National Non-governmental Organizations Research Articles

Paving the way to the Security Council: NGOs’ activism on women’s and children’s issues

The relationship between the United Nations Security Council and Non-Governmental Organizations has scarcely been considered in scholarship on international security. This lack of academic interest contrasts with accounts on the engagement of NGOs in the production and advancement of UNSC discussions on women and children. By drawing on international relations and social movements’ theoretical contributions, the paper traces NGOs’ strategies to participate in UNSC thematic debates. By looking at the actions of the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict and the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace, and Security, the analysis finds that NGOs have built coalitions among themselves and maintained networks with friendly countries and UN specialized agencies to capitalize on favorable political and institutional opportunities and expand the access to the security sector.

Professional ethics of recommendations: implications for COVID-19 vaccination of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant

There has been changing guidance from national and international professional associations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and health officials in national governments for obstetrician-gynecologists about COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant. in this paper, we provide an ethical framework that provides the needed guidance to decision making about recommending COVID-19 vaccination to these patients. the unique feature of this ethical framework is that it is based on professional ethics in obstetrics and gynecology. We begin with an account of three key components of professional ethics in obstetrics and gynecology and how they are pertinent to the ethics of making recommendations that should be understood in obstetric and gynecologic practice generally. We then identify the implications of this overview for the specific topic of the ethics of recommending COVID-19 vaccination.

Assessing the impacts of inter-annual rainfall variability on cash crops’ yield in Ondo state, Nigeria

The agriculture sector is of great importance to the development of any nation in Africa; hence, it is determined by the operating climatic mechanisms of such nation, especially rainfall. This study was carried out to assess the inter-annual rainfall variability impacts on cash crop yield in Ondo state for a period of twenty years (2000-2019). The study employed mainly secondary data which was analyzed using inferential statistics. Trend analysis was used to determine the pattern of rainfall and cash crops’ yield for the period under review. Also it was revealed that there were fluctuations in the trend of rainfall and the yield of cash crops. The correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between rainfall and cash crops yield; but an inverse relationship with rubber yield specifically. On the other hand the regression analysis showed little impact of rainfall variability on cash crop yield. However, it was recommended that in this era of dwindling economy due to over reliance on crude oil in Nigeria, the government through National Orientation Agency and Non-governmental Organizations should keep persuading and enlightening Nigerians to venture into agriculture to save the country’s economy and reduce poverty. Â

Influence of Monitoring and Evaluation System Components on the Performance of National Non-Governmental Organizations (NNGOs): A Case of Global Aim Uganda

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system components on the performance of National Non-Governmental Organizations (NNGOs) in Uganda: A case of Global Aim Uganda. The study focused on the i) influence of organizational structure on the performance of Global Aim Uganda (GAU), ii) influence of routine M&E on the performance of GAU and the influence of utilization of M&E information on the performance of GAU.
 Methodology: The study used a cross sectional study design employing both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The population of the study consisted of the staff of Global Aim Uganda, implementing partners and project beneficiaries to which stratified random sampling was applied. 164 respondents (100% response rate) were reached for the survey and 15 respondents out of 17 (88.23% response rate) were reached for interviews. Qualitative data were collected using interview guides analyzed using content analysis and presented as text in normative form. Quantitative data was collected using researcher administered questionnaires. Responses were rated on a 5-Likert scale and were coded, cleaned and analyzed for descriptive and inferential statistic using SPSS software (version 20.0) presented in tables.
 Findings: Correlational analysis showed a significant and positive correlation between performance of Global Aim Uganda and organizational structure (r=.244**, p=.002, <0.05), routine M&E (r=.403**, p=.000, <0.01) and utilization of M&E information (r=.526**, p=.000, <0.01). Results from regression analysis revealed a non-significant and negative influence of organizational structure (β= -.013, p=.873, >0.05) on performance. While, there is a positive and significant influence of routine M&E (β=.199, p=.001, <0.05) and utilization of M&E information (β=.327, p=.000, <0.05) on the performance. The coefficient of determination (r2) between predictor variables and performance of Global Aim Uganda is 0.322 (32.2%).
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: There is need to strengthen the M&E system components. These can be done through improved internal reporting, broadening the functions of the M&E unit, incorporating aspects of M&E in staff roles and responsibilities, conducting project specific baseline surveys, starting to conduct project evaluations and increasing the utilization of M&E information in decision making. Further study should focus on the M&E capacity of the organization.

