تعزيز العدالة وا ل دماج لألطفال س المولودين نتيجة العنف الج المرتبط اعات:تقييم رسي ع لألدلة

Arabic Translation of: Advancing justice and inclusion for children born of Conflict-related sexual violence: a rapid evidence assessment (https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004395) ي حلل هذا التقييم الرسي ع لألدلة [Evidence Rapid نض (REA (Assessment [ ار والتحديات المخاطر واأل مبا وطويلة األمد يواجهها األطفال المولودون رش ال ة تي ال اعات ن ن يس المرتبط بالي نتيجة العنف الجن [Children Born of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CBoCRSV [(البلدان المنخفضة والمتوسطة ي ن ف Low- and Middle-Income Countries] الدخل (LMICs[(. وقد أ جري هذا إطار مبادرة ي ن التقييم ف ي ن يس ف المملكة المتحدة لمنع العنف الجن اع ن ن حاالت الي [Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI (Initiative[، وي عالج التقييم ثالثة أسئلة بحثية رئيسية: نضار يه المخاطر واأل ما والتحديات الرئيسية يواجهها األطفال تي ال المولودون نتاج العنف اعات؟ ن ن يس المرتبط بالي الجن تي يه التدخالت ال ما تعزيز ي ن قد تكون فعالة ف رفاههم؟ ي كيف تطورت هذا المجال ن األبحاث ف ؟ كشفت نتائج تقييم البحوث المرجعية من خالل تحليل يس 289 وثيقة أ ن األطفال المولودين نتيجة للعنف الجن اع ن ي حاالت الي ن ن ف عادة يواجهون وصمة عار اجتماعية يؤثر عىل ً أشهم ومجتمعاتهم. ي شديدة وإقصاء دمجهم ن ف وغالبا ما تكون العالقات األشية متوترة ومحدودة الدعم عرضة لإلصابة بأعراض جسدية المستقر.كما أنهم أكي ر نضار واكتئاب وتحديات متعلقة بالهوية، مما قد يؤدي إل أ نفسية واجتماعية و تنموية طويلة األمد. اما تحد عوائق مثل عدم وجود باإلضافة إل ذلك، غالب يع من المجتم وثائق قانونية والقيود المالية والتميري ن حصولهم عىل التعليم والرعاية الصحية والخدمات األساسية . كما وجد أن المعتقدات الثقافية والدينية تفاقم تهميشهم. يس وتشمل التدخالت الواعدة برامج الدعم النف ي ن يع والدفاع القانون ومبادرات اإلدماج والدعم المجتم يم واالقتصادي. ومع ذلك، ال تزال هذه التعلي التدخالت غريمقيمة إل حد كبريبسبب االفتقار إل البحوث التجريبية. وتشمل ي ن الثغرات الهامة ف األدبيات التمثيل المحدود لبعض المناطق ونقص الدراسات اع ن ن المقارنة عريمناطق الي وعدم كفاية البيانات الالزمة تي لفهم التحديات المتداخلة وطويلة األجل ال ي واجهها يس هؤالء األطفال * المولودو ن نتيجة للعنف الجن اعات ن ن المرتبط بالي . ولمعالجة هذه الثغرات، تدعو األدبيات إل اتخاذ ررس إجراءات محددة لتعزيز ال مناهج ك ت تي التشاركية ال ي صنع السياسات ن نضرة ف والمجتمعات المت الناجرين يل وتعزيز لتوحيد التعاون الدو وتوسيع نطاق البحوث المنهجية ي ن التدخالت الفعالة واالستثمار ف واألخالقية لتحديد الوسائل الفعالة. وتشمل التدابري يص المو نظم الدعم بها تعزيز األطر القانونية وتحسرين الوصول إل يع واإلدماج االقتصادي وتحسرين االجتما التعليم والرعاية الصحية. وتهدف هذه الجهود مجتمعة إل تهيئة بيئات ح امية تقلل من المخاطر وت عزز اإل دماج وتشجع حقوق ورفاه األطفال . * يس خالل هذا التقريرسيتم اختصار احيانا لمصطلح "األطفال المولودون المرتبط نت

