Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Bodhisattvas In The Pagoda And In The World: Socially Engaged Buddhism In Hue, Rachel Cotterman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How do Buddhist pagodas and other Buddhist institutions, practices, and practitioners engage with the larger realm of society in Vietnam? Does the majority Mahayana Buddhist population enact this tradition's Boddhisatva ideal of helping all beings transcend suffering? What Buddhist teachings might provide a successful model for social engagement today? This paper addresses these questions in the context of the city of Hue, with an in depth case study at Tu Hieu pagoda that is situated within an investigation into the broader culture of Buddhism in this city.

Using participant observation, interviews, and literature reviewed, I explore the vibrant presence of …

Educating The Forgotten: Non-Formal Education In Urban Kampala, Eleanor Huntington

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the practicum period, the student researcher interned at MYDEL to gain a better understanding of the challenges and successes of the non-formal education (NFE) sector in urban Kampala, and in particular the Kisenyi neighborhood of Mengo. In the slum areas of Mengo, many children and youth are unable to afford school fees and thus are more susceptible to turn to a street life, which entails the following: extreme poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, young marriage, early childbirth, rape, or sexual abuse. MYDEL as an organization works to combat this cycle by instructing the children …

Ações Para Uma Melhor Vida: A Situação De Prostituição No Novo Eldorado De Juruti, Megan Whelan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a short preliminary study carried out by the students of SIT Amazon 2008 in Juruti, the site of a Bauxite mineral extraction project of North-American company, ALCOA, the issue of the rapidly expanding prostitution industry became a prominent point of discussion with the members of the town. Taking into consideration the importance given to the issue by the community, this study was developed to examine further the issue of sexual exploitation in the town of Juruti, with the main objective of discovering the best actions to be taken to improve the well-being of the exploited women and children, according …

Surviving The War, Surviving The Peace: Supporting Women Survivors Of War-Rape And Domestic Violence In Medica Zenica, Zoë Brennan-Krohn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research sought to examine the transition from war to post-war services provided in a women’s non-governmental organization, Medica Zenica, located in central Bosnia-Hercegovina. Opened in 1993, in the midst of the war in Bosnia, Medica Zenica began providing support for war-rape survivors. Today, Medica Zenica is still running, but the majority of clients are now survivors of domestic violence.

By interviewing women currently and previously employed in Medica Zenica, I pieced together a picture of how Medica has evolved in the last fifteen years, as well as how these evolutions are seen as a reflection of changing society in …

Finding Balance And Identity: Second And Third Generation Immigrants In The Netherlands, Alexis Beveridge

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Netherlands has a large population of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants. With a population of approximately 16.6 million, almost 20 percent of the population is non-indigenous. Turkish and Moroccan immigrants each represent approximately one tenth of the entire population, together accounting for one fifth of the immigrant population. The Netherlands began accepting Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the 1970s. These immigrants were accepted as guest workers for manual labor jobs. Most historians agree that the first generation of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants did not intend to stay permanently in the Netherlands. Further, native Dutch people did not expect them to …

The End Of The Line: Understanding The Morocco-Algeria Border, Katherine Solberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The land border between Morocco and Algeria has gone through cycles of closure and opening over the past decades. This project set out to examine how the closed border has affected the lives of individuals in border towns, specifically Figuig. It explores the border’s effect on Figuig’s economy, smuggling, healthcare, land ownership, and familial relations. Through interviews, archival research, and participant observation, I found that none of these areas has been affected positively by the current border situation, but that there is no concrete solution in sight to fix the problems the closed border creates.

An Assessment Of Subsidy Removal Effects On And Future Sustainability For Livestock Sector Of In The Northern Jordanian Badia, Christopher Jetter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the rationale behind the 2007 removal of the fodder subsidy in Jordan and the effects this had on livestock owners in the Northern Badia. Furthermore, it examines possible solutions for improving the efficiency of the sector as well as its sustainability. The government’s decision to lift the subsidy was due to the pressure of rising world cereal prices on the national budget deficit. Owners in the Northern Badia as a result had to sell off around half of their flock. Consequently, there has been a rise in disease among livestock as well as higher prices for consumers. …

Fighting The Man: A Case Study Of The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Allison Grill

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looks to develop an understanding of how marginalized communities throughout South Africa are bettering their own lives. A number of them have mobilized, some in larger numbers than others, to form a wide range of social movement organizations in the country. This paper uses one such movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, as a case study to examine how social movements have developed in post-apartheid South Africa. This paper will look at strategies utilized, obstacles faced and some of the people behind the Anti-Eviction Campaign to better understand its role in the mobilization and empowerment of local communities. …

Surfistas For Change: Building New Identity And Community In Poor Brazilian Communities Through Sport And Education, Stephanie Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of my research was to test the hypothesis that sports can be a preventative method for youth risk behaviors such as gang membership. My hypothesis was that sports could provide some of the same benefits as gang membership and other risk behaviors, but in a more healthy and productive way. To test this thesis, I spent three weeks researching the work of ARCA, the Associaçao Recreativa e Esportiva para Crianças e Adolescentes in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. While I studied all the projects of ARCA, I focused my research on their Escola do Surf, in the poor beach community …

