In 1994, BRAC, the world's largest NGO, made headlines by putting women's rights centre stage in Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. The Gender Quality Action Learning (GQAL) Programme was one of the very first large-scale efforts to mainstream gender equality and aimed to weave objectives of gender equality throughout its own microfinance, education and health services. Advancing Gender Equality in Bangladesh describes the history, implementation, and outcome of this major 20-year initiative and discusses the lessons learnt throughout the fight to achieve gender equality outcomes in an effort to provide a tangible framework for future organizations interested in promoting gender equality and social inclusion. At a time when many gender equality programmes are still relatively young, this book offers a unique opportunity to track 20 years of intervention within a theoretical and cultural context and provides a platform for ongoing discussion about the roles of empowerment and gender transformation as agents for social change. This book provides an in-depth analysis of how strategies for change have operated in practice and will be of considerable interest to students, researchers and practitioners of international development, gender studies and social justice theory as well as those interested in a new practical methodology of the gender role framework.

Most African economies range from moderately advanced capitalist systems with modern banks and stock markets to peasant and pastoral subsistent systems. Most African countries are also characterized by parallel institutions of governance – one is the state sanctioned (formal) system and the other is the traditional system, which is adhered to, primarily but not exclusively, by the segments of the population in the subsistence peasant and pastoral economic systems.

Traditional Institutions in Contemporary African Governance examines critical issues that are largely neglected in the literature, including why traditional institutions have remained entrenched, what the socioeconomic implications of fragmented institutional systems are, and whether they facilitate or impede democratization. The contributors investigate the organizational structure of traditional leadership, the level of adherence of the traditional systems, how dispute resolution, decision-making, and resource allocation are conducted in the traditional system, gender relations in the traditional system, and how the traditional institutions interact with the formal institutions.

Filling a conspicuous gap in the literature on African governance, this book will be of great interest to policy makers as well as students and scholars of African politics, political economy and democratization.

Table of Contents

1. Institutional Fragmentation in Africa and its implications

2. Leadership Structures and Adherence Levels of Traditional Institutions

3. Traditional Institutions of Governance in a democratic South Africa

4. Traditional Institutions of the Booranaa and the Nuer in Ethiopia

5. Traditional Institutions in Somaliland

6. Traditional Institutions of the Gurage People

7. Traditional Institutions of the Meru, Pokot, and Mijikenda Communities in Kenya

8. Eritrea’s Experience in Reconciling the Formal and Traditional Institutions in Its judicial system

9. The relevance of Lesotho’s chieftainship system to contemporary governance

10. "Civil Chieftaincy" in African Governance

11. Relevance of Traditional Institutions and How they might be Reconciled with the Formal Institutions

12. Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Policy Implications

This book analyzes the changes in and development of China's Foreign Aid Policy and Mechanisms over the past 60 years. It offers readers a thorough introduction to China's Aid to Africa; its Aid to Southeast Asian Countries; its Aid Policy Toward Central Asian Countries; and its Aid to Latin America and the Caribbean Region, as well as their respective influence. Combining field research and surveys at the grass-roots level, the book argues that China's foreign aid policy is intended to help other countries and has changed the strategic pattern of Western countries imposing blockades on New China, and has thus played a key role in expanding and strengthening China's economic and political ties with many developing countries, restoring its legitimate seat in the United Nations and promoting the cause of cooperation with regard to international development. Focusing on concrete examples rather than abstruse theories, the book further argues that foreign aid requires practical policies, suitable expertise and technologies; at the same time, international development - a field largely overlooked by scholars of international relations - can offer profound principles to shape international relations and foreign aid.

This book presents the fmdings of a comparative study of three European metropolitan regions: Vienna, Barcelona and Stockholm. The heart of the work consists of empirical studies carefully designed and developed in order to identify the main actors and mechanisms supporting technological innovation in each of the metropolitan regions. The authors have also highlighted the similarities and differences across regions and countries, investigating how these came to be, and discussing the possible implications. The introductory as well as the concluding Chapter was written by Manfred M. Fischer who, assisted by Attila Varga, was also responsible for Chapter 2 on the Metropolitan Region of Vienna. Javier Revilla Diez contributed Chapter 3 on the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. Folke Snickars has provided Chapter 4 which examines the Metropolitan Region of Stockholm and. All authors have reviewed and commented on the whole contents so that the volume represents a collective endeavour which has been rendered as homogeneous as possible. A particular effort has been made to ensure that the study is based on a common conceptual framework.