Enthusiasm for Introducing and Integrating HIV Self-Testing but Doubts About Users: A Baseline Qualitative Analysis of Key Stakeholders' Attitudes and Perceptions in Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal.

Since 2019, the ATLAS project, coordinated by Solthis in collaboration with national AIDS programs, has introduced, promoted and delivered HIV self-testing (HIVST) in Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal. Several delivery channels have been defined, including key populations: men who have sex with men, female sex workers and people who use injectable drugs. At project initiation, a qualitative study analyzing the perceptions and attitudes of key stakeholders regarding the introduction of HIVST in their countries and its integration with other testing strategies for key populations was conducted. The study was conducted from September to November 2019 within 3 months of the initiation of HIVST distribution. Individual interviews were conducted with 60 key informants involved in the project or in providing support and care to key populations: members of health ministries, national AIDS councils, international organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and peer educators. Semi structured interviews were recorded, translated when necessary, and transcribed. Data were coded using Dedoose© software for thematic analyses. We found that stakeholders' perceptions and attitudes are favorable to the introduction and integration of HIVST for several reasons. Some of these reasons are held in common, and some are specific to each key population and country. Overall, HIVST is considered able to reduce stigma; preserve anonymity and confidentiality; reach key populations that do not access testing via the usual strategies; remove spatial barriers; save time for users and providers; and empower users with autonomy and responsibility. It is non-invasive and easy to use. However, participants also fear, question and doubt users' autonomy regarding their ability to use HIVST kits correctly; to ensure quality secondary distribution; to accept a reactive test result; and to use confirmation testing and care services. For stakeholders, HIVST is considered an attractive strategy to improve access to HIV testing for key populations. Their doubts about users' capacities could be a matter for reflective communication with stakeholders and local adaptation before the implementation of HIVST in new countries. Those perceptions may reflect the West African HIV situation through the emphasis they place on the roles of HIV stigma and disclosure in HIVST efficiency.

Protectors or enablers? Untangling the roles of traditional authorities and local elites in foreign land grabs in Cameroon

AbstractMotivationIn Cameroon, most land earmarked for allocation to foreign investors is communally owned. The state, however, considers such land as “empty” or “underutilized”—a faulty designation that confers upon the Cameroonian state and state representatives sweeping authority to allocate lands to potential investors without full consultation with communities whose livelihoods depend on them.PurposeThe article addresses the following questions: who are traditional authorities in the context of Cameroon? What is their place in the complex dynamics of neopatrimonial governance, and how does this influence their allegiance to state versus the people they ought to represent? How do they collaborate to enable state actions during land grabbing against their people?Methods and approachThe study is based on interviews, group discussions, and field observations conducted as part of a larger project on land grabbing in Cameroon; and supplemented with secondary sources through critical reading of published and unpublished scholarly and technical sources, including reports from national non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Nature Cameroon as well as Green Peace, the World Bank, and other bodies.FindingsIt argues that land grabbing in Cameroon should be understood as an outcome of the state’s strategic and/or opportunistic choice, within a neopatrimonial dispensation, to enforce its political power over land and related resources. Local traditional authorities paradoxically play the role of state facilitators in the process, rather than serving as custodians of the populations they represent.Policy implicationsThe article concludes that such pernicious land acquisition would not have been successful without the active collaboration of traditional authorities (so‐called state enablers) who act as “brokers” and facilitators of land deals—sometimes using threats, intimidation, and force on villagers. There is a need for policies to tackle the accountability problems arising from the ambivalent role that local traditional authorities play in Cameroon’s neopatrimonial order—doubly serving as de facto representatives of local peoples, and at the same time as proxy enablers of large‐scale land acquisition.

