Social Work in Republic of Buryatia/Russia

The Republic of Buryatia is situated in Eastern Sibiria, the eastern coast of Baikal Lake. The total area of the republic is 351 thousand square kilometers. The capital of Republic is Ulan-Ude. The modern social-economic situation in Russia is extremely paradoxical and multiaspectual - negative processes take place almost in all spheres of the society. The introduction of market economy principles, the process of privatisation, and the last economic crises in the Federation of Russia have brought many social phenomena - among them increasing poverty, homelessness and still high rate of unemployment are the worst one. It makes the changes in the state social welfare programmes and functioning patterns be implemented. Social problems are especially very important in the so-called "depressive" regions of Russia (Buryatia Republic is among those regions). The most important is the staff supplement of social services and the level of professionalism of people who work there. This problem consists of two aspects: first, the number of specialists with professional education of social workers is not enough; second, the level of professionalism of the workers is very low.

The Impact of Western Social Workers in Romania - a Fine Line between Empowerment and Disempowerment

Ideally the social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance their well-being (IFSW 2004). The social work practice, however, often proves to be different. Social workers are always in the danger to make decisions for their clients or define problems according to their own interpretation and world view. In quite a number of cases, the consequence of such a social work practice is that the clients feel disempowered rather than empowered. This dilemma is multiplying when western social workers get involved in developing countries. The potential that intervention, with the intention to empower and liberate the people, turns into disempowerment is tremendously higher because of the differences in tradition, culture and society, on the one side and the power imbalance between the ‘West’ and the ‘Rest’ on the other side. Especially in developing countries, where the vast majority of people live in poverty, many Western social workers come with a lot of sympathy and the idea to help the poor and to change the world. An example is Romania. After the collapse of communism in 1989, Romania was an economically, politically and socially devastated country. The pictures of the orphanages shocked the western world. As a result many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), churches and individuals were bringing humanitarian goods to Romania in order to alleviate the misery of the Romanian people and especially the children. Since then, important changes in all areas of life have occurred, mostly with foreign financial aid and support. At the political level, democratic institutions were established, a liberal market economy was launched and laws were adapted to western standards regarding the accession into the European Union and the NATO. The western world has left its marks also at the grassroots level in form of NGOs or social service agencies established through western grants and individuals. Above and beyond, the presence of western goods and investment in Romania is omnipresent. This reflects a newly-gained freedom and prosperity - Romania profits certainly from these changes. But this is only one side of the medal, as the effect of westernisation contradicts with the Romanian reality and overruns many deep-rooted traditions, thus the majority of people. Moreover, only a small percentage of the population has access to this western world. Western concepts, procedures or interpretations are often highly differing from the Romanian tradition, history and culture. Nevertheless, western ideas seem to dominate the transition in many areas of daily life in Romania. A closer look reveals that many changes take place due to pressure of western governments and are conditioned to financial support. The dialectic relationship between the need for foreign aid and the implementation becomes very obvious in Romania and often leads, despite the substantial benefits, to unpredictable and rather negative side-effects, at a political, social, cultural, ecological and/or economic level. This reality is a huge dilemma for all those involved, as there is a fine line between empowering and disempowering action. It is beyond the scope of this journal to discuss the dilemma posed by Western involvement at all levels; therefore this article focuses on the impact of Western social workers in Romania. The first part consists of a short introduction to social work in Romania, followed by the discussion about the dilemma posed by the structure of project of international social work and the organisation of private social service agencies. Thirdly the experiences of Romanian staff with Western social workers are presented and then discussed with regard to turning disempowering tendencies of Western social workers into empowerment.

Translocal Practices on the Tibetan Plateau: Motorised Mobility of Pastoralists and Spatial Transformations

Tibetan pastoralist communities in Amdo, the north-eastern region of the Tibetan plateau, have undergone tremendous change due to a number of state induced modernisation processes. Road infrastructure is but one development that aims to facilitate transition from subsistence to a market economy and to link remote pastoralist production into the global or regional market. This paper starts from the local perspective and examines how the expansion of road infrastructure and increased ownership of motorised vehicles has impacted on the mobility of pastoralists. It argues that motorisation and the increased availability of roads creates an interface for pastoralists through which they negotiate a newly emerging translocality. Roads are embedded into everyday movements and provide pastoralists with ways to integrate new developments into their lives.

