scholarly journals Identity Reinforcement or Risky Organizational Change? Category Spanning in Humanitarian Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Eva A. P. Kooijman ◽  
Nikolaus Beck
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Fixed Effect ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
The Past ◽  
Logit Regression ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

In this study, we investigate the consequences of organizational change that consist of adding new categories to the portfolio of humanitarian organizations. Our aim is to discern differences in these consequences between specialist and generalist organizations. Previous research has shown that spanning categories lead to disadvantages in the evaluation of organizations by audience members in terms of the attention they receive from the audience but did not focus on the distinction between specialists, organizations that have no history in spanning categories, and generalists, organizations that have already done so in the past. Using fixed effect logit regression methods on project approval among 2480 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the humanitarian sector, we show that category spanning is tantamount to risky organizational change for specialist organizations, which leads to a reduction in project approval. However, generalists benefit from category spanning, which indicates identity reinforcement. We also show that in the case of urgent demand, spanning categories has a less detrimental effect. Consequently, organizations that have successfully undergone a change from a specialist to a generalist identity no longer suffer from category spanning. Moreover, also situations of urgent demand reduce the negative consequences of category spanning.

Are human rights archives accessible? Challenges and possible solutions to improve access for Dealing with the Past initiatives

Comma ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 139-150
Author(s):  
Romain Ledauphin ◽  
Claudia Josi ◽  
Rahel Siegrist
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Truth Commissions ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Federal Department ◽  
Definition Of

Records and archives containing information relating to grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law represent a fundamental source for, and can become trustworthy documentary evidence within, Dealing with the Past (DWP) processes including truth commissions, criminal tribunals, reparation programs, vetting processes and outreach projects. Those intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) working in the fields of human rights and peace and security are themselves important observers and actors in DWP processes and hence their records and archives are highly relevant to DWP initiatives. Such organizations should therefore be transparent and be able to facilitate DWP processes by granting access to their records. Given the International Council on Archives’ definition of “access” as relating to “… the availability of records for consultation as a result both of legal authorization and the existence of finding aids”, and the experience of swisspeace in advising DWP initiatives on collecting evidence and improving records management capacity, swisspeace together with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs developed a roadmap which centres on the development of an “archives accessibility maturity model”. This tool will not only improve hands-on access in practice, but will ultimately improve knowledge about the multi-layered complexity of archives’ accessibility, strengthening the capacity of IGOs, INGOs and DWP initiatives to design and implement their access regulations, and thereby improving DWP initiatives’ ability to make successful access requests.

scholarly journals A New Slovakian-Hungarian Cross-Border Geopark in Central Europe – Possibility for Promoting Better Connections Between the Two Countries

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Horváth ◽  
Gábor Csüllög
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Spatial Development ◽  
High Status ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The World

AbstractIn the past years, many geoparks have been established all over the world, based mainly on the geoheritage, and partly on the cultural heritage, of the regions. Their main aim is to promote the spatial development of certain regions, especially by the development of tourism, including geo- and ecotourism. One of the newest geoparks is the Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark along the border of Slovakia and Hungary, which, having a high status, belongs to the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. What is remarkable about it is that it was the very first cross-border geopark. Because of historical elements and due to political intentions, borders often play a more disjunctive than connective role, and the changes of the borders in the 20th century often distorted the spatial structure and turned former peripheries into flourishing regions. This was characteristic also of the regions where the Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark was established. Beyond the perspective for the spatial development of these regions, this cross-border geopark forces directly the local authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on both sides of the border to maintain tighter contacts for co-operation, promoting by this means also better connections between the two countries.

Non-profits and the environment in China: struggling to expand their franchise

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Xie ◽  
Yan Meng ◽  
Jie Xiong ◽  
Lu Xu ◽  
Jie Yan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Diversification Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Ngos ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Environmental Ngo

Purpose Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), one of the major forces in environmental protection, have developed rapidly in the past few years, especially in developing countries such as China. This paper aims to reveal how the ENGOs select their focuses, specifically if they only concentrate on one focus or on contexts in which they obtain various focuses and the motivations behind their choosing strategies. Design/methodology/approach The current research interviewed 103 leaders of ENGOs covering every province in mainland China and adopts existing theories of NGOs alongside diversification strategy from a management perspective. Findings The results showed that most Chinese ENGOs now tend to be diversified but face different challenges. This research highlights the importance of ENGOs’ resources and capacities in facing current challenges and suggests directions to improve their diversification strategy. Originality/value This research adds value to the research of environmental NGOs and gives suggestions to environmental NGO practitioners, in particular to those in emerging markets.

