The Politics of Maps

Political Conflicts ◽

Nation States ◽

Before And After ◽

History Of ◽

Territorial Claim ◽

The Many

This book traces how the geographical sciences have become entwined with politics, territorial claim-making, and nation-building in Israel/Palestine. In particular, the focus is on the history of geographical sciences before and after the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and how surveying, mapping, and naming the new territory became a crucial part of its making. With the 1993 Oslo Interim Agreement, Palestinians also surveyed and mapped the territory allocated to a future State of Palestine, with the expectation that they would, within five years, gain full sovereignty. In both cases, maps served to evoke a sense of national identity, facilitated a state’s ability to govern, and helped delineate territory. Besides maps’ geopolitical functions for nation-state building, they also became weapons in map wars. Before and after the 1967 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors, maps of the region became one of the many battlefields in which political conflicts over land claims and the ethno-national identity of this contested land were being waged. Aided by an increasingly user-defined mapping environment, Israeli and Palestinian governmental and non-governmental organizations increasingly relied on the rhetoric of maps to put forth their geopolitical visions. Such struggles over land and its rightful owners in Israel/Palestine exemplify processes under way in other states across the globe, whether in South Africa or Ukraine, which are engaged in disputes over territorial boundaries, national identities, and the territorial integrity of nation-states. Maps, no less, have become crucial tools in these struggles.

THE ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) AS INTERMEDIARIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION DECISION TO ADOPT INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS: 1973–2002

Accounting Historians Journal ◽

10.2308/0148-4184.43.2.59 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 59-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Devrimi Kaya ◽

Robert J. Kirsch ◽

Klaus Henselmann

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Accounting Standards ◽

International Accounting ◽

International Accounting Standards ◽

The European Union ◽

History Of ◽

The Many

This paper analyzes the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as intermediaries in encouraging the European Union (EU) to adopt International Accounting Standards (IAS). Our analysis begins with the 1973 founding of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), and ends with 2002 when the binding EU regulation was approved. We document the many pathways of interaction between European supranational, governmental bodies and the IASC/IASB, as well as important regional NGOs, such as the Union Européenne des Experts Comptables, Économiques et Financiers (UEC), the Groupe d'Etudes des Experts Comptables de la Communauté Économique Européenne (Groupe d'Etudes), and their successor, the Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens (FEE). This study investigates, through personal interviews of key individuals involved in making the history of the organizations studied, and an extensive set of primary sources, how NGOs filled key roles in the process of harmonization of international accounting standards.

The Oxford Handbook of International Organizations

10.1093/law/9780199672202.001.0001 ◽

2016 ◽

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

International Organizations ◽

Policy Networks ◽

Peace Operations ◽

Law And Politics ◽

Nation States ◽

History Of

Virtually every important question of public policy today involves an international organization. From trade to intellectual property to health policy and beyond, governments interact with international organizations (IOs) in almost everything they do. Increasingly, individual citizens are directly affected by the work of IOs. This book gives an overview of the world of IOs today. It emphasizes both the practical aspects of their organization and operation, and the conceptual issues that arise at the junctures between nation-states and international authority, and between law and politics. While the focus is on inter-governmental organizations, the book also encompasses non-governmental organizations and public policy networks. The book first considers the main IOs and the kinds of problems they address. This includes chapters on the organizations that relate to trade, humanitarian aid, peace operations, and more, as well as chapters on the history of IOs. The book then looks at the constituent parts and internal functioning of IOs. The text also addresses the internal management of the organization, and includes chapters on the distribution of decision-making power within the organizations, the structure of their assemblies, the role of Secretaries-General and other heads, budgets and finance, and other elements of complex bureaucracies at the international level.

From Bush Medicine to Modern Phytopharmaceutical: A Bibliographic Review of Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum spp.)

