Remitting Behaviour of Nepalese Rural-to-Urban Migrants: Implications for Theory and Policy

This article uses data for Nepal to test contemporary hypotheses about the remitting behaviour and associated motives of rural-to-urban migrants and to consider the likely impact of such remittances on rural development. Possibilities for inheritance, degree of family attachment, likelihood of eventual return to place of origin and family investment in the education of the migrants are found to be significant influences on levels of remittances by Nepalese migrants. However, in Nepal, remittances do not seem to result in long-term capital investment in rural areas and so may not promote long-term development of these areas.     

International politics in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century central Asia: beyond anarchy in international-relations theory

Using historical analysis of relations between city-states and other international actors in Central Asia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this article evaluates new structural theories of international politics, chiefly those of David Lake and Jack Donnelly. Pre-colonial Central Asia offers a usefully tough case for structural theories, since it so little resembles the modern international order that these theories were developed to describe. Empirically, the article proceeds by evaluating the region's city-states' relations with three groups of actors: one another; neighbouring empires; and the many non-state actors present at the time. It concludes with an assessment of the merits of the new structuralisms, and a discussion of their value for constructivist international-relations theories of international change.     

The regional outcome of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement five years down the road: Are external forces playing a progressive role?

ABSTRACT

The Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of January 2005 is the outcome of regional and international mediation led by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)1 and the IGAD Partners’ Forum broadened to include the United States of America, Norway, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy and the United Nations. Five years into its implementation the peace agreement appears to have transformed the war between North and South Sudan into a series of engagements of conflicting nature. Numerous contradictory actions by both the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) (the main political forces behind the CPA) have been noted during the ongoing implementation process (Grawert forthcoming 2010; Grawert and El-Battahani 2005; Wassara 2008). Although internal Sudanese forces are the key actors in implementing the CPA, external forces are critical in providing the support and pressure needed for a complete realisation of the peace deal. The New Regionalism Approach (NRA), as advanced by Grant and Soderbäum (2003), is instrumental in understanding this dynamic. This article is based on the result of a study that seeks to examine why positive engagements of external forces are needed for a timely implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.     

The Method is the Message: The Current State of Political Communication Research

Formal journalism ethics, as laid out in codes of ethics by journalism associations and the like, is part of a wider debate on media ethics that has been triggered in the Middle East due to the advent of global media in the region. This study compares journalism codes from Europe and the Islamic world in order to revisit the widespread academic assumption of a deep divide between Western and Oriental philosophies of journalism that has played a role in many debates on political communication in the area. The analysis shows that there is a broad intercultural consensus that standards of truth and objectivity should be central values of journalism. Norms protecting the private sphere are, in fact, more pronounced in countries of the Near and Middle East, North Africa, and in the majority of Muslim states in Asia than is generally the case in Europe, although the weighing of privacy protection against the public's right to information is today a component of most journalistic codes of behavior in Islamic countries. Obvious differences between the West and many Islamic countries are to be found in the status accorded to freedom of expression. Although ideas of freedom have entered formal media ethics in the Middle East and the Islamic world, only a minority of documents limit the interference into freedom to cases where other fundamental rights (e.g., privacy) are touched, whereas the majority would have journalists accept political, national, religious, or cultural boundaries to their work. Despite existing differences between Western and Middle Eastern/Islamic journalism ethics and in contrast to the overall neoconservative (Islamist) trends in societal norms, formal journalism ethics has been a sphere of growing universalization throughout the last decades.     

The Communist Ideological Legacy and Serb–Albanian Relations in Kosovo∗

This article uses Central Asian examples to challenge theories of ethnic nationalism that locate its origins in intellectual activism (Hroch), state modernization processes (Gellner), or the rise of mass media (Anderson). Modern Uyghur cultural politics and traditional Central Asian dynastic genealogies reveal related processes used in constructing modern nationalist symbols and pre-modern ideologies of descent. Modern territorial states with ideals of social unification and bureaucratic organization rely upon nationalist discourses to elaborate and rework cultural forms into evidence for the ethnic nation. The state links citizens to institutions through nationalist content used in political discourse, schooling, and public performances. Because such content is presented as authentic but used instrumentally, its contingency and fabrication have to be concealed from view: the culturally intimate spaces of bureaucratic production of culture and narratives are separated from public performances. The creation of genealogies used to legitimate pre-modern states are similar: compositional processes and goals are kept offstage, and little is disclosed in the public historical narratives and performances.     