scholarly journals International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOS) and Their Impact on The Democratization of Developing Countries: The Case of Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saied Sulaiman
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Conference Proceedings ◽  
Standard Form ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
End Of History ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Impact

The paper examines the impact of INGOs on the democratization of developing countries. Following the ‘end of history,’ the INGOs multiplied globally, and the number of aids to developing countries was given through them in billions of dollars in the past three decades. It is envisaged that with the increase in their population, the developing countries will be better off with a standard form of living that is attributable to standard democratization. However, despite the billions of dollars spent, the citizens of the developing countries are still worse in poverty, poor leadership, and corruption. On the contrary, some countries, including Nigeria, are threatening legislation that will curtail the INGOs, sighting their opacity and lack of tangible results as reasons. The research used Nigeria as a case study to analyze the methods, approaches, and the capacity of these INGOs and how they affect the democratization of their host countries. Through a review of existing records, non-participatory observations, and reviews of conference proceedings. The paper analyzed the parallel gaps that exist by arguing that, taking a broad, multi-disciplinary method from the various works of literature studied will provide essential conceptual and practical insights that can inform current debates.

scholarly journals Self-medication practices and rational drug use habits among university students: a cross-sectional study from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramazan Azim Okyay ◽  
Ayşegül Erdoğan
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rational Use ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

BackgroundSelf-medication refers to the use of medicines to treat self-diagnosed diseases without consulting any healthcare professionals. Irrational drug use and self-medication have serious negative consequences both on health and economy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the habits related to rational use of drugs (RUD) and to estimate the prevalence of self-medication practices among university students.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on university students in Kahramanmaraş. From May 2017 to June 2017 a total of 960 students filled a “Rational Use of Drugs Questionnaire”.ResultsThe prevalence of practicing self-medication in students was 63.4%. The most common medicines that the students had consumed without prescription were analgesics by 39.5%, antibiotics by 36.9% and cold remedies by 24.0%. The rate of students who declared that they were familiar with RUD and “rational use of antibiotics” (RUA) was 45.9%. Reading/checking the instructions in the prospectus (OR = 1.529, 95% CI [1.176–1.990]), understanding the context of the prospectus (OR = 1.893, 95% CI [1.387–2.584]), compliance with the duration of antibiotic treatment (OR = 1.597, 95% CI [1.231–2.071]) and consulting a physician in case of a side effect (OR = 1.350, 95% CI [1.037–1.757]) were significantly higher among students who were familiar with RUD as compared to who were not.DiscussionSince the awareness of RUD among university students was found to be inadequate, it has critical importance to hold educational activities with the cooperation of physicians, health organizations, universities, non-governmental organizations and media to avoid negative consequences of irrational drug use and self-medication.

Keeping Camouflage Out of the Classroom: The Safe Schools Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use During Armed Conflict

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marten Zwanenburg
Keyword(s):  
International Organizations ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Safe Schools ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

Abstract This article discusses the ‘Safe Schools Declaration’ and the ‘Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military use during Armed Conflict’. The latter are set of non-binding guidelines that aim to improve the protection of schools and universities during armed conflict. The former is a political declaration through which States can endorse the Guidelines. The article looks at the drafting process of the two documents, which involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations and States. The article argues that the involvement of NGOs can be seen as reflective of a trend in which NGOs are increasingly involved in normative International Humanitarian Law (IHL) development. The role of international organizations was less pronounced, but nevertheless notable because international organizations traditionally do not have an active role in the field of IHL. The article contains an analysis of the Declaration and Guidelines, against the background of the applicable legal framework to the protection of schools and universities during armed conflict. It concludes that the principal focus of the Guidelines is the prevention of the use of schools and universities by armed forces in support of the military effort. IHL does not contain a rule prohibiting such use, but it can have far-reaching negative consequences for education. Other guidelines relate to, inter alia (limitations to), destroying or attacking schools and universities. These guidelines, while sometimes using phraseology from provisions of IHL treaty law, also largely go beyond existing obligations under IHL.

