scholarly journals How Human Rights Cross-Pollinate and Take Root: Local Governments and Refugees in Turkey

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-157
Author(s):  
Elif Durmuş
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Human Rights Regime ◽  
Refugee Policies ◽  
Failure To Protect ◽  
Central Government Agencies

AbstractThe human rights regime—as law, institutions and practice—has been facing criticism for decades regarding its effectiveness, particularly in terms of unsatisfactory overall implementation and the failure to protect the most vulnerable who do not enjoy the protection of their States: refugees. Turkey is the country hosting the largest refugee population, with around four million at the end of May 2020 (https://www.unhcr.org/tr/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2020/06/UNHCR-Turkey-Operational-Update-May-2020.pdf). As an administratively centralised country, Turkey’s migration policy is implemented by central government agencies, but this has not proved sufficient to guarantee the human rights of refugees on the ground. Meanwhile, in connection with urbanisation, decentralisation and globalisation, local governments around the world are receiving increasing attention from migration studies, political science, law, sociology and anthropology. In human rights scholarship, the localisation of human rights and the potential role of local governments have been presented as ways to counter the shortcomings in the effectiveness of the human rights regime and discourse. While local governments may have much untapped potential, a thorough analysis of the inequalities between local governments in terms of access to resources and opportunities is essential. The Turkish local governments which form the basis of this research, operate in a context of legal ambiguity concerning their competences and obligations in the area of migration. They also have to deal with large differences when it comes to resources and workload. In practice, therefore, there is extreme divergence amongst municipalities in the extent to which they engage with refugee policies. This chapter seeks to answer the question why and how certain local governments in Turkey come to proactively engage in policy-making that improves the realisation of refugees’ rights. Exploratory grounded field research among Turkish local governments reveals four main factors that enable and facilitate the engagement of local governments in refugee policies: (1) the capacity of and institutionalisation in local governments; (2) the dissemination of practices and norms surrounding good local migration and rights-based governance through networks; (3) the availability of cooperation and coordination with other actors in the field, and (4) political will. Collectively, these factors illustrate how a new norm—the norm that local governments can and ought to engage in policy-making improving the rights of refugees—is cross-pollinating and taking root among Turkish local governments. This understanding will provide valuable insights into how norms are developed, travel and are institutionalised within social and institutional networks, and how differences in access, capacity, political and cooperative opportunities may facilitate and obscure the path to policies improving human rights on the ground.

Building an Infrastructure to Manage Electronic Services

2001 ◽  
pp. 71-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ake Gronlund
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Citizen Interactions ◽  
Stabilizing Factors ◽  
General Technical

For an organization to be able to deliver electronic services efficiently and professionally requires a “service infrastructure” including organizational solutions for logistics and customer (citizen) interactions. This chapter reviews a study covering three years of efforts by nine cities in eight European countries in developing such solutions. Generally, Web projects were seen as technical projects; though in fact issues pertaining to users and organization were most important, they were largely neglected. We found 12 distinct “challenges,” situations where the setting changed and the process was found in a stage of improvisation until new stability was achieved. The challenges fall into four categories, concerning users (4 challenges), organization (6), economy (1) and technology (1). We found that the overall process was largely unstructured and improvised. Stabilizing factors were central government policies (national, European Union), the general technical development, market demands and a cadre of Web agents” fostered within the organizations over years of Web projects. There was typically a missing infrastructure link, a body competent of managing the whole process of bundling services from different service providers and publishing them in a coherent fashion, providing support to service providers during the process of inventing, refining and evaluating services, improving operations and conducting the necessary but typically ignored activities of analysis of service quality and policy making. Our conclusion is that there is a great lack of strategic leadership in the field of electronic services in local governments in Europe. This is a big problem considering the importance of that sector and the challenges it is facing.

Policy-making at local level: an analysis of Turkish municipalities

2018 ◽  
pp. 105-120
Author(s):  
Ulaş Bayraktar
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Policy Cycle ◽  
Legal Reforms ◽  
General Overview ◽  
Radical Transformation

Turkish local governments have undergone a radical transformation since the 1980s. Accompanied by a rhetoric of decentralising and democratising reforms, related legal changes have been criticised in the light of either nationalist or democratic, participatory concerns. At the heart of such important waves of legal reforms lay the municipalities as the main service provider in urban settings. This chapter presents a general overview of the state of policy analysis in Turkish municipalities. It argues that municipalities governed by very strong executives, prioritise populist services delivered through subcontracts and controlled weakly by political and civil actors and arbitrarily by the central government. The classical public policy cycle approach will inform the discussion.

scholarly journals Costs and Collateral Damage of a Failure to Protect in Syria

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111
Author(s):  
Leah Sherwood
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
World Order ◽  
Collateral Damage ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Human Rights Regime ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Failure To Protect

