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54142. Media Operations during SALW Control Interventions
- Publication Date:
- 08-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Abstract:
- In contemporary societies the mass media plays a crucial role in forming public opinion. The ability to reach into homes across great distances gives the media a unique power to communicate. Consequently, mastering the art of media relations is a pre-requisite for reaching large target audiences. Handled well, the mass media, (or at least sections of it), can be an important tool to support the implementation of a well-run project by furthering communication objectives. Alternatively, when neglected or mishandled, the media can severely undermine a project. By dealing with the media in a coordinated and planned manner a SALW Control intervention project can: Raise the project profile. Increase awareness and understanding of the project among target groups. Win support for the project's goals and objectives. Demonstrate its accountability to key stakeholders.
- Topic:
- Arms Control and Proliferation, Civil Society, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- Eastern Europe
54143. "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
54144. 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
54145. 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
54146. 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
54147. A Fragile Peace: Guns and Security in post-conflict Macedonia
- Publication Date:
- 01-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Abstract:
- It is an understatement to say that the presence of small arms and light weapons is a significant problem in the Balkans. Guns contributed significantly to the violence, death, and destruction that surrounded the inter-ethnic conflicts of the 1990s and early 21st century. Since the conclusion of hostilities, the effects of violent conflict persist in the area, as does the circulation of many SALW. In fact, these weapons continue to cause civilian injuries and deaths, constrain social and economic development, enhance criminal capability, and contribute to ethnic and societal tensions that may incite future conflicts throughout the Balkans.
- Topic:
- Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Peace Studies
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Macedonia
54148. 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
54149. Sudan: Darfur Humanitarian Emergency
- Publication Date:
- 07-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United States Agency for International Development
- Abstract:
- The humanitarian emergency in Darfur is a direct result of violence and harassment directed toward the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit civilian groups by Government of Sudan (GOS) forces and GOS-supported militia groups collectively known as Jingaweit. In early 2003, the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) stated that they would engage in armed struggle to achieve full respect for human rights and an end to political and economic marginalization in Darfur. On April 24 and 25, 2003 the SLM/A attacked GOS military forces at El Fasher in North Darfur. Following this attack, GOS military forces and Jingaweit militia initiated a more coordinated campaign of violence against civilian populations, including aerial bombardments to kill, maim, and terrorize civilians who the GOS claimed were harboring opposition forces. Conflict-affected populations have described recurrent and systematic assaults against towns and villages, looting, burning of buildings and crops, destruction of water sources and irrigation systems, gang rape, and murders. Throughout late 2003, armed conflict intensified, as GOS military and Jingaweit clashed with the two main opposition groups – the SLM/A and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) – in Darfur. Following U.S. Government (USG) and European Union (EU) facilitated negotiations in N'Djamena, Chad, the two main opposition groups and the GOS signed a renewable 45-day humanitarian ceasefire on April 8 that took effect on April 11. This agreement included a GOS commitment to disarm Jingaweit militia groups and a protocol on providing humanitarian assistance in Darfur. The ceasefire agreement was renewed on May 22. Despite the ceasefire, Jingaweit violence against civilians continues in all three states of Darfur resulting in increasing displacement. Because the victims are displaced and vulnerable, they become targets of further violence. Even in villages where there is nothing left to burn, the fear of further violence continues to paralyze displaced populations, preventing voluntary returns. This cycle prevents many internally displaced persons (IDPs) from safely returning home, trapping them in camps or informal settlements for the foreseeable future. Out of an estimated population of 6.5 million in Darfur, approximately 2.2 million people are affected by the crisis, including more than 1 million IDPs and approximately 158,000 refugees who have fled into neighboring Chad. Humanitarian access to conflict-affected populations outside of the state capitals of Geneina, El Fasher, and Nyala was extremely limited until late May due to GOS impediments that blocked humanitarian access and relief operations. As a result of intense international pressure, the GOS lifted some of the restrictive travel regulations and announced a series of measures, effective May 24, to facilitate humanitarian access to Darfur. USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) and other humanitarian agencies have deployed additional staff to Darfur to increase emergency response capacity. However, several obstacles remain, including continued delays in obtaining visas for relief personnel, travel restrictions within Darfur, difficulties in clearing essential relief supplies and equipment though customs, and GOS interference in relief activities that address protection of civilians and human rights abuses.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, Human Welfare, Politics, and War
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Sudan, and North Africa
54150. Sudan – Complex Emergency: Situation Report #4
- Publication Date:
- 06-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United States Agency for International Development
- Abstract:
