scholarly journals African Dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative

2019 ◽  
pp. 145-160
Author(s):  
Filip Kaczmarek
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Industrial Relocation ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Future ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Chinese Trade

The research purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the BRI in China-Africa relations and the mutual interdependence between the BRI and other forms of Chinese presence in Africa. In order to attain this goal, the method of analysis of secondary data will be employed regarding concluded agreements, trade exchange, Official Development Assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI), debt, instruments of soft power and plans for the future. The analysis allows the several conclusions to be drawn. The BRI is so flexible that it can be extended in a relatively simple way and in a short period to other African countries. The BRI is the structuring factor in China’s strategic approach to Africa and can give new impetus to Chinese trade, investment and contracts in Africa. The former institutional co-operation framework that encompassed the whole of Africa was very general and did not result in the identification of such concrete sectoral priorities as is the case with the BRI. The Initiative has exerted influence on China’s policy in Africa. There is no doubt that the Initiative’s core task in Africa is infrastructure connectivity, but one of the tasks proposed for the future is industrial relocation. If this task is accomplished, it may be fundamental for Africa’s development.

scholarly journals The Role Of Zakat Institutions In The Era Of The Covid-19 Outbreak: Philanthropy Movement Studies At The Kitabisa.Com Platform

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (02) ◽  
pp. 173-190
Author(s):  
Siswoyo Aris Munandar
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Government Programs ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
First Case ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The World ◽  
Secondary Data Sources

Abstract   The presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to the world with various challenges that were never imagined before. In Indonesia, COVID-19 has infected more than 3.8 million people since the first case was announced in March 2020, however, efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus have hampered economic activity and its impact on the level of social welfare is increasingly felt by the community. As this research is very interesting, namely with the spirit of cooperation as a form of Pancasila and increased solidarity in society during the COVID-19 pandemic, philanthropy has a major role in complementing the presence of government programs. As done by the Kitabisa.com website, it has played a role in dealing with Covid-19 in Indonesia. This research is a research with qualitative method. Researchers also utilize secondary data sources or data obtained from graphic documents (tables, notes, minutes, meetings, etc.), photographs, films, video recordings, objects, and others. The results of this research From its inception until 2019, during that time we can record that we have collected donations of up to IDR 502,375,254,938 from a total of 18,402 social campaigns and presented 1,352,169 digital philanthropists. In a short period and is expected to increase every year. On 27 June 2019, the Kitabisa.com platform has raised Rp700 billion in funds, since it was founded in 201. In the role of dealing with COVID-19, we can collaborate with various institutions, one of which is Gusdurian cares, and has the #OrangBaik Movement, #IndonesiaLawanCovid-19.   Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic, Mutual Cooperation, Philanthropy, Kitabisa.com     Abstrak   Hadirnya pandemi COVID-19 telah membawa perubahan terhadap dunia dengan berbagai tantangan yang tidak pernah terbayangkan sebelumnya. Di Indonesia, COVID-19 telah menjangkiti lebih dari 3,8 juta orang sejak kasus pertama diumumkan pada bulan Maret 2020, namun, upaya untuk menghambat penyebaran virus COVID-19 telah menghambat kegiatan perekonomian dan dampaknya terhadap tingkat kesejahteraan sosial semakin dirasakan masyarakat. Sebagaimana penelitian ini sangat menarik yakni dengan semangat gotong-royong sebagai wujud Pancasila dan solidaritas yang meningkat di masyarakat pada masa pandemi COVID-19, filantropi memiliki peran besar dalam melengkapi kehadiran program pemerintah. Sebagaimana yang dilakukan oleh Website Kitabisa.com turut berperan dalam menghadapi Covid-19 di Indonesia. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian dengan metode kualitatif. Peneliti juga memanfaatkan sumber data sekunder atau data yang didapatkan dari dokumen-dokumen grafis (tabel, catatan, notulen, rapat, dll),foto-foto, film, rekaman video, benda-benda, dan lain-lain. Hasil penelitian ini Dari awal berdirinya sampai 2019, dalam kurun waktu tersebut kitabisa tercatat telah mengumpulkan dana donasi hingga Rp 502.375.254.938 dari total kampanye social sebanyak 18.402 serta menghadirkan 1.352.169 filantropis digital. Dalam kurun waktu yang singkat dan dipekirakan akan semakin meningkat setiap tahunnya.  Pada 27 Juni 2019, Platform Kitabisa.com sudah mengumpulkan dana Rp700 miliar, sejak didirikan pada 201. Dalam peran menghadapi covid-19 kitabisa berkerjasama dari berbagai Lembaga salah satunya Gusdurian peduli, dan mempunyai Gerakan #OrangBaik, #IndonesiaLawanCovid-19.   Kata kunci: Pademi Covid-19, Gotong-royong, Filantropi, Kitabisa.com  

Can financial inclusion reduce the presence of corruption? Evidence from selected countries in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1345-1362
Author(s):  
Folorunsho M. Ajide
Keyword(s):  
Random Effect ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Square ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Control Of Corruption

