Private donations for international development

Charitable donations by private individuals and firms can help fund the Millennium Development Goals. What are the prospects for increasing donations for international development, whether from small scale donors, the super-rich (as in the recent gifts by Bill Gates and Ted Turner), or the corporate sector? The paper starts by reviewing how large are the sums currently given in OECD countries (including gifts of time) and the problems development has in competing with domestic causes. It then looks at possibilities for the future, including tax-deductions, the new 'global funds', corporate social responsibility and 'cause-related marketing', the use of the Internet, and long-term donor education

Private Donations for International Development

charities, philanthropy, volunteering, development finance

A Field Guide to Place: Lessons on Home, Landscape, and Transformation

“A Field Guide to Place” is an exploration of place, land, and identity, particularly in the American West. This thesis seeks to better understand our positionality in the natural world, and how we can use literature to communicate that. This thesis uses The Meadow by James Galvin to explore place-based creative nonfiction and individual relationships with land. I challenge authorial representations of place as singular and simple, instead invoking the subjunctive mood to better understand the complexity of history that is ingrained in place. This thesis found that place is inherently subjective and dependent on identity, history, and politics of land. In our efforts to build more sustainable and just communities, we must consider the subjunctive in the places that we love

CEO compensation structure and firm performance

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business.Many academic studies investigate CEO compensation practices [Murphy (1999)], and the subject is also widely discussed in the popular press. However, the academic literature to date has concentrated on settings where CEOs are typically offered equity-based compensation, and these equity awards are relatively similar in terms of characteristics. To date, CEO compensation practices have not been investigated in a setting where firms in similar industries concurrently use either cash only or cash and equity to compensate their CEOs, and where the characteristics of the equity grants also differ across firms. This thesis researches CEO compensation in such a setting. The objective of this thesis is to provide evidence on the use and performance consequences of different CEO compensation structures. Specifically, the thesis first determines whether the use of the different compensation structures is linked to different firm characteristics. Second, the thesis examines the relation between firm performance and the use of the different compensation structures, and third, the thesis investigates the performance consequences of deviations from an estimated "efficient" compensation structure. Using large Australian firms reporting in the 1999 to 2001 financial years, Chapter Two provides descriptive evidence on the variation observed in Australian CEO compensation structures, and finds that around one-third of large Australian firms offer their CEO only cash based compensation, while the remaining two-thirds use some level of equity-based compensation. Chapter Three provides some explanation for the observed variation by demonstrating that firms using the different compensation structures have significantly different economic characteristics. Chapter Four examines the performance consequences of compensation structure choice. This Chapter first . finds little evidence of systematic differences in firm performance across the two compensation structures. Then this Chapter models an "efficient" compensation structure based on firm characteristics, and tests the performance consequences of deviations from this efficient structure. Chapter Four finds some (although weak) evidence that firms using an inefficient structure have lower firm performance compared to firms using an efficient structure. This thesis makes contributions to the literature in number of areas. First, the thesis shows that it could be efficient for firms with different economic characteristics to use different compensation structures. Second, the thesis finds that firm performance is not necessarily related to the use of one or other of the different compensation structures, but rather that lower firm performance is a consequence of incorrect compensation structure choice. Overall, this thesis provides important new insights into the use of different CEO compensation structures

Event Centrality After Trauma: Stability, Trauma Type, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

In order to better understand posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and PTSD’s etiology, researchers have begun examining whether PTSD symptoms are related to the centrality of the traumatic event (i.e., whether the trauma is central to the individual’s life story and changes the way he or she views the world). The current study examines the following questions: (1) Is event centrality stable over time? (2) What is the effect of cumulative trauma on event centrality? Additionally, do different types of trauma have different associations with event centrality? and (3) Given its relationship with PTSD, should event centrality be considered a reliable and valid symptom of PTSD, instead of a predictor of PTSD? These questions were addressed using a sample of 298 newly-arrived Iraqi refugees across three waves of measurement. Results from Study 1 indicate event centrality, as measured by the Centrality of Event Scale (CES), is both internally consistent and likely temporally stable over time. Study 2 results suggest CES and PTSD symptoms function similarly with regards to trauma exposure. Specifically, high cumulative trauma exposure is associated with higher CES scores and the specific trauma of Physical Trauma to the Self is associated with higher CES scores than other trauma types. Study 3 provides statistical support for the use of the CES as a symptom cluster of PTSD and criterion validity analyses indicate that individuals with high CES scores report poor overall global functioning across a spectrum of outcomes. Overall, these results indicate event centrality is a critical component to understanding the cognitive aspects of PTSD and point toward the nuanced nature of identity, trauma, memory, and mental health. Additionally, these results suggest the CES may be a valid method of assessing poor mental health in a population unlikely to disclose mental health concerns

Profiles of Adjustment among Children in Institutional Care in Ghana: Predictors of Positive Functioning

Worldwide, approximately 2-8 million children reside in institutional care, which can lead to developmental setbacks. Given the need for institutional care persists, it is important to continue investigating which improvements can be made to provide optimal care. The current mixed-methods study included participants from Accra, Ghana. Study 1 involved cluster analyses to determine patterns of adjustment for 100 children in institutional care (CIC) (M age = 13.31 years, SD = 3.14; 40% female) and 100 children in families (CIF) (M age = 13.37 years, SD = 3.08; 40% female) across several domains. ANOVA was used to evaluate whether protective factors differentiated between patterns. Findings were compared between the CIC and CIF. Study 2 used qualitative interviews with 38 Ghanaian teachers and institutional staff (M age = 43.31 years, SD = 10.37; 82% female) to gather adult perceptions of youth adjustment and interpretations of Study 1 results. Results revealed multiple patterns functioning for CIC and CIF. It was determined that three groups of CIC met the definition of resilience one or more areas of functioning. For CIC, problem-solving coping varied between clusters, while for CIF self-efficacy and adaptability varied significantly. Study 2 participants largely affirmed the quantitative findings, noting that children may struggle some areas while having strengths in others. Having basic needs met, a stable home, and a high level of adult support were the most common factors believed to contribute to positive functioning. Participants explained why problem-solving coping was significant for CIC. Intervention implications and future directions were discussed

A missing peace? The role of religious actors in countering terrorism

Despite the surge of scholarly interest in terrorism and counter-terrorism in the post-9/11 world, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the role of religious actors (especially faith communities and faith leaders) in combating the threat of terrorism. However, the resurgence of religiosity in contemporary politics should not be viewed as an inherently dangerous force. As Appleby has argued, a new secular-religious model of inter and intra-state diplomacy looms as a development with significant potential to resolve conflict and deny terrorist groups access to communities of support. By drawing on an Australian example, we argue that in societies that have a strong multicultural and multifaith character secular-religious diplomacy pitched at the national and sub-national level can play an important role in the formation of a flexible long-term counterterrorism strategy