France’s robust terrorist response comes with risks

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Terrorism Risk ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Radical Islam ◽  
Terrorist Groups ◽  
Muslim Majority ◽  
Immigration And Asylum ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Charlie Hebdo

Significance The French government has responded by closing mosques viewed as suspicious and investigating civil society organisations suspected of fostering radicalisation. President Emmanuel Macron -- who recently said that Islam is in crisis -- has firmly defended France’s secular tradition and the publication by Charlie Hebdo of a controversial Prophet Mohammed cartoon. Impacts Macron’s robust stance on radical Islam threatens to weaken his relations with leaders in Muslim-majority countries. Terrorist groups and extremists will feel energised by recent attacks and emboldened to carry out further attacks. The rising terrorism risk across the EU will make member states even less willing to cooperate on immigration and asylum reform.

Determinants of health and education equality: evidence from post-Soviet states

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Vito Panaro
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Regime Type ◽  
Social Equality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Regime Types

PurposeThis article examines the determinants of social equality in the education and healthcare sectors in the 15 post-Soviet states. Focussing on regime type and civil society organisations (CSOs), it argues that countries where liberal principles of democracy are achieved or have a stronger civil society deliver a more equitable social policy.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis rests upon a time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) analysis from 1992 to 2019. Data are collected from the Quality of Government (QoG) Dataset 2020 and the Variates of Democracy (V-DEM) Dataset 2020.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that while regime type only partially accounts for social equality, as electoral autocracies do not have more equitable social policy than close regime types and democracy weakly explains equality levels, the strength of CSOs is associated with more equality.Originality/valueThe article challenges dominant approaches that consider electoral democracy to be related to more equal social policy and demonstrates that de-facto free and fair elections do not impinge on social equality, while the strength of liberal and civil liberties and CSOs correlate with more equitable social policy.

Turkey attracts East Europe more than Western ‘core’

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Former Yugoslavia ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East Europe ◽  
Radical Islam ◽  
Turkish State ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
The Eu

Subject Erdogan’s visit to Serbia. Significance The Turkish president’s visit to Serbia on October 9-11 was much publicised. Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a hero’s welcome at a rally in Novi Pazar, where he appeared alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Both governments are keen to boost economic ties. Impacts Size and location make Serbia a key economic and diplomatic partner for Turkey in former Yugoslavia. The Turkish state will continue to claim leadership over Balkan Muslims and seek to contain the influence of radical Islam. All Balkan governments will seek good ties with Turkey and to minimise any fallout from Erdogan’s spat with the EU and the United States.

'Soros scare' tactics will wane for European populists

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East European ◽  
Central Eastern ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Strategic Goal

Subject Attacks on George Soros in Central-Eastern European states. Significance Wealthy Hungarian-US financier and philanthropist George Soros has recently become instrumentalised by Central-Eastern European (CEE) politicians who present him as the symbol of a remote, non-native amd illegitimate elite. In part because of the anti-Soros campaign, opposition to liberal ideas and globalisation and broader rhetorical and administrative attacks on dissent are fast becoming mainstream in CEE countries. Impacts The rise of illiberal politics in CEE will deepen existing divisions within the EU and hinder further integration. Anti-Soros mobilisation in CEE furthers Russia’s strategic goal of undermining Western cohesion. As philanthropy comes under attack, East European civil society groups are likely to suffer, further weakening young democracies.

COVID-19 alters focus of cyberespionage

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pharmaceutical Firms ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Multilateral Institutions ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Significance Calls by the UN and civil society organisations for a cyberspace ‘ceasefire’ have made little difference. Impacts Trust in multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization will be undermined if they suffer cyberattacks. Post-pandemic, China is likely to experience a rise in cyber intrusions from upcoming cyber actors such as Vietnam. Although better prepared than research institutions, large pharmaceutical firms are not immune to cyberespionage.

scholarly journals Gender equality in European Union development policy: incorporating women’s voices or confirming hierarchies?