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14080726 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 726

Author(s):

Thomas Brendler

Keyword(s):

Grey Literature ◽

Reasonable Doubt ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Devil’S Claw ◽

Clinical Investigations ◽

History Of ◽

Excellent Safety Profile ◽

Bush Medicine

Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum spp., Pedaliaceae) is one of the best-documented phytomedicines. Its mode of action is largely elucidated, and its efficacy and excellent safety profile have been demonstrated in a long list of clinical investigations. The author conducted a bibliographic review which not only included peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals but also a vast amount of grey literature, such as theses and reports initiated by governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, thus allowing for a more holistic presentation of the available evidence. Close to 700 sources published over the course of two centuries were identified, confirmed, and cataloged. The purpose of the review is three-fold: to trace the historical milestones in devil’s claw becoming a modern herbal medicine, to point out gaps in the seemingly all-encompassing body of research, and to provide the reader with a reliable and comprehensive bibliography. The review covers aspects of ethnobotany, taxonomy, history of product development and commercialization, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, as well as clinical efficacy and safety. It is concluded that three areas stand out in need of further investigation. The taxonomical assessment of the genus is outdated and lacking. A revision is needed to account for intra- and inter-specific, geographical, and chemo-taxonomical variation, including variation in composition. Further research is needed to conclusively elucidate the active compound(s). Confounded by early substitution, intermixture, and blending, it has yet to be demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that both (or all) Harpagophytum spp. are equally (and interchangeably) safe and efficacious in clinical practice.

The Old Story: Sovereign Nation-States and Myths of National Identity

Rebirth of the Sacred ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199942367.003.0008 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Robert Nadeau

Keyword(s):

National Identity ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Environmental Crisis ◽

Protestant Reformation ◽

Nation State ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

Nation States ◽

History Of ◽

Personal Qualities ◽

Catholic Churches

When members of a society coordinate their activities based on a broadly disseminated and reinforced set of dogmatic beliefs in their mythological or religious traditions, anthropologists refer to these beliefs as useful myths. The aim of this chapter is to reveal that the dogmatic beliefs associated with the construct of the sovereign nation-state are useful myths that can no longer be viewed as useful because they are effectively undermining efforts to resolve the environmental crisis. This situation is greatly complicated by the fact that the sovereign nation-state is a normative construct, or a construct that is assumed to be a taken-for-granted and indelible aspect of geopolitical reality. The large problem here is that this normative construct constitutes one of the greatest conceptual barriers to resolving the environment crisis. This brief account of the origins and transformations of the construct of the sovereign nation-state is intended to accomplish four objectives. The first is to demonstrate that the construct of the sovereign nation-state emerged in Europe from the eleventh to the sixteenth centuries in a series of narratives that transferred the God-given power and authority of sovereign monarchs to the states governed by these monarchs. The second is to reveal that the narratives about nationalism and national identity that emerged during and after the Protestant Reformation abused the truths of religion in an effort to convince core populations living within the borders of particular nation-states that they were a chosen people possessing superior cultural values and personal qualities. The third is to show that the dogmatic beliefs legitimated and perpetuated by these narratives eventually resulted in the creation of churches of state with sacred symbols, rites, and rituals similar to those in Protestant and Catholic churches. And the fourth objective is to provide a basis for understanding how these dogmatic beliefs eventually became foundational to a system of international government, the United Nations, predicated on the construct of the sovereign nation-state. The history of this construct is much more complex and far more detailed than the brief account in this chapter suggests.

Non-governmental organizations and mental health

Oxford Textbook of Public Mental Health ◽

10.1093/med/9780198792994.003.0051 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 487-498

Author(s):

Marguerite Regan ◽

Jenny Edwards ◽

Iris Elliott

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Needs ◽

Current Policy ◽

Health It ◽

International Networks ◽

Policy Frameworks ◽

History Of ◽

The Uk

This chapter examines to contribution of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meeting the mental health needs of individuals, families, and communities. After providing an overview of the history of mental health NGOs, and the current policy frameworks within which they work, it then examines the scope of mental health NGOs, and maps the main international networks and within the UK context. It examines the contribution of NGOs, the key challenges they face working within mental health, and concludes with the steps NGOs can take when striving for parity for mental health. It includes examples of international mental health NGOs throughout.

