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Organisations led by refugees or migrants play an important role in their settlement, providing platforms for establishing connections and reaching the wider community. However, our knowledge of how they utilise these platforms for establishing connections and the factors affecting the formation of these connections remains limited. This paper, drawing on evidence from Hong Kong, examines the use of organisations led by asylum seekers as platforms for establishing connections, the roles of these connections in their settlement process, and the factors affecting the formation of these connections. Data were collected from an asylum seeker–led organisation in Hong Kong. The author conducted participant observation and 30 semi-structured interviews with adult asylum seekers while volunteering with this organisation between 2018 and 2021. The findings reinforce the importance of organisations led by refugees or migrants in their settlement process, particularly when official humanitarian aid is insufficient. They utilise these platforms to reach the wider community for support, thereby filling assistance gaps through establishing connections with the local community (bridging) and participating in policy advocacy activities (linking). Proficiency in the local language and institutional responsiveness were found to determine their ability to bridge with the local community and link with policymakers respectively. Overall, the findings suggest that, aside from the engagement of refugees or migrants, the support of host communities and institutional responsiveness are equally important in creating favourable conditions for them to adjust to and establish their lives in a new context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting with a broad overview of the need for urgent action concerning climate change globally, this paper then reviews the evolution of environmental policy in Japan up to and including green transformation (GX) measures taken under the Kishida administration, and an assessment of the changes still needed to achieve sustainability in Japan. An integrated approach has been adopted in Japan, encompassing the environment, the economy, and society, to achieve three transitions: first, to a de-carbonized society; second, to a circular economy; and third, to a 'nature-positive', decentralized society which co-exists with nature. This approach was signalled in the Regional Circular and Ecological concept in the Fifth Environmental Basic Plan of 2018, building on extensive discussions within the Ministry of Environment and with other ministries from 2014, in the wake of the 2011 triple earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy, Czechoslovak leaders sought ways to strengthen the state's position in Europe and considered the republic's good reputation as essential to stabilizing the state and securing food supplies. This article analyzes how the Czechoslovak authorities portrayed their country's image and the postwar food shortage, and who participated in its construction. Hunger and scarcity were interpreted as the result of years of deliberate exploitation by Austria-Hungary, and requests for aid were justified on the grounds that a democratic and moral state deserved aid as a matter of priority. Czechoslovak leaders sought to secure a favorable position among the victorious powers by establishing a consistent historical narrative, an elaborate system of publicity, lobbying networks, and personal relationships with Entente officials. They were able to present their country's situation in a positive manner, even in terms of scarcity, and to promise their citizens a better future. This article examines the ways the Czechoslovak state communicated its need for humanitarian aid, particularly from the United States. It argues that the Czechoslovak effort to capitalize on its self-proclaimed moral reputation was partially successful in attracting a circle of supporters, even promoters, and in creating and cultivating its international image as "an island of democracy in Central Europe." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to reduce poverty and improve the economic situation of Least Developed Countries (LCDs), but there are still problems that prevent them from progressing toward their goals. This article studies the scientific contributions related to the issue of the LCDs to detect how these countries can achieve sustained economic growth with full use of their capacities, allowing access to new forms of production that could generate products and activities with greater added value. The research has been carried out using bibliometric tools (Vosviewer and Biblioshiny) and the data have been extracted from Web of Science and Scopus. This method includes the topics that have been dealt with the most, the trend followed by these publications, the concentration of authors and the responses that scientific journals offer on LDCs. In conclusion, there has been increased concern about these issues, especially around the topic of trade, sustainability, and the African continent, albeit with gaps in aspects such as the importance of raw materials, official development aid, transportation, and the distribution of its products, as well as other key variables to achieve its future development. As a recommendation, we suggest that the group of researchers on the subject must be stimulated so that the message provokes a reaction regarding the importance of the issues affecting these countries, their painful consequences, and the need to find adequate solutions considering their social and humanitarian significance. It is about raising awareness among the scientific community on topics that have been largely overshadowed by more media-driven current issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an analysis of the international indexes and rankings that assess and compare the rule of law globally. It first starts with a discussion on the necessity of the international measurements of the rule of law in context of the foreign aid allocation to developing countries. Then, this article defines the rule of law and explains its relationship with governance and human rights. This article further reviews three rule of law indexes from the World Bank, the World Justice Project, and Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network, using the position of Belarus in these measurements as a case study. Building on the critical aspects of the rule of law indicators, this article provides an alternative framework to assess the quality of institutions, which might be a more efficient measure of governance in the framework of foreign aid distribution and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes the example of the Tana-Beles project – a scheme sponsored by Italy to respond to the 1980s famine in Ethiopia – to demonstrate that postimperial international relief policies and practices were woven into the very fabric of the colonial past. Postcolonial humanitarianism emerges as the transformation of colonial practices and relationships into new policies, which did not depend on the interests only of former metropoles, but also of the new independent states and on the agenda of international organizations. Furthermore, this article contends that private companies had a prominent role in shaping postcolonial humanitarianism because they could benefit from both the favourable policies of donor countries and the relationships they established in the long run with the authorities of recipient countries. Finally, the history of the Tana-Beles project enables us to re-read the international response to the Ethiopian famine within a larger timeframe. On the one hand, this appears to be rooted in the previous colonial period, on the other it embraces the years thereafter when the schemes, relationships, and strategies set in motion during the famine were developed further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted college students. However, very few studies have attended to the specific plight of international students. The purpose of this study was to document challenges international students may have encountered while studying in the United States during the pandemic. Focus groups (N = 4; 13 students total) were conducted with students who were ≥ 18 years of age, enrolled at least part-time, on an F1 visa, and non-resident alien, who did not have parents/guardians living in the United States and were able to read and write in English. Focus groups lasted 1.5–2 h in duration and followed a standardized script. These sessions were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. Two researchers performed qualitative content analysis. Six themes emerged from the analysis and included residency challenges, lifestyle changes, coping, negative affect, social support, and university structure. It appears that the challenges associated with residency and lifestyle directly impacted students' negative affect. However, the remaining themes moderated this relationship. These findings highlight the role universities can play in providing relief to international students during these challenging times and suggest areas for improving their experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) would like to express our gratitude to the peer reviewers who contributed to reviewing articles for the journal in 2023. Their time [...]

