Policy Coherence for Development: Five Challenges

‘Policy Coherence for Development’ (PCD) seeks to ensure that non-aid public policies are consistent with a government’s international development goals. In the light of a number of years of PCD reviews and institutional reforms at both EU and member state level, this paper reflects on the dynamics of the PCD policy environment and discusses five challenges for the PCD policy agenda. These include the opposing interests of domestic and development constituencies, conflicts between development objectives themselves, disagreements between experts on what ‘good’ development policy is, difficulties in identifying the true development interest of developing countries, and the growing heterogeneity between and within developing countries. While the challenges discussed in this paper have general relevance, we draw on EU and Irish policies to illustrate the arguments. We conclude with a series of recommendations on how these challenges might be addressed and how to make the PCD agenda more effective.Policy Coherence for Development, European Trade and Agriculture Policy, Development Policy, Millennium Development Goals

EDITORIAL: A timely alternative vision

As many readers will know, Pacific Journalism Review was published for nine years in the Pacific – initially at the University of Papua New Guinea from November 1994, and then most recently at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. This issue marks the relocation of the journal from Suva to the School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology. The issue following this one, with the theme of ‘Media ownership and democracy’, will mark a decade of publication. Throughout this time the journal has been at the forefront of critical reflections on the role of the media and journalism practices in the Pacific region; a role it will continue to serve in its new location

The psychological distress of the young driver: a brief report

Objective: To explore the role of psychological distress in the self-reported risky driving of young novice drivers. Design: Cross-sectional online survey of 761 tertiary students aged 17-25 years with an intermediate (Provisional) driving licence who completed Kessler’s Psychological Distress Scale and the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale. Setting: Queensland, Australia, August-October 2009. Main outcome measures: Psychological distress, risky driving. Results: Regression analyses revealed that psychological distress uniquely explained 8.5% of the variance in young novice’s risky driving, with adolescents experiencing psychological distress also reporting higher levels of risky driving. Psychological distress uniquely explained a significant 6.7% and 9.5% of variance in risky driving for males and females respectively. Conclusions: Medical practitioners treating adolescents who have been injured through risky behaviour need to aware of the potential contribution of psychological distress, whilst mental health professionals working with adolescents experiencing psychological distress need to be aware of this additional source of potential harm. The nature of the causal relationships linking psychological distress and risky driving behaviour are not yet fully understood, indicating a need for further research so that strategies such as screening can be investigated

Student Perceptions of Active Shooters on Campus

This study examines the level of fear Bridgewater State University students experience about becoming a victim of a violent attack on campus by an active shooter. Since 1996, nearly 60 school shootings have taken place in American schools, resulting in hundreds of deaths. This study examines the impact on students\u27 fearfulness in the wake of the most recent mass murders happening on college campuses at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University

Forecasting Casino Gaming Traffic with a Data Mining Alternative to Croston’s Method

Other researchers have used Croston’s method to forecast traffic at casino game tables. Our data mining alternative to Croston’s method more accurately forecasts gaming traffic using the rich databases that are frequently available at casinos. A more accurate forecast will allow for better planning of staffing on the casino floor

EDITORIAL: Elusive issues of identity

The concept of the ‘indigenous public sphere’ is intended to describe the highly mediated public ‘space’ for developing notions of Indigeneity, and putting them to work organising and governing the unpredictable immediacy of everyday events (Hartley and McKee, The Indigenous Public Sphere, 2000, p. 3) One of the major conclusions of John Hartley and Alan McKee’s study is that, in the Australian media, indigenous people are central to a drama about Australian national identity. Stars rather than victims, indigenous people are caught up in a media narrative over which ‘they have little individual control, but which is nevertheless telling their story’ (p. 7). &nbsp