Rewiring local government for citizen engagement

The relationship between the government and citizens needs reimagining as a matter of priority. Amid structural reforms, declining trust, attitudinal polarisation, and increasing social and economic pressures, this paper argues for a fundamental shift toward citizen engagement. Key challenges include: Low public trust in both central and local government. Structural changes such as the creation of mayor-led Strategic Authorities and new large unitary authorities. The demand from citizens for greater involvement in decisions that affect their lives. Many councils are already pursuing democratic innovations such as neighbourhood-level devolution and citizens’ assemblies, and Parish councils are booming. The English Devolution White Paper offers useful new powers but more needs to be done to make citizen engagement effective. Learning from academic research and practice evaluation, we identify the need for a multifaceted approach where engagement is embedded in the fabric of local governance. In particular, developing three essential conditions for effective engagement: 1 Convening democratic spaces – enabling deliberative and dialogic processes that help rebuild trust between citizens and institutions. 2 Building community capacity – supporting citizens, especially those groups and communities that are often marginalised in public life, to co-create solutions and strengthen social cohesion. 3 Co-producing services – involving service users in the design and delivery of public services to ensure responsiveness and innovation. Effective citizen engagement both builds on existing local engagement activity and cultivates purposeful experimentation with new approaches. The legitimate concerns of some local politicians need to be carefully addressed and support provided to develop their community leadership roles. Engaging young people and making appropriate use of digital engagement are important areas for development. The paper concludes that democratic renewal requires more than structural reform - it demands leadership, reform and investment. By further embedding citizen engagement, councils can foster trust, improve outcomes, and build a more inclusive and resilient democratic society

Promoción de la justicia y la inclusión de los niños y las niñas nacidos de la violencia sexual en contextos de conflicto armado: Una evaluación rápida de la evidencia [Rapid Evidence Assessment]

Spanish Translation of: Advancing justice and inclusion for children born of Conflict-related sexual violence: a rapid evidence assessment (https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004395) Esta evaluación rápida de evidencias(REA por sussiglas en inglés) examina los riesgos, daños y desafíos inmediatos y a largo plazo a los que se enfrentan los niños y las niñas nacidos de la violencia sexual en contextos de conflicto armado (CBoCRSV, por sus siglas en inglés) en los países de ingresos bajos y medianos (PIBM). Realizada en el marco de la Iniciativa para Prevenir la Violencia Sexual en los Conflictos (PSVI) del Reino Unido, la evaluación aborda tres preguntas clave de investigación: ¿Cuáles son los principales riesgos, daños y desafíos a los que se enfrentan los CBoCRSV? ¿Qué intervenciones pueden mejorar eficazmente su bienestar? ¿Cómo ha evolucionado la investigación en este ámbito? A través del análisis de 289 documentos, los resultados de esta REA revelan que los CBoCRSV suelen afrontar un grave estigma social y exclusión, lo que dificulta su integración familiar y comunitaria. Las dinámicas familiares tienden a ser tensas y cuentan con un apoyo estable muy limitado. Estos niños y niñas corren un mayor riesgo de presentar síntomas somáticos, depresión y problemas de identidad, lo que puede provocar daños psicosociales y en su desarrollo a largo plazo. Asimismo, barreras como la falta de documentación legal, las limitaciones económicas y la discriminación social restringen su acceso a la educación, la atención sanitaria y los servicios básicos. También se ha constatado que determinadas creencias culturales y religiosas intensifican su marginación. Entre las posibles intervenciones efectivas destacan los programas de apoyo psicológico, la defensa jurídica, el acompañamiento comunitario y las iniciativas de inclusión educativa y económica. No obstante, estas suelen pasar inadvertidas debido a la falta de investigación empírica. Las principales lagunas de la literatura incluyen la representación limitada de determinadas regiones, la escasez de estudios comparativos entre distintos contextos de conflicto armado y la insuficiencia de datos que permitan captar los retos interseccionales y de largo plazo que enfrentan los CBoCRSV. Para subsanar estas carencias, la bibliografía propone medidas específicas destinadas a fortalecer los enfoques participativos que involucren a los supervivientes y a las comunidades afectadas en la elaboración de políticas públicas, fomentar la colaboración internacional para normalizar y ampliar las intervenciones eficaces e invertir en investigación sistemática y ética que permita determinar qué estrategias resultan efectivas. Entre las medidas recomendadas se incluyen el refuerzo de los marcos jurídicos, la mejora de los sistemas de apoyo social, la inclusión económica y el incremento del acceso a la educación y a la atención sanitaria. En conjunto, estas iniciativas buscan crear entornos protectores que reduzcan los riesgos, favorezcan la integración y promuevan los derechos y el bienestar de los CBoCRSV

