Villager Groups and Self-Governance in China: Power, Incentives, and Risk Prevention

Rural China ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-256
Author(s):  
Chenglin Wei (魏程琳) ◽  
Yansen Ding (丁岩森)

Abstract Building a modern grassroots governance system synchronized with national development has become a significant part of China’s rural revitalization strategy. To cope with the overlapping of property rights, social identities, and work and living space in China’s villages, the villager group 村民小组 has been endowed with relatively complete governance power. Regional social networks, the moral constraints of reputation in the village, and the administrative incentives provided by the government constitute the incentive structure of villager group governance. At the same time, granting group cadres official authority and social power enables them to better coordinate the relationship between state and society, safeguard the rights and interests of villagers in the group, and provide low-cost public goods through their structural position in “the last kilometer” 最后一公里. However, they may also bring about the political risk of group confrontation, the economic risk of embezzling collective assets, and the moral risk of negligence and political inertia. To ward off these risks requires strengthening the leadership of grassroots party organizations, making full use of social supervision, ensuring that cadres operate in an open and above-board fashion, and introducing the notion of the rule of law, thus forming a compound risk-prevention mechanism for grassroots power and building a solid foundation for national governance.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Adipta Wisnu Wardhani

Indonesia is one of the countries that embraced democracy in system administration. Indonesia has proved it by holding presidential and vice presidential election directly. Besides the Indonesian people freely organizing meetings and talking freely to express opinions, criticism, or even overseeing the governance system. Freedom of religion is a manifestation of the democratic state.The dynamics of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was born along with the birth of a new order of the early 1970s. The birth of this order to the economic development paradigm and focusing on economic growth, had an impact on short-term plans, medium and long-national development, which is implemented in the five year plan. NGO as a partner of government to accelerate the process of national development in all fields.This research will be directed to find out how YPKP activity as well as how the interaction / relationship dynamics YPKP with the Government. Murder Victims Research Foundation 1965/1966 (YPKP 65) is the organization's first victim in Indonesia fighting for the enforcement of human rights on Human Tragedy 1965/1966. YPKP 65 judging cases of crimes against humanity 1965/1966 has not been seriously considered in law and politics of the country. During the 12 years of reform, none of the political elite, both in Parliament and in the executive, even in the judiciary investigate cases in 1965.After analysis, it appears that YPKP 65 Pati Regency consolidate internally and externally by holding regular meetings so that the communication that exists among members of intertwined smoothly, as did the communications against similar organizations lainnya.YPKP 65 Pati regency using communication media / communication channels that are electronically for obtain information related to the organization's objectives. There was also the dynamics between YPKP with another NGO. Keywords: Role, Interest Groups, Dynamics.


Author(s):  
Nor Hadi ◽  
Udin Udin

This article is intended to empirically test the effectiveness of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dimension of assistance to Small Business Entrepreneurs (SMEs) under companies’ guidance of Semen Indonesia in Central and East Java. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation for Small Business Entrepreneurs (SMEs), besides as a social contract implementation, is also an effort to increase legitimacy. This study is essential to obtain effective and relevant CSR dimensions recommended for the SME empowering program. The study was conducted at SMEs domiciled around the mining area and the cement factory. Out of 250 SMEs, 92 SMEs were involved in this study. The research data was primary, including respondents’ opinions, where the data were taken using survey and interview procedures. Data analysis using statistics was a factorial analysis. The results showed that of the eight programs included in CSR in the field of assistance for empowering SMEs, two were effective for empowering SMEs: (1) low-cost revolving funds and (2) production equipment assistance for SMEs. Meanwhile, six other CSR programs showed ineffectiveness: (1) mentoring, (2) marketing, (3) ease of procedure and relief of loan terms, (4) education and training, (5) accessibility of obtaining loans, and (6) the involvement of parties in the implementation of CSR. It indicated that the six CSR programs were not effective in helping to build image and legitimacy. The results of the research make an important contribution to the government and corporations and show that the construction of CSR programs must give attention to the real conditions and needs of SMEs in order to achieve effectiveness in solving problems by SMEs. Especially for the government, regulations are needed that can systemically encourage companies to implement CSR. This research still has limitations, therefore further research should be developed, especially in the area of empirical testing related to the contextual dimensions of CSR that are relevant to assisted stakeholders. Development-based research should be considered.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Maanik Nath

