Advocacy Work Research Articles

Women in Medicine: Dr. Lysanne Campeau

Dr. Lysanne Campeau (M.D., C.M., Ph.D., F.R.C.S.C.) is an Assistant Professor of Urology at McGill University’s Jewish General Hospital. Through her flamboyant career in medicine, her research accomplishments and her advocacy work for gender equality in medicine, she is a model of ambition, dedication and passion. Dr. Campeau completed medical school as well as her urology residency at McGill University. She is the first woman to complete her entire residency at McGill University in this specific field. Dr. Campeau then went on to complete a clinical fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at New York University, as well as a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. She then came back to work as a urologist at the Jewish General Hospital and a clinical researcher at the Lady Davis Institute. Her research interests lie in female pelvic medicine, voiding dysfunction and urogenital reconstruction. In addition to her clinical and academic duties, Dr. Campeau is involved in teaching urology residents as well as in some volunteer endeavours in the community. A resilient person, Dr. Campeau builds on her experience of gender discrimination in medicine to advocate for equality in her field. She also aims to raise awareness on the topic of incontinence, which is often taboo among the public. Through awareness campaigns as well as her innovative research in the field, Dr. Campeau works to develop new treatments and improve outcomes for patients who suffer from this condition. Dr. Campeau is a positive leader and role model for aspiring female physicians, to whom she advises to cultivate adaptiveness, integrity and honesty in order to navigate the challenging journey that is medicine.

Toward an inclination to advocate: a discursive study of teachers’ stance toward linguistically-responsive pedagogy in online language teacher education

An inclination to advocate is an important orientation for teachers working with emergent bilingual learners; emphasized in both frameworks for teacher education and in teacher education standards. Nevertheless, scholars have only begun to investigate how advocacy is constructed and enacted within online language teacher education coursework designed to promote linguistically responsive pedagogy. This study investigates teacher candidates’ orientations to advocacy by examining asynchronous online discussions to understand how candidates’ personal stances were interactionally constructed. Analysis drew upon critical discursive psychology for its focus on talk/writing as action-oriented and for its emphasis on the ways that constructs traditionally interpreted as cognitive, such as one’s personal beliefs or stance, are made accessible through examining language-in-interaction. Findings demonstrate how candidates oriented to advocacy work as both programmatic and political, while employing specific discursive and conversational features to construct their personal stance within each pattern. This study advances understanding of teacher candidates’ ‘inclination to advocate’ as an essential orientation of linguistically responsive pedagogy and has implications for the planning and design of online language teacher education coursework.

Taking the Lead: Lessons Learned by a Resident President.

Taking the Lead: Lessons Learned by a Resident President.

Shifting boundaries: taxonomy and site‐based conservation

Shifting boundaries: taxonomy and site‐based conservation

The Dynamic Relationship between Immigrant Politics and Urban Policy Making: Protecting the Rights of Undocumented Immigrants in Boston and Amsterdam

With the advancement of comparative studies within the field of immigration and sociopolitical movements, scholars have attempted to understand how politico-institutional contexts influence the mobilization strategies of immigrant rights organizations at the local level. In this article, I make use of a field approach to explain how these organizations face different group-and issue-specific conditions regarding their involvement in local policy-making processes. Empirically, I examine the advocacy work of immigrant rights organizations in their aim to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants in Boston (USA) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands). By approaching power and resistance as relational phenomena, the results indicate that the intersection of distinct institutional and organizational mechanisms has differently impacted the local fields of immigrant politics. Taking different routes, in both cities immigrant rights organizations have found ways to constitute an affirmative institutional and discursive counterpower that challenges the national exclusionary citizenship regimes from the ground.

CSO s in Sustainable Development in Ethiopia: Past Practices and New Trajectories

Abstract We researched how CSO s working in the area of sustainable development responded to regulatory restrictions on advocacy work using Ethiopia as a case study. We found that the restrictive laws had a severe impact: many CSO s had to shut down or limit their operational capacity to service delivery only. Those that survived continued to do advocacy work, disguised as service delivery. This shows that northern stakeholders should not adhere to a strict division between advocacy and service delivery in their funding policy. They also should focus on long-term CSO engagement and long-term CSO funding. In 2019, regulatory reform reopened political space to some extent. The new law envisions a greater role for self-regulation in the civil society sector while still maintaining some degree of State oversight through registration, reporting and funding allocation requirements. Despite these improvements, the sector is still in need of international support and consistent and reliable funding.

From Intention to Action: Operationalizing AGA Diversity Policy to Combat Racism and Health Disparities in Gastroenterology

From Intention to Action: Operationalizing AGA Diversity Policy to Combat Racism and Health Disparities in Gastroenterology

Methylene chloride assessment lands in US court

A coalition of environmental and worker advocacy groups is challenging the US Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment of methylene chloride, a solvent widely used in commercial paint remo...

