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Human Development Report 2003: Millennium development goals: a compact among nations to end human poverty
... Software Statistix 8.1 was used for the analysis of variance of all collected data (Steel et al., 1997). ...
... The U.N. Human Development Report for 2003 noted that estimates for how much aid is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals aimed at halving the world's poor by 2015 range from $50-$100 billion dollars in new aid; a gure that represents less than a .5% of the gross annual income of the 23 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 192 The lower of those gures could be achieved by a less than 10% reduction in the annual U.S. defense budget alone. These gures demonstrate that a drastic reduction in poverty is achievable. ...
A collection of essays on current challenges facing the LGBT movement. First published in December 2012.
... " However, as can be derived from the projections of world energy consumption up to the year 2025, one cannot observe any tendency to decrease disparities; in contrast, disparities are further increasing (Fig. 2 ). Obviously , there will be an enormous problem [4]. Nevertheless, in addition to the demand for food, the demand for other goods will grow substantially. ...
The principles of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in August 2002 in Johannesburg, and Agenda 21, the comprehensive plan of action for the 21(th) century, adopted 12 years ago by more than 170 governments, address the pressing problems of today and also aim at preparing the world for the challenges of this century The conservation and management of resources for development are the main focus of interest, to which the sciences will have to make a considerable contribution The encouragement of environmentally sound and sustainable use of renewable natural resources is one aim of Agenda 21 In this contribution we investigate innovations in chemistry for such a development focusing exemplarily on chemical uses of fats and oils as renewable feedstocks Since base chemicals are produced in large quantities and important product lines are synthesized from them their resource-saving production is especially important for a sustainable development New processes based on renewable feedstocks are significant here Most products obtainable from renewable raw materials may at present not be able to compete with the products of the petrochemical industry, but this will change as oil becomes scarcer and oil prices rise In the long run, renewable resources could replace fossil raw materials The competition of the cultivation of food and of feedstocks for industrial use can be met by a global program of reforestation of areas wasted in historical time by human activities.
... Major strides have been made under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), is landmark legislation in India, which was enacted after a successful struggle for employment guarantee legislation. It has a direct connection with the efforts to accelerate the achievement of the MDGs and Inclusive Growth in India; efforts are on towards total eradication of poverty by 2015 [3]. NREGA, with its Rights Based framework, is a paradigm shift from all other development programmes that were traditionally supply led. ...
... Further, many new global problems have emerged -such as HIV/AIDS, terrorism, and repeated natural disasters -that require immediate attention. With the rising costs of health care and other products and services, governments find it difficult to adequately fund all the services needed to reduce poverty (U.N. Development Program, 2003). Pressure has been placed on corporations to take more responsibility for addressing social and environmental concerns throughout the world (Seelos & Mair, 2005). ...
Social ventures are innovative businesses that operate with social purposes to provide services to disadvantaged individuals or the community that the market does not. While typically established as not-for-profit organizations, they compete with for-profit businesses that produce similar goods or services. They have been used to reduce poverty through job creation for the chronically unemployed, help impoverished communities produce their own products rather than importing them, create markets for products produced by impoverished communities, and provide job training to help the chronically unemployed acquire employable skills. The operation of social ventures is fraught with challenges that constrain their viability. This chapter describes diverse types of social venture models that contribute to poverty reduction and explores various innovative business strategies used to improve their business performance.
... Pensada como um elemento indispensável para a capacitação e o aprimoramento da mão de obra demandada por um mercado de trabalho progressivamente mais exigente, a educação concorre, entre outros fatores, para o fortalecimento das relações sociais, a construção da cidadania e a atenuação das iniquidades que se manifestam entre gêneros e raças (CORRÊA, 2009). Tamanho é o reconhecimento de sua importância, que a educação compõe o Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano adotado pela Organização das Nações Unidas para a comparação internacional do nível de bem-estar experienciado pelas populações (HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT, 2003). E apesar de não franquearem automaticamente o caminho para a mobilidade social, a frequência escolar, a alfabetização e a obtenção de um nível mínimo de educação formal são fundamentais para o alcance dos padrões de qualificação atualmente demandados pelas sociedades . ...
Worldwide
research on fertility in the second decade of life has shown that young mothers
complete fewer years of schooling than their nulliparous age peers and women
who postpone their first childbirth until age 20 or later. In Brazil, few studies have identified the extent to which these gaps were already present
before fertility. Thus, it is difficult to assess the real effect of pregnancy
and fertility on young mothers education. This paper comprises an analysis of
the educational progress of a representative sample (n = 225) of young women
living in Campinas, a municipality of one million inhabitants in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. All individuals in the sample had their first live-born child between
the ages of 17 and 19 in 2005 and were interviewed between 2006 and 2007. Their
schooling histories from age seven to 16 (when all were still nulliparous) were
then reconstituted longitudinally by the use of retrospective questions. The
high incidence of academic failures and interruptions in studies prior to the
subjects pregnancies and first live births indicates that many of them had
encountered obstacles in their schooling career before fertility: 28.0% failed
and dropped out while 78.2% failed or dropped out of at least one school grade
before pregnancy and their first live birth. Thus, cross-sectional studies that
analyze the schooling deficits of young mothers only after their first
pregnancy or childbirth and directly compare them to the school achievements of
childless women-or those who delayed their first childbirth after the age of
20-may not properly identify the origins of age-school grade gaps and the few
years of schooling completed.
