Local Civil Society Organizations Research Articles

Spaces for Dialogue in a Segregated Landscape: A Study on the Current Joint Efforts for Peace in the Israeli‐Palestinian Conflict

The construction of the fence barrier between Israel and the West Bank has progressively eroded spaces for dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. Mobility restrictions are a crucial aspect of the conflict as well as a serious constraint to peace initiatives in the region. Therefore, the research investigates the impact of the wall and consequent mobility restrictions on the creation and maintenance of spaces for dialogue by local civil society organizations (CSOs), specifically focusing on the work of Israeli‐Palestinian joint organizations. The research is grounded on qualitative interviews with members of local NGOs collected during a two‐month fieldwork in Jerusalem.

Impact of malaria control on infant mortality in Senegal

In this study I analyze the impact of recent and major improvements in malaria control policies on infant mortality in Senegal. Though there exist many randomized studies, the potential health gains associated with universal access to malaria treatment remains unresolved. I address potential correlation in health interventions as well as possibilities of mean reversion in measuring the impact of recent malaria intervention on mortality. Our study finds that malaria control policies reduces neonatal and infant mortality by 28.6% and 14.88% respectively while the impact on post-natal mortality is inconclusive. Our study reveals that malaria control policy may have differential effect depending on early or late infancy. Involvement of local communities and civil society organization in the implementation of health programs is crucial. Most importantly our study shed lights on the potential health gains associated with universal access to treatment as clamored by WHO. As many African countries are contemplating implementing a policy of universal access to treatment, this study hopes to serve as a guide to policy makers in gauging the likely health gains associated with such policy.

Gramsci's activists: How local civil society is shaped by the anti-corruption industry, political society and translocal encounters

The rise of the international anti-corruption industry over the past two decades has led to questions about how this industry impacts local civil society organizations in developing countries. For some academics the rise of the anti-corruption industry has led to more meaningful local responses, for others it has helped reinforce apolitical and neoliberal-inspired solutions. This article suggests that these debates would benefit from more nuanced and multi-scalar analysis. Drawing on in depth interviews, media analysis, grey materials and academic and practitioner literature, this article focuses on a group of anti-corruption activists in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The article compares a group of activists called the Coalition to its more radical predecessors, a local non-governmental organization by the name of Melanesian Solidarity. It uses a Gramscian framework to argue that responses to corruption in PNG have not simply been shaped by the anti-corruption industry. Rather they have been shaped by: the incentives and capacity of political society, international discourse on corruption and the nature of ‘translocal encounters’. These findings show that much of the academic literature on the anti-corruption industry has fallen into a ‘transnational trap’, by overemphasizing transnational linkages between organizations working to address corruption. Approaching the study of local anti-corruption movements with a focus on the complexity of scale, as this paper does, has important implications for theorizing responses to corruption in developing countries.

The Development of New Clinical Legal Education Courses at the Faculty of Law, Hasanuddin University, Makassar- Indonesia: Challenges and Prospects

Clinical subjects are a new model in Faculty of Law Hasanuddin University’s curriculum. It currently is implementing four legal clinics: (1) a civil law clinic; (2) a criminal law clinic; (3) an anti-corruption law clinic; and (4) an environmental law clinic. All of these clinics have been adopted in FH-UNHAS’s curriculum. This paper will focus on those subjects as new clinics and the students as new clinicians. It also discusses many challenges we face in managing the clinics and ensuring that all clinic students are able to engage in quality programming while working with our partners (local civil society organizations [CSOs] and formal justice institutions, such as District Courts and Provincial Prosecutor Offices).

The Development of New Clinical Legal Education Courses at the Faculty of Law, Hasanuddin University, Makassar- Indonesia: Challenges and Prospects

Clinical subjects are a new model in Faculty of Law Hasanuddin University’s curriculum. It currently is implementing four legal clinics: (1) a civil law clinic; (2) a criminal law clinic; (3) an anti-corruption law clinic; and (4) an environmental law clinic. All of these clinics have been adopted in FH-UNHAS’s curriculum. This paper will focus on those subjects as new clinics and the students as new clinicians. It also discusses many challenges we face in managing the clinics and ensuring that all clinic students are able to engage in quality programming while working with our partners (local civil society organizations [CSOs] and formal justice institutions, such as District Courts and Provincial Prosecutor Offices).

