Policy Review Research Articles

Exploring crop maturity times as a conservation tool for improving resilience to human-elephant conflict: elephant crop-raiding

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to alleviate negative impacts of elephant crop-raiding faced by smallholder farmers around the Okavango delta. Although many studies have identified the relationship between crop-raiding and climatic factors, little attention was paid to aligning cropping duration to high rainfall. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how crop maturity duration influences farmers’ vulnerability to elephant crop raiding and food loss. An experimental plot consisting of early and late maturing varieties of maize, sorghum and cowpea was set up and monitored in farms adjacent to corridors. Early maturing varieties yielded more (mean = 0.35 tha−1) than later maturing varieties (mean = 0.25 tha−1). The prolonged stay of crops in fields exposed them more to elephants (p < 0.001). Unlike late varieties, early varieties served as an evasion strategy by allowing earlier harvesting when there was adequate rainfall and elephants rarely frequented farms. Late maturing varieties were harvested at 16–19 weeks when elephants frequented the fields. This harvest timing significantly influences the vulnerability of crops to debilitating elephant raiding. This outcome suggests that policy reviews should incorporate more climate action into smallholder farming systems to strengthen SDG 1: no poverty and SDG 2: zero hunger, ease hostility toward elephants and improve elephant conservation.

Precariousness and vulnerability: Seafarers in the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the world and work in particular, but its effects on the labor market were not evenly distributed. Seafarers, who are essential workers engaging in international maritime transport, encountered exacerbated challenges to labor conditions at sea during the pandemic. Notably, the inability to conduct crew changes violated their right to rest, increasing the risk of fatigue-related safety accidents at sea. Additionally, the precarious nature of maritime employment relationships delayed seafarers waiting to enlist on the vessels, creating extended financial hardship ashore. Socio-legal analysis revealed how the pandemic, related public health measures and precarious employment heightened the vulnerability of seafarers during the pandemic. Applying the Pressure, Disorganization and Regulatory Failure model and supported by qualitative data collected through a policy review, media coverage analysis and semi-structured interviews, we identified how seafarers’ health and safety rights were significantly compromised during the pandemic. Even though various initiatives were raised by international governmental and non-governmental organizations to address the “humanitarian crisis” at sea, maritime labor regulatory failures were not effectively addressed throughout the multiple waves of the pandemic.

Food Environment in Burkina Faso: Review of Public Policies and Government Actions Using the Food-EPI Tool.

Governments have a central role to play in creating a food environment that will enable people to have and maintain healthy eating practices. This study analyzes public policies and government actions related to creating healthy food environments in Burkina Faso. The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index tool used for this study has 2 components, 13 domains, and 56 indicators of good practice adapted to the Burkina Faso context. Official policy documents collected from data sources such as government and nongovernment websites, and through interviews with government and nongovernment resource persons, provided evidence of considerations of food environment in public policy documents in Burkina Faso. Policies documents show a lack of revision of old texts and administrative processes for new policies and government practices are very slow. Added to this is the absence of a regulatory document for some implemented actions. The analysis of the documents collected in relation to the indicators of Food-Epi tool shows that there is no evidence of consideration of food environments for the indicators concerning the regulation of nutrition and health claims, labeling, taxes on healthy and unhealthy foods, support systems for training for private structures on healthy diets, implementation of food guidelines, and food trade and investment. This study permits a review of public policies that take into account food environments through the various indicators and constitutes a starting point from which improvements can be made by the government.

Disability Inclusion in the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS: A Review on the National Response of West African Countries

Objectives: Persons with disabilities (PWD) often experience risks associated with HIV/AIDS including unmet needs and overlooked stigmatization. This could be attributed to certain misconceptions such as PWDs are asexual, and cannot enjoy sexual pleasure, among others. Therefore, this paper sought to investigate the extent of disability inclusion in recent National Strategic Plans (NSPs) for HIV/AIDS in West African countries. Methods: This study was a policy review of NSPs in 13 African countries. Relevant indicators in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UNAIDS International Guidelines on HIV and Human Rights were used. Six indicators (identification of people living with disability (PLWD) as a key population, the inclusion of principles related to PWD within the NSPs on HIV/AIDS, protecting the rights of PWD, recognition of PWD as a vulnerable population at higher risk of HIV and in need of special protection, providing HIV-related support services for PWD and monitoring and evaluating the impact of HIV on PWD). Results: Findings from this study revealed that only 30% of West African countries recognized disability as an issue of concern. Also, 38.5% of these countries recognize the vulnerability of people with disabilities to HIV. However, only a few (7.6%) provided support in the context of special needs, monitoring, and surveillance specifically for persons with disabilities. Conclusion: Most of the West African NSPs are outdated and due for renewal. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the needs of persons with disabilities within the context of HIV/AIDS in the NSPs. More importantly, support and services should also be prioritized among the vulnerable groups to optimize inclusion.

