Iraqi refugees' assisted and spontaneous return from Syria and Jordan

The thesis investigates the causes and nature of return in the context of the Iraqis displaced to Syria and Jordan after the 2003 US-led war in Iraq. It combines critical International Relations theories with transnational approaches in Migration Studies to investigate: (1) how regional and international geopolitics have shaped asylum and migration regimes in the Middle East; (2) how Iraqi forced migrants have interacted with such regimes in order to reach safety, sustainable livelihoods and personal development opportunities and; (3) the decision-making processes and transnational migration practices of Iraqi individuals and families. It finds that Iraqis’ returns result from the uneasy interaction between international and national asylum and migration regimes and the lack of agreement on a common legal framework for durable solutions to the Iraqi displacement. The presence and mobility of the Iraqis in Syria and Jordan are regulated within national immigration systems. The immigration and residency policies of the home and host governments confirm the historical importance of voluntary and involuntary population movements as a nation-building and governance tool in the Middle East. Regional governments and international agencies manage the Iraqi displaced and steer their return through the provision, or the lack thereof, of assistance and information. The Iraqis respond to the limited institutional assistance and information by developing independent coping strategies and informal information and communication systems based on the use of information and communication technologies and on their transnational mobility and social networks. Transnational mobility and livelihoods therefore constitute a precondition for Iraqis’ sustainable return and reintegration in home societies undergoing political and socio-economic transition. In this context, return is a complex process that takes time and entails various degrees and modalities of transnational mobility, social networks and livelihoods connecting host and home societies

The Politics of Inclusive Development: Interrogating the Evidence

It is now widely accepted that politics plays a significant role in shaping the possibilities for inclusive development. However, the specific ways in which this happens across different types and forms of development, and in different contexts, remains poorly understood. This collection provides the state of the art review regarding what is currently known about the politics of inclusive development. Leading academics offer systematic reviews of how politics shapes development across multiple dimensions, including through growth, natural resource governance, poverty reduction, service delivery, social protection, justice systems, the empowerment of marginalized groups, and the role of both traditional and non-traditional donors. The book not only provides a comprehensive update but also a groundbreaking range of new directions for thinking and acting around these issues. The book’s originality thus derives not only from the wide scope of its case-study material, but also from the new conceptual approaches it offers for thinking about the politics of inclusive development, and the innovative and practical suggestions for donors, policymakers, and practitioners that flow from this

From Republics of Armies to Kata'ibs of Militia, Sheikhs, and Warlords: Civil-Military Relations in Iraq and Yemen

This thesis examines civil-military relations in two fragmented states of the Middle East, Iraq and Yemen. In the study of civil-military relations, scholars have historically viewed the ‘state’ as a given referent object of analysis when examining militaries in the region, the legacy of a predominantly Western-centric approach to understanding and explaining the centrality of the military to state identity. Yet, the Arab Spring witnessed the emergence of powerful non-state actors and the decline of the ideal Weberian state in favour of communalised military power along sectarian, tribal and ethnic lines. Strong national armies have been replaced by communally driven actors competing for power and influence. Post-Arab Spring models of civil-military relations have failed to address the relationship between weak, often-fragmented states and the impact of politically aligned-militia and sub-state coercive forces who can both complement but also challenge the central authority of the state. By using three frames to explain the communalisation of violence - tribalism and sectarianism, patrimonial economy, and the role of external actors – this thesis develops a new model of civil-military relations that has come to shape the nexus between the state and various armed groups. This moves our understanding of civil-military relations and its core construct beyond normative Western-centric frameworks advanced by Huntington and Janowitz, and further developed by other scholars. By using these three frames, this thesis argues that civil-military relations in fragmented states has become communalised, along ethnic, tribal and sectarian lines. This has in turn led many Arab states to face a crisis of legitimacy that stems from the inability of weak central authorities to fully control the monopoly of violence. Therefore, the state can no longer be considered the sole referent point in the study of civil-military relations as it applies to much of the contemporary Middle East

Corruption in social services and human development: water, sanitation and electricity sectors

Corruption costs the Water, Sanitation and Electricity (WSE) sectors millions of dollars every year, siphoning off scarce monetary resources and diminishing a country’s prospects for providing these crucial utilities for all. This paper examines how corruption manifests itself in the WSE sectors in order to identify and design sector programmes aimed at improving the well-being of the poor. It provides a comparative, cross-country study of the experiences of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Combating corruption in the WSE sector requires action from the public sector, private sector, citizens, civil society organisations and the media to monitor WSE services and promote more ethical behaviour. The authors note that particular attention should be paid to the supply-side of corruption, as consumers’ willingness to pay for better service creates a supply-side pressure that perpetuates corruption. The paper concludes with policy pointers and recommendations for successful anti-corruption mechanisms in the WSE sectors

The struggle for social citizenship in Korea 1945-1997.

This thesis seeks to trace the evolution of Korean social policy within the framework of T.H.Marshall's citizenship theory. The following questions are raised: 1) does Korea have the historical and cultural foundations to secure citizenship rights. 2) has Korea followed Marshall's developmental path of citizenship rights. 3) how far did Marshall's sequence of emerging rights hold in Korea. 4) what obstacles have there been that have hindered the frill development of citizenship rights in Korea, and what kind of impacts have they had on social policy in Korea. 5) how far do the conditions necessary for frill citizenship rights and responsibilities exist today in Korea. To answer the questions, the thesis discusses first the foundations for citizenship in the pre-modem period and the consequence of Japanese colonisation. It then discusses the post-war period in more detail. The findings suggest the following: 1) Korean society had some foundations on which citizenship could have been built, but began to take a divergent path, following colonisation and subsequent American occupation. 2) Since the 1960s the society has achieved rapid industrialisation but at the expense of citizens' civil and political rights. 3) The development of social policy in Korea from the 1960s has reflected an authoritarian tradition, and hence failed to enshrine the basic principles of social citizenship. Finally, 4) the thesis challenges the existing approaches to comparative study of social policy, in particular their reference to Korean welfare programmes

African Water Laws: Plural Legislative Frameworks For Rural Water Management in Africa: an international workshop, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26-28 January 2005

Water law / Water management / Water policy / Poverty / River basins / Irrigation systems / Institutions / Wetlands