scholarly journals The Politics of Transnational Advocacy Against Chinese, Indian, and Brazilian Extractive Projects in the Global South

2021 ◽  
pp. 107049652110190
Author(s):  
Leah Shipton ◽  
Peter Dauvergne
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Global South ◽  
Transnational Advocacy ◽  
State Repression ◽  
Transnational Advocacy Networks ◽  
Global North ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Cross National

Activists in the global South have been navigating two powerful trends since the mid-1990s: intensifying state repression and rising investment in extractive projects from the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). In this context, this article explores the underlying forces determining the formation, endurance, and power of BRICS–South transnational advocacy networks (TANs) opposed to BRICS-based corporate extraction in the global South. By analyzing activism against Chinese, Indian, and Brazilian extractive projects in Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, respectively, the research reveals the critical importance of domestic politics and civil society characteristics in both the BRICS and host states for shaping BRICS–South TANs, including which groups assume leadership, the extent of cross-national cooperation, and the role of nonprofits headquartered in the global North. The findings uncover core reasons for the variable resiliency and capacity of BRICS–South TANs, opening up new avenues of research and offering valuable insights for activists and policymakers.

Democratization

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Welzel ◽  
Ronald F. Inglehart
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Transition To Democracy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Transnational Advocacy ◽  
Advocacy Networks ◽  
Transnational Advocacy Networks ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
Sub Saharan

Democratization introduces the theoretical and practical dimensions of democratization. Focusing on the ‘global wave of democratization’ that has advanced since the early 1970s, this text examines the major perspectives, approaches, and insights that have informed research on democratization. The book is divided into four parts based on four aspects of democratization. Part One deals with theoretical and historical perspectives; Part Two focuses on causes and dimensions of democratization; Part Three looks at actors and institutions; and Part Four is concerned with regions of democratization such as Southern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and East Asia. Topics include the distinction between democratic and undemocratic states, the role of democratization in foreign policy, and the contributions of social movements, protest, and transnational advocacy networks to democratic transition. Key themes covered in this thoroughly revised and updated second edition include: theories of democratization; critical prerequisites and driving social forces of the transition to democracy; pivotal actors and institutions involved in democratization; conditions for democratic survival and the analysis of failed democratization; demonstrations of how these factors have played a role in the different regions in which the global wave of democratization transplaced authoritarian and communist systems; and possible futures of democratization worldwide.

Transnational Human Rights Networks: Significance and Challenges

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Peter Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Transnational Activism ◽  
Transnational Advocacy ◽  
Advocacy Networks ◽  
Amnesty International ◽  
Transnational Advocacy Networks ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
New Type ◽  
Global Affairs

Transnational human rights networks refer to a form of cross-border collective action that seeks to promote compliance with universally accepted norms. Principled transnational activism began to draw sustained scholarly attention after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and the creation of a new type of information-driven and impartial transnational activism, embodied in organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Scholarship on transnational human rights networks emerged during the 1990s within the subfield of International Relations and as a challenge to the state-centric and materialist bias of the field. In their 1998 book Activists beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics, Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink describe the key role that transnational human rights groups play in global affairs. Focusing on rights-based activism, Keck and Sikkink show how transnational advocacy networks (TANs) can influence domestic politics. The concept of TANs is dominated by the purposeful activism of nongovernmental organizations and driven by shared principles, not professional standards. A number of studies have challenged the core assumptions about the effectiveness of principled human rights activism, arguing that international support plays no significant role compared to the autonomous efforts of domestic activists. One way to overcome these challenges and criticisms is for the transnational activist sector, as well as other types of non-state actors, to move beyond the principles/interests dichotomy and take a closer look at the internal dynamics of participant NGOs.

