Think big! Future prospects of the international summit architecture - the G20, G8, G5, and the Heiligendamm Dialogue Process

"The international dynamic to which the global financial crisis has led in the international summit architecture offers a grand opportunity to effect the global governance reform that had begun so auspiciously in the period leading up to 2005, the year of UN reform, in order then to falter. Here the Heiligendamm Dialogue Process (HDP) can play an important role as a forum for intensive, policy-specific, and in-depth reform debates. The Heiligendamm Dialogue Process, created by the G8 in 2007, may play an important role as a forum for intensive, policy-specific, and in-depth reform debates, providing a contribution to giving North-South relations a new and more inclusive shape. The present paper analyses what results the HDP has generated thus far, inquiring into the conditions required if it is to be continued successfully. The paper offers suggestions for various reform scenarios, taking current global dynamics into account (in particular the G20 financial summit). The study is based on the premise that global problems like the financial crisis or climate change can be effectively addressed only with the aid of a more inclusive and representative coordination body at the top level of global governance." (excerpt

Electoral participation, political disaffection, and the rise of the populist radical right

Does the populist radical right benefit from increased electoral mobilization? Integrating theories of political grievances with accounts of party competition in Western Europe, we contend that the populist right gains advantage from increased electoral mobilization, but that this effect is conditional on political disaffection. We draw on a novel panel dataset (2009-2019) of more than 10,000 German municipalities and city districts to study the implications of turnout surges as a function of pre-existing levels of political disaffection in a difference-in-differences design. The results demonstrate that turnout surges benefit the populist right "Alternative fur Deutschland" (AfD) in contexts of widespread political distrust. In contrast, increased mobilization acts to depress its electoral fortunes in communities marked by low baseline levels of political disaffection. In shedding light on the interplay between political disaffection and electoral mobilization, this study has important implications for understanding the surge of the populist right in established democracies

Think big! Zukunftsperspektiven der internationalen Gipfelarchitektur - die G20, G8, G5 und der Heiligendamm-Dialogprozess

"Die internationale Dynamik, die sich durch die globale Finanzkrise in der Gipfelarchitektur entwickelt hat, birgt die große Chance, die global governance-Reform herbeizuführen, die im Vorfeld des VN-Reformjahrs 2005 so vielversprechend begonnen hatte, dann aber weitgehend ausblieb. Der Heiligendamm-Dialogprozess (HDP), der 2007 von der G8 ins Leben gerufen worden war, kann eine wichtige Rolle als Forum für intensive, policy-spezifische und detaillierte Reformdebatten spielen und einen Beitrag dazu leisten, die Nord-Süd-Beziehungen neu und inklusiver auszugestalten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird analysiert, welche Ergebnisse der HDP bislang gebracht hat und unter welchen Voraussetzungen er erfolgreich weitergeführt werden kann. Vorschläge für verschiedene Reformszenarien werden unter Berücksichtigung aktueller globaler Dynamiken (insbesondere G20-Finanzgipfel) unterbreitet. Die Studie fußt auf der Prämisse, dass globale Probleme wie die Finanzkrise oder der Klimawandel nur mithilfe eines inklusiveren und repräsentativeren Koordinationsgremiums in der Spitze der global governance-Architektur möglich ist." (Textauszug

DEMOKRATIEFÖRDERUNG IN AUßENABHÄNGIGEN ENTWICKLUNGSLÄNDERN : Ein Forschungsansatz zur kontextsensiblen Analyse internationaler Demokratieförderung

Die Entwicklung eines Forschungsansatzes für die kontextsensible und vergleichende Analyse internationaler Demokratisierungshilfe in außenabhängigen Entwicklungsländern steht im Zentrum dieser Studie. In der Untersuchung wird eine umfassende und kritische Bewertung der Demokratieförderungsforschung von 1990 bis 2010 vorgenommen. Darauf aufbauend werden gängige Demokratieförderungsverständnisse rekonzeptualisiert. Im Ergebnis bietet die Studie einen systemischen Ansatz in dem die Verflechtung internationaler Maßnahmen und politischer Prozesse im Entwicklungsland berücksichtigt und die Wirkungen von Demokratieförderung analysiert werden können. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit erhält Sub-Sahara Afrika