In spite of its common historical experience and similar culture as well as vast natural resource endowments, Africa is still wallowing in development crisis. Of all the challenges facing Africa in the 21 st century, lack of unity and economic development are the most worrisome. Although, different efforts such as the formation
Die ökonomische Theorie diskutiert den Zusammenhang zwischen Ungleichheit oder Armut einerseits und wirtschaftlichem Wachstum sowie Wohlstand andererseits. Wichtige Theoretiker in diesem Zusammenhang sind insbesondere: Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Milton Friedman, Friedrich August von Hayek, John Maynard Keynes, John Rawls, Amartya Sen. Es lassen sich im Prinzip zwei konträre Positionen ausmachen: Leistungsbereitschaft und Leistungsfähigkeit werden durch Ungleichheit bedroht und führen zu einer geringeren Wohlstandsentwicklung, wenn infolge von Ungleichheit das Funktionieren des Wirtschaftssystems durch Störung des sozialen Friedens gefährdet ist, so die eine These. Der Antrieb zur Erzielung von allgemeinem Wohlstand wird auf Ungleichheit zurückgeführt, so die Gegenthese. Die Armen würden sich mit Blick auf den nachahmenswerten Lebensstandard der Reichen anstrengen und so zur allgemeinen Wohlstandsentwicklung der Gesellschaft beitragen; die Reichen investieren gewinnbringend in Arbeitsplätze und schaff en Voraussetzungen für das (unbeabsichtigte) Wohlergehen der Ärmeren. Die politischen Handlungsaufforderungen sind von daher konträr: Zum einen erwächst aus der Notwendigkeit, die benachteiligten Bevölkerungsgruppen zu befähigen, ihre Lage selbst überwinden zu können, der Bedarf nach stärkerer öffentlicher Intervention. Zusätzlich kann eine wachsende Ungleichheit dazu führen, dass den Armen Kaufkraft fehlt, während die Reichen ihre Sparsummen erhöhen, was zu einer sinkenden Nachfrage und Beeinträchtigung des Wirtschaftswachstums führt. Der Gegenposition geht es jedoch generell um den Rückzug des Staates aus der Wirtschaft und die maximale Freisetzung von Marktkräft en bzw. um den Verzicht auf die soziale Korrektur des Marktgeschehens.
Urbanization provides South Asian countries with the potential to transform their economies to join the ranks of richer nations in both prosperity and liveability, but a new World Bank report finds the region, while making strides, has struggled to make the most of the opportunity. Messy urbanization is reflected in the widespread existence of slums and sprawl across the South Asian nation. Inadequate urbanization is symptomatic of the failure to adequately address congestion constraints that arise from the pressure of urban populations on infrastructure, basic services, land, housing, and the environment. With urbanization a key driving factor, infrastructure spending is set to increase substantially over the coming decades. Infrastructure is increasingly viewed by the World Bank as the vehicle for transforming low and middle income countries into emerging or developing nations. The present articles is an empirical cum quantitative kind of work. An inclusive urban sustainability indicator method has been formulated to identify the inventory and prospective aspects of urbanization in South Asian cities as the master key to analyse the level of urban sustainability in the region. By evaluating all there indicators i.e., social, economic, and ecological fruitful findings have been obtained and evaluated thoroughly in order to bridge the gap between screaming urbanization and poor infrastructure. The fruitful findings can be proposed as a policy recommendations to other fast growing cities in developing countries.
The insertion into two public schools from Campinas (SP) allowed the elaboration of some questions related to Education and social inequality. The first part of this article discusses the social dynamic and its relation to the current educational system. The Education system has served to maintain the capitalist society and the social inequality. One of the conditions to change this situation is that teachers assume one practical non dominant pedagogic (political) teaching approach. The second part highlights some teaching challenges, in search of the elaboration of coherent strategies within an Emancipatory Education proposal, which aims to develop the population's autonomy and their critical awareness.
