, the CIB was integrated into the structures of the newly-founded UCLG organisation, and its membership was expanded to also include staff members of international departments of cities active in international cooperation.

Public health advocacy in action: the case of unproven breast cancer screening in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rebecca S; Croager, Emma J; Kameron, Caitlin B; Pratt, Iain S; Vreugdenburg, Thomas D; Slevin, Terry

2016-09-30

In recent years, nonmammographic breast imaging devices, such as thermography, electrical impedance scanning and elastography, have been promoted directly to consumers, which has captured the attention of governments, researchers and health organisations. These devices are not supported by evidence and risk undermining existing mammographic breast cancer screening services. During a 5-year period, Cancer Council Western Australia (CCWA) used strategic research combined with legal, policy and media advocacy to contest claims that these devices were proven alternatives to mammography for breast cancer screening. The campaign was successful because it had input from people with public health, academic, clinical and legal backgrounds, and took advantage of existing legal and regulatory avenues. CCWA's experience provides a useful advocacy model for public health practitioners who are concerned about unsafe consumer products, unproven medical devices, and misleading health information and advertising.

CAMPAIGN JOURNALISM ON ROMANIAN TELEVISIONS: TOWARDS A NORMATIVE VIEW OF ADVOCACY IN THE MEDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IRINA DIANA MĂDROANE

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Advocacy media campaigns, staged by Romanian television channels and focused on changing social policies, have gained increasing visibility in the Romanian public sphere. The article examines models of journalism and normative theories about the role of the press in a democracy in order to carve out a normative position from which this emerging media format can be analysed. It situates media advocacy within the frame of interpretive journalism, aimed both at facilitating democratic debate and citizen participation (civic journalism, and at social reform (radical journalism. The reassessment of media strategies based on emotions and interpretation as mediators of social reality may lead to a positive, ‘optimistic’ view of campaign journalism. However, the advanced commercialisation of the media and the struggles for political representation interfere with and make the task of socially responsible journalism an incredibly challenging one

Advocacy, communication, and partnerships: Mobilizing for effective, widespread cervical cancer prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittet, Scott; Aylward, Jenny; Cowal, Sally; Drope, Jacqui; Franca, Etienne; Goltz, Sarah; Kuo, Taona; Larson, Heidi; Luciani, Silvana; Mugisha, Emmanuel; Schocken, Celina; Torode, Julie

2017-07-01

Both human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and screening/treatment are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement at all resource levels, and cervical cancer screening has been acknowledged as a "best buy" by the WHO. However, coverage with these interventions is low where they are needed most. Failure to launch or expand cervical cancer prevention programs is by and large due to the absence of dedicated funding, along with a lack of recognition of the urgent need to update policies that can hinder access to services. Clear and sustained communication, robust advocacy, and strategic partnerships are needed to inspire national governments and international bodies to action, including identifying and allocating sustainable program resources. There is significant momentum for expanding coverage of HPV vaccination and screening/preventive treatment in low-resource settings as evidenced by new global partnerships espousing this goal, and the participation of groups that previously had not focused on this critical health issue. © 2017 The Authors. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Dream Big: Exploring Empowering Processes of DREAM Act Advocacy in a Focal State

Science.gov (United States)

Forenza, Brad; Mendonca, Carolina

2017-01-01

This original, qualitative research analyzed in-depth interviews with five undocumented, college-age, Latino DREAM Act advocates in a single state. An organizational empowerment framework was utilized to explore processes allied with such advocacy. Four emergent themes transcended the data inductively: (1) Challenging Social Injustice, which…

Local Agenda 21 is not a group

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Birgitte

1999-01-01

The article is a critical overview of the Danish approach to Local Agenda 21. It states Local Agenda 21 as a tool for the process of change.......The article is a critical overview of the Danish approach to Local Agenda 21. It states Local Agenda 21 as a tool for the process of change....

Traditional knowledge for promotion of socioeconomic inclusion of local communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waldemiro Francisco Sorte Junior

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the key role played by public research institutes for promoting socioeconomic inclusion of local communities based on traditional knowledge and traditional medicine. Nongovernmental organizations and cooperatives have had an important role in raising financial resources, being involved with advocacy of local communities and advancing legislation changes. But strict best manufacturing practices regulations imposed by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency on the requirements for approval and commercialization of drugs based on herbal medicine products call for the involvement of strong public research institutes capable of supporting community-based pharmacies. Thus, public research institutes are pivotal as they can conduct scientific research studies to evidence the efficacy of herbal medicine products and help building the capacity of local communities to comply with current regulations.

Communicating Environmental Risks: Local Newspaper Coverage of Shellfish Bacterial Contamination in Maine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brianne Suldovsky

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Coastal resources play a vital role in Maine’s cultural and economic wellbeing, contributing an estimated 168 billion dollars to the Maine economy. There are numerous risks to the sustainability of Maine’s shellfishing industry and working waterfront, including pathogenic bacterial pollution. In this study, we ask a broad fundamental question central to science and environmental journalism: how do newspapers cover localized environmental risks and what are the implications of those approaches? Utilizing the northeastern US state of Maine’s shellfishing industry as an exemplar environmental issue, this study examines how Maine’s two most read newspapers, the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald, report on bacterial contamination and shellfish. This study examines the themes that are present in the newspaper articles published about shellfish between 2003 and 2014 and analyses the types of sources journalists used within their coverage of these issues. Overall, we identified seven key themes: economic concerns, environmental impacts, political and regulatory issues, issues of public health and safety, reference to cultural values, technical and infrastructural issues, and aesthetic concerns. The most commonly cited individuals in the articles were government officials and scientists. The least cited groups were clammers and shellfishermen, general citizens, advocacy groups, and worm diggers. Implications for local coverage of environmental risks in Maine, science communication, and sustainability science are discussed.

Changes in the policy environment for infant and young child feeding in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia, and the role of targeted advocacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jody Harris

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is limited literature examining shifts in policy environments for nutrition and infant and young child feeding (IYCF over time, and on the potential contribution of targeted advocacy to improved policy environments in low- and middle-income countries. This study tracked changes in the policy environment over a four-year period in three countries, and examined the role of targeted nutrition and IYCF advocacy strategies by a global initiative. Methods Qualitative methods, including key informant interviews, social network mapping, document and literature review, and event tracking, were used to gather data on nutrition and IYCF policies and programs, actor networks, and perceptions and salience of nutrition as an issue in 2010 and 2014 in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. Theoretical frameworks from the policy sciences were used to analyze policy change over time, and drivers of change, across countries. Results The written policy environment improved to differing extents in each country. By 2014, the discourse in all three countries mirrored international priorities of stunting reduction and exclusive breastfeeding. Yet competing nutrition priorities such as acute malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutrition transitions remained in each context. Key actor groups in each country were government, civil society, development partners and the private sector. Infant formula companies, in particular, emerged as key players against enforcement of IYCF legislation. The role of a targeted IYCF advocacy and policy support initiative was well-recognized in supporting multiple facets of the policy environment in each country, ranging from alliances to legislation and implementation support. Despite progress, however, government commitment to funding, implementation, and enforcement is still emerging in each country, thus challenging the potential impact of new and improved policies. Conclusion Targeted policy advocacy can catalyze

Drop the Salt! Assessing the impact of a public health advocacy strategy on Australian government policy on salt.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Jacqui; Dunford, Elizabeth; Kennington, Sarah; Neal, Bruce; Chapman, Simon

2014-01-01

In 2007 the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to encourage the Australian government to take action to reduce population salt intake. The objective of the present research was to assess the impact of the Drop the Salt! campaign on government policy. A review of government activities related to salt reduction was conducted and an advocacy strategy implemented to increase government action on salt. Advocacy actions were documented and the resulting outcomes identified. An analysis of stakeholder views on the effectiveness of the advocacy strategy was also undertaken. Settings Advocacy activities were coordinated through AWASH at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney. All relevant State and Federal government statements and actions were reviewed and thirteen stakeholders with known interests or responsibilities regarding dietary salt, including food industry, government and health organisations, were interviewed. Stakeholder analysis affirmed that AWASH influenced the government's agenda on salt reduction and four key outputs were attributed to the campaign: (i) the Food Regulation Standing Committee discussions on salt, (ii) the Food and Health Dialogue salt targets, (iii) National Health and Medical Research Council partnership funding and (iv) the New South Wales Premier's Forum on Fast Foods. While it is not possible to definitively attribute changes in government policy to one organisation, stakeholder research indicated that the AWASH campaign increased the priority of salt reduction on the government's agenda. However, a coordinated government strategy on salt reduction is still required to ensure that the potential health benefits are fully realised.

Advocacy for and with LGBT Students: An Examination of High School Counselor Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Maru

2017-01-01

A paucity of empirical scholarship exists on school counselor advocacy in general and virtually none as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students specifically. Addressing this gap in the literature, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of high school counselors in the southeastern…

Constraining the mass of the Local Group

Science.gov (United States)

Carlesi, Edoardo; Hoffman, Yehuda; Sorce, Jenny G.; Gottlöber, Stefan

2017-03-01

The mass of the Local Group (LG) is a crucial parameter for galaxy formation theories. However, its observational determination is challenging - its mass budget is dominated by dark matter that cannot be directly observed. To meet this end, the posterior distributions of the LG and its massive constituents have been constructed by means of constrained and random cosmological simulations. Two priors are assumed - the Λ cold dark matter model that is used to set up the simulations, and an LG model that encodes the observational knowledge of the LG and is used to select LG-like objects from the simulations. The constrained simulations are designed to reproduce the local cosmography as it is imprinted on to the Cosmicflows-2 data base of velocities. Several prescriptions are used to define the LG model, focusing in particular on different recent estimates of the tangential velocity of M31. It is found that (a) different vtan choices affect the peak mass values up to a factor of 2, and change mass ratios of MM31 to MMW by up to 20 per cent; (b) constrained simulations yield more sharply peaked posterior distributions compared with the random ones; (c) LG mass estimates are found to be smaller than those found using the timing argument; (d) preferred Milky Way masses lie in the range of (0.6-0.8) × 1012 M⊙; whereas (e) MM31 is found to vary between (1.0-2.0) × 1012 M⊙, with a strong dependence on the vtan values used.