Client-perpetrated gender-based violence among female sex workers in conflict-affected Northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Study objectiveTo determine the prevalence and associated factors of client-perpetrated gender-based violence among female sex workers in conflict-affected Northern Uganda.Design and settingsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among female sex workers...

1828P How cancer-related cognitive impairment affects quality of life? A large survey among women with breast cancer

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), also known as chemobrain or cancerbrain, represents cognitive impairment among cancer patients and survivors. There has been a growing interest in better understanding the perspectives and experiences of patients with CRCI, as well as its impact on their daily lives. A survey program was conducted by Kantar Health, an independent research agency, in collaboration with RoseUp, a French national cancer patient Non-Governmental Organization, to assess the health-related quality of life (QoL) of female breast cancer patients with self-reported CRCI in France.

1833P Chemobrain: Seldom studied or reported, but apparently very common

While studies have investigated a condition termed “chemobrain” or cancer-related cognitive impairment, the related data from the patients’ perspective remain scarce. A survey program was conducted by Kantar Health, an independent research agency, in collaboration with RoseUp, a French national cancer patient Non-Governmental Organization, to better-understand the phenomenon of chemobrain and to raise public awareness.

Competency Assessment of Project Managers of a National NGO in India

Public health projects carried out by non-government organisations (NGOs) are considered a critical contributor in the provision of health services to rural population in India. But there is clear lack of documented evidence that describes the capacity and competency of the NGO project managers to successfully design and implement a new project. This article presents findings of an exploratory case study using outreach model of family planning service delivery as an example to understand the steps and actions taken by senior managers throughout the project’s life cycle and competencies required by them to execute the project. Focus group discussion followed by paper-based survey using sections of Management Competency Assessment Tool was conducted with senior managers of the chosen NGO. The results indicate that the strategies developed by the NGO managers are consistent with the existing literature on project management. However, not all managers have the same level of confidence in demonstrating the competencies of (a) knowledge of healthcare environment; (b) evidence informed decision making; and (c) interpersonal, communication qualities and relationship management. The organisation needs to invest in human resource development using mixed approach of providing training, team building activities, mentoring, and support.

COVID-19 and its threat to refugees in Africa.

Although it is widely accepted that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has adversely affected the Global South’s most vulnerable refugee communities, they have received little attention. There have been gaps in testing, which is fundamental to treat and isolate patients and make data-driven decisions to protect the refugee community. Therefore, it is imperative to holistically implement policies to curtail COVID-19 in refugee camps to ensure that refugees are safe and protected from the pandemic. Processes for timely diagnosis and treatment, quick isolation and contact tracing are essential to keep refugees safe. Furthermore, it is crucial to encourage protective behaviours and raise awareness about hygiene and social prevention to dampen disease transmission. Refugees in the Global South have been disproportionately affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing financial hardship and social injustice throughout. Refugees in Africa have also faced threats to their security, being subjected to torture, disappearance, or even killings in their host countries. The pandemic has exposed gender inequalities, with females being the most affected, and health inequities in the refugee community in Africa. There is a need for international organizations like the African Union, United Nations (UN) agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to take serious action regarding the refugee situation in Africa. Food aid for refugees in Africa should be increased as quickly as possible and refugees’ security must be guaranteed. Of equal importance, there must be justice for the death or disappearance of refugees. It is imperative to end discrimination against refugees and support the promotion of gender equity.

