The results of a barrier analysis on complementary feeding practices among mothers in the Central River Division of the Gambia

Currently, the barriers to appropriate infant feeding practices are largely unknown in the Central River Division of the Gambia. A questionnaire was developed and implemented by a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO), the Gambia Food and Nutrition Agency, in order to gain more information and ultimately to improve the child mortality rate of the country. There were two participant groups: 88 Doers who are women who had adopted the appropriate complementary feeding practice guidelines as defined by the World Health Organization and 87 Non Doers who are women who had in some way strayed from the appropriate complementary feeding practice guidelines. The questionnaire included aspects of the Health Belief Model which can be used in the development of a future intervention. The Yes/No questions were analyzed using the Chi-square statistical method and the open-ended questions used a descriptive analysis method of evaluation. The constructs for perceived susceptibility, perceived action efficacy, perceived self efficacy, cues for action and perception of divine showed significant differences between the Doers and the Non Doers (p<0.05). The descriptive analysis revealed that both participant groups had a limited understanding of the preventative qualities of the adoption of appropriate complementary feeding practices. The women in both of groups also showed a strong perception of divine will. Women in the Central River Division perceive their husband and in-laws to be the most influential in the decision-making process regarding infant feeding practices. Recommendations for future interventions must acknowledge the importance and influence of the community surrounding the women in their adoption of the appropriate infant feeding practices. It would also be important to educate women about of the specific guidelines of the appropriate complementary feeding practices, specifically the delay in early initiation of complementary feeding. The results of this barrier analysis provide useful information to plan and implement an effective intervention to improve the child mortality rate in the Gambia. ^

Policy analysis of iron micronutrient programs at USAID: The FANTA program in East Africa and the micronutrient initiative in Bihar region of India, using comparative cost effective and cost benefit analysis

It is the aim of this paper to examine iron supplementation programs which receive funding from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) but approach combating iron deficiency anemia in two vastly different ways. A brief literature review and background information on iron deficiencies and the differences between supplementation programs and micronutrient fortification were reviewed. Two non-governmental organizations (NGO's) were examined for this paper: the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance II (FANTA) and the MicroNutrient Initiative. The FANTA program included an educational component to their supplementation program while the MicroNutrient Initiative solely used supplementation of micronutrients to their population. Methods used were cost-benefit analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the overall effectiveness of each program in reducing iron deficiency anemia in each population, if the added costs of the incentives in the FANTA program changed the cost-effectiveness of the program compared to the MicroNutrient Initiative program and to determine which program imparted the greatest benefit to each population by reducing the disease burden in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY). Results showed that the unit cost of the FANTA program per person was higher than the MicroNutrient Initiative program due to the educational component. The FANTA program reduced iron deficiency anemia less overall but cost less for each percentage point of anemia decreased in their respective populations. The MicroNutrient Initiative program had a better benefit cost ratio for the populations it served. The MicroNutrient Initiative's large scale program imparted many advantages by reducing unit cost per person and decreasing iron deficiency anemia. The FANTA program was more effective at decreasing iron deficiency anemia with less money: $5,660 per 1% decrease in iron deficiency anemia versus $18,450 per 1% decrease in iron deficiency anemia for the MicroNutrient Initiative program. ^ In conclusion, economic analysis cannot measure all of the benefits associated with programs that contain an educational component or large scale supplementation. More information needs to be gathered by NGOs and reported to USAID, such as detailed prevalence rates of iron deficiency anemia among the populations served. Further research is needed to determine the effects an educational supplementation program has on compliance rates of participants and motivation to participate in supplementation programs whose aim is to decrease iron deficiency anemia in a targeted population.^

Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Missing Children in the Coastal Region of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has emerged as one of the world’s most heinous crimes. The problem affects millions of children worldwide and no country or community is fully immune from its effects. This paper reports first generation research of the relationship that exists between CSEC and the phenomenon of missing children living in and around the coastal regions of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the country’s richest State. Data are reported from interviews and case records of 64 children and adolescents, who were receiving care through a major youth serving non-governmental organization (NGO) located in the coastal city of Sao Vicente. Also, data about missing children and adolescents were collected from Police Reports – a total of 858 Police Reports. In Brazil, prostitution is not a crime itself, however, the exploitation of prostitution is a crime. Therefore, the police have no information about children or adolescents in this situation, they only have information about the clients and exploiters. Thus, this investigation sought to accomplish two objectives: 1) to establish the relationship between missing and sexual exploited children; and 2) to sensitize police and child-serving authorities in both the governmental and nongovernmental sectors to the nature, extent, and seriousness of many unrecognized cases of CSEC and missing children that come to their attention. The observed results indicated that the missing children police report are significantly underestimated. They do not represent the number of children that run away and/or are involved in commercial sexual exploitation.