The research-action interface in sustainable land management in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Challenges and recommendations

International agencies and programmes introduced sustainable land management (SLM) to Central Asia after the former Soviet Republics became independent in 1991. An aim of early SLM initiatives was to address challenges linked to the transformation of the agricultural sector from a centrally planned economy to a decentralized market economy. This article analyses the knowledge–action interface in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as it relates to SLM. The analysis focuses on the influence of underlying land management concepts by means of a literature review. Contemporary barriers at the research–action interface were identified using participatory appraisal. And a historically contextualized understanding of the effectiveness of interactions between researchers, policy makers and practitioners is based on an analysis of purposefully selected cases. The study concludes that knowledge of different stakeholder groups is often highly disconnected. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies are rare, and academic research on SLM has subsequently been ineffective at contributing to substantial benefits for society. Further, researchers, policy makers and practitioners in this context must recognize the differences between SLM and what is often referred to as the equivalent Soviet-era concept—rational use of land resources—and the resulting implications of these differences. The authors recommend the following: creating an enabling environment for SLM research through academic institutional reform removing structural constraints, making research outcomes more effective by applying systems approaches that produce evidence for policy makers on the multiple benefits of SLM, helping land users evaluate SLM strategies and investing in the establishment and maintenance of a multi-stakeholder SLM platform that allows dynamic exchange.

Capitalisation of Experiences of the Swiss Support to Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) in Bulgaria

Following the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, Bulgaria has undergone dramatic political, economic and social transformations. The transition process of the past two decades was characterized by several reforms to support democratisation of the political system and the functioning of a free-market economy. Since 1992, Switzerland has been active in Bulgaria providing assistance to the transition process, with support to Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) starting in 1995. The SMNR Capitalisation of Experiences (CapEx) took place between March and September 2007, in the context of SDC phasing out its programmes in Bulgaria by the end of 2007 due to the country’s accession to the European Union. The CapEx exercise has culminated in the identification of 17 lessons learned. In the view of the CapEx team, many of these lessons are relevant for countries that are in the process of joining the EU, facing similar democratisation challenges as Bulgaria. Overall, the Swiss SMNR projects have been effective entry points to support areas that are crucial to democratic transitions, namely participation in public goods management, decentralisation, human capacity development in research and management, and preparation for EU membership. The specificity of the Swiss support stems from an approach that combines a long-term commitment with a clear thematic focus (forestry, biodiversity conservation and organic agriculture). The multistakeholder approach and diversification of support between local, regional and national levels are also important elements that contributed to make a difference in relation to other donors supporting the Bulgarian transition. At the institutional level, there are a number of challenges where the contribution of SMNR activities was only modest, namely improving the legal framework and creating more transparency and accountability, both of which are time and resource-consuming processes. In addition, the emergence of competent and sustainable non-government organisations (NGOs) is a complex process that requires support to membership based organisations, a challenge that was hardly met in the case of SMNR. Finally, reform of government institutions involved in management of natural resources is difficult to achieve via project support only, as it requires leverage and commitment at the level of policy dialogue. At the programme management level, the CapEx team notes that corruption was not systematically addressed in SMNR projects, indicating that more attention should be given to this issue at the outset of any new project.

Comments and conclusions on the I International Seminary “Interdiscipline in Territorial Management "

El objetivo principal del I Seminario Internacional “ La Interdisciplina en el Ordenamiento Territorial, fue debatir sobre el aporte de las diversas disciplinas que confluyen en el Ordenamiento Territorial. Las ponencias presentadas fueron de un alto nivel científico y a partir de los casos analizados se demuestra que en la realidad coexisten espacios fragmentados social y económicamente, ya que se verifica la existencia de espacios globalizados con fuertes inversiones frente a otros que quedan marginados. Esta situación se manifiesta a través de la presencia de nuevos procesos de expansión y suburbanización, espacios rurales que se desvalorizan y se abandonan, ecosistemas naturales que deben ser protegidos para evitar un mayor deterioro medioambiental. Entre las conclusiones de los trabajos presentados se destacan: • La necesidad del mejoramiento de la capacidad de gestión a través de propuestas de nuevas metodológicas de trabajo, • la búsqueda de soluciones a las grandes disparidades socioeconómicas y al progresivo deterioro ambiental a partir del consenso de los agentes que intervienen, • la formulación de nuevas normativas acordes a las exigencias que impone la economía de mercado, entre otros.

