The Arab Spring and the European Response

Europeans enthusiastically embraced the Arab Spring. However, the EU and its member states have lacked significant influence in a neighbouring region in turmoil. The EU has not devised new and more appropriate approaches towards the region, but rather relied on its traditional tools and frameworks. The Eurozone’s financial crisis and threat perceptions have quickly underminded the readiness of EU member states to contribute meaningfully to Arab transformations with money, market access and mobility. In addition, European support has not been equally welcomed across the region, and delays in terms of building empowered governments have prevented a quick impact. Moreover, the violent power struggles triggered by the Arab Spring have revealed the EU’s weakness with regard to effective conflict prevention and timely crisis management – and thus created an environment averse to democratic transformation and regional stabilisation.     

Cultivated,caught, and collected: defining culturally appropriate foods in Tallé, Niger

The indigenous plants and fish of Niger are incorporated into the Songhai people's daily life but are largely underemphasised in development programmes. In this paper we describe the culturally appropriate foods of Tallé, Niger. Based on information obtained from 42 participants using interviews and focus groups, we identified 11 commonly consumed fish species, 22 plant species, and nine factors that made them culturally appropriate: taste, perceived health effects, economic value, use as snacks or staple, storability, seasonal availability, use in celebrations, abundance, and cultural identity. We conclude with a discussion of how local knowledge can be incorporated into development programmes.

Cultivés, pêchés et cueillis : définir des aliments culturellement appropriés à Tallé, au Niger

Les plantes et le poisson autochtones du Niger sont incorporés dans le quotidien des Songhais, mais on ne leur accorde généralement pas une attention suffisante dans les programmes de développement. Dans cet article, nous décrivons les aliments culturellement appropriés de Tallé, au Niger. Sur la base d'informations obtenues de 42 participants à l'aide d'entretiens et de groupes de réflexion, nous avons identifié 11 espèces de poisson fréquemment consommées, 22 espèces de plantes et neuf facteurs qui les rendent culturellement appropriés : goût, effets perçus sur la santé, valeur économique, utilisation comme en-cas ou denrées de base, facilité de conservation, disponibilité saisonnière, utilisation lors de célébrations, abondance et identité culturelle. Nous concluons par une discussion sur la manière dont les connaissances locales peuvent être incorporées dans les programmes de développement.

Cultivados, cazados y recolectados: la definición de alimentos culturalmente adecuados en Tallé, Níger

Las plantas y los peces endémicos de Níger han sido incorporados a la dieta cotidiana del pueblo songhai. Sin embargo, dicha dieta recibe escasa atención de parte de los programas de desarrollo. En el presente artículo, los autores analizan aquellos alimentos culturalmente adecuados en Tallé, Níger. Apoyándose en la información recopilada entre 42 personas que participaron en entrevistas y en grupos de enfoque, los autores identificaron 11 variedades de peces consumidas con frecuencia, 22 especies de plantas, así como nueve factores que determinan que estos alimentos sean culturalmente adecuados: sabor, efectos percibidos en la salud, valor económico de los mismos, posibilidad de uso como tentempiés o como alimentos principales, período de almacenamiento, disponibilidad estacional, uso de los mismos en celebraciones, abundancia e identidad cultural. El ensayo concluye realizando un análisis acerca de cómo los conocimientos locales pueden ser incorporados a los programas de desarrollo.

Cultivados, colhidos e coletados: definindo alimentos culturalmente apropriados em Tallé, Níger

As plantas e peixes consumidos pelos indígenas de Níger estão incorporados na vida cotidiana das pessoas de Songhai mas, geralmente, recebem pouco destaque nos programas de desenvolvimento. Neste artigo, descrevemos os alimentos culturalmente apropriados de Tallé, Níger. Com base nas informações obtidas de 42 participantes utilizando entrevistas e grupos de enfoque, identificamos 11 espécies de peixe frequentemente consumidas, 22 espécies de plantas e nove fatores que os tornam culturalmente apropriados: paladar, percepção de seus efeitos na saúde, valor econômico, uso como aperitivo ou alimento básico, armazenagem, disponibilidade sazonal, uso em comemorações, abundância e identidade cultural. Concluímos com uma discussão de como o conhecimento local pode ser incorporado em programas de desenvolvimento.     

