Living as immigrant in Germany: an analysis of civil society organizations leaders’ perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabahattin Tekingündüz ◽  
Mualla Yılmaz ◽  
Hilal Altundal
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Turkish Immigrants ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Immigration is considered a stressful process that causes many problems such as social isolation, prejudice, unemployment, minority status and intergenerational tensions. This study aims to determine the opinions of the leaders of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Germany about the experiences of individuals who immigrated from Turkey to Germany. Design/methodology/approach In this study, a qualitative method was used. This study was conducted between April and May 2014 with leaders of CSOs who were living in Germany. Informed consent forms were signed by all the participants. Purposeful sampling was used to select the leaders of CSOs to be included in the sample. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview format. The data reached saturation for the 30 leaders of CSOs. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and evaluated through thematic analysis. Findings Four main themes were identified: “Difficulties experienced”, “Recommendations to cope with/solve the difficulties experienced,” “Medical tourism” and “Use of health services.” Research limitations/implications This study has some limitations that should be taken into consideration during the interpretation of the results. A majority of the leaders of CSOs had bachelor’s degrees, and were middle-aged and older, which might affect the variety required in qualitative studies. Thus, it remains unclear whether the results could be generalized to all Turkish immigrants in Germany. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study conducted with different Turkish CSO leaders living in Germany. This study outlines perspectives of CSO leaders’ migration-related challenges that Turkish immigrants struggle with to integrate into German societies. As a consequence, Turkish immigrants’ socio-cultural values, beliefs, difficulties they experienced, and legal rights should be taken into consideration in health care and tourism interactions. Possible found experiences could help to provide evidence on how to improve migrants’ situations.

scholarly journals Features of Implementation and Protection of Human Rights in the Library Sphere of the Russian Federation: Experience of the First Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 589-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey A. Basov
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Round Table ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
National Library ◽  
The Russian Federation

On October 18, 2018, the National Library Russia (NLR) hosted the Round table “Implementation of citizens’ rights to library services” within the framework of the visiting Session of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. The discussion of library issues in the human rights context, initiated by the NLR, was held for the first time. The participants of the meeting considered the activities of libraries and their founding parties - government authorities - on ensuring the legal rights of citizens to access to culture and information. The topics of discussion included the implementation of cultural policy, library legislation, normative standards of library allocation, physical and information availability of libraries and library collections, the problem of access to online electronic resources and the organization of services for special groups of readers. The article uses the materials of the annual monitoring of the National Library of Russia, the reports (presentations) of the central libraries of the subjects of the Russian Federation, placed in the open database, formed in the framework of the research work of the NLR “Actual problems of transformation of the regional library systems in the information society” (http://clrf.nlr.ru/). The author presents the opinions of specialists from the libraries of St. Petersburg, the Leningrad and Pskov regions, as well as the members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. Based on the presented views and factual data, the author concludes that libraries do not practically analyse their activities from the human rights perspective, and the state library policy does not fully contribute to the activities of public libraries to ensure the constitutional rights of citizens to use cultural institutions and to have access to cultural values and information of the Russian Federation.

Between a rock and a hard place

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamama Afreen ◽  
Sushil Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Port Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Interactions

Purpose Development project implementation involving ecological and social externalities is an iterative process due to dynamic challenges emerging from the need to reconcile multiple, and often conflicting, interests of stakeholders. Stakeholder interactions result in learnings for project developers as well as policy makers. This paper aims to track corporate-civil society organizations-state interactions and learnings in case of a port development project in an eco-sensitive and socially challenging region of India. Design/methodology/approach The authors try to unpack the interactions among various stakeholders in the case of development of Dhamra Port being developed by the Dhamra Port Company Ltd, in the state of Orissa, India. Findings The authors find that sustainable development policy formulation and implementation is an evolutionary process involving plugging of governance gaps at each successive stage with civil society actors playing an active role. Research limitations/implications The study is based on single case of a major port development in India. Practical implications The paper highlights that development in emerging economies through large projects is unavoidable. The development-sustainability dilemma cannot be overlooked any further; rather, it needs to be resolved with complete participation of all involved stakeholders. Originality/value The paper provides account of long and complex interactions among various players involved in developmental project in an emerging economy. The learnings from the paper will be relevant for policymakers, corporate executives and civil society activists.

