Empowering Marginal Communities with Information Networking provides valuable insights into the successes and challenges faced by development project implementers around the world. It includes methodologies, technological constraints, implementation challenges, and sustainability issues of different projects, focusing on the empowerment of marginal communities. ""Empowering Marginal Communities with Information Networking"" supports rural technology and information systems in order to strengthen grass-roots institutions by blending indigenous knowledge and modern technology. This book includes success stories, drawbacks, and facts and figures in the social transformation processes of globalization.

Over the last four decades, Dr. Vito Tanzi traveled frequently to Latin America in his professional capacity as an economist working for the International Monetary Fund and for other international organizations. During many trips, he observed ongoing economic and political developments, but, was also fascinated by the culture, history, and beauty of the region.

He believes that books written about Latin America don't often convey the vitality, beauty, and diversity of the region. Therefore, he decided to write a book based upon his own observations and memories from his travels and work in several countries of Latin America. The Charm of Latin America transcends economics and provides a more complete and lively portrait of these countries bursting with humanity. He captures cultural, visual, economic, and some of the historical aspects of Latin America. Entertaining and informative, the book covers five important countries: Brazil, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Whether taken along on a trip to the region, or, simply enjoyed in the comfort of one's own house, The Charm of Latin America will bring the beauty and culture of this beautiful region to life

This book offers broad-gauged analyses of the causes, nature, and changing patterns of armed conflict in Africa as well as the reasons for these patterns. It also situates conflicts that have been haunting the African continent since the time of decolonization within the various theoretical schools such as "new war," "economic war," "neo-patrimonial," and "globalization." It begins with the premise that conflict constitutes one of the major impediments to Africa's socio-economic development and has made the continent's future looks relatively bleak. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the international community has, once again, treated Africa as a hopeless continent. This is due, in part, to a number of political, military, and socio-economic problems, which have made the continent miss the path towards sustainable development. From the period of political independence in the 1960s to the immediate post-Cold War period, the African political landscape was dotted with many conflicts of different natures and intensity (low-intensity conflicts, civil wars, mass killings, and large-scale political violence). During the first four decades of political independence, there were about 80 forceful changes of government in Sub-Saharan Africa, while a large number of countries in that region witnessed various forms of conflicts. This collection assembles the work of distinguished African scholars who offer valuable new insights into the problem of political instability.

When the Wall Street banker takes the side of the indebted developing countries in his feature articles reviewing the impact of the global sovereign debt crisis of the 1980s in the Dutch daily NRC-Handelsblad, it is time to leave banking. He is attracted to Unicef's vision and goal of Health for All and its tireless pursuit of structural economic adjustment programmes with a human face. In Africa, Boudewijn Mohr jumps into Unicef's hands-on work in the field. He spearheads the clearing of landmines in Unicef project areas in Mozambique, and engages with children throughout his travels on the continent. Thus he can be found playing football with former child soldiers in Monrovia; touring Nouakchott with street children who show him the tricks of pick pocketing; or gate crashing a diamond mine that exploits child labour near Kenema in the rebel-infested east of Sierra Leone. His stories are both an adventure and the search of fulfilment but at the same time a call to all those who want to do more and are uncertain of what the world holds. Part of the proceeds of this book are going to 'Hands-Up Foundation', a British charity working with Syrian doctors and nurses in Syria under harsh circumstances.

This book promotes the well-being of the commons through representation and accountability through monitoring from below in order to operationalize engagement. This book views the commons as a legal concept, a transformative governance concept, and a basis for systemic ethics. The chapters focus on practical responses to address complex problems that comprise many interrelated variables and are perceived differently by stakeholders with different values and life experiences. By considering these different stakeholders, the goal is to highlight ways to regenerate and invigorate employment opportunities. The book identifies pathways towards ethical vocational education to enable lifelong engagement by active citizens which requires action learning to address areas of perceived policy concern. Throughout the chapters in this book, the authors discuss transformative research and its implications on stakeholders. They focus on re-presentation and its implications for thinking and practice. One author makes the case for fostering non anthropocentric approaches to ethical development. In addition, the chapters cover case studies including governance challenges associated with water management using a mixed method approach and also production of mushrooms in collaboration with coffee growers in Jakarta. The book focuses on ways to de-colonialise knowledge formation in public policy and makes the case for an alternative approach to governance and democracy that takes into account a range of local people's perspectives.