This article discusses a book by Professor Toshiaki Hirai, a Japanese economist, which examines the work of economist John Maynard Keynes. The book is divided into three parts, with the first part focusing on the evolution of Keynes's economic theories. The second part explores Keynes's activities during World War II and his proposals for international economic relief and postwar reconstruction. The third part delves into the intellectual context in which Keynes developed his ideas. The author praises the book for its thoroughness and methodology, although they express some disagreement with certain interpretations. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the prevalent issue of sexual violence against and among humanitarian aid workers, with a focus on why the aid sector creates a particularly permissive environment for sexual violence. Although the issue is primarily an industry problem, with both perpetrators and survivors being members of the aid community, humanitarian organizations have been hesitant to address the issue. The article argues that legal ambiguities, barriers to accessing justice, and organizational mismanagement contribute to the permissive environment in the aid industry. Drawing on secondary survivor testimonies and legal frameworks, I highlight the need for more tangible prevention and follow-up mechanisms for survivors based on the legal duty of care of aid organizations. The analysis underscores the need for a comprehensive and proactive approach to addressing sexual violence within the aid sector, grounded in an understanding of power dynamics and organizational culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International organizations (IOs) demonstrate both agency and pathologies in their humanitarian work. IOs' operations in war zones hinge on their ability to gain access to vulnerable groups and sites. Such access differs depending on the type of regime the organizations engage with. Working with more transparent and democratic authorities or more closed governments explains the efficacy of some humanitarian efforts and pathological outcomes in others. This essay describes the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Ukraine during 2022 and 2023. Both organizations had more successful outcomes working with the Ukrainian authorities, but they partially failed to fulfill the mandate (ICRC) or were largely restricted in their work (IAEA, ICRC) on Russian controlled territories. This project shows that action by international organizations is possible even in unprecedented scenarios of war. However, working with non-democratic Russian authorities may also lead to pathological outcomes for international organizations, such as the death of detainees whose safe passage the ICRC negotiated, or Russian manipulation of the IAEA monitoring access to a nuclear site with compromised safety. Such stories call for more self-reflectivity on the part of IOs about potential pathological outcomes and courage for ethical action during Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pasado y Memoria. Revista de Historia Contemporánea is the property of Pasado y Memoria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Economics / İslam Ekonomisi Dergisi is the property of Journal of Islamic Economics / Islam Ekonomski Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Belgian History / Revue Belge d'Histoire Contemporaine is the property of Cegesoma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Actors engaging in a diverse set of environmental protection activities are experiencing serious difficulties executing their mandates during armed conflict, leading to environmental harm that could otherwise have been mitigated. This article examines to what extent the international legal and policy framework can ensure the protection of environmental protection actors during armed conflict. It is argued that environmental protection actors can be seen either as part of civil defence organizations or as humanitarian relief actors, and are therefore covered by special protections under international humanitarian law. However, two main challenges remain: (1) despite these existing provisions, environmental protection actors may still face access and safety issues during armed conflict, and (2) within this framework, environmental protection activities must be linked to civilian needs and cannot be conducted based on ecocentric motivations. To overcome these challenges, the article introduces the concept of "environmentarian corridors". Environmentarian corridors would allow for the unimpeded movement of environmental protection workers and resources through contested territory and into emergency areas to protect the environment. They would also serve to increase awareness about obligations to protect the environment and would help to ensure the safety of environmental protection actors during armed conflict, as the role and mandate of these actors is explicitly accepted by stakeholders. Additionally, environmentarian corridors offer potential for conducting environmental protection activities on ecocentric grounds. The article concludes by advocating for stakeholders to employ the provisions and concepts articulated herein as a means to further promote and strengthen initiatives aimed at protecting the environment during armed conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The triple-nexus was introduced as a conceptual framework to link humanitarian aid, international development, and peace initiatives. However, the peace component was largely undefined, and there was little consideration as to how these components might be integrated within programs. In this article, we revisit the nexus with a focus on how the peace component can best be integrated with resilience programs in conflict contexts. Specifically, we draw from qualitative fieldwork in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan, to analyze how local communities are using integrative peace/conflict approaches to enhance resilience in contexts with ongoing violence. We develop a typology of peace/conflict approaches, identify challenges to peacebuilding within the framework, and propose locally led processes for rethinking the nexus for protracted conflicts. We maintain that a hyper-local approach to community problem-solving is where the peace component of the triple-nexus can be most effective in fragile contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolving international tax landscape continues to provide complexities for investors, creating operational challenges, often eroding investment returns. This paper unpacks the withholding tax process along with the key hurdles that investors have to overcome when recovering taxes. While these hurdles have been expanded upon, an effort to quantify the effect on investment performance has been made to help investors understand the true cost of tax inefficiencies. The paper thereafter dives into emerging international tax trends, risk management considerations, and concludes with an analysis of solutions that investors can utilise to enhance their international tax relief and recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]