National Agenda Research Articles

Aligning adaptation and sustainability agendas: lessons from protected areas

Nations worldwide are committing to international environmental agreements and defining aspirational goals aligned with their sustainable development priorities and responsibilities. The post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is an example of such aspirations. Under this framework, nations aim to expand protected areas or create new ones as one way to integrate conservation and climate change agendas. However, implementing those high-level agreements does not necessarily align with local realities and dynamics. In this paper we examined the operational challenges experienced by protected areas actors to adapt conservation strategies to climate change. Based on interviews at the local level and a policy analysis, we identify adaptation narratives and explore potential mismatches in their implementation at the national and local level (protected areas) in three countries: Australia, Colombia, and South Africa. We assess how local visions and interpretations of adaptation align with high-level policies and how existing institutional arrangements facilitate or constrain the implementation of adaptation and, therefore, aspirations for long-term sustainability. We found that adaptation narratives at the local level are framed by common ideas and identities based on local relations within a territory. At the same time, existing governance arrangements and political contexts determine the feasibility of adaptation. The primary mismatches are high-level political and economic interests denoting different interpretations about the territory and of local realities, including the readiness, technical, and resource capacity of protected areas actors to implement adaptation. Place-based adaptation provides a common ground for scaling adaptation. However, scaling adaptation requires enabling institutional contexts, clear rules and policies to facilitate deliberations and coordinated responses across different actors and sectors, while guiding the uptake and integration of local needs and realities within national agendas.

The analysis of the medical tourism expansion policy in Taiwan: a policy analysis using Kingdon’s multiple streams

BackgroundSince 2006, Taiwan has actively pursued the development of its medical tourism industry. In 2013, the government sought to bolster this sector by integrating medical tourism into the Free Economic Pilot Zones. Despite narrowly missing the mark, the initiative failed to materialize into law. This qualitative study endeavors to discern the pertinent factors influencing the agenda-setting process for incorporating medical tourism into the Free Economic Pilot Zones in Taiwan.MethodsA comprehensive examination of policies concerning the legitimation of medical tourism within the Free Economic Pilot Zones was undertaken through semi-structured interviews and a thorough review of policy documents. Key informants were strategically selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was applied to scrutinize the amassed data and organize it within the framework of Kingdon's multiple streams.ResultsIn the problem stream, increasing financial strains and cost containment pressures under the National Health Insurance program have long driven health care providers to seek further opportunities in medical tourism. The existing barriers to expanding medical tourism in Taiwan included diplomatic tensions (specifically cross-strait relations), public concerns about commercialization of medical care and reduced their access to care, and legal and language barriers. Within the policy stream, factors such as franchise fees to support national health insurance, limited number of demonstration medical tourism sites and services allowed, the allowance of foreign medical personnel, regulations governing domestic physicians, the importance of demonstration, regulation, and accreditation, as well as restrictions on investment from China, were emphasized. The politics stream highlights factors such as governmental support, opposition from opposing parties, public concerns and critics from academia and non-governmental organizations, and skepticism from medical faculties.ConclusionAcknowledging the recognized challenges in enacting the medical tourism provision of the Free Economic Pilot Zones Special Act and emphasizing the political will of leadership, a viable policy solution remained elusive. Although a window of opportunity existed for the passage of the bill, it waned as public concerns sidelined the issue from the national agenda. The Taiwan case underscores the necessity for meticulous consideration of issues, proposed solutions, and political dynamics to achieve successful policy enactment.

Unpacking the agricultural innovation and diffusion for modernizing the smallholders in rural China: From the perspective of agricultural innovation system and its governance