The devolution of urban food waste governance: Case study of food rescue in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles (LA), food waste is at record levels. This has negative outcomes for food insecurity, land use, and methane production associated with climate change. To overcome these challenges, a range of government, private, and civil society organizations (CSOs) have developed programs to reduce food waste. With the decentralization, privatization, and devolution of food waste policies to local actors, CSOs have emerged as key institutions in the governance of food waste in many contexts. However, it is unclear whether CSOs have the capacity to reduce food waste and food insecurity, empower communities, or promote social change. To this end, this paper critically analyzes a local food rescue CSO as a case study in order to understand the challenges associated with food waste governance in LA and the roles that CSOs play in food waste reduction. Through an analysis of interview and participant observation data in LA’s food system, this paper examines the ways that food waste is produced, regulated, and reused by institutions in LA. Findings illustrate that although local CSOs have expanded their food waste reduction programs, the impact of their operations may be limited. In addition, while CSOs rescue some food, they operate in conjunction with food waste surpluses and the overabundance of food, and do little to reduce the root cause of food waste or food insecurity. Although the structural causes of food waste are arguably beyond the scope of some CSOs to change, data in this paper suggest that some CSOs may contribute indirectly to neoliberal governance when they romanticize the power of local communities, depoliticize food issues, and focus on individual personal responsibility. For these reasons, this research suggests that food waste may only be reduced significantly with more government regulation of the institutions which produce food waste, namely food businesses and households.

Local Charitable Giving and Civil Society Organizations in Japan

This paper, using original survey data, examines the factors influencing individual giving behavior toward the organizations focusing on who gives what to which types of organizations, especially the local civil society organizations. The study finds that the variables regarding personal socio-demographic traits, experiences of local social participation, and an attachment to local society are statistically significant, but not the contextual effect such as size of city. In addition, it reveals various factors influencing giving behavior toward the neighborhood associations and incorporated NPOs. That is, it may denote there are different attributes between people who give to the neighborhood associations and people who give to the incorporated NPOs. Thus, further development of organizational forms may be considered for achieving better local governance and providing local public goods by the promotion of charitable giving from the enlightened residents.

EU posted work and transnational action in the German meat industry

This article traces the course of a transnational action in the German meat industry involving an alliance of transnational posted workers, a local civil society organization and the trade union NGG (Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten). As labour’s channels of influence have broken down and posting of low-wage workers has intensified, trade unionists have responded by building coalitions with societal actors. The case illustrates a complementary approach to studying how resistance unfolds in transnational workplaces under conditions in which traditional avenues for protest are blocked or marginalized.

About Participation of Institutes of Civil Society in Public Control over the Activities of Local Authorities

The problem of civil society, the interaction of its elements with public authorities refers to the number of fundamental scientific problems. These problems appeared with the emergence of the state and the division of society into public and private spheres of human activity. If the area of interaction between local government and NGOs in particular, some problems now solved, the scope of interaction between local government and civil society organizations and the media, remains poorly understood. In addition, it should be noted imperfection proper legislative regulation of the interaction of local authorities with public organizations and mass media. In addition to this, it is worth noting the absence of legal science integrated research directly interact public associations with local authorities. All of the above determines the relevance of the topics chosen for research. Authors analyzed forms of participation of institutes of civil society in public control over activity of local governments and formulated the concrete theoretical and practical conclusions directed on improvement of these relations.

Resistance, rupture and repetition: Civil society strategies against intimate partner violence in Cambodia

This paper offers a new interpretation of the ‘resistance’ carried out by local civil society organisations in Cambodia against intimate partner violence (IPV). In this, the paper explores the nexus between ‘rupture’, ‘resistance’ and ‘repetition’ and concludes that different ‘repetitions’ can contribute to acts of violence while simultaneously creating possibilities for resisting IPV. In regard to the latter, the concept of ‘rupture’ is investigated as a performative politics through which organisations try to disrupt the ‘repetitions’ of violent masculinities. Furthermore, it is argued that the importance of ‘repetitions’ and the concept of time should be acknowledged. The French criminal defence lawyer Jacques Vergès’ understanding of ‘rupture’ and the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze's notions of ‘repetition’ inform the analysis. To exemplify our discussion and findings, the paper embraces stories of a number of civil society workers who facilitate various men's groups in Cambodia in order to negotiate the practice of IPV.

Incorporating unarmed civilian peacekeeping into Canadian foreign policy: what do Canadians think?

Although opinion polls have consistently demonstrated Canadian support of their country's peacekeeping missions, recent surveys have demonstrated decreasing public support for Canada's involvement in military combat interventions in other parts of the world. However, awareness and understanding of nonviolent alternatives to military intervention and conventional peacekeeping appear to be lacking. This survey examines Canadian public's awareness and understanding of unarmed civilian peacekeeping as an alternative to sending armed troops, and whether the public would support Canada in utilizing unarmed civilian peacekeepers (focusing on reducing direct violence through protective accompaniment, building capacity of local civil society organizations, mediation and other nonviolent communication strategies) as part of its response to violent global conflicts. The results reveal that Canadians believe unarmed civilian peacekeeping would be more effective in tasks such as reducing human rights abuses, preventing further armed conflict and promoting lasting peace. Respondents also believe the practice would benefit Canada's reputation as a peacemaker and leader. This paper concludes with recommendations for proponents of the incorporation of unarmed civilian peacekeeping into the official policy of the Canadian government.