Promouvoir la Justice et l'Inclusion pour les Enfants Nés de Violences Sexuelles lors de Conflits Armés : Une Rapide Vue d’Ensemble [Rapid Evidence Assessment]

French Translation of: Advancing justice and inclusion for children born of Conflict-related sexual violence: a rapid evidence assessment (https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004395) Cette évaluation rapide des données disponibles (“Rapid Evidence Assessment” ou REA en anglaise) évalue les risques, les préjudices et les défis immédiats et à long terme auxquels sont confrontés les enfants nés de violences sexuelles lors de conflits (CBoCRSV en anglais) dans les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire (PRFI). Réalisée dans le cadre de l'initiative britannique « Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict » (PSVI) (“Empêcher la violence sexuelle lors de conflits armé” ), cette évaluation aborde trois questions de recherche: Quels sont les principaux risques, préjudices et défis auxquels sont confrontés les enfants nés de violences sexuelles lors de ces conflits ? Quelles interventions peuvent promouvoir efficacement leur bien-être ? Comment la recherche dans ce domaine a-t-elle évoluée ? À travers l'analyse de 289 documents, les conclusions de cette REA révèlent que les enfants nés de violences sexuelles lors de conflits armés sont souvent victimes d'une stigmatisation sociale et d'une exclusion sévères, ce qui affecte leur intégration au sein de leur famille même et plus globalement au sein de leur communauté. Leurs relations familiales sont souvent tendues et ils ne bénéficient pas d’un soutien stable. Ils sont plus à même d’être exposés à des symptômes somatiques, à la dépression et à des problèmes d'identité, qui peuvent entraîner des dommages psychosociaux et développementaux à long terme. En outre, des obstacles tels que l'absence de documents légaux, les contraintes financières et la discrimination sociale limitent souvent leur accès à l'éducation, aux soins de santé et aux services de base. Les croyances culturelles et religieuses exacerbent également leur marginalisation. Cependant, parmi les interventions prometteuses, on peut citer les programmes de soutien psychologique, l'aide juridique, le soutien communautaire et les initiatives d'inclusion éducative et économique. Cependant, celles-ci restent largement sous-évaluées en raison d'un manque de recherches empiriques. La littérature présente d'importantes lacunes, notamment une représentation limitée de certaines régions, un manque d'études comparatives entre les différents contextes de conflits et des données insuffisantes pour réellement saisir les défis intersectoriels et à long terme auxquels sont confrontés les CBoCRSV. Pour combler ces lacunes, la littérature préconise des mesures ciblées visant à renforcer les approches participatives invitant les survivants et les communautés touchées à participer à l'élaboration de nouvelles politiques, à favoriser la collaboration internationale afin de normaliser et de généraliser les interventions efficaces, et à investir dans des recherches systématiques et éthiques afin d'identifier les mesures qui fonctionnent le mieux. Les mesures recommandées comprennent le renforcement des cadres juridiques, l'amélioration des systèmes de soutien social, l'inclusion économique et l'amélioration de l'accès à l'éducation et aux soins de santé. Ensemble, ces efforts visent à créer des environnements protecteurs qui réduisent les risques, favorisent l'intégration et promeuvent les droits et le bien-être des CBoCRSV

