Strategies for out-scaling participatory research approaches for sustaining agricultural research impacts

The popularity of participatory research approaches is largely driven by the expected benefits from bridging the gap between formal agricultural science institutions and local farm communities, making agricultural research more relevant and effective. There is, however, no certainty that this approach, which has been mainly project-based, will succeed in transforming agricultural research in developing countries towards more client-responsive, impact-oriented institutions. Research managers must consider appropriate strategies for such an institutional transformation, including: (1) careful planning of social processes and interactions among different players, and documenting how that might have brought about success or failure; (2) clear objectives, which influence the participation methods used; (3) clear impact pathway and impact hypotheses at the outset, specifying expected outputs, outcomes, impacts, and beneficiaries; (4) willingness to adopt institutional learning, where existing culture and practices can be changed; and (5) long-term funding commitment to sustain the learning and change process.     

做好结合文章 扎实推进新农村建设

要扎实推进新农村建设工作,关键是要脚踏实地,做好结合文章。做到中央要求与各地具体实际相结合、政府部门的积极性与农民群众的积极性相结合、实现总体目标与解决群众关心的实际问题相结合“、硬件”建设与“软件”建设相结合、全面建设与突出重点相结合、新农村建设与抓农民增收相结合、新农村建设与加快县域经济发展相结合、自力更生与社会扶助相结合、长期目标与近期目标相结合、新农村建设与领导干部任期考核要求相结合。     

论有组织犯罪的几个基本问题

有组织犯罪是国际性的犯罪现象。目前最重要的是 明确判断和区分有组织犯罪的各种类型及特征,这是把握有组织犯罪问题的前提。在此基础上,才能对相关的犯罪形势作出正确的评估,才能设计和采取正确的对策。惩治有组织犯罪的关键是铲除有利于其滋生蔓延的社会土壤,加强警队的政治素质、业务素质的建设。同时,应广泛深入地开展国际警务合作。     

略论黑社会性质犯罪的发展态势及其侦查对策

黑社会性质犯罪,是黑社会组织犯罪的初始化形态,具有严重的社会危害性。黑社会性质犯罪的存在与发展,既受一定社会的政治、经济、历史文化等因素的制约与影响,又有着自身恶性膨胀的规律性。未来我国的黑社会性质犯罪极可能还有一个相当长的生存发展期,将由目前的初级非典型的犯罪形态向成熟化的典型形态演变。彻底根治黑社会犯罪,取决于社会大系统的健全。公安机关作为反黑的政府职能部门,应未雨绸缪,制定出科学的侦查对策。     

社区党建在新的社会结构框架变化中的选择与定位

当代中国的社会转型是一种社会结构的大调整,这一调整将形成新的社会结构框架体系。在社会结构的变化中,社区党建面临着新的挑战与新的考验,需要进行战略性选择和准确性定性。     

对西方国际关系理论的哲学思考--兼议中国国际关系理论的构建

从本体论、认识论和方法论3个层面对西方国际关系理论主要流派进行梳理和类归,认为国际关系理论与哲学思想有密切关系。西方国际关系理论重视以哲学本体论-认识论-方法论及其所隐含的价值论体系为基本前提和重要基础,在呈现流派繁荣和学科成熟的同时,也存在着诸如科学与伦理、必然与偶然对立割裂等一些哲学意义上的重大缺陷。认为中国国际关系理论的构建需在哲学层面加强基础性探索和研究。在这一过程中,应处理好“古”与“今”、中”与“外”的关系。参照西方国际关系理论谱系有重要借鉴意义,但强调中国的国际关系理论应更具鲜明的实践品质,并尝试提出了“和谐的国际社会”这一具有现实意义的理论概念和命题。     

公共外交的界定、形成条件及其作用

近年来,公共外交的兴起日益受到人们的瞩目。本文从几种国外流行的公共外交概念入手,分析公共外交的本质特征、兴起原因及其作用,并通过介绍西方国家公共外交机构改革情况,对我国的公共外交工作提出建议。公共外交的发展反映了当代国际关系行为主体多元化、矛盾竞争复杂化等新特点,体现了当代政治的发展、外交制度的完善和外交方式的创新,发展和完善公共外交工作对于消除“中国威胁论”,扩大中国的国际影响,具有重要意义。     

正确处理人民内部矛盾构建社会主义和谐社会

正确处理新形势下的人民内部矛盾,保持和谐稳定的社会环境是构建社会主义和谐社会的主题。必须正确把握现阶段矛盾的突出特点,深入分析矛盾产生的原因,注重社会公平并协调好各方面利益关系,妥善解决人民内部矛盾问题,构建社会主义和谐社会。     

The Capacity-building Paradox: using friendship to build capacity in the South

This article proposes a theoretical framework, the Capacity-building Paradox, which defines individual relationship work as the basis for capacity building. It explains why capacity building has hitherto been largely unsuccessful. ‘Relationship work’ is central to the functions of practitioners. It consists of both ‘dependent work’ and ‘friendship work’, the latter synonymous with capacity building. To do relationship work, practitioners require power, in order to overcome environmental obstacles. Financial resources emerge as the predominant environmental influence, often prompting practitioners to use dependent work rather than friendship work. This results in a reduction in capacity and does not contribute to sustainable development. Most of the current literature provides organisational and institutional tools for capacity building. While there is an increasing recognition of the centrality of personal relationships in this work, there is as yet no theoretical framework within which to locate it. The article presents original research into people's experiences of capacity-building work in a development context and proposes a conceptual model that may have important implications for capacity-building practice.     

Thinking about change for development practice: a case study from Oxfam GB

Development practice is informed by theories of change, but individuals and organisations may not make them explicit. Practitioners may be unaware of the extent to which strategic choices and debates are informed by disparate thinking about how history happens and the role of purposeful intervention for progressive social change. In the past few years, some Oxfam GB staff have been creating processes to debate their theories of change as part of an effort to improve practice. In this context, the authors introduce four sets of ideas about change, with a discussion of how they have been explored in two instances, and some of the challenges emerging from this process. Through explicitly debating theories of change, organisational decision-making processes can be better informed and strategic choices made more transparent.