Understanding and engaging informal justice

Engagement with informal justice systems in developing countries has emerged as a major policy priority for donor nations such as the Netherlands. This interest reflects practical realities. After all, in the developing world, an estimated eighty to ninety per cent of disputes are handled outside the state justice system (Albrecht and Kyed 2010: 1). In countries with weak institutions or that are prone to conflict, informal justice can be particularly prominent because state courts cannot or will not consistently uphold the law. Thus, engagement with informal justice constitutes a vital area of engagement for both domestic and international policymakers seeking to produce tangible changes in how justice is actually experienced. However, it is also an area fraught with risks. This working paper seeks to examine potential engagement by domestic and international actors with local informal justice systems. It consists of three main sections. The first section examines the nature of informal justice. It highlights some common advantages and disadvantages of those systems. Part two examines four donor relevant case studies with high levels of legal pluralism where most disputes are settled through informal mechanisms. The cases span from conflict prone states where the governing authority is actively contested to more consolidated democracies. They are designed to cover a wide array of potential settings, drawing on places of ongoing conflict (Afghanistan) and a polity teetering on the brink of major conflict (South Sudan). The case studies also include an example that enjoys stable and legitimate governance, but a democratic deficit (Rwanda) as well as a democratic state that faces serious economic, political, and judicial challenges (Ghana). The final section offers some general insights based on the examined cases. Most notably, it outlines the major policy options available as well as some key issues to consider

Theorizing Risk and Research: Methodological Constraints and Their Consequences

Conflict, postconflict settings, and other risky research sites are important with wide-ranging policy implications. Microlevel, field-based research lends critical insights to how conflicts work and the mechanisms behind macrolevel correlations that underpin quantitative political science. This article identifies how the risks associated with conflict and postconflict contexts influence researchers’ choices by theorizing the existence of distinct adaptive strategies. Specifically, researchers facing elevated risk generally manage it through three main strategies: outsourcing risk, avoiding risk, and internalizing risk. We argue that these strategies systematically shape and circumscribe outputs. We conclude by discussing how the relationship between risky fieldwork and what we know about conflict is poorly acknowledged. Thinking about how we manage risk should play a larger role in both our preparation for and interpretation of research, particularly in conflict and postconflict contexts

A theoretical and experimental study of the ionosphere using radio signals from earth satellites progress report no. 9, 1 jan. - 30 jun. 1964

Morphology of ionosphere using radio signals from earth satellite

Data requirements for verification of ram glow chemistry

A set of questions is posed regarding the surface chemistry producing the ram glow on the space shuttle. The questions surround verification of the chemical cycle involved in the physical processes leading to the glow. The questions, and a matrix of measurements required for most answers, are presented. The measurements include knowledge of the flux composition to and from a ram surface as well as spectroscopic signatures from the U to visible to IR. A pallet set of experiments proposed to accomplish the measurements is discussed. An interim experiment involving an available infrared instrument to be operated from the shuttle Orbiter cabin is also be discussed

EVALUATION OF NORTH DAKOTA FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

Net farm income of participants in the North Dakota Farm Business Management Education Program increased with years of enrollment both in absolute terms and compared to peer group benchmarks. Median net farm income increased $7,829 and$14,191 between the first and fifth year of enrollment for all farms in the program and a subset of farms with five consecutive years of records starting with the first year of enrollment, respectively. Net farm income by year of program participation was compared to a benchmark median net farm income for the same geographic region, calendar year, and farm type in an attempt to isolate the affects of management from weather and other exogenous factors. Net farm income as a percent of benchmark increased 17.5 percentage points from first year participation farms to fifth year farms and 28 percentage points for farms for which there were five consecutive years of records starting with the first year of enrollment. Increased net farm income for both groups was accompanied by improved efficiency, increased farm size, and greater net worth. Note: Figures 1 is not included in the machine readable copy--contact the authors for more information.Farm Management, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

The Last Best Aid? Rethinking Paralegal Assistance

In an era of ever increasing skepticism towards foreign aid, international paralegal assistance to developing countries is a rare exception. Paralegals have been lauded by the United Nations , the World Bank , and many others as a proven way to promote access to justice, human rights, and the rule of law. Paralegals are also seen as a bargain — funding paralegals costs far less than lawyers