The government in British-ruled India established cooperative banks to compete with private moneylenders in the rural credit market. State officials expected greater competition to increase the supply of low-cost credit, thereby expanding investment potential for the rural poor. Cooperatives did increase credit supply but captured a small share of the credit market and reported net losses throughout the late colonial and early postcolonial period. The article asks why this experiment did not succeed and offers two explanations. First, low savings restricted the role of social capital and mutual supervision as methods of financial regulation in the cooperative sector. Second, a political-economic ideology that privileged equity over efficiency made for weak administrative regulation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 009614422198997
Author(s):  
Marianna Charitonidou

The article presents the reasons for which the issue of providing housing to low-income citizens has been a real challenge in Addis Ababa during the recent years and will continue to be, given that its population is growing extremely fast. It examines the tensions between the universal aspirations and the local realities in the case of some of Ethiopia’s most ambitious mass pro-poor housing schemes, such as the “Addis Ababa Grand Housing Program” (AAGHP), which was launched in 2004 and was integrated in the “Integrated Housing Development Program” (IHDP) in 2006. The article argues that the quotidian practices of communities and their socio-economic and cultural characteristics are related to the spatial attributes of co-housing practices. Drawing upon the idea that there is a mutual correspondence between social and spatial structures, it places particular emphasis on the analysis of the IHDP and aims to show that to shape strategies that take into account the social and cultural aspects of daily life of the poor citizens of Addis Ababa, it is pivotal to invite them to take part in the decision-making processes regarding their resettlement. Departing from the fact that a large percentage of the housing supply in Addis Ababa consists of informal unplanned housing, the article also compares the commoning practices in kebele houses and condominium units. The former refers to the legal informal housing units owned by the government and rented to their dwellers, whereas the latter concerns the housing blocks built in the framework of the IHDP for the resettlement of the kebele dwellers. The article analyzes these processes of resettlement, shedding light of the fact that kebele houses were located at the inner city, whereas the condominiums are located in the suburbs. Despite the fact that the living conditions in the condominium units are of a much higher quality than those in the kebele houses, their design underestimated or even neglected the role of the commoning practices. The article highlights the advantages of commoning practices in architecture and urban planning, and how the implementation of participation-oriented solutions can respond to the difficulties of providing housing. It argues that understanding the significance of the endeavors that take into account the opinions of dwellers during the phase of decision-making goes hand in hand with considering commoning practices as a source of architecture and urban planning frameworks for low-cost housing in this specific context. The key argument of the article is that urban planning and architecture solutions in Addis Ababa should be based on the principles of the so-called “negotiated planning” approach, which implies a close analysis of the interconnections between planning, infrastructure, and land.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 424-437
Author(s):  
Alain Symphorien Ndongo

Housing as a place where household members spend about half (12 hours) of their daily time, including six to eight hours in sleep, is one of the essential conditions in the fight against poverty and precariousness.  The current Congolese urban environment is facing serious problems: small plots of land, lack of suitable housing in relation to the size and composition of households, overcrowding, and water and electricity supplies. This situation is becoming critical with the appearance of deviant behavior among children aged between 10 and 30. The government and its development partners have demonstrated their powerlessness face to this situation, leaving thousands of children on the streets without education or family warmth to form real criminal gangs. These street children have created the phenomena of "kuluna" and "black babies". It has been shown that these one act in this way for their survival, claiming their rights. In this study, we find innovative proposals to provide households sheltering adulterine and adoptive children with low-cost social housing, in order to restore the image of the head of the household and provide the children with a pleasant space for their physical, economic, cultural and spiritual development. This will undoubtedly help to find solutions to the problems facing children and indeed Congolese society as a whole today. The study revealed that if the government does not take practical measures in response to the phenomena created by wayward children, especially "black babies" and "kuluna", there will be a massive adherence of other children, especially the adulterine and adoptive ones. There will be a risk of the phenomena will to be exported to rural areas. The study recommends a "State - Household" partnership in the manufacture of new types of urban housing for households housing children likely to integrate or create gangs, jeopardizing social order and public security.