Mali - hinter den Kulissen der ehemaligen Musterdemokratie

Die malische Regierung hat ihren Fahrplan für die Transitionsphase vorgelegt. Priorität haben danach die Wiederherstellung der territorialen Einheit und das Abhalten von freien Wahlen. Ein Zeitplan ist allerdings nicht enthalten (RFI 26. Januar 2013). Mali galt 20 Jahre lang trotz schwieriger Ausgangsbedingungen als Vorzeigedemokratie des afrikanischen Kontinents. Doch am 22. März 2012 stürzte ein Militärputsch das Land in eine tiefe Demokratie- und Sicherheitskrise. Den Hintergrund für diese Entwicklung bilden das Nachlassen der Friedensdividende der malischen Demokratie, schwache demokratische Institutionen und ein Vertrauenslust in die Problemlösungskompetenz der Regierung des ehemaligen Präsidenten Amadou Toumani Touré. Der Anfang der 1990er Jahre mit den Tuareg-Rebellen im Norden geschlossene Frieden hatte sich als brüchig erwiesen. Die militärisch erstarkten Rebellen und kriminelle sowie islamistische Gruppen aus dem Ausland breiteten sich in der malischen Sahelregion aus. Dem waren erfolglose Integrationsversuche der Bevölkerung des Nordens in den malischen Staat vorausgegangen. Zudem hatten sich die staatlichen Institutionen Malis als schwach erwiesen. Die auf Konsens ausgerichtete und personenfokussierte Politik Amadou Toumani Tourés höhlte demokratische Repräsentationsorgane wie politische Parteien und das Parlament aus. Daher konnten diese Institutionen nur sehr eingeschränkt zur Konsolidierung des malischen Demokratisierungsprozesses beitragen. Trotz internen und externen Drucks waren die seit den 1990er Jahren offensichtlichen Defizite der Wahlinstitutionen nicht wirklich behoben worden. Dadurch entstanden Zweifel an der Möglichkeit, durch Wahlen einen demokratisch legitimierten Machtwechsel zu erreichen. Die mangelnde Problemlösungskompetenz der Regierung Amadou Toumani Tourés im Umgang mit der prekären Sicherheitslage in den Nordregionen legitimierte den Aufstieg des Militärs zum zentralen politischen Akteur im Land

Student Perceptions of a Service-Learning Course in a Rural Setting

The primary purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of a servicelearning course at a small, rural, state college. Throughout the semester-long course, the students learned about how to improve afterschool programs and childhood obesity in rural areas similar to the community that encompassed them. The class format consisted of both online discussions over articles, along with in-person meetings. Students then had the option to participate in a paid service opportunity to apply their knowledge in an after-school program; however, no students took part in this component of the class. Reasons the students could not participate in the afterschool program were discussed but most students believed participation would have been beneficial

Defining a sustainable development target space for 2030 and 2050

With the establishment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), countries worldwide agreed to a prosperous, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable future for all. This ambition, however, exposes a critical gap in science-based insights, namely on how to achieve the 17 SDGs simultaneously. Quantitative goal-seeking scenario studies could help explore the needed systems' transformations. This requires a clear definition of the "target space." The 169 targets and 232 indicators used for monitoring SDG implementation cannot be used for this; they are too many, too broad, unstructured, and sometimes not formulated quantitatively. Here, we propose a streamlined set of science-based indicators and associated target values that are quantifiable and actionable to make scenario analysis meaningful, relevant, and simple enough to be transparent and communicable. The 36 targets are based on the SDGs, existing multilateral agreements, literature, and expert assessment. They include 2050 as a longer-term reference point. This target space can guide researchers in developing new sustainable development pathways

Methods for Analysing Steering Effects of Global Goals

This chapter provides an overview of the multi-faceted landscape of methods used to study the steering effects of the Sustainable Development Goals. After a discussion of the political use of science and the complex relations between science and politics, the chapter showcases a selection of different methods that are employed to trace the steering effects of the Sustainable Development Goals. Selecting the most suitable method for a particular research question requires understanding their main characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. The chapter highlights that all methods and tools need to be combined to comprehensively assess the political impact of the goals, the progress towards their achievement, and their overall transformative potential. As data gaps and unequal geographical coverage still hamper a broader understanding of the political impact of the globalgoals, we need to build bridges across language communities, disciplines and methodological camps, which still work very much in isolation

New Horizons for Germany's Africa Policy

This paper deals with Germany's new Africa policy. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) presented a new Africa concept in January 2017. The BMZ wants to counter the further marginalisation of Africa with inclusive and sustainable growth. Chancellor Angela Merkel will explain her new policy for Africa at the G20 summit in Hamburg in July 2017, in an attempt to gain the approval of the other G20 members for focused cooperation with Africa. The paper argues that it remains solely the duty of African states to take their development into their own hands. Cooperation can support this process, but it cannot assume what is each state's individual responsibility. The Marshall Plan with Africa aims to develop a joint agenda with the countries of Africa. Yet because the African countries did not participate in developing the concept, the plan derived so far is more of a plan for Africa, identifying which measures the BMZ would like to implement in order to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Africa. Africa is becoming increasingly differentiated, and developing a joint strategy with individual countries or groups of countries that reflects the varying speeds at which changes are occurring would be a decisive step. The plan does not cover sufficient ground on this issue. In order to develop a coherent Africa concept for the German federal government, the participation of the most important ministries needs to be improved, and the chancellor needs to be in charge of the overall management. The paper concludes that Germany's Africa policy needs to be redesigned. The Marshall Plan has generated a shift, but it does not provide sufficient guidance to new horizons and away from the well-beaten track of traditional development cooperation. The departure to a new age that is defined by increased cooperation with democratic African countries which are capable of reform, and by a courageous and consistent stance in relation to non-democratic countries, has not yet taken place

Innovations for Sustainability: Pathways to an efficient and post-pandemic future

3rd Report prepared by The World in 2050 initiativ