Inorganic growth of technology sector firms in emerging markets

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arindam Das ◽  
Sheeba Kapil
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Technology Sector ◽  
Technology Firms ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Serial Acquirer

Purpose – Emerging economies and technology firms in these economies have witnessed significant increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical research on Indian technology firms and analyze the influence of firm-specific factors on firms’ M&A decisions. Design/methodology/approach – A set of 372 Indian firms in the technology sector have been studied for the period 2001-2011, a decade when this sector has seen maximum number of M&A transactions. Findings – The results show that financially strong, low-debt firms with high market capitalization are the typical acquirers in this segment and they tend to be serial acquirer too. Originality/value – Contrary to established findings in developed economies, the authors find that Indian technology firms’ acquisition decisions are not associated with their R&D activities, opening up scope for investigations on role of technology assets in emerging market firms’ acquisition decisions.

scholarly journals Housing systems in the Global South: The relevance of the ‘social housing’ approach in meeting housing needs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Vaziri Zadeh ◽  
Frank Moulaert ◽  
Stuart Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Global South ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
The Social ◽  
Housing Rights ◽  
Global North ◽  
Housing Needs

This paper addresses the problem of accessing decent and affordable housing in the Global South, where the housing need is, in general, more problematic than in the Global North. The paper first identifies five distinctive characteristics of housing systems in the Global South as compared to those in the Global North. These include: (a) the diverse facets of global financialization; (b) the role of the developmentalist state; (c) the importance of informality; (d) the decisive role of the family; and (e) the rudimentary welfare systems. Given these features, the paper reflects on the concept and practices of social housing, particularly their appropriateness to deal with the housing problem in the Global South. The paper then addresses the question of whether the social housing approach is relevant for solving the contemporary housing needs in the Global South. It argues that social housing, redefined to better encompass the distinctive characteristics of housing systems in the Global South, is indeed a useful policy approach and can play a decisive role in satisfying unmet housing needs. Such an approach needs to take into account the great role of informality and family support systems and develop appropriate funding instruments and modes of institutionalization protecting housing rights and the quality of life.

scholarly journals The University as Utopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-105
Author(s):  
Nivedita Menon
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Indian Academy ◽  
Global South ◽  
Philosophical Question ◽  
Global North ◽  
The University ◽  
Opening Up

Abstract This article addresses three interrelated themes: the institutional transformations of Indian universities since India's independence, debates in India over the assumed universality of Western modes of knowledge production and transmission, and the overarching philosophical question of knowledge as such. It argues that the question of power and prejudice acquires a different dimension when we consider the university of the Global South. If our struggle is to recover knowledges buried by history, to subvert existing knowledge formations, and to generate new knowledges out of local histories and practices, then we cannot be training ourselves merely to enter existing fields of settled knowledges that have emerged from the history and location of the Global North. The article concludes with a look at some attempts that have been made to decolonize knowledge in the Indian academy, which draw on resources from the Global South, while opening up both “Western” and “Indian” knowledges to interrogation.

Indonesia’s South–South cooperation: when normative and material interests converged

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poppy S Winanti ◽  
Rizky Alif Alvian
Keyword(s):  
Third World ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
Global South ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Normative Approach ◽  
Material Interests ◽  
Global North ◽  
Political Configuration

AbstractThis article analyzes how and why contemporary Global South countries’ South–South cooperation (SSC) exhibits a convergence between normative and material interests. The normative approach underlines that SSC is driven by a country’s experience with colonialism and underdevelopment. SSC is perceived as a mechanism to alter the Global South’s asymmetrical relations with the dominant Global North. The material approach highlights the strategic values of SSC for Southern powers. Through SSC, Southern countries desire to improve their reputation, garner support from other South countries in international fora, and pursue their own broader economic agendas. By utilizing domestic politics analysis, Indonesia’s experience shows that a more pragmatic approach to SSC reflects a broader transformation of Indonesia’s domestic political configuration. While Indonesia’s early practices of SSC prefer normative over material interests, the country’s current policies display a convergence of its material and normative interests, which signifies the emergence of ‘interest-based Third World solidarity’.