Los grandes proyectos de infraestructura del Mercosur : la hidrovía Paraguay-Paraná : realidades y controversias

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo demostrar la importancia de la hidrovía Paraná‐Paraguay dentro del contexto del Mercosur. Esta obra de infraestructura es un elemento clave para la integración física efectiva, ya que permite expandir el desarrollo comercial de la región, reduciendo los costos de transporte. Por sus características, la hidrovía es una de las principales vías fluviales de navegación del mundo, tanto por su longitud como por su caudal. Los gobiernos tanto de Argentina como de Brasil y Paraguay, impulsaron la expansión de la hidrovía Paraguay‐ Paraná, porque lo consideraron un dinamizador potencial de las economías regionales. Los países del Mercosur invirtieron, y probablemente seguirán invirtiendo miles de millones de dólares en la ampliación y modernización de su infraestructura portuaria en los próximos años, más aún cuando consideren que la profundización de la integración también pasa, en gran parte, por la integración hídrica. Dado que la hidrovía es financiada por el sector público, sector privado y organismos internacionales de crédito, sumado ello al controvertido impacto ambiental de las obras, se han generado debates y resistencia al avance de las obras, por parte de organismos no gubernamentales dedicados al medio ambiente. Sin embargo, este debate todavía está inconcluso, así también como las obras, que todavía se encuentran en proyecto de ejecución.

Por uma Governança Democrática : Triangulo Mineiro - Brasil - Uberlândia

The City Educator Program is articulated with PROEX-Pro - Deanship Culture and Student Affairs through the Directorate of Extension, along with the Institute of Geography, Faculty of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design Institute and the City Futura Pro. Program is conducted since 2008 by the Federal University of Uberlândia and Motion City Futura. The outreach program aims to promote democratic governance and smart planning municipal and regional level, enabling public and social (government technicians, law enforcement officers, and civil society leaders) seeking implementation of legal instruments, urban and tributaries in the counties of Araguari and Uberlândia, established in the City Statute and Master Plans, and the Fiscal Responsibility, Social Rights established by the Constitution, and all the instruments of social control in the municipalities involved. The methodology includes content developed through dynamic, research participant, group work and exposure dialogue. The results were relevant to holding the Course on Urban Management and Sustainable Democratic, Uberlândia A Forum for Sustainable Leadership Training Course Ethical and Sustainable, Community Workshops Seminars in Neighborhoods assessment; Map Workshop Speaker, Research Participants, Seminars and Interactive Campaigns Mobilization office in the territory. Were produced articles, reports and reflections that are public in book form. At the end of the implementation of program activities, the municipal governments, entities and non-governmental organizations as well as citizens who, directly or indirectly, involved with the program, attended the final seminar where, besides the presentation of results, was made, collectively, evaluation and assessment of all activities

Desarrollo local sostenible y gestión ambiental pública. Articulación entre las ONG ambientales y el municipio de Luján, provincia de Buenos Aires, durante el período 2005-2007

El desarrollo local ambientalmente sostenible del territorio pondera variables económicas, sociales y ambientales, y en él es esencial la legitimidad política: necesita ser construido por consenso en un ámbito democrático. La articulación entre los actores sociales (Estado, sociedad civil y mercado) constituye una dimensión relevante para su logro. El objeto del presente artículo1 es identificar las potencialidades y restricciones de la articulación municipio organizaciones no gubernamentales para la gestión de problemáticas ambientales, teniendo en cuenta el papel que en tal relación juega la comunidad científica local. El recorte espacial válido para la investigación es el Municipio de Luján en la Provincia de Buenos Aires, que cuenta con gran cantidad y diversidad de ONG, cumple con las condiciones de escala poblacional para el desarrollo local y en el que se emplaza la sede central de la Universidad Nacional de Luján.