The dried seeds of Benincasa hispida (THUNB.) COGN. on successive extraction was extracted with solvents of increasing polarity by Soxhlet apparatus.The petroleum ether, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of seeds of Benincasa hispida (THUNB.) COGN. (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) and standard drug cystone (500 mg/kg body weight) were used.Ethylene glycol (EG) being a chief substitute for alcohol, EG is commonly used as anti freeze in cooling systems of automobiles, aircrafts and has wide industrial applications.Toxicity from EG is produced from the metabolites such as glycoaldehyde, glyoxalate and oxalate, producing wide spread tissue injury in the kidney. The Aqueous, Ethanolic and Petroleum ether seed extracts of Benincasa hispida (THUNB.) COGN. Were tested at 250 and 500mg/kg doses for Nephroprotective Activity. The effects of both ethanolic and petroleum ether extracts of Benincasa Hispida were evaluated according to the method of LIPSCHITZ. Frusemide was employed as a standard diuretic agent (100mg/kg).
Along with China’s economic downturn, there has been an increase in the size of China’s underground lending market. The mounting risk in connection with this underground lending market triggers tremendous interest and debates over appropriate and effective regulatory responses. Because of its private and non-transparent character, the underground lending market is likely to confound those seeking to find “black letter” law governing its regulatory framework. Instead of relying on its conventional tighten-up strategy—using the muscle of the Criminal Law—China has orchestrated an experiment by allowing local legislation to formalize part of the underground lending market, as well as a judicial approach by recognizing a higher interest rate charged by underground lenders to borrowers. This article tries to understand the underlying rationale of regulatory and judicial movements through both law and society, and law and finance lens.
Problem statement: This study considered the issue of water security and food security for the poor towards sustainable livelihoods. Involveme nt of water organization to scarceness mitigation means that it stands an essential for movements tha t type water more manageable for poor people. Pro- poor water and food authority, enhanced contact towards worth water and sustenance services, pro- poor financial development and maintenance development, public capability constructing and authorization, adversity preclusion and vindication and management of the environment have been recognized as a context for deed to develop water s afety and food security for the poor. Approach: The study has three parts. Firstly, we considered t he case for water security. Secondly, we addressed the food security for the poor. Thirdly, we suggest ed the progress of maintainable livings for the poo r. Results: The analysis of this study was to focus and simpli fy the issues reported in the literature surrounding water security and food security for th e poor. Conclusion: We concluded with some recommendations about the types of data around which water security and food security for the improvement of sustainable livelihoods of the poor might be designed.
Climate change, sustainably managed renewable raw materials and energy
from biomass are some of the major challenges facing mankind in the 21st
century. Globally, wood is the most important locally available renewable energy
source for the human population. In Africa, fuelwood and charcoal production
is the dominant use of woody biomass. When obtained from sustainably
managed forests, the use of woody biomass can be seen with positive climatic
and socio-economic effects.
This book originated from research undertaken as part of a project, Building
Biocarbon and Rural Development in West Africa (BIODEV), implemented
in 2012–2016 by a consortium composed of the World Agroforestry Centre
(ICRAF), the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR), the University
of Helsinki (UH), the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), along with national
partners of which the most important ones were Sierra Leone Agricultural Institute
(SLARi) and Environmental Institute for Agricultural Research (INERA)
in Burkina Faso. The project activities have been concentrating on Burkina
Faso and Sierra Leone; some activities have been carried out also in Guinea
and Mali. The main aim of the project was to achieve sustainable rural development
with long-term livelihood and environmental benefits to rural populations
and the global community under climate change through science-based,
validated and high-value biocarbon approaches. The project aimed also to
form replicable high-value biocarbon tools in large landscapes.
The object of this publication is two-fold. Firstly, it provides a state-of-the-art
scientific approach to the economic, social and environmental impacts of use
of wood energy at a global level for national and regional R&D and educational
organisations. Secondly, based on the practice-based research of the project,
the book introduces methods and techniques for efficient fuelwood production
to be applied to practical problems at a local level for natural resource
users as well as local entrepreneurs and organisations. In addition to offering
current scientific knowledge about global wood energy industry for researchers
and policy makers, we hope that this publication will be useful as course
material for training programmes and local development initiatives, especially
at university level.
The book is presented in five chapters. For reader-friendly purposes, each
chapter is written as an independent section. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive
approach to current conditions and trends in wood energy on a global
scale, including discussion of socio-economic factors associated with the use
of wood. Chapter 2 focuses on inventory of biomass and forest resources with
useful calculation and modelling schemes. The purpose of Chapter 3 is to introduce
simple, down-to-earth methods and techniques for efficient charcoal
production in rural areas. Chapter 4 examines the bioeconomy aspects of local
fuelwood industry, and finally, Chapter 5 discusses the sustainability of fuelwood
production based on examples from target regions participating in the
BIODEV project.
We wish to warmly thank each one of the authors who have contributed to this
book. The Government of Finland is acknowledged for funding.