Comentarios y conclusiones II Seminario Internacional : la interdisciplina en el ordenamiento territorial

Por el éxito y trascendencia de sus eventos anteriores, el Instituto CIFOT siente la obligación de hacer conocer las principales conclusiones del II Seminario de Ordenamiento Territorial, el que comienza a marcar pautas a partir de las preocupaciones comunes, enfoques teórico-metodológicos prevalecientes en el Ordenamiento Territorial, la planificación Estratégica y Ambiental, como también sobre las prácticas de gestión de la información territorial. Se sintetiza la idea central de las conferencias Magistrales: - Dr. Juan Gastó- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile- presenta “ La Ordenación Territorial como eje del Desarrollo Rural", cuyo punto central es la imposibilidad de separar la problemática territorial urbana de la rural. - Dr. Eduardo Salinas- Universidad de La Habana , Cuba- en “El Ordenamiento Territorial como instrumento de la Planificación y Gestión Ambiental" establece la necesidad de una planificación sustentable ambientalmente, con una concepción sistémica y holística de los problemas. -Dra. Elsa Laurelli -Universidad de La Plata , Argentina- en “Nuevas Tendencias del Ordenamiento Territorial en una Economía de Mercado. Limitaciones y posibilidades" plantea coexistencia de áreas receptoras de IDE vs espacios degradados y con problemáticas sociales y reflexiona sobre el rol del Estado para atenuar los efectos del mercado en el territorio y la sociedad. - Dr. Pablo Ciccolella -UBA-, Argentina. En “ Desafíos y opciones en la Gestión Urbana bajo el Capitalismo Global: Planificación Estratégica y Desarrollo Económico-Territorial" alerta sobre la planificación llave en mano que genera un desarrollo elitista, banal y efímero. - Dr. Mariano Zamorano -Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza- presenta “ Una propuesta de Regionalización de la Provincia de Mendoza sobre la base de la Lógica Territorial " destinada a optimizar la gestión municipal y provincial. Al II Seminario de Ordenamiento Territorial concurren alrededor de 140 personas y se exponen 43 trabajos en las siguientes áreas temáticas : - 1 Nuevas tendencias en el Ordenamiento territorial . - 2 Ambiente y Ordenamiento Territorial. - 3 El Ordenamiento Territorial en el ámbito urbano. - 4 El Ordenamiento Territorial en el ámbito rural. - 5 La gestión de la información en el Ordenamiento Territorial. - 6 El rol de las Instituciones en el Ordenamiento Territorial. Conclusiones De l rico debate e intercambio de ideas realizado durante el II Seminario, se extraen tres grandes temas: - La necesidad de una visión general y holística del territorio, evitando la fragmentación disciplinar. - La interdisciplina, como campo de convergencia de problemáticas complejas. La planificación estratégica como instancia participativa y visión integral del territorio. - La metodología para el Ordenamiento Territorial debe ser verdaderamente aplicada. No se puede seguir planificando con una racionalidad limitada en busca de una imagen objetivo rígida mientras el territorio, conformado por sistemas complejos y abiertos, está en constante cambio por exigencias propias de lo global. - Un Estado en retirada no contiene la estructura necesaria ni el consenso para imponerse en sociedades democráticas con dominio absoluto de tipo capitalista.

Gestión del ordenamiento territorial en América Latina : desarrollo recientes

Las principales conclusiones del estudio realizado entre los años 2001 y 2002 sobre las políticas de ordenamiento territorial que desde comienzos de los años ochenta del siglo pasado se desarrollaban en los países de América Latina muestran que hacia el año 2002 las políticas latinoamericanas de Ordenamiento Territorial (OT) se encontraban en un estado incipiente. A través del análisis de los casos de países como Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay, México y Colombia se puede observar la complejidad de la gestión territorial en América Latina y los desafíos que enfrenta. Frente a esto es necesaria una apuesta territorial integral hacia un modelo de desarrollo en el que la política económica (global), las políticas sectoriales y las territoriales confluyan en la búsqueda de un nuevo orden territorial regionalmente armónico y equilibrado, socialmente justo y democrático, descentralizado, ambientalmente sostenible y económicamente competitivo, pero entendiendo dicha competitividad sin detrimento de los derechos sociales, ambientales y económicos de los ciudadanos. Es posible que bajo la lógica perversa de la economía de mercado esto sea una utopía, pero es lo único que le da sentido y significado socialmente aceptable a las políticas de desarrollo y ordenamiento territorial.