Fighting The System From Within: Cmpio And Education Reform, Anna Marshall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The current system of public education in Oaxaca is riddled with problems too numerous to list here. There is an obvious need for reform or for a new system all together. The argument presented in this paper is that the latter is not a feasible option for most in Oaxaca, especially for rural indigenous communities. For reasons explained throughout this study, it is necessary to work within the present confines of the existing education system in order to make significant improvements in the quality of education for these communities. Many activists seek to reject “the system” all together, but this …

The International Market, Globalization And Nafta: If Food Is Life, Why Have We Allowed It To Become So Dirty?, Abigail Dym

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Child Labour And Microfinance In Morocco: Using Microfinance To Reduce Child Labour And The Case Of The Al Amana Microfinance Institution, Kristyn Schomp

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Approximately 218 million children are child laborers worldwide. These children work as agricultural workers, prostitutes, handicraft producers, and in virtually in every other form of employment imaginable. But although the problem of child labour has been one of recent international focus, there are still 126 million children involved in some form of hazardous work each year.

The existence of such statistics can be attributed in part to the complex and multi-faceted nature of child labour. Similarly, the reasons for child labour can range from economic and political instability, migration, lack of work, and/or poor school systems. Therefore, the reduction of …

Une Division Ambiguë: L’Immigration Et La Société Civile En France, Kristen Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Struck by the overwhelming debate and cultural emphasis on the issue of immigration in French society, I decided to explore the complex relationship between the non-profit organizations that give social services to various immigrant communities and the government. Through eight interviews with non-profits, government agencies, and political organizations, I concluded that the non-profits compensate for the faults of the French government by more accurately addressing the social issue of immigration. Beyond the non-profits, though, it is civil society in general that has the legitimacy of discourse over the State through its championship of universal rights and international integration. The paradox …

Along The River Soumsoum: Urban Agriculture In Ngaoundéré, Winnie Fay Bell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With increasing urbanization large amounts of poverty is shifting from rural to urban centres, posing problems of unemployment and access to food. Due to this dynamic, urban poor all over the world have begun cultivating food in open areas in cities as a means of survival and in an attempt of securing food. With this in mind, this paper seeks to establish the place that urban agriculture holds in the small but rapidly expanding city of Ngaoundéré, in the Adamaoua Province of Cameroon. This is done through exploring the form, function and benefits of urban agriculture for those that partake …

Feminist Justice In Practice: Witness Experiences Of Survivors Of Wartime Sexual Violence In The Sud Bih, Brett A. Smith-Hams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Wartime sexual violence is currently being prosecuted in numerous legal institutions across the world. In order for survivors of this sexual violence to have the best possible experiences, many improvements in the care, protection, and support of those who come forward to testify in these institutions need to be made. This study looks at the practices of one particular legal institution, the National Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is currently in the midst of trying several war crimes cases, many of which involve incidents of mass, systematic sexual violence as part of a larger military campaign in the region …

Options And Aid: What The Future Holds For The Displaced Sugar Cane Families Of Labasa, Fiji, Lieselot Whitbeck

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 1997, a large number of agricultural leases in the Fijian sugar belts began to expire without renewal. Stepping away from the debates over who should have access to land under what legislation and for what purpose, this paper concentrates on the people who are being directly affected by lease expiration: the cane farmers and cutters themselves. Through the collection and analysis of information gathered through personal interviews and associated literature, this paper focuses on the present moment in Fiji and identifies the needs of displaced cane families, the options available to them, and the different types of aid that …

Migrant Working Children In Ho Chi Minh City: Emerging Trends Between Economic Migrant And Runaway Child Workers, Paige Fern

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper studies the impact of doi moi on working children in Ho Chi Minh City. Doi moi, which was implemented in 1986, drastically changed Vietnamese society, economically, socially ad politically. These changes allowed a market economy to emerge, sparked remarkable economic growth, and reduced the overall level of poverty. The living standard of the entire population has improved as a result of these economic developments. Poverty reduction has not occurred equally across all regions of Vietnam. Since 1986, there has been a growing divide between rural and urban areas. Around 10 million children in Vietnam today, 30% of the …

Catholic Community Services In Fiji Solutions To Poverty Alleviation, Rebecca Richard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an attempt to research various Catholic community service programs in and around the Suva area of Fiji. I visited various Churches, religious orders, and Catholic organizations in the hopes to learn about their actions, and how their services affect the community and alleviate poverty. In the beginning of this paper, I stressed the religiosity of Fiji, and how many people are devoted to their faith, but only through ‘individual piety,’ consisting of prayer, reading the bible, and mass attendance. I speak of the role of the Catholic Church and its commitment to service via Catholic Social Teaching, …