Climate change, sustainably managed renewable raw materials and energyfrom biomass are some of the major challenges facing mankind in the 21stcentury. Globally, wood is the most important locally available renewable energysource for the human population. In Africa, fuelwood and charcoal productionis the dominant use of woody biomass. When obtained from sustainablymanaged forests, the use of woody biomass can be seen with positive climaticand socio-economic effects.This book originated from research undertaken as part of a project, BuildingBiocarbon and Rural Development in West Africa (BIODEV), implementedin 2012–2016 by a consortium composed of the World Agroforestry Centre(ICRAF), the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR), the Universityof Helsinki (UH), the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), along with nationalpartners of which the most important ones were Sierra Leone Agricultural Institute(SLARi) and Environmental Institute for Agricultural Research (INERA)in Burkina Faso. The project activities have been concentrating on BurkinaFaso and Sierra Leone; some activities have been carried out also in Guineaand Mali. The main aim of the project was to achieve sustainable rural developmentwith long-term livelihood and environmental benefits to rural populationsand the global community under climate change through science-based,validated and high-value biocarbon approaches. The project aimed also toform replicable high-value biocarbon tools in large landscapes.
Climate change, sustainably managed renewable raw materials and energy from biomass are some of the major challenges facing mankind in the 21st century. Globally, wood is the most important locally available renewable energy source for the human population. In Africa, fuelwood and charcoal production is the dominant use of woody biomass. When obtained from sustainably managed forests, the use of woody biomass can be seen with positive climatic and socio-economic effects.
This book originated from research undertaken as part of a project, Building Biocarbon and Rural Development in West Africa (BIODEV), implemented in 2012–2016 by a consortium composed of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR), the University of Helsinki (UH), the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), along with national partners of which the most important ones were Sierra Leone Agricultural Institute (SLARi) and Environmental Institute for Agricultural Research (INERA) in Burkina Faso. The project activities have been concentrating on Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone; some activities have been carried out also in Guinea and Mali. The main aim of the project was to achieve sustainable rural development with long-term livelihood and environmental benefits to rural populations and the global community under climate change through science-based, validated and high-value biocarbon approaches. The project aimed also to form replicable high-value biocarbon tools in large landscapes.
The object of this publication is two-fold. Firstly, it provides a state-of-the-art scientific approach to the economic, social and environmental impacts of use of wood energy at a global level for national and regional R&D and educational organisations. Secondly, based on the practice-based research of the project, the book introduces methods and techniques for efficient fuelwood production to be applied to practical problems at a local level for natural resource users as well as local entrepreneurs and organisations. In addition to offering current scientific knowledge about global wood energy industry for researchers and policy makers, we hope that this publication will be useful as course material for training programmes and local development initiatives, especially at university level.
The book is presented in five chapters. For reader-friendly purposes, each chapter is written as an independent section. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive approach to current conditions and trends in wood energy on a global scale, including discussion of socio-economic factors associated with the use of wood. Chapter 2 focuses on inventory of biomass and forest resources with useful calculation and modelling schemes. The purpose of Chapter 3 is to introduce simple, down-to-earth methods and techniques for efficient charcoal production in rural areas. Chapter 4 examines the bioeconomy aspects of local fuelwood industry, and finally, Chapter 5 discusses the sustainability of fuelwood production based on examples from target regions participating in the BIODEV project. We wish to warmly thank each one of the authors who have contributed to this book. The Government of Finland is acknowledged for funding.
Joensuu, August 2016
Dr. (Chem.) Kirsi Mononen and Dr. (Agric. For.) Sari Pitkänen
University of Eastern Finland
School of Forest Sciences
Public in vitro fertilisation (IVF), that component of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) provided by government, may be partial or complete. Most state support has added restrictions, so reducing access by many infertile couples. ART is expensive, so that cost becomes a major factor for governments considering whether to support infertility provision, even though infertility, defined as a disease, should be part of general health provision, as a human right. On the other hand, cost is an important element, so efforts should be made to reduce this, to make it more realistic for governments to include it in their national health plan.
Comparison of the limited outcome data available for low-cost versions of IVF tends to show them in a poor light, but the criteria for comparison should be cost/term singleton live birth and use cumulative rates for successive cycles. The impact on the patient should also be taken into account. All infertility treatment should be offered within a framework of evidence-based, cost-effective treatment. There are now sufficient data available to provide the stimulus to generate comparative studies with conventional ART regimes.
The future could be very different with access for all infertile couples, a significant contribution toward reducing the impact of infertility, particularly in low resource economies.
This paper analyses the Portuguese society in its transition to the network society. Through the use of the Internet and its main drives (education and age) we discuss the inevitability, or not, of a generational gap in the Portuguese society, visible through strong differentiations in the social structure and practice. It is here suggested that the transition for the network society in Portugal may, eventually, be measured according to five individualised dimensions and the role played by Internet use in them: individual improvement, individual empowerment, individual consumption, network selectiveness and identity construction. These five dimensions are here discussed through empirical analysis of data gathered in a country wide survey representative of the Portuguese population involving 2450 individuals’ in 2003.