This publication contributes to the serious games field by investigating original contributions and methods that use serious games in various domains. This comprehensive and timely publication works as an essential reference source, building on the available literature in the field of Serious Games for the economic and social development of countries while providing for further research opportunities in this dynamic and growing field. Thus, the book provides the opportunity for a reflection on this important issue, increasing the understanding of the importance of Serious Games in the context of organizations' improvements, providing relevant academic work, empirical research findings, and an overview of this relevant field of study. This text provides the resources necessary for policy makers, technology developers and managers to adopt and implement solutions for a more digital era.

In volume, an emerging generation of African scholars examines specific states in Africa where instability is the order of the day. Considerations of African instability are highly relevant in today's world, where one examines the types of regimes that were put in place after the Cold War and their effects on Africa. Multiparty systems introduced in Africa, rather than bringing about inclusive governance, allowed for the emergence of religious strife, ethnic conflict, and cronyism inscribed in the continent's "politicalscapes." The economics of exclusivity fueled by globalization have decisively contributed to the emergence of non-state actors claiming sovereignty in sovereign states. From Libya's implosion to the low-key war in Mozambique to the crisis of climate change, there are many variables that make stability a mirage on the continent. Widespread terrorism implies that for the foreseeable future, the continent may be a theater of crises. Regime change, as seen in Libya, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, not only increases instability in the states concerned, but has and will have spill over effects in adjacent states. Boko Haram's activities in Nigeria, which ought to be an internal matter of the Abuja government, for instance, are having negative effects in Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. The effect on food production, disputed access to farmland, and daily challenges faced by food producers are instances of underdevelopment perpetuated by climate change and other challenges considered in this timely book.

This book focuses on the recent rise of new regional economic institutions such as the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which were established, in part, as a result of dissatisfaction of dynamic emerging markets with global economic institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the GATT/WTO. The latter were formed by advanced economies in the West, after the historic Bretton Wood Conference of 1944. In doing so, the book addresses how this recent round of decentralisation, defined as the co-existence of "senior" global institutions and a plethora of newly-established regional institutions, has affected global economic governance, and the delivery of global public goods. It also poses the question if this has led to the fragmentation of global economic governance. The book adds value to existing literature by using a benefit-risk analytical framework to study the decentralisation process. Unlike the "contested multilateralism" argument used by some authors which focuses on the costs of decentralisation, the authors argue that benefits must also be considered. It also describes and analyses the establishment of global and regional international economic institutions and the evolving relationships between the two. Third, the authors argue that this decentralisation process will continue in the postpandemic period and recommend policies to reset the relationship between global and regional institutions. And lastly, the book discusses proposals to reform the international monetary system including the global reserve system with a view to reducing the hegemony of the US dollar. Throughout the book, the role for Asia is also identified, and elaborated on.

This book focuses on the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure development project intended to connect Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By introducing a new analytical approach to the study of economic corridors, it gauges the anticipated economic and geopolitical impacts on the region and discusses whether the CPEC will serve as a pioneer project for future regional cooperation between and integration of sub-national regions such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Further, it explores the interests, expectations and policy approaches of both Chinese and Pakistani local and central governments with regard to the CPEC's implementation. Given its scope, the book will appeal to regional and spatial sciences scholars, as well as social scientists interested in the regional impacts of economic corridors. It also offers valuable information for policymakers in countries participating in the Belt-and-Road Initiative or other Chinese-supported development projects.