Fast Neutron Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Final Report of a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Randomized Clinical Trial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laramore, G. E.; Krall, J. M.; Thomas, F. J.; Russell, K. J.; Maor, M. H.; Hendrickson, F. R.; Martz, K. L.; Griffin, T. W.; Davis, L. W.

1993-01-01

Between June 1977 and April 1983 the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) sponsored a Phase III randomized trial investigating the use of fast neutron radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced (Stages C and D1) adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland. Patients were randomized to receive either conventional photon radiation or fast neutron radiation used in a mixed-beam (neutron/photon) treatment schedule. A total of 91 analyzable patients were entered into the study, and the two patient groups were balanced with respect to the major prognostic variables. Actuarial curves are presented for local/regional control and "overall" survival. Ten-year results for clinically assessed local control are 70% for the mixed-beam group versus 58% for the photon group (p = 0.03) and for survival are 46% for the mixed-beam group versus 29% for the photon group (p = 0.04). This study suggests that a regional method of treatment can influence both local tumor control and survival in patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland.

Local Action Groups and Rural Sustainable Development. A spatial multiple criteria approach for efficient territorial planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palmisano, Giovanni Ottomano; Govindan, M.E., PhD.,, Kannan; Boggia, Antonio

2016-01-01

Local Action Groups in order to promote the objectives of Rural Sustainable Development within rural municipalities. Each Local Action Group applies the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis in order to identify for its own rural municipalities the strategic elements to which...... and a Weakness factors and decision alternatives, as well as impossibility of ranking the decision alternatives. Thus, this research aims to overcome the drawbacks of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis and to support Local Action Group partnerships in the sustainability evaluation...... of their rural municipalities, and therefore to aid the identification of a common Rural Sustainable Development strategy to allocate the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development budget. This decision problem was tackled by applying a Multiple Criteria Spatial Decision Support System that integrates...

Use and misuse of data in advocacy, media and opinion polls in Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article offers a reflective perspective of the uses and misuses of data and statistics in public communication and development as a construct of democracy. It begins by situating data use in light of the “big data” revolution characterised by devolution and globalisation of information. Drawing on illustrations from advocacy ...

Pericles should learn to fix a leaky pipe – why trial advocacy should ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Even the technical "forensic skills" of trial advocacy, such as courtroom etiquette and demeanour, learning how to phrase a question to elicit a favourable response, and making an effective oral presentation, transfer readily to a wide range of applications within both the legal and business worlds. In addition to learning how ...

Foster Youth Evaluate the Performance of Group Home Services in California

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Rex S.; Ellis, Peter T.

2008-01-01

In 2003 foster youth employed by a foster youth advocacy organization suggested that an evaluation of group home services to foster youth be conducted in Alameda County, California. This report presents the development and conduct of this evaluation study; how funding was obtained; and how foster youth were hired, trained, and employed to produce…

Impact of Communication Competency Training on Nursing Students' Self-advocacy Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Christi; Landry, Heidi; Pate, Barbara; Reid, Helen

2016-01-01

Deficiencies in nursing students' communication skills need to be addressed for students to influence and skillfully collaborate in crucial patient and self-advocacy conversations. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a communication competency educational program for nursing students (N = 61). A paired-sample t test determined that there was a statistical significance from pre to post intervention, indicating the importance of communication competency education for nursing students' ability to advocate for themselves and their patients.

EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL CONSUMER- THE IMPACT OF PERSONALISATION, LOCALIZATION AND SOCIAL COLLABORATION ON CONSUMERISM

OpenAIRE

TATJANA PETKOVSKA MIRCHEVSKA; SONJA MARKOVA

2011-01-01

Social media affects human behavior and culture through personalization, localization, advocacy, social collaboration. New form of virtual social interaction has emerged: Social Consumerism. Consumer brands are flocking to social networks. Traditional consumer purchase funnel no longer reflects the consumer purchase behavior. A new more sophisticated and more complicated than traditional funnel has emerged. This new approach, called the consumer decision journey, places greater emphasis on lo...

Humanism, Feminism, and Multiculturalism: Essential Elements of Social Justice in Counseling, Education, and Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Brady-Amoon, Peggy

2011-01-01

This article explores the association between and among humanism, feminism, multiculturalism, and social justice in counseling, education, and advocacy. In so doing, it shows how these theoretical forces, individually and collectively, are essential to professional counseling, client welfare, education, and the promotion of social justice. The…

The DREAMS Team: Creating Community Partnerships through Research Advocacy Training for Diverse Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Ariel R.; Dillard, Rebecca; Perkins, Molly M.; Vaughan, Camille P.; Kinlaw, Kathy; McKay, J. Lucas; Waldrop-Valverde, Drenna; Hagen, Kimberley; Wincek, Ron C.; Hackney, Madeleine E.

2017-01-01

The DREAMS Team research advocacy training program helps clinical faculty and health students introduce basic clinical research concepts to diverse older adults to galvanize their active involvement in the research process. Older adults are frequently underrepresented in clinical research, due to barriers to participation including distrust,…

The origin of the galaxy and local group

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

This volume contains the updated and expanded lecture notes of the 37th Saas-Fee Advanced Course organised by the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy. It offers the most comprehensive and up to date review of one of the hottest research topics in astrophysics - how our Milky Way galaxy formed. Joss Bland-Hawthorn & Ken Freeman lectured on Near Field Cosmology - The Origin of the Galaxy and the Local Group. Francesca Matteucci’s chapter is on Chemical evolution of the Milky Way and its Satellites. As designed by the SSAA, books in this series – and this one too – are targeted at graduate and PhD students and young researchers in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. Lecturers and researchers entering the field will also benefit from the book.

School Counselors and Social Justice Advocacy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bidell, Markus P.

2011-01-01

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) students often face considerable isolation, discrimination, and violence at school, which can exacerbate the acute psychosocial and academic problems they already encounter. The purpose of this article is to introduce gay-straight alliances (GSAs) as a social justice and advocacy approach…

Understanding the motivations and activities of transnational advocacy networks against child sex trafficking in the Mekong Subregion: The value of cosmopolitan globalisation theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deanna Davy

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Child sex trafficking has become one of the most highly publicised social issues of our time and, due to its global nature, transnational anti-trafficking advocacy networks are well placed and central to lead campaigns against it. Whilst there is an abundance of literature on the subjects of child sex trafficking and transnational advocacy networks we lack an understanding of the motivations of these networks that act as buffers against trafficking. Cosmopolitan globalisation theory remains a compelling framework for examining the motivations of transnational anti-child sex trafficking networks in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Applying a cosmopolitan globalisation lens, this article discusses the social justice goals of transnational advocacy networks, their centrality in combating child sex trafficking, and their ability to perform cosmopolitan ‘globalisation from below’ to counter global social problems.

The First Galaxies and the Likely Discovery of Their Fossils in the Local Group

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Ricotti

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The lower bound for the mass of a galaxy is unknown, as are the typical luminosity of the smallest galaxies and their numbers. The answers depend on the extent to which star formation in the first population of small mass halos may be suppressed by radiative feedback loops. If early populations of dwarf galaxies did form in significant number before reionization, their “fossils” should be found today in the Local Group. This paper reviews our ongoing efforts to simulate and identify fossil dwarfs in the Local Group. It is widely believed that reionization stopped star formation in fossil dwarfs. However, here we dispute this idea and discuss a physical mechanism whereby recent episodes of star formation would be produced in some fossil dwarfs that, hence, may characterized by a bimodal star formation history. The same mechanism could turn dark halos that failed to form stars before reionization into gas-rich “dark galaxies”. We believe that current observational data supports the thesis that a fraction of the new ultra-faint dwarfs discovered in the Local Group are fossil dwarfs and we predict the existence of a population of ultra-faint dwarfs with lower surface brightness than currently observed.

Integrating medical and environmental sociology with environmental health: crossing boundaries and building connections through advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Phil

2013-06-01

This article reviews the personal and professional processes of developing an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex issues of environmental health in their community, political-economic, social science, and scientific contexts. This interdisciplinary approach includes a synthesis of research, policy work, and advocacy. To examine multiple forms of interdisciplinarity, I examine pathways of integrating medical and environmental sociology via three challenges to the boundaries of traditional research: (1) crossing the boundaries of medical and environmental sociology, (2) linking social science and environmental health science, and (3) crossing the boundary of research and advocacy. These boundary crossings are discussed in light of conceptual and theoretical developments of popular epidemiology, contested illnesses, and health social movements. This interdisciplinary work offers a more comprehensive sociological lens for understanding complex problems and a practical ability to join with scientists, activists, and officials to meet public health needs for amelioration and prevention of environmental health threats.

Representations of the Poincare group, position operator and the bi-local model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohkawa, Tohru

1978-01-01

We propose two types of representations of the Poincare group which give general frameworks for introduction of internal degrees of freedom of a particle. The bi-local model recently proposed by Takabayasi is constructed through our frameworks. In this study, new covariant and non-covariant position operators are introduced and discussed. (author)

A Group Theoretic Approach to Metaheuristic Local Search for Partitioning Problems

Science.gov (United States)

2005-05-01

Tabu Search. Mathematical and Computer Modeling 39: 599-616. 107 Daskin , M.S., E. Stern. 1981. A Hierarchical Objective Set Covering Model for EMS... A Group Theoretic Approach to Metaheuristic Local Search for Partitioning Problems by Gary W. Kinney Jr., B.G.S., M.S. Dissertation Presented to the...DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A Approved for Public Release Distribution Unlimited The University of Texas at Austin May, 2005 20050504 002 REPORT

The Micropolitics of Innovation--Revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Garrett R.; Richardson, Gerald L.

