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71. China’s Crackdown and Arrest of Human Rights Activists

Author:
Kate Morgan
Publication Date:
04-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center on Human Rights Education, University of Denver
Abstract:
ince his rise to power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has cracked down on human rights lawyers, activists, and NGO actors. There have been multiple police raids, with one of the main targets being the Fengrui Law Firm in Beijing, which employs lawyers that are know to take on cases involving human rights activists. The most famous cases that arose from the Fenrui Law Firm were when they defended the dissident artist Ai Weiwei; Ilham Tohti, the Uighur academic sentenced to life in prison last year on charges of separatism; and Cao Shunli, a human rights campaigner who died after being denied medical care while in custody.
Topic:
Human Rights, Political Activism, NGOs, and Police
Political Geography:
China and Asia

72. Pervasive Gender-Based Violence in Ukraine

Author:
Jessica Ruch
Publication Date:
04-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center on Human Rights Education, University of Denver
Abstract:
A wife must listen to man and do as he says. She belongs to him now,” my colleague quietly translated as the young couple held hands before the priest. This wedding was just one personal experience of a Peace Corps volunteer in a southeast village, however, research shows systematic discrimination against women and a widespread prevalence of gender based violence (GBV) in Ukraine. The UN reports that 90% of violent cases are against women and though the government has introduced initiatives and ratified laws to prevent and protect against GBV, the country faces major obstacles inhibiting prevention and survivor protection. Domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence, sexualized violence, sexual harassment, and human trafficking are the four most pervasive types of GBV in Ukraine. Like many other countries, DV and IPV are taboo and veiled from public and private discussions in Ukraine. The myths encouraging victim blaming in family violence and normalization of violence is still widespread in society. Comprehensive DV data was not collected until the EU and UNDP’s 2009 study, which revealed that nearly 1/3 of adults experienced DV as children and 44% of women experienced DV in their lifetime. Men were more likely to experience DV as children, and women as adults. Seventy-five percent of DV survivors never sought help and only 1-2% contacted NGOs or social services. Information on the status and response to sexualized violence is vague and unsubstantiated. The Ukrainian government reports that service providers are trained to deliver physical and psychological care to sexual assault survivors, but the EU’s Gender Equality Commission concludes that there are no services which ensure immediate care, trauma support or counseling, nor are services free or accessible to all survivors. The NGO, Women Against Violence in Europe reports that there are no permanent centers supporting survivors of sexual assault.
Topic:
Gender Issues, Gender Based Violence, Sexual Violence, and NGOs
Political Geography:
Europe, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe

73. Mission to the Middle East 2017: The Plight of the Displaced

Author:
Kevin Appleby
Publication Date:
04-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Migration Studies of New York
Abstract:
From February 23, 2017 to March 6, 2017, His Eminence Roger Cardinal Mahony, archbishop emeritus of Los Angeles, California; His Excellency Silvano Tomasi, c.s., delegate secretary for the Holy See’s Dicastery on Integral Human Development; and Kevin Appleby, senior director of international migration policy for the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) and the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN), joined in a mission to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Greece to examine the situation of refugees and the displaced in these states. The visit came against the backdrop of several actions and events which could adversely impact these populations in the immediate, near, and long-term future: (1) the proposed reduction in the number of refugees to be admitted by the United States from 110,000 to 50,000 a year, including a 120-day shutdown of the US refugee program; (2) the one-year-old agreement between the European Union and Turkey to halt Syrian and other refugee groups from migrating to and entering Europe; (3) the ongoing war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), most notably in the fight for the city of Mosul and surrounding villages in northern Iraq; and (4) the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in the region, including Christian groups. Overall, the delegation found that, despite heroic work by international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and agencies in the region, including refugee protection organizations, the humanitarian need of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) far outweigh the support given to them by the international community. In fact, the world community appears to be withdrawing its support, rather than increasing it.1 The following findings and recommendations from the mission are based on the delegation’s conversations with actors in the region, including refugees and displaced persons, care providers, representatives of the Catholic Church, their aid agencies, and United Nations (UN) officials.
Topic:
Migration, Religion, Refugee Issues, European Union, ISIS, Displacement, NGOs, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:
United States, Iraq, Europe, Iran, Turkey, Israel, and Syria