Radiation Safety for Women in Cardiology: Myths and Important Messages

Accurate fertility-based radiation safety data, education and knowledge is important for all staff exposed to occupational radiation. Women are under-represented in all medical fields with increased exposure to occupational radiation, to achieve better equity in our medical workforces evidence-based radiation safety knowledge is essential to overcoming perceived career barriers. This review of radiation safety policy and data focuses on providing health professions working in cardiology with accurate contemporary information about potential radiation exposure with respect to fetal risk for pregnant health professionals. The data summarized within this review shows when women continue to work in cardiac catheterization laboratories through pregnancy their expected occupational radiation exposure with appropriate shielding, will not meaningfully change pregnancy outcomes, nor will it significantly increase risk to the fetus. The review also summarizes international workplace policy for radiation exposure and monitoring and provides recommendations for ongoing safe practice.

Long term care facilities in England during the COVID-19 pandemic—a scoping review of guidelines, policy and recommendations

BackgroundThe disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on long term care facility (LTCF) residents has highlighted the need for clear, consistent guidance on the management of pandemics in such settings. As research exploring the experiences of LTCFs during the pandemic and the implications of mass hospital discharge, restricting staff movement, and limiting visitation from relatives are emerging, an in-depth review of policies, guidance and recommendations issued during this time could facilitate wider understanding in this area.AimsTo identify policies, guidance, and recommendations related to LTCF staff and residents, in England issued by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing a timeline of key events and synthesizing the policy aims, recommendations, implementation and intended outcomes.MethodA scoping review of publicly available policy documents, guidance, and recommendations related to COVID-19 in LTCFs in England, identified using systematic searches of UK government websites. The main aims, recommendations, implementation and intended outcomes reported in included documents were extracted. Data was analysed using thematic synthesis following a three-stage approach: coding the text, grouping codes into descriptive themes, and development of analytical themes.ResultsThirty-three key policy documents were included in the review. Six areas of recommendations were identified: infection prevention and control, hospital discharge, testing and vaccination, staffing, visitation and continuing routine care. Seven areas of implementation were identified: funding, collaborative working, monitoring and data collection, reducing workload, decision making and leadership, training and technology, and communication.DiscussionLTCFs remain complex settings, and it is imperative that lessons are learned from the experiences during COVID-19 to ensure that future pandemics are managed appropriately. This review has synthesized the policies issued during this time, however, the extent to which such guidance was communicated to LTCFs, and subsequently implemented, in addition to being effective, requires further research. In particular, understanding the secondary effects of such policies and how they can be introduced within the existing challenges inherent to adult social care, need addressing.

Iimpact of federal LRPs on behavioral health workforce examined

In the midst of a national behavioral health workforce shortage, it is necessary to evaluate the nature and effectiveness of current federal policy strategies to address this public health crisis, study authors of a new policy review stated about identifying and characterizing the impact of federal loan repayment programs (LRPs) on the behavioral health workforce.

Applying spending review theory to developing countries: The case of South Africa

ABSTRACT The seminal spending review (SR) theoretical framework by Catalano & Erbacci [2018. A theoretical framework for spending review policies at a time of widespread recession. OECD Journal on Budgeting 17(2), 9–24] draws on the cutback management and related academic literature to articulate the first theory for explaining the ability of medium-term SRs conducted after the global financial crisis of 2008 to effect targeted savings. This literature is however dominated by advanced economies with sophisticated public financial management systems. Comparatively little attention, however, has been paid to theoretical perspectives on developing countries, like South Africa. This article applies this theoretical framework by Catalano and Erbacci to the South African SR initiative in order to interrogate its theoretical and empirical relevance. Proposals are made for enhancing the operationalisation of the organisational and process dimensions of C&E’s theoretical framework to lay a foundation for future empirical research and its policy implications for South Africans SRs are explored.

