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452. ‘We’re Not There Yet…’ Voices of Refugees from Syria in Lebanon
- Author:
- Francesca El Asmar and Nour Shawaf
- Publication Date:
- 05-2017
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- As the Syrian crisis enters its sixth year, the world is witness to what has been characterized as the largest humanitarian emergency of our time. More than 11 million people have fled their homes, of whom around five million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Lebanon is hosting 1.5 million refugees from Syria, and 31,500 registered Palestinian refugees from Syria as of December 2016. This report presents the results of Oxfam’s research project which looked at the perceptions and expectations of refugees in Lebanon in relation to their future, their present situation and their past experiences. It aims to open up discussion on lasting solutions that will allow refugees to influence the decisions being made and to define concepts of safe and dignified living. The report argues that the perceptions, lived experiences and expectations of the refugees themselves should be the building blocks of their future, whereby freedom to make choices is a fundamental component of dignity.
- Topic:
- Migration, Refugee Crisis, Displacement, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria
453. Adapting Programming to an Urban Environment in Pakistan
- Author:
- Syed Hasnain Ali, Ian Goodrich, and Hashim Zaidi
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- The programme seeks to ensure that women, men and young people living in poverty in cities in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan have improved access to decent income opportunities and a dignified, healthy habitat. To achieve this goal, the programme is structured around three pillars: bringing together citizens to contribute to local governance; improving the responsiveness and capacity of local government actors; and improving access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services and livelihood opportunities. The approach entails bringing together citizens in Effective Citizen Groups (ECG), with sub-groups for trade, WASH and participatory monitoring. Groups are supported in developing influencing strategies, and in lobbying local officials for improved WASH and livelihoods outcomes (e.g. repair of water and sanitation networks, increased access to livelihood support services) through participation in, and monitoring of, local government planning processes. This document particularly focuses on the programme’s learning about adapting programming to an urban environment.
- Topic:
- Inequality, Citizenship, Urban, and Community
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and Middle East
454. Financing Women Farmers: The need to Increase and Redirect Agriculture and Climate Adaptation Resources
- Author:
- Rebecca Pearl-Martinez
- Publication Date:
- 10-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Oxfam analysis finds that governments and donors are failing to provide women farmers with relevant and adequate support for farming and adapting to climate change. Oxfam conducted research on government and donor investments in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. It found that funding in these countries is significantly lower than commitments that have been made, and there is little evidence of resources and technical assistance reaching women farmers. Resources are being diverted to priorities other than smallholder farmers, and for the most part governments lack the capacity to deliver funding to them. This paper presents the findings along with recommendations for governments.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Climate Change, Gender Issues, Women, and Farming
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Africa, Middle East, Philippines, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Ghana
455. Secure and Inclusive Pakistan: A policy framework of secure and cohesive Pakistan
- Author:
- Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS)
- Publication Date:
- 11-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS)
- Abstract:
- The road to a secure Pakistan lays in upholding its diversity. To counter against extremist violence, ensure that the “diversity within” acknowledges inclusion in all aspects of lives. With this benchmark in all policies, the space to militants will be greatly reduced. Extremist wave has gravely threatened Pakistan’s diversity. Non-Muslims and even Muslims of varied sects have not only been attacked by militants from distant parts of the country, but have also been forced into silence by the beliefs of those around them. Eliminating extremism, therefore, requires efforts at developing a holistic counter-violent extremism (CVE) strategy, covering multiple fronts. That strategy should operate not only in the physical domain, but also intellectual, by annulling extremists’ dogmas. Fighting militants on the ground or in the field is as important as fighting them through strategies that don’t necessarily pick up fight, one of them being condition-based rehabilitation or reintegration of (repentant and ready-to-quit-violence) militants. Similarly, besides ridding madrassas of their sectarian biases, CVE strategy should also prioritize educating young boys and girls with tolerant messages and sensitizing their teachers. Local cultures should be appreciated, but not at the cost of rights and lives of women. All such measures will achieve pluralistic co-existence.
- Topic:
- Islam, Women, Diversity, Inclusion, and Countering Violent Extremism
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and South Asia
456. Reconstruction of the national narratives and counter-violent extremism model for pakistan
- Author:
- Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS)
- Publication Date:
- 11-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS)
- Abstract:
- Understanding violent extremism and the ways to counter it are among the major themes PIPS has been exclusively focusing on since its establishment in the last quarter of 2005. The other main areas of PIPS‟ focus are also directly or indirectly linked to counter-violent extremism (CVE) such as conflict analysis and peacebuilding; religion and conflict; internal and regional security; media for peace and democracy; and dialogue. PIPS launched a multifaceted program of understanding and countering violent extremism and radicalism in Pakistan in 2007, titled “PIPS De-radicalization Plan (2007-2013)”. The Plan encapsulated the related concepts of empirical understanding of radicalization and religious extremism, de-radicalization, and counterradicalization. PIPS executed a host of activities linked to this progressive model traversing three levels: Taking its basic input from empirical studies and surveys aimed at understanding the issue of violent extremism and radicalization, it underwent processes of knowledge creation and knowledge sharing to evolve certain strategies which were [iii] implemented at the final stage of de-radicalization and/or countering radicalization. To understand and define phenomenon of radicalization, and extremism, in Pakistani context, PIPS conducted a series of 15 “peace talks” in 2008-09 inviting scholars, academicians, and subject specialists. Parallel to this exercise, the Institute carried out rigorous empirical research to understand trends and level of extremism and radicalism in Pakistani society, such as a comprehensive national-level public survey; a survey of educated Pakistani youths from universities and colleges; a survey of madrassa students and teachers across Pakistan; a survey of literatures; and a survey of media persons and practitioners. The outcomes of this entire empirical research were more than 40 research papers and studies providing empirical and contextual understanding of different aspects of radicalization, religious extremism and concomitant phenomena in Pakistan including factors, trends, level and impact of these phenomena, and local, context-bound imperatives to counter them.