Evolution of input supply and service hubs in dairy development at Ada'a milk shed in Ethiopia

Efficient input supply and service delivery may call for a hub approach where all the necessary inputs and services are supplied in a coordinated manner, either by a single supplier or by several and separate entities in a given geographical location accessible to beneficiaries. Based on experience from Ada'a milk shed in central Ethiopia, this paper assesses the evolution of input supply and service provision in the dairy sub-sector, focusing on coordination and the degree of competition among different actors at different levels in the value chain over time. Data were collected from key value chain actors engaged in provision of input supply and output marketing services in Ada'a milk shed. The major lesson is that the development of coordinated input supply and service delivery by different business entities or under a single business entity may not emerge at once, but through a gradual evolution. This depends on the level of demand for the inputs and services as determined by the degree of demand for milk and milk products, and the economies of scale input suppliers and service providers could attain from the expansion of demands for these inputs and services. Moreover, at the early stage of a hub development, collective actions and integration of services and marketing within a business organisation could be the main strategy to attain efficiency. But, once the demand for inputs and services has grown, competition among different entities will lead to more efficient input supply and service delivery. In general, where there is an increasing demand for inputs and services, there is a faster development of input supply and service provision by private actors and collective actions in a more competitive way. Role of the public sector could change gradually from provision of inputs and services to coordination, capacity building, quality control, and regulation.

Évolution des plateformes d'approvisionnement en intrants et de services dans le développement du secteur de la production laitière dans la laiterie d'Ada'a, en Éthiopie

Pour une fourniture d'intrants et une prestation de services efficaces, il peut se révéler nécessaire de mettre en ?uvre une approche axée sur une plateforme dans le cadre de laquelle tous les intrants et services nécessaires sont fournis de manière coordonnée, soit par un fournisseur unique soit par plusieurs entités séparées, dans un lieu donné accessible aux bénéficiaires. Sur la base de l'expérience de la laiterie d'Ada'a, en Éthiopie, cet article évalue l'évolution de la fourniture d'intrants et de la prestation de services dans le sous-secteur laitier, en se concentrant sur la coordination et sur le degré de concurrence entre différents acteurs et à différents niveaux de la chaîne de valeur au fil du temps. Des données ont été recueillies auprès d'acteurs clés de la chaîne de valeur actifs dans la fourniture d'intrants et dans la prestation de services de commercialisation de la production dans la laiterie d'Ada'a. Le principal enseignement est que le développement d'une fourniture d'intrants et d'une prestation de services coordonnées par différentes entreprises ou dans le cadre d'une entité commerciale unique peut ne pas avoir lieu tout d'un coup, mais au fil d'une évolution progressive. Cela dépend du degré de demande concernant les intrants et les services, tel que déterminé par le degré de demande de lait et produits laitiers, et par les économies d'échelle que les fournisseurs d'intrants et les prestataires de services pourraient obtenir grâce à l'expansion de la demande de ces intrants et services. De plus, au stade initial de la mise en ?uvre d'une plateforme, les actions collectives et l'intégration des services et de la commercialisation dans une organisation commerciale pourraient constituer la principale stratégie pour arriver à l'efficacité. Mais, une fois que la demande en intrants et en services s'est accrue, la concurrence entre différentes entités engendrera une fourniture d'intrants et une prestation de services plus efficaces. En général, lorsqu'il y a une demande croissante d'intrants et de services, il se produit un développement plus rapide de la fourniture d'intrants et de la prestation de services par des acteurs privés dans une optique plus concurrentielle. Le rôle du secteur public pourrait évoluer progressivement, de la fourniture d'intrants et de services à un rôle de coordination, de renforcement des capacités, de contrôle de la qualité et de réglementation.

Evolución de la oferta de insumos y de los centros de servicios en el desarrollo de lácteos en la cuenca lechera de Ada en Etiopía