The importance and application of public hearings on national and local level

The article first determines a definition of public hearing and the multiple benefits of the application of this institute in comparative parliamentary law. Following an analysis of different modalities of public hearings in contemporary parliamentary practice and procedures for organisation and implementation of public hearings in three phases, the author suggests a classification of three basic types of public hearings: (1) legislative public hearings, which can also be labelled as consultative or informative, (2) control (oversight) hearings, and (3) investigative. After that, possibilities for realisation of the three mentioned types within the domestic legal framework are analysed. This is followed by an analysis and determination of the importance of public hearings, in particular for the national parliament, local self-government assemblies and civil society organisations. In the second part, the author analyses the development of public hearings in Serbia, primarily on the national level, i.e. the legal framework and previous practice of committees of the National Assembly in organisation and realisation of public hearings. Afterwards the focus is on transferring the good practice from the national to the local level and the first public hearings held in town and municipal assemblies in Serbia. The author notices that on both levels of government public hearings are initially applied in the same manner - first on the factual plan (in the form of so called thematic committee sessions) and only afterwards are they legally regulated. After conclusions, the author offers recommendations for further development, i.e. improvement of public hearings on the national and local level.

Why are we doing it? Exploring participant motivations within a participatory video project

One of the most recurring strengths attributed to the use of participatory video is its ability to enable social change, advocacy, activism and empowerment. Yet, to what extent is this a joint vision of all parties involved in the participatory video process? Why do researchers and participants do participatory video? What are their differential motivations and how does this affect decisionmaking during the participatory video process? In this paper, we reflect on these questions through discussing participatory video experiences of research carried out by the authors in collaboration with indigenous communities in the North Rupununi,Guyana and in Tumucumaque,Brazil. Participatory video formed part of a project involving local communities, local, national and international civil society organisations and academic researchers. We evaluate the different perceptions and distinct worldviews of the individuals, groups and organisations involved in the participatory video process, and show how these determine the ways in which people participate. We conclude that a significant component of the participatory video process needs to include the iterative surfacing of individual motivations and worldviews using an adaptive research approach. This helps to negotiate expectations of all researchers and participants at different stages of the participatory video, enabling greater outcomes for all participants, while at the same time producing more nuanced and grounded academic research.

Governmental Promotion of Social Cohesion and Its Effect on Local Civil Society Organisations: How These Institutions Respond to the Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups as Active Citizens

This article examines how social policy influences social cohesion within a London borough. The focus is on the degree to which civil society organisations facilitate the representation of migrants within the public sphere. The policies considered are those introduced by New Labour and the current Coalition government. The theories adopted in this article are based on social cohesion and the public sphere, and the research is based on grey literature and interviews with civil society practitioners. The study concludes that, although the previous government gave visibility to migrants, the conditions imposed for their access to social provision have contributed to the demotion of cohesion. The Coalition's reforms have reinforced social divisions and given rise to two identities within civil society: the insiders, who are in dialogue with the authorities, and the outsiders, who have no contact with the decision makers.

Kenya's Search for Truth and Justice: The Role of Civil Society

This article describes the role of Kenyan civil society in two attempts to achieve ‘truth’ and ‘justice’ through a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC). The first occurred in 2003, when a change of political leadership led to the creation of a Task Force on the Establishment of a TJRC (TF), and the second occurred from 2008 to 2013, when a postelection crisis led to the formation of a coalition government and the institution of a widely criticized TJRC. In both instances, the fate of the exercise depended in large part on civil society organizations: the alliances they made, the arguments they mobilized, the support and criticisms they provided and their interactions with citizens, media, international donors, state actors and TF or Commission staff. Civil society approaches were also shaped by a combination of their individual and collective understandings of what constituted the most important issues and best practice, and their interpretations of government motivations, and thus by what was deemed possible, and to be feared, in working with such a state-led initiative. The article suggests that truth commissions are not a discrete tool that can be applied with the same effect in any setting, and that transitional justice actors must pay greater attention to local politics and dynamics in establishing truth commissions, including the capacity, concerns and interests of local civil society organizations, which have the power to either bolster or undermine such a project.