1980-01-01

Among the important factors in the success of organized change efforts involving local schools are direct personal contact of local entrepreneurs and internal advocacy groups, moral and technical support of the district administration, access to interpretive information about new ideas and teaching programs, and faculty acceptance of innovation.…

Nature of Non-Governmental Organisations Involved in Local ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of advocacy and watchdog roles as well as refocusing on urban areas in order .... is embedded in national development processes and frameworks, including existing .... In Latin American feminist NGOs, Alvarez (1998) noted that the 1990s witnessed ..... Specific areas of high concentration have been advocacy, water and.

THE LOCAL GROUP IN THE COSMIC WEB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forero-Romero, J. E.; González, R.

2015-01-01

We explore the characteristics of the cosmic web around Local-Group (LG)-like pairs using a cosmological simulation in the ΛCDM cosmology. We use the Hessian of the gravitational potential to classify regions on scales of ∼2 Mpc as a peak, sheet, filament, or void. The sample of LG counterparts is represented by two samples of halo pairs. The first is a general sample composed of pairs with similar masses and isolation criteria as observed for the LG. The second is a subset with additional observed kinematic constraints such as relative pair velocity and separation. We find that the pairs in the LG sample with all constraints are: (1) preferentially located in filaments and sheets, (2) located in a narrow range of local overdensity 0 < δ < 2, web ellipticity 0.1 < e < 1.0, and prolateness –0.4 < p < 0.4, (3) strongly aligned with the cosmic web. The alignments are such that the pair orbital angular momentum tends to be perpendicular to the smallest tidal eigenvector, e-hat 3 , which lies along the filament direction or the sheet plane. A stronger alignment is present for the vector linking the two halos with the vector e-hat 3 . Additionally, we fail to find a strong correlation between the spin of each halo in the pair with the cosmic web. All of these trends are expected to a great extent from the selection of LG total mass in the general sample. Applied to the observed LG, there is a potential conflict between the alignments of the different satellite planes and the numerical evidence for satellite accretion along filaments; the direction defined by e-hat 3 . This highlights the relevance of achieving a precise characterization for the location of the LG in the cosmic web in the cosmological context provided by ΛCDM

A legal and empirical investigation into the direct selling industry’s advocacy in the EU

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tokaji-Nagy, Orsolya

2016-01-01

This dissertation is made up of legal and empirical research into the direct selling industry’s advocacy in the European Union. In the context of the European pluralistic democracy or, somewhat pejoratively, the Brussels “lobbyocracy”, the thesis intends to increase lobbying transparency by mapping

Conjugation weights and weighted convolution algebras on totally disconnected, locally compact groups

OpenAIRE

Willis, George

2013-01-01

A family of equivalent submultiplicative weights on the to- tally disconnected, locally compact group $G$ is defined in terms of the conjugation action of $G$ on itself. These weights therefore reflect the structure of $G$, and the corresponding weighted convolution algebra is intrinsic to $G$ in the same way that $L^1(G) is.

Latcrit Educational Leadership and Advocacy: Struggling over Whiteness as Property in Texas School Finance

Science.gov (United States)

Aleman, Enrique, Jr.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author seeks to re-imagine the political and policy roles of educational leaders of color, offering an alternative method for educational leadership, advocacy, and policy analysis. The author uses critical race theory (CRT) and Latina/o critical (LatCrit) theory to problematize the way politically-active Mexican American…

Lack of congruence in species diversity indices and community structures of planktonic groups based on local environmental factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Doi, Hideyuki; Chang, Kwang-Hyeon; Nishibe, Yuichiro; Imai, Hiroyuki; Nakano, Shin-ichi

2013-01-01

The importance of analyzing the determinants of biodiversity and community composition by using multiple trophic levels is well recognized; however, relevant data are lacking. In the present study, we investigated variations in species diversity indices and community structures of the plankton taxonomic groups-zooplankton, rotifers, ciliates, and phytoplankton-under a range of local environmental factors in pond ecosystems. For each planktonic group, we estimated the species diversity index by using linear models and analyzed the community structure by using canonical correspondence analysis. We showed that the species diversity indices and community structures varied among the planktonic groups and according to local environmental factors. The observed lack of congruence among the planktonic groups may have been caused by niche competition between groups with similar trophic guilds or by weak trophic interactions. Our findings highlight the difficulty of predicting total biodiversity within a system, based upon a single taxonomic group. Thus, to conserve the biodiversity of an ecosystem, it is crucial to consider variations in species diversity indices and community structures of different taxonomic groups, under a range of local conditions.

Advocacy Coalition for Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry: The Case of Los Angeles County's Measure B.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Adam Carl; Tavrow, Paula; McGrath, Mark Roy

2018-05-01

Performers in the adult film industry are routinely exposed to bloodborne pathogens. In 2012, public health advocates in Los Angeles County convinced voters to pass a ballot initiative-Measure B-to mandate condom use on adult film sets. This article presents a case study of the advocacy coalition's strategies used to achieve greater workplace safety using the advocacy coalition framework. The authors were given access to all memoranda, market research, and campaign tools used to promote Measure B. To reconstruct adult film industry counterefforts, the authors reviewed trade publications, social media, and blog posts. When legislative efforts failed, advocates engaged in a step-by-step strategy built around voters to achieve passage of a ballot initiative mandating condom use for all adult films produced in Los Angeles County. Although the industry immediately filed a lawsuit after passage of Measure B, its constitutionality has been upheld. Measure B passed because public health advocates were able to assemble scientific evidence, build public support, counter false claims, and maintain consistent messages throughout the campaign. The adult film industry lacked social capital, cohesion, and nimbleness. To bolster regulatory efforts, appealing to voters to favor safe workplaces may be an effective advocacy strategy for other industries.

Management of basic education for ethnic groups in highland and border regions of Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phathombut Keawsomnuk

2017-05-01

The research findings revealed that the actors for advocacy policy in basic education for ethnic groups consist of: 1 the primary education service area, 2 community, 3 NGOs, 4 scholars, and 5 schools. This study indicated that the provision of basic education policy for ethnic groups must consist of knowledge from communities such as ethnic life styles integrated in the curriculum, and a special education mechanism and process for Thai ethnic groups, including facilitation of ethnic group participation in the abovementioned actors by various means.

A comparative content analysis of media reporting of sports betting in Australia: lessons for public health media advocacy approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer L. David

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Harmful gambling is a significant public health issue. There has been widespread discussion in the Australian media about the extent and impact of sports betting on the Australian community, particularly relating to young men and children. Given the role that the media plays in influencing policy change and political agendas, and the acknowledgement that media based advocacy is a fundamental component of successful advocacy campaigns, this research aimed to investigate how different stakeholder groups discuss sports betting within the Australian print media. The study uses this information to provide recommendations to guide public health media advocacy approaches. Methods A quantitative content analysis of print media articles was conducted during two significant Parliamentary Inquiries about sports betting - (1 The Joint Select Committee Inquiry into the Advertising and Promotion of Gambling Services in Sport (2012/2013, and (2 'The Review of Illegal Offshore Wagering (2015/2016. A total of 241 articles from 12 daily Australian newspapers were analysed. Statistical analysis was used to compare frequency of, and changes in, themes, voices and perspectives over time. Results Discussions about the marketing and communication of sports betting was a main theme in media reporting (n = 165, 68.5%, while discussions about gambling reform decreased significantly across the two time periods (p < 0.0001. The presence of sports betting industry (p < 0.0001, sporting code (p < 0.0001 and public health expert (p = 0.001 voices all increased significantly across the two time periods. There were very few (n = 11, 4.6% voices from those who had experienced gambling harm. Finally, while there were significantly fewer articles taking the perspective that regulation changes were needed to protect vulnerable sub-populations (p < 0.0001, articles that had a neutral perspective about the need for regulation change increased

Perceptions of a Gay-Straight Alliance Club Ban: School Counselors and Advocacy for LGBTQQ Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lassiter, Pamela S.; Sifford, Amy McCarthy

2015-01-01

This phenomenological inquiry explored the experiences and reactions of five school counselors who worked in a school that banned a Gay-Straight Alliance club. Specifically, the authors examined how counselors' perceptions of the ban influenced their advocacy for LGBTQQ students. The results of semi-structured interviews revealed one overarching…

Feminist Relational Advocacy: Processes and Outcomes from the Perspective of Low-Income Women with Depression

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Lisa A.; Glenn, Catherine; Bohlig, Amanda; Banyard, Victoria; Borges, Angela

2009-01-01

This article describes a qualitative study of how low-income women who are struggling with symptoms of depression experience feminist relational advocacy, a new model that is informed by feminist, multicultural, and community psychology theories. Using qualitative content analysis of participant interviews, the authors describe the processes and…

EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL CONSUMER- THE IMPACT OF PERSONALISATION, LOCALIZATION AND SOCIAL COLLABORATION ON CONSUMERISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TATJANA PETKOVSKA MIRCHEVSKA

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Social media affects human behavior and culture through personalization, localization, advocacy, social collaboration. New form of virtual social interaction has emerged: Social Consumerism. Consumer brands are flocking to social networks. Traditional consumer purchase funnel no longer reflects the consumer purchase behavior. A new more sophisticated and more complicated than traditional funnel has emerged. This new approach, called the consumer decision journey, places greater emphasis on loyalty and advocacy and better reflects the dynamics of today’s market influenced by social media. As the online world continues to evolve understanding how to merge e-commerce with social media is critical for retail success. “Social commerce” integrates new media, via user generated content platforms and social networking features, directly onto commerce sites. By building vibrant communities that address the passion of retailer’s core audience, and spreading passion to larger social web, retailers will attract loyal and engaged customers, and will achieve better business results.