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of financial inclusion (FI) on control of corruption in selected African countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs secondary data spanning over a period of 2005–2016. These data are sourced from IMF's International Financial Statistics, World Bank Development Indicators, Global Financial Development Database, Transparency International and International Country Risk Guide. The author uses Sarma (2008) approach to construct the FI index for 13 countries in Africa. The author applies random effect, robust least square and instrumental variable (IV) estimations to examine the impact of FI on control of corruption in Africa.FindingsThe author finds that financial inclusion improves the control of corruption. The author tests for possible FI threshold to avoid the case of extreme FI in Africa. The results show that there is a threshold level if reached, FI would have negative impacts in the control of corruption. This may likely happen mainly due to weak institutions in Africa. The results are robust to alternative proxy for control of corruption and various alternative estimation techniques.Practical implicationsThe finding indicates that FI can serve as part of toolkits for reducing corruption in Africa.Originality/valueThis study stresses the important role of FI in the economic system. It is the first paper that empirically suggests the role of FI in controlling corruption in Africa.

scholarly journals How realistic is the China–Pakistan–Iran economic corridor?

2021 ◽  
pp. 205789112110414
Author(s):  
Daniel Rajmil ◽  
Lucía Morales ◽  
Bernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Economic Power ◽  
Careful Attention ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Power Development ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Belt And Road

The economic and political influence of China in the Asian region is growing amidst global geopolitical challenges. Economic corridors such as the new Silk Road have been identified as enablers of strategic growth and geo-economic power development in a context of significant political instability. Beijing's strategic approach and the importance of Pakistan and Iran to its aspiration to realise China's dream through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are examined in this comparative study. The rising role of China in the region and its engagement with Iran and Pakistan and the part that these two countries can play need careful attention. Political and economic joint interests have brought together these three countries with significant links to China's economic corridor and energy projections. But the future of the partnership is very fragile as it is characterised by historical hostilities between Iran and Pakistan that can act as a major impendiment to China's ability to progress. In addition, economic and trade figures show an unbalanced relationship that clearly favours Chinese interests. The BRI and the Chinese plans for those territories still remain blurry as any long-term crisis that characterises fragile and complex international alliances.

The Political Role of the African Middle Class: The Over-Politicization of an Elusive Category

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Darbon
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Political Identity ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Political Role ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Sub Saharan

The African middle class (AMC) is an elusive category with high political significance. In spite of its vagueness and its controversial nature, this so-called social category is consistently used by a number of individual actors and institutions alike, including IO, NGOs, business interests, and political leaders in Africa for political purposes. The words “African middle class” are suggestive enough to produce new images of African social structures and turn the “hopeless continent” into a “miracle,” a new “powerhouse.” They are strong enough to grant new legitimacy to failing political leaders and the well off and to let people and academics alike anticipate the rise of democratic, stable, uncorrupted institutions. However, people “of the middle of the diamond” in Africa do not exist as a social community or a class. They do not share a common political identity. They have no political role of their own. The diversity of social subgroups may occasionally mobilize together, but for a short period of time and on highly different grounds. The political role of the AMC is as elusive as their mere existence. New social groups of limited prosperity are on the rise. However, they are far from making a class and mobilizing for political purposes. The rise of middle classes in emerging countries became a research theme at the beginning of the 2000s. The discussion took root in sub-Saharan African countries in the 2010s without any in-depth debate about its relevance. It was as if the AMC or classes already existed before the examination of a still very confused and heterogeneous set of transformations of the social structure of African societies was conducted. As a result, the AMC concept appears in almost all analyses as elastic, elusive, cobbled together, and uncertain as to its boundaries, its characteristics, its components, or its homogeneity. This confusion does not prevent authors from anticipating the meaning and effects of the AMC for political stability and democratization. Before studying how the people grouped behind this label can affect and be affected by politics and policies, it is necessary to understand how politically loaded this middle-class label is.

scholarly journals A systematic review of the prevalence and predictors of the double burden of malnutrition within households

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (8) ◽  
pp. 1118-1127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoko Kosaka ◽  
Masahiro Umezaki
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Diet And Physical Activity ◽  
Double Burden Of Malnutrition

AbstractRecently, increasing attention has been paid to the emergence of the double burden of malnutrition within households. We provide an overview of the literature regarding this phenomenon by reviewing previous studies of the prevalence of double-burden households and associated factors together with the research methods used. Studies were identified from the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science, using the same search terms for both. A total of thirty-five articles met the eligibility criteria, and 367 sets of prevalence data were extracted. In all, thirty-four articles were published in 2000 or later; twenty-four used secondary data and twenty-five focused on mother–child pairs. The ages of children varied from 0 to 19 years. All the studies used BMI as a nutritional indicator for adults. For children, height-for-age was most frequently used, whereas weight-for-age, weight-for-height and BMI-for-age were also used in multiple studies. The reported national prevalence of double-burden households varied from 0·0 to 26·8 % by country and year; however, few studies were directly comparable, because of differences in the combinations of undernourished and overweight persons, age ranges, nutritional indicators and cut-off points. Whereas many focused on African countries, a few involved Asian countries. Although urban residence, income and education were frequently assessed, the role of intermediate factors in nutritional status, such as diet and physical activity, remains unclear. It is recommended that future studies use comparable indicators and cut-off points, involve Asian countries, and investigate individual diet and physical activity.

