Policy Outcomes and What Can be Learned by Arab Countries from EEE Economies

2014 ◽  
pp. 394-410
Author(s):  
Cristina Boboc ◽  
Emilia Titan
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Enterprise Creation

This chapter starts with a short literature review about the opportunities and challenges facing Arab countries. The lessons learnt from EEE countries are then discussed. A synthesis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the Arab region is also introduced. Based on the conclusions from previous chapters, major inclusive economic policies are developed for the Arab economies. Furthermore, the present chapter devotes a large part to the overall economic and social policies that might be useful in generating additional insights to further the knowledge economy, social inclusion, enterprise creation, and a new environment for better well-being of the population. This could be used by policy makers to formulate coherent reforms for the sustainable development of the region based on knowledge economy principles and according to the particularities of each country and to the previous experiences of other developing countries.

scholarly journals Contribution of researchers in the Arab region to peer-reviewed literature on mental health and well-being of university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed M. Sweileh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Search Query ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Objective The current study aimed at investigating the contribution of researchers in the Arab region to the field of mental health and well-being of university students using bibliometric tools. Method Relevant literature was obtained from the Scopus database for the period from 2001–2020. Examples of keywords used in the query included “college student”, “university student”, and undergraduate student” combined with keywords such as wellbeing, wellness, suicide, and anxiety. No language restriction was used. Only research articles were considered. The search query was validated. Bibliometric indicators and mappings such as active countries, institutions, authors, highly cited documents, and the most frequently encountered topics were identified and discussed to shed light on research gaps in the Arab region. Research gaps were also identified. The analysis was carried out on February 12, 2021. Results The search query returned 309 research articles published by authors from 17 different Arab countries. Less than one-third (n = 97, 31.4%) of the retrieved articles were carried out in collaboration with authors from 39 non-Arab countries, mainly from the United Kingdom and the United States. The overall contribution of researchers from the Arab region to global research in the field was 5.6%. In total, 1212 authors from 791 different institutions participated in publishing the retrieved research articles. At the country level, Saudi Arabia (n = 125, 40.5%) ranked first, followed by Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. At the institutional level, The University of Jordan (n = 25, 8.1%) ranked first, followed by King Saud University, and Kuwait University. The retrieved articles included 132 (42.7%) articles on stress/distress, 95 (30.7%) on anxiety, 61 (19.7%) on depression. Knowledge gaps on suicide, eating disorders, substance use, and happiness were identified. The retrieved articles appeared in 193 different journals and approximately two-thirds of the active journal were in general medicine, public health, and education. Conclusions The contribution of researchers in the Arab region to the field showed a noticeable increase with time. However, important research gaps were identified. The contribution was confined to authors from a limited number of Arab countries. Funding and international research collaboration for the mental health and well-being of students need to be strengthened.

scholarly journals Land Reform and Development Strategy in Zimbabwe: State Autonomy, Class and Agrarian Lobby

Afrika Focus ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Moyo ◽  
Tor Skalness
Keyword(s):  
Land Reform ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Class Action ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Scientist ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
Course Of Action

Much of the literature on the political determinants of African economic policies that has been produced over the last decade seems to be motivated by the need to make some sense out of the following apparent fact. Even as the characteristic policies pursued by African governments have been shown to have severely adverse consequences, sufficient internal forces are seldom mobilised to have them substituted for a more 'realistic' set of policies. Sustained external pressure from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international donors seems to be necessary for such policy reorientation to occur. In other words, writers searching for the political rationality behind the typical set of African economic policies seem to assume that these policies are economically 'irrational'. If that assumption is accepted as valid, explanations of policy outcomes in terms of the dominance over the policy process of a certain coalition of special interests (for instance, Bates, 1981) attain inherent plausibility. This is so because we tend to believe that in the absence of strong political pressure to the contrary, governments would choose policies that promote growth, a sustainable balance of payments, and generally increased economic well-being for the country as a whole. It is not our intention to challenge the assumption of the economic destructiveness of past African policies here. Rather we shall concern ourselves with an issue on which there is very little consensus as to what policy direction would produce the greatest net benefit to the country as a whole, i.e., what would consitute the economically sensible course of action for a given country to pursue. This issue is land reform, and the empirical case is Zimbabwe. Since no particular course of action can simply be assumed to be economically rational as far as land reform is concerned, the task of the political scientist becomes more difficult. Simply assuming that a given decision comes about as the result of political pressure by the beneficiaries of that policy will not do. As we shall see below, proponents of land reform have been hard pressed first to show that there is indeed an economic case to be made for transformation in the ownership structure of land in Zimbabwe. Only then can the fact that no truly radical land reform has occurred in Zimbabwe plausibly be explained in terms of a particular 'disadvantageous' constellation of group and/or class forces. However, because the economic arguments against land reform have by no means been fully rebutted, there exists another possible explanation, viz. that the Zimbabwean state acts cautiously on the issue simply because it perceives radical land reform to be too risky in national economic terms. The unresolved nature of the question of the economic consequences of land reform thus forces us (1) to carefully consider the arguments made for and against structural changes, as well as (2) to consider explanations in terms of autonomous class action as well as hypotheses derived from group or class theory.