Effective governance is vital for all nations and can be made easier with advanced technology and communication. Through various collaborative efforts and processes, developing nations can enhance their economies with multi-level governance. Multi-Level Governance in Developing Economies is a collection of innovative research on the applications and theories of multi-level governance in the developing world. It illustrates the practical side of multi-level governance by emphasizing special policies such as immigration, innovation, climate, local government, and construction. While highlighting topics including Europeanization, politics of the developing world, and immigration policies, this book is ideally designed for academicians, policymakers, government officials, and individuals seeking current research on the usage and impact of multi-level governance in emerging economies.

This book critically discusses the changing relationship between the Indian state and capital by examining the mediating role of society in influencing developmental outcomes. It theorizes the state's changing context allowing the discussion of its pursuit of contradictory economic and social welfare goals simultaneously. Both structural and ideological factors are argued to contribute to a shifting context, but the centrality of re-distributive politics and the contradictions therein explain a lot of what the state does and cannot do. The book also examines what the state aspires to do but structurally cannot accomplish either because of the scale of the problem or the dysfunctionality that sets in with continuous reforms. The collection provides rich evidence on the contested forms of governance arising from changing contexts and shifting roles of the state. Readers will benefit from this recasting of the Indian state in terms of the actual forms of intervention today. Changing Contexts and Shifting Roles of the Indian State is a timely book. At a time when the question of the role of the state in promoting more inclusive forms of development has never been more urgent, this book provides a range of powerful and insightful case studies of how a changing Indian capitalism is impacting and in turn being impacted by the multi-stranded role of the Indian state. Patrick Heller, Professor of Sociology and International Affairs, Brown University, Providence. Since the early 1990s, the Indian economy has moved away from a statist model of development to a more market-oriented one. However, very little scholarship exists that attempts to analyse India's recent development experience from a political economy lens. This book, which is edited by two of India's reputed scholars in the political economy of development, addresses this important gap in the literature. It provides an insightful account of the role of the state and the market in India's economic resurgence in the last three decades. The book also contributes to a fresh understanding of what is meant by a twenty-first century developmental state in a globalised world. The book will be valuable reading for all scholars of India, as well as to researchers in the political economy of development. Kunal Sen, Director, United Nations University - World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki. This collection gives us a richer and more layered understanding of the Indian contemporary State. Rather than see the State as an unchanging entity with unchanging interests, the book argues that the role of the State changes with the context and with the change in political regime. Thus, taking contradictory decisions such as greater dispossession of land from the peasantry and expansion of the universe of economic rights is explainable. The argument is that we can have a better understanding when we see the Indian State as dealing with the ebb and flow of a democracy. C. Rammanohar Reddy, Former Editor, Economic and Political Weekly, Mumbai.

In New African Thinkers, young scholars from across Africa discuss their vision for the social, political, and economic future of their continent. A unifying element running throughout their work is the argument that culture-defined broadly as a way of life, system of values and controls, and modes of practice and expression-lies at the heart of a reimagined Africa: a place of prosperity and socioeconomic well-being, integration, and self-determination. The book grew out of the Tenth African Young Graduates and Scholars conference, the theme of which was the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Cultures of violence are characteristic of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and attempts to move towards cultures of peace have often proved difficult and ineffectual. And yet, the wide variations in levels of violence within and between countries show that it is not inevitable; rather, it is the result of choices made at individual, community and societal levels. This book examines the potential of peace infrastructures as vehicles to strengthen and spread progress towards cultures of peace. Peace infrastructures vary hugely in sophistication and level. The examples examined in this book range from tiny structures which help resolve conflicts between individuals and within community organisations, peace committees which serve local communities, peace education and peace club programmes in schools, mediation mechanisms to prevent election violence and to ministries of peace to coordinate government and non-government efforts in peacemaking and peacebuilding. The overall finding is that the development of peace infrastructures at all levels has great potential to build cultures of peace. 1. It is the only book available which documents the experience and potential of nonviolence in post-independence sub-Saharan Africa. 2. It makes a persuasive case for the development of various peace infrastructures in order to make peace sustainable. 3. It explains how strategic planning can be utilised, both to bring about change and to institutionalise it.