Role of the Global Fund in national HIV/AIDS response in Myanmar: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe Global Fund has been a major funding source for HIV/AIDS programs in Myanmar. In this qualitative study, we aim to understand the impact of Global Fund on national HIV/AIDS response in Myanmar during the era of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).MethodsWe conducted individual in-depth interviews by recruiting key informants through purposive snowball sampling. The respondents were engaged in the national/subnational response to HIV/AIDS in Myanmar and worked for the United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society. Interview questions were organized around the role of Global Fund in strengthening national response to HIV/AIDS in the six building blocks of the Myanmar’s health system. Transcripts from the key informants were synthesized into specific themes through a deductive approach.ResultsWe found that the Global Fund has provided substantial support to (1) finance the national HIV/AIDS response in Myanmar, and (2) strengthen leadership and governance at the central level through improving coordination and collaboration, including more stakeholders (e.g. civil society, NGOs) in decision making process, and catalyzing policy changes on scaling-up key interventions. Yet, its role remains limited in addressing new demands at the township level in terms of capacity building, staffing, and medical supply resulting from rapid scale-up of HIV interventions and decentralization of service delivery in the public sector.ConclusionThere was a missed opportunity for Myanmar to capitalize on the use of the Global Fund’s funding to strengthen the health system. Deliberate planning is required to optimize the use of those scarce resources to provide universal coverage for HIV/AIDS.

Restricting NGOs: From Pushback to Accommodation

Restricting NGOs: From Pushback to Accommodation

Collaborative Governance in Recognizing Customary Law Communities And Customary Communal Land Rights in Kampar Regency

Recognition and protection towards customary law communities in Kampar Regency are inevitable, remembering that the existence of these communities far before the establishment of this nation. A very progressive response was issued by the Regent of Kampar by Forming Registration Team for The Establishment of Customary Law Communities, Customary Territory, and Customary Forests in Kampar Regency. The Registration Team came from local government organizations, national land agencies, academicians, ministries element, non-governmental organization, and customary community institution shows collaboration that involves state actors. This collaboration successfully initiates the acknowledgment toward customary law communities and customary law with the release of Regent Decree in some areas under the Kampar Regency. This study uses a qualitative method with the type of phenomenological research. This collaborative governance is initiated by NGOs that focus on the environment and sustainable development. dominance is still found in the implementation of duties, the unequal power / authority of all parties, conflicts of interest, political will from regional heads and communication and coordination issues are still major obstacles.

The United Nations and Human Rights Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) - Seventy-Five Years of Consultations, Collaboration, and Contributions (1945-2000)

The United Nations and Human Rights Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) - Seventy-Five Years of Consultations, Collaboration, and Contributions (1945-2000)

How are managers responding to local and global ecological stressors? The case of Indonesian co-managed coral reefs in the Anthropocene

I use the public policy scholarship on policy entrepreneurs to analyze how decision-makers are responding to local and global human-induced ecological stressors. Using a comparative case study in several communities in Bali, Indonesia that use co-management systems for reef conservation, I present mixed methods data from semi-structured interviews and surveys collected during fieldwork. My findings contribute to the interdisciplinary literature on coral reef management which has not leveraged the policy process literature despite its capacity for insights. I deploy a framework for effective policy entrepreneurs (Cairney 2018), defined as the agents for policy change who possess knowledge, power, dedication, and luck to be able to exploit opportune moments. This framework enables finely-grained analysis on who takes part in influential decision-making, and how responses to ecological stressors are enacted. I found that policy entrepreneurs in co-management systems include sub-national and national decision-makers, non-governmental organizations, and private sector actors. They enact policy innovations to respond to localized stressors such as illegal fishing, but are increasingly responding to stressors from climate change, namely bleaching events. I show that decision-makers implement policy innovations through the telling of persuasive stories, selection of feasible options, and use heightened attention to a problem as an opportune moment to implement their desired response (adaptation). These policy innovations include creating networks to mobilize resources, educational programs, and actual mitigation projects. I refine this framework for the context of tropical biodiversity conservation to include political history and the proximity of case communities to tourism hubs, both of which influence who policy entrepreneurs are, and how they enact responses.

Who and How Do I Include? A Case Study on Teachers' Inclusive Education Practices

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and practices of teachers about inclusive education and to propose solutions to the problems experienced by the teachers in the light of the study findings. The study was carried out by qualitative research approach and case study design was used. The participants of the study consisted of 20 primary school teachers who worked in public schools in the 2019-2020 academic year and participated voluntarily in this study. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis technique. As a result of this study it was found that the teachers experienced a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the definition of inclusive education and a great majority of them focused on the main philosophy of inclusiveness, yet few of them attempted to relate inclusiveness to instructional practices. Moreover, the findings revealed that the teachers did not perform activities directed to the application of inclusive education in their classes and that they had different expectations from the Turkish Ministry of National Education, school administrations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and parents.