Innovation is perceived as a crucial tool for addressing the serious global challenges faced by the agriculture sector. This paper focuses on a new local public agricultural innovation project in the context of rural China, and intends to capture the embodied agricultural innovation and dissemination network for modernizing the smallholders. Through integrating the concepts of Agricultural Innovation System and Agricultural Innovation Governance, we develop a comprehensive framework for understanding the partnerships between agri-technicians and small farmers within the network structured by innovation governance practices. In-depth interview and network analysis methods were used to scrutinize the linkages among actors engaged with the agricultural innovation programme in case area and detect the achievements in enabling smallholders to upgrade technical trajectories in production and fostering modern farmers at the local levels. Our empirical analysis suggests that the single-center and multi-level network produced in the agricultural innovation practices, which is distinctive to the previous simplistic linear model for technology transfer, demonstrates obvious effectiveness in diffusing the new knowledge both vertically and horizontally, and that the grassroots sub-network generates the interaction space between agronomic experts and farmers for building mutual trust and co-producing technologies suitable for local conditions. Through allocating financial resources and supervising the public agricultural innovation projects, the provincial government indirectly dominates the directionality of local agricultural innovation for enabling smallholders to learn emerging technologies and cultivating the new generation of professional farmers. Nevertheless, the current agricultural innovation practice in case area has not completely avoided the social selection bias due to the clear marginalization of some vulnerable smallholders, and the duration of innovation projects imposed negative influence on the persistent collaborations between agri-technicians and smallholders in places. It is argued that for meeting the national agenda of agricultural modernization and common prosperity in rural area, how to reform the management measures of public innovation projects and enable the vulnerable farmers to equally engage with the innovation activities and share the interests brought by new technologies are the urgent challenges need to be addressed in the future.

Balancing people, planet and profit: export strategies for sustainable value creation

PurposeBusinesses are increasingly called upon to support the improvement of society and the environment, and one way to do so is by expanding into international markets, particularly through exports. Despite the importance and recognised challenges of a global approach to sustainable value creation, sustainability research tends to focus on domestic contexts. This paper aims to identify the boundary conditions linking sustainable value creation practices with firm performance in the international context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors merge the sustainable value creation and the international marketing literature to develop two propositions that capture the emerging nature of the field and the lack of concluding evidence regarding the link between international sustainable value creation practices and firm performance. The authors test these propositions empirically by analysing 519 responses to a survey of exporting firms in Portugal, using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.FindingsThe authors identify seven configurations that support sustainable value creation in an international context. These consist of varying levels of standardised and tailored offers, management experience and competitive intensity.Practical implicationsThe identification of seven different configurations helps managers decide whether and how to innovate when pursuing sustainable value creation opportunities in international markets.Social implicationsThe authors propose that an effective way for governments to achieve national and transnational social and environmental agendas is to help businesses that pursue sustainable value creation to succeed in international markets. Given that four of the seven pathways to improve export performance that the authors identified require international management experience, the authors posit that an effective way to support the internationalisation of those businesses is through targeted training programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives.Originality/valueThe authors respond to calls for research to integrate the sustainable value creation and the international marketing literatures, to identify how and when firms can create sustainable value creation in an international context and thus support the resolution of global, social and environmental problems. The finding that there are multiple configurations that support this goal explains why empirical evidence collected thus far is inconclusive and helps identify the boundary conditions of existing theory.

Applying a Primary Health Care Approach to Closing the Human Resource for Health Gaps for Immunization.

This perspective is focused on the evidence on human resources for health (HRH) solutions for immunization, as a part of a primary health care (PHC) approach.. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and 50 years since the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) clocks 50 years since its inception. was initiated, evidence and experience demonstrate the significant HRH gaps in many countries and globally, and how countries are seeking innovative ways of closing them with limited resources. The aim of this perspective article is to highlight the growing gap between the needs and the realities related to health workforce for PHC, including immunization, and to call for increasing the visibility of HRH within global and national immunization agendas. This perspective highlights key guidelines and tools to improve HRH, such as integrating immunization and primary health care, addressing the mental health needs of the health workforce, addressing gender-related issues, rationalizing the roles and composition of PHC workforce teams, and meeting the surge requirements related to health emergencies.

Resilience in action: Kosovo's National Development Strategy to incorporate sustainable development goals

AbstractThrough resilience theory, this paper explores the integration and alignment of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) within Kosovo's National Development Strategy (NDS). It highlights how adaptability and strategic planning underpin sustainable development in emerging national contexts like Kosovo, offering a qualitative analysis to identify gaps and suggest improvements for SDG integration. Utilizing a qualitative analysis, this study identifies gaps and provides recommendations for better SDG integration within Kosovo's national development agenda. Data analysis involves the thematic coding of qualitative data and synthesis of case study findings by examining existing documents, strategies, and plans as manifestations of Kosovo's commitment to fostering resilience and achieving a sustainable future. Key insights include recommendations for enhancing governance, environmental protection mechanisms, and social inclusivity to achieve resilient and sustainable economic growth. The study contributes to the discourse on resilience theory in national sustainable development strategies amidst political uncertainty.