Doing Business and Imperfections in the Development of Knowledge Economy in the Arab Countries

2014 ◽  
pp. 335-363
Author(s):  
Ahmed Driouchi
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Skilled Labor ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
High Unemployment ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Enterprise Creation

As underlined in the previous chapter, rents may reduce the capacity of Arab economies to accelerate its adoption of knowledge economy. Major imperfections in these economies at the levels of markets, governance, and enterprises are discussed in this chapter. The limited business and enterprise creation in relation to the high unemployment of skilled labor are among the issues analyzed and discussed. As the prevailing political, macroeconomic, and business components are inter-related, imperfections are identified in almost all areas of the Arab economies. The chapter shows clearly that shifts to further knowledge economic and social policies are needed.

scholarly journals Residents’ Perceptions of a Community-Led Intervention on Health, Well-Being, and Community Inclusion Through Photovoice

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110097
Author(s):  
Clare Jackson ◽  
Sara Ronzi
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Inclusion ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Public Health Practitioners

Community-centered approaches can be effective ways to engage communities and improve their health and well-being. The Grange is a community-led, multifaceted, and dynamic intervention incorporating a community hub and garden, that took place in a small area of the North-West of England, characterized by high levels of deprivation and poor health. Activities have been defined, developed, and supported by residents to meet locally defined needs. This study used photovoice methods to explore residents’ perceptions and experiences of this community-led intervention and any perceived impact on health, well-being, and community inclusion. Through photographs, semistructured interviews, a focus group discussion, and an exhibition, this study engaged intensively and creatively with a group of six residents. They identified positive and negative aspects related to The Grange and suggested recommendations that were directly communicated to policy makers during the photo-exhibition event. Participants reflected on various activities such as the community garden and the community shop. They also reflected on contextual factors and suggested that the culture of inclusivity and friendships associated with The Grange were more important to them than specific activities. This study demonstrated the value of using photovoice to (a) explore residents’ perceptions of community led interventions; and (b) meaningfully engage residents living in areas with high levels of deprivation. Public health practitioners should consider the use of photovoice (a) in the evaluation of health interventions that take place in a complex and changing context, and (b) as a powerful tool to engage with members of the community, especially traditionally disadvantaged groups, to ensure that engagement about health, well-being, and social inclusion is meaningful.

Strengthening the competencies of policy makers for better use of data in public policy design1

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Elena Proden
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Statistical Literacy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Core Data ◽  
Literacy Initiatives ◽  
Task Team

Statistical literacy is one of the main areas of work of the Global Network of Institutions for Statistical Training (GIST) established in 2017. While the scope of statistical literacy initiatives will range greatly from those intended for school children and teachers to those aimed at media representatives or general public, one of the areas where a dedicated Task Team of the GIST set out to undertake a more detailed analysis was related to the core data competencies for policy makers. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals by UN member States has led to a growing awareness around the importance of timely, robust, quality and disaggregated data for informing public policies and decisions and providing a solid evidence to address a number of complex policy issues related to ensuring more equitable policy outcomes and more coherence decision-making across different dimensions of sustainable development and different levels of governance from global to national and local. This article presents the results of a survey conducted by the GIST Task Team on Statistical Literacy back in 2018 with the participation of policy makers from various UN Member States, reviews core data competencies for policy makers, presents the free, self-paced e-learning course developed by UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), UN Statistics Division and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) with support from the Swiss Government and using UNITAR’s Quality Assurance Framework, and discusses the ongoing work of the GIST on the inventory of statistical literacy initiatives as a new product developed by the dedicated Task Team.