Abstract This article reviews humanitarian intervention and Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in Syria arguing that inaction has had greater repercussions than action would have had. It begins by engaging a wide range of policy literature on humanitarian law and broader international relations theory to locate R2P and Syria’s case. Using the Kosovo precedent, it shows an intervention was justifiable and then explains why one did not occur. The consequences of failing to act (when it was possible) is said to have undermined respect for human rights and R2P. The article concludes that the failure to protect in Syria has had international reverberations, which are intensified by concurrent global trends. The damage Syria has done to the human rights regime has bearing on the post-WWII (especially post-Cold War) liberal and normative world order because central values were left undefended. Regionally, inaction destabilized the Middle East and created problems in Europe - and beyond. Inside Syria, the costs of the war will last generations. Unintended collateral damage created by the failure to protect in Syria includes less future respect for human rights, R2P, US global leadership and the liberal world order as well as challenges to Middle Eastern stability, European refugee policy and counterterrorism policy.

scholarly journals KEBIJAKAN PEMERINTAH KOTA SURABAYA DALAM PENUMBUHAN BUDAYA BACA DI KALANGAN PELAJAR

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Hendrik ◽  
Lukman Solihin ◽  
Noviyanti Noviyanti ◽  
Indah Pratiwi ◽  
Kaisar Julizar
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Literacy Programs ◽  
City Administration ◽  
Literacy Events ◽  
The People ◽  
Reading Interest

This article is aimed at describing the role of Surabaya City Administration in nurturing the culture of reading. Presevious studies show that literacy level in Indonesia is relatively low. Inspite of its achievement in eradicating illiteracy, Indonesia has not managed nurturing the culture of reading. In decentralization era, local governments (provincial and regency/city) have vital roles in policy making. They have wider spaces for innovations and creativities in developing their societies and regions, based on the authorities that the central government transferred to them. This context made it possible for the Surabaya City Administration to make policies supporting the nurturing of the culture of reading. This article is based on a field research using qualitative method conducted in Surabaya City. The data of the research resulted from interviews with relevant parties, they are personnel of the Office of Educational Affairs of Surabaya City and the Board of Archive and Library of Surabaya City, and also desk studies. The findings of the research show that in the middle of limited policy instruments available for nurturing literacy, especially nurturing the culture of reading, Surabaya City Administration declared itself as a “city of literacy”, followed by many policies supporting the development of literacy. Those policies are the issuance of literacy-supporting regulations, synergy among related government agencies, human resources development, implementation of literacy events, and education ecosystem envionment. The result of the policies is the increase in the reading interest of the people supported by sustainable literacy programs.

Federal States and the International Protection of Human Rights

1952 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Sørensen
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Federal System ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Political Body ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Political Unity ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights

However deep and acrimonious are most contemporary political controversies, the merits of the federal system of government are recognized by adherents of widely different political doctrines and practices. In the most different conditions federalism has established itself as a useful principle for welding together into one political body groups and regions of great diversity. Neither geography nor linguistic, racial or religious differences have proved insurmountable obstacles to political unity. The federal system of government, in dividing powers between one central government and a number of local governments, allows for that diversity in unity which is so attractive a goal for human activities.

scholarly journals Implemetasi Pengaturan Pemberian Bantuan Sosial dalam Era Pandemi COVID-19 di Desa Adat Kuta

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-281
Author(s):  
Ni Komang Ayu Febriyanti ◽  
I Wayan Wesna Astara ◽  
I Wayan Arthanaya
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Public Welfare ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
The Government

Public welfare is an effort made by the government which aims to improve the welfare of the community through social services and has a broad scope. The outbreak of the covid-19 virus in Indonesia resulted in the central government issuing policies on efforts to prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus which must be implemented by local governments. The purpose of this research is to reveal the arrangement of local government assistance funds in order to tackle covid-19 in the Kuta Traditional Village and the implementation of the provision of social assistance funds distributed to the community in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used is empirical legal research with a sociological approach. Sources of legal materials are primary, secondary and tertiary which are obtained directly through field research. The legal materials obtained then analyzed using qualitative descriptive techniques. The results of this research concluded that Kuta Traditional Village is not qualified in providing assistance considering that what was seen was the aspect of equality of indigenous peoples and agencies and the need for an organization and an implementation system so that the provision of social assistance can proceed well.