This collection examines change within the major regional organizations of the Asia Pacific: The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). It has two simultaneous foci: the nature of institutional change in regional organizations, and the process of regionalism in the Asia Pacific. It combines the views of both officials and practitioners, providing new insights into both its major questions.

Although the Genocide Convention was already adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1945, it was only in the late 1990s that groups of activists emerged calling for military interventions to halt mass atrocities. The question of who these anti-genocide activists are and what motivates them to call for the use of violence to end violence is undoubtedly worthy of exploration. Based on extensive field research, Anti-genocide Activists and the Responsibility to Protect analyses the ideological convictions that motivate two groups of anti-genocide activists: East Timor solidarity activists and Responsibility to Protect (R2P)-advocates. The book argues that there is an existential undercurrent to the call for mass atrocity interventions; that mass atrocities shock the activists' belief in a humanity that they hold to be sacred. The book argues that the ensuing rise of anti-genocide activism signals a shift in humanitarian sensibilities to human suffering and violence which may have substantial implications for moral judgements on human lives at peril in the humanitarian and human rights community. This book provides a fascinating insight into the worldviews of activists which will be of interest to practitioners and researchers of human rights activism, humanitarian advocacy and peace building.

Over the last 50 years, Nepal has been considered an experiential model in determining the effectiveness and success of global human development strategies, both in theory and in practice. As such, it provides a rich array of in-depth case studies in both development success and failure. This edited collection examines these in order to propose a novel perspective on how human development occurs and how it can be aided and sustained. Aid, Technology and Development: The lessons from Nepal champions plural rationality from both a theoretical and practical perspective in order to challenge and critique the status quo in human development understanding, while simultaneously presenting a concrete framework with which to aid citizen and governmental organisations in the galvanization of human development. Including contributions by leading international social scientists and development practitioners throughout Nepal, this book will be of great interest to students, scholars and practitioners working in the field of foreign aid and development studies.

The book critically examines the effects of the War on Terror on the relationships between civil society, security and aid. It argues that the War on Terror regime has greatly reshaped the field of development and it highlights the longer-lasting impacts of post-9/11 counter-terrorism responses on aid policy and practice on civil society.

Over the past three decades, South Korea's economic performance has bordered on a miracle. Few economies have achieved such spectacular growth in such a short period of time. Korea's development process provides a sharp contrast to the lackluster growth experienced by many other developing economies and represents several unique characteristics even in comparison with its neighbors Japan and Taiwan. At the same time, certain aspects of its development remain minor mysteries requiring further examination and scrutiny. At the very least, the meteoric rise of a small economy and its people to international prominence after centuries of obscurity, disenfranchisement,and privation, deserves careful investigation and worldwide attention. This collection of 24 original essays focuses on the economic policies that led to the rapid transformation of the Korean economy. Among the salient features of the Korean experience dealt with by the contributors are development policies and the record of development; export policies--exchange rate, import liberalization, factor price distortions, and changing comparative advantage; production technology and total factor productivity; macroeconomic perspectives; conglomeration, business concentration and management practices; income distribution and labor issues, and urban and regional policies. Throughout the book, the role of the government in the development process and the dominance of large businesses in the economic sphere are analyzed extensively. In seeking to trace the relationships among various economic factors and to provide some insight into the process of economic development, this volume marshalls a considerable array of statistics and institutional descriptions as a background for analysis. This book will be welcomed by those studying economic development in general and the East Asian economy in particular as well as by those currently engaged in dealing with Korea.

Regionalism and World Order assesses the origins, significance and likely evolution of the trend towards regionalism within the world order. It analyses how states have been responding to the end of US hegemony and assesses the extent to which new regional blocs are emerging and their nature. These questions are analysed through detailed case studies of the three most advanced regions of the world economy - the Americas, the European Union, and East Asia - firstly from the standpoint of the 'core' state or states, and secondly from that of the 'peripheral' states.

The speed and scale of urbanisation in India is unprecedented almost anywhere in the world and has tremendous global implications. The religious influence on the urban experience has resonances for all aspects of urban sustainability in India and yet it remains a blind spot while articulating sustainable urban policy. This book explores the historical and on-going influence of religion on urban planning, design, space utilisation, urban identities and communities. It argues that the conceptual and empirical approaches to planning sustainable cities in India need to be developed out of analytical concepts that define local sense of place and identity. Examining how Hindu religious heritage, beliefs and religiously influenced planning practices have impacted on sustainable urbanisation development in Jaipur and Indian cities in general, the book identifies the challenges and opportunities that ritualistic and belief resources pose for sustainability. It focuses on three key aspects: spatial segregation and ghettoisation; gender-inclusive urban development; and the nexus between religion, nature and urban development. This cutting-edge book is one of the first case studies linking Hindu religion, heritage, urban development, women and the environment in a way that responds to the realities of Indian cities. It opens up discussion on the nexus of religion and development, drawing out insightful policy implications for the sustainable urban planning of many cities in India and elsewhere in South Asia and the developing world.