Challenges for crop diversification in cotton-based farming systems in India: a comprehensive gap analysis between practices and policies

IntroductionCrop diversification is a promising practice to improve the sustainability of agricultural production systems, contributing to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functions, and food security without compromising productivity. Although diverse cropping systems may be more labour-intensive and require good knowledge of the specific cropping system in the local context, they have high potential in managing many of the problems faced in current cotton production in India. However, the adoption of crop diversification is still moderate, with an overall crop diversification index (CDI) of 0.65 for all of India and state-wise CDI between 0.43 and 0.83.MethodsTherefore, a four-phased study was conducted to identify the main barriers to crop diversification in cotton-based farming systems in India and highlight levers that can foster their wide adoption to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The study was carried out between January to October 2020 and consisted of i) a literature review of regional and national policy and planning, ii) situational analysis with a problem tree approach, iii) individual stakeholder interviews with stakeholders from the broader Indian cotton sector, and iv) a participatory feedback workshop with said stakeholders. A total of 51 stakeholders from 24 different organizations were interviewed, 37 of them on technical aspects of crop diversification and 21 stakeholders on market and policy aspects. The same stakeholders were invited to the participatory feedback workshop, where 26 participated in the session on different benefits of crop diversification practices, and the session on market and policy challenges counted 24 participants. The study focused on the main organic cotton producing states in India: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.Results and discussionIn our study, it became evident that many policies and governmental schemes exist to promote national food security, sustainable agriculture, and agricultural marketing infrastructure, but crop diversification is still not gaining momentum on the ground. Various levers were identified in the areas of market and procurement, capacity building and knowledge transfer, supply industry and infrastructure, and farmers and women empowerment, where the current policy landscape is failing to foster crop diversification effectively on the farm level.

Multi-Pronged Approach to Improving a Policy Review Process in Radiation Oncology

Multi-Pronged Approach to Improving a Policy Review Process in Radiation Oncology

HIV associated neurocognitive disorder screening and diagnosis pathways in Australia: a scoping review and international implications

ABSTRACT Symptomatic HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a complication of HIV (cognitive impairment, difficulties with everyday functioning). If detected early, interventions assist with optimizing care, avoiding rapid decline and enhancing coping. There remains inconsistency surrounding screening/diagnosis information within Australian healthcare professionals and community settings. A scoping review of academic literature, government policies and non-government organisations (NGOs) was conducted to map existing screening/diagnosis information using the guidelines of Joanna Briggs Institute. A literature search of EBSCOhost and Medline (dates: 2015–2021), the Australian government NGO web domains, Google and unpublished academic works was conducted (July 2021) and updated (December 2022) to identify Australian items (past 5 years). Seventeen items met the inclusion criteria. No government guidelines were identified. Various HIV-related organisations proposed different diagnostic guidelines. Most HAND research originated in Sydney. The most accessible information was from Dementia Australia, with some inaccuracies noted. There is scant Australian research/information on HAND screening/diagnosis. HAND translational research and screening/diagnosis standards are urgently needed to inform best practices. The Australian context is used to discuss international implications regarding higher-income countries with similar patterns/healthcare.

Towards Learning Excellence in Universities: A Critical Review of Information and Communication Technology Policies in Education in Kenya

The current reality is that technological advancement has shaped how learning is being conducted in education. Communication technology has been embraced in education by both educators and learners. However, the embracement has been slow, and this was experienced during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, when teaching and learning had to shift and relied heavily on communication technology, but in actuality educational institutions were not ready. The virus continues to linger on and has served as a wake-up call for the education sector. This therefore makes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) an essential component in education today, not only to be implemented during crises, but also due to technological advancement and stakeholders’ needs in the current times. Governments have made efforts to integrate ICT in education, as is the case in Kenya. This paper reviews the National ICT policy in Kenya since its formulation in 2006 and its revision in 2019. These two policies were national, and education was integrated into the policies. However, in 2021, an additional policy on ICT in education and training was formulated and will also be analysed in this study. The paper analyses the strategies and implementation in higher learning institutions and outlines the barriers and challenges experienced in its implementation. Accessibility and equity have been pinpointed as some of the major factors influencing ICT integration. As higher learning institutions focus on blended or hybrid learning, ICT becomes a fundamental tool to facilitate education. The paper makes recommendations based on the policy inadequacies and how to focus on ICT in education for future meaningful impact.