74. Mapping the Experiences of Formers to Streamline the Process of Engaging in CVE

Author:
Hedayah
Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Hedayah
Abstract:
This report maps a Former extremist’s journey from disengagement to CVE involvement, while also outlining implementable initiatives that can help governments and NGOs tackle some of the concerns Formers prior to becoming involved in CVE.
Topic:
Government, Violent Extremism, Psychology, NGOs, Identity, and Countering Violent Extremism
Political Geography:
Global Focus

75. One Year Stranded and What’s Changed? An Update to the October 2016 Joint NGO Policy Brief on the Situation for Displaced Persons in Greece

Author:
Oxfam Publishing
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
It is one year since the introduction of Europe’s flawed migration policies to close borders along the Western Balkan route and return migrants and refugees to Turkey, leaving thousands stranded in Greece. This update provides an overview of the current situation in Greece, and sets out what eight national and international responding agencies see as the most urgent issues to address and the major concerns with Europe’s response to this crisis.
Topic:
Regional Cooperation, Refugee Crisis, Borders, and NGOs
Political Geography:
Europe, Turkey, Greece, Asia, and Balkans

76. Joint NGO Briefing: Brussels Syria Conference

Author:
Oxfam Publishing
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Today more than ever, the international community must share responsibility and stand firmly in support of Syria’s civilian population. It is clear however that the aid response, as vital as it is, will only go so far and cannot fully address the needs of Syrian communities to be free from violence and the violations of international human rights (IHRL) and humanitarian law (IHL) that characterize the conflict. In this briefing, Oxfam joins with a variety of agencies and coordination fora to call on all members of the international community, in particular permanent members of the UN Security Council and the EU and EU member states who are discussing post-agreement planning, to insist on the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Syria that relate to respect for IHL and IHRL, as well as implementation of the Geneva Communique of 2012. The Brussels conference should also set the foundation for inclusive and meaningful participation of Syrian NGOs and civil society, including youth and women’s groups, as key partners in ensuring effective post-agreement planning that captures the needs and desires of the people of Syria and supports local community rebuilding and resilience.
Topic:
Civil Society, Gender Issues, European Union, NGOs, Local, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:
Europe, Middle East, and Syria

77. Local Humanitarian Leadership and Religious Literacy: Engaging with Religion, Faith, and Faith Actors

Author:
Carleigh Berinot, Robert Brodrick, Tara R. Gingerich, and Diane L. Moore
Publication Date:
03-2017
Content Type:
Research Paper
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Local humanitarian leadership is built upon the premise that humanitarian action should be led by local humanitarian actors whenever possible, yet this research finds that secular humanitarian INGOs do not engage systematically with local faith actors in their local leadership work. Based primarily on interviews with humanitarian INGO staff, this research also found that neither secular nor faith-inspired international humanitarian organizations have a sufficient level of religious literacy to enable them to understand the religious dimensions of the contexts in which they work and to effectively navigate their engagement with local faith actors.
Topic:
Religion, Leadership, NGOs, Humanitarian Crisis, and Faith
Political Geography:
Global Focus