Poverty though a universal phenomenon, is the worst challenge in the modern era, which is termed as the age of information and technology. The present study was designed to estimate the incidence of poverty for the grade I employees of Rawalpindi city. Determinants of poverty were explored by using Probit model, which was significant in the determination of the poverty status of the household. Following variables were used in the model; household size, education, experience, working individual, extra income and migration are the variables. For that objective, data from 150 household were collected through questionnaires. The results of the poverty indices showed that about twenty percent households were poor among grade 1 employees of Rawalpindi city. The result of probit models indicated that having large household size, with no extra income and migrants were increasing the probability of being poor while educational attainment and experiences did not had significant effect. On the other hand working individuals and migration were decreasing the probability of being poor.
Inserted in a world where globalization and neoliberalism are hegemonic, Brazilian reality is ruled by social dynamics that produces oppression and suffering for most of the population. Psychologists and other professionals who face this reality and its consequences are stained by fear and various difficulties. After addressing current historical processes and its impact over Brazilian context, this article describes a program developed for professionals associated with the Municipal Social Assistance Secretary. The program had a liberatory horizon and aimed to create dialogue and reflection about reality and how to change it. The program had three stages. Assessed dimensions of their work and personal lives. This information was discussed in five three-hour sessions. Finally, the implications of the program were evaluated. Psychosocial processes related to liberation and oppression are discussed. Support: CNPq. ● Inserida em um mundo em que a globalização e o neoliberalismo são hegemônicos, a realidade brasileira é dominada por uma dinâmica social que produz opressão e sofrimento para a grande parte da população. Profissionais que se defrontam com esta realidade e suas conseqüências são marcadas pelo medo e várias dificuldades. Depois de apresentar processos históricos correntes e seu impacto sobre a realidade brasileira, este trabalho descreve um programa desenvolvido para profissionais da Secretaria Municipal de Assistência Social. O programa teve um horizonte libertador e buscou criar diálogo e reflexões sobre a realidade e como transforma-la. O programa teve três estágios. Avaliação de dimensões da vida pessoal e profissional. Esta informação foi discutida em cinco sessões de três horas envolvendo implicações do programa. Processos psicossociais relacionados a libertação e opressão são discutidos. Apoio CNPq.
While there is no dispute that healthcare reform in this country is indispensable, not everyone would agree on what and how we should do to improve the healthcare system. Attempts to examine this question necessitate us to look at the ethical issues from various perspectives of which is the main purpose of this paper. As Malaysia progresses through increasing healthcare reform, the country’s healthcare system can no longer escape from the global influence of financialisation the growing gravity and influence of finance and financial markets and actors. The key question is to what extent healthcare reform has subordinated to the dictates of finance in Malaysia? In the light of this global phenomenon, the paper also attempts to scrutinize various challenges to the ethical issues in healthcare reform that are at stake.
This article is an attempt to analyse health-related policies in Bangladesh in the light of the policy cycle. It explores how health policies have been developed and implemented in the specific Bangladeshi context. Formulating a comprehensive health policy has been difficult despite several trials and experiments. Generally, a highly centralized top-down approach has been followed with the policy process conditioned by partisanism, bureaucratization and non-participation. The influence of internal and external forces in agenda setting has been apparent and prioritizing of policy options has happened without adequate research and analyses. The failure to effectively implement policies has been due to absence of sincere political will, resistance of different professional and pressure groups, mal-coordination among implementing agencies and inadequacy of policy evaluation and impact assessment. These factors create obstacles toward adopting an integrated holistic national health policy with proper strategies for implementation.
The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the course, determinants and political economy of economic reforms in Russia conducted in the period 1985–2005. The year 1985 can be considered an important turning point in Soviet and Russian history, marked as it was by the election of Mikhail Gorbachev to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and (de facto) leader of the USSR. This nomination brought an end to two decades of political consolidation of the Communist regime connected with the name of General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and his short-lived successors (Yurii Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko), often referred to ex post as ‘the stagnation period’ (vremya zastoya). Gorbachev initiated a series of important political and (to a lesser extent) economic reforms, which led eventually to the collapse of the communist regime and the disintegration of the Soviet empire in 1991. Thus, 1991 must be seen as another dramatic turning point in Russia’s contemporary history. From the end of 1991 onwards political and economic reforms have been carried out by the new Russian state that emerged after the disintegration of the USSR.
