Challenging The “Man” In Mangroves: The Missing Role Of Women In Mangrove Conservation

Mangroves provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, pollution filtration, and protection from tsunamis, tropical storms, and coastal erosion. They also supply coastal communities with important natural resources like firewood, medicine, timber, honey, and fodder for livestock. Unfortunately, the world’s mangroves are rapidly degrading due to rising coastal population, climate change, and destruction for coastal development, agriculture, and aquaculture. Considering their value for the environment and coastal communities, mangrove conservation should become a priority and effort must be invested to find new and successful methods for conserving mangrove ecosystems. As it has proven effective in other conservation contexts, a gendered perspective on mangrove conservation should be adopted. Through review and synthesis of existing literature on gender and mangrove conservation, this paper will show the extent to which gender analysis has been used to examine mangrove conservation and coastal resource management. It will describe the following trends in literature: a) a lack of research focusing on gender’s role in mangrove conservation, b) confusion about the practical applications of a gender, environment, and development (GED) conceptual framework c) little effort to evaluate the success of programs that integrate gender and mangrove conservation. It will make suggestions for future research and encourage further use of a gendered outlook on mangrove conservation and resource management

The Strong Silent Type

Speak up. Be assertive. Lean in. Take up space. However it’s said, there is a stream of discourse telling women that we should be louder and prouder in order to succeed. As the argument goes, we, as women, are silenced by oppression. Society tells us to be quiet, politely agree, and make ourselves as small as possible. So naturally, we should resist this social pressure by being more vocal, more extroverted, and more assertive. [excerpt

Exploring Relationships between Global, National and Local Actors: A Case Study Approach to INGOs in Post-Reform Vietnam

In 1986, the Vietnamese government undertook a series of reforms known as doi moi. These reforms were mainly economic adjustments that encouraged globalization through capitalism, international trade, and foreign investment. They restructured Vietnam’s economy from a centrally-planned system to a market economy with a socialist orientation. This study focuses on the political and cultural aspects of globalization after doi moi, and analyzes the development of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in Vietnam. Specifically, it seeks to address the following research question: How has the INGO sector changed with increasing globalization in Vietnam after the 1986 doi moi reforms, and what are the national and local challenges to INGOs currently operating in Vietnam? As a case study, this study specifically examines an environmental INGO called Project Gaia, Inc. (PGI) that works in the developing world to replace polluting biomass fuels, with clean-burning, sustainable, alcohol fuels and stoves. Using the theoretical concepts of “dis-embedding” and “re-embedding” this study illuminates the challenges that PGI might face in Vietnam, but also highlights the potential for their approach to create positive impact. Overall, the study shows that in Vietnam, a country where the forces of “dis-embedding” and “re-embedding” interact, there are both challenges to operating an INGO, and great opportunities to form collaborative partnerships for change

International Non-Governmental Organizations in Vietnam: A Case Study with Project Gaia

In 1986, the Vietnamese government undertook a series of reforms known as doi moi. These reforms were mainly economic adjustments that encouraged globalization through capitalism, international trade, and foreign investment. They restructured Vietnam’s economy from a centrally-planned system to a market economy with a socialist orientation. This presentation focuses on the political and cultural aspects of globalization after doi moi, and analyzes the development of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in Vietnam. Specifically, it seeks to address the following research question: How has the INGO sector changed with increasing globalization in Vietnam after the 1986 doi moi reforms, and what are the national and local challenges to INGOs currently operating in Vietnam? As a case study, this presentation looks specifically at an environmental INGO called Project Gaia, Inc. (PGI) that works in the developing world to replace polluting biomass fuels, with clean-burning, sustainable, alcohol fuels and stoves. It illuminates the institutional and societal challenges that PGI might face in Vietnam, and the ways that that their international approach might be received by local people

Carbon, Cookstoves, and Kitchens: Case Studies of Fuelwood Use and the Potential for Ethanol Substitutability in Rural India, Vietnam, and Tanzania

Fuelwood constitutes the primary domestic cooking fuel in many rural communities throughout the Global South. Unsustainable levels of fuelwood consumption, however, contribute not only to local forest degradation but also to global climate change through the release of black carbon and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Moreover, as a driver of indoor air pollution, it also negatively affects human health. Indoor air pollution linked to cooking smoke is among the leading causes of preventable respiratory disease, and negatively impacts women and children through disproportionate and repeated exposure. While many cleaner and more efficient alternate stove designs have been developed for use in fuelwood-dependent communities, culturally-based user incompatibilities and technical design problems can lead to lack of widespread adoption. Although fuelwood dependence has also been offset by the availability of subsidized commercially-available fuels such as kerosene or liquid petroleum gas (LPG), the need persists for a clean, efficient, locally available, and sustainable fuel source for use in household cooking. This poster presents the results of three related, pilot project case studies about the potential for alcohol-fueled stoves to serve as a pathway to fuelwood substitution. The poster explores questions of cultural feasibility and the related roles of gender/class/ethnicity dynamics within a community, cooking and fuel preferences of stove users, and religious considerations related to non-consumptive alcohol use. Our study raises important issues for advocates of alternative technologies to consider, including the potential for resource capture by elites, openings for promotion of gender equity, and opportunities for socially and environmentally sustainable development