The Silent Gatekeeper: Authoritarianism and Civil Society in China

Political Science Undergraduate Review ◽

10.29173/psur40 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 66-72

Author(s):

Kate Mah

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Chinese Communist Party ◽

Social Mobilization ◽

Civil Society Organizations ◽

Authoritarian State ◽

History Of ◽

The Government ◽

Market Capitalism

This paper examines the emergence of civil society in China under the authoritarian system in the last thirty years. It seeks to explore the ways in which an initial, traditional notion of civil society has altered in the context of China, as well as the respective challenges faced by both the organizations and the government in carrying out their goals and governance. The rapid rise of market capitalism, globalization and Chinese economic success in the last forty years to present day has made room for the rise of non-governmental organizations as well as social mobilization and engagement from citizens. This paper suggests that China has been able to accept the emergence of civil society, however, despite these developments, the government has been able to sufficiently suppress civil society from carrying out any objectives of transparency, social justice and accountability. It surveys the history of civil society within the authoritarian state, analyzes the specific government-NGO relations between the Chinese Communist Party and civil society organizations, and reflects upon the implications of the current legal and political framework that Chinese civil society must operate under.

Multi-Level Governance: Explaining the “climate-focused” behavior of Chinese exporting companies

Public Policy and Administration ◽

10.1177/0952076718766722 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 165-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yitian Huang

Keyword(s):

Multinational Enterprises ◽

National Level ◽

Developed Countries ◽

International Norms ◽

Business Strategies ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Nation States ◽

Multi Level

While being increasingly aware of the importance of adopting climate-friendly business strategies, Chinese exporting companies have been active in taking “climate-related” actions but moderate in taking “climate-focused” actions. This article presents a preliminary attempt to apply Multi-Level Governance theories to explain the behavior of Chinese exporting companies toward climate change mitigation. It argues that the convergence of state-centered climate politics and market-oriented climate governance, which has a multi-level feature, has shaped the “climate-focused” behavior of Chinese exporting companies. Specifically, nation-states, multinational enterprises, and non-governmental organizations have contributed in the following ways: (1) at the global level, nation-states co-established and interpreted international norms, which generally justify the stance of the Chinese government, have been an indirect source of influence; (2) at the national level, the Chinese government has been the most influential actor, which has put emphasis on energy-saving when interpreting and operationalizing international norms; (3) at the industrial level, multinational enterprises and international non-governmental organizations have been influential contributors by playing a proactive role in launching and running low-carbon initiatives; and (4) transnational public–private partnerships launched in China and some developed countries have offered limited momentum.

The Legitimacy of Direct Corporate Humanitarian Investment

Business Ethics Quarterly ◽

10.2307/3857698 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 95-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Thomas W. Dunfee ◽

David Hess

Keyword(s):

Comparative Advantage ◽

Developing World ◽

Private Firms ◽

River Blindness ◽

Nation States ◽

Non Governmental Organizations

Abstract:Private firms are uniquely positioned to provide significant relief to the misery that pervades the developing world. Global misery has persisted due to a variety of failures in the provision of relief by nation-states and non-governmental organizations, including corruption and the absence of strong background institutions in the countries in need of aid. In many situations, private firms have a comparative advantage over these entities in the provision of aid. Examples such as Merck and the cure for river blindness show how firms can use their specific competencies and knowledge to relieve misery through Direct Corporate Humanitarian Investment (DCHI). DCHI is legitimized by marketplace morality and is consistent with the role of business within society, including legal dimensions. Shareholders may formally approve a corporation’s DCHI strategy and all stakeholders may act in support of their moral desires with respect to the firm and its DCHI strategy.

