Development and social policy reform in Uganda: the slow emergence of a social protection agenda (1986-2014)

This paper provides a broad overview of the evolution of development and welfare policy-and the politics surrounding-it in Uganda, but focuses primarily on the increasing prominence of social protection, especially cash transfers, on the domestic political agenda. It analyses both how and why the development and social policy agendas almost fully excluded social protection prior to 2002, but then increasingly embraced it, especially since 2006. Non-contributory social assistance in the form of cash transfers have not traditionally played a significant role in Ugandan development and poverty reduction policy, with policymakers tending to focus on economic growth as a source of prosperity (expected to extend to all sections of society), with opponents seeing cash transfers (and social assistance more broadly) as unaffordable and counter-productive 'hand-outs' that create dependence on the state and disincentivise productive work. From the early 2000s donors, sections of the bureaucracy and civil society promoted cash transfers with limited success. But after 2006, systematic promotion of cash transfers started to bear fruit, and from 2010 a largely donor-funded cash transfer pilot scheme known as the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme has been implemented in fourteen districts (with a fifteenth added in 2013). The paper describes the evolution of Ugandan development policy and highlight the political factors that have in the past been obstacles to social protection programmes featuring prominently on the development agenda (including the predominant socio-economic development paradigm, negative elite attitudes, resistance from conservative technocrats and lack of familiarity among key decision-makers) and examine how these have increasingly been overcome by the proponents of social protection. While donors have played a critical role in the promotion of social protection and cash transfers, other actors-including civil society and social development bureaucrats-and macropolitical factors (including electoral competition, changing international development discourse, emerging evidence from other countries, etc.), have also contributed to increased domestic political support. We conclude that the very existence of SAGE and the politics surrounding the pilot indicate a significant change in attitudes among a large proportion of policy-makers, including some historically sceptical technocrats, and political leaders, but that resistance is likely to continue from certain quarters and that the future of cash transfers remains uncertain

Photoreceptor Outer Segment-like Structures in Long-Term 3D Retinas from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

The retinal degenerative diseases, which together constitute a leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, are largely untreatable. Development of reliable methods to culture complex retinal tissues from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) could offer a means to study human retinal development, provide a platform to investigate the mechanisms of retinal degeneration and screen for neuroprotective compounds, and provide the basis for cell-based therapeutic strategies. In this study, we describe an in vitro method by which hPSCs can be differentiated into 3D retinas with at least some important features reminiscent of a mature retina, including exuberant outgrowth of outer segment-like structures and synaptic ribbons, photoreceptor neurotransmitter expression, and membrane conductances and synaptic vesicle release properties consistent with possible photoreceptor synaptic function. The advanced outer segment-like structures reported here support the notion that 3D retina cups could serve as a model for studying mature photoreceptor development and allow for more robust modeling of retinal degenerative disease in vitro

The Grizzly, February 8, 2000

Main Street Traffic Problematic for UC Pedestrians • Low Injury Rate No Accident at UC Sporting Fields and Facilities • CIE Hailed a Success After Inaugural Semester • Race for the President Heats up in New Hampshire • Opinion: Pledging: Meaningless, Horrible; Freshman Perspective; Study Abroad Questions of Residence on Return • A Piano Starr • Music Review: The Deb Callahan Band • Summer Plans: Internship or Summer Job? • UC Women\u27s Basketball Still Confident for CC Win • Swimming Edged out by the Mawrters • Ursinus Gymnastics Ousts SUNY-Cortland • Wrestling Battles for 2-1 Week • Men\u27s Basketball Pounds CC Competitionhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1458/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 22, 2000

Black History Celebrated Across Ursinus Campus • Greeks Fall Under Scrutiny • Arts Program to Expand at UC • Nobel Laureate Lecture Draws Positive Student Response • Littleton, Letterman and the South Carolina Primary • After South Carolina: Can McCain be the Man for the GOP? • Pledging Debate Continues: The Problem of Hazing • Pat McGee: Pseudo DMB? • Valentine\u27s Day Blues • Tumbling and Dancing with Words • Music Review: Dr. John • Glah, Druckenmiller Shine at CC Swimming Championships • UC Wrestling Falls Short in Centennial Championships • UC Spring Sports Preview • Gymnastics Trounces School Record at Marranca Invitational • Men\u27s Basketball Ends Stellar Season • Sports Profile: Christopher Ciuncihttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1460/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 12, 2000

Student May Lose Squatting Rights, Residence Life Says • Students Peeved at Parking Problems • Freshman Class Elects Student Body Politic • UC Student Organizations Come Alive at Activities Fair • U.S. News Ranks UC High • Freshmen React: New Laptop Receives Praise, Criticism • A PANDA in Bear Country: Local Citizens Fight Against Plans for New Power Plant • In the Ad Campaign, Uber Rocks the Vote! • Letters to the Editor • Editorials: Cutting Education Short; Apathy Lay Dying • Are Freshmen Working Too Hard? • Opinion: Campaign 2000 Presidential Debates • Rugby Looks to Have Tons of Fun in Fifth Season • Field Hockey Still Looking for First Win • Men\u27s Soccer: Win Over Wesley, Shut Out vs. Scranton • Women\u27s Soccer Splits at Pepsi Cardinal Classic • Athletes of the Week: Scott Hussey; Nicole DiMascio • Bears Ground Flying Dutchmen in 39-6 Romp • XC off to Fast Starthttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1471/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, August 29, 2000