Contribution to the Better Regulation Debate

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-358
Author(s):  
Claudio M. Radaelli ◽  
Lorna S. Schrefler
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Policy ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Regulatory Quality ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Better Regulation ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
The Eu

Two inter–related themes provide the architecture of this better regulation package: the political tone of the initiative and the responsibility/blame game. The tone is in part the consequence of the political context surrounding regulatory policy in the EU. Whilst in the past regulatory quality standards interested only a few top civil servants and elected politicians, today there is much more political interest – and contestation, as shown by the new better regulation watchdog created by non-governmental organizations and their response to the package. The very fact that in May 2015 there was media interest in the leaked version of the chapeau communication is a novelty. Why so much attention? Among others, the rhetoric of the past few years on making the EU acquis fit for purpose and less burdensome, coupled with a growing recognition by stakeholders that impact assessment and policy evaluation are “here to stay” have turned better regulation into an additional window of opportunity for those wishing to influence EU policy–making.

A Review of Key Activities in Hydro Meteorological Disaster Management

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.35) ◽  
pp. 839
Author(s):  
Ngam Min Chuan ◽  
Sivadass Thiruchelvam ◽  
Azrul Ghazali ◽  
Kamal Nasharuddin Mustapha ◽  
Rahsidi Sabri Muda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Flood Disaster ◽  
Loss Of Life ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Post Disaster

One of the most highlighted issues in the developing world of the 21st century is the hydrometeorological disasters. Developed and developing nations are all affected by the more prominent climate change. There has been a rise in disaster occurrences over the past decade that this has caused more attention to be given to the topic of disaster management especially to floods. The scale of these disaster events has also intensified and have broken past records with more destructive disasters. This paper intends to review the activities related to hydrometeorological disaster. Key activities are broken down into three different phases, namely pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster. Understanding the activities involved is pertinent to not only the lead agencies and non-governmental organizations but plays a bigger role for the vulnerable communities. In the past, communities were the last group to be participative in disaster risk reduction efforts. Today, communities are being engaged from early stage to empower them to be resilient towards the possibility of facing future flood disaster. Evacuation planning and logistics arrangement are key activities prior to the occurrence of any disaster which will ease the implementation of search and rescue operations. However during disaster, it is important for the early warning system to be functioning to alert the affected communities. People also need to be aware of the outbreak of diseases during flood disaster. Finally, post-disaster efforts focuses more on the restoration of damaged infrastructure as well as the mental state of the affected victims. Understanding these key activities will increase the awareness of stakeholders in reducing loss of life and minimizing damages towards properties.

scholarly journals Refugee Repatriation and the Problem of Consent

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mollie Gerver
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
High Commissioner ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
Existing Data

Over the past decade, millions of refugees have fled their countries of origin and asked for asylum abroad. Some of these refugees do not receive asylum, but are not deported. Instead they are detained, or denied basic rights of residency, some forced into enclosed camps. Hoping to escape such conditions, they wish to return to unsafe countries, and ask for help from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In such cases, should NGOs and the UN assist refugees to return? Drawing on original data gathered in South Sudan, and existing data from around the world, I argue that they should assist with return if certain conditions are met. First, the UN and NGOs must try to put an end to coercive conditions before helping with return. Secondly, helping with return must not encourage the government to expand the use of coercive policies to encourage more to return. Finally, NGOs and the UN must ensure that refugees are fully informed of the risks of returning. Organizations must either conduct research in countries of origin or lobby the government to allow refugees to visit their countries of origin before making a final decision.

scholarly journals NGOs, trust, and the accountability agenda

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Charles Keating ◽  
Erla Thrandardottir
Keyword(s):  
Causal Link ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Rational Model ◽  
The Past ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are undergoing an alleged crisis of trustworthiness. The past decades have seen an increase in both academic and practitioner scepticism, particularly given the transformations many NGOs have undergone in size, professionalism, and political importance. The accountability agenda, which stresses transparency and external oversight, has gained a significant amount of traction as a means to solve this crisis. But the causal link between the implementation of these recommendations and increased trustworthiness among donors has never been considered. This article bridges this gap by drawing on theoretical innovations in trust research to put forward three arguments. First, the proponents of the accountability agenda are implicitly working with a rational model of trust. Second, this model does not reflect important social characteristics of trust between donors and NGOs. Third, this mismatch means that the accountability agenda might do more to harm trust in NGOs than to help it.

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