Martin Luther in the Age of Confessionalization

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.298 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jens Wolff

Keyword(s):

Roman Empire ◽

Identity Politics ◽

Public Discourse ◽

Holy Roman Empire ◽

Unintended Effects ◽

Black And White ◽

Before And After ◽

History Of ◽

The Many ◽

The One

Luther was a point of reference in all three of the confessional cultures during the confessional age, though this was not something he had intended. His theological “self-fashioning” was not meant to secure, canonize, or stabilize his own works or his biography. Rather, he believed, and was convinced, that the hidden God rules in a strange way. He hides himself in the course of the world and realizes what we would have liked to realizes. Apart from this theological viewpoint, historiographic differentiation is needed: Luther had different impacts on each of the three confessions. Furthermore, one also has to differentiate between a deep impact and the unintended effects of Luther’s thinking. Luther was an extremely polarizing figure. From the beginning, he underwent a heroization and a diabolization by his contemporaries. Apart from this black-and-white reception of his person, it was, and still is, extremely difficult to analyze Luther, his work and medial effects. Historians have always been fixated on Luther: he was the one and only founder of Protestantism. His biography became a stereotype of writing and was an important element of Protestant (or anti-Protestant) identity politics. For some Protestants, his biography became identical with the history of salvation (Heilsgeschichte). For his enemies, his biography was identical with the history of the devil. In all historical fields, one has to differentiate between the different groups and people who protected or attacked Luther or shared his ideas. The history of Luther can only be written as a shared history with conflict and concordances: the so-called Anabaptists, for example, shared Luther’s antihierarchical ideal of Christian community, although on the other hand “they” were strongly opposed toward his theology and person. Luther or example, had conflicts with the humanists and with Erasmus especially; he argued about the Lord’s Supper with Zwingli, he criticized the Fuggers because of their financial transactions in an early capitalist society; and, last but not least, he was in conflict with the Roman Church. The legitimization of different pictures of Luther always depends upon the perspectives of the posterity: either Luther was intolerant against spiritualists, Anabaptists, or peasants who were willing to resort to violence; or he was defended by humanists like Sebastian Castellio for defending religious tolerance. During his lifetime Luther was an extremely polarizing figure. Hundreds of pro-Lutheran and polemical anti-Lutheran leaflets or texts were published. The many literary forms of parody, satire, caricature, the grotesque, and the absurd were cultivated during the confessional age. Luther’s biography was often used by Lutheran theologians as an instrument of heroization and identity politics in public discourse. Historically, one can differentiate between the time before and after Luther. The political and religious unity of the Holy Roman Empire was strongly disturbed, if not broken, through the Reformation. The end of the Universalist dreams of universal powers like theology and politics (pope and emperor) were some of the central preconditions for political, cultural, and theological differentiation of Europe. Religious differentiation was one of the unintended effects of theology and the interpretation of the scripture. Decades after Luther’s death, the Holy Roman Empire slowly and surprisingly turned into a poly-, multi- and interconfessional society.

‘What Will We Be without Them?’ Rural Intellectuals in the State and NGOs in Zimbabwe’s Crisis-Ridden Countryside

Critical Sociology ◽

10.1177/0896920516656762 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (4-5) ◽

pp. 595-610 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David Moore ◽

Zenzo Moyo

Keyword(s):

Social Movements ◽

Civil Society ◽

Political Parties ◽

Urban Areas ◽

The State ◽

South West ◽

State Organizations ◽

The Many

Research on NGOs in rural Zimbabwe suggests that ideas of automatic opposition between ‘civil society’ and/or non-governmental organizations and authoritarian states are too simple. Rather, relations between state and non-state organizations such as those referenced in this article, in the rural district of Mangwe about 200 kilometres south-west of Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo, are symbiotic. This contrasts with urban areas where political histories have led to more contested state-civil society relations in the last two decades, during which social movements with a degree of counter-hegemonic (or counter-regime) aspirations were allied with many NGOs and opposition political parties. Gramsci’s idea of ‘rural intellectuals’ could complement the widely used notion of ‘organic intellectuals’ to examine the members of the intelligentsia appearing to be at one with subordinate groups in the countryside and at odds with the state. Likewise state workers distant from the centre and close to their class peers in NGOs as well as their ‘subjects’ may operate with autonomy from their masters in ruling parties and states to assist, rather than repress, citizens and also to co-operate with NGO workers. This research indicates that discerning how hegemony works across whole state-society complexes is more complicated than usually perceived, given the many regional variations therein.