Search

Begin New Search Topic Civil Society Political Geography Europe

141. Latin American Religious Responses to Socio-cultural changes of Globalization

Author:
Alice Hamui Sutton
Publication Date:
12-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
CONfines de Relaciones Internacionales y Ciencia Política
Abstract:
At the beginning of this third millennium, we are witnessing the end of an era marked by the hegemony of European Christianity and the globalization of a deterritorialized and decentered Christianity. Evangelical Pentecostalism and the Catholic Charismatic Renovation Movement are examples of this type of individual salvation spiritualism in Latin America. This article illustrates how these movements base their success on their ritual pragmatism with regard to personal crisis situations and the image of a near and accessible God. Moreover, the success of these movements is because of the adjustment to new conditions of the global market, the adaptation to the new processes of citizenship typical of modern democracies, and the satisfaction of spiritual and affective needs in a context of intense shifts trying to create new identities to reestablish the social framework of society.
Topic:
Civil Society, Government, and Religion
Political Geography:
Europe, South America, and Latin America

142. Reinvigorating European Elections: The Implications of Electing the European Commission

Author:
Julie Smith
Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Chatham House
Abstract:
Europe's voters go to the polls in mid-June to elect 732 Members of the European Parliament. In the past European Parliament (EP) elections have been characterized by low turnout, with an emphasis on national rather than European issues. The evidence suggests that this year's elections will be little different despite the enlargement of the Union on 1 May.
Topic:
Civil Society, Government, Political Economy, and Politics
Political Geography:
Europe

143. Employment Protection: Costs and Benefits of Greater Job Security

Publication Date:
09-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
Deregulating labour markets – for example making it easier for firms to hire and fire employees – is at the heart of the employment debate in many OECD countries. Laws on firing or layoffs and other employment protection regulations are thought by many to be a key factor in generating labour market "rigidity", as well as one reason for the large differences in labour market performance among OECD countries, notably between the United States and some of the larger European countries.
Topic:
Civil Society, Development, Economics, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe

144. "A house isn't a home without a gun" - SALW Survey of Montenegro

Publication Date:
07-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
The SALW Survey of the Republic of Montenegro was conducted by a team of researchers from the Small Arms Survey during September to December 2003. It was funded by SEESAC for two reasons: 1) to establish management information for the design of future SALW control intervention projects within the Republic of Montenegro; and 2) to field test the recently drafted SALW Survey protocols and draft Regional Micro-Disarmament Standard (RMDS) 05.80 - SALW Survey. As such, it is the first SALW Survey to be officially conducted in accordance with the SALW Survey protocols, although previous SALW surveys and 'needs assessments' have utilised similar methodologies.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Civil Society, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe

145. Bi-Annual Report: 01 January - 30 June 2004

Publication Date:
06-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
In November 2001 the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe adopted a Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in South Eastern Europe, which provides a framework of approaches and measures to tackle SALW issues that can be adopted by the countries of the region and supported by international organisations and bi-lateral donors. The Implementation Plan included provision for the establishment of a regional clearinghouse to support its implementation, and on the basis of this mandate SEESAC was officially launched in Belgrade on the 08 May 2002 as a joint UNDP and Stability Pact initiative.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Civil Society, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe

146. Public Perceptions of Small Arms and Security in South Serbia

Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
This report summarises the main findings of a research study implemented by Strategic Marketing and Media Research Institute (SMMRI) on behalf of SEEASAC / UNDP Serbia and Montenegro from 27 July to 06 August 2003 in the South Serbian municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. The purpose of the research was to clarify the attitudes and perceptions of ordinary citizens regarding small arms, in order to better judge whether a SALW collection project would prove successful. In addition to providing valuable information about perceptions of SALW, the survey results also shed light on related matters, including the state of inter-ethnic relations, public perceptions of international agencies working in the area, the developmental needs of communities, and levels of trust in security providers.
Topic:
Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Civil Society
Political Geography:
Europe and Serbia

