Action research with children and adolescents working on the streets of Athens,Greece

In fieldwork with children and adolescents working on the streets of Athens, Greece, the authors applied a multidisciplinary methodology, through which participants were empowered to articulate their own voice. This article discusses some indicant themes which emerged through participants' narrations and through their active engagement in Theatre-for-Development: (1) the role of family attachment and social networks promoting the continuity of children's cultural identity; (2) their perception of working on the streets as a vital need to contribute to family income; and (3) the way young subjects resituated themselves both in their relation with the mainstream culture and within their own culture.     

Videos that speak for themselves: when non-extensionists show agricultural videos to large audiences

In 2008, an NGO showed videos about rice to farmers in 19 villages in Benin. A study in 2013 showed that farmers remembered the videos, even after five years had passed. In most of the villages at least some farmers experimented with rice farming or with new technology after the video screenings, which attracted large audiences of community members, including youth and women. Some of the villagers also visited extension agencies to get rice seed, and occasionally to seek more information. Farmers can benefit from agricultural learning videos shown by organisations with little previous agricultural experience. Videos do not necessarily need to be facilitated by an expert who knows the subject. Sometimes the video can speak for itself.     

Mismatch between NGO services and beneficiaries' priorities: examining contextual realities

The proliferation of NGOs, particularly in developing countries over the last five decades, has prompted debates on the extent to which NGO services have been able to match the priorities of disadvantaged groups such as low castes and ethnic groups in Nepal. This paper explores the development priorities of villagers from a village in Nepal (Thecho), and their views regarding the match between services offered by NGOs and those priorities. Additionally, the paper highlights the importance of NGOs understanding contextual realities while implementing development activities.     

Farmer cooperatives are the missing link to meet market demands in Laos

In the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, smallholders in Lao PDR need to get better organised to match market demand in terms of product volume and quality. This paper investigates the conditions for the emergence of cooperatives from existing farmers' groups. Our study revealed the importance of social networks and power relations as a factor of cohesion within groups. Local leadership plays a crucial role in connecting group members to the village and district institutions. Recommendations are provided to improve group management rules as a pre-requisite to turn groups into farmers' cooperatives.     

Coordinating post-disaster humanitarian response: lessons from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake,India

This article is based on a field study carried out in Indian-administered Kashmir after the 2005 earthquake. In this analysis of how non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) engage and coordinate with one another and with other disaster response agencies during post-disaster relief and rehabilitation operations, it can be concluded that NGDO coordination was ineffective. The research points out that, even though there is coordination among the international and national NGDOs, local NGDOs are seldom engaged in the overall coordination processes. The paper advocates developing coordination among the humanitarian agencies as a pre-disaster initiative for a more effective collaborative humanitarian disaster response.     

CRIMINAL GROUP EMBEDDEDNESS AND THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ARRESTING A GANG'S LEADER: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY

Although law enforcement agencies arrest criminal group leaders to dismantle organized crime, few studies have assessed whether such interventions produce adverse effects. Through a mixed‐method comparative case study of the Latin Kings and 22 Boys street gangs in Chicago, this article examines the consequences of arresting a gang's leader. Using violent crime data, I show that a spike in violent crime took place in the first month after the arrest of the 22 Boys gang leader. In contrast, the arrest of the Latin Kings gang leader produced no change in violent crime. Using several qualitative data sources, I show that the arrest of the 22 Boys gang leader temporarily led to the gang's withdrawal from its territory, which spurred violent aggression from rival gangs in adjacent territories. In contrast, the Latin Kings gang continued its operations because the gang's prison leaders quickly appointed new leadership. The results suggest that criminal group embeddedness (or the social relations between criminal groups) can contribute to adverse effects in interventions targeting gang or other criminal group leaders.     

Cassava value chain and its products in Morogoro rural district,Tanzania

This study was conducted to examine the cassava value chain and determine strategies for enhancing farmers' profitable participation in the chain, to reduce poverty in Tanzania. Data were collected from 98 farmers from three villages of Morogoro rural district. Profit and marketing margins along the cassava value chain were computed. A linear model was estimated whereby farm size, experience, total family labour, group participation, non-crop livelihood sources, and food insecurity were the main determinants of profitability. The emerging recommendation was for farmers' participation in profitable cassava value chain strands by strengthened coordination, improved cassava varieties, and enhanced agronomic practices and processing technologies.     

Participatory appraisal of competitive advantage (PACA) approach in local economic development

In South Africa, local economic development has become the focus to overcome obstacles such as low skills, low entrepreneurial culture, weak support mechanisms, and spatial marginalisation, which lead to high unemployment and poverty. With conventional approaches having little effect, local communities are looking for innovative approaches to their economic challenges. PACA methodology prepares an action-oriented diagnostic of the local economy to initiate economic development initiatives. It mobilises local stakeholders to take an active role through fast analysis and action learning. This article assesses how the PACA approach implemented by George Municipality was applied, and what advantages and limitations were experienced.     

错位与回归:民事再审制度之反思——以民事程序体系的新发展为背景

民事再审程序是《民事诉讼法》两次修法的"交集",以程序体系的最新架构为运行环境,新《民事诉讼法》的正式施行必将使再审程序面临着制度内部和外部关系的新问题、新挑战。在本体论方面,需要强化再审程序的特殊性和例外性,理性认识"再审难"的内在正当性,遏制特殊救济程序向通常救济程序的异化;在关系论方面,再审程序与简易程序、小额程序、二审程序以及"新增型"非讼程序之间的关系,需要予以进一步明晰和矫正;在性质论方面,应当以比例原则、利益权衡原则、有限纠错原则、穷尽其他救济原则等为基本纲领,从法解释学和立法论两条路径,对再审领域的实体事项和程序事项予以优化。     

论检察机关与公益诉讼——以新民事诉讼法为背景

民事诉讼法第二次修订的惊喜亮点,体现出法治民主的重大进步,并从此开启了我国公益诉讼之门。然而,这一条款对公益诉讼主体规定得比较模糊,难以把握。之前认同度极高的检察机关并未获得法定主体资格,这将检察机关已开展多年的公益诉讼探索陷于维谷。因此,检察机关必须重新定位自身在公益诉讼中的地位与作用。