Never Waste a Crisis: Anticorruption Reforms in South America

In the midst of dramatic corruption scandals, South American countries have passed some of the most noteworthy anticorruption legislation in the region’s history. This Article examines the wave of anticorruption reforms and how international law, and in particular anticorruption treaties, has had an important influence on the content of these reforms. Specifically, this Article argues that that the OECD Anti-Bribery Working Group has acted as a political entrepreneur, advocating for specific and meaningful reforms. The influence of international law was critical in ensuring that the reforms adopted during these corruption scandals were robust and that the opportunity presented by these scandals was not lost. This Article also makes several important contributions to the growing field of anticorruption law. First, it applies a theory of government decision-making during crises to the South American corruption crisis. Drawing on theories of reform during financial crises, this Article explains how corruption crises present unique opportunities for popular reforms to take hold. Second, this Article discusses how political entrepreneurs, including the international bodies responsible for implementing anticorruption treaties, can use international law and global standards to promote meaningful reforms. Third, this Article traces recent anticorruption reforms in multiple South American countries to illustrate these processes in action. This Article illustrates how countries that were members of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention responded systematically differently to corruption crises than non-member countries. Finally, this Article demonstrates how interwoven international and national law have become in the anticorruption field. International law not only has influence by providing global rules, but also by offering credible policy recommendations in times of national crisis

Never Waste a Crisis” Post 2019 Pandemic Regional Architecture of the Black Sea Region

After the Covid-19 global pandemic, the geopolitical significance of the Black Sea Region (BSR), with changing resources and distribution of power,has changed opening renewed scope of engagement to both internal and external actors. Since 2019 as the epidemiological crisis has been strengtheningnation-states, showing the weakness of international organizations, and raising doubts about the extent to which international society is fulfillingits declared values and principles of human rights and ethics, it has spread new perspectives for countries around the Black Sea.This article explores the strategic importance of the BSR for the six coastal states of Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and theirpolicies since 2019. It further explores the strategies that they are using vis-à-vis each other to assert their influence in the region. The article arguesthat the BSR, due to its strategic and transit location, being the subject of interest of several actors has been affected by an unequal distribution of thebalance of power since 2019. Russia, Turkey, the United States of America (US), NATO and the European Union (EU) member states, being particularlyactive, continue playing significant roles in the region affecting its political milieu. The interplay of these policies is reflected in coexistence as wellas confrontation among the BSR countries. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s power, standing out from other actors, with its aspirationswithin the region is increasing after the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with Russia, Turkey has also relative strength and a military advantage comparedto other countries in the region. Pandemic has opened up additional opportunities for Russia’s domestic and foreign engagement in its near abroadof the BSR, making it one of the principal architects of the post-crisis world order. “Never waste a good crisis” – these words attributed to WinstonChurchill are relevant for the BSR today as never before reflecting Russia’s policy that neither Russia nor other state has missed during the systemiccrisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic in terms of rethinking their regional and global policies.Considering this constellation, the first part of this article discusse

Never Waste a Crisis: Digital Inclusion for Sustainable Development in the Context of the COVID Pandemic

In responding to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions recently launched the mutual commitment of Library Pledge for Digital Inclusion and its Call to Action along with other international organizations. Domestic and foreign library leaders and well-known experts and scholars discuss the theme of Library and Digital Inclusion. Rao Quan points out that with the development of modern technology, the digital divide has become a growing problem. The National Library of China has put forward an idea of building a “National Smart Library System”, to lead public libraries to realize smart transformation and to play a more active role in promoting digital inclusion; Christina McKenzie explains that the purpose of this article is to describe the work of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in supporting the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 16: ‘Achieve peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all, and effective and capable institutions’, emphasizing how governments and libraries must become active promoters of digital inclusion; Gerald Leitner points out that, any effort to promote digital inclusion needs to consider all three aspects — connectivity, content and competence. Without them, it is impossible to fully realize digital inclusion. Through their role as public spaces in the heart of communities, as storehouses and portals to content, and as experienced educators of information literacy, library has a unique role to play in any wider government strategy in the field; Chen Chao points out that both history and reality, theory and practice, have long taught us that public libraries should shoulder the inescapable mission of promoting human society’s inclusive development of human society. Public libraries must take on the responsibility of “bridging the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion”, providing everyone with the opportunity to go online and enabling everyone with equal access to information and knowledge; Wu Jianzhong argues that we should actively participate in LFLA’s appeals and initiatives and make a strong voice on behalf of the library community at home. First, we should vigorously publicize our country’s policies and measures to protect citizens’ rights to obtain basic public cultural services. Second, we should actively promote the application of the Internet and digital technologies in libraries. Third, we should continue to improve the quality of media and information literacy services; Reflecting on the complexity of the digital divide from the perspective of the individual’s information world concept proposed, Yu Liangzhi sees social inclusion and digital inclusion as mutually conditioning and argues that public libraries have greater potentials for contributing to digital inclusion in this context than hitherto realized and recognized; Xiao Long argues that, while supporting the statement on digital inclusion issued by IFLA, Chinese academic libraries should be aware of the great information gap in a society and strive to reduce the regional information gap, thus protecting the information rights and interests of different groups and promoting the intensive development of higher education; Amanda Reed and Kim M.Thompson suggest that when crisis, changes, and challenges arise, it is also time to take a step forward. Her essay provides examples from a US library to demonstrate how public libraries can meet local needs and support sustainable development of communities toward a more digitally inclusive society in face of the COVID-19 crisis; Jin Wugang thinks that the library should strengthen the function of popularization of science, actively participate in the development of new media products, integrate into the public media communication platform, help the public distinguish the authenticity of online information, inquire and obtain correct information, and solve the deeper issues in digital inclusion; Based on the current technological changes, Wu Dan and Liu Jing focus on the interaction between human and technology . They extend the connotation of digital inclusion through two paths. One is “technology→human” and the other is “human→technology” and they also put forward the development strategies for the field of LIS