Purpose
– Traditionally, the role of technology on health services has been argued from the supply side. The purpose of this paper is to use a demand side perspective to examine the effect of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the use of maternal health services in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
– Study used data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys and binary response regression models to examine the effect of women's access to ICTs on maternal healthcare utilization in Ghana. Three variables on maternal healthcare utilization were employed: use of contraception, antenatal care and place of delivery.
Findings
– Results from the study show that the effect of the use of technology is both positive and significant. In particular, among the other ICTs (i.e. landline phone, listening to radio, watch television, color television in household, computer in household), the coefficients of mobile phone ownership tends to be consistently significant across all four reproductive health services. Therefore, ICTs have a good capacity to influence women's demand of health information. This needs to be taken into account when designing maternal health policies and interventions.
Originality/value
– This is one of the few papers examining the effect of ICTs on utilization of maternal health services from the demand side compared to the popular supply side argument often found in the literature.
The paper is focused on the causes and gender effects of the current global economic crisis, its particular effects in the Republic of Serbia and on the possibilities of overcoming the crisis. Using feminist development economics perspective this paper offers criticism of neo-liberalism with respect to the crisis. The strong imbalance in the relationships between work and capital is explained as a result of neoliberal deregulation and separation of the market economy from social and natural reproduction, as well as ignoration of the hierarchical relation established between paid work and care as unpaid work performed mainly by women. With regard to Serbia, when foreign capital is lacking, privatization funds are empty and the structure deficit is significant, the economy has faced decrease in income, rise in unemployment, fall in aggregate demand and women and children suffer the most. A new gender sensitive development strategy should re-address the current unequal power relationship, so that all people can exercise choices that would lead them to a fulfilled life.
In the early 2000s, Costa Rica implemented comprehensive reforms of its health care system, including devolving administrative power from the central government to some providers that remain part of the national system. In this article, we evaluate how this aspect of the reform affected clinic efficiency and population health by analyzing administrative data on regional providers and mortality rates in local areas. We compare changes in outcomes across time between areas that signed performance contracts with the central government and received limited budgetary control to those that continued to be managed directly by the central government. We believe the reform created opportunities for providers to become more efficient and effective. Our results suggest that the reform significantly decreased costs without adversely affecting quality of care or population health.
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Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of economic growth and financial independence. This paper reports on the perception of students regarding entrepreneurship. Unemployment, especially for the youth, is a reality not only in South Africa but in many other countries globally. Creating a culture and awareness of students to become entrepreneurs is believed to be one solution to reduce unemployment. Various literature sources were examined during the compilation of a questionnaire, comprising 53 questions regarding issues relating to entrepreneurship, unemployment and job possibilities. Approximately 400 students from the Faculty of Economic Sciences and IT at the Vaal campus of North West University in Gauteng province, South Africa formed part of the survey and 293 completed questionnaires were received back. The questionnaire was pre-tested and piloted before the main survey. Data were analysed using z-tests and p-tests, and indicate that the implementation of entrepreneurship development programmes (EDPs) for students would be well supported. The students have a realistic view of the risk of unemployment and show a favourable attitude to entrepreneurship, which is seen as a possible safeguard against unemployment. It is believed that by introducing EDPs to students as early as their first year of study will create a culture to become self-employed. This could, in turn, improve economic development and help reduce youth unemployment in developing countries.
DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n13p281
Assessing the impact of epidemiological changes on health care expenditures in France for 2025: a micro-simulation approach
We propose a method for predicting the evolution of ambulatory health expenditure (i.e. non-hospital) under the effect of aging of the French population by 2025. The model includes two indicators of health status through which each agent of the database pass through microsimulation (thus creating an epidemiological dynamic at the individual level). Using an econometric model of consumption of healthcare services, we deduce the French health spending in 2025 by aggregating the representative aged population in 2025. The support chosen for the first application of the tool is the Health and Social Protection Survey (ESPS2000) of IRDES paired with the Public Insured Permanent Sample (EPAS). The topic is the impact of epidemiological changes on the amount of outpatient expenditures. These simulations were conducted for three epidemiological scenarios: a scenario of constant epidemiologic dynamic, a healthy aging scenario and a healthy aging + medical progress scenario (without taking into account the price effects).
Dans le cadre d'une analyse comparative, nous examinons le deficit de developpement humain et de libertes instrumentales dans les pays du Moyen-Orient et d'Afrique du Nord (MENA). Dans le prolongement des travaux de Sen, notamment son approche par les capacites, nous considerons que le developpement doit etre envisage comme un processus d'expansion des libertes. Si la croissance du PIB participe a cette expansion, il convient de tenir compte aussi de facteurs instrumentaux comme les opportunites sociales et economiques ou les libertes politiques et civiles. Nous utilisons de facon inedite une base de donnees du MINEFI et construisons des indicateurs synthetiques qui tentent d'evaluer le niveau de developpement comme liberte dans les MENA, compare a celui des pays d'Europe centrale et orientale (PECO). A l'aide d'une approche multidimensionnelle, nous cherchons a eclairer l'origine du retard de developpement comme liberte dans les MENA. Nous montrons que cette situation repose sur une forme de regulation et d'organisation sociale specifique, les pays MENA se caracterisant, pour la plupart, par un profil institutionnel de type autoritaire et paternaliste, profil qui associe solidarites traditionnelles et Etat autoritaire.