Development as a Battlefield is an innovative exploration of the multidimensional meanings of - and interactions between - conflict and development. The two phenomena are all too often regarded as ostensibly antagonistic. This was exemplified again in the context of the Arab Spring that erupted in December 2010 and was eventually short-lived in several countries of the Middle-East and North-Africa (MENA) region. This volume - the 8th thematic issue of International Development Policy - is an invitation to reconsider and renew the way social scientists usually seek to make sense of socio-political and economic developments in the MENA region and beyond. Contributors include: Fariba Adelkhah, Yasmine Berriane, Irene Bono, Ayse Bugra, Raphaelle Chevrillon-Guibert, Anouck Gabriela Corte real-Pinto, Nadia Hachimi Alaoui, Beatrice Hibou, Adriana Kemp, Nora Lafi. Talia Margalit, Marie Vannetzel, Elena Vezzadini, and Merieme Yafout.

This book presents new scientific knowledge on using developmental science to improving lives of children and youth across the globe. It highlights emerging pathways to sustainability as well as the interconnectedness and interdependence of developmental science and sustainable children and youth development globally. Presenting cross-cultural views and current perspectives on the role of developmental science in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals for children and youth development, contributors from different disciplines from low-and-middle-income countries or scholars working in these countries capture ground realities of the situation of children and youth in these regions. This book addresses developmental issues related to inequity, gender, health, education, social protection, and needs of vulnerable populations of children and youth. Other areas of focus are improving mechanisms and monitoring frameworks of development and well-being indicators.

This series of books brings together results of an extensive research programme on aspects of the national systems of innovation (NSI) in the five BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It provides a comprehensive and comparative examination of the challenges and opportunities faced by these dynamic and emerging economies. In discussing the impact of innovation with respect to economic, geopolitical, socio-cultural, institutional, and technological systems, it reveals the possibilities of new development paradigms for equitable and sustainable growth. Original and detailed data, together with expert analyses on wide-ranging issues, make this book an invaluable resource for researchers and scholars in economics, development studies and political science, in addition to policymakers and development practitioners interested in the BRICS countries.

Since the early 2000s, state-led and innovation-focused strategies have characterized the approach to development pursued in countries around the world, such as China, India, and South Korea. Brazil, the largest and most industrialized economy in Latin America, demonstrates both the opportunities and challenges of this approach. Over the course of nearly 20 years, the Brazilian government enacted various policies and programs designed to strengthen the country's capacity to innovate. It increased spending on science and technology, encouraged greater collaboration between industry and universities, and fostered the creation of new institutions whose primary aim was to facilitate greater private research and development (R&D) spending. In this book, the editors unite a diverse array of empirical contributions around a few key themes, including public policies, institutions and innovation ecosystems, and firms and industries, that collectively make the case for a new, forward-looking innovation agenda aimed at addressing persistent challenges and exploiting emerging opportunities in Brazil. Its conclusions offer valuable lessons for other developing and emerging economies seeking to accelerate innovation and growth in the modern age. With its interdisciplinary and wide-ranging contribution to the study of innovation, as well as attention to broader policy implications, this book will appeal to scholars and professionals alike.

This book examines a range of current issues in Islamic development management. The first part of the book explores practical issues in governance and the application of Islamic governance in new areas such as quality management systems and the tourism industry, while the second delves into questions of sustainability. The book proposes a new Islamic sustainability and offers new perspectives on CSR in connection with waqf (Islamic endowments) and microfinance. The third part of the book addresses Islamic values and how they are applied in entrepreneurship, inheritance, consumer behavior and marketing. The fourth part examines the issues of waqf and takaful (a form of insurance in line with the Islamic laws), while the fifth discusses the fiqh (the study of Islamic legal codes) and legal framework from the perspectives of entrepreneurship, higher education, reporting and inheritance (wills). The final chapter is dedicated to the application of Islamic principles in various other issues. Written in an accessible style, the book will appeal to newcomers to the field, as well as researchers and academics with an interest in Islamic development management.