Ibn Khaldun’s ‘ilm al ‘umran: a model for planning the sustainable city in the Arab region

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed O. El-Kholei
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Sustainable City ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Ibn Khaldun ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology

Purpose Sustainable development is an attempt to achieve three competing aims: economic development, social justice and environmental conservation. Localising sustainable development in the Arabian city might require a framework that originates from its reality manifested in the region’s history, culture and religion. Ibn Khaldun’s model seems suitable for planning a sustainable city in the Arab world. The purpose of this paper is to discuss suitability of Ibn Khaldun’s writing to localising sustainable development in the Arabian cities. Design/methodology/approach The paper used a qualitative research methodology. The researcher investigated the writings of Ibn Khaldun and other scholars who studied his work to derive lessons for planning the sustainable Arab city. Findings Many of Ibn Khaldun’s concepts lost their accuracy, meanings and intentions in the course of translating his work. Ibn Khaldun’s writings can be the source from which scholars, planners and city administrators derive lessons to assure the sustainable development of human settlements, particularly in the Arab region. The writings of Ibn Khaldun are relevant to the Arab countries. His writings are sensitive to the realities of the Arab world, including geography, environment, history, religion and culture. His writings can support efforts for localising sustinable development in the Arabian cities. Originality/value Interrogating Ibn Khaldun’s writings can enable scholars, planners, architects and city administrators to elaborate and implement plans for the sustainable Arabian city. The findings of the paper assure that Ibn Khaldun’s analysis is suitable for addressing the urban ills of the contemporary Arabian metropolis as they were in his time.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Friendship as a Conduit for Social Inclusion? Insights from the “Book‐Ends”

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riikka Korkiamäki ◽  
Catherine Elliott O'Dare
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Societal Level ◽  
Alternative Identities ◽  
The Life Course

Friendship is said to promote psychological and physical well‐being and increase social inclusion. Yet, intergenerational friendship has garnered little research attention due to the assumed dominance of age homophily in friendship. In this article we explore intergenerational friendship from the perspective of “younger” and “older” friends at the “generational book‐ends” of the life course. We focus on the role that intergenerational friendship plays in processes of social inclusion in the everyday lives of the participants, bringing together a study conducted in Finland and one in Ireland. Both studies employ qualitative methodology, drawing from interviews with 31 young people who were refugees (aged 13–18) in Finland and 23 older people (aged 65+) in Ireland. Our findings reveal that the younger and the older participants concur on the qualities and benefits of intergenerational friendship. Additionally, while age is not a uniform definer of friendships, differences in chronological age are not meaningless but support caring, enjoyment, and inclusion in alternative ways compared to peer‐aged friendships. Access to diverse company, distinct support, broader networks, and alternative identities lead to increased experiences of social inclusion at a personal and societal level. We conclude by calling on policy makers and communities to create spaces and opportunities for inclusion through friendship for all generations.

Age-Friendly Communities and Life Satisfaction Among the Elderly in Urban China

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 883-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Xie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Policy Makers

This study aims to examine the extent to which older adults’ perceptions of environmental age-friendliness are associated with their life satisfaction. We used a national representative sample ( N = 9,965) with elders aged 60 and above from urban China and structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship among community characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), and life satisfaction. Results showed that older people’s perceptions of housing conditions, local amenities, and social inclusion were significantly associated with general life satisfaction. Multigroup comparison tests indicated that no disparities in the aforementioned relationships among SES subgroups. However, the socioeconomically disadvantaged elderly population was shown to have the lowest assessment of community age-friendliness. Findings emphasized the potential role of age-friendly communities as having an influential force on older adults’ subjective well-being, regardless of their SES. Meanwhile, policy makers and practitioners should pay special attentions to improve the living environments of disadvantaged elders.

Knowledge Economy in the Arab World

2014 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Driouchi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Economic Growth And Development ◽  
Major Emphasis

This chapter introduces the content of the overall book and its relations to similar publications on the knowledge economy in Arab countries. It is composed of two major parts, where the first one is a synthesis of the publications realized up to 2013 with emphasis on the major economic and development issues facing the economies of the Arab world. The second part introduces the rationale of the book, the new areas investigated besides the methods used and the expected policy outcomes. This book places a major emphasis on the need to accelerate the implementation of new economic and social policies that are likely to be enhancing the contributions of the knowledge economy to a more inclusive economic growth and development.

The geopolitical advantages of Arab countries and their impact on the stability of the Arab region

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Sabah Naass Shnafa
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
The World ◽  
Unique Site ◽  
Geographical Elements ◽  
The Stability

The geopolitics means the linkage of geographical  elements to the act and activities of policy-making and foreign policy of a state, and the geopolitics theories associated  also with the politics of power and influence. The Arab countries possess a unique site in the map of the world since it linked three continents ( Asia, Africa and Europe  ) ,it also overseeing universal straits(Gibralter, Aden ,Bab el Mandeb ,Hormuz and Suez Canal  ) through which 70% of the world trade is passing , besides the wealth of fertile soil and mineral and diligent  population. The Arabs states s geopolitics needs to activate and monopolize  to  achieve   prosperity and power.  The leaders and policy –makers  of Arab states have to reread their geography and determine the vital points of their  geopolitical  position.

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