Sexy Schwule, tragische Lesben und queer-feministische Spaßbremsen

Von den klandestinen Bars der Nachkriegszeit, der Klappe und ihrer Renaissance, den Folgen des Ausverkaufs der Städte und der Digitalisierung des Datings für die rosa Quartiere bis hin zur Frage, wie eigentlich safer spaces für alle gestaltet werden können: Der vorliegende Sammelband illustriert in einem vielfältigen interdisziplinären Kaleidoskop, wie queere Kulturen urbane Räume und ihre Geschichte geformt haben und von ihnen geformt wurden. Diese Rezension stellt es vor und wirbt dafür, die Stadt mit einer queeren Brille zu erforschen

Kanadas Human Security Agenda. Institutionalisierung einer politischen Vision

Diese Arbeit untersucht die kanadische Human Security Agenda (1995-2010) vor dem Hintergrund ihrer verschiedenen Institutionalisierungsformen. Neben einer nominalistischen Annäherung an die Human Security Agenda analysiert die Arbeit die Entwicklung des Human Security Program, des Human Security Network und weiterer Institutionen zur Einbindung der kanadischen Zivilgesellschaft

Wo sind die deutschen "Welterklärer"? Leider zu oft im Ausland ...

"Vom Braindrain zum Braingain: Was können wir tun, damit nicht immer mehr deutsche Studenten und Wissenschaftler dauerhaft ins Ausland abwandern? Der Wissenschaftsstandort Deutschland muss attraktiver gemacht werden: durch bessere Studieninhalte und Betreuung sowie mehr Investitionen in bessere Arbeitsbedingungen, auch für Ausländer." (Autorenreferat

Öldorado? Kanadas Aufstieg zur Energiemacht wird Wunschdenken bleiben

"Der kanadische Premierminister Stephen Harper hat seit seinem Amtsantritt 2006 im Rahmen seiner Auslandsreisen kaum eine Gelegenheit ausgelassen, auf das Potenzial Kanadas als kommender Energiesupermacht hinzuweisen. Über die außenpolitischen Konsequenzen eines solchen Status und die Eigenschaften einer solchen Supermacht schwieg er, jedoch wartete er mit beeindruckenden Zahlen auf. Kanada ist vor Australien weltgrößter Uranexporteur und verfügt nach Saudi-Arabien über die zweitgrößten Ölreserven der Welt. Es ist vornehmlich das Öl aus den Ölsanden in Alberta, welches Harper und zahlreiche andere Kanadier davon träumen lässt, international eine wichtigere Rolle zu spielen. Nach den Plänen der konservativen Minderheitenregierung könnte Kanada bis 2030 zum drittgrößten Ölexporteur der Welt aufsteigen. Theorie und Praxis klaffen hier jedoch weit auseinander. Die Ölsandprojekte sind im Land höchst umstritten. Der große Energiebedarf bei der Förderung und Weiterverarbeitung macht die Ölsandindustrie zu einem der größten Klimasünder des Landes. Vor diesem Hintergrund bestehen Zweifel, ob die hehren Ziele, Kanada zu einem gewichtigen Spieler in der internationalen Energiepolitik zu machen, realisiert werden können. Die Analyse der derzeitigen Entwicklungen macht vor allem deutlich, dass die Energiepolitik und Umweltgesetzgebung in den USA die zwei entscheidenden Faktoren dafür sind, inwiefern die Bestrebungen Kanadas in Zukunft realisierbar sein werden." (Autorenreferat)"Since becoming Canadian Prime Minister in 2006, Stephen Harper has repeatedly used the term 'energy super power' in order to describe Canada's potential global status. He has remained silent in terms of highlighting the political consequences and nature of such a status. Simultaneously, however, he has been presenting impressive figures and data. Canada is currently not only the largest exporter of Uranium, with Australia trailing behind in second place. Moreover, the country possesses the second largest proven oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia. The optimism by Harper and numerous other Canadians is due to the immense resources in oil that are to be found in the so-called tar or oil sands in the northern part of Canada's Alberta province. Based on plans of the current government, Canada is poised to become the third-largest oil exporter in the world by 2030. Yet, there are good reasons for doubt when it comes to the probability of such a scenario. Huge energy consumption in the production and refining process make the oil sands industry one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. Against this background, it is questionable whether the pretension of the Canadian government, which seeks to make the country a world leader in energy, is a realistic option. The analysis of current developments highlights that U.S. energy policy and Washington's environmental legislation will be the key factors in determining whether Canada will be able to realize its ambitions of becoming an important energy exporter." (author's abstract