The religious factor in the reification of “neo-ethnic” identities in Kyrgyzstan

This paper studies how religions, Islam in particular, play a part in the attempted reifications of “neo-ethnic” identities in Kyrgyzstan, a Turkic-speaking republic with a nomadic tradition and a Muslim majority (Hanafî Sunni Islam). In a context characterized by brutal transformations (decline in living standards, widening social inequalities, etc.) and by an increasingly failing central state whose autocratic rule appears ineffective, Islam intervenes as a paradoxical resource that is subjected to contrary uses. The traditional social link between collective identity and Islam is in fact reinvested ideologically within the framework of the new state construction. As a result a key question is what function the re-emergence of religion on the Kyrgyz political scene fulfils, especially considering broad disenchantment with politics. Islam is first re-emphasized as a national element by the authorities and, in the process, it becomes the subject of a drive towards territorialization that aims at erasing any transnational and/or pan-Islamist dimension from this universalist religion. Yet Islam and ethnicity are reinvested again in a new mode, the mode of subjectivization of religious belief, which gives rise, outside state control, to overlapping and often contradicting Islamic identities.     

The success of Afghan NGOs

During the 1990s, and as part of a broader drive towards the “Afghanisation” of humanitarian assistance in Pakistan, Afghan NGOs became key implementing agencies supporting refugee-related and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan. This paper provides a detailed account of their emergence and consolidation, with a twofold objective. First, it complements and contributes to recent studies on Afghan NGOs and Afghan civil society, by providing historical insights on their trajectory. Second, it assesses such trajectory as a way of engaging with broader discussions on the role of NGOs within humanitarian operations.

Le succès des ONG afghanes

Durant les années 1990, et dans le cadre d'une initiative plus générale vers l’« afghanisation » de l'assistance humanitaire au Pakistan, les ONG afghanes sont devenues des agences clés de mise en ?uvre soutenant des activités de reconstruction et d'aide aux réfugiés en Afghanistan. Cet article propose un compte rendu détaillé de leur apparition et de leur consolidation, dans un double objectif. En premier lieu il complète et contribue à des études récentes sur les ONG afghanes et la société civile afghane, en donnant un aperçu historique de leur trajectoire. En second lieu, il évalue cette trajectoire dans le but de prendre part à des discussions plus larges sur le rôle des ONG dans les opérations humanitaires.

El éxito de las ong afganas

Como parte de un esfuerzo dirigido a “afganizar” la asistencia humanitaria en Pakistán durante los años noventa, las ong afganas se volvieron agencias operativas clave para el apoyo de actividades vinculadas a los refugiados y a la reconstrucción en Afganistán. El presente artículo proporciona una historia detallada de su aparición y de su consolidación y tiene dos objetivos. En primer lugar, complementar y contribuir a los estudios recientes respecto a las ong afganas y a la sociedad civil afgana, esclareciendo su trayectoria histórica. En segundo lugar, realizar una valoración de dicha trayectoria como una manera de participar en el debate más amplio en torno al rol jugado por las ong en el ámbito de las operaciones humanitarias.

O sucesso de ONGs afegãs

Durante a década de 1990, como parte de uma orientação mais geral para a “Afeganização” da assistência humanitária no Paquistão, ONGs afegãs tornaram-se agências implementadoras cruciais que apoiam atividades relacionadas a refugiados e à reconstrução no Afeganistão. Este artigo oferece um relato detalhado sobre o seu surgimento e consolidação, com um duplo objetivo. Primeiramente, ele complementa e contribui para estudos recentes sobre ONGs afegãs e a sociedade civil afegã, fornecendo informações históricas sobre sua trajetória. Em segundo lugar, ele avalia tal trajetória como forma de engajamento com discussões mais gerais sobre o papel de ONGs dentro de operações humanitárias.     

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.     

Fertility differential by husbands' occupational status and income in Dhanbad district,Jharkhand, India

The paper attempts to find out fertility differential by husbands' occupational status and income level in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand (India). The mean number of children ever born (MCEB) is used to measure fertility, and monthly income as the income variable. Older and younger cohorts of women were examined separately for assessing fertility differential. MCEB was found to be high for women with husbands employed as labourers with a low monthly income. This was true for both the cohorts, but fertility levels were much higher among the older cohort. Low MCEB was found with increasing income of husbands and for those in private jobs.

Différence de fécondité en fonction du statut professionnel et du revenu des maris dans le district de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Inde

Cet article cherche à établir des différences potentielles sur le plan de la fécondité en fonction du statut professionnel des maris et de leur niveau de revenu dans le district de Dhanbad, à Jharkhand (Inde). Le nombre moyen d'enfants par femme (NMEF) est employé pour mesurer la fécondité, et le revenu moyen comme variable de revenu. Des groupes de femmes jeunes et plus âgées ont été examinés séparément pour évaluer la différence sur le plan de la fécondité. On a constaté que le NMEF était élevé pour les femmes dont les époux travaillaient comme ouvriers et percevaient un revenu mensuel faible. Il en était ainsi des deux groupes, mais le degré de fécondité était beaucoup plus élevé parmi les membres du groupe des femmes plus âgées. Un NMEF plus faible a été constaté parmi celles dont les maris avaient des revenus supérieurs ou occupaient des postes dans le secteur privé.