Barriers to Advocacy and Litigation in the Equality Courts for Persons with Disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willene Holness

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The effective implementation of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 (PEPUDA and the fulfilment of the South African state's obligations in terms of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD are dependent on two fundamental tools, advocacy and litigation. This article discusses the outcome of three cases in the Equality Courts and how these cases promote accessibility and access to justice for persons with disabilities. The authors then consider the impact of CREATE, a KwaZulu-Natal NGO's advocacy initiatives to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and the utilisation of the Equality Court to realise those rights. Participants of ten workshops in KwaZulu-Natal identified three barriers to access to justice in accessing the Equality Courts. Firstly, some Equality Courts are geographically (and financially inaccessible. Secondly, the negative and insensitive attitudes of front-line workers impact on the ability of persons with disabilities to bring equality claims to and access the services of the Equality Court. These barriers constitute discrimination and flout articles 9 and 13 of the CRPD, which require the provision of support for persons with disabilities to access the justice system and the promotion of accessibility to the physical environment, and the provision to them of transportation, information and other services. Thirdly, cultural norms and fears impede access to courts and the agency of persons with disabilities to bring these claims, for example the requirement that traditional leaders provide "permission" to persons with disabilities to sue and a similar requirement of permission from the in-laws of women with disabilities. The article analyses the three barriers identified as inhibiting advocacy and litigation, and explains the implication of these barriers for the state's obligations in terms of articles 5, 8, 9, 12 and 13 of the CRPD. Recommendations

Build It—And Advocate for It—And They Will Come: Lessons from a Collaborative Project in Archives Advocacy and Program Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jodi Allison-Bunnell

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Libraries at small- and mid-sized academic institutions continue to re-define themselves as journal and monograph collections go online, budgets and staffing remain flat or reduced, and value to student learning and the institutional mission needs to be apparent. This all spells opportunity for archival programs which, with a strong focus on advocacy and daylighting formerly hidden collections of unique content, can re-invigorate the library and spotlight the active role today's service- and user-oriented archives can play in supporting student research, fostering ties with constituents, and ensuring the preservation of an institution's stories and history. A recently-completed National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC-funded grant project involving seven private institutions in Washington and Oregon utilized a focus on effective advocacy and consulting archivists to move archival programs to the next level. Despite limited resource levels at most of the institutions, tangible and sustainable progress was made on describing collections, establishing best-practices and policies, and perhaps most importantly, cultivating a strong ethic of persistent, creative, low-cost advocacy and outreach.

Math and Economics: Implementing Authentic Instruction in Grades K-5

Science.gov (United States)

Althauser, Krista; Harter, Cynthia

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to outline a partnership program that involved a local elementary school district, an institution of higher education, the local business community, and a state economic education advocacy group to integrate economics into math in grades K-5. The "Economics: Math in Real Life" program was provided in…

Can Appreciative Inquiry Increase Positive Interactions, Student Self-Advocacy and Turn-Taking during IEP Meetings?

Science.gov (United States)

Kozik, Peter L.

2018-01-01

This comparative research study in the context of action research documents the effects of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) on positive participant interactions, student turn-taking and self-advocacy interactions during IEP meetings that focused on student transition to post-secondary outcomes. AI was implemented as a written protocol for conducting IEP…

Enhancing Civic Education through the Use of Assigned Advocacy, Argumentation, and Debate across the Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Zorwick, Leslie Wade; Wade, James M.

2016-01-01

Evidence shows that the skills and dispositions that lead to thoughtful and effective participation in civic life can be developed and promoted through participation in assigned advocacy, argumentation, and debate. We argue that debate and argumentation are uniquely well suited to be implemented across the curriculum, which means that students…

Litigation as TB Rights Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Abstract One thousand people die every day in India as a result of TB, a preventable and treatable disease, even though the Constitution of India, government schemes, and international law guarantee available, accessible, acceptable, quality health care. Failure to address the spread of TB and to provide quality treatment to all affected populations constitutes a public health and human rights emergency that demands action and accountability. As part of a broader strategy, health activists in India employ Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to hold the state accountable for rights violations and to demand new legislation, standards for patient care, accountability for under-spending, improvements in services at individual facilities, and access to government entitlements in marginalized communities. Taking inspiration from right to health PIL cases (PILs), lawyers in a New Delhi-based rights organization used desk research, fact-findings, and the Right To Information Act to build a TB PIL for the Delhi High Court, Sanjai Sharma v. NCT of Delhi and Others (2015). The case argues that inadequate implementation of government TB schemes violates the Constitutional rights to life, health, food, and equality. Although PILs face substantial challenges, this paper concludes that litigation can be a crucial advocacy and accountability tool for people living with TB and their allies. PMID:27781000

Chemical analysis of carbon stars in the local group - l.  The small magnetic cloud and the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Laverny...[], P.; Abia, C.; Dominguez, I

2006-01-01

Stars: abundances, stars: carbon, nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances, galaxies: Local Group Udgivelsesdato: Feb.......Stars: abundances, stars: carbon, nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances, galaxies: Local Group Udgivelsesdato: Feb....

76 FR 17995 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project Committee AGENCY... Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Practitioner Engagement Project... Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the...

The Lp Spectrum of Locally Symmetric Spaces with Small Fundamental Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Andreas

2009-01-01

We determine the L p spectrum of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on certain complete locally symmetric spaces M whose universal covering X is a symmetric space of non-compact type with rank one. More precisely, we show that the L p spectra of M and X coincide if the fundamental group of M is small and if the injectivity radius of M is bounded away from zero. In the L 2 case, the restriction on the injectivity radius is not needed

Effects of Exposure to Environmental Groups on Student Awareness of Environmental Issues and Their Desire to Be Locally Involved

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Ann M.

2017-01-01

This study investigated changes in high school students' awareness of environmental issues and their intent to be involved with local environmental groups after attendance at an environmental fair that exposed them to local environmental groups. A comparison of prefair and postfair surveys given to students indicated a highly significant increase…

The reduced local lymph node assay: the impact of group size.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Cindy A; Chaney, Joel G; Kern, Petra S; Patlewicz, Grace Y; Basketter, David A; Betts, Catherine J; Dearman, Rebecca J; Kimber, Ian; Gerberick, G Frank

2008-05-01

The local lymph node assay (LLNA) is a skin sensitization test that provides animal welfare benefits. To reduce animal usage further, a modified version (rLLNA) was proposed. Conducting the rLLNA as a screening test with a single high dose group and vehicle control differentiated accurately between skin sensitizers and non-sensitizers. This study examined whether a reduction in animal number/group is feasible. Historical data were utilized to examine the impact of conducting the rLLNA with two mice/group. To assess the effect on the stimulation index (SI) 41 datasets with individual animal data derived using five mice/group were analysed. SIs were calculated on all possible combinations of two control and two high dose group disintegrations per minute (dpm) values. For 25 of 33 sensitizer datasets, > 96% of possible dpm combinations resulted in a calculated SI > 3. The lowest percentages of positive SIs were observed with weak allergens when, in the standard LLNA, the mean SIs would have been nearer to the threshold value of 3. The results indicate that moderate, strong and extreme allergens are more likely than weak allergens to be identified as sensitizers when group sizes of two mice are used within the rLLNA. It is concluded that a rLLNA with two mice/group would display decreased sensitivity and is inappropriate for use in hazard identification. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comunicação, ocupação, representação: três olhares sobre a noção de advocacy em contextos de deliberação pública

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rennan Lanna Martins Mafra

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This article seeks to understand more systematically the notion of advocacy, particularly in contexts of public deliberation. Towards to policies and etymological origins of the key term, and recognizing that engendered advocacy by civic actors can assume meanings i skills in a communicative situation; ii technical and competent practice of occupation of political and media systems and social life; and iii practices of political representation, the papper try to point out that risks such as clenching dialogical, discursive imposition and identity essentialism may arise from practices advocacy on democratic deliberative contexts. However, extensive theming issues and the translation of demands arising in restricted contexts may indicate some possible ways for understanding the advocacy gains in enlarged processes of public deliberation.

76 FR 45221 - Office of Advocacy and Outreach; Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-28

... Outreach; Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Office of Advocacy and Outreach... amended, the OAO announces a public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers (Committee) to... minority farmers and ranchers in Department of Agriculture programs; and (3) civil rights activities within...

76 FR 45006 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-27

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Monday, September 26, 2011, at 3 p.m...

75 FR 47349 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-05

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time...

Advocating for responsible oil and natural gas extraction policies; FracTracker as a mechanism for overcoming the barriers to scientific advocacy for academics and communities

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrar, K. J.; Malone, S.; Kelso, M.; Lenker, B.

2013-12-01

The inability to translate data to scientific information that can readily be incorporated by citizens into the public arena is an obstacle for science-based advocacy. This issue is particularly poignant for shale oil and natural gas development via hydraulic fracturing, as the issue has become highly politicized. Barriers to engaging in policy debate are different but highly related for community members and scientists. For citizens and interest groups, barriers including accessibility, public awareness and data presentation limit the motivation for community involvement in political interactions. To overcome such barriers, social researchers call for public engagement to move upstream and many call for a broad engagement of scientists in science-based advocacy. Furthermore surveys have shown that citizens, interest groups, and decision-makers share a broad desire for scientists to engage in environmental policy development. Regardless, scientists face a number of perceived barriers, with academics expressing the most resistance to overcoming the tension created by adherence to the scientific method and the need to engage with the broader society, described by Schneider (1990) as the 'double ethical bind'. For the scientific community the appeal of public dissemination of information beyond the scope of academic journals is limited for a number of reasons. Barriers include preservation of credibility, peer attitudes, training, and career trajectory. The result is a lack of translated information available to the public. This systematic analysis of the FracTracker platform provides an evaluation of where the features of the public engagement, GIS platform has been successful at overcoming these barriers to public dissemination, where the platform needs further development or is ill-suited to address these issues, and the development of FracTracker as an outlet for scientific researchers to engage with citizens. The analysis will also provide insight into what

Who should drive humanitarian responses?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nick Cater

2005-05-01

Full Text Available From refugee flows to earthquake relief, it is invariably local groups which are on the humanitarian frontline. Should international agencies reinvent themselves as solidarity and advocacy networks and start letting Southern NGOs take the lead?