Sustainable and Impactful Education: Community Development within The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR ) In South Africa: STEAM Evaluation

South Africa, amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s challenges, explores sustainable education intersecting with community development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study scrutinized educational dynamics. A case study method selected three secondary schools, involving 105 learners were purposively selected for this study. The study was underpinned by the human capital theory. This theoretical framework highlights the importance of addressing systemic inequities and promoting social justice. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. Qualitative data captured community perspectives, advocating for technology integration in education. Overcoming barriers like infrastructure and digital literacy was seen as crucial. The study findings highlighted integrating STEM education into South Africa’s curriculum, focusing on interdisciplinary strategies to nurture creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. STEAM courses were seen as a way which prepare students for the 4IR, fostering adaptability and future employment readiness. Lack of electricity, computers, and availability of computer training was revealed as one of the lacking factors among teachers in schools. Themes were drawn and discussed in relation to the research question. The study suggests assessing long-term impacts on community indicators like economic empowerment and health. The study concluded that police makers and curriculum designers may need to re-evaluate educational systems for STEAM. The study therefore recommended that it may be of great help if rigorous outcome evaluation measures of educational intervention would be effective in schools. Also, analyzing policy frameworks was recommended as essential for national development agendas, and bridging policy gaps Keywords: STEAM, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Development, Sustainable, Education

Barriers to water, sanitation, and hygiene in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mini review

ABSTRACT Inadequate access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is a worldwide issue which affects many developing countries. The establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) intends to address the need for additional provision of WASH. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the lowest levels of access to water and sanitation. Certain inequalities exist between regions as well as between rural and urban populations. This paper reviews the literature on the barriers of WASH in SSA. The barriers are categorized as follows: institutional, economic, political, and geographical. Subsequently, this review examines the coverage of WASH services in SSA during the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and under the current SDG period attempting to illustrate its progress in reaching SDG 6 targets. The findings of this paper are as follows: the region needs to make accelerated progress in meeting the targets, and there are also ongoing disparities between urban and rural populations. Recommendations are also provided which include the national development agenda to prioritize WASH, establishing a clear institutional framework for WASH, and increasing WASH finance.

Food Loss and Food Waste Along the Food Supply Chain – An International Perspective

Food loss and waste represents a global problem which is characteristic for all food supply chain sectors and all groups of countries. On average, every year one third of the total amount of food produced is lost or wasted, which indicates an extremely high level of inefficiency in the food supply chain. One of the key characteristics of food loss and waste is a wide range of ecological, economic and social implications, which is why this problem has become the subject of many national and global agendas. Although there is still no unique definition of the term food loss and waste and unique data collection methodology, many authors have researched this topic so far. Therefore, this paper's aim was to research the existing literature on the phenomenon of food loss and waste, as well as to observe trends of the amount of food loss and waste in the world and the EU. The results indicated that the differences between developed and developing countries have changed, and the amount of food waste in both groups of countries at the household level is now quite uniform. At the level of the EU, the household sector is also the largest generator of food waste.