Consideraciones críticas sobre el modelo de Alexander V. Chayanov

Este trabajo presenta un estado de la cuestión sobre la obra del economista ruso Alexander Chayanov y su crítica. El objetivo es analizar La organización de la unidad económica campesina (1924) desde una perspectiva que contemple tanto las intenciones del autor y la arquitectura de su obra como la crítica pasada y presente de sus lectores. Comenzando por los aspectos metodológicos, se propone revisar el modelo teórico básico y su funcionamiento real. Se entiende que el aislamiento del campesinado de su medio social más amplio es el método utilizado por el autor para construir un modelo conceptual de tipo puro. Sin embargo, su obra no se reduce a este objetivo. Al tratarse de una teoría práctica, Chayanov busca probar el funcionamiento real del modelo dejando caer los supuestos iniciales para insertar a los campesinos en el marco más amplio de la economía de mercado, introduciendo elementos ausentes en la simplificación inicial: la situación de mercado, los salarios y las inversiones de capital. El análisis conduce a sostener que la operación metodológica que el autor realiza para construir la teoría socava su capacidad explicativa. Se reflexiona, finalmente, sobre las virtudes y limitaciones de la obra desde una perspectiva histórica

Consideraciones críticas sobre el modelo de Alexander V. Chayanov

Este trabajo presenta un estado de la cuestión sobre la obra del economista ruso Alexander Chayanov y su crítica. El objetivo es analizar La organización de la unidad económica campesina (1924) desde una perspectiva que contemple tanto las intenciones del autor y la arquitectura de su obra como la crítica pasada y presente de sus lectores. Comenzando por los aspectos metodológicos, se propone revisar el modelo teórico básico y su funcionamiento real. Se entiende que el aislamiento del campesinado de su medio social más amplio es el método utilizado por el autor para construir un modelo conceptual de tipo puro. Sin embargo, su obra no se reduce a este objetivo. Al tratarse de una teoría práctica, Chayanov busca probar el funcionamiento real del modelo dejando caer los supuestos iniciales para insertar a los campesinos en el marco más amplio de la economía de mercado, introduciendo elementos ausentes en la simplificación inicial: la situación de mercado, los salarios y las inversiones de capital. El análisis conduce a sostener que la operación metodológica que el autor realiza para construir la teoría socava su capacidad explicativa. Se reflexiona, finalmente, sobre las virtudes y limitaciones de la obra desde una perspectiva histórica

Consideraciones críticas sobre el modelo de Alexander V. Chayanov

Este trabajo presenta un estado de la cuestión sobre la obra del economista ruso Alexander Chayanov y su crítica. El objetivo es analizar La organización de la unidad económica campesina (1924) desde una perspectiva que contemple tanto las intenciones del autor y la arquitectura de su obra como la crítica pasada y presente de sus lectores. Comenzando por los aspectos metodológicos, se propone revisar el modelo teórico básico y su funcionamiento real. Se entiende que el aislamiento del campesinado de su medio social más amplio es el método utilizado por el autor para construir un modelo conceptual de tipo puro. Sin embargo, su obra no se reduce a este objetivo. Al tratarse de una teoría práctica, Chayanov busca probar el funcionamiento real del modelo dejando caer los supuestos iniciales para insertar a los campesinos en el marco más amplio de la economía de mercado, introduciendo elementos ausentes en la simplificación inicial: la situación de mercado, los salarios y las inversiones de capital. El análisis conduce a sostener que la operación metodológica que el autor realiza para construir la teoría socava su capacidad explicativa. Se reflexiona, finalmente, sobre las virtudes y limitaciones de la obra desde una perspectiva histórica

Stunted and Distorted Industrialization in Myanmar

More than 15 years have passed since Myanmar embarked on its transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-oriented one. The purpose of this paper is to provide a bird-eye's view of industrial changes from the 1990s up to 2005. The industrial sector showed a preliminary development in the first half of the 1990s due to an "open door" policy and liberalization measures. However, a brief period of growth failed to effect any changes in the economic fundamentals. The industrial sector still suffers from poor power supplies, limited access to imported raw materials and machinery, exchange rate instability, limited credit, and frequent changes of government regulation. Public ownership is still high in key infrastructure sectors, and has failed to provide sufficient services to private industries. What the government must do first is to get the fundamentals right.

Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction under Mubarak's Program

This paper describes and analyzes the major features of economic development and poverty reduction in Egypt during its transition to a market Economy. It focuses on the changes in the situation of poverty and economic policies pursued as remedies by the government of Egypt and the ruling NDP. Sustainable development and poverty reduction is the core of the President Mubarak’s election campaign for his fifth term for the presidency. We attempt to explain the obstacles encountered by the Egyptian economy in terms of adjustments and general economic arguments on poverty. Finally, we refer to the necessity for enhanced accountability in the society to accomplish the goal.