Women in water resource management: A review of water policies of Nepal

AbstractWomen in Nepal are primary users of water within and outside of their houses. Studies show that despite being a major stakeholder, women's voices are often absent in water management decisions. One of the effective ways of creating genderinclusive and empowering water management systems is through government policies and strategies. The objective of this paper is to examine whether Nepal's water‐related policies are gender inclusive and empowering. We review Nepal's major water‐related policies—the constitution and various acts and regulations—to assess whether these documents reflect women's interests and representation in various institutions that provide rights and controls over water in communities. Based on the review, we find that recent water policies of Nepal increasingly recognize the role of women as major stakeholders. This recognition is reflected in Nepal's policies such as the requirement to have at least 33% women represented in water user associations and the inclusion of women in executive positions at the community level. However, because of the lack of other strong implementation and monitoring arrangements such as allocation of budget and capacity‐building provisions, these policies are limited in their capacity to empower women to play decision‐making roles in water management. For women to have meaningful participation in water management, it is important that Nepal initiates provisions such as a strong implementation plan, adequate budget allocation for women's capacity building, and frequent monitoring.尼泊尔妇女是家庭内外用水的主要使用者。研究表明, 尽管妇女是主要的利益攸关方, 但在水管理决策中却常常缺少妇女的声音。创建性别包容和赋权的水管理系统的有效方法之一是通过政府政策和战略。本文旨在研究尼泊尔与水有关的政策是否具有性别包容性和赋权性。我们述评了尼泊尔与水有关的主要政策——宪法以及各种法案和法规——以评估这些文件是否反映了妇女在“提供社区水权和控制权的不同机构”中的利益和代表性。根据述评, 我们发现, 尼泊尔近期的水政策越来越认可妇女作为主要利益攸关方的作用。这种认可反映在尼泊尔的政策中, 例如要求用水者协会至少有33%的妇女代表, 以及让妇女担任社区一级的行政职务。然而, 由于缺乏其他强有力的实施和监督安排, 例如预算分配和能力建设规定, 这些政策在“对妇女赋权, 使其在水管理方面发挥决策作用”的能力有限。为了使妇女有意义地参与水管理, 尼泊尔需要启动“强有力的实施计划、为妇女能力建设分配充足的预算、以及经常监测”等规定。.Las mujeres en Nepal son las principales usuarias de agua dentro y fuera de sus hogares. Los estudios muestran que, a pesar de ser una parte interesada importante, las voces de las mujeres a menudo están ausentes en las decisiones sobre gestión del agua. Una de las formas efectivas de crear sistemas de gestión del agua empoderadores e inclusivos en términos de género es a través de políticas y estrategias gubernamentales. El objetivo de este artículo es examinar si las políticas relacionadas con el agua de Nepal son inclusivas en materia de género y empoderadoras. Revisamos las principales políticas relacionadas con el agua de Nepal (la Constitución y diversas leyes y regulaciones) para evaluar si estos documentos reflejan los intereses y la representación de las mujeres en diversas instituciones que otorgan derechos y controles sobre el agua en las comunidades. Según la revisión, encontramos que las políticas hídricas recientes de Nepal reconocen cada vez más el papel de las mujeres como partes interesadas principales. Este reconocimiento se refleja en políticas de Nepal como el requisito de tener al menos un 33% de mujeres representadas en las asociaciones de usuarios de agua y la inclusión de mujeres en puestos ejecutivos a nivel comunitario. Sin embargo, debido a la falta de otros acuerdos sólidos de implementación y monitoreo, como la asignación de presupuesto y disposiciones para el desarrollo de capacidades, estas políticas tienen una capacidad limitada para empoderar a las mujeres para que desempeñen roles de toma de decisiones en la gestión del agua. Para que las mujeres tengan una participación significativa en la gestión del agua, es importante que Nepal inicie disposiciones tales como un plan de implementación sólido, una asignación presupuestaria adecuada para el desarrollo de capacidades de las mujeres y un seguimiento frecuente.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management in Hong Kong: The Way Forward

There has been an increasing awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) management in green building designs, driven by the need to mitigate potential health risks and create sustainable and healthy indoor environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the critical role of ventilation and IAQ in reducing the risk of indoor airborne transmission. Governments and organisations worldwide have responded to this growing concern by implementing ventilation requirements and updating IAQ standards and guidelines. In the case of Hong Kong, a developed and densely populated city characterised by high-rise buildings, this study aims to provide a strategic framework for non-governmental agencies to address IAQ issues effectively. A comprehensive review of policies, regulations, and guidelines by international bodies and individual governments, along with an examination of the current IAQ management scheme in Hong Kong, has been conducted. Drawing inspiration from successful IAQ management strategies, the study aims to identify insights and potential pathways for the city’s future development of IAQ management strategies. Overall, this research highlights the importance of proactive IAQ management for buildings and offers a roadmap for Hong Kong’s pursuit of healthier indoor environments.