Para llevar a cabo de manera eficiente la oferta de insumos y la entrega de servicios puede requerirse un centro de servicios cuya ubicación sea accesible a los beneficiarios, a partir del cual los mismos sean suministrados de manera coordinada, ya sea a través de un proveedor único, o bien, a través de varios entes separados. Apoyándose en la experiencia de la cuenca lechera de Ada, localizada en el centro de Etiopía, el presente artículo valora la evolución de la oferta de insumos y de la entrega de servicios en el subsector de lácteos, centrándose en la coordinación y en el grado de competitividad mostrado durante varios años por distintos actores ubicados en diferentes estratos de la cadena de valor. La información fue recopilada de actores clave de la cadena de valor en la cuenca lechera de Ada, quienes proveen insumos y servicios de comercialización de productos. El aprendizaje más importante que ha dejado esta experiencia es que: el desarrollo de la oferta de insumos y de la entrega de servicios – realizadas de manera coordinada por distintas empresas o por una sola – puede no surgir inmediatamente, sino después de una lenta evolución. Ello depende del nivel de demanda de insumos o servicios que, a su vez, depende tanto de la demanda de leche y de productos lácteos como de las economías de escala que pudieran obtener sus proveedores a partir de la expansión de la demanda de estos productos. Asimismo, durante las etapas iniciales del desarrollo de un centro de servicios, las acciones colectivas, la integración de servicios y la comercialización centradas en una sola empresa, podrían constituir la estrategia más importante para mejorar la eficiencia. Sin embargo, una vez que la demanda de insumos y servicios haya crecido, la competencia entre distintas entidades producirá una oferta y una entrega de los mismos más eficiente. En general, en aquellos lugares en que exista una demanda creciente, habrá un desarrollo más rápido de la oferta de insumos y de la entrega de servicios por parte de los actores privados, además de acciones colectivas más competitivas. En consecuencia, el rol del sector público podría modificarse gradualmente, pasando de ser proveedor de insumos y servicios a ser la instancia que coordine, fortalezca capacidades y vigile el control de calidad y las normas.

Evolução dos centros de abastecimento de insumos e serviços no desenvolvimento do setor de laticínio da região produtora de leite de Ada'a, na Etiópia

Uma oferta eficiente de insumos e de serviços pode demandar um centro em que todos os insumos e serviços necessários sejam ofertados de maneira coordenada, seja através de um único fornecedor ou de várias entidades separadas em uma dada área geográfica acessível aos beneficiários. Com base na experiência da região produtora de leite de Ada'a situada na região central da Etiópia, este artigo avalia a evolução da oferta de insumos e de serviços no sub-setor de laticínios, concentrando-se na coordenação e grau de competição entre diferentes agentes em níveis diferentes da cadeia de valores no decorrer do tempo. Os dados foram coletados a partir de agentes-chave da cadeia de valores engajados na oferta de insumos e serviços de marketing na região produtora de leite de Ada'a. A principal lição é que o desenvolvimento da oferta coordenada de insumos e de serviços através de diferentes entidades empresariais ou através de uma única entidade empresarial pode não surgir de uma só vez, mas sim ter uma evolução gradual. Isto depende do nível de demanda dos insumos e serviços, que é determinado pelo grau de demanda de leite e de produtos lácteos, e as economias de escala que os fornecedores de insumos e de serviços podem obter a partir da expansão de demandas por estes insumos e serviços. Além disto, na fase inicial do desenvolvimento de um centro, ações coletivas e integração de serviços e marketing dentro de uma organização empresarial podem ser a estratégia principal para se obter eficiência. Porém, após a demanda por insumos e serviços ter crescido, a competição entre entidades diferentes levará a uma oferta de insumos e de serviço mais eficiente. Em geral, quando há uma demanda crescente por insumos e serviços, há um desenvolvimento mais rápido na oferta de insumos e serviços por agentes privados e ações coletivas mais competitivas. O papel do setor público poderia mudar gradualmente da oferta de insumos e serviços para a coordenação, capacitação, controle de qualidade e regulação.     

Community grain banks and food security of the tribal poor in India

Given the context of failure of many of the programmes aimed at providing food security for tribal communities, this paper deals with the question, can grassroots-level experiments like community grain banks provide food security for the tribal poor? This paper examines the working of community grain banks established by Bapuji Rural Development and Enlightenment Society (BREDS) in India and concludes that community food grain banks demonstrate as an effective mechanism to ensure food security for the tribal poor, especially those who were excluded from the reach of government programmes.

Banques de céréales communautés et sécurité alimentaire des pauvres tribaux en Inde

Étant donné le contexte d’échec de nombre des programmes visant à assurer la sécurité alimentaire des communautés tribales, cet article traite de la question suivante : les expériences au niveau de la base populaire comme les banques de céréales communautaires peuvent-elles assurer la sécurité alimentaire des pauvres tribaux ? Cet article examine le fonctionnement des banques de céréales communautaires établies par la Bapuji Rural Development and Enlightenment Society (BREDS) en Inde et conclut que les banques de céréales alimentaires se révèlent être un mécanisme efficace pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire des pauvres tribaux, en particulier ceux qui ont été exclus de la portée des programmes gouvernementaux.