An interest group at work: Environmental activism and the case of acid mine drainage on Johannesburg’s West Rand

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Funke, Nicola S

2012-02-01

Full Text Available -product of mining. This chapter analyses environmental interest groups that campaign on the AMD issue on Johannesburg’s West Rand. To contextualise these advocacy efforts, the chapter scientifically outlines why AMD is a fundamental problem and what socio...

Weyl consistency conditions and a local renormalisation group equation for general renormalisable field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborn, H.

1991-01-01

A local renormalisation group equation which realises infinitesimal Weyl rescalings of the metric and which is an extension of the usual Callan-Symanzik equation is described. In order to ensure that any local composite operators, with dimensions so that on addition to the basic lagrangian they preserve renormalisability, are well defined for arbitrarily many insertions into correlation functions the couplings are assumed to depend on χ. Local operators are then defined by functional differentiation with respect to the couplings just as the energy-momentum tensor is given by functional differentiation with respect to the metric. The local renormalisation group equation contains terms depending on derivatives of the couplings as well as the curvature tensor formed from the metric, constrained by power counting. Various consistency relations arising from the commutativity of Weyl transformations are derived, extending previous one-loop results for the trace anomaly to all orders. In two dimensions the relations give an alternative derivation of the c-theorem and similar extensions are obtained in four dimensions. The equations are applied in detail to general renormalisable σ-models in two dimensions. The Curci-Paffuti relation is derived without any commitment to a particular regularisation scheme and further equations used to construct an action for the vanishing of the β-functions are also obtained. The discussion is also extended to σ-models with a boundary, as appropriate for open strings, and relations for the additional β-functions present in such models are obtained. (orig.)

Growing massive black holes in a Local Group environment: the central supermassive, slowly sinking and ejected populations

Science.gov (United States)

Micic, Miroslav; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Sigurdsson, Steinn

2011-06-01

We explore the growth of ≤107 M⊙ black holes that reside at the centres of spiral and field dwarf galaxies in a Local Group type of environment. We use merger trees from a cosmological N-body simulation known as Via Lactea 2 (VL-2) as a framework to test two merger-driven semi-analytic recipes for black hole growth that include dynamical friction, tidal stripping and gravitational wave recoil in over 20 000 merger tree realizations. First, we apply a Fundamental Plane limited (FPL) model to the growth of Sgr A*, which drives the central black hole to a maximum mass limited by the black hole Fundamental Plane after every merger. Next, we present a new model that allows for low-level prolonged gas accretion (PGA) during the merger. We find that both models can generate an Sgr A* mass black hole. We predict a population of massive black holes in local field dwarf galaxies - if the VL-2 simulation is representative of the growth of the Local Group, we predict up to 35 massive black holes (≤106 M⊙) in Local Group field dwarfs. We also predict that hundreds of ≤105 M⊙ black holes fail to merge, and instead populate the Milky Way halo, with the most massive of them at roughly the virial radius. In addition, we find that there may be hundreds of massive black holes ejected from their hosts into the nearby intergalactic medium due to gravitational wave recoil. We discuss how the black hole population in the Local Group field dwarfs may help to constrain the growth mechanism for Sgr A*.

The Origin of Stellar Species: constraining stellar evolution scenarios with Local Group galaxy surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Sarbadhicary, Sumit; Badenes, Carles; Chomiuk, Laura; Maldonado, Jessica; Caprioli, Damiano; Heger, Mairead; Huizenga, Daniel

2018-01-01

Our understanding of the progenitors of many stellar species, such as supernovae, massive and low-mass He-burning stars, is limited because of many poorly constrained aspects of stellar evolution theory. For my dissertation, I have focused on using Local Group galaxy surveys to constrain stellar evolution scenarios by measuring delay-time distributions (DTD). The DTD is the hypothetical occurrence rate of a stellar object per elapsed time after a brief burst of star formation. It is the measured distribution of timescales on which stars evolve, and therefore serves as a powerful observational constraint on theoretical progenitor models. The DTD can be measured from a survey of stellar objects and a set of star-formation histories of the host galaxy, and is particularly effective in the Local Group, where high-quality star-formation histories are available from resolved stellar populations. I am currently calculating a SN DTD with supernova remnants (SNRs) in order to provide the strongest constraints on the progenitors of thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae. However, most SNRs do not have reliable age measurements and their evolution depends on the ambient environment. For this reason, I wrote a radio light curve model of an SNR population to extract the visibility times and rates of supernovae - crucial ingredients for the DTD - from an SNR survey. The model uses observational constraints on the local environments from multi-wavelength surveys, accounts for missing SNRs and employs the latest models of shock-driven particle acceleration. The final calculation of the SN DTD in the Local Group is awaiting completion of a systematic SNR catalog from deep radio-continuum images, now in preparation by a group led by Dr. Laura Chomiuk. I have also calculated DTDs for the LMC population of RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables, which serve as important distance calibrators and stellar population tracers. We find that Cepheids can have delay-times between 10 Myrs - 1 Gyr

Systems Advocacy in the Professional Practice of Early Childhood Teachers: From the Antithetical to the Ethical

Science.gov (United States)

Fenech, Marianne; Lotz, Mianna

2018-01-01

Dominant constructions of professionalism in early childhood education can diminish early childhood teachers' and educators' undertaking of advocacy at the systems or political level. In this paper, we propose an ethically grounded construction of professionalism that provides space for professional practice to move beyond the classroom and into…

Relationship between a Belief in a Just World and Social Justice Advocacy Attitudes of School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Sejal B.; Post, Phyllis; Flowers, Claudia

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how belief in a just world (BJW), political ideology, religious ideology, socioeconomic status of origin, and race relate to social justice advocacy attitudes among school counseling professionals. A sequential multiple regression indicated that political ideology and BJW were statistically significant…

76 FR 56879 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-14

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Monday, October 24, 2011, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time...

75 FR 62632 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-12

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Wednesday, November 24, 2010, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time via...

75 FR 39333 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Wednesday, August 25, 2010, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time via...

76 FR 63716 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-13

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Monday, November 28, 2011, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time...

76 FR 37199 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Monday, August 22, 2011, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time via...

75 FR 55406 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-10

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Wednesday, October 27, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time...

76 FR 6188 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Earned Income Tax Credit... Panel Earned Income Tax Credit Project Committee will be held Monday, March 28, 2011, at 2 p.m., Eastern...

Scientists as communicators: A randomized experiment to assess public reactions to scientists' social media communication along the science-advocacy continuum

Science.gov (United States)

Kotcher, J.; Vraga, E.; Myers, T.; Stenhouse, N.; Roser-Renouf, C.; Maibach, E.

2014-12-01

The question of what type of role scientists, or experts more generally, should play in policy debates is a perennial point of discussion within the scientific community. It is often thought that communication containing some form of policy advocacy is likely to compromise the perceived credibility of the individual scientist engaged in such behavior, with the possibility that it may also harm the credibility of the scientific community more broadly. Rather than evaluating statements in a binary fashion as representing either pure objectivity or pure advocacy, one recent model proposes that public communication by scientists should instead be thought of as falling along a continuum based upon the extent of normative judgment implicit in a statement. This approach predicts that as the extent of normative judgment increases, it poses a relatively greater risk to a scientist's perceived credibility. Though such a model is conceptually useful, little empirical social science research has systematically explored how individuals form judgments about different types of advocacy to examine common assumptions about the relative risks associated with such behaviors. In this presentation, we will report results from a national online experiment (N=1200) that examines audience responses to fictional social media posts written by either a climate scientist or a television weathercaster. Following the above model, the posts represent differing degrees of advocacy defined by the extent of normative judgment implicit in each statement. In instances where a specific policy is advocated, we examine whether participants' reactions are shaped by the extent to which the policy mentioned is congruent with one's political ideology. We hope this study will serve as an exemplar of applied science communication research that can begin to help inform scientists and other experts about the potential implications of different communication options they may choose from in deciding how to engage

77 FR 8329 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-14

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

76 FR 77893 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-14

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 61052 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-05

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 55527 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-10

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 47166 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-07

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 2610 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-18

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 20489 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-04

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 21157 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-09

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 20488 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-04

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 30591 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-23

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

77 FR 37102 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-20

... Small Business/Self- Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Small Business/ Self-Employed Decreasing Non-Filers Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the...

76 FR 46897 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-03

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue... Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee will be conducted....C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed...

76 FR 6190 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue... Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee will be conducted....C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed...

76 FR 37893 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-28

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue... Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee will be conducted....C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed...

76 FR 10942 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-28

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue... Panel Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee will be conducted....C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed...