UC Class of \u2704: Welcome to a Journey of a Lifetime • Campus Security puts Safety First • Students React to Parking Fee Increase • Chemistry Course Canceled • UC Gets Wired: New Laptop Program Debuts • Opinion: What This Campus Really Needs; Tuition Rises, Why Not Scholarships?; Campaign 2000: Bush, Gore and so Much More • Making the Most of Your Ursinus Experience • Commuters are Students Too!! • Upperclassman Reflects on First Days of a New Life at UC • Finding a New Home at UC • Food for Thought: Eating Right at Wismer • Getting Involved in UC Clubs, Organizations • CIE: One Student\u27s Perspective • UC Student to Appear on Jeopardy! • Field Hockey Team set for Breakout Season • Football Program Looks to Build on Success • Men\u27s Soccer Program On the Rise • Women\u27s Program Looking to Score Big • Volleyball Team Set to Kill Competition • XC Squad, After False Start, Ready to Run • No Routine Season for Cheerleading Squad • Field House Construction Behind Schedule • UC Grad Brackin Earns Post-Grad Scholarshiphttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1469/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 22, 2001

Student E-mail Service Altered After Spate of Abuse • National Sorority to Open UC Chapter • New Curriculum to Emphasize Diversity, Fine Arts • Ursinus Students Show Political Spirit in Protest • Threat of Serial Bomber Creeps Closer to Collegeville • SPINT Week Informs Students of Alternative Housing Options • Ursinus Students React to Court\u27s Ruling that Napster Must Shut Down • Opinions: Welcome to the Board; Hazing Still Prevalent During New Member Education ; Should Drugs be Legalized for Civilian Use? • Bears Clinch top Seed in Playoffs with Thrilling Overtime win • Third Place Finish for Wrestling Squad at CCC Match • Druckenmiller, Augelli, Jaskelewicz Lead Bears at Swimming Championships • Gymnastics Team Beats Springfield, Takes Fourth at Invitational • UC Track Team Looks Ahead to Conference Champs • Guisto, Hussey Lead Women to win in Season Finalehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1484/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, April 25, 2000

District Attorney Speaks Out Against Hazing • The Great Re-Election Debate • Frameography: Another Fresh New Face in Collegeville • Ursinus\u27 Honor Societies Members \u2700 • Religion Rules at Upsilon Phi Delta Discussion • Blues in Full Bloom at Flowers\u27 Performance • Student Art Achievement at Ursinus College • Letter to the Editor • Softball Squad Ranked Second in the NCAA East Region • Ursinus Lacrosse Thrashes Mawrters in 21-4 Romp • Bears Swing Into First Place Over Johns Hopkins • UC Field Hockey: Building for the Future • Track Sprints Toward Conference Champs • Fisher Takes CC by Stormhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1467/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 29, 2000

Phi Psi Sanctioned • UC Students Weather Winter Sickness • Meghan Gualtieri: Profile of a True UC Role Model • Ursinus\u27 Own Superbagger • GOP Race Tightens in Michigan and Arizona • Investors to Transform Mir Into Out-of-this-World Hotel • Opinion: Food and Diversity at Ursinus College; Fox\u27s Marry a Millionaire Fiasco Sends Wrong Message • A Student\u27s proTheatre: Halves • John Gwinn: Post-Modernist Extraordinaire? • Gymnastics Sustains Record-Breaking Run at Rutgers • UC Grad Bill Stiles Becomes Sports Information Director • Winter Track Season Ends Strong • Bears Captures Last Three Wins • Sports Profile: Yori Adegunwahttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1461/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 5, 2000

Freshman Clustering: Ideal Living or Mission Impossible? • 2 Major Additions Make Debut this Fall • UC Online Generates Digital Excitement • Fitness House Hopes to Spark Student Interest in Athletics • Fountain Near Pfahler in the Works for Next Summer • Summer in Cambridge, Paris Unforgettable • New Professor Added in Computer Science Department • Opinion: Is Cheerleading a Sport??; Campaign 2000: Eye on Education; The Lesson is in the Language: The Republican Educational Plan • Summer Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band Spectacular at the Vet • International Film Festival Set to Begin at UC • Women\u27s Soccer Invincible at Invitational • Men Win Opener, Drop Heartbreaker • Uphill Battle Ahead for Cross Country Squad • Volleyball Team Dlgs out a Win in Virginia • Football Ranked Second in Conference Preseason Poll • Athlete of the Week: Krista Bailey • Meningitis: What UC Students Need to Know • UC Sophomore Reflects on Horrors of Freshman Fifteen • Rough Start for Bears\u27 Field Hockeyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1470/thumbnail.jp