This practical, solutions-oriented approach to African development provides a detailed overview of the steps needed for industrialization. It includes lessons from the developed world as well as descriptions of key facets of Africa's current environment. It outlines the resources now available to the nations of Africa and gives examples, both broad and specific, from other successful development programs. Policy makers, business professionals, and academics and students will find the overview presented in this book comprehensive and practical.

The author examines agriculture, manufacturing, natural resources, transportation, and urbanization in the context of classical and modern economic and development theory. The experiences of other regions, including Europe during the Industrial Revolution and the United States in the twentieth century are offered as examples of possible paths to follow. An appendix provides a detailed look at each country in Africa, which includes population, resources, language groups, and other relevant information.

Business retains a large influence over the progression of society. Thus, shared goals among corporations could lead to a larger positive impact on the resilience of social and economic expansions. Value Sharing for Sustainable and Inclusive Development is a critical academic resource that explores the opportunities through which businesses can contribute to sustainable and inclusive development. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as the value sharing model, corporate social responsibility, and multi-sided markets, this book is geared toward academicians, researchers, policy makers, and students seeking current research on the importance of collaborative efforts on the part of businesses and entities to achieve functional progression.

In the next millennium, it is anticipated that human factors issues will take centre stage in initiatives targeted at enhancing economic competitiveness and productivity. This development is already discernible in nascent knowledge and digital based industries and economies, which are expected to emerge in force in the near future and continue to dominate thereafter. These developments will establish irreversibly the emerging global economy. The theme of the APCHI 2000 conference is: "Towards a seamless integration of collaborative human computer systems" to reflect the already discernible shift in focus of human computer interaction (HCI). whilst the theme of the ASEAN Ergonomics 2000 conference is: "From user centeredness to people centeredness" to reflect the imminent shift in focus that is required of human factors.

The papers in these proceedings provide a good contrast of human factors contributions to both old and new economies that make up ASEAN and APEC. They highlight the diverse roles human factors can play in advancing the quality of life in developed, developing and third world nations. They also serve as a guide to human factors practitioners in old economies on what to expect as their economies develop.

This book provides a rare integrative interpretation of government-enterprise relations in China, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Focusing on the government and its principal goals, it describes the transition of government-enterprise relations and highlights the embedding of the entities of government and enterprises in specific political, economic and social environments. Further, it analyzes how the government's institutional arrangement regulates the behavior of various types of enterprises with different structures, and the logic mechanisms such institutional arrangements use to change and shape government-enterprise relations. Based on these issues and logic mechanisms, the book points out the complexity of government-enterprise relations and the diversity of their transition path, thus reflecting some typical features in the overall reform of China and discussing specific factors related to China's social development experience.

This book examines forced migration of two refugees groups in South Asia. The author discusses the claims of "belonging" of refugees, and asserts that in practice "belonging" can extend beyond the state-centric understanding of membership in South Asian states. She addresses two sets of interrelated questions: what factors determine whether refugees are relocated to their home countries in South Asia, and why do some repatriated groups re-integrate more successfully than others in "post-peace" South Asian states? This book answers these questions through a study of refugees from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh who sought asylum in India and were later relocated to their countries of origin. Since postcolonial societies have a typical kind of state-formation, in South Asia's case this has profoundly shaped questions of belonging and membership. The debate tends to focus on citizenship, making it a benchmark to demarcate inclusion and exclusion in South Asian states. In addition to qualitative analysis, this book includes narratives of Sri Lankan and Chakma refugees in post-conflict and post-peace Sri Lanka and Bangladesh respectively, and critiques the impact of macro policies from the bottom up.