78. Uneven Humanitarianism: Abandoned Refugees along the Thai-Myanmar Border

Author:
Tani Sebro
Publication Date:
12-2016
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Review of Human Rights
Institution:
Society of Social Science Academics (SSSA)
Abstract:
This essay considers the case of uneven humanitarian aid distribution along the Thai-Myanmar border, where forcibly displaced migrants from Myanmar have been abandoned by the UNHCR and international humanitarian organizations. Based upon long-term ethnographic fieldwork along the Thai-Myanmar border amongst Tai migrants from the Shan State in Myanmar, I attend to the effects of the inequitable distribution of rights and privileges in an international humanitarian system that is predicated on the neoliberal logic of uneven development. After two centuries of British colonial occupation and later Burman authoritarian rule, the ethnic minority groups along the Thai-Myanmar border are now facing another crisis – that of abandonment as NGOs search for new and more pressing humanitarian disasters elsewhere. The essay addresses a concept I call uneven humanitarianism as a neocolonial condition for peoples living in the Thai-Myanmar borderlands by specifically focusing on Tai peoples who are living in unofficial refugee camps that lost foreign funding in 2017. I argue that the ad hoc treatment and eventual abandonment of these vulnerable groups – that are currently in the midst of the world’s most protracted civil war and displacement situation – constitutes a failure of the “responsibility to protect” humanitarian project.
Topic:
Refugees, Displacement, NGOs, and Humanitarian Crisis
Political Geography:
Asia, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and Myanmar

79. Çağdaş Sivil Toplum Anlayışı Yaklaşımıyla Mor Çatı Kadın Sığınağı Vakfı |

Author:
Semanur Yılmaz
Publication Date:
12-2016
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Bilgi
Institution:
Sakarya University (SAU)
Abstract:
Ülkemizde sivil toplum kuruluşları niceliksel olarak her geçen gün artış gösterse de niteliksel anlamda gelişim aynı paralellikte artmamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Mor Çatı Vakfı’nı çağdaş sivil toplum anlayışı ilkeleri çerçevesinde değerlendirmektir. Araştırma kapsamında Haziran 2019’da yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu yaklaşımıyla bir Mor Çatı gönüllüsüyle ve ardından Temmuz 2020’de 3 Mor Çatı gönüllüsüyle bir uzaktan görüşme programı aracılığıyla odak grup görüşmesi yapılmıştır. Görüşme metinleri incelendiğinde bulgular 3 başlık altında sınıflandırılmıştır: Vakfın kuruluşu, amacı ve örgütlenme biçimi. Bulgulara göre Mor Çatı, hukuki ilkeler çerçevesinde özerk halde örgütlenen, meşru bir kuruluştur. Kâr amacı güden bir kuruluş değildir ve kamu yararına olacak çalışmalarda bulunmaktadır. Karar alma ve uygulama noktasında iç işleyişinde bağımsızdır. Hedefleri doğrultusunda ülkenin yasama ve yürütme araçlarını etkileyerek politika üretme noktasında başarılıdır. Faaliyetlerini yürütürken şiddet ve zor kullanmama ilkesi ile hareket etmektedir. Kurum hakkında bilgi almak isteyen bireylere karşı şeffaf davranmaktadır. Toplumsal farklılıklara ve çeşitliliğe karşı hoş görülüdür. Kamuoyu oluşturabilmektedir ancak köklü bir geçmişe sahip bir örgütlenme için aktif gönüllü sayısı azdır.
Topic:
Civil Society and NGOs
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

80. Orienting ASEAN Towards Its People: Enabling Engagement with Local NGOs

Author:
Serina Rahman
Publication Date:
10-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Abstract:
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil-society organisations and grassroots groups are a growing phenomenon across Southeast Asia. Many of these organisations fill in gaps and provide services that are not otherwise met by local authorities and governments; others purport to be the voice of the marginalised, disempowered or discriminated. There is a broad spectrum of these organisations present in Southeast Asia – from the home-grown entity that scavenges funds from myriad sources and volunteers; to large, international establishments with substantial regular funding, full-time staff and transnational networks and influence. ASEAN’s history in dealing with NGOs is chequered. Most affiliated organisations are government-owned or government-influenced organisations (GONGOs) who support ASEAN’s goals and legitimise its policies. This paper proposes that ASEAN should be more supportive of local ground-up organisations so that the regional body can act upon its goal of nurturing caring, equitable and inclusive communities with an empowered civil society, as well as fulfil its commitment to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. An NGO Matrix that can be used as a tool to plot organisation types could help identify groups that should get the most support. As a demonstrative example, the tool has been applied to several environmental organisations currently active in South Malaysia.
Topic:
Civil Society, Environment, United Nations, Non State Actors, and NGOs
Political Geography:
Malaysia, Asia, and Southeast Asia