Bancos comunitarios de granos y seguridad alimentaria de las etnias pobres de India

Tomando en cuenta el contexto de fracaso de muchos programas dirigidos a proporcionar seguridad alimentaria a las comunidades étnicas, el presente artículo plantea la interrogante en torno a si experimentos realizados a nivel de base, como los bancos comunitarios de granos, ofrecen seguridad alimentaria a las etnias pobres. En este sentido, el artículo examina el desarrollo de los bancos comunitarios de granos establecidos por la Sociedad para el Desarrollo y la Iluminación Rural de Bapuji (breds) en India. Las conclusiones indican que dichos bancos constituyen un mecanismo efectivo para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria de las etnias pobres, especialmente de aquellas que habían sido excluidas del alcance de los programas gubernamentales.

Bancos comunitários de grãos e segurança alimentar de comunidades tribais pobres na Índia

Dado o contexto do fracasso de muitos dos programas destinados a oferecer segurança alimentar para as comunidades tribais, este artigo lida com a seguinte questão: experimentos de base, como os bancos comunitários de grãos, fornecem segurança alimentar para as comunidades tribais pobres? Este artigo examina o funcionamento de bancos comunitários de grãos criados pela Bapuji Rural Development and Enlightenment Society (BREDS) na Índia e conclui que os bancos comunitários de grãos de alimentos mostram ser um mecanismo eficiente para garantir a segurança alimentar para as comunidades tribais pobres, especialmente para aquelas que estavam fora do alcance de programas governamentais.     

Fair enough? Fair Trade and the quality of life amongst Bolivia's indigenous women artisans

This paper examines whether Fair Trade improved the quality of life for Fair Trade women artisans and their communities in Bolivia's high Andes. Grounded in the work of Amartya Sen and ethnographic study, Fair Trade is explored as a form of justice rooted in women's individual freedoms and capabilities. The intellectual merit of this paper is to examine how Fair Trade bridges women's participation in globalisation and development. The broader scope is to create a dialogue around the ethnic feminist experience and private enterprise to expand the understanding of Fair Trade as economic development.

Assez équitable ? Le Commerce Equitable et la qualité de la vie parmi les femmes-artisans indigènes en Bolivie

Dans cet article il s'agit d'une évaluation de l'amélioration dans la qualité de vie des femmes-artisans engagées dans le Commerce Equitable et de leurs villages aux Hautes Andes de Bolivie. Le Commerce Equitable, basé sur l'?uvre d'Amartya Sen et sur des études ethnographiques, est examiné comme une forme de justice enracinée dans les libertés et les aptitudes personnelles des femmes. Le mérite intellectuel de cet article est d'examiner la façon dont le Commerce Equitable englobe la participation des femmes dans la mondialisation et dans le développement. Son déploiement est de créer un dialogue autour de l'expérience féminine et de l'entreprise privée pour mieux comprendre le développement économique du Commerce Equitable.

¿Bastante justo? El comercio justo y la calidad de vida entre las artesanas indígenas de Bolivia

El presente artículo analiza si el comercio justo mejoró la calidad de vida de las artesanas y de sus comunidades en los Andes de Bolivia. Fundamentado en el trabajo de Amartya Sen y en distintos estudios etnográficos, el comercio justo se considera como una forma de justicia surgida de las libertades individuales y de las capacidades de las mujeres. El mérito intelectual de este artículo radica en analizar cómo el comercio justo vincula la participación de las mujeres con la globalización y con el desarrollo. Su objetivo más amplio consiste en generar un diálogo en torno a las vivencias étnicas feministas y a la iniciativa privada, cuyo fin es profundizar la comprensión que se tiene del comercio justo como una vía para el desarrollo económico.

Justo o suficiente? O Comércio Justo e a qualidade de vida entre as mulheres indígenas artesãs da Bolívia

Este artigo examina se o Comércio Justo (Fair Trade) melhorou a qualidade de vida de mulheres artesãs do Comércio Justo e de suas comunidades nos altos Andes da Bolívia. Tendo como referência o trabalho de Amartya Sen e estudo etnográfico, o Comércio Justo é explorado como forma de justiça baseada na liberdade e capacidade individual das mulheres. O mérito intelectual deste artigo é examinar como o Comércio Justo estende a participação das mulheres na globalização e desenvolvimento. O escopo mais amplo visa proporcionar um diálogo sobre a experiência feminista étnica e empresa privada para aumentar a compreensão do Comércio Justo como desenvolvimento econômico.     

Admitting a Bad Influence: Contracting the Public Service

Abstract

Emulation of the private sector is a longstanding controversy in public administration, but could it constitute a bad influence, of the kind that parents seek to guard against by scrutinizing their children's peers? Effectiveness provides a perspective on how helpful or harmful private sector influence has been for the public service. The practice of contracting-out under the A-76 process receives particular scrutiny relative to maintaining the effectiveness of public agencies. A second perspective on private sector influence examines, through the theoretical perspective of transaction-cost economics, the promise of cost savings that justified recent acceleration of contracting-out. The author, himself a government contractor, also bases his analysis on personal experience.     