The Impact of Air Pollution on Asthma Severity among Residents Living near the Main Industrial Complex in Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Asthma is a widespread chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant public health challenge. The current study investigated the associations between air pollution and asthma severity among individuals residing near the Sohar industrial port (SIP) in Oman. Despite the presence of multiple major industrial complexes in Oman, limited knowledge regarding their impact on respiratory health is accredited. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to offer valuable insights into the respiratory health consequences of industrial air pollution in Al Batinah North. Methods: The state health clinics’ records for patient visits related to asthma were collected for the timeframe spanning 2014 to 2022. Exposure was defined as the distance from the SIP, Majan Industerial Area (MIA), and Sohar Industerial Zone (SIZ) to determine high-, intermediate-, and low-exposure zones (&lt;6 km, 6–12 km and &gt;12 km, respectively). Exposure effect modifications by age, gender, and smoking status were also examined. Results: The conducted cross-sectional study of 410 patients (46.1% males and 53.9% females) living in over 17 areas around SIP revealed that 73.2% of asthmatics were under 50 years old, with severity significantly associated with closeness to the port. Risk ratios were estimated to be (RR:2.42; CI95%: 1.01–5.78), (RR:1.91; CI95%: 1.01–3.6), and (RR:1.68; CI95%: 0.92–3.09) for SIP, MIP, and SIZ areas, respectively, compared to the control area. Falaj Al Qabail (6.4 km) and Majees (6 km) had the highest number of asthma patients (N 69 and N 72) and highest percentages of severe asthma cases among these patients (28% and 24%) with significant risk ratios (RR:2.97; CI95%: 1.19–7.45 and RR:2.55; CI95%: 1.00–6.48), correspondingly. Moreover, severe asthma prevalence peaked in the 25–50 age group (RR:2.05; CI95%: 1.26–3.33), and this linkage between asthma and age was much more pronounced in males than females. Smoking and exposure to certain contaminants (dust and smoke) also increased the risk of severe asthma symptoms, but their effects were less important in the high-risk zone, suggesting much more important risk factors. A neural network model accurately predicted asthma risk (94.8% accuracy), with proximity to SIP as the most influential predictor. Conclusions: This study highlights the high asthma burden near SIP, linked to port proximity, smoking, and wind direction as major risk factors. These findings inform vital public health policies to reduce air pollution and improve respiratory health in the region, prompting national policy review.

Assessing intersectional gender analysis in Nepal’s health management information system: a case study on tuberculosis for inclusive health systems

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in Nepal, high in settings marked by prevalent gender and social inequities. Various social stratifiers intersect, either privileging or oppressing individuals based on their characteristics and contexts, thereby increasing risks, vulnerabilities and marganilisation associated with TB. This study aimed to assess the inclusiveness of gender and other social stratifiers in key health related national policies and the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) by conducting an intersectional analysis of TB cases recorded via HMIS.MethodsA desk review of key policies and the NTP’s HMIS was conducted. Retrospective intersectional analysis utilized two secondary data sources: annual NTP report (2017–2021) and records of 628 TB cases via HMIS 6.5 from two TB centres (2017/18–2018/19). Chi-square test and multi-variate analysis was used to assess the association between social stratifers and types of TB, registration category and treatment outcome.ResultsGender, social inclusion and concept of intersectionality are incorporated into various health policies and strategies but lack effective implementation. NTP has initiated the collection of age, sex, ethnicity and location data since 2014/15 through the HMIS. However, only age and sex disaggregated data are routinely reported, leaving recorded social stratifiers of TB patients static without analysis and dissemination. Furthermore, findings from the intersectional analysis using TB secondary data, showed that male more than 25 years exhibited higher odds [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60–19.06, P = 0.01)] of successful outcome compared to male TB patients less than 25 years. Similarly, sex was significantly associated with types of TB (P < 0.05) whereas both age (P < 0.05) and sex (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with patient registration category (old/new cases).ConclusionsThe results highlight inadequacy in the availability of social stratifiers in the routine HMIS. This limitation hampers the NTP’s ability to conduct intersectional analyses, crucial for unveiling the roles of other social determinants of TB. Such limitation underscores the need for more disaggregated data in routine NTP to better inform policies and plans contributing to the development of a more responsive and equitable TB programme and effectively addressing disparities.

