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Collective Identities and Social Movements
Get PDFThis report gives an overview of theories and approaches to the study of social identities, drawing on recent literature in the field. It argues that the study of social identities should be linked to the social outlets for identity, be they movements, associations, networks and the like. Starting with an account of late modernity , it introduces social movements as an outgrowth of late modernity's rising dissatisfaction with organised politics and with the revitalisation and new social movements approaches are analysed and found wanting in various respects. This leads into a discussion of the politics of identity and its inclusionary and exclusionary facets and the mix of identities typical of modern society. Group identities are contrasted to individual identities and the importance of social position and narrative tradition are highlighted for identities. The report concludes with three suggestions for further research.
Hugo Stokke is a political scientist and researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute. His research interests are human rights, political theory and development studies with a geographical focus on South and Southeast Asia. He is currently working on a Ph.D. on international labour standards and their promotion through technical assistance by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Marit Tjomsland is a sociologist and researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute. Her research interests are modernisation theory, islamisation and gender issues with a geographical focus on North Africa in general and Tunisia in particular and she is currently working on a Ph.D. research project on islamism in Tunisia
Handel og arbeidstandarder: Barnearbeid
Get PDFTrade and labour standards: Child labour. This report, commissioned by Save the
Children, Norway, discusses the main economic arguments for and against the incorporation of a social clause in World Trade Organization (WTO). Part one presents a historical review of how the question has been addressed in ILO and WTO, and the positions of the main actors involved are stated. ILO is generally disinclined to imposing trade sanctions against countries not fulfilling their obligations in terms of ILO regulations, and the ILO Convention 138 on Minimum Age is not included in ILO's core labour standards. The second part of the report analyses the main arguments in favour of including a social clause in WTO. It is argued that international coordination of labour standards, in contrast to their harmonisation, may improve welfare in developing countries. However, trade sanctions against countries violating the rules will probably not be credible since such sanctions would most likely damage the target group as well as the legitimacy of WTO. Without the credible enforcement of the rules, a social clause would most likely be merely symbolic. The report argues that it would probably be more efficient to strengthen ILO
Whither Nordic/SADC Relations?
Get PDFIn 1986 the member states of the then Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADC) and the five Nordic countries signed a joint declaration on expanded economic and cultural cooperation, referred to as the Nordic/SADC Initiative. This region-to-region collaborative venture was later prolonged through 1995, but the tangible results were meagre. Moreover, these ten years saw major changes in terms of the political and economic environment of both regions. Hence, it was time to reassess the Initiative with a view to finding alternative frameworks for continued collaboration. The report discusses the achievements and setbacks, and presents options for the future. It is recommended that the Initiative be scaled down to manageable levels by concentrating on three areas of cooperation: (a) business cooperation in trade and investment; (b) cultural collaboration; and (c) political dialogue. It is also recommended that the administrative mechanisms be rationalised and streamlined.
Keith Atkinson is a consultant with Imani Development Ltd. (Pvt.) based in Hamre,
Zimbabwe
Arne Tostensen is a senior research fellow with the Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norwa
Deforestation: Population or Market Driven? Different Approaches in Modelling Agricultural Expansion
Get PDFThe debate on causes of and remedies for tropical deforestation is often confused because the underlying assumptions of the arguments are not made explicit. This paper compares four different modelling approaches to agricultural expansion and deforestation, and explore the implications of different assumptions about the household objectives, the labour market, and the property rights regime. A major distinction is made between population and market driven approaches, and the labour market assumption is critical in this respect. Many of the popular policy prescriptions are based on the population approach. The paper shows that within a more realistic -- particularly for the long term effects -- market approach, well intentioned policies such as intensification programmes may boost deforestation. Many frontier agricultural systems are also characterized by open access where forest clearing gives farmers land rights. Deforestation therefore becomes an investment to the farmer and a title establishment strategy. In this situation, land titling and credit programmes may increase deforestation
Angola og norsk bistand
Get PDFAngola is currently passing through a political, economic and social crisis deeper than in most other African countries. The MPLA government and the former rebel movement UNIT A signed a peace agreement in Lusaka in November 1994, but peace and reconstruction are still not secured. Whereas previous international involvement in Angola has had mainly negative effects through colonialism and Cold War, emergency and development aid has increased substantially after the renewed outbreak of war in 1992 when UNIT A lost in democratic elections. Also Norway's development aid to Angola has increased considerably. With NOK 182 million in 1995, Angola is the fourth largest recipient of Norwegian aid in Africa. This report outlines the political, economic and social situation in Angola, and discusses international and Norwegian aid to the country. It is argued that Norway should continue its involvement in Angola, also beyond the current emergency interventions, by making it a country of priority. The report was commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Inge Tvedten is a social anthropologist and researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.