The advocate’s own challenges to behave in a sustainable way : An institutional analysis of advocacy NGOs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koster, Mieneke; Simaens, Ana; Vos, Bart

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly important drivers for businesses’ self-regulation to operate in a sustainable way. We shift the perspective on NGOs from focusing on their advocacy role to focusing on their accountability for having sustainable internal operations. In a

Power and Politics in the Global Health Landscape: Beliefs, Competition and Negotiation Among Global Advocacy Coalitions in the Policy-Making Process

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Lori

2016-01-01

Background: Advocacy coalitions play an increasingly prominent role within the global health landscape, linking actors and institutions to attract political attention and resources. This paper examines how coalitions negotiate among themselves and exercise hidden forms of power to produce policy on the basis of their beliefs and strategic interests. Methods: This paper examines the beliefs and behaviours of health advocacy coalitions using Sabatier’s Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) as an informal theoretical lens. Coalitions are further explored in relation to the concept of transnational advocacy networks (Keck and Sikkink) and of productive power (Shiffman). The ACF focuses on explaining how policy change takes place when there is conflict concerning goals and technical approaches among different actors. This study uses participant observation methods, self-reported survey results and semi-structured qualitative interviews to trace how a major policy project of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, was constructed through negotiations among maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy coalitions. Results: The Global Strategy represented a new opportunity for high-level political attention. Despite differing policy beliefs, MNCH and SRHR actors collaborated to produce this strategy because of anticipated gains in political attention. While core beliefs did not shift fundamentally and collaboration was primarily a short-term tactical response to a time-bound opportunity, MNCH actors began to focus more on human rights perspectives and SRHR actors adopted greater use of quantifiable indicators and economic argumentation. This shift emphasises the inherent importance of SRHR to maternal and child health survival. Conclusion: As opportunities arise, coalitions respond based on principles and policy beliefs, as well as to perceptions of

Power and Politics in the Global Health Landscape: Beliefs, Competition and Negotiation Among Global Advocacy Coalitions in the Policy-Making Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lori McDougall

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background Advocacy coalitions play an increasingly prominent role within the global health landscape, linking actors and institutions to attract political attention and resources. This paper examines how coalitions negotiate among themselves and exercise hidden forms of power to produce policy on the basis of their beliefs and strategic interests. Methods This paper examines the beliefs and behaviours of health advocacy coalitions using Sabatier’s Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF as an informal theoretical lens. Coalitions are further explored in relation to the concept of transnational advocacy networks (Keck and Sikkink and of productive power (Shiffman. The ACF focuses on explaining how policy change takes place when there is conflict concerning goals and technical approaches among different actors. This study uses participant observation methods, self-reported survey results and semistructured qualitative interviews to trace how a major policy project of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG era, the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, was constructed through negotiations among maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR advocacy coalitions. Results The Global Strategy represented a new opportunity for high-level political attention. Despite differing policy beliefs, MNCH and SRHR actors collaborated to produce this strategy because of anticipated gains in political attention. While core beliefs did not shift fundamentally and collaboration was primarily a short-term tactical response to a time-bound opportunity, MNCH actors began to focus more on human rights perspectives and SRHR actors adopted greater use of quantifiable indicators and economic argumentation. This shift emphasises the inherent importance of SRHR to maternal and child health survival. Conclusion As opportunities arise, coalitions respond based on principles and policy beliefs, as well as to perceptions

Power and Politics in the Global Health Landscape: Beliefs, Competition and Negotiation Among Global Advocacy Coalitions in the Policy-Making Process.

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Lori

2016-01-30

Advocacy coalitions play an increasingly prominent role within the global health landscape, linking actors and institutions to attract political attention and resources. This paper examines how coalitions negotiate among themselves and exercise hidden forms of power to produce policy on the basis of their beliefs and strategic interests. This paper examines the beliefs and behaviours of health advocacy coalitions using Sabatier's Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) as an informal theoretical lens. Coalitions are further explored in relation to the concept of transnational advocacy networks (Keck and Sikkink) and of productive power (Shiffman). The ACF focuses on explaining how policy change takes place when there is conflict concerning goals and technical approaches among different actors. This study uses participant observation methods, self-reported survey results and semi-structured qualitative interviews to trace how a major policy project of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, was constructed through negotiations among maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy coalitions. The Global Strategy represented a new opportunity for high-level political attention. Despite differing policy beliefs, MNCH and SRHR actors collaborated to produce this strategy because of anticipated gains in political attention. While core beliefs did not shift fundamentally and collaboration was primarily a short-term tactical response to a time-bound opportunity, MNCH actors began to focus more on human rights perspectives and SRHR actors adopted greater use of quantifiable indicators and economic argumentation. This shift emphasises the inherent importance of SRHR to maternal and child health survival. As opportunities arise, coalitions respond based on principles and policy beliefs, as well as to perceptions of advantage. Global health policy-making is an arena of

Sentencing Male Sex Offenders Under the Age of 14: A Law Reform Advocacy Journey in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Wai-Ching Irene; Cheung, Monit; Ma, Anny Kit-Ying

2015-01-01

The common law presumption that a boy under the age of 14 is incapable of sexual intercourse has provoked controversial debates in Hong Kong. This article describes a 6-step advocacy journey to examine how community efforts have helped modify this law so that juvenile male sexual offenders under the age of 14 who have committed the crime of having sexual intercourse with underage females can be sentenced to receive appropriate treatment. Seven court cases provided by the magistrates' courts in Hong Kong were used in this advocacy effort for the removal of the presumption in July 2012. Although this effort has yet to reveal signs of effectiveness, it represents greater public awareness about providing rehabilitation appropriate for juvenile sex offenders through a formal sentence. Restorative justice, as opposed to retributive or punitive justice, places an emphasis on rehabilitation of the offender and restoration of victims to a place of wholeness.

Tobacco control advocacy in the age of social media: using Facebook, Twitter and change.

Science.gov (United States)

Hefler, Marita; Freeman, Becky; Chapman, Simon

2013-05-01

The tobacco industry's use of social media sites, such as Facebook, is an emerging area of research; however, this is the first study of the potential for social media to advance tobacco control. This paper presents three case studies of using social media for tobacco control advocacy, demonstrates how social media can facilitate direct and effective action, and provides tools and lessons learned for future campaigns.

Benchmarking government action for obesity prevention--an innovative advocacy strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, J; Peeters, A; Honisett, S; Mavoa, H; Swinburn, B; de Silva-Sanigorski, A

2014-01-01

Successful obesity prevention will require a leading role for governments, but internationally they have been slow to act. League tables of benchmark indicators of action can be a valuable advocacy and evaluation tool. To develop a benchmarking tool for government action on obesity prevention, implement it across Australian jurisdictions and to publicly award the best and worst performers. A framework was developed which encompassed nine domains, reflecting best practice government action on obesity prevention: whole-of-government approaches; marketing restrictions; access to affordable, healthy food; school food and physical activity; food in public facilities; urban design and transport; leisure and local environments; health services, and; social marketing. A scoring system was used by non-government key informants to rate the performance of their government. National rankings were generated and the results were communicated to all Premiers/Chief Ministers, the media and the national obesity research and practice community. Evaluation of the initial tool in 2010 showed it to be feasible to implement and able to discriminate the better and worse performing governments. Evaluation of the rubric in 2011 confirmed this to be a robust and useful method. In relation to government action, the best performing governments were those with whole-of-government approaches, had extended common initiatives and demonstrated innovation and strong political will. This new benchmarking tool, the Obesity Action Award, has enabled identification of leading government action on obesity prevention and the key characteristics associated with their success. We recommend this tool for other multi-state/country comparisons. Copyright © 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renormalization group-theoretic approach to electron localization in disordered systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, N.; Heinrichs, J.

1977-06-01

The localization problem for the Anderson tight-binding model with site-diagonal (gaussian) disorder is studied, using a previously established analogy between this problem and the statistical mechanics of a zero-component classical field. The equivalent free-energy functional turns out to have complex coefficients in the bilinear terms but involves a real repulsive quartic interaction. The averaged one-electron propagator corresponds to the two-point correlation function for the equivalent statistical problem and the critical point gives the mobility edge, which is identified with the (real) fixed point energy of the associated renormalization group. Since for convergence reasons the conventional perturbative treatment of Wilson's formula is invalid, it is resorted to a non-perturbative approach which leads to a physical fixed point corresponding to a repulsive quartic interaction. The results for the mobility edge in three dimensions and for the critical disorder for an Anderson transition in two dimensions agree well with previous detailed predictions. The critical indices describing the approach of the transition at the mobility edge of various physical quantities, within the epsilon-expansion are also discussed. The more general problem where both diagonal and off-diagonal disorder is present in the Anderson hamiltonian is considered. In this case it is shown that the Hamilton function for the equivalent zero-component classical field model involves an additional biquadratic exchange term. From a simple generalization of Wilson's recursion relation and its non-perturbative solution explicit expressions for the mobility edges for weak diagonal and off-diagonal disorder in two and three dimensions are obtained. Our treatment casts doubts on the validity of recent conclusions about electron localization based on the renormalization group study of the nm-component spin model

Campus Strategic Action in the "Fisher" Case: Organizational Stakeholder Advocacy across the Field of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhardt, Cassie L.; Young, Ryan L.; Sheets, Jessica K. E.; Phillips, Carson W.; Parker, Eugene T., III; Reyes, Kimberly

2017-01-01

Using a census sampling, this analysis evaluates the campus structures and practices that are predictive of a campus being affiliated with stakeholder legal advocacy regarding the Fisher Supreme Court affirmative action case of 2013. Findings reveal that a campus utilizing selective admissions operated as a sufficient, but not a necessary,…

School Librarians and Next Generation Advocacy: Gaining Power and Influence through the Development of Social Capital

Science.gov (United States)

O'Bryan, Charles R.

2017-01-01

The positive impact of school libraries on student achievement is documented in a robust body of literature. Despite this evidence, the number of certified school librarians is declining nationally, and concerted advocacy efforts on the part of the American Library Association, the American Association of School Libraries and individual teacher…

Advocacy for Gender Affirming Care: Learning from the Injectable Estrogen Shortage.

Science.gov (United States)

Geffen, Sophia; Horn, Tim; Smith, Kimberleigh Joy; Cahill, Sean

2018-01-01

Hormone therapy is medically necessary for many transgender individuals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and pharmaceutical companies' failure to guarantee a supply of injectable estrogen in 2016 and 2017 for transgender individuals is a violation of their right to comprehensive medical treatment, free of discrimination. A series of advocacy actions eventually led to all formulations of injectable estrogen being restored to market; however, long-term solutions to supply interruptions of injectable estrogen are needed. Long-term solutions should address the lack of federally funded research and, consequently, evidence-based practice on hormone therapy for gender affirmation.