Citizens’ Initiatives: How Local Governments Fill their Facilitative Role

In the context of drastic cutbacks many Dutch municipalities consider citizens’ initiatives (CIs) as an attractive alternative for municipal policies aimed at improving the livability and safety in neighbourhoods, simultaneously building responsible citizenship. In this paper we combine different theoretical perspectives to analyse the institutional settings in which CIs are being realised, and how municipalities try to facilitate such initiatives. Municipalities can do this by either trying to structure the relevant networks or by various forms of process management. This analysis sheds light on how municipalities use a variety of instruments to mobilise citizens to participate in CIs. In using such instruments they can influence various factors (like motivations, personal resources, social capital and expected responsiveness; cf. Lowndes et al.’s CLEAR model) that increase the likelihood of civic engagement.     

Continuity and change in Russia's policy toward Central and Eastern Europe

The accession of the CEE states to NATO and the European Union has put an end to the geopolitical ambiguity and implicit insecurity in the region between Russia and the so-called ‘Old Europe’. Instead of being an area of great powers' rivalry, elements of ‘buffer belts’ lacking meaningful strategic options, objects of raw Nazi-Soviet deals, or zones under Russian occupation and domination, the three Baltic States and the Visegrad group countries became full-fledged members of the European Union and were given NATO's security guarantees. By the middle of the 2000s, one would conclude that traditional geopolitics had ended in this region.However, the changes in the strategic situation in CEE have not changed the deep rooted moving forces and long-term strategic goals of the Russian policy toward the region. Moscow seeks to have the position, as its official rhetoric says, of an ‘influential centre of a multipolar world’ that would be nearly equal to the USA, China, or the EU. With this in view Moscow seeks for the establishment of its domination over the new independent states of the former USSR and for the formation of a sphere of influence for itself in Central Eastern Europe. If it achieves these goals, then Europe may return once again to traditional geopolitics fraught with great power rivalries and permanent instabilities radiating far beyond CEE borders.Yet a few questions remain. Has Russia come to the conclusion that attempting to restore its privileged position of influence in Central-Eastern Europe is wrong? Has Russia enough power to threaten the CEE countries? How credible are NATO's security guarantees? How may Russian behavior in CEE affect a wider European geopolitical context? These questions are appropriate in the light of Russia's ‘resurgence’ as a revanchist power and because Russia is, and most probably will remain in the next five to ten years, a weighty economic and strategic factor in areas along the Western borders of the former USSR.     

The Management of Citizen Participation in Taiwan: A Case Study of Taipei City Government's Citizen Complaints System

Abstract

Citizen participation is one of the core values of democracy. Democratization means an increase in citizen participation in public affairs. However, the issue of democratization is rarely studied in the field of public administration. In this article, we use the Taipei City Government (TCG) Citizen Complaints System to illustrate some tensions relating to citizen participation in a newly democratizing country. We interviewed the TCG officials to piece together the puzzle of how the citizen complaints system works. Furthermore, we conducted a survey on how each channel and media is used by citizens to file their complaints. Then, we focused on the development of the Taipei City Mayor's e‐mail box to see how the tension between participation and cost is handled by utilizing newly emerging information technology. We then evaluate these developments in terms of publicity, accessibility, and accountability suggested by Senevirante and Cracknell (Seneviratne, M.; Cracknell, S. Consumer complaints in public sector services. Public Admin. 1988, 66, 181–193). Accordingly, we propose suggestions for improvement from these three aspects for TCG and other governments as well to establish a citizen complaints system that substantiates democracy.     

Western Medical Education on Trial: The Endurance of Peking Union Medical College, 1949–1985

Abstract

In the early twentieth century, Beijing's Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) stood as a prominent symbol of Western medical science and education in China. After the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) took control of the College between 1952 and 1956.This article argues that the endurance of PUMC as an institute of scientific, Western biomedicine in China was largely contingent upon reforms that the PLA instituted there. Drawing on Chinese accounts, as well as the observations of North American and European physicians, it asserts that political campaigns under Army leadership vehemently attacked American influences on the College but avoided direct criticisms of Western medical science itself. This dynamic politically legitimized the Western medical education that the College embodied. It also permitted PUMC to contribute to the development of Chinese military medicine, suggesting a significant connection between civilian and military medical education in the early People's Republic.