Desarrollo local sostenible y gestión ambiental pública. Articulación entre las ONG ambientales y el municipio de Luján, provincia de Buenos Aires, durante el período 2005-2007

El desarrollo local ambientalmente sostenible del territorio pondera variables económicas, sociales y ambientales, y en él es esencial la legitimidad política: necesita ser construido por consenso en un ámbito democrático. La articulación entre los actores sociales (Estado, sociedad civil y mercado) constituye una dimensión relevante para su logro. El objeto del presente artículo1 es identificar las potencialidades y restricciones de la articulación municipio organizaciones no gubernamentales para la gestión de problemáticas ambientales, teniendo en cuenta el papel que en tal relación juega la comunidad científica local. El recorte espacial válido para la investigación es el Municipio de Luján en la Provincia de Buenos Aires, que cuenta con gran cantidad y diversidad de ONG, cumple con las condiciones de escala poblacional para el desarrollo local y en el que se emplaza la sede central de la Universidad Nacional de Luján.

Por uma Governança Democrática : Triangulo Mineiro - Brasil - Uberlândia

The City Educator Program is articulated with PROEX-Pro - Deanship Culture and Student Affairs through the Directorate of Extension, along with the Institute of Geography, Faculty of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design Institute and the City Futura Pro. Program is conducted since 2008 by the Federal University of Uberlândia and Motion City Futura. The outreach program aims to promote democratic governance and smart planning municipal and regional level, enabling public and social (government technicians, law enforcement officers, and civil society leaders) seeking implementation of legal instruments, urban and tributaries in the counties of Araguari and Uberlândia, established in the City Statute and Master Plans, and the Fiscal Responsibility, Social Rights established by the Constitution, and all the instruments of social control in the municipalities involved. The methodology includes content developed through dynamic, research participant, group work and exposure dialogue. The results were relevant to holding the Course on Urban Management and Sustainable Democratic, Uberlândia A Forum for Sustainable Leadership Training Course Ethical and Sustainable, Community Workshops Seminars in Neighborhoods assessment; Map Workshop Speaker, Research Participants, Seminars and Interactive Campaigns Mobilization office in the territory. Were produced articles, reports and reflections that are public in book form. At the end of the implementation of program activities, the municipal governments, entities and non-governmental organizations as well as citizens who, directly or indirectly, involved with the program, attended the final seminar where, besides the presentation of results, was made, collectively, evaluation and assessment of all activities

Por uma Governança Democrática : Triangulo Mineiro - Brasil - Uberlândia

The City Educator Program is articulated with PROEX-Pro - Deanship Culture and Student Affairs through the Directorate of Extension, along with the Institute of Geography, Faculty of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design Institute and the City Futura Pro. Program is conducted since 2008 by the Federal University of Uberlândia and Motion City Futura. The outreach program aims to promote democratic governance and smart planning municipal and regional level, enabling public and social (government technicians, law enforcement officers, and civil society leaders) seeking implementation of legal instruments, urban and tributaries in the counties of Araguari and Uberlândia, established in the City Statute and Master Plans, and the Fiscal Responsibility, Social Rights established by the Constitution, and all the instruments of social control in the municipalities involved. The methodology includes content developed through dynamic, research participant, group work and exposure dialogue. The results were relevant to holding the Course on Urban Management and Sustainable Democratic, Uberlândia A Forum for Sustainable Leadership Training Course Ethical and Sustainable, Community Workshops Seminars in Neighborhoods assessment; Map Workshop Speaker, Research Participants, Seminars and Interactive Campaigns Mobilization office in the territory. Were produced articles, reports and reflections that are public in book form. At the end of the implementation of program activities, the municipal governments, entities and non-governmental organizations as well as citizens who, directly or indirectly, involved with the program, attended the final seminar where, besides the presentation of results, was made, collectively, evaluation and assessment of all activities

Desarrollo local sostenible y gestión ambiental pública. Articulación entre las ONG ambientales y el municipio de Luján, provincia de Buenos Aires, durante el período 2005-2007

