Political strategies of external support for democratization

Political strategies of external support to democratization are contrasted and critically examined in respect of the United States and European Union. The analysis begins by defining its terms of reference and addresses the question of what it means to have a strategy. The account briefly notes the goals lying behind democratization support and their relationship with the wider foreign policy process, before considering what a successful strategy would look like and how that relates to the selection of candidates. The literature's attempts to identify strategy and its recommendations for better strategies are compared and assessed. Overall, the article argues that the question of political strategies of external support for democratization raises several distinct but related issues including the who?, what?, why?, and how? On one level, strategic choices can be expected to echo the comparative advantage of the "supporter." On a different level, the strategies cannot be divorced from the larger foreign policy framework. While it is correct to say that any sound strategy for support should be grounded in a theoretical understanding of democratization, the literature on strategies reveals something even more fundamental: divergent views about the nature of politics itself. The recommendations there certainly pinpoint weaknesses in the actual strategies of the United States and Europe but they have their own limitations too. In particular, in a world of increasing multi-level governance strategies for supporting democratization should go beyond preoccupation with just an "outside-in" approach

Are we killing them with kindness? Evaluation of sustainable marine wildlife tourism

The increasing popularity of marine wildlife tourism (MWT) worldwide calls for assessment of its conservation outcomes and the development of appropriate management frameworks to ensure the conservation of the species and habitats involved as well as the long-term sustainability of this industry. While many studies have examined the positive and/or negative implications of particular forms of MWT, few have attempted to identify factors of concern shared across different types of marine tourism, or examine their implications for sustainability in a broader perspective. We reviewed the existing literature to highlight common impacts on animal behaviour, health and ecology, and to identify successful cases based on minimal negative affects and/or lack of chronic/ irreversible impacts on target species or habitats. To ensure the achievement of both economic and ecologic objectives, the following steps should be integrated in MWT management: 1) Increase of research on the biology and ecology of target species/habitat and application of relevant information for the development of suitable policies, frameworks and management strategies; 2) Structured enforcement of existing policies and enhancement of ecological awareness of visitors through active education; 3) Application of an adaptive management framework to continuously improve the codes of conduct employed; 4) Involvement of different stakeholders and local communities in the development and improvement of the MWT activity. Combining these strategies with the extrapolation of frameworks and policies from cases where adverse ecological impacts have been addressed and successfully resolved can further contribute in ensuring the long-term health and conservation of the species/ habitats involved in MWT activities

Review and Guide to Hmong Songs of Memory: Traditional Secular and Sacred Hmong Music. Essays, Images, and Film

This article consists of a book-and-DVD review and viewer’s guide to Hmong Songs of Memory: Traditional Secular and Sacred Hmong Music, a paired ethnographic publication on music and shamanism of Hmong villagers in Northern Laos and Thailand. The video-monograph is based on original field research conducted between 2005 and 2016, informed by recent English language scholarship

Green Roof Plant Traits: Influence of Functional Diversity on Ecosystem Services and Coexistence

Green roofs are a novel ecosystem incorporated into the urban landscape to increase green space and provide ecosystem services. Different plant traits excel at providing different green roof ecosystem services, leading to a growing demand for biodiverse green roofs. Research is needed to understand how plant biodiversity can be maintained over time on green roofs, and to determine which species combinations might maximize a given ecosystem service. In this three-year green roof experiment, we use 11 species incorporated into 7 species combinations to create treatments that vary in functional diversity, with treatments including species that are functionally similar, dissimilar, or of intermediate similarity. The selected species combinations were used to determine how trait diversity influences the key ecosystem services of stormwater retention, reduced substrate temperature, pollinator appeal (flower quantity), and the production of aboveground biomass. Additionally, we examine the likelihood of species survival and facilitation within each combination. Here, high functional diversity in leaf thickness and low functional diversity in height and leaf dry matter content was associated with increased biomass, while higher functional diversity in leaf thickness and root length density was associated with decreased substrate temperatures

Researching the mental health needs of hard-to-reach groups: managing multiple sources of evidence.

BACKGROUND: Common mental health problems impose substantial challenges to patients, carers, and health care systems. A range of interventions have demonstrable efficacy in improving the lives of people experiencing such problems. However many people are disadvantaged, either because they are unable to access primary care, or because access does not lead to adequate help. New methods are needed to understand the problems of access and generate solutions. In this paper we describe our methodological approach to managing multiple and diverse sources of evidence, within a research programme to increase equity of access to high quality mental health services in primary care. METHODS: We began with a scoping review to identify the range and extent of relevant published material, and establish key concepts related to access. We then devised a strategy to collect - in parallel - evidence from six separate sources: a systematic review of published quantitative data on access-related studies; a meta-synthesis of published qualitative data on patient perspectives; dialogues with local stakeholders; a review of grey literature from statutory and voluntary service providers; secondary analysis of patient transcripts from previous qualitative studies; and primary data from interviews with service users and carers. We synthesised the findings from these diverse sources, made judgements on key emerging issues in relation to needs and services, and proposed a range of potential interventions. These proposals were debated and refined using iterative electronic and focus group consultation procedures involving international experts, local stakeholders and service users. CONCLUSIONS: Our methods break new ground by generating and synthesising multiple sources of evidence, connecting scientific understanding with the perspectives of users, in order to develop innovative ways to meet the mental health needs of under-served groups