Diferencial de fertilidade pela condição ocupacional dos maridos e renda no distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Índia

O artigo visa descobrir o diferencial de fertilidade em razão da condição ocupacional dos maridos e nível de renda no distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand (Índia). O número médio de crianças nascidas (MCEB) é utilizado para medir a fertilidade, e a renda mensal como variável de renda. Grupos de mulheres mais velhas e mais novas foram examinados separadamente para se avaliar o diferencial de fertilidade. O MCEB encontrado foi alto para mulheres com maridos empregados como trabalhadores com baixa renda mensal. Isto ocorreu em ambos os grupos, mas os níveis de fertilidade foram muito mais altos entre o grupo mais velho. Um baixo MCEB foi encontrado com a renda crescente dos maridos e para aqueles em empregos privados.

La diferencial de fertilidad según el reconocimiento profesional y los ingresos de los esposos en el distrito de Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India

Este ensayo busca establecer la diferencial de fertilidad según el reconocimiento profesional y el nivel de ingresos de los esposos en el distrito de Dhanbad, en Jharkhand, India. El número promedio de hijos nacidos (NPHN) se utilizó para medir la fertilidad y se estableció la variable de ingreso de acuerdo al ingreso mensual. Se examinaron por separado grupos de mujeres, jóvenes y mayores, para evaluar la diferencial de fertilidad. Se determinó que el NPHN era alto para las mujeres cuyos esposos trabajaban como obreros con ingresos mensuales bajos. Esta situación prevalecía en ambos grupos de mujeres, pero los niveles de fertilidad eran más altos para el grupo de mayor edad. Un NPHN bajo se asoció a esposos con ingresos más altos o con un empleo en el sector privado.     

Dynamics of multi-local gifts: practices of humanitarian giving in post-tsunami Sri Lanka

This paper explores the paradox of gift giving in privately initiated forms of post-disaster aid. The paradox emerges from the gap that arises between ideals of the altruistic gift, and its practices in the actual implementation in a complex and multi-local humanitarian aid arena. An ethnographic study of a privately initiated post-tsunami housing project illustrates the paradox. While initiators presented the project as opposite to the mundane world of development aid, they increasingly came under pressure to deliver and perform visible success, such that their practices resembled this mundane world of humanitarian aid and its logics of patronage, favouritism, and politics.

La dynamique de dons multi-locaux: la pratique de donation humanitaire au Sri Lanka d'après-tsunami

Cet article étudie le paradoxe de donations sous des formes d'assistance d'après-désastre lancées par des organisations privées. Ce paradoxe est engendré par le vide qui s'ouvre entre l'idéal du don altruiste et sa pratique d'implantation dans l'arène d'aide humanitaire à la fois complexe et multi-locale. Il est illustré par une étude ethnographique d'un projet de logement mis en place par une organisation privée. Tandis que ceux qui ont lancé ce projet l'ont présenté comme le contraire du monde banal de l'aide développementale, ils ont de plus en plus subi une pression pour qu'ils livrent et finalisent une réussite visible, cela à un tel point que leur pratique a fini par ressembler à ce monde banal d'aide humanitaire et à sa logique du mécénat, du favoritisme et de la politique.

La dinámica de los regalos multi-locales: prácticas de donaciones humanitarias en el Sri Lanka de la fase post-tsunami

El presente artículo examina la paradoja que encierra el hecho de que particulares entreguen regalos como forma de ayuda post-desastre. La paradoja surge como consecuencia de la brecha creada entre los ideales que conlleva el regalo altruista y el modo en que son implementadas las prácticas en un ámbito de ayuda humanitaria complejo y multi-local. Para ilustrar dicha paradoja, el presente artículo se apoya en un estudio etnográfico realizado en torno a un proyecto de vivienda impulsado por particulares durante la fase post-tsunami. Quienes iniciaron este proyecto lo presentaron en contraposición al ámbito mundano de la ayuda de desarrollo. Sin embargo, se vieron cada vez más presionados a tener que demostrar éxitos palpables, al punto de que sus prácticas terminaron pareciéndose a las del ámbito mundano de la ayuda humanitaria y a su lógica de clientelismo, de favoritismo y de politiquería.

Dinâmica de mercadorias de vários locais: práticas de doações humanitárias no Sri Lanka após o tsunami

Este artigo explora o paradoxo das doações de mercadorias nas formas de ajuda iniciadas privadamente no pós-desastre. O paradoxo surge da distância que é criada entre os ideais da doação altruísta e suas práticas na implementação real em uma arena de ajuda humanitária complexa e multi-local. Um estudo etnográfico de um projeto de moradia pós-tsunami iniciado privadamente ilustra o paradoxo. Embora os iniciadores apresentaram o projeto como sendo oposto ao mundo mundano de ajuda ao desenvolvimento, eles foram cada vez mais pressionados para implementar e desempenhar iniciativas de sucesso visível, de forma que suas práticas parecessem com este mundo mundano de ajuda humanitária e sua lógica clientelista, de favoritismo e política.