Afrika Focus ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Debusscher
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Eu

This paper examines gender mainstreaming in European Union (EU) development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to detect how gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa is framed by the EU by critically assessing the nature and range of the differences between EU and civil society framings of gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the method of Critical Frame Analysis, 28 EU programming documents have been analysed and compared to 10 civil society texts on gender equality. I conclude that the EU’s approach to gender mainstreaming in its development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa is to a large extent integrationist and predominantly instrumentalist as it is framed as a way of more effectively achieving existing policy goals. The more transformative issues that are put forward by Sub-Saharan African civil society organisations do not t within the EU’s dominant development paradigm that is focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and does not signficantly challenge gender relations or power structures. The gap between the analysed civil society views and those expressed by the EU can be explained by the EU’s reluctance to include in its policy drafting the promotion of gender equality by civil society organisations. Moreover, the gap seems to have both practical and ideological grounds. Key words: gender equality, European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa, development policy, civil society, millennium development goals, critical frame analysis 

Majority may make Georgian ruling party invincible

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Identity Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Movement ◽  
Roll Back ◽  
Ruling Party ◽  
The Eu

Significance The United National Movement (UNM) trailed far behind but will form the main parliamentary opposition. Turnout was low by Georgian standards at 51.6% and reflected voter fatigue with both main parties. A third of seats in parliament will be filled only after second-round elections take place, which will be held by November 2. Impacts A constitutional majority for Georgian Dream would allow it to roll back democratic advances. The EU and civil society groups will pay closer attention to encroachments on rights and freedoms. UNM will undergo a period of identity crisis.

The EU’s engagement with civil society on human rights

2020 ◽  
pp. 293-311
Author(s):  
Jeff Kenner ◽  
Katrina Peake ◽  
Stuart Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Policy Coherence ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Public Consultations ◽  
The Eu

The European Union’s (EU’s) engagement with civil society is multifaceted, involving a variety of initiatives, dialogues, and cooperation. The EU has recognised the importance of engaging with these actors as an avenue to foster the improvement and promotion of human rights globally. It seeks to undertake effective engagement through public consultations, meeting transparency requirements, ensuring policy coherence, and funding to support their activities. This is closely connected to EU treaty provisions and the EU’s democratic legitimacy. This chapter identifies ways and means for the EU to provide more effective structures for dialogue with civil society, target funding to increase the capacity of civil society organisations to promote human rights and explore more proactive methods of engagement. It makes recommendations to streamline and strengthen the EU’s engagement with civil society to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.

New laws pose threat to Kyrgyzstan's civil society

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
The United States ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Eurasian Economic Union ◽  
Economic Union

Significance The dispute between the United States and Kyrgyzstan revolves around Washington giving imprisoned activist Azimjon Askarov the Human Rights Defender Award in 2014. As Bishkek moves closer to Russia through its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Kyrgyzstan's civil society is under threat. Impacts Harassment, intimidation and attacks on civil society organisations will become more pervasive. A focus on NGOs which receive foreign funding and engage in vaguely defined political activities and on LGBT groups is increasing. Relations between Kyrgyzstan and the West will be increasingly strained.

New Urban Agenda challenges developing cities

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Rapid Population Growth ◽  
World Cities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Developing Cities ◽  
Armed Violence ◽  
New Urban Agenda

Subject The UN's New Urban Agenda. Significance The New Urban Agenda, a set of urban development guidelines, was agreed by official representatives from 167 countries at the UN’s Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador, on October 20. Although not legally binding, the new document was unanimously agreed not only by governments but also by civil society organisations and international bodies. It sets out ambitious aims for global urbanisation during the next two decades, amid rapid population growth in developing-world cities. Impacts Habitat III wants city halls to improve incentives for PPPs, but also for businesses to share the costs of investments that benefit them. The focus on security and armed violence may increase the urgency to develop municipal crime and terrorism policies. Rapidly urbanising countries will face pressure to address the guidelines in emerging urbanisation plans.

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