Apomediated marketplace

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play an important role in the socioeconomic development programmes in the developing countries. For instance, donors prefer to channel development funds through CSOs rather than directly to governments. However, the lack of adequate capacity to work with governments, donors and other stakeholders has hampered the ability of local CSOs to deliver effective services. Different approaches, including mentorship and formal training, have been used to try to strengthen the capacity of CSOs, but with little apparent impact. Knowledge needs a facilitative context to be created and shared effectively. The ba concept, originally proposed by Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida in 1921, is a shared context in which knowledge is created, shared and utilized. It encompasses physical, virtual and mental spaces where participants interact. The key focus of any ba is not the individuals in it but their interactions, which lead to information creation, sharing and learning. The apomediated marketplace, as a knowledge ba, is a combination of face-to-face events and a digital interface through which CSOs, as buyers, and capacity-building consultants, as vendors, meet directly to develop partnerships, share knowledge and transact business. As opposed to intermediation, which involves ‘standing between’ the parties, or disintermediation, implying ‘standing aloof’, standing by the participants through apomediation increases the level of social interactions, which in turn enhances the quality of knowledge sharing in the ba. This paper unravels and describes the concept of knowledge marketplace and reports instances of its implementation in developing countries. It also analyzes the mediation techniques applied in existing knowledge marketplaces and their effectiveness in creating a ba suitable for sharing and learning. The study was conducted through exploratory survey. Data was collected through literature searching and analysis. The findings indicate that apomediation facilitates the creation of a safer, more versatile and effective knowledge sharing ba than its alternatives.

Lost in Translation? The Subversion of the Right to Prior Consultation in Indigenous Mining Protests in Guatemala

Human rights acquire relevance at the local level when they are adapted to the local context and culture. This adaptation process, which is also referred to as ‘vernacularisation’, fosters a local rights consciousness, but may also dilute or subvert these international human rights norms. This paper examines the vernacularisation of the right to prior consultation in Sipakapa, Guatemala, where indigenous communities base their mining protests on this right. The interview-based case study reveals how the international concept of prior consultation has become hybridised with the local decision-making mechanism of consulta comunitaria (‘community referendum’). This is problematic, because the implications of the global and local understanding of the notion of consultation are fundamentally different. The misinterpretation can partly be ascribed to a mistranslation of the concept by local civil society organisations that fulfil the role of translator in the vernacularisation process. Their flawed information furthermore created unrealistic expectations, which, in the already contentious political context, resulted in a radicalisation and polarisation of the protests. This implies that the legalistic nature of the human rights discourse places a strong constraint on vernacularisation, because a correct translation often requires technical legal expertise that tends to be lacking among local civil society actors.

Developing Sustainable Relations with Internal and External Stakeholders in Universities: Vision And Mission Views

The basic mission of the universities in the current century has been undergoing a transformation since the last two centuries. This transformation also affects the degrees of emphasis on missions with the content. Community service missions have been taking precedence over education and research missions in 21st century universities. Also current missions have been re- designed by integrating each other and the key elements such as strategy and sustainable development. The biggest difference of this design from the earlier models in universities is effective and permanent participation of the internal and external environmental conditions to this process. The success of this participation is possible by making the participation of the students, academic and administrative employees as internal stakeholders and alumni, business, central and local governments and civil society organizations as external stakeholders to the processes in higher education more functional.In this context the subject of this study is researching the internal and external stakeholders view on mission and vision of Selçuk University's surveys data in the axis of a conceptual model designed for developing sustainable relations with a comparative method. In this study first, university and stakeholders relations are discussed with conceptual dimension and changing process's components. In the second part of the study, the questionnaire prepared in the form of case study and applied to university's internal and external stakeholders has been analysed in comparison. In the last part of the study, the process and system suggestions have been developed for building up planned and sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders through analysed findings.

The Impact of the International Budget Partnership's Open Budget Survey and Its Partner Institutionss Advocacy on Budget Transparency in Honduras

This case study looks at how the preparation and publication of the Open Budget Survey 2010 in Honduras increased awareness of Honduras’ budget transparency problems. The increased attention given to these issues brought together local civil society organizations, the International Budget Partnership, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the government of Honduras to make progress on budget transparency. Also, the IBP’s technical assistance to the government of Honduras played an important role in the recent publication of budget documents, which combined with a strong government will have provided the basis for public finance management reforms. Although the main incentive for the government to improve its budget transparency was initially to increase foreign aid contributions, citizen-led efforts to demand reform are growing.

Is REDD+ Redefining Forest Governance in Nepal?

In this paper, I argue that the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD)+ readiness process in Nepal has reconfigured forest governance in subtle ways and posed risks of its recentralization. Powerful actors, especially the government, consultants and donor entities, have influenced the REDD+ process and policy debates, and have jointly marginalized local communities and civil society organizations (CSOs). This paper reveals that Nepal’s REDD+ architecture is primarily shaped by imperatives and ambiguities in the international negotiations and funding mechanisms. Building on the theoretical frameworks of institutional interplay, cross-scale institutional linkages, and institutional design, this paper analyses how interplay and interactions of national institutions and stakeholders influence the REDD+ readiness process, its emerging institutional architecture, and decentralized forest governance. The analysis has been informed by evidence from the author's own research and engagement in REDD+ policy processes in Nepal. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v10i1.8602 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.10(1) 2012 74-87