Local agreements in Syria Archive (LASA): LASA Four towns

Extracts from the Four towns’ agreements archive

Local agreements in Syria Archive (LASA): LASA Homs

Extracts from Homs agreements archive

ISIL, JAN and the war economy in Syria

The Syrian conflict is now characterised by a well-established war economy, which is linked to the collapse of the state and governance in many parts of the country. The aim of this paper is to examine how these two factors are enabling extremist organisations, Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and Jabhat Al Nusra (JAN), by allowing them to expand, reinforce their power, finance their activities and recruit more people to fight with them. This paper will look at options as to how to protect areas currently not under ISIL/JAN control from falling under such control in the future. The paper looks mainly at the economic appeal that such groups present for civilians and unemployed youth as opposed to other factors such as ideological, religious, military and political. This report does not detail how these organisations are financed. A good review of ISIL’s financing mechanisms and the measures that can be taken to deprive ISIL of these financial resources is available from The Financial Action Task Force (FATF); “Financing of the Terrorist Organisation Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant”. As part of this analysis this paper presents options to reinforce and strengthen those areas under a significant threat from future pushes by ISIL and JAN. It aims to highlight lessons from those areas that have been most successful in protecting themselves from the multifarious competing fighting groups. The main focus of this paper is on ISIL, but where relevant JAN will also be discussed

Evidence to inform education, training and supportive work environments for midwives involved in the care of women with female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice that is carried out on young girls and women in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as some Asian countries (WHO, 2008). Migration from these countries to Australia has led to an increasing number of midwives caring for women with FGM and educating families in order to prevent this harmful and illegal practice. However very little is known about the challenges midwives face in delivering care and education and what professional development and workplace strategies might better support midwives. This presentation reports on a synthesis of the peer reviewed literature published between 2004 and 2014 undertaken to identify the knowledge, experiences and needs of midwives globally with respect to FGM. This review forms part of a larger research project funded by the Department of Health and Aging to examine the obstetric outcomes of women who have FGM and midwives experiences in Australia. Ten papers were included in the review, two from lower-middle income counties and eight from high income countries. The findings indicate that midwives lack technical knowledge and cultural competency to adequately care for women. Midwives, particularly those in lower-middle income counties where FGM was traditionally practiced were found to face significant challenges in their efforts to advocate for the abandonment of the practice. Training for midwives in the area of FGM was limited. Only one study reported the outcomes of an education initiative that was found to be beneficial. Professional education and training, a working environment supported by guidelines and responsive policy and community education, were suggested are necessary to enable midwives to improve the care of women with FGM and advocate against the practice. Implications for midwifery in NSW include the need for specialised education and training for midwives on FGM, alongside opportunities for collaborative practice in contexts that support the effective reporting of FGM to authorities. Our research project will seek to further examine the implications of this review through a nation-wide survey of Australian midwives and focus group discussions with midwives in selected hospital s in NSW

Community Based Skilled Birth Attendants Programme in Bangladesh; Intervention towards Improving Maternal Health

Aim To review the strength and weakness of a community based skilled birth attendant (CSBA) program in Bangladesh. Specific Objective To explore perceptions of the providers, decision makers and community regarding newly trained community based skilled birth attendants To understand challenges, gaps and obstacles and recommend potential solutions for programme improvement. Design A descriptive study, using a qualitative approach was chosen to elicit the views and experiences of different stakeholders and the beneficiaries of the program was undertaken. The study intended to enhance understanding on gaps and challenges during program implementation by getting insight into different views. The data were captured through different methods including in-depth interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). In addition, the initial review of the existing literature and other related policies and documents were also employed. Participants Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with graduate CSBAs, 10 with Key informants including government, donor agencies and CSBAs’ trainers. Three FGDs were conducted with two groups of community women and a group of CSBAs trainees. Finding In general, the role and scope of work of CSBAs found to be uncertain; with no clear consensus on their job description or clarity of their role. Most of the respondents appreciated the role of the CSBAs in reducing maternal mortality; however, the real impact was still uncertain due to many barriers. The main barriers was low job satisfaction, lack of supportive work environment, supportive policies and low acceptability at the community which had led to the provider being demoralised and resulted in low productivity. Conclusion To achieve the MDG’s targets related to maternal and child health, the health systems cannot function without competent and well trained skilled providers who can provide quality services. The CSBA program may not be the best solution in the long term but it could be a temporary option for emergency response to the crisis of human resources in health system but in long term government of Bangladesh needs to revise their policies and strategies to train more qualified health providers