ABC Development Organization

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Sushanta Kumar Sarma ◽  
Madhavi Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
College Education ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Civil Society Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Organization ◽  
Low Degree

Subject area Organizational theory/organizational behavior. Study level/applicability MBA Case overview ABC Development Organization (ABCDO) is a civil society organization working in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan. ABCDO is working towards empowering tribal women of rural Rajasthan through making credit accessible to them and by offering them various livelihood choices. The organization employs local people, most of whom have not received college education. Illiterate, marginalized, and poor are the adjectives that describe the clients of ABCDO – the women from rural and tribal Rajasthan. ABCDO played the role of an intermediary between these hopeless women and formal financial system. ABCDO works with low degree of formalization and with a relatively low amount of documentation, despite being in the business of delivering financial services. However, such low formalization has never caused any problem in coordination of various activities within the organization and ABCDO has been growing in operation for the last couple of years. The case is about the role played by organizational culture in an organization with low degree of formalization. This case examines the emergence and functions of culture in civil society organizations which are often characterized by routineness of technology, yet the absence of rules, procedures and written documentations. Expected learning outcomes At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the following: the emergence of culture in a Civil Society Organization, the role played by culture in an organization with low degree of formalization, the framework depicting relationship of environment and strategy to organizational culture in the context of organizations engaged in microfinance with a social agenda. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

scholarly journals Inter-organizational relational mechanism on firm performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1934-1953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasir Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Management ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Relational Mechanism ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how structural and economic issues of organising inter-firm relationships influence a supply chain (SC) performance, by using the insight of organisational theories and institutional economics. Design/methodology/approach The study is an exploratory field study in the Australian agri-food industries. Using a conceptual model and a set of semi-structured interview questions, data collection was done through in-depth interviews with eight agri-food firms from the agri-food SCs in Western Australia (WA). Findings The findings demonstrated the requirement of higher coordination and integration from the downstream industries to include upstream producers as the integral part of the SC. Research limitations/implications The study is based on eight in-depth interviews on cross-sectional food SCs in WA and generalises the result for the overall food industry in WA. Originality/value The study provides valuable information to the existing literature on industrial management and has important value to the users of agri-food SCs. It provides empirical evidence of the factors of SC performance for agri-food producers, processors and retailers, other stakeholders and government agencies for their planning and benchmarking.

Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Discrimination

2021 ◽  
pp. 357-414
Author(s):  
Emma Lantschner
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
Constructive Dialogue ◽  
Positive Action ◽  
Awareness Raising ◽  
The Government

Any attempt to address discrimination through litigation must be combined with efforts to prevent discrimination from happening in the first place and promoting equality. Articles 5, 10–13 RED and Articles 7, 12–14 EED are key here. Chapter 6 looks at the role played in this context by state authorities, Equality Bodies, and civil society organizations. As well as the possibility of taking positive action, state authorities have an obligation to disseminate information and raise awareness about legal rights and existing redress mechanisms. Research shows that awareness-raising activities are superficial, insufficient, and are not considered to be high priority by the Member States. This is an unacceptable situation in light of the low level of awareness in particular of support structures in place in the different countries. The task is sometimes (by law or in practice) delegated to Equality Bodies, which also have to fulfil an advisory role to the government. In countries with a predominantly tribunal-type Equality Body, these bodies, faced with financial constraints, tend to prioritize their decision-making function. When it comes to the dialogue with civil society organizations, a state obligation under the Directives having the purpose of increasing the effectiveness of national policies and awareness raising, the research has shown that the opportunities for NGOs to engage in a constructive dialogue with state authorities and to be meaningfully involved in law and policy making are shrinking. The chapter closes with indicators to measure the level of implementation of the respective provisions of the Directives.