El desarrollo local ambientalmente sostenible del territorio pondera variables económicas, sociales y ambientales, y en él es esencial la legitimidad política: necesita ser construido por consenso en un ámbito democrático. La articulación entre los actores sociales (Estado, sociedad civil y mercado) constituye una dimensión relevante para su logro. El objeto del presente artículo1 es identificar las potencialidades y restricciones de la articulación municipio organizaciones no gubernamentales para la gestión de problemáticas ambientales, teniendo en cuenta el papel que en tal relación juega la comunidad científica local. El recorte espacial válido para la investigación es el Municipio de Luján en la Provincia de Buenos Aires, que cuenta con gran cantidad y diversidad de ONG, cumple con las condiciones de escala poblacional para el desarrollo local y en el que se emplaza la sede central de la Universidad Nacional de Luján.

Organizational Capability of Local Societies in Rural Development: A Comparative Study of Microfinance Organizations in Thailand and the Philippines

The importance of organizing local people for development work is widely recognized. Both governmental and non-governmental agencies have implemented various projects that have needed and encouraged collective action by people. Often, however, such projects malfunction after the outside agencies retreat from the project site, suggesting that making organizations is not the same as making a system of making organizations. The latter is essential to make rural organizations self-reliant and sustainable. This paper assumes that such a system exists in local societies and focuses on the capacity of local societies for creating and managing organizations for development. It reveals that (1) such capability differs according to the locality, (2) the difference depends on the structure of the organizations that coordinate people's social relations, and (3) the local administrative bodies define, at least partly, the organizational capability of local societies. We compare two rural societies, one in Thailand and the other in the Philippines, which show clear contrasts in both the form of microfinance organizations and the way of making these organizations.

Corporate Governance in Indonesia: A Study on Governance of Business Groups

This study deals with the issue of corporate governance in the case of Indonesian business groups. It examines what factors can be attributed to failures of corporate governance. Through case studies of six different types of business groups, it evidences that self-governance by owner-managers can function well if there is no other key stakeholder and no collusion with the government. When this is not the case, however, self-governance does not work, and governance by creditors or professional managers over owner-managers has limitations. For better corporate governance, there is a need not only for building internal governance mechanism of business groups, but also for strengthening external monitoring institutions including creditors, capital markets, the governmental as well as non-governmental systems.

Casting a voice for rural struggles during apartheid : the case of AFRA

This paper explores the attempts to co-ordinate rural resistance and struggles in South Africa during apartheid through a case study of the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), a land NGO established in Natal in 1979. It was a small group but had a significant local and national impact. The paper addresses three key questions concerning the character and works of AFRA: (1) What was the character and strategy of AFRA in the politicised context of the late 1970s and 1980s? (2) Was there any historical continuity and discontinuity with early attempts by Natal liberals and African landowners to organise anti-removal campaigns in the 1950s? (3) How and to what extent could AFRA negotiate the increasing influence of the Inkatha and KwaZulu government over Natal rural communities? The paper aims to serve as a critical evaluation of AFRA's strategies and activities, and its relationship with rural communities up to 1990 when land movements became nationwide.

The voices and protests of China's labour NGOs and their effort to promote migrant worker rights

Labour NGOs in China are relatively new organizations that emerged in the 1990s and have spread during the 2000s. Migrant workers in China are weak both socially and economically and have been lacking ways of voicing grievances and protesting. Grassroots labour NGOs for migrant workers seem to be an efficient channel for their voices. This paper examines how labour NGOs emerged and how they function in the context of current Chinese society. This paper adopts the case study method to describe three NGOs in Beijing and Shenzhen. The paper shows that these NGOs are using different methods to resolve migrant worker problems. At the same time, they are voicing the migrants' grievances and protesting in their own ways.

Reacting and Recycling

To a certain extent what this research is proposing is a return to local principles or to regionalism, which is able to employ place-specific tools and craftsmanship (local arts and their virtues) promoting and being innovative with traditional elements which belong to a particular place, and using tectonic and stereotomic logic. You can observe this, in the face of a destructive natural event. An immediate architectural reaction is produced in cooperation with the rest of the not affected territory. The cooperation of certain non-governmental organizations with other groups in the same collaborative cycle improves the recycling of ideas and city planning forms. These organizations cooperate in the development and implementation of cities and settlements that need a fast reaction when facing an unexpected disaster.