The neglected zoonoses--the case for integrated control and advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Welburn, S C; Beange, I; Ducrotoy, M J; Okello, A L

2015-05-01

The neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) have been all but eradicated in wealthier countries, but remain major causes of ill-health and mortality across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This neglect is, in part, a consequence of under-reporting, resulting in an underestimation of their global burden that downgrades their relevance to policy-makers and funding agencies. Increasing awareness about the causes of NZDs and how they can be prevented could reduce the incidence of many endemic zoonoses. Addressing NZDs by targeting the animal reservoir can deliver a double benefit, as enhanced animal health means a reduced risk of infection for humans, as well as improved livelihoods through increased animal productivity. Advocacy for NZD control is increasing, but with it comes a growing awareness that NZD control demands activities both in the short term and over a long period of time. Moreover, despite the promise of cheap, effective vaccines or other control tools, these endemic diseases will not be sustainably controlled in the near future without long-term financial commitment, particularly as disease incidence decreases and other health priorities take hold. NZD intervention costs can seem high when compared with the public health benefits alone, but these costs are easily outweighed when a full cross-sector analysis is carried out and monetary/non-monetary benefits--particularly regarding the livestock sector--are taken into account. Public-private partnerships have recently provided advocacy for human disease control, and could prove equally effective in addressing endemic zoonoses through harnessing social impact investments. Evidence of the disease burdens imposed on communities by the NZDs and demonstration of the cost-effectiveness of integrated control can strengthen the case for a One Health approach to endemic zoonotic disease control. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

MOND simulation suggests an origin for some peculiarities in the Local Group

Science.gov (United States)

Bílek, M.; Thies, I.; Kroupa, P.; Famaey, B.

2018-06-01

Context. The Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M 31) galaxies possess rotating planes of satellites. The formation of these planes has not been explained satisfactorily so far. It has been suggested that the MW and M 31 satellites are ancient tidal dwarf galaxies; this might explain their configuration. This suggestion gained support by an analytic backward-calculation of the relative MW-M 31 orbit in the MOND modified dynamics paradigm. The result implied that the galaxies experienced a close flyby 7-11 Gyr ago. Aims: Here we explore the Local Group history in MOND in more detail using a simplified first-ever self-consistent simulation. We describe the features induced by the encounter in the simulation and identify possible real counterparts of these features. Methods: The initial conditions were set to eventually roughly reproduce the observed MW and M 31 masses, effective radii, separation, relative velocity, and disk inclinations. We used the publicly available adaptive-mesh-refinement code Phantom of RAMSES. Results: Matter was transferred from the MW to M 31 along a tidal tail in the simulation. The encounter induced the formation of several structures resembling the peculiarities of the Local Group. Most notably are that 1) a rotating planar structure formed around M 31 from the transferred material. It had a size similar to the observed satellite plane and was oriented edge-on to the simulated MW, just as the real plane. 2) The same structure also resembled the tidal features observed around M 31 by its size and morphology. 3) A warp in the MW developed with an amplitude and orientation similar to that observed. 4) A cloud of particles formed around the simulated MW, with the extent of the actual MW satellite system. The encounter did not end by merging in a Hubble time. The simulated stellar disks also thickened as a result of the encounter. Conclusions: The simulation demonstrated that MOND might explain many peculiarities of the Local Group; this needs to

An explicit formula for the Hilbert symbol for Honda groups in a multidimensional local field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vostokov, S V; Lorenz, F

2003-01-01

Based on the pairing on Cartier curves explicitly constructed in the previous paper of the authors, an explicit formula for the Hilbert symbol is constructed in a multidimensional local field of characteristic zero with residue field of positive characteristic on the formal module of a one-dimensional Honda formal group. In the proof a Shafarevich basis on the formal module is constructed, and so-called integer μ-modules in two-dimensional local rings of a special form ( μ-rings) are studied

76 FR 17996 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

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2011-03-31

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue... Small Business/ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free Project Committee will be conducted. The... Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self...

Surfacing the life phases of a mental health support group.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Wanda K

2004-01-01

Support groups have increased rapidly in number and become a viable alternative to formal treatment in the United States. However, little is known regarding how mental health advocacy or support groups start and develop, or about challenges that can threaten their survival. In this 2 1/2-year ethnography, the author studied the culture of a developing family support program associated with a system of care. Several phases emerged, reflecting an organizational dynamic. The group dynamics and response to challenges have implications for organizers and parent organizations about the need for technical assistance necessary for survival of the group. Participant observation and immersion in the culture of such groups can provide a deeper understanding of the ideologies and values around which they organize and the kinds of tensions that members can experience during the group's cycle.

Shaping the professional landscape through research, advocacy and education - an Australian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Siemensma, Gemma; Ritchie, Ann; Lewis, Suzanne

2017-06-01

This article is the first in a new series in this regular feature. The intention of the series is to look at important global developments in health science libraries. Librarians will be invited to share with HILJ readers key initiatives in their country or region. These articles should serve as a road map, describing the key changes in the field and exploring factors driving these changes. We initiate this series with an article by three Australian librarians who use research findings to depict the evolving professional landscape in their country. The starting point of their analysis is a report completed in 2011 which looked into likely future workforce and education requirements for health library professionals. The authors trace the achievements since then, most notably in the areas of research, advocacy and education. Clearly, a great deal has been achieved leading to a greater return on investment. The authors maintain that the key to shaping the profession and enhancing the status of librarians is ongoing professional development. To this end, Australia is promoting a systematic, competency based health specialist certification. Finally, they identify trends impacting on health librarianship, such as the growing importance of research data management and consumer health literacy. JM. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

Developing an alternative alcohol advertising complaint review system: lessons from a world-first public health advocacy initiative.

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Pierce, Hannah L; Stafford, Julia M; Daube, Mike

2017-07-26

Young people in Australia are frequently exposed to alcohol marketing. Leading health organisations recommend legislative controls on alcohol advertising as part of a comprehensive approach to reduce alcohol-related harm. However, Australia relies largely on industry self-regulation. This paper describes the development and implementation of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board (AARB), a world-first public health advocacy initiative that encourages independent regulation of alcohol advertising. The AARB reviews complaints about alcohol advertising, and uses strategies such as media advocacy, community engagement and communicating with policy makers to highlight the need for effective regulation. In 4 years of operation, the AARB has received more complaints than the self-regulatory system across a similar period. There has been encouraging movement towards stronger regulation of alcohol advertising. Key lessons include the importance of a strong code, credible review processes, gathering support from reputable organisations, and consideration of legal risks and sustainability. The AARB provides a unique model that could be replicated elsewhere.

Conference Session III: Advocacy. Presented by Kevin Smith, the Dean of Libraries at the University of Kansas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeanne Adele Pavy

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In his presentation on Advocacy at the 2017 Kraemer Copyright Conference, Kevin Smith offered participants suggestions on how to engage various stakeholders on copyright issues.  Using a model of advocacy derived from the environmental movement, Smith encouraged participants to acquire a strong understanding of the incentives and barriers that are in play for decision makers involved in this issue, and to tailor one’s approach to the specific audience addressed.  Stakeholders bring different perceptions of how to achieve the balancing purpose of copyright and advocates must grasp the motives present on all sides of the issue.   He makes the case for telling stories alongside data in presenting a position because narratives are usually more interesting and memorable than the rules and abstract principles they demonstrate.  Smith also offered guidance on how to address risk in copyright contexts, and extolled the positive impact created by simply behaving in a respectful and friendly way toward everyone involved in the conversation.

Leadership Shifts in Changing Field

Science.gov (United States)

Zubrzycki, Jaclyn

2013-01-01

As groups representing local and state education players struggle to remain relevant in a policy conversation often dominated by foundations, think tanks, new advocacy groups, and political and business figures, a shift in leadership has been under way at major associations. Most of the changes have come as part of the natural churn; former…

RNA localization in Xenopus oocytes uses a core group of trans-acting factors irrespective of destination.

Science.gov (United States)

Snedden, Donald D; Bertke, Michelle M; Vernon, Dominic; Huber, Paul W

2013-07-01

The 3' untranslated region of mRNA encoding PHAX, a phosphoprotein required for nuclear export of U-type snRNAs, contains cis-acting sequence motifs E2 and VM1 that are required for localization of RNAs to the vegetal hemisphere of Xenopus oocytes. However, we have found that PHAX mRNA is transported to the opposite, animal, hemisphere. A set of proteins that cross-link to the localization elements of vegetally localized RNAs are also cross-linked to PHAX and An1 mRNAs, demonstrating that the composition of RNP complexes that form on these localization elements is highly conserved irrespective of the final destination of the RNA. The ability of RNAs to bind this core group of proteins is correlated with localization activity. Staufen1, which binds to Vg1 and VegT mRNAs, is not associated with RNAs localized to the animal hemisphere and may determine, at least in part, the direction of RNA movement in Xenopus oocytes.

77 FR 47166 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

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2012-08-07

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods... Service Methods Project Committee will be held Tuesday, September 11, 2012, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time via...

76 FR 78342 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

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2011-12-16

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods... Service Methods Project Committee will be held Tuesday, January 10, 2012, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time via...

77 FR 2611 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

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2012-01-18

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods... Service Methods Project Committee will be held Tuesday, February 14, 2012, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time via...

76 FR 2196 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll...

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2011-01-12

... Small Business/Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS.../ Self Employed Correspondence Exam Toll Free will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is... pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) that an open...

On the possibility of localizing of electron group functions using the notion of antisymmetrical orthogonality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puchin, V.E.; Zapol, B.P.

