Involvement Of International Actors Research Articles

Access to oncology care in Mali: a qualitative study on breast cancer

BackgroundBreast cancer is the most common cancer in terms of incidence and mortality among women worldwide, including in Africa, and a rapid increase in the number of new cases of breast cancer has recently been observed in sub-Saharan Africa. Oncology is a relatively new discipline in many West African countries, particularly Mali; thus, little is known about the current state of cancer care infrastructure and oncology practices in these countries.MethodsTo describe the challenges related to access to oncology care in Mali, we used a qualitative approach, following the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Thirty-eight semistructured interviews were conducted with health professionals treating cancer in Mali (n = 10), women with breast cancer (n = 25), and representatives of associations (n = 3), and 40 participant observations were conducted in an oncology unit in Bamako. We used the theoretical framework on access to health care developed by Levesque et al. a posteriori to organise and analyse the data collected.ResultsAccess to oncology care is partly limited by the current state of Mali's health infrastructure (technical platform failures, repeated strikes in university hospitals, incomplete free health care and the unavailability of medicines) and exacerbated by the security crisis that has been occurring the country since 2012. The lack of specialist doctors, combined with limited screening campaigns and a centralised and fragmented technical platform in Bamako, is particularly detrimental to breast cancer treatment. Women's lack of awareness, lack of information throughout the treatment process, stereotypes and opposition to amputations all play a significant role in their ability to seek and access quality care, leading some women to therapeutically wander and others to want to leave Mali. It also leaves them in debt and jeopardises the future of their children. However, the high level of trust in doctors, the involvement of international actors, the level of social support and the growing influence of civil society on the issue of cancer also represent great current opportunities to fight cancer in Mali.ConclusionDespite the efforts of successive Malian governments and the commitment of international actors, the provision of health care is still limited in the country, entrenching global inequalities in women's bodies.

Афгано-пакистанские отношения: проблемы и вызовы XXI в.

Afghan-Pakistan relations in XXI century have been plagued with issues, and the rise of the Taliban has compounded the difficulties. The traditional problems, including the disputed Durand Line between the two nations, persist. The current inflexible policies of the Taliban and the ongoing political crisis in Pakistan have hampered compromise. The article proposes that resolving the border status issue requires involvement from both global and regional powers. It suggests that intensively monitoring efforts, reinforcing interstate dialogue, joint anti-terrorism measures, and mutually beneficial economic projects are possible ways to deescalate tensions along the contentious border. Despite both sides’ attempts to manage the border, it remains a primary area of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan has been criticized for not making adequate efforts to eliminate terror groups operating in the border regions. Conversely, extremist groups, including ISIS, have actively targeted Afghanistan, seeking to expand their influence in the region. Coordinated action could eliminate such groups. The lack of political will is the biggest obstacle to progress in solving the mutual problems. As a result, the article suggests the need for international organizations’ involvement, such as China offering financial and technical assistance in resolving border disputes and terrorism. The UN can offer a neutral platform and enhance monitoring efforts concerning threats such as ISIS. In summary, the article underscores that despite the Taliban’s resurgence, the age-old issues between Afghan-Pakistani nations continue to undermine long-standing relations. The disputed Durand Line and inflexible policies hinder cooperation, but it is possible to resolve the territorial border dispute with the involvement of international actors.

Why Nepal Matters in the Geopolitical Chessboard

This study examines the position of Nepal in the geopolitical chessboard amid the participation of international actors, including; China, America, and India’s sphere of influence. It argues that the involvement of international actors in Nepal with their strategy-loaded projects like BRI and MCC has put Nepal under the pressure to accommodate the geopolitical interest of both superpowers by adhering to its policy of non-alignment. The research further aims to identify the new geopolitical paradigm of Nepal and its growing significance in the geopolitical chessboard. After analyzing the available literature and the arguments of scholars, this paper found that Nepal has now become a land of geo-strategic importance that belies its weakness as a small state. This finding supports the conclusion that the external forces are taking interest in Nepal mainly because of its geographical positioning that gives them the advantage of connectivity potential, the balance of power, sphere of influence, and security outlook.

Constitutionalising the Right to Water in Kenya and Slovenia: Domestic Drivers, Opportunity Structures, and Transnational Norm Entrepreneurs

The international norm development that in 2010 culminated with the UN Resolution on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation changed international law. To what extent did this influence the parallel legal developments evident in many national constitutions across the globe? This article analyses the mobilisation for a constitutional right to water and sanitation in Kenya and Slovenia, identifying the main national and transnational actors involved and assessing their significance for the processes of constitutionalising the right. By analysing two very different cases, tracing their constitutionalisation processes through analysis of archival material, the article provides multifaceted insights into processes of norm diffusion from international norm entrepreneurs to the national level and the agency of domestic actors and their opportunity structures. We find that although the outcomes of the processes in Kenya and Slovenia are similar in that both constitutions contain articles securing the right to water, the framing of the right differs. Furthermore, we conclude that while there is involvement of international actors in both cases, domestic pro-water activists and their normative and political opportunity structures are more important for understanding the successful constitutionalisation of the right to water and differences in the framing of the right.

