Transformations of Women in Tourism Work: A Case Study of Emancipation in Rural Nepal

A key challenge still exists for emancipation of women in the tourism industry in Nepal. The research addresses how females in Nepal transform themselves through engagement with trekking in remote areas. The authors investigated a female only tourism enterprise to determine how women can encounter avenues to reliable income support. Interviewees were members of Empowering Women Nepal (EWN), a Nepali Non-Government Organisation (NGO), and their interviews were used as a case study regarding women’s training. Open ended questions focused on the background of women who are likely to engage with tourism, barriers preventing engagement in tourism, the positive and negative side to tourism, avenues of support, and specific outcomes to date. The research found that rural and remote Nepali women are being emancipated via engagement with tourism.

Can a Paradigm Shift from Risk Management to Critical Reflection Improve Child-Inclusive Practice?

Child protection systems within Anglophone countries have been increasingly dominated by neoliberal managerial, risk-dominant paradigms over the past three decades. Assumed to deliver a cost-effective strategy to increase the safety of children, there are many ways this paradigmatic combination systematically undermines child welfare, participation, and well-being. This paper specifically focuses on the ways that risk assessment, neoliberal, and managerial discourses have infiltrated practice and operate to silence and exclude children’s voices. It draws on two case studies to showcase key findings of a comprehensive, state-wide research project called Empowering Children’s Voices, which was initiated by UnitingCare, a non-government organisation within Queensland, Australia, and conducted in partnership with researchers from Queensland University of Technology. It will be argued that a paradigm shift towards a critically reflective reinterpretation of risk can be far more effective at promoting child-inclusive practice and establishing children’s empowered voices as a protective factor against harm.

An Annotated Bibliography on Screenwriting Manuals between 2000-2020 that aid in Character Development

<p>The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is the government organisation that finances films. The NZFC agrees with many screenwriting authors that the most common problems with scripts relate to character development (Batty, 2011, p. 45; Frayne, 2019; Nelmes, 2010, p. 202; NZFC Scriptwriting, 2020). Therefore, a screenwriter needs resources to overcome character development problems in their scripts. However, there are too many screenwriting manuals in publication. Also, an inexperienced amateur screenwriter may not know which manuals would solve their particular character development problems. In this annotated bibliography, the screenwriter is the author responsible for developing the script. Furthermore, the script serves as a guideline to producing media content: feature film, short film, videogames, radio-play, television (Field, 2005, p. 19; Gallo, 2012a, Chapter 2; Nannicelli, 2013, pp. 11–18). On account of this, this annotated bibliography will focus mainly on screenwriting manuals dealing with feature film scripts. Feature film scripts are 90 minutes or longer in duration (Field, 2005, p. 22). Additionally, since a script encompasses story and character elements, this annotated bibliography will focus only on character development.</p>

An Annotated Bibliography on Screenwriting Manuals between 2000-2020 that aid in Character Development

<p>The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is the government organisation that finances films. The NZFC agrees with many screenwriting authors that the most common problems with scripts relate to character development (Batty, 2011, p. 45; Frayne, 2019; Nelmes, 2010, p. 202; NZFC Scriptwriting, 2020). Therefore, a screenwriter needs resources to overcome character development problems in their scripts. However, there are too many screenwriting manuals in publication. Also, an inexperienced amateur screenwriter may not know which manuals would solve their particular character development problems. In this annotated bibliography, the screenwriter is the author responsible for developing the script. Furthermore, the script serves as a guideline to producing media content: feature film, short film, videogames, radio-play, television (Field, 2005, p. 19; Gallo, 2012a, Chapter 2; Nannicelli, 2013, pp. 11–18). On account of this, this annotated bibliography will focus mainly on screenwriting manuals dealing with feature film scripts. Feature film scripts are 90 minutes or longer in duration (Field, 2005, p. 22). Additionally, since a script encompasses story and character elements, this annotated bibliography will focus only on character development.</p>

A Case Study of University–Industry Collaboration for Sustainable Furniture Design

This paper describes the importance of including a Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach for successful university–industry collaboration. We detail user surveys and user evaluation techniques to engage end-users for the rejuvenation of manufacturing industries through sustainable product development. There are numerous studies describing the importance of university–industry collaboration; however, very few portray the detailed working relationships necessary to fulfil both the university and the industry agenda. This paper explores a joint project between a prominent Melbourne-based university and a government organisation from Malaysia. The intention was to innovate a range of furniture for Malaysian dormitories to stimulate the local manufacturing sector and provide high-value product applications for Malaysia’s abundant timber sector. By detailing a HCD approach, we reveal how to better direct the design outcomes to accurately reflect the research intent. This is detailed through a case study showing how the research data was translated into final product concepts influenced by end-users and collaboration with the industry stakeholders. The resulting products are a range of sustainable, modular dormitory furniture with a direct route to market. Finally, we provide the lessons learned and suggestions for developing sustainable products through university–industry collaboration.

