Who cares? The personal and professional problems of NGO fieldworkers in Bangladesh

This article highlights the personal and professional problems of NGO fieldworkers in Bangladesh. The paper draws on field research with the front-line workers of four NGOs, their clients, immediate superiors, and senior management. Fieldworkers face personal problems such as job insecurity, financial hardships, difficulties with accommodation, and family dislocation. These problems differ according to gender, marital status, and age. Professional problems include training, promotion, and transfer. In addition, fieldworkers face problems in their external relationships, including suspicion, resistance or lack of cooperation from religious leaders and local e´lites, time and resource constraints, competition for clients, and eagerness of the intended beneficiaries simply to get access to financial or material benefits. It will be argued that the strengths of the fieldworkers of Southern NGOs have been largely unexplored and undervalued.     

Import substitution and structural change in Indian manufacturing industry 1950–1966

The paper links a simple aggregate model of growth‐cum‐external debt with an empirical formula for debt‐servicing capacity. Through simulations of growth and debt patterns, using data related to two groups of LDCs, the underlying conditions and the pattern of debt service problems which emerge are studied. Simulation of policies designed to alleviate debt‐service problems allows an assessment of the efficiency and suitability of different policies. The time dimension of debt problems and its relevance to policy are considered as well. The study raises doubts regarding the applicability of accepted beliefs and rules of thumb related to external debt management.     

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF LIBERTY IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC MIDDLE EAST

The following papers were the basis for a panel at the annual meeting of the Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG) in Washington, D.C., October 23, 1993. See below for the participants' affiliations     

Allele frequency distribution of D8S592 (STR) and PDGFA (VNTR) among five endogamous population groups of India

Allele frequency distribution have been analyzed at D8S592 (short tandem repeat) and PDGFA (variable number of tandem repeat) among five distinct endogamous groups of India namely Ezhavas, Nayers, Arayas, Vishwakarma and Muslims. Muslims are religio-ethnic group while other populations mentioned above belong to distinct section of Hindu religion. All these populations are from Kollam district of Kerala in Southern India and speak Malayalam, an Indo-Dravidian language. A total of 228 for D8S592 and 212 for PDGFA loci, random, healthy individuals were analyzed.     

Canadian students join struggle for access to treatment

Canadian students have joined the struggle for global access to treatment. This article describes initiatives at McGill University and the University of Toronto.     

Forensic Significance of Gunshot Impact Marks on Inanimate Objects: The Need for Translational Research

Wherever an impact mark is found, either on the surface or on the recovered projectile, it is important for forensic investigators to extract useful information in solving shooting-related cases. This article reviews a collection of works on examination of impact marks upon striking of projectiles on inanimate objects, emphasizing on the retrievable information from a shooting scene and their forensic significance in shooting event reconstruction. Literature suggested that impact marks on target surfaces and the degree of deformation on striking projectiles vary according to different combinations of ammunition and surface materials. It was noted that conditions in real-case scenarios further differed unpredictably in comparison with controlled studies, where forensic investigation should be treated as case-specific basis. Furthermore, the way forensic science is researched and applied operationally has to be reconsidered to reduce the gap via translational approach for more effective use of forensic evidence.     

Cross‐border analysis of China– Pakistan Economic Corridor development project and local residence quality of life

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a megaproject, which directly and indirectly benefits the local community of two countries, namely, Peoples' Republic of China and Pakistan. The purpose of current research is to investigate the impact of CPEC development on the quality of life of local residents in China and Pakistan. We intend to investigate the perceptions of local community related to CPEC development, as policymakers of both countries argue the CPEC to be equally beneficial for the people of China and Pakistan. To test the proposed hypotheses, we collected primary data through a research survey conducted in Pakistan and China. In total, 410 Chinese respondents and 480 Pakistani respondents were included in the study. Most of the hypotheses were supported in both studies showing the positive attitude of the people of both communities towards CPEC project. Specifically, the perceived impact of CPEC has shown a significant effect on employment and quality of life in both samples. This research provides important suggestions and recommendations.