Significance As in 2020 and 2021, this projected growth will be driven by the ongoing expansion of the oil and gas sector, and related investment and state revenues. These rising revenues will support the government’s ambitious national development plans, which include both increased social and infrastructure spending. Impacts The government will prioritise enhancing the oil and gas investment framework. Investment into joint oil and gas infrastructure with Suriname will benefit the growing oil industry in both countries. The expansionary fiscal policy may lead to a rise in inflation, leading to further calls for wage increases. In the medium term, strong growth in the oil and gas sector could lead to increased climate change activism in the country.


Author(s):  
Francis Atuahene

The diminishing financial resources and the growing demand for participation remain the biggest threat to higher education in Ghana. Cognizant of these quagmires and realizing the impact of higher education on national development, the National Union of Ghanaian Students proposed and the government established a special education trust fund called the Ghana Education Trust Fund bill (GETFund) in 2000. Despite these challenges, the GETFund is making significant contributions toward higher education development in Ghana in infrastructure, student development, faculty research, and staff support.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-59
Author(s):  
Netra Prasad Sharma

The dimensions of travelling and tourism have become manifold in recent decades. People love to travel with various purposes. Religious tourism, yoga tourism, peace tourism and spiritual tourism are some dimensions. Lumbini can be a best destination for meditation tourism, which could be much rewarding for individual, social and national development. The travelers and stakeholders have yet to be aware of this aspect. In Buddhism, Lumbini is a best destination for meditation tour. Exploring the importance of travelling Lumbini for meditation is the main objective of this article. Tourists and pilgrims would benefit immensely if they understand the significance of meditation tourism to Lumbini, its philosophy and practice. This article aims to explore the spiritual significance of Lumbini and it will provide visions of a purposeful development and publicity that would shape Lumbini as a best destination for meditation tourism. The government and private sectors are interested to develop Lumbini as best tourist destination. People all over the world are attracted to visit Lumbini for different reasons. Most tourists are unaware of the core aspect of visiting Lumbini. People who visit Lumbini are unaware about meditation practice or involving in charity works. Meditation and compassion are the core aspects of Buddha’s teachings, which are neither realized nor practiced. There seems a vast gap between the actual philosophy of Buddhism and the attitude of most of the visitors. This research study attempts to reveal the significance of meditation tourism in Lumbini.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-313
Author(s):  
Ida Ayu Made Sri Widiastuti ◽  
◽  
I Nengah Dasi Astawa ◽  
Ida Bagus Nyoman Mantra ◽  
Putu Herny Susanti ◽  
...  

Tourism is very necessary to continue to be developed to improve the economy in Indonesia and increase the position of the country geographically, which is very strategic for tourism and the world economy. For this reason, the ability to communicate in English is absolutely necessary, in order to compete with workers from other countries, so that they can contribute to the improvement of the national economy. The ability to communicate in English is a strategic sector in the development of highly competitive human resources in the tourism industry sector and in the global economic community. By having good English communication skills, it will be easier to grab market share in the tourism industry sector and the economic sector. The tourism sector as one of the prime industrial development is developed in order to further increase the rate of national development. For this reason, it is necessary that the government continues to increase its resilience, policies, and increase the development of tourism with a view to further developing the community's economy and increasing the ability to speak English so that human resources are able to compete in various tourism industries so that the economy will increase.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Khairunnisa Musari

Pandemic brings a crisis. This makes world leaders have to work hard and smartly in managing state budgets. During the heyday of Islam, Muslims also faced crises. Given that time the power of Islam mastered many areas of the world, it can be assumed that the crisis that occurred in the past was a global crisis as it is happening today. The difference is the crisis that occurred at the time because of losing the war. This paper tries to describe the historical experience of the esham, one of the fiscal instruments in the Islamic world that helped the Ottoman Empire overcome the crisis. Esham has mobilized low-cost funds from the public in a relatively concise time. Esham served as a better choice than looking for foreign debt. As the origin of sukuk, esham has simpler structure so that can be used as an alternative to sukuk with a lower cost. To deal with a crisis, esham may intervene in the economy. Esham funds to the real sector in turn will help the government drive the economy as well as control prices in the market for goods and services. Therefore, esham has the potential in facing the crisis.


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