Global Human Rights

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Van Arsdale
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
John Locke ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Human Rights Regime

Global human rights, writ large, impact the entire human condition. They span cultural, social, economic, ecological, political, and civic realms. They pertain to how people are treated, protected, and respected. They are interrelated, interdependent, and of importance to all people, yet in actuality—as they play out—do not apply equally to all people. They have not been formulated by representatives of all societies, have not been accepted by members of all nation-states, and have not—in any sense of an entirety or set—been formally approved by many important transnational rights-oriented organizations. However, as commonalities are considered in the way rights emerge and evolve, there are many. Certain principles are foundational. The processes are as essential as the products. The aspirations are as important as the achievements. The subject of human rights can be addressed from many angles. Some authorities suggest that philosophy provides the overarching umbrella, dating from the era of John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704). From one perspective of history, which features emergent religious interpretations, duties and obligations that are situated in various diverse cultural traditions are central. From another perspective of history, which features seminal events such as wars and genocides, the actions and reactions of various actors—from victims to warriors—become central. From the perspective of law, covenants and protocols designed to advise, protect, and aid prosecution emerge prominently. From the perspective of political science, the ways in which citizens engage the political process as rights and wrongs are debated is key. Other disciplines, from psychology to theology to journalism, also contribute significantly. By way of contrast, cultural or social anthropology takes an ethnographic perspective. The cultural context is specified, with case-specific narratives often featured. Documentation of encounters (one-to-one, group-to-group, institution-to-institution) is crucial. Past, present, and potential future issues are addressed. The actions of victims, survivors, and perpetrators, as well as service providers, advocates, and everyday citizens, stand out. Field research, both theoretical and applied, is part and parcel of what anthropologists do. There is no single “theory of human rights.” However, there are a number of prominent paradigms, theories, and models that inform anthropological work in human rights. Of note are statist, cosmopolitan, and internationalist models, with the cosmopolitan of particular interest to anthropologists given its emphasis on individuals rather than states. Viewed differently, from the perspective of power and its abuses, the theory of structural violence is very useful. Case studies of perpetrators of abuse are usually more difficult to develop than those for victims, yet are particularly illustrative of power differentials. Ultimately, improvements in the ways in which abuses are dealt with and the ways in which the human rights regime (i.e., the systematized body of discourse, norms, resources, and protocols) ultimately can change for the better for everyday citizens, are tied to processes of socialization, internalization, and obligation. Rights are not static, but rather, very dynamic.

Regional Development Agencies in Turkey on the Scope of Governance and Local Elites: An Evaluation after 10-years-experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-394
Author(s):  
Uğur Sadioğlu ◽  
Kadir Dede ◽  
Volkan Göçoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Local Elites ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
Central Government Agencies

Under the influence of globalization and the European Union membership accession process, important administrative reform initiatives have been taken in Turkey in the 2000s in the framework of economic, social, political, cultural and technological needs. In this process, central government agencies and administrations, public financial management, local governments and similar public organizations have undergone important transitions. The most important initiative taken to achieve regional governance is the establishment of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). The present study performs a 10-year longitudinal analysis of RDAs in Turkey in the context of governance and local elites. The first phase of the study was conducted in 2010, and the second phase was conducted in 2019. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether RDAs have realized their potential in local democracy, sustainable development and decentralization, as well as to define the characteristics of policies to be pursued in line with further development of these agencies. Consequently, it has been observed that maintaining a centralized state tradition, along with institutional deficiencies, has transformed RDAs into an apparatus of the central government.

Local Governments on the Way at the Provision of Gender Equality

2021 ◽  
pp. 485-498
Author(s):  
Zuhal Önez Çetin
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
The Republic ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Republic Of Turkey

The provision of gender equality has been a critical agenda for public administrations and organizations. In Turkey, both local governments and central government has been dealing with initiatives towards the provision of equality of man and woman. At that context, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior, Foreign Affairs and European Union Department 2010 Circular on “Human Rights of Women and Girls” is an important Circular in terms of local governments and the issue of gender in Turkey. At the study, the local governments' relation with the issue of gender equality has searched. At that framework, firstly, the concepts of gender and gender equality have explained. Secondly, the national documents in related to women in Turkey, and Local Equality Action Plans of six provinces in the context of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior and United Nations Protecting the Human Rights of Women and Girls and Development Joint Program have been explained to search the local governments' relation with the issue of gender, and lastly some practices of local governments have explained on the issue of gender equality.

scholarly journals REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES IN POLICY-MAKING IN THE "RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS"

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Husnu Abadi ◽  
Efendi Ibnususilo ◽  
Rahdiansyah Rahdiansyah
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Religious Issues ◽  
The People ◽  
Tacit Consent ◽  
Government District

Government absolute authorities in the religion affairs is the authority of the central government. In the dynamic development of political, many district that produce regional policy with respect to religion or to follow religious aspirations of local people. Some districts in Riau Province, a county division during the reform, including the district are very concerned about the development in the field of religion. In addition to physical development, the county authority also extend its authority in the religion affairs. Regional policy is embodied in the form of local laws, regulations regent, or Medium Term Development Plan (Plan) Government District in Riau Province. This is possible because there are no clear boundaries of understanding in the rule of religion affairs  formulated by the law on local government. The central government, based on this study, it gives tacit consent when local governments do just that, because the rate it is going to add a lot of partners in the central government district. There is no struggle for power between central government and local governments, but the expansion of the district authority in religious issues involved in managing the government's response is a manifestation of the district in the religious aspirations of the people of the area

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