European Union civil society support and the depoliticisation of Turkish civil society

Despite growing critical literature on external funding, the link between EU funding to Turkish civil society organisations (CSOs) and their depoliticisation remains understudied. This article fills this gap. This article explores EU funds in Turkey and shows the incentives it creates for a depoliticised civil society. Drawing on an original set of interviews with 45 CSOs, this article analyses how Turkish CSOs interact with EU funding and how this support impacts on Turkish civil society. This article argues that EU funding’s short-term, activity-based, measurable outcome and visibility-oriented structure contributed to the depoliticisation of those CSOs benefited from EU funds.     

Reproductive health services: “Business-in-a-Box” as a model social innovation

Access to reproductive health services and products in remote and rural communities is a critical area of concern for developing countries. This article considers a pilot intervention in three districts of Pakistan where “Business-in-a-Box” as a model of place-based social innovation is used to improve the socio-economic conditions of women in remote rural settings through socially responsible micro-franchising. It finds that such programmes help build a sense of community, ownership and grassroots capabilities and skills. The article also discusses the impacts of such actions on the individual and community life, and the need to upscale and sustain these initiatives.     

Protest by candlelight: A comparative analysis of candlelight vigils in South Korea

ABSTRACT

Protest activist leaders must make a series of decisions about the strategies they use; one such decision is the choice of tactic or performance, often informed by their cultural historic contentious repertoire. In South Korea's contentious repertoire, the use of candlelight vigils has become an increasingly prevalent form of protest tactic. Candlelight vigils have become an increasingly prominent tactic in South Korea’s repertoire over the last two decades, as evidenced by major candlelight vigils in 2002, 2008, and 2016-2017. In this study, we explore the ways in which candlelight vigils as a protest tactic have evolved over time in South Korea. We notably find that vigils emerged as a left-wing protest tactic in 2002, but right-wing protesters began adopting the tactic during the counter-protests opposing President Park Geun-Hye’s impeachment in 2016–2017 (Taegeukgi Giphoei). Additionally, we find that candlelight vigils drew participants from an increasingly wide swath of society over time and average citizens assumed greater organizational roles. This research not only contributes to the literature on South Korean social movements and civil society, but to understanding candlelight vigils as a distinct form of protest and how contentious repertoires evolve over time more broadly.     

Adding to the Controversy? Civil Society’s Evaluation of the National Conference Dialogue in Yemen

ABSTRACT

This article assembles a picture of Yemen’s 2013–14 National Dialogue Conference (NDC) by collecting perspectives from local civil society organizations (CSOs), which are contrasted to the views of international commentators. Despite all efforts by internal parties as well as the international community, the dialogue failed to avert war, which broke out shortly after. Through interviews with 50 CSOs, we reconstructed the reasons for failure, as well as paying attention to the observed strengths of the dialogue. Half of the consulted organizations were directly involved in the NDC, either as an invited participant or in a brokerage role. The other half concerns outside observers. We identify aspects on which the opinion of the CSOs converge, but also highlight striking divergences depending on insider/outsider status. In contrast to the view espoused in the international literature, the CSOs overall feel that, in spite of all its procedural and substantive flaws, the NDC was a significant junction in the long road towards peace and stability and laid important groundwork for future dialogues.     

试论善的理念是政治社会的合法性基础

拥有幸福生活始终是人类孜孜以求的一个社会理想。本文试图从古典的哲学思想出发寻找政治社会存在的道德基础。以道德为基础的政治社会体现了人的政治生存向度,需要人们把它作为各种规范的核心观念才能有约束力,才能使社会关系和谐有序地发展,从而实现“自然主义”和“人道主义”的统一。     

经济基础在构建和谐社会中的作用

社会和谐是生产力与生产关系、经济基础与上层建筑等一系列复杂的社会矛盾综合作用的集中表现和结果。政治、经济、文化、思想道德建设、法律法制等等,对社会和谐的形成和发展都有重大作用,但起基础作用的是经济基础,生产资料所有制关系是否适应生产力的性质、水平和发展的要求,对社会和谐具有决定性作用。构建社会主义和谐社会,必须以经济发展为前提。经济基础也是人与自然之间和谐的关键因素。     

知识产权制度的进路与出路:知识产权文化——以构建和谐社会为视角

知识产权文化是知识产权制度的积淀和升华,对知识产权制度运行中各种主体的利益冲突具有潜在的协调和平衡作用。知识产权文化与和谐社会具有共同的经济理性,而且其协调和平衡的社会功能与和谐社会追求的终极目标不谋而合,因而知识产权文化在构建和谐社会的进程中具有重要的地位。     

构建和谐社会要努力搞好社会保障工作

构建和谐社会,需要搞好社会保障工作。共产党对构建和谐社会与搞好社会保障工作进行了理论探索,我们研究社会保障工作实践中的问题,提出解决问题的思路、对策,有助于构建和谐社会。     

艰苦奋斗与全面建设小康社会

在新世纪全面建设小康社会起步时 ,我们要正确认识艰苦奋斗与全面建设小康社会的统一性 ;充分认识艰苦奋斗建设小康的重要性 ;丰富艰苦奋斗新内涵 ,从而把党的伟大事业推向前进     

构建和谐社会对行政执法的影响

和谐社会是人类文明社会追求的一种理想社会形态,而依法治国与依法行政是实现与构建和谐社会的必备要求,本文从行政执法的角度分析构建和谐社会对行政执法的影响,以期待完善行政执法质量,提高行政执法水平,实现和谐社会。