Who and How Do I Include? A Case Study on Teachers’ Inclusive Education Practices

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and practices of teachers about inclusive education and to propose solutions to the problems experienced by the teachers in the light of the study findings. The study was carried out by qualitative research approach and case study design was used. The participants of the study consisted of 20 primary school teachers who worked in public schools in the 2019-2020 academic year and participated voluntarily in this study. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis technique. As a result of this study it was found that the teachers experienced a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the definition of inclusive education and a great majority of them focused on the main philosophy of inclusiveness, yet few of them attempted to relate inclusiveness to instructional practices. Moreover, the findings revealed that the teachers did not perform activities directed to the application of inclusive education in their classes and that they had different expectations from the Turkish Ministry of National Education, school administrations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and parents.

The role of partners in promoting self-care for misoprostol and subcutaneous DMPA in Pakistan

BackgroundPakistan is among a number of countries facing protracted challenges in addressing maternal mortality with a concomitant weak healthcare system complexed with inequities. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) self-care interventions offer the best solution for improving access to quality healthcare services with efficiency and economy. This manuscript documents country experience in introducing and scaling up two selected SRHR self-care interventions. A prospective qualitative study design was used and a semi-structured questionnaire was shared with identified SRHR private sector partners selected through convenience and purposive sampling. The two interventions include the use of misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage and the use of subcutaneous depomedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) as injectable contraceptive method. Data collection was done through emails and telephone follow-up calls.ResultsNine of the 13 partners consulted for the study responded. The two selected self-care interventions are mainly supported by private sector partners (national and international nongovernmental organizations) having national or subnational existence. Their mandates include all relevant areas, such as policy advocacy, field implementation, trainings, supervision and monitoring. A majority of partners reported experience related to the use of misoprostol; it was introduced more than a decade ago, is registered and is procured by both public and private sectors. Subcutaneous DMPA is a new intervention, having been introduced only recently, and commodity availability remains a challenge. It is being delivered through health workers/providers and is not promoted as a self-administered contraceptive. Community engagement and awareness raising is reported as an essential element of successful field implementation; however, no beneficiary data was collected for the study. Training approaches differ considerably, are standalone or integrated with SRHR topics and their duration varies between 1 and 5 days, covering a range of cadres.ConclusionPubic sector ownership and patronage is essential for introducing and scaling up self-care interventions as a measure to support the healthcare system in delivering quality sexual and reproductive health services. Supervision, monitoring and reporting are areas requiring further support, as well as the leadership and governance role of the public sector. Standardization of trainings, community awareness, supervision, monitoring and reporting are required together with integration of self-care in routine capacity building activities (pre- and in-service) on sexual and reproductive health in the country.

Regulatory Contestation: Steering toward Consistency in International Norm Implementation

AbstractOver the past three decades, there has been a notable expansion in the number and remit of global norms of human protection, informing the rationale and reform of international law and institutions in significant ways. Yet, the inconsistent and selective implementation of these norms undermines their legitimacy and strength. Drawing on interviews with United Nations (UN) officials, diplomats, non-governmental organizations, and experts, this article examines the challenge of strengthening consistency in the implementation of international human protection norms. It argues that diversity in practice is a strength for their consistent implementation when understood through a broader account of the regulatory function of international norms. Dominant accounts of the regulatory function of international norms in international law (compliance) and international relations (internalization) seek consistency of norm implementation through mechanisms such as legal/institutional reform and socialization, respectively. These accounts, I argue, are strengthened by a socio-legal approach to responsive regulation that pays attention to the way that norms operate “in reality” to regulate actor behavior, identifying the generative and creative function of international norms in steering the flow of events toward desired outcomes. It then examines efforts to extend human protection norms into new territory and toward improved preventive capacity with an increased emphasis on accountability through the UN Human Rights Council. This article introduces the concept of regulatory contestation that extends analytical attention to the governance processes through which norms shape international politics and practice.