The struggles for land rights by rural women in sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godfrey Massay
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Land Rights ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of how rural women in Tanzania have addressed land rights challenges, showcasing three interventions implemented by Tanzanian Civil Society Organizations. It demonstrates that women have used both legal and traditional systems to negotiate and mediate their claims to land. Although the interventions featured have been greatly shaped by the work of civil society organizations, they have equally been influenced by rural women movements and individual rural women. The cases selected provide understanding of women’s land rights issues in both privately and communally held property/land. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents literature review of the existing secondary data on the subject coupled with the interviews. Findings Informal and formal approaches have been used by rural women to negotiate their claims on both communal and private lands. CSOs have equally shaped the approaches employed by rural women. Research limitations/implications This research was mainly based on the secondary data and few key interviews. There is a need to conduct further analysis of the issues. Practical implications This paper highlights the role of CSOs in improving the participation of women in decision-making bodies. The wave of large-scale land-based investments has caused insecurity of land tenure for women. The paper shows some ways to address the problem in communal lands. Social implications Socially, the papers shows the power relations involved in the struggles over land, as well as the role of traditional systems and bylaws in protecting the rights of women. Originality/value The paper provides dynamics of gendered approach used by women to negotiate their claims in communally held lands. It also highlights the role and space of local and international CSOs in shaping the local context of resistance on land rights. It is a very useful paper for academics and practitioners working on land rights.

Moving the 2030 agenda forward: SDG implementation in Colombia

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Pineda-Escobar
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
National Level ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
General Interest ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Agenda

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to the debate regarding the understanding of the multiple manifestations and alternatives for the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) across national borders. For this purpose, the Colombian context is taken as a case study. Design/methodology/approach The present study performs an exploration of SDGs implementation in Colombia, cutting across the macro and meso levels and the perspectives of governance-making and governance-taking. To answer the research questions, this study applies a two-stage qualitative research design with summative content analysis. Findings The study finds that the companies in Colombia are showing an interest in incorporating the SDGs into their corporate sustainability reporting. Although companies show a general interest in adopting the SDGs as part of their sustainability strategies, the findings demonstrate that very few would go deeply into the analysis of the SDG targets. The Colombian case might be a good example of how local governments are taking actions for the implementation of SDGs in their national action plans, policies and strategies. Research limitations/implications As is frequent with qualitative research, and particularly with content analysis, the generalizability of the findings obtained may only be applicable to those organizations included in the sample. The analysis at the meso level is limited to the private sector, and the findings are not applicable to other organizational actors, such as civil society organizations or academia. Future research can broaden the spectrum of analysis, both at a national and cross-national level. Practical implications The paper is of use for actors from the public, private and civil society sectors in Colombia, as well as for international actors with an interest in the ways in which the global sustainable development agenda can be translated into local action. Originality/value This paper contributes to the understanding of the different ways in which the sustainable development agenda is moving from the global level to the local implementation.

Welfare schemes in India: decentralization dynamics and stakeholder influences

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjula Gurtoo ◽  
Udayaadithya A.
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Paper Document ◽  
Local Politician

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a background to the special issue on welfare schemes in India. After 25 years of decentralization of governance and structural adjustments implemented in the 1980s and 1990s, have welfare schemes implementation and execution become more accountable and efficient? This paper seeks a critical look at the welfare schemes and its relationship with decentralization and stakeholders’ dynamics. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a review of studies post 1990s. Papers representing all main stakeholders are reviewed, namely, politicians and political parties, bureaucrats, beneficiary, and civil society organizations. The inclusion/exclusion decision for the papers was taken on two criteria: the paper/document had to explicitly investigate decentralization, and had to include welfare scheme as the overall theme under which decentralization was investigated. Findings – The paper summarizes the new complexities in the system. Stakeholder behaviour is driven by several factors external to the traditional social and economic diversities that signify the Indian sub continent. For example, the authors see the lobbying process shifting to the local level, increasing importance of the local politician and the significance of forming local coalitions and partnerships for better resource allocation. Originality/value – The paper attempts to provide an overview by going beyond a critique of development to focus on the perils of operating within a socio-economically complex society.

