South Africa and Namibia: Aspects of a relationship,historical and contemporary

South Africa occupied Namibia for 75 years. After that occupation ended in 1990, numerous ties between the two countries continued to exist and their economies are still intertwined more than 25 years later. In both countries the liberation movements that fought apartheid and then came to power are still in power. This might suggest that the relationship between the two countries would be a particularly close one. When the leaders of the two countries meet, as they regularly do, they speak of fraternal relations and point to ways in which the two countries are working together to enhance co-operation and regional integration. However, the relationship is a very unequal one, and the small state of Namibia retains suspicions of the regional hegemon, suspicions that have a long history. Areas of tension between the two states therefore remain. This paper considers aspects of their bilateral relations, within the multilateral contexts of the Southern African Customs Union and the Southern African Development Community.     

African solutions to African problems and the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria

Africa grapples with the world's most serious public health crisis, but this article shows that there are public health solutions that work in the African setting. When the Ebola virus disease outbreak was announced in Nigeria in July 2014, some public health specialists worried that an apocalyptic outbreak would sweep through the vast slums of Lagos. The words “Ebola” and “Lagos” in the same sentence were viewed as a dangerous combination, due to the large population of Lagos and the inefficient health care system in the city. Contrary to this view, the outbreak of Ebola virus disease was successfully contained in Nigeria. This article focuses on the factors that were responsible for this success. It examines strategies developed within Nigeria that help to ensure the successful containment of the disease. The paper identifies lessons that can be learnt by other countries from the Nigerian experience.     

“We want financial accountability”: deconstructing tensions of community participation in CHPS,Ghana

This article reports on the ways and factors that facilitate or constrain community participation in the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme in Nsanfo, a village in Central Region of Ghana. We found that the community made an important step through mobilising the necessary resources in establishing the CHPS compound, which has resulted in improved access to health care. Yet maintaining the facility did not matter most to community members, owing chiefly to unmet demands for financial accountability pertaining to the running of the programme. Failure to clearly identify various actors and their roles potentially explains this state of affairs.     

High‐Conflict Divorce: A form of Child Neglect

In high‐conflict divorce cases, the emotional toll on the family unit is unquestionably destructive. While the physical and mental health of the children should be the primary focus, the emotional turmoil of a high‐conflict divorce often moves the focus away from the children as parents struggle emotionally and financially. Although the best interests of the children are always in the judicial purview, the repeated, lengthy, and hostile litigation process often associated with high‐conflict dissolution has lasting effects on the physical and mental health of children, similar to those associated with physical abuse and neglect. Child Protective Services (CPS) must step in and protect the emotional well‐being of children during high‐conflict divorce cases.     

政府与社区协同管理模式——城市社区管理体制变革走势分析

居委会自其建立时始就具有强烈的“剩余性”和“行政赋予性”色彩,它增强了其在经济社会发展历程中职能发展的弹性和行政性发展的倾向,并使其成为企业、政府职责下放的承担者。居委会组织的现行角色与自治组织的定位明显不符引发了基层管理体制的变革要求。虽然在基层管理体制改革的问题上存在基层自治能力弱化、政府在基层缺乏职责承担者、单位社会遗痕影响社区资源整合等问题,但是构建政府管理与社区自治的协作共生机制依然是我们的适当选择。     

新加坡的医疗保障体系

新加坡医疗保障体系以其投入低、效率高为世人所称道。文章介绍了新加坡医疗保障体系的筹资和医疗服务供给系统,并对其进行公平和效率评估,认为新加坡医疗体制的成功实际上并不能归功于医疗个人账户制度,而是源于其内设的对低收入者就医的补贴制度和个人自付费用对医疗服务消费的控制。     

现代社会资本与社区发展——以内蒙古世界银行社区主导型发展项目为例

2006年世界银行在内蒙古试点了社区主导型发展项目,经过3年的发展,试点项目的自然村在村民参与、赋权和基础设施改善等方面取得了进展,但是13个自然村之间在社区主导型发展绩效方面存在显著差异。本文根据问卷调查资料,用因子分析方法,从不同社会资本类型角度对社会资本及其类型在社区发展绩效中的作用做实证检验。结果发现:总体社会资本只是社区发展绩效的必要条件,社区发展绩效好的自然村,其总体社会资本较高,但是总体社会资本高的自然村,其社区发展绩效未必高。社会资本的类型是影响社区发展绩效的主要原因,现代社会资本高的自然村,其社区主导型发展绩效就高,现代社会资本越低的自然村,其相应的社区主导型发展绩效就越低,现代社会资本是解释自然村社区主导型发展绩效差异的主要原因。     

社区治理与社会管理体制创新——基于宁波市社区案例研究

当前我国的社区治理,不仅要求政府更有效地履行职能转型,而且要求公民社会积极成长并与政府合作共治。政府职能转型和公民社会成长是关系到社区得以有效治理和长足发展的重大问题,也是当今社会管理与社会体制研究的热点问题。本文采用案例分析的方法,基于宁波市的社区案例,分别从以需求为导向、以项目为载体的服务供给模式,多元合作治理．社会组织在公共服务的介入等三个方面进行实证研究。宁波市的社区治理实践既表明政府与社会合作共治的可能性和可能方式,又反映出在合作治理中政府的定位和行为方式,以及社会（主要指社会组织、个体群众等）参与社会管理的途径与方法。社区治理从微观层面对于推进社会管理体制创新具有积极意义,它体现出政府与社会的新型关系模式。社区治理推进社会管理体制创新应以转变政府职能和培育公民社会为前提,使政府与社会都成为社会管理的重要主体,并以政府与社会合作共治为核心。     

非传统安全视角下的东盟国家问领土边界争端及解决思路

从非传统安全视角看,东盟国家间领土边界争端与经济安全、文化安全和生态安全等因素密切相关。资源储量丰富的区域、文化古迹和无国界的生态体系都成为引发东盟国家间领土边界争端的因素。从安全角度讲,建构东盟“安全共同体”是一条解决东盟国家间领土边界争端有效可行的途径。