تحديد عائد الاستثمارات الأمنية للشركات التقنية الناشئة

تعتبر الشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا بالغة الأهمية في النهوض بالمبادرات الرقمية في العديد من البلدان التي تخضع لأجندة الدولة الذكية. وبالتالي ، فإن الشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا هي بائعون وموردون للخدمات للمنظمات الكبيرة مثل القطاع الحكومي والشركات متعددة الجنسيات والمؤسسات المالية. على هذا النحو ، أصبحت الشركات الناشئة سريعًا نواقل هجوم للجناة الخبثاء للدخول عبر الأبواب الخلفية إلى المؤسسات الكبيرة. ومع ذلك ، لا تزال الشركات الناشئة حكيمة في إنفاقها على الأمن السيبراني لأن نجمها الشمالي هو توليد الإيرادات من خلال تقديم خدماتها والحد الأدنى من المنتجات القابلة للتطبيق (MVP) لعملائها. تقترح هذه الدراسة عائدًا معززًا على الاستثمار الأمني (ROSI) والذي يساعد الشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا على حساب العائد على الاستثمار الأمني وتبرير ميزانيتها للإنفاق على الأمن السيبراني على الرغم من وجود نماذج حالية لحساب عائد الاستثمارات المخصصة لنفقات الأمن السيبراني ، إلا أنها معقدة نوعًا ما ولا تعطي وضوحًا للإدارة من حيث القيمة النقدية للإنفاق على الأمن السيبراني. علاوة على ذلك ، لا تلبي النماذج الحالية ديناميكيات وفروق الشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا. يوفر النموذج المحسّن أيضًا للشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا القدرة على تعديل استثماراتها في مجال الأمن السيبراني بشكل مناسب بناءً على حسابات قيم الحد الأدنى (الأدنى) والحد الأقصى (الأقصى) لمؤشر ROSI. تم التحقق من صحة نموذج ROSI المقترح والمحسّن من قبل 5 من خبراء الأمن السيبراني الذين اتفقوا على أهمية وضرورة النموذج الذي سيتم تطبيقه على الشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا. تتيح نتائج دراسة الحالة الخاصة بشركة FinTech الناشئة حساب Min و Max ROSI لتبرير العائد على الاستثمارات الأمنية وتزويد الشركة الناشئة بالقدرة على ضبط الإنفاق على الأمن السيبراني وفقًا لذلك.

Successful Decriminalization of Narcotics Abusers in Thailand

The aim of this research is to compare the concept of decriminalization of narcotics abusers in Thailand and Indonesia, and determine the best concept that can be implemented in Indonesia because decriminalization in Indonesia has not been effective.The type of research used is pure normative legal research, with a comparative approach. The results of Thailand's research in changing policies for decriminalization followed by changes to law enforcement and the criminal justice system, this is very different from our country. The lack of clarity in the legal substance, in this case the Narcotics Law, is the main reason for the failure to implement decriminalization for narcotics abusers. No less important is the culture of law enforcement and society in viewing the decriminalization of narcotics abusers in Indonesia which hinders rehabilitation efforts for narcotics abusers. Different from Thailand, because overcoming narcotics abusers is Thailand's national development agenda, the War of Drugs is carried out with drug control and support from the local community, thereby changing the culture of viewing narcotics abusers as patients, not criminals, which is also accompanied by the construction of rehabilitation facilities and infrastructure in each region. where this has not been done by the government of our country.

The reincarnation of the Asian Buddhist peril: White Christian nationalism and contestations of mindfulness in K-12 public schools

This article explores legal contestations to school based mindfulness programs in the context of an increasingly overt White Christian nationalist agenda in the United States. By illuminating the force and logic of White Christian nationalism in education, I demonstrate that though Christian organizations’ legal opposition to mindfulness is framed around defending First Amendment Establishment Clause protections in schools, their ultimate objective is to safeguard Christian hegemony and structurally reinforce a racial-religious belief of the US as a White Christian nation. Interrogating the discursive invocation of Buddhism as a “danger” helps to reveal this intention, and its exclusionary function. In this light, I trace how the claims of Buddhist treachery recall and reaffirm 19th century White Christian nationalist imaginations of Asian immigrants as embodying dangerously foreign religions and inassimilable behaviors in order to facilitate their legal exclusion from the nation. Understanding this historical context sheds light on the ways these Christian legal contentions of mindfulness attempt to maintain a historical racial-religious subjugation of Asians as a “Yellow Peril” and inculcate anti-Asian phobias of national invasion. Thus, I also argue that the current legal disputes over mindfulness are not new assertions of White Christian nationalism. Rather, they illuminate the ongoing legacy of White Christian nationalism, and represent attempts to maintain the structure’s hegemonic positioning in the 21st century. In highlighting these arguments, this article demonstrates that we cannot understand the debate around mindfulness in schools (and secular mindfulness programs themselves) without understanding the White Christian nationalist history of Asian racial-religious exclusion in the US.