The Future of Smart Human-Robot Collaborative Working Environments: Towards Meaningful Work for All: A White Paper

This White Paper, The Future of Smart Human– Robot Collaborative Working Environments: Towards Meaningful Work for All, presents a critical synthesis of the research conducted within the Smart Cobotics Centre, part of the UK’s Made Smarter Innovation programme. Over the past three years, we have investigated how collaborative applications, embodied artificial intelligence, and digital engineering systems are reshaping manufacturing. Our focus is not only on technological advancements but on how these systems interact with human work, affect social dynamics, and raise new ethical and organisational questions. Rooted in the vision of Industry 5.0, we argue for a human-centric approach—one that aligns innovation with resilience, inclusivity, and long-term societal value

The Politics of Parking Final Summary Report: Disabled People’s Encounters with Strangers in Accessible Parking Spaces

This report presents a summary of the findings from the “Politics of Parking” PhD research project on disabled people’s encounters with strangers in Blue Badge parking spaces. The report highlights in detail how these encounters can make ‘accessible’ spaces anything but accessible. Encounters can be highly stressful, need a lot of work to navigate, and have an emotional impact that lasts long beyond the parking space. This report is based on PhD research which took place from 2021 to 2025, and the findings presented here come from a survey of 304 Blue Badge holders and 20 follow-up interviews with survey participants. The report· maps out different types of encounter that can take place and the broader contexts which can shape an individual encounter. It explores the experiences of navigating encounters and the impact this has on disabled people’s wellbeing and experiences of accessibility. The key takeaways from the report are that encounters can never exist outside the wider hostility that exists towards disabled people as a result of austerity politics and ‘scrounger’ rhetoric. Disabled people are thus always under scrutiny, due to harmful assumptions that disability should equal complete incompetence, poverty and suffering. Most disabled people can be seen as potentially not ‘deserving’ and can experience confrontation as a result

Improving public funding allocation to reduce geographical inequalities

This report proposes improved ways to allocate public funding within and between different areas in England to reduce geographical inequalities and enable more places to contribute meaningfully to national economic growth and renewal. It draws on the research of a multi-disciplinary team of academics, researchers and consultants undertaken between June 2024 and March 2025. This research included evidence reviews, international case studies, analysis of spatially targeted funding streams, ‘deep dives’ into specific topics, interviews with policy practitioners, and citizen engagement. Addressing the role of public funding in reducing geographical inequalities in England, the research identified ten guiding principles and ten key problems with incremental, moderate and radical proposals to help resolve them. This report is for the Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities project funded by the ESRC. The project brings together a highly experienced interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, De Montfort, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth and Sheffield, together with the National Centre for Social Research and Metro Dynamics

A review of funding allocations in England to address geographical inequalities

This report analyses 48 funding streams in operation in England from 2014 to 2024, for local and regional areas that are either explicitly aimed at addressing geographical inequalities or are likely to have a direct or indirect impact on such inequalities. We explore mechanisms for allocation and delivery. We aim to provide actionable lessons for policy reform to improve funding allocation mechanisms, positively impacting policy, people, and places. Our analysis emphasises the complex nature of the funding landscape. Key findings include that: •A very limited number of funds studied are specifically geographically targeted, with a high proportion of funds allocated to administrative geographic areas. However, where funding has been available to particular kinds of administrative areas, there might still be an implicit/’de facto’ targeting of geographic inequality in the spread of funding to certain administrative areas across urban and rural areas in England. •Whilst the majority of the funds analysed focus on reducing geographical inequalities, only a quarter of the funding provided is targeted at addressing spatial inequalities. Rather, almost three-quarters of the total funding considered is focused on achieving aims that are not geographically specific. •The majority of funds analysed involved competitive processes for allocation, although formula funding made up the greatest proportion of total funding awarded. •Recent years have seen the introduction of multiple, often short-term funding streams. •More than half of the funding programmes analysed had as one of their aims to reduce geographic inequalities or support disadvantaged regions. This would appear to be positive in terms of the potential to address geographical inequalities. However, this only represents 25% of the total funding analysed. This report is for the Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities project funded by the ESRC. The project brings together a highly experienced interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, De Montfort, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth and Sheffield, together with the National Centre for Social Research and Metro Dynamics