The need for adequate supply of infrastructure has long been viewed as a key ingredient for economic growth and sustainable development, both in the academic literature and policy debates. With the quest for economic development by governments in developing countries and the consequent emergence of public-private partnerships to deliver major infrastructural projects on time, within the approved budget and in accordance with the preset specifications. A linkage can be established between Sustainable infrastructural development and Project management. This will be seen from the need to maximize success in infrastructural projects that will deliver integrated social, economic, and environmental concerns. In this setting, there would be need for the recruiting of multi-disciplinary teams with specialist backgrounds to implement these infrastructural projects. The question to ask is if project management as a profession is
adequate in the delivery of a steady stream of experts to carry out needed project management activities in infrastructural development? We present evidence that project management is being increasingly seen not as a profession with a clear educational path, but as a skill that can be acquired with experience and as a second degree specialization. We also present evidence that shows that project management is not highly competitive in tertiary institutions in our Nigerian case-study and this may be as a result of a lack of clear understanding of the profession of project management. We argue that there is an urgent need for harnessing the development potential of project management as a structured profession with a clear educational path; such that project managers can begin to take on the task of delivering sustainable infrastructural projects. They are to ensure that in the execution of these projects; the economic role of these infrastructural projects should not be accorded ‘precedence’ over the other dimensions of sustainable development – the social, cultural and environmental aspects.
Key words: Sustainable development; Infrastructural projects; Project management; Education; Nigeria; Economic growth
The paper surveys the recent research on globalization and growth, with an emphasis on research undertaken at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. While globalization brings about substantial benefits, it is also recognized that the extent the countries have benefited has been so far uneven. The paper summarizes some recent initiatives undertaken by the international organizations aimed at helping developing countries to take advantage of the benefits of globalization, while managing the risks.
Introduction: On April 27, 2010 Sierra Leone implemented the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI) for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under age five to address high mortality and morbidity. This study examined participant satisfaction with health services before and after the FHCI implementation. Methods: This was a retrospective study that assessed healthcare satisfaction in rural Sierra Leone after the implementation of the FHCI. Participants were interviewed using a structured satisfaction questionnaire about the FHCI. Conclusions: Results find a positive, statistically significant difference in participant satisfaction with ambulance services after the implementation of the FHCI compared to the level of satisfaction prior to the FHCI. Although results indicate a very slight increase in overall satisfaction with healthcare services, and a slight decrease in satisfaction with drug availability after the implementation of FHCI, the results are not statistically significant. Findings also indicate that participants attending emergency obstetric care (EmOC) facilities were less satisfied with the services provided than those attending the non-EmOC facility or hospital.
The paper shows that in Botswana traditional attitudes are changing allowing
women to challenge old age patriarchal customs previously barring them from
being appointed chiefs in their own right. The paper traces incidents in the historical
literature to reveal occasions when royal women were allowed to rule
but only as regents and in many cases as influential female royals. This is followed
by a discussion of the recent appointment of women who have for the
first time been installed as chiefs in their own right. Next, an examination of
the kind of public issues the female chiefs have addressed since their appointment
and the controversy generated by some of their pronouncements and
views is made. The argument in this paper is that the recent appointment of
women as chiefs should be understood within the wider context of the tremendous
and noteworthy progress the country is making in promoting the status of
women in social, economic and political life.
Human trafficking is a global problem. In this paper, I seek to find the determinants of international human trafficking by using the US as a case study. Previous studies have drawn primarily from the migration literature, proposing hypotheses that focus on economic factors, the level of democracy and other “push” factors in the countries of origin that create incentives for individuals to migrate. However, we know that international human trafficking is an involuntary form of migration and may be influenced by additional factors. I hypothesize that factors that influence the cost–benefit calculation of the trafficker determine the volume of human trafficking, in addition to the factors that affect the size of the pool of trafficking victims. I test my theory using the negative binomial regression model. My results indicate that while income inequality within a country and poor protection of women's rights are likely to produce a specific pool of victims, it is the reduction of operational costs for the trafficker that increases the number of individuals who are trafficked.