Re has worked in Angola for a total period of more than three years, and published extensively on the country. A book entitled "Angola. Towards Peace and Reconstruction" will be published by Westview Press in early 1997. Tvedten is currently working on issues related to urbanization and urban slum survival strategies
Human Rights Self-Monitoring:A Proposal for the Northern European Democracies
Get PDFThis report recommends that Human Rights in Developing Countries adopt a radically new approach to monitoring human rights. The "old way" is to monitor aid-recipient governments' violations of the human rights of their own citizens. The new way, called herein "self-monitoring", entails careful monitoring of Northern countries' own contributions to, or violations of, human rights in the South. The new way responds to concerns about historical and cultural sensitivity, and about moral and political consistency. The contributions of Northern governments to human rights through bilateral and multilateral activities, including the arms trade and involvement in international financial institutions, could be monitored. But so also could the effects on human rights of transnational actors (such as multinational corporations and NGOs) and even private citizens of Northern countries. Self-monitoring will focus on the areas where likelihood of impact is greatest – at home.
Jack Donnelly, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, 1982, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of International Relations, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver (Colorado, USA) has written extensively on human rights issues.
Rhoda E. Howard, Ph. D. McGill University 1976, Professor of Sociology, McMaster
University (Ontario, Canada) is working on human rights with an emphasis on Africa
Mobilising Resources for Regional Integration in Southern Africa: Towards a SADC Capacity-Building Fund
Get PDFTwo fundamental problems have been figuring on the agenda of SADC since 190: donor dependency and institutional structure. While not divorcing the broader issue of institutional structure from that of donor dependency, this report is preoccupied with the latter. After reviewing the institutional evolution of SADC from its inception as a 'conference' to a 'community', the report proposes that a Capacity-Building Fund be established as a mechanism for mobilising resources regionally. Its capitalisation is envisaged to emanate from a variety of sources, inc1uding voluntary contributions from member states and donors, private sector contributions and levies on transactions within the region. It is proposed that the Fund be set up as a separate legal person to be managed by a Board of Governors, yet linked to SADC as an organisation. A draft constitution of the Fund is inc1uded in the report.
Steven Georgala is a South African lawyer with Maitland & Co., based in Luxembourg
Arne Tostensen is a senior research fellow with the Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway
Tax evasion and corruption in local governments in Tanzania: Alternative economic approaches
Get PDFThe primary concern of the paper is to discuss the role of various economic factors in explaining the mechanisms and degree of fiscal corruption and tax evasion in local governments in Tanzania. The emphasis is on how the incentive structure of the tax system affects the decisions of taxpayers and tax collectors to eng age in fraudulent behaviour. The paper stars with a set of research questions based on empirical observations, and examines the fundamental ideas, basic assumptions and limitations of possible theoretical approaches for answering these questions. The theory is presented in a "non-technical” way, emphasising the intuitive understanding of the arguments presented
Botswana - 30 years of economic growth, democracy and aid: Is there a connection?
Get PDFThis report has been commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an input to a proposed study on the impact of aid on Botswana. The report is based on a review of literature focusing on the development of Botswana since independence in 1966. The objective of this review has been to identify the commonly held views and interpretations among the many observers of Botswana's development. The presentation focuses on the main arguments and explanations provided in the literature regarding the success as well as problems of Botswana's development. The report further discusses the main characteristics of development aid to Botswana since independence and identifies inter-connections between international aid and general indicators of Botswana's development found in the literature
Institutional Approaches to the Study of International Organisation
Get PDFThis paper gives an overview of changes and shifts in the study of international organisation and notes that research has gradually moved away from the study of de facto organisations to studies of international cooperation and coordination in a more general sense. Current approaches to the study of international organisation are reviewed and emphasis is given to the interplay of cognitive and normative factors. The paper concludes with a recommendation to use organisation theory more systematically in the study of de facto international organisations