147. SALW Ammunition Destruction - Environmental Releases From Open Burning (OB) and Open Detonation (OD) Events

Publication Date:
05-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
Until the mid-1980s, almost all surplus and unserviceable munitions and propellants (energetic materials (EM)) were either dumped at sea or destroyed by open burning (OB) or detonation (OD). These disposal techniques were chosen because of their simplicity, low cost, effectiveness and safety. As our knowledge and understanding of the chemical and biological processes essential to the health and well-being of humans and ecosystems expanded, the perception arose that the dusty, brown plumes produced by OB and OD could endanger human health and the environment (HH).
Topic:
Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Civil Society
Political Geography:
Europe

148. Bi-Annual Report: 01 July - 31 December 2003

Publication Date:
01-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
In November 2001 the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe adopted a Regional Implementation Plan on Combating the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in South Eastern Europe, which provides a framework of approaches and measures to tackle SALW issues that can be adopted by the countries of the region and supported by international organisations and bi-lateral donors. The Implementation Plan included provision for the establishment of a regional clearinghouse to support its implementation, and on the basis of this mandate SEESAC was officially launched in Belgrade on the 08 May 2002 as a joint UNDP and Stability Pact initiative.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Civil Society, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe

149. The Optimal Degree of Discretion in Monetary Policy

Author:
Susan Athey, Andrew Atkeson, and Patrick J. Kehoe
Publication Date:
04-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Abstract:
How much discretion should the monetary authority have in setting its policy? This question is analyzed in an economy with an agreed-upon social welfare function that depends on the randomly fluctuating state of the economy. The monetary authority has private information about that state. In the model, well-designed rules trade off society's desire to give the monetary authority discretion to react to its private information against society's need to guard against the time inconsistency problem arising from the temptation to stimulate the economy with unexpected inflation. Although this dynamic mechanism design problem seems complex, society can implement the optimal policy simply by legislating an inflation cap that specifies the highest allowable inflation rate. The more severe the time inconsistency problem, the more tightly the cap constrains policy and the smaller is the degree of discretion. As this problem becomes sufficiently severe, the optimal degree of discretion is none.
Topic:
Civil Society, Economics, Government, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:
Europe

150. All for All: Equality and Social Trust

Author:
Bo Rothstein and Eric M. Uslaner
Publication Date:
12-2004
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Abstract:
The importance of social trust has become widely accepted in the social sciences. A number of explanations have been put forward for the stark variation in social trust among countries. Among these, participation in voluntary associations received most attention. Yet, there is scant evidence that participation can lead to trust. In this paper, we shall examine a variable that has not gotten the attention we think it deserves in the discussion about the sources of generalized trust, namely equality. We conceptualize equality in two dimensions: one is economic equality and the other is equality of opportunity. The omission of both these dimensions of equality in the social capital literature is peculiar for several reasons. One is that it is obvious that the countries that score highest on social trust also rank highest on economic equality, namely the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, and Canada. Secondly, these are countries that have put a lot of effort in creating equality of opportunity, not least in regard to their policies for public education, labor market opportunities and (more recently) gender equality. The argument for increasing social trust by reducing inequality has largely been ignored in the policy debates about social trust. Social capital research has to a large extent been used by several governments and policy organizations to send a message to people that the bad things in their society are caused by too little volunteering. The policy implication that follows from our research is that the low levels of trust and social capital that plague many countries are caused by too little government action to reduce inequality. However, many countries plagued by low levels of social trust and social capital may be stuck in what is known as a social trap. The logic of such a situation is the following. Social trust will not increase because massive social inequality prevails, but the public policies that could remedy this situation cannot be established precisely because there is a genuine lack of trust. This lack of trust concerns both “other people” and the government institutions that are needed to implement universal policies.
Topic:
Civil Society, Economics, and Gender Issues
Political Geography:
Europe, Canada, and Netherlands