Working with constructs of inclusion for understanding teachers’ literacy practices and their impact on student learning

ABSTRACT The paper explores teachers’ language literacy practices in underprivileged, inner-city schools in Athens, Greece, and their implications for student learning and educational inclusion. The current developments of global/European and national education policy agendas on literacy and inclusion inform the research questions of the study. Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse frames our analysis on the reproduction of social inequalities through schooling and informs our discussion on the discursive means and the pedagogic practices for their interruption. Findings, based on interview data and classroom observations, indicate that global discourses on inclusion, (re)articulated in the disadvantaged school settings of the study, invest the notion of inclusion with three different meanings: a. inclusion as assimilation and absorption into the dominant culture and society; b. inclusion as therapy for students’ emotional ‘traumas’; and c. inclusion as recognition of difference. We argue that these constructs of inclusion shape teaching practices that either promote or undermine student learning and empowerment.

Development and psychometric testing of a questionnaire for the Korea Youth risk behavior survey to assess physical activity behaviors

BackgroundPhysical activity is essential for physical, mental, and cognitive health. Providing evidence to develop better public health policies to encourage increased physical activity is crucial. Therefore, we developed an in-depth survey as part of the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey to assess the current status and determinants of physical activity among Korean adolescents.MethodsWe developed an initial version of the questionnaire based on a review of validated questionnaires, recent trends and emerging issues related to adolescent physical activity, and the national public health agenda pertaining to health promotion. Content validity was confirmed by a panel of 10 experts. Face validity was confirmed through focus group interviews with 12 first-year middle school students. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by administering it twice, approximately two weeks apart, to a sample of 360 middle and high school students. Additionally, the frequency or average number of responses was analyzed in a sample of 600 students who participated in the initial test-retest reliability evaluation of the questionnaire developed in this study.ResultsThrough item pool generation and content and face validity test, the final 15 questionnaire items were developed across five themes: levels of physical activity, school sports club activities, transportation-related physical activity, physical activity-promoting environments, and factors mediating physical activity. The test-retest reliability ranged from fair to substantial. Results from the newly developed survey reveal that only a minority of adolescents engage in sufficient physical activity, with only 17.2% and 21.5% participating in vigorous and moderate-intensity activities, respectively, for at least five days per week. Among school-based activities, 44.3% of students do not participate in school sports clubs due to reasons including absence of clubs and disinterest in exercise. The major motivators for physical activity are personal enjoyment and health benefits, whereas preferences for other leisure activities and academic pressures are the predominant barriers.ConclusionsThis study developed valid and reliable in-depth survey items to assess physical activity among Korean youths. It will hopefully enhance our understanding of adolescent physical activity, offering essential preliminary evidence to inform the development of public health strategies aimed at promoting adolescent health.

Application of effluent reduction methods and treatment using advanced oxidation process at leather chemicals and tanning industries

The current study set out to assess and create long-term solutions for improving environmental performance concerning water use, wastewater production, and treatment at Syntan plant (glass-lined vessel unit) and application laboratory (small-scale leather retanning. Based on evaluations and analyses, best available techniques including water gauging, pressurized vessel washing, dedication of vessels to similar production, reuse techniques, developing commercial grade intermediate products from wash water, managing cooling water and developing reuse methods of reverse osmosis reject water were applied to reduce water consumption and effluent generation in process and non-process activities. Furthermore, the reduced effluent was subjected to treat using electrochemical processes, i.e., electrocoagulation and electro-Fenton, before it was drained to outside environment. As a result of the applications, 0%–100% change was measured in various process and non-process activities, whereas, 12.8%–100% reduction was measured in effluent. Soft cooling water consumption was reduced by 46.7%. The results of treated effluent parameters were compared and found the final removal efficiencies of total dissolved solids (51.4%), total suspended solids (99.2%), chemical oxygen demand (98.5%) and electric conductivity (67.7%). It is concluded that this study can be considered as a successful model to increased water efficiency in chemical industries, Furthermore, it could serve as a building block for the incorporation of cleaner and sustainable production approach into national agenda and to overcome stern issues of high-water and energy consumption and effluent management in different industries.

Abstracts of the 4th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Concussion Network/Réseau Canadien des Commotions (CCN-RCC)

JOURNAL/jhetr/04.03/00001199-990000000-00153/graphic1/v/2024-06-14T213228Z/r/image-jpeg The following abstracts were presented at the 4th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Concussion Network/Réseau Canadien des Commotions (CCN-RCC) in Ottawa, Ontario on May 9-10, 2024. Established in 2020, the CCN-RCC has a vision to establish and guide a coordinated national research and knowledge translation agenda in Canada. This agenda aims to reduce the risk of concussions and their consequences across four broad domains: prevention, detection/diagnosis, prognosis/modifiers, and treatment.