Practice-Based Research Networks in Stakeholder-Driven Social Work Research

Purpose: The field of social work is evolving toward community-engaged, stakeholder-driven research in the context of evidence-based practice (EBP) and practice-based evidence (PBE). Methods: We propose that practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are an approach to conducting stakeholder-driven research that can be uniquely valuable for the field of social work. Results: We define the concept of a PBRN and demonstrate how it can address the development of complementary agendas for service improvement, social work science, policy development and advocacy, as well as highlight the challenges and benefits of participating in a PBRN. We provide details of our experiences with a mental health–based PBRN in Los Angeles County, the Recovery-Oriented Care Collaborative, to illustrate the processes outlined and inform our recommendations. Conclusions: PBRNs are an important form of community-based participatory research, which can help the field of social work with reconciling EBPs and PBE to improve service delivery.

A Summary of the 2020 Gastric Cancer Summit at Stanford University

There exists no coherent national strategy for the early detection or prevention of gastric cancer in the United States (US), even among identified high-risk groups such as Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Alaska Native/American Indian peoples. As a result, patients with gastric cancer in the US are diagnosed at later stages and demonstrate worse overall survival compared to nations of East Asia with established screening programs (Table 1). The under-recognition of gastric cancer risk within minority communities is a significant unaddressed healthcare disparity.

Parliament in action: Drug withdrawals and policy changes in the U.K.

Previous studies on changes in health policies theorize such changes either as crises responses, or as the outcome of longer-term stakeholder conflicts. In this paper, we propose that parliaments function as overlooked, intermediate actors that contribute to translating the interests of stakeholders into policy changes. We study the role of parliament connecting policy makers and stakeholders in the context of drug regulation. Based on three high-profile cases of drug withdrawals between 1991 and 2005 in the United Kingdom (triazolam, rofecoxib, and co-proxamol), we distinguish partisan-political, individual-idiosyncratic, and collective-institutional pathways of parliamentary action on drug withdrawals. Distinguishing direct and indirect actions, we argue that indirect courses of action, including advocacy and educational work, can be just as effective as regular legislative endeavours, under certain conditions.

Political Representation and Spokespersons in the Prostitution vs. Sex Work Debate

A binary debate has developed internationally between abolitionists and sex workers’ rights (SWR) activists: this involves the so-called ‘sex wars’, which dominate the scholarship and activism regarding commercial sex worldwide. While abolitionists aim to eliminate prostitution, which they see as a manifestation of patriarchy and violence against women, SWR activists aim to recognize sex work as work, and to fight for better working conditions in the sex industry. Both movements have become institutionalized, and various local NGOs and international networks have been established to advocate for these political aims. These organizations try to influence national and international legislation regarding the selling of sex by building powerful alliances. The financial support of donors is also dependent on how compatible these movements are with neoliberal power relations. Furthermore, the development and political influence of local abolitionist or sex worker movements also depends on countries’ positions in the global economy.
 The paper analyses the political representation and the role of spokespersons within the prostitution/sex work debate and also reflects on the advocacy work of Hungarian organizations active in this field since 1989. It discusses the evolution of a politics of recognition in the struggle related to commercial sex, and how transnational power dynamics on a global scale have affected Hungarian movements and civil society organizations since the era of state socialism.

Personality of a Lawyer: Qualities that Contribute to Successful Professional Activities in the Context of Advocacy Digitalization

The paper analyzes the situation in the field of informatization of the Russian advocacy, substantiates the need to create and develop a corporate advocacy work environment as part of the overall digital space of Russia. The need for unification of disparate processes of informatization and information interaction is substantiated. The paper also considers three groups of criteria, namely professional, procedural and consumer, which are required to qualified legal assistance provided by lawyers. The personality qualities of a modern lawyer are revealed, which contribute to his successful professional activity in the conditions of informatization of the Russian legal profession. These are qualities such as interest (In the chosen field of activity), morality, communication skills, punctuality, and ability to work under pressure. At the end of the paper, the author formulates the conclusion that the list of personality qualities of a lawyer considered is not exhaustive, but during the period of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in conditions of self-isolation, these qualities are the most important ones.

10 years later: revisiting the patchwork quilt of child protection in Canada.

In 2007, a Paediatrics & Child Health article characterized the Canadian academic Child and Youth Protection Programs (CYPPs) depicting the wide variation in clinical services and resources across the country as 'a threadbare patchwork quilt'. This study aimed to expand and update the knowledge gained from that original project a decade later. The aim of this research was to understand the current structure, functioning, and experiences of the existing Canadian CYPPs. A mixed-methods design was utilized and all program directors of Canadian CYPPs were invited to participate. An online survey was distributed using REDCap to collect quantitative data on program characteristics. Program directors participated in one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews to gather qualitative information regarding their program's strengths and needs, resources, as wellas reflections on their experiences working within this evolving field. In total, 15 of 16 CYPP directors participated in the online survey. CYPPs remained relatively consistent in the variety of allied health care professionals on their team, and have ongoing work in research, education, and advocacy. Recurrent themes that emerged from the qualitative interview data included the strength of the team, comments on stress and wellness, expertise in the field, and desire for additional advocacy. Current information was gathered on the structure, function, and experiences of Canadian CYPPs. Areas of growth include collaborative practice at the Child and Youth Advocacy Centres and deliberate attention to wellness. Child maltreatment continues to be an important health and social issue and review of the present-day landscape is critical to better inform research, education, and resource planning.

Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology: Jean A. Carter.

This award recognizes a distinguished career and enduring contribution to advancing the professional practice of psychology through a demonstrable effect on patterns of service delivery in the profession. Jean A. Carter, PhD, is recognized for her many contributions to the practice of psychology, and to practicing psychologists, including her visionary and highly effective leadership that has significantly advanced the practice of psychology. She has generously given of her expertise and wisdom through leadership roles in the American Psychological Association and its divisions, as well as through her compassionate and effective mentoring of multiple generations of colleagues. Her scholarship, clinical work, effective leadership, and advocacy work have greatly shaped and advanced the practice of psychology and have laid the foundation for successful psychological practice for future generations of psychologists. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Women, Gender, and Rights: Past and Present

Women, Gender, and Rights: Past and Present

ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-ПРОПАГАНДИСТСЬКА РОБОТА ОУН І УПА СЕРЕД НАСЕЛЕННЯ УКРАЇНИ В 1941–1944 РОКАХ

У статті проведено аналіз еволюції антигітлерівської інформаційно- пропагандистської роботи ОУН і УПА серед населення України протягом Другої світової війни та визначено місце українського національно- патріотичного руху у боротьбі проти гітлерівської агресії. Висвітлено як обставини, що штовхали керівництво ОУН до вимушеної співпраці з гітлерівською Німеччиною, так і причини, які викликали спротив національно-патріотичних сил на теренах України окупаційній політиці нацистів. Автори показали періоди становлення антигітлерівської інформаційно-пропагандистської роботи підпільних осередків ОУН та збройних загонів УПА на території України. Розкрито тактику їх антигітлерівської інформаційно-пропагандистської роботи серед населення та особливості, притаманні цій діяльності у різні періоди протистояння з гітлерівською Німеччиною.Стаття акцентує увагу на силах і засобах, задіяних у антигітлерівській інформаційно-пропагандистській роботі ОУН і УПА, показує форми та методи, які використовувало національно-патріотичне підпілля у цій діяльності.

Abstentions in 2014 and 2019 Indonesian elections: Case study of pro-democracy activists

This article discusses how the dynamics of the abstentions phenomenon among pro-democracy activists in the 2014-2019 general election in Indonesia. While pro-democracy activists have increasingly chosen “struggle within”, there are still critical groups that have voted for abstentions in 2014-2019 general election. Charles Tilly’s concept of collective action and contentious politics is used in this study. This study uses a qualitative approach to the type of case study research. Researchers explore data through in-depth interviews as primary data and secondary data is extracted through library research. The analysis is carried out with the abstractive inductive logic. This research shows that abstentions are contentious collective actions. The abstentions movement was born from a network of pro-democracy activists who have been engaged in advocacy work. Abstentions carried out in protest against the authorities and the boycott of the election. The boycott choice is contentious politics.

A Real Second Chance

Amendments to the compassionate release provisions of the federal First Step Act and Second Chance Acts provide some opportunity for release for elderly and infirm federal inmates. This article examines the reentry successes of three Pennsylvania state inmates, all convicted of homicide, who won their release as re-sentenced juvenile lifers or through commutation. The author came to know them through a reentry group affiliated with a Pittsburgh university. Their success and scholarship about the low recidivism rates for violent offenders over the age fifty suggest that the criminal justice system should abolish the imposition of life sentences. More than avoid recidivism, each of these returning citizens has made positive contributions to their communities, both in and out of prison. They are working, obtaining educations, engaging in charitable work and political advocacy, and writing about their experiences. Their example and their description of many similarly-situated older inmates still in prison teach that society should not rest the argument for their release solely on compassion and pity. Rather, older inmates have learned coping skills that can help restore the communities that their crimes harmed and that they were taken from during their incarceration. For these reasons, the author suggests that prison sentences generally should provide for release after an inmate serves twenty-five years and attains the age of fifty.

Indigenous ontology, international law and the application of the Convention to the over-representation of Indigenous children in out of home care in Canada and Australia

This paper explores the efficacy of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Convention, UN General Assembly, 1989) through the lens of the over-representation of First Nations children placed in out-of-home care in Canada and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia. A general overview of Indigenous worldviews frames a discussion on the coherence of international human rights law and instruments, including the Convention, account for Indigenous Peoples’ ontologies. The authors argue that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN General Assembly, 2007) and a new theoretical framework published by the Pan American Health Organization (2019) on health equity and inequity are useful tools to augment the Convention’s coherence with Indigenous ontologies.The paper discusses how the Convention can be applied to structural and systemic risks driving the over-representation of First Nations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care in Canada and Australia. These two countries are included as First Nations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in these countries have both had significant impact in advocating for their children despite experiencing similar barriers including contemporary colonialism. The advocacy work of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society in Canada and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency in Victoria, Australia are discussed.The paper ends by outlining some of the challenges ahead that include the need to meaningfully recognize Indigenous self-determination and equitable funding and resources to enable the actualization of self-determination. Further research contrasting international human rights instruments with Indigenous ontologies could help inform possible amendments to international human rights treaties and general comments.