Chyavanprash: A Multimodal Approach to COVID-19 Management

The word Chyavanprash (CP) comprises of ‘Chyawan’ and ‘Prasha’. Chyavan represents ‘degenerative change’ and Prasha symbolises a drug. Enhancement of immunity and longevity of life were the main reasons for which CP was consumed since ancient times. CP has about 50 herbs, spices and minerals along with a range of pharmacological activities on almost all organ systems of the human body. COVID-19 actually means coronavirus disease 2019. COVID-19 targets and affects multiple organs like lungs, heart, kidney etc, thus increasing the mortality and morbidity rates. The medication cost and side effects have made the allopathic system of medicine the least sought after. The rapid spread rate of the infection has urged mankind to look at alternative remedies to fight the novel coronavirus. AYUSH is a government organisation under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy which aims to promote indigenous alternative medicine systems in India. AYUSH recommends various measures to fight the novel coronavirus infection. Chyavanprash is one such important formulation proposed by the AYUSH for COVID-19. The purpose of our review is to highlight the constituents and pharmacological activities of CP in the prophylaxis, manage and treatment of COVID-19 by collecting and compiling the published research on COVID-19. The review also focuses on understanding the mechanism behind the multimodal activity of CP. References relevant to our topic were screened based on relevance to our topic.

Examining Financial Controls Practices Among Religious Non-Profit Organisations: A Case Study of Malaysia

There have been many financial scandals associated with religious-based non-profit organisations (RNPOs), their involvement in unethical and wrongdoing has pressured non-profit organisations, especially religious-based NPOs (RNPOs) to start adopting highly transparent and accountable financial management practices. Despite many efforts to improve the RNPOs’ service quality, their integrity has been tinted with many scandalous incidents of funds embezzlement and corruption. Poor financial accountability and lack of legal requirements are argued to be the underpinning reasons for such financial atrocities occurring. With the absence of sound financial governance and comprehensive financial regulations, it has been impaired the government’s ability to detect, prevent and correct RNPOs’ financial misconduct. To prevent financial misconduct from repeatedly occurring, having cogent financial control practices will ensure the RNPOs upholding their accountability duties to the clients they have served. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to examine Malaysian RNPOs financial controls practices. In doing so, various religious-based NGOs’ (i.e. Islam, Buddha, and Christian) representatives were interviewed, analysed, and appraised with Simon’s (1994) control framework. The findings indicate that the RNPOs financial control practices are mediated by the virtue of the religions that they have adopted, the RNPOs’ affiliation (i.e. local-based, foreign-based, and/or semi-government organisation), and the level of sponsorships and grants they have received.

Local Government Transfer into the Process of Ukraine's European Integration: Achievements of Communities and Losses of the Executive Branch of Power

The obligations assumed by the Ukrainian state by ratifying the association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union have become a reference point for transformations taking place in various spheres of public life, including local self-government. The article analyzes Ukraine's compliance with EU requirements regarding local self-government organisation, achievements in this field, and determining the prospects for reform. The analysis is grouped into four blocks: implementation of administrative and territorial reform; budget decentralisation; optimization of the organization of local public authorities (executive bodies formation of regional (oblast) and district (rayon) councils, the establishment of prefectures); land reform (transfer of land management to communities). The powers of local self-government bodies and state bodies were transformed in implementing municipal, territorial, fiscal and land reforms. However, further reforms are impossible without amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding the decentralisation of power), the adoption of new legislative acts (on the principles of the administrative-territorial structure of Ukraine, on prefectures), as well as amendments to some existing ones (on local self-government, etc.).

Four Domains of Public Value Creation: A Core Typology

The public management literature has failed to capture the arenas of operation of the public sector manager in one holistic framework, thus inhibiting the development of a more complete theory of leadership that drives public value. This paper develops a core typology of arenas of public value creation, based on the locus of interaction (internal or external to the government organisation) and the public value purpose (trading or policy development). Four arenas are described, illustrating that public sector managers in complex policy areas traverse all forms of institutional structure includingmarket, hierarchy and hybrid. The typology developed and discussed is an attempt to provide more precision in characterising the nature of policy leadership. Building on the public value work of Moore (1995; 2013; 2014),the typology enables theorising on the role and nature of leadership in driving public value.

“Felt responsibility”: a mediator for balancing NGOs’ upward and downward accountability

Purpose This study aims to investigate how non-government organisation (NGO) managers balance accountability to donors and beneficiaries and the role of felt responsibility in this process. Design/methodology/approach Using concepts of accountability theory, practices of microenterprise development NGOs are examined in two countries – Bangladesh and Indonesia – through interviews with managers of 20 NGOs and analysis of NGOs’ publicly available data. Findings Findings show a shift in emphasis from a vertical view (upward to donors and downward to beneficiaries) to a horizontal view of NGO accountability. Under this view, a selective approach to donors whose mission and approaches to poverty alleviation aligned with those of the NGOs played an essential role in supporting NGOs’ internal accountability. Further, felt a responsibility to beneficiaries is identified as an important mediator balancing both upward and downward accountability. While accountability to donors and beneficiaries was interrelated, accountability to donors was considered a short-term objective and accountability to beneficiaries was considered a long-term and overriding objective. Originality/value Findings contribute a further understanding of the role of felt responsibility to beneficiaries as a mediator for balancing upward and downward accountability based on the perspectives of NGO managers. Reframing accountability through a horizontal view helps to balance multiple directions of NGO accountability: to self, donors and beneficiaries.