Analysis of biomedical and health research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Several bibliometric analyses have been conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), however, there is limited data from such analyses for the establishment of national or regional health research agenda. To assess the biomedical and health research outputs in EMR countries for 2004-2018 and their alignment with the regional strategic health priority areas identified by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. We searched and reviewed health-related articles indexed in PubMed and originating from EMR countries from 2004 to 2018 and used these as indicators of the country's total biomedical research publication level. Data from a very large collection of over 300 000 articles were weighted to EMR's contribution to the global research output. We used the mean and standard deviation to summarise the continuous variables and used frequencies and percentages to summarise the categorical variables. Biomedical research publication in the EMR increased between 2004 and 2018. Five countries - Islamic Republic of Iran (43%), Egypt (14%), Saudi Arabia (11%), Pakistan (8%), and Tunisia (6%) - contributed 82% of all the publications, while the other countries contributed less than 4%. On average, EMR contributed 2.0% of the global biomedical research publications and 3.12 publications per 100 000 population for 2004-2018. Biomedical and health research publication increased unevenly across the EMR countries during the study period. Considering the complexity of the public health challenges in the region, there is a need for multidisciplinary and holistic approaches to health research to generate evidence for policy and to improve clinical and public health outcomes.

Sustainable agricultural practices: Volcanic rock potential for soil remineralization

Brazil is one of the world's largest importers of agricultural inputs, with 84% of fertilizers used in the country originating from imports. The widespread use of soluble chemical fertilizers leads to various adverse environmental impacts, such as the eutrophication of water bodies. The development and improvement of techniques and agricultural products capable of providing a variety of macro and micronutrients to crops with the least negative environmental impact have been intensified. Soil remineralization through the addition of ground rocks represents a low-negative environmental impact alternative and clean food production, aligning with the second goal of sustainable development proposed by the United nations agenda 2030. This study aimed to determine the viability of outcropping andesitic in the municipality of Jaguarão, in the extreme south of Brazil, for soil remineralization. For this purpose, mineralogical and geochemical characterization, as well as an analysis of availability of nutrients using citric acid as an extracting solution indicated a significant availability of macronutrients (Ca, K, Mg, and Mn) and micronutrients (Fe and Cu), essential for the development of various crops., were performed. The free quartz content and the levels of K2O, MgO, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb comply with the parameters established by Normative Instruction No. 5 of 2016 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA), which regulates the commercialization of soil remineralizers. The analysis of availability of nutrients using citric acid as an extracting solution indicated a significant availability of macronutrients (Ca, K, Mg, and Mn) and micronutrients (Fe and Cu), essential for the development of various crops.

New urban spaces under Modi’s digital India – digitization of urban governance and state-citizen relationship

Few studies have examined how Indian ULBs have responded to the government’s informationization agenda, particularly the use of geospatial technologies for urban governance. Drawing upon insights from Critical GIS, neoliberalization and governmentality studies, this article addresses this gap by examining the case of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the evolution of their modernization efforts that have progressed from office automation practices to active use of GIS technology for urban governance. SMC’s regional and political environment have favored their modernization efforts. However, as ULBs are expected to manage a diverse urban population and shoulder responsibilities with fewer resources they must adapt. Surat Municipal Corporation has adapted by aligning local political agenda with national agenda and adopting a strategy that echoes the dominant political discourse of utilizing technology to govern from a distance and as a modality of biopolitics. Use of geospatial technologies serves as an important tool for the ULB to introduce new modes of bureaucratic governmentality.

Peacebuilding Inc.: neoliberal influences on Rwanda’s vulnerable youth

ABSTRACT Despite the notion that lasting peace is dependent upon youth participation, their contributions to peacebuilding are often overlooked by policymakers and scholars. Drawing on the case of Rwandan vulnerable youth, this article discusses how youth frame and describe their role in the national neoliberal peace agenda. This study draws from a mixed-method study with a survey and focus groups based at a Rwandan non-governmental organisation secondary boarding school. Findings suggest that a neoliberal national narrative plays an important role in youth prioritising economic participation and engaging in entrepreneurship as primary paths towards peacebuilding.