Breaking the Double Tax Paradigm

The success story of economic globalization is often linked to an increased freedom of capital movement, facilitated by the existence of more than 3,000 bilateral tax treaties, the primary purpose of which is to prevent double taxation. Even the most outspoken critics of the international tax regime subscribe to the notion that double taxation is detrimental to global growth, development and welfare. Yet, they argue that, all things considered, tax treaties might not be worth signing. Based on an extensive review of the available tax policy and economics literature, this article shows that there is not enough of a normative or empirical basis for thinking that double taxation will necessarily restrict capital flows, provided that the combined effective tax burden is kept at a reasonable level. At the same time, treaties seem to provide investors with a legal certainty that is key to cross-border business activity. This article posits that there should be more emphasis on the legal certainty aspect of tax treaties and less on their limited capacity to prevent double taxation. In fact, relaxing the double tax paradigm could help to significantly improve tax treaties, with a view to preserving their role in fostering international commerce and investment. In this respect, the authors propose a simplified tax treaty model that, by allowing an agreed overlap between home-state and host-state taxes, would diminish overall implementation costs while increasing legal certainty and reducing the risk of lengthy tax disputes, thus benefiting both taxpayers and tax administrations. The article further demonstrates that this approach is superior to the current Pillar One proposal and other popular systemic reform suggestions in the literature, specifically the destination-based cashflow tax (DBCFT) and global formulary apportionment.

Role of responsible leadership influence to reduce turnover intentions: a double-mediation framework

Purpose This study aims to propose a double-mediation effect of organizational justice and affective commitment (AC) through which responsible leadership (RL) influences to reduce turnover intention (TI). Design/methodology/approach The association between responsible leadership and TI, as well as the double-mediating effect of organizational justice and AC, was investigated using an integrated model. Structural equation modeling and Process Macro were used to validate the hypothesized correlations by analyzing the responses of 391 employees working in the Indian health-care sector. Findings The outcomes revealed a significant positive association between responsible leadership, organizational justice and AC, as well as a negative association between organizational justice, AC and TI. Moreover, the findings verified the association between responsible leadership and TI. Practical implications This study explored the double-mediating impact of organizational justice and AC on the association between responsible leadership and TI. It also supports the expert in guiding and performing the policy review as an outcome of this relationship. Originality/value The primary theoretical contribution of this study is to examine the relationship between RL and TI. This study examined the role of organizational justice (OJ) and AC as double mediators in the relationship between RL and TIs. Moreover, it has significant effects on the development of literature about RL, OJ, AC and TI.

The struggle for the construction of places of worship of minority religions in Indonesia

The literature on the construction of places of worship has predominantly shown difficulties, rejection and disharmony among religious communities. This study aims to describe and analyzed the success story of the construction of the Santa Monica church in Tangerang. This is a qualitative study conducted over a month-long period using primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through observation and interviews, while secondary data were obtained through formal and informal policy reviews available online. The informants involved in this study amounted to eight people consisting of church leaders and administrators, local leaders, religious leaders, religious organizations and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Data were analyzed using content analysis methods. The results of the study show that the ability of church leaders and administrators to build good social and cultural relations with the community was a key element in their success in obtaining permission to build the church. This was achieved through effective communication, dialogue and cooperation between the Catholic community, leaders and the predominantly Islamic local community. Active involvement in daily activities had a positive impact, fostering mutual trust and peaceful coexistence, ultimately resulting in the local community’s support and approval for the establishment of the place of worship. Thus, the church construction committee was able to meet all administrative requirements as stipulated by government regulations. This study recommends the importance of good social and cultural relations as the fundamental basis and determinant of success for religious communities seeking to construct places of worship.Contribution: This article contributes to the goal of HTS Theological Studies in promoting the transdisciplinary aspect of religious studies in the international theological arena, particularly in the study of religious harmony among communities in Indonesia.

Withdrawn —Administrative Duplicate Publication— Judicial review of Common Foreign and Security Policy by the ECtHR and the (re)negotiation on the accession of the EU to the ECHR

Withdrawn —Administrative Duplicate Publication— Judicial review of Common Foreign and Security Policy by the ECtHR and the (re)negotiation on the accession of the EU to the ECHR