Defragmenting International Investment Law to Protect Citizen-Consumers: The Role of Amici Curiae and Public Interest Groups

Investment arbitration decisions are often inconsistent. In particular, complaints about the unpredictability of NAFTA Chapter 11 jurisprudence and the difficulties in balancing foreign investors’ interest and public policy are common and unresolved. An examination of the role of interest groups may shed important light on the resolution of that problem as they are involved in the social construction of the meaning and use of NAFTA Chapter 11 through arbitration and public debate. This work discusses the extent to which amici curiae empower public interest groups that seek to protect citizen-consumers. It argues that currently amici curiae provides an extremely narrow list of participation rights to public interest groups that, coupled with economic and political disadvantages in many cases, result in censoring the views of such groups and playing the political role of symbolic accountability. This work proposes an expansive view of amici curiae for public interest groups in light of the potential of the latter to counter the influence of corporate interest groups and to contribute to both minimize NAFTA Chapter 11 inconsistencies and strike a more realistic balance between the public interest and foreign investors’ interest. The overall impact of such expansive amici curiae will probably be the defragmentation of NAFTA Chapter 11, that is to say, public interest groups will be empowered to introduce public interest considerations such as human rights, environmental protection and public health into NAFTA analysis, that are likely to protect the interest of local citizen-consumers. However, that requires not only greater legal powers for public interest groups, but also favorable financial and political conditions for an effective participation of public interest groups in NAFTA disputes. The argument is illustrated with a brief discussion of amici curiae in the context of anti-smoking groups and tobacco policies in Canada affecting particularly vulnerable groups with high rates of tobacco consumption such as aboriginal communities and low-income groups

NAFTA Weakens Regulatory Power of Governments

NAFTA creates a situation where governments have less power to intervene on issues such as obesity, hunger, and public health. This is likely to benefit only the privileged sector of society and harm low-income citizens.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

How Can Consumers Make Healthy Eating Choices?

“Nudging” consumers towards healthy food is not fully effective in getting people to eat well. A lack of education or a lack of income play a role in unhealthy food choices.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Atención impersonal o cuidado humanizado : ¿una decisión de enfermeras? Modelo del Reloj de Arena

ABSTRACT: This work sought to understand the meaning of the experience of caring and how patients, family members, and nurses describe it. Methods. This was a phenomenological interpretive study with 16 adult participants between 29 and 62 years of age, selected through purposeful sampling. The study was based on in-depth interviews to construct the information and on the procedures proposed by Munhal for the analysis. Results. This work revealed a complex relation, understood as vicariant, between humanized care and impersonal care that influence upon independent aspects of the social and legal system, health institutions, and nurses. The themes comprising the experience of humanized care are described in the “hourglass” model. Conclusion. Humanized care can displace impersonal care or vice versa, according to the orientation of nurses in the care practice and some elements from the institutional context.RESUMEN: Comprender el significado de la experiencia de cuidado y la forma como la describen los pacientes, familiares y enfermeras. Métodos. Estudio fenomenológico interpretativo con 16 participantes adultos entre 29 y 62 años de edad, seleccionados por muestreo con propósito. Se basó en entrevistas en profundidad para la construcción de la información y en los procedimientos propuestos Munhal para el análisis. Resultados. El estudio mostró una complicada relación, entendida como vicariante, entre el cuidado humanizado y la atención impersonal en la cual influyen aspectos dependientes del sistema social y legal, de las instituciones de salud y de las enfermeras. Los temas que componen la experiencia de cuidado humanizado se describen en el modelo denominado “reloj de arena”. Conclusión. El cuidado humanizado puede desplazar a la atención impersonal o viceversa, según la orientación de las enfermeras en la práctica del cuidado y algunos elementos del contexto institucional