scholarly journals The Role of the Bali’s Korean Pop Fandom in Supporting South Korea’s Soft Power

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Putu Ratih Kumala Dewi
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Pop Culture ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Global Culture ◽  
The Public ◽  
State Actor ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive

K-Pop has become a global phenomenon embarked by the Korean government as part of its cultural diplomacy, with the help of other elements such as K-Pop Fans. The existence of K-Pop is inseparable from its loyal fan community called fandom. This research thus aims to explore the phenomenon of K-pop fandom around the world and the role it plays in the globalization of K-Pop. The objective of this research is to examine the role of K-Pop fandom as a non-state actor in South Korea’s public diplomacy and in supporting the dissemination of K-Pop as a global culture. This research applies qualitative descriptive method where primary data are obtained through interviews with members of K-Pop fandom in Bali. In addition, secondary data will also be obtained through studying past literatures. Furthermore, this research utilizes the concept of public diplomacy and soft power. In the end, this research found that, K-Pop fandom, plays its role as a referee while the public is the receivers. As a ‘referee’, not only they act as a consumer of K-Pop, but K-Pop fandom also serve as a distributor and producer. The finding of this study is beneficial to understand the significance of non-state actors in the dissemination of ‘pop’ culture as part of public diplomacy as seen in South Korea. 

scholarly journals Cyber War - Trends and Technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 65-94
Author(s):  
Darko Trifunović ◽  
Zoran Bjelica
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Security ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Security Level ◽  
Cyber Warfare ◽  
Cyber Attack ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Attack And Defense ◽  
Cyber War

Cyberspace has become an indispensable part in which special operations such as cyber war or warfare take place. The role of special war as the use of so-called soft power was emphasized. The country's number of potential adversaries in cyber warfare is unlimited, making highly endangered aspects of cyber civilian infrastructure, which is essentially military readiness, including the mobilization of forces through the civilian sector, also a likely target. A special type of cyber war or warfare is hybrid warfare. This type of warfare is increasingly resorted to because it is extremely cheaper than the conventional method of warfare and at the same time brings exceptional results. The first thing that affects cyber security policy analysts comes with the issue of neutrality, as well as the huge variety of assessments about future attack and defense technologies. There is also a consideration that the new (problematic) cyber technology will be deployed in a short period of time, in time periods, in just a few days in terms of warnings. Second, is the trends in cyber-attack and defense technologies and who is following those processes. Third, decision making technology having in mind high-performance computers, technologies that are well known, although rapidly evolving, are increasingly seen as a basic means of managing cyber defense at the national military and security level, as well as a new weapon in the hands of opponents. Fourth, role of intelligence in planning future scenarios for defense against hybrid or any other cyber threat/s.

scholarly journals The Future of Public Diplomacy in Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 157-169
Author(s):  
Georgi Aleksandrov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The European Union ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Eu

In times of exponential technological and communicational progress, the topic of the future of political communication is gaining more and more strength. As a result of the creation of many new means for communication and the evolution of the democratic society, there was born a new instrument of political power – public diplomacy. Many scholars have already developed large scale works on the topic about the role, the meaning, and the future of public diplomacy on the world stage. Here we have at hand the question for the future of Public Diplomacy in Bulgaria. This scientific topic is interrelated with yet another phenomenon – the European Union and the participation of Bulgaria as a member in it. This article reviews the future role of public diplomacy as an instrument of the sovereign assisted by the soft power of the EU and the significance of a strong and unified European Union.

scholarly journals Catalysing China–Africa Ties for Africa’s Structural Transformation

2019 ◽  
pp. 282-309
Author(s):  
Fantu Cheru ◽  
Arkebe Oqubay
Keyword(s):  
Structural Transformation ◽  
Catalytic Effect ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
African Context ◽  
Economic Partnership ◽  
Economic Ties

Economic cooperation between China and Africa has deepened in scope and scale in recent times, and FOCAC has emerged as the largest South–South economic partnership platform. However, evidence suggests that the catalytic effect of China–Africa engagement on the economic transformation of African countries has been uneven, primarily shaped by the strategic response of the respective African countries. This chapter proposes that China–Africa economic ties should be examined from a structural transformation perspective to adequately evaluate the catalytic effect of Chinese engagement on the economic growth and diversification of African economies, the development of domestic capabilities, and lastly on Africa’s successful insertion into the globalized economy of the twenty-first century. Based on the experience of Ethiopia, the chapter unpacks the pathways to structural transformation in the African context, and the role of the state in guiding the economy through a proactive and strategic approach to economic transformation. The chapter concludes with pathways to the future.

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