Durability and change in state gender systems: Ireland in the 1950s

This study of Ireland's gender contract at the end of the 1950s is a country-specific analysis of gender regime change at the level of the state. It is based primarily on Irish parliamentary debates for the years 1957 and 1958, the point at which Ireland embarked on a process of economic modernization. In describing the detail of this gender system, it provides a benchmark against which the reforms of the late 1960s and 1970s can be measured. It also points to two salient features of a state's gender regime that may be applicable in other situations: first, the comparative 'stickiness' of the gender contract once it has been established and second the episodic or crisis-based nature of gender regime negotiation

Civil society in poverty alleviation: perspectives from Tanzania, Ethiopia and Central America

Although donor discourse on international development policy places less emphasis on civil society than formerly this paper present evidence from Tanzania, Ethiopia and Central America that aid for civil society has had a positive effect on the capacity of Southern civil society. As a result of international pressure, civil society in these developing states now face a more open environment for both advocacy and service provision, while financial support has allowed a much greater level of activity than would otherwise have been possible. This article is drawn from a larger study funded by the Advisory Board for Irish Aid, which examined the potential role of civil society in poverty reduction. It identifies the current threat to the continued development of civil society as coming from the narrowing of the potential role of civil society in the OECD aid harmonisation agenda and management and capacity constraints on the part of donors that curtails their engagement with this type of support

Development and the United Nations: achievements and challenges for the future

This article explores the role of the United Nations in development in the context of both the current critiques of the UN and the failure of the 2005 New York summit to reach agreement on a program of reform. While the work of its specialist agencies presents the most visible face of the UN’s contribution to global development; the UN through its efforts to influence international debates on development policy, in particular as the convenor of international conferences, also plays a key intellectual leadership role in rethinking approaches to development. It is argued that in spite of the justifiable criticism of many aspects of the UN agencies, on balance the UN has played a positive role in promoting development and has been an alternative voice to the major international powers. Future reform should ensure that the UN can continue to make this contribution

Responding to China—Changing donor discourse and perspectives on Africa?

In the past decade new donors, especially China, have become important in the international system and have developed relationships with states in sub Saharan Africa that present a challenge to the established donors of the OECD. At the same time the international financial crisis of 2008 has weakened both Europe and America ideologically, as well as in terms of their comparative international power based on their economic strength. For many states this has meant a significant reduction in aid budgets, making it more likely that the influence of non-OECD donors, including China, will continue to grow. What does this mean for the development programs of OECD states, including Ireland and the UK, and for their relationship with the governments of sub-Saharan African states? This paper answers this question analysing the policy discourse of the UK and Irish development agencies to determine if it has shifted in the period 2006-2011 in response to the changing international realities, including the challenges presented by the rise of China as a donor. It does this by using a word count content analysis of key documents published by the Irish and British development agencies. It finds a significant level of readjustment to the new international realities in both sets of documents, including a significant rehabilitation of the image of Africa

Foreign policy and domestic politics: a study of the 2002 election in the Republic of Ireland

This article examines the extent to which foreign policy featured in the 2002 general election campaign in the Republic of Ireland. It began with the premise that although foreign policy had not featured prominently in previous elections campaigns the evolving crisis in the peace process in Northern Ireland, coupled with the ongoing debate over the Nice treaty may make foreign policy more likely to be part of the campaign debate and also the subject of party differentiation in 2002. The study reviewed party manifestos, press statements and other aspects of the media campaign. It found clear party differentiation in foreign policy between the parties in their manifestos, however the campaign in the national media was almost devoid of debate on these issues. In analysing the reasons for the absence of debate, the dull and static nature of the campaign is contrasted with the surprising election results. In concludes that although on the surface the absence of engagement on foreign policy in the media appears to concur with the dominant view in the literature that foreign policy in not significant in first order elections inferences can be made that leave the impact of foreign policy on voter behaviour a more open question

Third level institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs): connections and relationships

In a world where the amount of aid from developed countries is falling as a percentage of Gross National Product (GNP), development agencies that wish to maintain or increase their aid effort face the problem of bringing public opinion along with them. Development education, with its dual aim of informing and encouraging action, has an important role to play in winning this public support. It can explain the need for development assistance, provide information on development activities and persuade individuals to actively support the development project. To date the development education funds granted by Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI) have been directed mainly at primary or secondary level students and teacher training colleges. A recent exception has been funding for Suas (http://www.suas.ie/), an organisation which aims to raise awareness of development issues and encourage short term volunteering among third level students. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the role of development education by exploring the present and potential contribution of NGO/third level linkages. It will do this by examining the connections and relationships between NGOs and third level institutions in Ireland and by using the UK and US as a comparative international backdrop. This should help to highlight possible ways forward in enhancing the effectiveness of development education at third level

Public opinion and development issues: a survey of Irish university student opinions

Surveys of Irish public opinion on international development assistance have shown high levels of support combined with relatively low levels of knowledge. This article discusses the finding of a survey of university students in Ireland in 2006-7. The results suggest that the attitudes of students in Ireland closely mirror that of the wider population. They are supportive of aid and think official aid from the government should be increased. Irish development NGOs are seen as the public face of development assistance and there is little recognition of Irish Aid – the state’s official development agency. While there is awareness of the importance of structural issues such as trade access and debt relief, the spontaneous responses to what needs to be done to allow development still focus on aid and volunteering. Students are already persuaded that development is important and are motivated to donate or act, development education efforts however need to focus more on creating a better understanding of the causes of underdevelopment and the structural factors relating to interactions between wealthy and poor states