Ethnographic reflections of the role of Global North volunteers in sport-for-development

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 953-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Lucas ◽  
Ruth Jeanes
Keyword(s):  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Global South ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Sport For Development ◽  
Colonial Theory ◽  
Global North ◽  
Ethnographic Methodology ◽  
Approach Working

This article critically examines the work undertaken by Global North volunteers in Global South sport-for-development programmes. Whilst existing studies acknowledge the centrality of Northern volunteers to the delivery of sport-for-development programmes in the Global South, there are few detailed explorations of how volunteers approach working in diverse cultural contexts and their impact on local communities. Drawing on an ethnographic methodology and post-colonial theory, the article reflects on the first author’s experiences as an AusAID funded volunteer working as a cricket development officer in the Solomon Islands. In addition to the first author’s fieldnotes and critical reflections, the article draws on interviews conducted with indigenous and expatriate stakeholders involved in the sport-for-development programme. The findings demonstrate the complexities of Global North volunteers’ engagement with sport-for-development. The use of post-colonial theory illustrates the ways in which Global North volunteers can perpetuate neo-colonial initiatives and systems of working that are imposed on Global South communities. The study suggests that volunteers can be very aware of their position but can feel helpless in challenging external agencies to promote more culturally sensitive and localised approaches to development work. Furthermore, the paper indicates the complications of developing localised initiatives, indicating how external agencies, through the Global North volunteer, used indigenous people to create the impression that programmes are locally driven. The paper concludes by examining the ways in which indigenous communities resisted the imposition of a sport-for-development initiative that did not meet their needs.

Financialization in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 1012-1030
Author(s):  
Ewa Karwowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Financial Markets ◽  
South African ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Global South ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Financial Centre ◽  
The Social

Financialization has become a popular concept across the social sciences, usually defined as the increasing role of financial motives, financial markets, financial actors, and financial institutions in the operation of the domestic and international economies. Financialization researchers highlight the detrimental consequences of an excessively large and powerful financial sector on economy and society. In South Africa, financialization has been shaped by its colonial and apartheid past, especially the strong links of South African corporations and banks to the international financial centre of London. Low growth and investment, an outcome of the finance-led accumulation regime, have also resulted in the continuity of extreme inequality and high levels of unemployment. In the Global South, financialization mainly affects emerging economies since they possess relatively developed financial markets in comparison to poorer countries. South Africa is the only African economy for which there is a substantial financialization literature. In comparison to other emerging economies, South Africa is relatively strongly financialized as stock market capitalization is extremely high, making Johannesburg one of the top financial centres in the Global South. Furthermore, financial inflows into the country are comparatively large, JSE-listed companies are well integrated into global value chains and household debt is high.

scholarly journals Geographies of waste: Conceptual vectors from the Global South

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1044-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nate Millington ◽  
Mary Lawhon
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Global South ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Relational Understanding ◽  
Neoliberal Governance ◽  
Global North ◽  
North And South

Geographies of waste, which include examination of its flows and politics, have demonstrated empirical differences and contrasting approaches to researching waste in the Global North and South. Southern waste geographies have largely focused on case studies of informality and (neoliberal) governance. We draw on Southern theory to argue that this focus can be productively extended through greater consideration of the production of value and the role of materiality and technology in the wastescape. We argue that a relational understanding of multiscalar wastescapes contributes insights into the distribution of costs and benefits as well as what enables and constrains the extraction of value for different actors.

Transnational Advocacy Networks, Female Labor Migration and Trafficking in East and Southeast Asia: A Gendered Analysis of Opportunities and Obstacles

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Piper ◽  
Anders Uhlin
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
International Political Economy ◽  
Transnational Advocacy ◽  
Advocacy Networks ◽  
Transnational Advocacy Networks ◽  
Political Opportunities ◽  
East And Southeast Asia

The aim of this article is to advance political economy and politics into migration studies by analyzing the role of transnational advocacy networks working on issues of trafficking and labor migration in East and Southeast Asia. Drawing on some empirical research, but mainly offering conceptual ideas, we demonstrate the importance of gender not only in trafficking and labor migration but also in transnational advocacy. First, we contextualize trafficking and labor migration within a gendered international political economy, focusing on existing power relations between genders, between classes and between states. Second, we examine the role of transnational advocacy networks in this context. In particular, we argue that a broader understanding of political opportunities and obstacles is needed. Emphasizing the transnational context and the importance of gender, we outline different types of opportunities and obstacles to advocacy in this particular area.

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