Using Evidence and Coalitions to Scale-Up a National Early Education Initiative: The Case of Law 248/2015 in Romania

In 2015, Romania took an important step toward increasing disadvantaged children's participation in early education programmes through the passage of legislation creating a nationwide conditional cash transfer programme linked to preschool attendance. The programme was modeled on the incentive component of a 5-year pilot project “Every Child in Preschool” (“FCG”) initiated by Asociatia OvidiuRo (“OvR”), a small non-governmental organization. This paper explores how OvR used evidence from its pilot, global research, a quasi-experimental evaluation, collaboration with local authorities, and an intensive advocacy effort toward the legislative and executive branches of the national government to achieve the national scale-up of an early education initiative designed to create equal access in kindergarten among Roma and other impoverished, marginalized children.

Civic activism for community access television in the US state of Maine

For almost five decades Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) TV has been a staple of US community media, providing a forum for the cablecast of locally made content and the expression of viewpoints unheard and unseen on commercial television. But PEG TV faces existential and other threats in the face of a neo-liberal attrition of non-commercial public arenas, policy deregulation and changes to the media marketplace. In this article, the volunteer-driven advocacy campaign on behalf of PEG TV launched in Maine after one of the cable corporations operating in this state sought to disenfranchise community access television by ‘slamming’ its channels is explored. How the campaign was able to mobilize and win support for its cause, leading to an eventual victory in Maine’s state legislature, is examined. This instance served as an important illustration of a media policy advocacy effort that targeted a US state’s law, rather than federal or local law, as is more commonly the case.

PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER BERBASIS SIRAH NABAWIYAH

This study seeks to synergize the education of character-based Sirah Nabawiyah. The effort to identify the education-based moral and ethical education theme in Sirah Nabawiyah synergizes with the concept of the liberation character of Paulo Freire. The purpose of education is moral education and the ability to cultivate a liberation spirit of inequality and social discrimination in the community. This study is library research, a literary search related to the thought of Freire and the concept of Sirah Nabawiyah. This research is also included in the category of historical-factual research because the one that is research is the history of one's thinking. The results of the study found: firstly, education, according to Freire, must be able to adapt to the pace of reality, to remain in the state of being. Second, the education learning of the liberation-based character Sirah Nabawiyah rests on ethical values, perceives and loves the goodness manifested in the advocacy effort of the suppression and oppression situation. Thirdly, a release-based education based on Sirah Nabawiyah should present a critical, adaptive and integrated attitude. Finally, the hope of the education-based character Sirah Nabawiyah can advocate the problem of cultural concussion by a wise and thoughtful.

U.S. Foreign Policy and the Defense of Religious Freedom in India

The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S. foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Supported by various religious constituencies that advocate for the freedom of religion of like-minded individuals across borders, the U.S. government engages with foreign governments, human rights groups, and NGOs to preserve an individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief. Their results, however, are mixed, especially in diverse contexts where religious rights are deeply contested. This paper explores the advocacy effort in response to the Government of India’s crackdown on the inflow of foreign funds to NGOs, many of which are faith-based. Using the revocation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of faith-based NGO Compassion International as a case study, this paper finds that U.S. involvement in defense of religious freedom meets counter-narratives. These counter-narratives include the preservation of state sovereignty, the protection of national interest, and the privileging of religious tolerance over religious freedom.

30 years of European alcohol policy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present development in the alcohol policy area in Europe in the last 30 years. Design/methodology/approach Description of policy instruments and analysis of legal basis are used in this study. Findings Progress has been achieved in some areas; however, as complicated policy areas, it requires constant effort and engagement of all public health actors. Research limitations/implications Continuous advocacy effort leads to increased policy actions, interest and research in the area. Lack of policy instruments jeopardises the future of the field. Practical implications This study provides a brief overview of policy landscape and aims to spark readers interest in the alcohol policy. Originality/value This study provides an overview of a policy field, not only looking at the legal basis but also meshing with the experience of working in an alliance of civil society organisations.

A Spotlight on Negotiating Mobility in Paris: Ushering in Another New Era for the Migration and Climate Change Nexus

This chapter explains that while much of the world was still preoccupied with scenes of people arriving at Europe's external borders in 2015 and the search for solutions to the crisis of migration that these scenes were widely taken to represent, in a setting that could not contrast more with the rawness of life and refuge being depicted in the viral images beaming their way around the world, negotiators from around the globe gathered in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The bureaucratic, meticulous, and technical world of climate change negotiations was, however, being explicitly connected to these emotional images, amid warnings that climate change would be the ‘Syria refugee crisis times 100’. The prominence of the topic of the large-scale displacement of people thus reportedly added ‘an ominous, politically sensitive undercurrent in the talks and side events’ in Paris. In a COP that was already being seen as highly relevant for the policy community on migration and climate change due to the large coordinated advocacy effort leading up to it, events playing out beyond the walls of the conference arguably brought even more relevance to this policy juncture. The chapter then considers mentions of human mobility within the Cancun Adaptation Framework and the Doha decision.

Advocacy in pediatric neurosurgery: results from a 2017 survey of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

OBJECTIVEPediatric neurosurgeons are unswerving advocates for public health–related issues in children, with most providers participating in local, regional, national, or international efforts. Collective advocacy efforts by organized pediatric neurosurgeons have not been undertaken to date.METHODSA 10-item survey was administered to members of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons (ASPN) in order to evaluate attitudes and opinions regarding the development of a formal advocacy effort by the organization.RESULTSSeventy-nine of 178 registered members of the ASPN (44.38%) participated in the survey. Participants were 82.61% male, with age, stage of career, and practice type varied. Although there was unequivocal support for participation in organized advocacy, respondents were divided on methods and topics for advocacy. In this survey, the ASPN membership prioritized public health and clinical issues over economic issues that affected children.CONCLUSIONSMost respondents favored the drafting of position statements on key issues and partnerships with larger organizations to pursue an advocacy agenda. The survey provides data regarding pediatric neurosurgeons’ attitudes that may assist with the design of a successful advocacy program.

Changing of the Guard

Tells the story of a change in the BBPC’s leadership and their successful advocacy effort to incorporate the area between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges into the future park. Further south, planning begins on the piers area of the park with the hiring of an elite architectural firm to plan and oversee construction of the Park, publication of General Project Plan providing the general public with the first glimpse of what the actual Park might involve, disillusion and dissent among some early supporters and other citizen groups, and the beginnings of some negative media coverage of the Park.

Hoist by our own petard: Backing slowly out of religion and development advocacy

There has been a massive advocacy movement over the last 15 years that has sought to advance the case of religion into view of decision-makers in the international development sector. This advocacy effort has been dispersed and not centrally organised, and is made up of the efforts of multiple development actors, religious institutions, researchers and others. This article shows how this advocacy approach has been highly successful in increasing acceptance of the fact that religion is relevant to development, and religious communities and institutions make contributions to the development effort – and this acceptance can now be seen at the highest levels. However, the article highlights several challenges that have come with this advocacy approach. It therefore supports urgent reflection on the direction of this advocacy going forward and suggests that major and uncomfortable adaptations might now be required.