Disaggregating Jordan’s Syrian refugee response: The ‘Many Hands’ of the Jordanian state

ABSTRACT This is a disaggregated study of different factors which shaped Jordan’s Syrian refugee response. It considers the response’s internal workings and how hosting a large displaced population from the Mediterranean state of Syria is distributed across different public institutions with the involvement of international actors. The argument is that an agenda intent on securing the status quo influences the response, but that it is not always coherently implemented by the many hands of the Jordanian state. The main aims are to resist the permanence of Syrians so as not to undermine the demographic balance that favours Trans-Jordanians; to secure income for hosting Syrians; and to limit the possibilities for formal Syrian economic competition with Jordanians. At the same time, and related to these aims, there are initiatives to render Syrians legible, and these legibility initiatives serve different goals depending on which hand of the state is enacting them. The paper is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted from December 2016 to March 2017 in Jordan. It features interviews with Jordanian officials from national and municipal institutions, and with staff from international organizations.

International actors in NIMBY controversies: Obstacle or opportunity for environmental campaigns?

The present case study examines whether international actors constitute an obstacle or opportunity for environmental campaigns against the siting of controversial facilities. Drawing upon field research carried out in Beijing, China, from 4 March until 10 April 2013, this article investigates the siting of the Nangong waste incinerator between the project’s announcement (2010) and conclusion of planning (2013). Specifically, this article studies the relations between a group of local environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and the German state-owned development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau while grounding its inquiry in propositions based on a reading of fragmented authoritarianism. In the course of the analysis, it is suggested that the small potential for de-escalating tensions in the ENGO–international actor alliance is dwarfed by ENGOs’ excessive expectations projected upon international actors, competition over narratives as well as a limited scope for political manoeuvring as a result of diplomatic, contractual and commercial obligations. Consequently, the involvement of international actors in NIMBY (not in my backyard) controversies does not present an opportunity for environmental campaigns.

The National Policy-making Process in the Context of the International Economic and Financial Movements

The international movements, known to our current society have a visible impact on national public policies. Therefore, a wise Government should implement a policy mechanism, which takes into account the involvement of various international actors on public arena. Romania by dint of European Commission, International Monetary Fund, World Bank through stand-by arrangement puts into practice a programme of measures that changed the view of public policy-making. The current paper reveals the changes of policy-making process under the involvement of international actors. From methodological view, and taking into consideration the theoretical and normative framework, the research is based on the matrix of interest factors, as well as on the reviews under the stand-by arrangements, achieving an analysis in a multi-actor context.

International Law and the Will of the People in Post-Conflict Rebuilding

To date, in spite of being included in calls for a jus post bellum, little attention has been given to the rationale, scope, or the form that new legal regulation of post-conflict rebuilding would take. To encourage and structure debate about the type of new that would be appropriate, and provide a platform for calling on states to create new law, this paper focuses on what the existing international legal framework requires in terms of a connection between the post-conflict reconstruction process and the will of the people of the host state. This is first considered in terms of the initiation of the involvement of international actors, which is dependent on the availability of international legal justification, and secondly in relation to the decision making on change and development of state and civil infrastructure, for which international human rights law is relevant. A central argument is that the ready availability of international legal justification is vital for the occurrence of international involvement, and this counsels against, in particular, modification of the rules on state consent. But the paper also illustrates a strong case for more stringent international legal regulation of governance by domestic actors that are dependent on international actors for effectiveness.

Thinking Politically about Sustainable Development in the Tropical Forests of Latin America

ABSTRACTThis article examines a number of factors which facilitate the adoption and success of policies and projects to promote grassroots sustainable development – that is, the sustainable, multiple use of forests at the community level, including aspects of local self‐reliance and control of economic resources. I will argue that the extractive reserve legislation in Brazil and community forestry projects in Mexico and Peru depended on the formation of pro‐grassroots development coalitions. The exact make‐up of those coalitions depended on three factors: (1) the initial disposition of key governmental and dominant class actors to such policies; (2) the intensity of local conflicts and the extent of community organization; and (3) the involvement of international actors. The cases suggest that in the absence of serious government or upper class opposition, the adoption and durability of such policies and projects can be promoted by the formation of a coalition of organized communities, domestic non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), some allied government agencies, and support from international actors. However, when key government agencies and socio‐economic élites are fundamentally opposed to sustainable development initiatives at the grassroots level, much higher levels of community organization, conflict, and domestic and international support appear to be necessary.