Local governments encounter mammouth problems, and although there is not one panacea that works internationally, this book argues that there are mechanisms to improve the local situation and theer is evidence that this can suceed. By considering a number of key case studies from Latin America, Africa and Asia, the authors review best practices in good governance, thereby demonstarting that things can improve at the local level.

Refugees and asylum seekers are the subject of major debates both at national and international level. But the debates exclude a gendered perspective that considers the experiences and needs of men and women. This study provides a comprehensive account of the situation of women refugees globally and explains how they differ from men. Looking at causes of refugee flows, international laws and conventions and their application, the policies and legislation of Western governments, and lived experiences of refugees themselves, this book is a much-needed addition to the migration literature.

The authors in this volume address the question 'What is empowerment?' Is it power over resources? Is it the ability to create 'effective demand'? Is it about the ability to make choices? Is it about access to resources and how they are controlled, politically, economically, by NGOs, by political parties, by the state? Do political parties facilitate or do they channel energies away from empowerment? They evaluate how in different circumstances different political agents have been seen as provider of resources.

An exploration of the implications of the 'good governance' agendas for developing and newly democratized countries. The book first assesses each item on the 'good governance' agenda for its contribution to development and the cost to society of bad governance. It secondly examines the view of the international development agencies on each dimension of governance. Thirdly it specifies the contribution political science can make to an understanding of each dimension of governance, both in respect of the actions undertaken by aid agencies and recipient governments, and of those aspects of political reform which fall beyond the scope of foreign intervention.

This volume examines the role of Chinese businesses and industries in Asian production networks. By presenting different case studies of the Asian region, the contributors illustrate how China successfully exports the Chinese business model, based on Chinese ethics, social networks and production integration. The contributors also discuss topics such as the implications and ramifications of global product sharing within Asia; the prospects of free trade agreements in Asia; the economic advantages of Chinese family lineage and Guanxi an influential Chinese network; collaboration of overseas Chinese with mainland Chinese, as well as direct Chinese business involvement and investment in other Asian countries.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly recognised as playing a significant role in the health sector in developing countries. This book examines the background to the growth both in the sector and interest in it, the strengths and weaknesses of NGOs and the arguments for and against their use for different aspects of the health sector. It focuses particularly on the relationship between the State and non-governmental organizations and the issues critical to the development of policies towards the sector.

Cohn lays out a new strategy of how states can produce economic development in poor nations - by considering barber shops, beauty parlours, hotels and restaurants in Brazil. Cohn considers the case of nations with budgetary limits that cannot afford to follow the East Asian model, and finds alternative policies that create jobs and reduce poverty.

This book explains how issues of governance lie at the heart of understanding and combating the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. It reviews the debates surrounding the root causes of the pandemic and its continuing proliferation and examines the local and global socio-political forces that have contributed to the spread and impact of the disease.

The study deals with problems and policy options facing Third World mega-cities. It examines the major sources of urban population growth and spatial concentration and analyses the conflict between economic efficiency and decentralization. It also assesses the implications of rapid urban population growth for employment generation and poverty alleviation, discusses the relationship between urban poverty and access to housing and basic social services, and examines the problems of resource mobilization to finance urban programmes. The analysis is based on data gathered from several Third-World mega-cities. The study thus provides a comparative analysis of mega-city problems and suggests the direction in which future policies need to be developed to deal more effectively with these problems.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Tenth Keynes Seminar held by Keynes College at the University of Kent at Canterbury in 1991. The purpose of the seminars is to examine for the student and the layman, as well as for the professional economist, the varous aspects of Keynes's life and work.

Is 'development' the answer for positive social change or a cynical western strategy for perpetuating inequality? Moving beyond an increasingly entrenched debate about the role of NGOs, this book reveals the practices and social relations through which ideas of development are concretely enacted.

The social, economic and political contexts in which development projects in India are implemented, and consequences to people displaced by such projects, are analyzed in this book. Development, displacement, resettlement, and rehabilitation processes related to three major reservoir bases' irrigation and power projects, and three major industrial projects are studied. The role of the state, international agencies and the private industrial sector in promoting development and managing rehabilitation of the displaced people is assessed, and the author proposes a framework for a comprehensive policy on development, displacement and rehabilitation.