BEAR Case Studies Vol. 5

This collection celebrates the extraordinary breadth and ambition of research powered by the University of Birmingham’s Environment for Academic Research (BEAR), which is led by the Advanced Research Computing team within IT Services. Across every College, researchers are accelerating discoveries, tackling complex challenges, and expanding the boundaries of knowledge thanks to BEAR’s cutting edge digital infrastructure. From high performance computing on BlueBEAR to secure research data storage and specialist software, BEAR empowers staff and students to work at a scale and speed that transforms what is possible. These case studies showcase not only the diversity of research undertaken at the University, but also the unique value that BEAR brings in enabling innovative, impactful, and world leading work. Together, they highlight how BEAR continues to be a driving force behind research excellence and an essential catalyst for future breakthroughs

Central-local relations under Labour (2024-): emerging themes and issues in English devolution

The Labour Government elected in July 2024 has now had six months in office. With publication of the Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024, this is a good moment to assess the direction of travel in the government’s approach to central-local relations (MCHLG, 2024). To summarise, devolutionary elements are welcome but cautious and incremental, while the (potentially) radical elements around reorganisation are not devolutionary. In this respect, the White Paper marks continuity in the British state tradition. The wide-ranging devolution community of interest recognises progress, whilst expressing disappointment at the lack of ambition (https://citizen-network.org/work/local-england). That which is to be welcomed in the White Paper reinforces the change of tone towards local government. The further devolution of functions to city-regions, simplified funding arrangements, multi-year settlements and rollout of new central-local partnership bodies (and the localisation of power to amend byelaws) are all devolutionary measures to empower metro-mayors. Moreover, the White Paper is represented by ministers and sympathetic commentators as a floor, not a ceiling, and the most optimistic commentaries witness the beginning of a more radical shift (Studdert, 9.12.2024). If the White Paper is a floor, the ceiling is neither clear nor near. Endemic features of the centralised British state tradition remain unchallenged and if anything augmented. There is to be no fiscal devolution, though the government is open to the idea of devolving further functions and resources to single settlement authorities. The vision of English local government that emerges is based around the evolution of a bifurcated system of very large Mayoral “strategic” authorities, intended to be growth machines (Molotch, 1976), and enlarged principal authorities charged with public service (mostly social service) delivery. Taken to its conclusion, this new wave of reorganisation will see the abolition of district councils, posing major questions about political and democratic identities and accountabilities. These preoccupations with growth and efficiency seek to amplify and ultimately conclude a pre-existing local state restructuring project, an agenda with arguably centralising overtones expressed in the language of devolutionary ambition. This paper delves into central government messaging in greater depth, focusing on the period since the General Election of July 2024 and concluding with the Devolution White Paper of December 2024. It finds familiar ambiguities and dilemmas in the top-line commitment to devolution redolent in some ways of the New Labour approach, reflecting the endemic centralism in English governance (Rae, 2011). These ambiguities point, above all, to the need to make legible rules, traditions and governmentalities that have long defined central-local relations, and have quickly remerged under the current government. This report is for the Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities project funded by the ESRC. The project brings together a highly experienced interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, De Montfort, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth and Sheffield, together with the National Centre for Social Research and Metro Dynamics