scholarly journals Rumah Gizi ‘Aisyiyah: Komunikasi Kesehatan dengan Pendekatan Agama-Budaya

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-161
Author(s):  
Tri Hastuti Nur R ◽  
Hajar Nur Setyowati ◽  
Rizanna Rosemary
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Health Program ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Cultural Approach ◽  
Reflexive Modernity ◽  
The Government ◽  
Advocacy Program ◽  
Depth Interviews

Gizi buruk (malnutrisi) dan pendek badan anak (stunting) masih merupakan permasalahan kesehatan di Indonesia. ‘Aisyiyah sebagai salah satu organisasi kemasyarakatan melalui program kesehatannya telah mendampingi pemerintah menjalankan program-program guna menurunkan angka malnutrisi dan stunting di Indonesia. Salah satunya adalah melalui program Rumah Gizi di beberapa kabupaten di tanah air. Melalui pendekatan kualitatif, dengan metode wawancara mendalam dan analisa dokumen, studi ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan dan menganalisis implementasi program Rumah Gizi ‘Aisyiyah di tiga daerah yaitu Kabupaten Cianjur, Sambas, dan Mamuju. Melalui analisis kritis-budaya, yakni modernitas refleksif dalam pendekatan komunikasi kesehatan, hasil studi ini menunjukkan bahwa keberhasilan penerapan program kampanye dan advokasi Rumah Gizi untuk menurunkan angka malnutrisi dan stunting di wilayah studi melibatkan pendekatan budaya dan agama yang terintegrasi disamping penguatan dan pemberdayaan perempuan. Malnutrition and stunting remain a health problem in Indonesia. ‘Aisyiyah as one of the civil society organizations through its health program has assisted the government to reduce the number of malnutrition and stunting cases in Indonesia. One of them is through the Rumah Gizi program run in several districts in the country. Through a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews, and document analysis, this study aims to explain and analyse the implementation of the Rumah Gizi in three regions, namely Cianjur, Sambas, and Mamuju districts. Using a cultural approach—reflexive modernity in health communication, the findings of this study indicate that the success of Rumah Gizi campaign and advocacy program to reduce malnutrition and stunting requires an integrated cultural and religious approach as well as strengthening and empowering women.

scholarly journals An agency mapping of marginalized communities and aid providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 323
Author(s):  
Melati Nungsari ◽  
Chuah Hui Yin ◽  
Nicole Fong ◽  
Veena Pillai
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Marginalized Populations ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

Background: Given the urgent need for help amongst vulnerable populations throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, civil society organizations (CSOs) and members have stepped up to provide support for impacted communities. The process of responding to these urgent needs reflects the agency and resilience of civil society members in accessing or providing resources. There is still a lack of understanding of how is human agency exercised in the context of power imbalances. Such an understanding is important not only for creating an effective and inclusive aid delivery mechanisms but also improving preparedness for future public health and economic crises. Methods: This study utilizes Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory to comprehensively map the agency landscape of aid providers and marginalized populations during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Assuming that these populations’ main goals are access to aid while providers’ main goals are to provide aid, this study categorizes the different modes of agency involved and highlights environmental facilitators and constraints for each of these groups in achieving their goals. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with 34 participants. Using a hermeneutic content analysis based on a sample of 824 textual excerpts from the interviews, we explore the relationship between each component of the agency landscape to understand the relationships between them. Results: We find that marginalized populations are often unable to achieve their goals despite clear intentions to survive. Additionally, we find that proxy agency is problematic for marginalized populations and characterize why this is the case. Conclusions: Finally, we present policy recommendations which prioritise marginalized populations and their needs, while removing barriers to accessing aid.

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