- Topic:
- Education, Reconstruction, Narrative, Countering Violent Extremism, and Deradicalization
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and South Asia
457. Anti-terrorism Legal Regime of Pakistan and the Global Paradigm of Security: A Genealogical and Comparative Analysis
- Author:
- Syed Sami Raza
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Review of Human Rights
- Institution:
- Society of Social Science Academics (SSSA)
- Abstract:
- Pakistan is often criticized for its anti-terrorism legal regime—which institutionalizes preventive indefinite detention, special courts, and speedy trials. Pakistani officials, on their part, rebut this criticism by pointing to the Anglo-American anti-terrorism legal regimes, and generally to “the global paradigm of security.” Interestingly, should we trace the genealogy of the anti-terrorism legal regime of Pakistan, we find rich historical-juridical linkages between the Pakistani and Anglo-American regimes. These linkages converge on, or at least begin from, the British law of high treason. This law was adopted in certain colonial regulations in the early 19th century. In this article I demonstrate how the legal form and substance of the high treason law and of certain other colonial regulations traveled through colonial and post-colonial security laws, such that they have recently come to converge with the global paradigm of security.
- Topic:
- Security, Terrorism, Counter-terrorism, Detention, and Due Process
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and South Asia
458. Without improved public service delivery, women in developing countries can’t take advantage of economic opportunity
- Author:
- Ammar A. Malik and Jasmina Pless
- Publication Date:
- 02-2016
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- An estimated 1.5 billion people live on less than $1 per day—the majority of whom are women. The “the feminization of poverty,” the worldwide gap between women and men trapped in poverty, has grown during the past decade. As developing countries continue to urbanize, uneven access to public services prevents women from taking full advantage of the newly available economic opportunities. Despite women’s improved overall labor force participation, they often end up with lower paying, precarious jobs—often in the informal economy. In Pakistan for instance, three-quarters of women engaged in non-agriculture jobs work in the informal economy without laws or public policies to protect them. That’s an estimated 8.5 million domestic workers. Governments typically clamp down on informal establishments by shutting them down or simply ignore their existence. The lack of appropriate legal or regulatory systems further increases women’s vulnerability to exploitation through low wages or lack of employment protections. Women are seldom viewed as productive economic agents as they are outside the tax net.
- Topic:
- Development, Women, Economic Growth, and Informal Economy
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and South Asia
459. Towards a Fair and Just Fiscal Policy in Pakistan
- Author:
- Vaqar Ahmed, Mustafa Talpur, and Sadaf Liaqa
- Publication Date:
- 06-2016
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Pakistan does not currently mobilize sufficient tax revenue to finance essential public services, including healthcare and education, on which the poor rely the most. Consequently, these services remain inadequate, hampering efforts to reduce poverty and address extreme inequalities. Furthermore, the current tax system in Pakistan is seen by many as unfair and inequitable. Two-thirds of tax revenue is mobilized through indirect taxes, which are regressive in nature and unfairly burden those least able to pay them. Against this backdrop, this paper explains the four basic elements necessary for a fair and just tax regime, which, if implemented, would strengthen the domestic revenue base, increase equity and improve overall development outcomes, as the public sector will have more resources at its disposal to spend on human and social well-being.
- Topic:
- Education, Tax Systems, Fiscal Policy, and Social Services
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan and Middle East
460. Karachi: Organized Crime in a Key Megacity
- Author:
- Nazia Hussain and Louise Shelley
- Publication Date:
- 06-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Connections
- Institution:
- Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes
- Abstract:
- Crime and terror groups are key non-state actors in Karachi and employ crime and violence to achieve political and economic gains. They have a different relationship with the state than crime groups in Italy where the state has more resources to share with the crime groups. Instead, much more complex relationships exist between the state and the non-state actors in this difficult environment where crime and terror groups have become a part of diffuse governance of the city, including provision of housing and water. Our analysis differs from others who suggest that crime and terror groups have stepped into a power void. We suggest that the political parties rather than the crime and terror groups are at the forefront of violent and criminalized politics. Therefore, violent non-state actors are not the ultimate arbiters of the political order. Crime and terror groups remain vulnerable as they may lose the state’s support and without this they face difficulty surviving in this highly competitive environment.
- Topic:
- Crime, Terrorism, Non State Actors, and Organized Crime
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Middle East, and Karachi