- For more than 20 years, Sudan has been adversely impacted by armed conflict, famine, and disease, largely associated with the civil war between the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). Since war began in 1983, more than 2 million people have died, approximately 628,000 Sudanese have sought refuge in neighboring countries, and more than 4 million people have been displaced, creating the largest internally displaced person (IDP) population in the world. Until April 2003, when violence increased dramatically in western Sudan, conflict had mainly affected southern Sudan and the transition zone between North and South. In 1989, the United Nations (U.N.) established Operation Lifeline Sudan, a tripartite access agreement among the GOS, the SPLM/A, and the U.N. Under this framework, U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance to vulnerable southern Sudanese. Since 1983, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided more than $1.9 billion in humanitarian assistance to Sudan.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, Human Welfare, Politics, and War
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Sudan, and North Africa
54151. Testimony of Roger Winter, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance – “Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan”
- Publication Date:
- 06-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United States Agency for International Development
- Abstract:
- I thank the Chairman and Members of this Committee for holding this hearing. Your interest in Sudan is helpful and can have useful repercussions on the ground in Sudan at a time when the situation there is more fragile and more complicated than ever. Several Members of this Committee have been involved in Sudanese issues for many years, and I can assure you that that fact is known and respected in the region. Your veteran wisdom, fresh ideas, and steady engagement on Sudan are welcome and appreciated by me, by my USAID colleagues, and by many Sudanese I have met in my regular travels to the region. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, Human Welfare, Politics, and War
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Sudan, and North Africa
54152. Civil Society Groups And Political Parties: Supporting Constructive Relationships
- Publication Date:
- 03-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United States Agency for International Development
- Abstract:
- Many of us working in the United States on democracy assistance tend to consider civil society organizations (CSOs) and political parties, and support for them, separately. But reality remains much more complex, and the nature of existing relationships in the countries we work in and the effects of democracy assistance on those relationships matter for our larger democracy and governance (DG) goals. They, therefore, deserve explicit examination. This paper deals with two broad sets of questions. First, what do we think we should be aiming for at the systemic level, in terms of the relationship between civil society and political parties? Second, in a given setting, what kinds of relationships, at the micro level (among individual organizations), can contribute to democratization?
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Democratization, Education, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- United States
54153. Routes into Networks: The Structure of English Trade in the East Indies, 1601-1833
- Author:
- Emily Erikson and Peter Bearman
- Publication Date:
- 12-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Drawing on a remarkable dataset compiled from ships' logs, journals, factory correspondence, ledgers, and reports that provide unusually precise information on each of the 4,572 voyages taken by English traders of the East India Company (hereafter EIC), we describe the EIC trade network over time, from 1601 to 1833. From structural images of voyages organized by shipping seasons, we map the (over time and space) emergence of dense, fully integrated, global trade networks: of globalization before globalization. We show that the integration of the world trade system under the aegis of the EIC was the unintended by-product of systematic individual malfeasance (private trading) on the part of ship captains seeking profit from internal Eastern trade.
- Topic:
- Economics, Globalization, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United Kingdom
54154. Parental Wealth Effects on Living Standards and Asset Holdings: Results from Chile
- Author:
- Florencia Torche and Seymour Spillerman
- Publication Date:
- 11-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- This paper examines aspects of the replication of inequality across generations and attempts to assess the extent to which parental resources influence the life chances and living standards of adult children. We expect household wealth to be a critical matter, especially in a society in which there is a weak public safety net or in which the credit market is inefficient. In the former case, families need to self-insure--accumulate savings to smooth consumption expenditures over periods of income fluctuation, such as might result from illness or job loss. In the latter case, financial wealth is necessary in order to finance large expenditure items (e.g., a home, a new business) or to provide collateral in seeking a bank loan for such an expenditure.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- South America
54155. Fresh Starts: School Form and Student Outcomes
- Author:
- Peter Bearman and Christopher Weiss
- Publication Date:
- 10-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Seemingly endless tinkering and adjustment of the structure of education in the United States over the past century has led to the adoption of different school forms at different times. Currently the middle school is the dominant form of schooling for the middle years of education; however, the middle school is a relatively new form that replaced the junior high school, which itself replaced previous schooling forms. Despite the rhetoric of policymakers and practitioners, little research has considered what school forms work for what kinds of adolescents across what dimensions. In this article, we show that for both academic and non-academic outcomes, how school systems structure the transition from 8th to 9th grade makes almost no difference. Where differences appear, they are small and point to the benefits of school transitions for providing fresh starts to adolescents in socially difficult situations. The policy implications are correspondingly clear: the optimal school structure for any school district is the one that maximizes building space, reduces crowding, and achieves administrative rationality.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Education
- Political Geography:
- United States
54156. Policymaking and Caseload Dynamics: Homeless Shelters
- Author:
- William McAllister
- Publication Date:
