Nuclear Liability and Post-Fukushima Developments

The international community has developed a series of conventions on civil liability for nuclear damage, which aim to ensure compensation is available for damage, including transboundary damage, caused by a nuclear incident. Those conventions have struggled to gain universal adherence, and the “global regime” called for in 2011 is at best a patchwork quilt, with a number of treaties with differing memberships, and many States (including States with large and growing nuclear sectors) not party to any convention. However, the principles of the conventions are reflected in national laws in most States which operate nuclear power reactors and associated facilities. This chapter assesses the current global nuclear liability regime and discusses a series of recommendations made by the International Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX) to allow the international community to respond to the continued evolution of the nuclear industry.

Guidelines, Codes, and Regulations

Research involving human subjects is increasingly global in scope. This research is governed by over 1,000 guidelines, codes, and regulations spanning 130 countries. While there have been some attempts to construct international codes of conduct, particularly in the area of biomedical research, the reality is that these universal codes are superimposed over national and institutional norms, resulting in idiosyncrasies and discrepancies. Even within the United States as a single example, human subjects research is subject to a “patchwork quilt” of regulation, depending on the nature of the research and the source of funding. This chapter will provide an overview of these governing standards, recounting their historical evolution, discussing their key elements, and describing the challenges faced by researchers, sponsors, and regulatory bodies who must navigate this landscape.

A Patchwork Quilt of Programs

How is Germany doing with respect to the fight against COVID-19? Did the German Federal and the country’s Regional Governments enact a coordinated approach, and did the sector have the opportunity to co-operate with government and have a “voice” in the policy process? Based on the results of recent empirical studies and desk-top, internet-based research, these questions are addressed and the outcome is that there were numerous programs issued by the Federal and regional German governments that buffer the effects of the crisis is having on the sector. However, the programs were not developed in co-operation with the sector and were not easy to access, particularly for small and non-professionalized nonprofits.

Unruly wives in the household: Toward feminist genealogies for peace research

Feminist scholars and activists have historically been written out of peace research, despite their strong presence in the early stages of the field. In this article, we develop the concept of “wifesization” to illustrate the process through which feminist and feminized interventions have been reduced to appendages of the field, their contributions appropriated for its development but unworthy of mention as independent producers of knowledge. Wifesization has trickle-down effects, not just for knowledge production, but also for peacebuilding practice. We propose new feminist genealogies for peace research that challenge and redefine the narrow boundaries of the field, in the form of a patchwork quilt including early theorists, utopian writing, oral history, and indigenous knowledge production. Reflections draw on the authors’ engagements with several archives rich in cultures and languages of peace, not reducible to a “single story.” Recovering wifesized feminist contributions to peace research, our article offers a new way of constructing peace research canons that gives weight to long-standing, powerful, and plural feminist voices, in order to make peace scholarship more inclusive and ultimately richer.

10 years later: revisiting the patchwork quilt of child protection in Canada

Background In 2007, a Paediatrics & Child Health article characterized the Canadian academic Child and Youth Protection Programs (CYPPs) depicting the wide variation in clinical services and resources across the country as ‘a threadbare patchwork quilt’. This study aimed to expand and update the knowledge gained from that original project a decade later. The aim of this research was to understand the current structure, functioning, and experiences of the existing Canadian CYPPs. Methods A mixed-methods design was utilized and all program directors of Canadian CYPPs were invited to participate. An online survey was distributed using REDCap to collect quantitative data on program characteristics. Program directors participated in one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews to gather qualitative information regarding their program’s strengths and needs, resources, as wellas reflections on their experiences working within this evolving field. Results In total, 15 of 16 CYPP directors participated in the online survey. CYPPs remained relatively consistent in the variety of allied health care professionals on their team, and have ongoing work in research, education, and advocacy. Recurrent themes that emerged from the qualitative interview data included the strength of the team, comments on stress and wellness, expertise in the field, and desire for additional advocacy. Conclusion Current information was gathered on the structure, function, and experiences of Canadian CYPPs. Areas of growth include collaborative practice at the Child and Youth Advocacy Centres and deliberate attention to wellness. Child maltreatment continues to be an important health and social issue and review of the present-day landscape is critical to better inform research, education, and resource planning.