Qualitative Data Analysis Challenges in Co-Designing Educational Technology Systems for Refugee Children

There is a growing interest in the potential for technology to facilitate emergency education of refugee children. But designing in this space requires knowledge of the displaced population and the contextual dynamics surrounding it. Design should therefore be informed by both existing research across relevant disciplines, and from those who are on the ground facing the problem in real life. This paper describes a process that is based on literature from emergency education, student engagement and motivation, educational technology, and participatory design. We describe how this process was implemented leading to the design of a digital learning space for children living in a refugee camp in Greece. The challenge of data analysis is critical, as the qualitative data in the process is elicited from activities of various natures and thus moving from qualitative data to designs is a critical challenge that we are looking to cover for our process to be complete and applicable. We discuss some of the challenges that can be expected in such context

Networks as transnational agents of development

The term network has become a hallmark of the development industry. In principle networks have the potential to provide a more flexible and non-hierarchical means of exchange and interaction that is also more innovative, responsive and dynamic whilst overcoming spatial separation and providing scale economies. Although the label networks currently pervades discourses about the relationships between organisations in development, there has been surprisingly little research or theorisation of them. This article is a critical evaluation of the claims of developmental networks from a theoretical perspective. While networks are regarded as a counter hegemonic force we argue that networks are not static entities but must be seen as an ongoing and emergent process. Moreover theory overlooks power relationships within networks and is unable to conceptualise the relationship between power and values. These observations open up a research agenda that the authors are exploring empirically in forthcoming publications

Patterns of Governance: the rise of transnationalcoalitions of NGOs

This paper explores patterns of governance in transnational development non-governmental organisation (NGO) coalitions. Governance is a term that has increased in usage during the last decade; it has been used in a variety of ways, by a variety of actors. Here, governance is broken down into two elements—governance as a purposive activity, and governance as an explanatory framework. This is an empirically grounded paper which focuses on the mechanisms of governance as a purposive activity, illustrated by interviews with four transnational development NGO coalitions. The principal aim of this research is to illustrate the workings and mechanics of governance

Transnational Solidarity and Anti-Austerity Campaigning for European Political Change

Since the end of the Second World War, Europe has experienced one of the most peaceful and productive periods in its history. Much of this peace and prosperity has been attributed to the development of a more cohesive Europe and the subsequent development of the European Union. Yet Europe is certainly not without its problems, experiencing repeated ‘crises’, such as the refugee crisis, the financial crisis, the ‘Brexit’ crisis and austerity politics and the recent rise of populist political parties. There have been increasing protests on the continent, occupations of spaces and other forms of dissent. While there are strong and clear forms of resistance within various European Union member-states in response to these issues, there have been surprisingly few successful and coordinated actions across Europe. The focus of this chapter, thus, is an exploration of some forms of resistance operating across Europe. The chapter is driven by a set of broad questions: how have forms of resistance operated across Europe? How have protesting groups and citizens worked together? More importantly, what are the factors contributing to the prospects of European citizens working in solidarity

Cutting the diamond: networking economic justice

Jubilee 2000 (J2K) and Make Poverty History (MPH) have been two of the most high-profile collective action coalitions to emerge over the last decade. Both were intentionally set up to raise awareness around economic justice issues, as well as to increase political pressure on key policymakers on debt cancellation, trade justice, and increasing development aid. Both coalitions have been influential actors in world politics during the last decade. In this chapter, I examine how these two coalitions have been agents of change. The organizational form of J2K and MPH, specifically the network-of-networks form, has been successful in bringing together existing organizations such as nongovernmental organizations, trade unions, and church-based groups for the purposive aim of collective action

International NGO Engagement, Advocacy, Activism: The Faces and Spaces of Change

The world of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) has dramatically changed during the last two decades. The sector has become highly professionalised in fundraising, branding and marketing, as well as in the communications with their supporters. Yanacopulos critically analyses the engagement of INGOs within the contemporary international development landscape, enabling readers to further understand INGOs involvement in the politics of social change in a shifting terrain involving: INGO strategic organisational reconfigurations into networks of networks; new and dynamic deliberative spaces; and the dynamic spaces of digital and virtual interactive environments. Yanacopulos argues that INGOs need to utilise political values and political spaces more strategically if they are to be better agents of change. Looking at the ways they engage with the public, INGOs need to re-evaluate their strategies and further explore their utilisation of established and new political spaces

The janus faces of a middle power: South Africa's emergence in international development

South Africa’s rising international presence is undeniable. The country has recently joined the BRICS club of powerful emerging countries, is in the G20, a member of IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum) and has been touted as a possible contender in a potentially reformed UN Security Council. Also, South Africa has set up a new International Development agency, a key marker of a middle power. Yet South Africa is not a typical middle power, as half of South Africans live below the poverty line. Through various methods such as print and online media content analysis and interviews with policy makers, journalists, civil society and international donors during the period between 2009-2011, this paper examines the two different and divergent faces of South African politics – one focused on the domestic development state and the other focused on its international middle power aspirations

The Public Face of Debt

The end of the last century inspired the ‘forgiving’ of an estimated 100 billion dollars of debt from highly indebted southern countries. In this paper we will be exploring the changing norm around debt cancellation—how debt cancellation was turned into something that G7 governments and International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund became concerned with. The focus of this paper is on the roles that two organizations played in this process—Oxfam International and Jubilee 2000. The paper utilizes a norm cycle framework to examine how these two organizations influenced the public face of debt