- 08-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Many social problems can be understood as “conceptual caseloads”, e.g., people in poverty, and actual programmatic caseloads are a major, specific concern for policymakers and public administrators. Thus, a crucial and fairly general concern is how caseloads—whether conceptual or programmatic—can be reduced. To address this concern, officials often fall back on politically or intuitively attractive ideas—preventing people from entering caseloads, for example. Failure to incorporate caseload dynamics, however, may mean prevention and other caseload reduction policies will deliver much less than promised, and may cause caseloads to grow. In this paper, we first show how caseload size depends only on the number of entrants to a caseload and the rate at which people leave a caseload. With this framework in mind, we then address two common, seemingly appropriate policy responses: preventing entrants and hastening leaving. However, we show how too little is now known about homeless prevention to pin high hopes on its utility and that some social welfare problems, like homelessness, may be too inhospitable for prevention's logic. We then explain how allocating resources to hasten leaving is not as straightforward as policymakers have assumed but rather must recognize caseload dynamics to avoid unintended growth. We conclude by explaining some limits and opportunities in using caseload dynamics for policymaking.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Economics, Government, and Poverty
54157. Measuring Economic Disadvantage During Childhood: A Group-Based Modeling Approach
- Author:
- Mary Clare Lennon, Robert L. Wagmiller, Philip M. Alberti, and J. Lawrence Aber
- Publication Date:
- 06-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Recent research suggest that child well-being and subsequent status attainment are influenced not only by the overall magnitude of exposure to family economic disadvantage during childhood, but also by the age of exposure and significant changes in family economic circumstances. Unfortunately, traditional measures of children's economic deprivation – such as, permanent and transitory income, persistent or cumulative poverty, and the number and length of poverty spells – fail to differentiate between exposure to disadvantage at different stages in childhood and largely ignore how family economic circumstances are changing over time. In this paper we propose a new method for assessing economic disadvantage during childhood that captures both children's overall levels of exposure to economic disadvantage and their patterns of exposure. This new method, which takes advantage of recent advances in finite mixture modeling, uses a longitudinal latent class model to classify children into a limited number of groups with similar histories of exposure to family economic disadvantage. Using this new methodology, group membership can be related to both family background characteristics and achievement in childhood and early adulthood, making it possible both to assess how family characteristics affect patterns of exposure to disadvantage during childhood and directly test alternative theories about the effect of different patterns of exposure on achievement. In this paper the relationship between background factors – such as race, parental education, and family structure – and group membership is investigated, as is the association between group membership and achievement in early adulthood. The use of this technique is demonstrated using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Development, and Economics
54158. Production Markets Broker Upstream to Downstream, balancing their volume and quality sensitivities to firms through an oriented market profile of signals
- Author:
- Harrison C. White
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Varieties of quality competition across producers are extrapolated out of the two dual forms of perfect competition, oriented upstream and downstream. Only then are general, path-dependent solutions for market derived (which came first in the previous book of 2002). Attention is focused on advanced markets for high ratios of sensitivities between upstream and downstream relations of producers. Parameter identification and estimations identify impacts from substitutability with cross-stream markets as being major only for certain bands of sensitivity ratios, identified within the state space for production market contexts. Illustrative applications are sketched for strategic manipulations and investment decisions and trends in sectors.
- Topic:
- Economics, Emerging Markets, Industrial Policy, and International Trade and Finance
54159. Reducing Bias in Treatment Effect Estimation in Observational Studies Suffering from Missing Data
- Author:
- Jennifer Hill
- Publication Date:
- 01-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University
- Abstract:
- Matching based on estimated propensity scores (that is, the estimated conditional probability of being treated) has become an increasingly popular technique for causal inference over the past decade. By balancing observed covariates, propensity score methods reduce the risk of confounding causal processes. Estimation of propensity scores in the complete data case is generally straightforward since it uses standard methods (e.g. logistic regression or discriminant analysis) and relies on diagnostics that are relatively easy to calculate and interpret. Most studies, however, have missing data. This paper illustrates a principled approach to handling missing data when estimating propensity scores makes use of multiple imputation (MI). Placing the problem within the framework of the Rubin Causal Model makes the assumptions explicit by illustrating the interaction between the treatment assignment mechanism and the missing data mechanism. Several approaches for estimating propensity scores with incomplete data using MI are presented. Results demonstrating improved efficacy compared with existing methodology are discussed. These advantages include greater bias reduction and increased facility in model choice.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Development, Economics, and Education
54160. Genocide in Darfur: A Legal Analysis
- Publication Date:
- 09-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Public International Law Policy Group
- Abstract:
- The purpose of this memorandum is to ascertain whether the acts of violence and aggression in Darfur, Sudan meet the legal standard for genocide as set forth in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). The memorandum concludes there is sufficient evidence to meet the legal requirements for a determination that genocide is occurring in Darfur, Sudan.
- Topic:
- Crime, Genocide, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Sudan