1990-11-01

The authors try to solve the following problems: provided that variation freedom is not restricted and intragroup correlation is taken into account in a given approximation, is it possible to develop for group functions any analogue of the well known (in the case of orbitals) Adams-Gilbert-Kunz method that could give one a possibility to go from delocalized group functions to localized ones seeking for minimization of the intergroup correlation? 20 refs, 1 tab

Patient-Centered Drug Approval: The Role of Patient Advocacy in the Drug Approval Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattingly, T Joseph; Simoni-Wastila, Linda

2017-10-01

Recent approval of eteplirsen for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare disease with few treatment alternatives, has reignited the debate over the U.S. drug approval process. The evolution of legal and regulatory restrictions to the marketing and sale of pharmaceuticals has spanned more than a century, and throughout this history, patient advocacy has played a significant role. Scientific evidence from clinical trials serves as the foundation for drug approval, but the patient voice has become increasingly influential. Although the gold standard for establishing safety and efficacy through randomized controlled trials has been in place for more than 50 years, it poses several limitations for rare disorders where patient recruitment for traditional clinical trials is a major barrier. Organized efforts by patient advocacy groups to help patients with rare diseases access investigational therapy have had a legislative and regulatory effect. After approval by the FDA, patient access to therapy may still be limited by cost. A managed care organization (MCO) with the fiduciary responsibility of managing the health of a population must weigh coverage decisions for costly therapies with questionable effectiveness against alternatives within the constraint of a finite budget. Even when the FDA deems a drug safe and effective, an MCO may determine that the drug should only be made available at a tier level where out-of-pocket costs are still too high for many patients. This limitation of availability may be due to cost, other treatment alternatives, or outcomes from existing clinical evidence. However, if the MCO makes a costly new treatment for a rare disease readily available, it may temporarily satisfy a small contingency at the cost of all of its members. This article examines the risks and benefits of patient-centered drug approval and the potential economic effect of patient-centered drug approval on population health. There is no funding to disclose. Mattingly

Ultra-compact high velocity clouds in the ALFALFA HI survey: Candidate Local Group galaxies?

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Elizabeth Ann Kovenz

The increased sensitivity and spatial resolution of the ALFALFA HI survey has resulted in the detection of ultra-compact high velocity clouds (UCHVCs). These objects are good candidates to represent low mass gas-rich galaxies in the Local Group and Local Volume with stellar populations that are too faint to be detected in extant optical surveys. This idea is referred to as the "minihalo hypothesis". We identify the UCHVCs within the ALFALFA dataset via the use of a 3D matched filtering signal identification algorithm. UCHVCs are selected based on a compact size ( 120 km s-1) and isolation. Within the 40% complete ALFALFA survey (alpha.40), 59 UCHVCs are identified; 19 are in a most-isolated subset and are the best galaxy candidates. Due to the presence of large HVC complexes in the fall sky, most notably the Magellanic Stream, the association of UCHVCs with existing structure cannot be ruled out. In the spring sky, the spatial and kinematic distribution of the UCHVCs is consistent with simulations of dark matter halos within the Local Group. In addition, the HI properties of the UCHVCs (if placed at 1 Mpc) are consistent with both theoretical and observational predictions for low mass gas-rich galaxies. Importantly, the HI properties of the UCHVCs are consistent with those of two recently discovered low mass gas-rich galaxies in the Local Group and Local Volume, Leo T and Leo P. Detailed follow-up observations are key for addressing the minihalo hypothesis. High resolution HI observations can constrain the environment of a UCHVC and offer evidence for a hosting dark matter halo through evidence of rotation support and comparison to theoretical models. Observations of one UCHVC at high resolution (15'') reveal the presence of a clumpy HI distribution, similar to both low mass galaxies and circumgalactic compact HVCs. An extended envelope containing ˜50% of the HI flux is resolved out by the array configuration; observations at lower spatial resolution can recover

Local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East and the interests of the Group of Seven

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nemych, O. V.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The author studies local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East and the interests of the Group of Seven. The purpose of the article is to represent the motivations of G7 of solution local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East. The author identified that interests of Group of Seven in resolving of local conflicts 1980s in the Middle East are can be determined by numbers of economic and political factors. This article is based on the analysis of sources and historiography. As a result of this research the author came to the conclusion that control over it – in terms of pricing policy accomplished OPEC – was an important precondition for the economy depended on oil imports of G Seven countries. Political motives component of G7 participation in resolving local conflicts in the Middle East was the trying to prevent the spread of Soviet influence on this region. Priority actions in shaping strategy of Seven countries were actually delegated to the United States, who played the leader of the Western world in the fight against the socialist camp. As a result shown that the motives solution of local conflicts in the Middle East for the Group of Seven countries were built on its own geopolitical and economic interests, rather than on a deep analysis of the internal causes of crises in Afghanistan, Lebanon or Iran.

77 FR 61053 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

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2012-10-05

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods... Service Methods Project Committee will be held Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time via...

77 FR 8328 - Open Meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee

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2012-02-14

... Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods... Panel Face-to-Face Service Methods Project Committee will be held Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at 2 p.m...

Evolution of the distribution of baryons in a simulated Local Group Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Peirani, S.

2012-12-01

Using hydrodynamical zoom simulations in the standard ΛCDM cosmology, we have investigated the evolution of the distribution of baryons (gas and stars) in a local group-type universe. We found that physical mechanisms able to drive the gas out of the virial radius at high redshifts (such as AGN) will have a stronger impact on the deficit of baryons in the mass budget of Milky Way type-galaxies at present times than those that expel the gas in the longer, late phases of galaxy formation.

Content analysis of neurodegenerative and mental diseases social groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Pérez, Borja; de la Torre-Díez, Isabel; Bargiela-Flórez, Beatriz; López-Coronado, Miguel; Rodrigues, Joel J P C

2015-12-01

This article aims to characterize the different types of Facebook and Twitter groups for different mental diseases, their purposes, and their functions. We focused the search on depressive disorders, dementia, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and examined the Facebook (www.facebook.com) and Twitter (www.twitter.com) groups. We used four assessment criteria: (1) purpose, (2) type of creator, (3) telehealth content, and (4) free-text responses in surveys and interviews. We observed a total of 357 Parkinson groups, 325 dementia groups, 853 Alzheimer groups, and 1127 depression groups on Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, we analyze the responses provided by different users. The survey and interview responses showed that many people were interested in using social networks to support and help in the fight against these diseases. The results indicate that social networks are acceptable by users in terms of simplicity and utility. People use them for finding support, information, self-help, advocacy and awareness, and for collecting funds. © The Author(s) 2014.

Forging Alliances with Protection and Advocacy Systems: A Training Manual for Parents of Children with Emotional Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Petr, Christopher G.

This manual is intended to be used in conjunction with a 1-day training workshop to help parents of children with emotional disorders establish working alliances with protection and advocacy agencies for people with mental illness (PAMIs). The workshop prepares parents for developing specific plans for forging alliances with the state PAMI. The…

Is Collaborative, Community-Engaged Scholarship More Rigorous than Traditional Scholarship? On Advocacy, Bias, and Social Science Research

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Mark R.; Calderón, José; Kupscznk, Luke Aubry; Squires, Gregory; Su, Celina

2018-01-01

Contrary to the charge that advocacy-oriented research cannot meet social science research standards because it is inherently biased, the authors of this article argue that collaborative, community-engaged scholarship (CCES) must meet high standards of rigor if it is to be useful to support equity-oriented, social justice agendas. In fact, they…

Neutral Hydrogen in the Local Group and around the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Spencer A.

Galaxies in our universe must acquire fresh gas to continue forming new stars. A likely source of this material may be the gas that resides between galaxies. We do not, however, have a clear understanding of the specifics, such as its distribution. The first claimed detection of this "cosmic web" of material directly in emission was published a decade ago using the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in the Netherlands while surveying neutral hydrogen in the Local Group of galaxies. Later evidence, in the form of stellar surveys and test particle simulations, showed that a tidal origin of the gas was another possibility. More recent survey work of the Local Group, specifically between the galaxies M31 and M33, motivated us to map a section of the Westerbork emission using the Robert C . Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Our survey covers a 12 square degree area between M31 and M33, in which we reach 21 cm column density sensitivities of 1017.2 cm-2 after 400 hours of observations. These observations provide more than a factor of five better spatial resolution, and better than a factor of three in velocity resolution. Not only do we confirm the emission seen in the Westerbork data, we find that the hydrogen gas is composed of clouds a few kiloparsecs across, with properties suggesting they are a unique population to the Local Group. We conclude that the clouds are likely transient condensations from an intergalactic filament of gas, although a tidal feature cannot currently be ruled out. We also conducted GBT pointings to the northwest of M31 to search for the extended emission seen in the Westerbork data as well. What detections we find appear to be more related to the high velocity cloud population of M31. We are continuing to map other regions around M31 to search for more diffuse emission. We also present southern sky maps of the high velocity and intermediate velocity clouds around our own Milky Way, using 21 cm survey data from the Parkes telescope in

Parents' perception of self-advocacy of children with myositis: an anonymous online survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huber Adam M

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Children with complex medical issues experience barriers to the transition of care from pediatric to adult providers. We sought to identify these barriers by elucidating the experiences of patients with idiopathic inflammatory muscle disorders. Methods We collected anonymous survey data using an online website. Patients and their families were solicited from the US and Canada through established clinics for children with idiopathic inflammatory muscle diseases as well as with the aid of a nonprofit organization for the benefit of such individuals. The parents of 45 older children/young adults suffering from idiopathic inflammatory muscle diseases were surveyed. As a basis of comparison, we similarly collected data from the parents of 207 younger children with inflammatory muscle diseases. The survey assessed transition of care issues confronting families of children and young adults with chronic juvenile myositis. Results Regardless of age of the patient, respondents were unlikely to have a designated health care provider assigned to aid in transition of care and were unlikely to be aware of a posted policy concerning transition of care at their pediatrician's office. Additionally, regardless of age, patients and their families were unlikely to have a written plan for moving to adult care. Conclusions We identified deficiencies in the health care experiences of families as pertain to knowledge, self-advocacy, policy, and vocational readiness. Moreover, as children with complex medical issues grow up, parents attribute less self-advocacy to their children's level of independence.