Never Waste a Crisis: Restoring Credibility at the National Museum of Australia after the 'History Wars', 2003-2013

Since the early 1990s, a large body of literature has studied high profile controversies in museums. These scholars have called on museums not to hide from controversy, but rather view controversy as a productive aspect of contemporary museology. Their case is founded on transforming the role of museums - by discarding their associations with tradition and, instead, taking a stand on politically contentious subject matter. But in reality, museums face many social and political pressures that prevent them from fully rallying behind this call. Moreover, to date scholars have overlooked investigating if there are legitimate reasons behind this trend of reluctance or cautiousness. This study aims to fill this analytical gap by asking why museums struggle to take a stand on politically contentious subject matter following a controversy. In its attempt to do so this thesis narrows its analysis to a case study of the National Museum of Australia (NMA). It provides a window into a previously unexamined area - how NMA staff dealt with politically contentious subject matter during its ten-year (2003-2013) refurbishment project and cultural policy debates, after its involvement in the Australian version of the history wars. Analysis of public and grey material, interviews, media clips, and final gallery exhibits illuminates the strategies deployed by NMA staff during: the refurbishment of a gallery exploring transnational history ('Australian Journeys: Australia's Connections with the World'), a gallery presenting a general history of Australia since 1788 ('Landmarks: People and Places Across Australia/), and two unique opportunities to debate cultural policy with federal politicians (Senate Estimates hearings on the efficiency dividend and consultations on 'Creative Australia: National Cultural Policy, 2013-2023'). The analysis is located within interdisciplinary work - including sociology, organisational theory, museum studies, cultural politics, and Australian history - that critiques organisational crises and change. I argue that the ability of museum managers and curators to earn credibility and trust was problematic and complex during the refurbishment project and the cultural policy opportunities. Following its earlier controversy, NMA staff were faced with addressing a complex tension - between professional, scholarly, and social responsibility considerations and garnering credibility with powerful stakeholders. NMA staff tailored their strategies across two phases, which had a largely constraining impact on curatorial and interpretative practices. Out of necessity I contend that NMA staff prioritised rebuilding trust and belief, or what I call credibility in my study. During the first phase (2003-2009), staff made compromises in order to restore trust with stakeholders with opposing political agendas. During the second phase (2006-2013), which overlaps with the phase, the NMA struggled to garner credibility with socially liberal stakeholders who acted with ambivalence towards the refurbishments and during cultural policy debates. The study's findings illustrate that the NMA took a more conservative approach than that advocated by much existing scholarly work. It asserts that restoring credibility is a genuine consideration for museums following a controversy. While museums may have to make compromises, the study finds that crises are never wasted effort. This study is not suggesting major museums in Australia avoid provoking controversy with powerful stakeholders. Rather, it acknowledges the worthwhile but considerable task ahead for museums recovering from crises and pursuing reforms that magnify divisive views within Australian society

‘Never waste a crisis’: a commentary on the COVID‐19 pandemic as a driver for innovation in maternity care

Abstract unavailable

‘Never waste a crisis’: a commentary on the COVID‐19 pandemic as a driver for innovation in maternity care

Abstract unavailable

Strength in adversity: community capital faces up to the economic crisis

The current economic environment has created new challenges, as well as opportunities, for the community development finance industry.Community development ; Financial crises

The covid-19 infodemic and online platforms as intermediary fiduciaries under international law

Reflecting on the covid-19 infodemic, this paper identifies different dimensions of information disorder associated with the pandemic, examines how online platform governance has been evolving in response, and reflects on what the crisis reveals about the relationship between online platforms, international law, and the prospect of regulation. The paper argues that online platforms are intermediary fiduciaries of the international public good, and for this reason regulation should be informed by relevant standards that apply to fiduciary relationships