Advocating for Change? How a Civil Society-led Coalition Influences the Implementation of the Forest Rights Act in India

Forest policy implementation is a political endeavor involving both state and non-state actors. We observe that civil society organizations (CSOs) often federate into civil society-led coalitions (CSCs) in order to shape forest policies in their favor. They appear to be successful in doing this during the policy design phase but we know little about whether they are able to see through to implementation the changes they have put in motion. Analyzing CSC strategies during policy implementation could help to explain variation in the extent to which forest policies are successfully implemented. This paper analyzes the strategy choices and potential impact during policy implementation of a loose CSC comprised of CSOs, activists, people's movements, researchers, and lawyers that advocates for the full implementation of the Forest Rights Act in India. Drawing from the Advocacy Coalition Framework's focus on belief systems, complemented by insights from political ecology and civil society/social movements literature, we develop a framework to analyze CSC strategy choices. Our analysis is conducted at the national level and in two states, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. We employ qualitative research methods, including 38 interviews with CSC and non-CSC members, and a comprehensive analysis of the main CSC listserv and 1000 relevant English language newspaper articles. Our study reveals that the CSC employs a range of conflictive and collaborative strategies in its attempts to influence state-led implementation processes, at both national and state levels. It draws on a loose, heterogeneous network with ability to connect internally and a clear moral justification of its involvement in FRA implementation. However the diverse range of views on the implementation issues held by CSC members, lack of dedicated funding for coordination, limited legitimacy in the eyes of some state actors and a constricting wider institutional setting, impedes the CSC's ability to make coalition-level strategy decisions. Our results lead us to argue that CSCs are undoubtedly active in forest policy implementation at the national level and in the two states analyzed, though limited coordination of strategies potentially restricts their impact on the policy implementation process

The Effect of Maternal Tetanus Immunization on Children’s Schooling Attainment in Matlab, Bangladesh: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial

We investigate the effects of ante-natal maternal vaccination against tetanus on the schooling attained by children in Bangladesh. Maternal vaccination prevents the child from acquiring tetanus at birth through blood infection and substantially reduces infant mortality and may prevent impairment in children who would otherwise acquire tetanus but survive. We follow up on a 1974 randomized trial of maternal tetanus toxoid, looking at outcomes for children born in the period 1975-1979. We find significant schooling gains from maternal tetanus vaccination for children whose parents had no schooling, showing a large impact on a small number of children.Vaccination, tetanus, schooling, education, Bangladesh

De E-scanondernemertest ter beoordeling van ondernemerschap

De belangstelling voor ondernemerschap en de centrale rol van de ondernemer daarbij is de laatste tijd mondiaal sterk toegenomen. In dit artikel staat de E-Scan Ondernemerstest centraal: een objectief interactief zelfbeoordelingsinstrument voor ondernemers en zij die het willen worden. De E-Scan Ondernemerstest geeft inzicht in eigenschappen en kwaliteiten voor ondernemerschap. Na de beschrijving van dit instrument en enkele alternatieve testen, volgen de resultaten van de E-Scan Ondernemerstest bij ruim 21.000 (startende) ondernemers en bij 60 potentiële bedrijfsopvolgers. Eén van de conclusies is dat het met het doorzettingsvermogen van ondernemend Nederland wel goed zit