It is widely acknowledged that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Most developing countries such as Kenya record unfavourable indicators of population health. Existing literature recognizes the bidirectional causality between health and economic growth and development, though credible information on the causal links is scarce. Various studies show that parental characteristics have important influences on early child health. Such studies are few and report mixed findings. This study aimed to understand and demonstrate the impact of parental socioeconomic status on child health outcomes in Kenya using data from the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2005/2006, focusing on maternal labour force participation. We used two‐stage least squares instrumental variable methods and the control function approach to cater for endogeneity, unobserved heterogeneity and non‐linear interactions to estimate the causal links between child health outcomes and parental socioeconomic status. Diagnostic tests for relevance, validity and strength of instruments for endogenous regressors showed instruments were relevant, valid but weak. Our findings showed that maternal labour force participation has a positive but insignificant effect on child stunting and a combined indicator of stunting and wasting. We recommend policy that supports the provision of work opportunities for mothers will enhance child health outcomes in Kenya.
In the Mediterranean basin, wide differences in water supply and demand characteristics exist and no individual case study may be a representative of the entire region. Some countries suffer problems of overexploitation of groundwater while others suffer from water quality degradation. On the other hand, some have enough or plentiful water but lack institutional structures to manage water efficiently, while others have scarce and limited water and seek non-conventional water like desalination or importation of water. Managing water scarcity Integrated water resource management is a cross-sectoral policy approach that requires coordination among the different water uses and institutional sectors to respond to the growing demands for water in the context of finite supplies. This process aims at ensuring the coordinated development of water, land and related resources to optimise economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of environmental systems. Therefore, it is a complex and multi-dimensional process that must be customised to the specific geographical, environmental, social, cultural, political and economic conditions of each region and catchments (GWP, 2000). It involves understanding the interactions of the various social, political, economic and ecological processes that influence choices and strategies within the ecosystem, and addressing issues through the involvement of various stakeholder groups. This ecosystem approach has been developed, through the concept of integrated watershed management, as a strategy to rebuild agriculture and promote participatory development. (Noronha, 2004). It is a great tool for an adequate decision-making process, providing stakeholders, decision-makers and policy makers with integrated environmental and socio-economic information to deal with the needs of local populations, and to assess different development options and water management strategies (White et al., 2002). Managing water resources was traditionally approached by the supply sector, building reservoirs and distribution network systems, finding new water sources. It was considered that the major strategies should comply with the needs of humans in terms of drinking water, food, etc. Although this continues to be a major obligation for human societies, it is also clear that water is necessary for more than domestic use or production of food (Lundqvist, 2000). Water is also crucial for the functioning of ecosystems, and for the goods and services these ecosystems produce to society, therefore to the sustainability of societies' development. Nowadays water management must be dealt in terms of change and adaptation: both in society itself and in society's interactions with nature. Lundqvist (2000) approaches the changes in water management as different turns of a screw. In a first moment, scarcity is recognised as a pure natural resource scarcity and the remedy is to "get more water", which is accomplished by large-scale engineering efforts. On a second moment, it is recognised that it may no longer be possible to develop additional large volumes of water. The effort at this stage is re-directed towards efficiency measures, predominantly to get "more use per drop". This often induces significant changes in national policies, through the adoption of demand management strategies aiming at producing more with less water or to produce higher economic values from available water resources.
Many authors have offered causal explanations of environmental degradation in terms of structural behaviour such as the market economy, industrial production systems, demographic pressures and distributional inequities. This paper argues that the ecologically damaging resource use behaviour, which precedes environmental degradation, has to do with the user's access to natural resources. If access to natural resources is uneven, it can cause destructive use behaviour, motivated by surplus production and compelled by subsistence needs. Using the case of Pakistan, this paper shows that the size of holdings and tenurial status of farmers are two determinants of what has been termed "overshoot" of natural resource use. The deepening social divide in Pakistan, it appears, is worsening the "ecological divide", imperilling the country's economic growth in the near- and long-term. The paper makes an ecological argument that Pakistan can bridge the ecological divide by closing the social divide, which, in turn, requires it to widen the access of its land-short and landless farmers to farmland.
We examine the patterns and determinants of household transitions into and out of poverty among the urban poor in two Nairobi informal settlements in Kenya between 2006 and 2009. We find worsening household poverty over time, with the proportion of poor households increasing from 51.2 percent in 2006 to 54.9 percent by the end of 2009. Over the period, 34.5 percent of households remained in chronic poverty, 20.4 percent fell into poverty, 16.7 percent successfully escaped poverty and 28.4 percent fully remained out of poverty. We identify slum of residence, gender and marital status of household head, attainment of at least secondary education by household head, consistent engagement in formal employment, household size and the incidence of births within a household, among key determinants of household poverty transitions. Our results underscore the need for anti-poverty policy options around provision of economic opportunities, addressing disadvantages of female-headed households, promoting access to at least secondary education, smaller household norms and birth control among the urban poor. While the outcomes are consistent with some national trends, the need for the design and implementation of slum and sub-group specific anti-poverty policies are significantly evident.
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