What About Sustainable Improvement? Current Efforts And Challenges In The Work Of The Municipal Government To Improve The Rights Of The Garbage Pickers In Fortaleza, Brazil, Shehzia Valiulla

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The government programs seek to improve the condition of the oppressed and the poor, but very few truly have a sustainable positive impact on the lives of the poor. This research, through a case study of a program, Pilot Project of Selective Collection in Jangurussu, run by municipal officers for the benefit of garbage pickers (catadores do lixo in Brazil), attempts to define what characterizes and ensures the sustainable improvement in the work-related rights of catadores in Fortaleza, a city in Northeast Brazil, through seeking perspectives from two important stakeholders, the catadores and the municipal officers. Organizing catadores into legal …

Development, Civil Society And The Conflict In Nepal, Shan Rehman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For more than two decades now, scholars such as Etienne Balibar and Antonio Negri have argued the ‘total subsumption of capital’; there remains no ‘outside’- all aspects of social life are governed by commodities and wage labor. This process, given impetus by the processes commonly referred to as economic globalization or market liberalization, also came to be synonymous with ‘development’. Imperfect markets, the widely implemented ‘Washington Consensus’ package of economic policies further implied, were far better social mechanisms than imperfect states.

The study and practice of ‘development’ worldwide, however, is in flux. Critiques of the mainstream ‘development’ project, widely implemented …

The Needs Of The Marginalized; Documenting A Crisis Defined As Such By The Catadores De Lixo Of Jangurussú, Jane Hudson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Catadore de lixo is a general term used by Brazilians to refer to those people who work with garbage. It encompasses those who work (and often live) in open landfills and scavenge for salvageable goods to consume, use, or sell; those who work in the street collecting garbage; those who collect only recyclables; and those who work within associations, companies, or cooperatives that sort, sell, and/or recycle refuse. Such a cooperative and the catadores who comprise is the focus of my research.

My objective for spending three weeks in the homes and community of the catadoras de lixo was to …

The State Of “Differently Abled” People In The Western Cape, South Africa, Joshua Wade Paul

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is a look into whether the current legislation and resources provided allow for the equality that is promised in the new constitution. I looked at legislation and community NGOs in order to establish what is being done in order to assure that people with disabilities have equal access to resources, including education, transportation, employment, healthcare, public awareness, and human resource development. In order to investigate these questions I worked with the Cape Mental Health Society and the Fountain House; I conducted interviews and observations looking at the community facilities of care. These community groups also provided insight into …

Facing Reality: The Story Of Icaro Amorim, Nicole Vengrove

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The harsh struggles and lack of basic necessities, which plague many low-income neighborhoods in Northeastern Brazil negatively impact children’s physical and emotional development. My research follows a 16 year-old boy, Icaro Amorim, who lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Fortaleza, Ceara, located in the Northeastern region of Brazil. Despite his hard life where food is never a guarantee, Icaro possesses a social awareness that motivates him to improve the life of his family and his community. This social consciousness is played out in Casa de Cultura, a project which Icaro and his peers started in their community of …

Hope: An Ethnography Of An Alternative Orphan Care System In Mgange Dawida- Taita; A Case Study Of The Isuwirio-Tumaini Self-Help Group, Malaika M. Dosremedios

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Est-Ce Que Le Droit D’Asile Est Menacé En France ?(Is The Right To Asylum Being Threatened In France?), Ralph Delouis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

« Le droit d’asile en France existe en principe qu’en pratique. », un psychologue interculturel qui a travaillé avec les demandeurs d’asile. La France est un pays qui est bien connu pour beaucoup de chose. La France est un pays connu dans le monde entier pour sa culture, son art, sa philosophie, et sa gastronomie parmi autre. Une autre chose pour laquelle la France est très bien connu est l’occasion de trouver asile en France. La France a l’image d’un pays ou la république est très juste et très ouvert. Dans le passé elle est connu pour être accueillant aux …

The Political Economy Of Giving: Legitimacy, Welfare, And The Influence Of Foreign Ngos In China, Nathan Wallace

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the death of Mao and the rise of reformers in China, the world has eagerly awaited the results of changes sweeping through the developing nation. Deng Xiaoping and his successors have promised reform, which has come in the form of market liberalization. Now, after 20 years of reform, the Chinese people have seen a boom of economic prosperity. Their nation has joined the WTO and taken a central role in the world economy. Reform has also reduced political oversight of people’s daily lives and allowed the economy and society to exist in a less regulated environment. That being said, …

Leaving The Streets, Jane Slater

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Currently thousands of children and adolescents live in the streets of Managua, and this phenomenon is moving rapidly into the smaller cities of Nicaragua. In other countries around the world, civil war is a leading cause of street children, but in Nicaragua, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, often committed by the father or stepfather, combined with poverty is usually why children and adolescents turn to the street. Street kids range in age from about 5 or 6 years old to 18 years old, and many kids living in the streets have children of their own. The majority of street kids …