Digital Commons Network^™

Taking Responsibility For Climate Change-Related Displacement: Article 8 Of The European Convention On Human Rights And The Proportionality Of Expelling ‘Climate Refugees’, Matthew Scott

Matthew Scott

Climate change is already contributing to the displacement of millions of people worldwide by increasing the frequency and intensity of adverse weather events. Faced with a ‘protection gap’ in the international legal framework, proposals for responding to the phenomenon overwhelmingly rely on the State to act, with limited discussion of the potential to develop the scope of protection through litigation. Recognising the potential for litigation to address immediate protection needs whilst also developing the scope of protection more broadly, this discussion paper advances an interpretation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights that would require a ‘fair …

Filipino Journalists Speak Out And Pay The Price, Eric Loo

Eric Loo

There's the shepherd, the flock and the sacristan. Together they drive the media machine with their paymaster, in the back seat brazenly directing the way through the back alleys of Philippine politics.' The 'shepherds' are former journalists turned media publicists. 'Shepherds' take care of reporters covering the election campaign trails - from arranging accommodation to providing food and 'night' entertainment. This can rake in as much as 40,000 pesos monthly (about US$729) for 'shepherding' a presidential election. That's equivalent to how much a broadsheet senior reporter earns in three months. Another story tells of editors pocketing P20,000 to P50,000 a …

Survival Ethics In The Real World: The Research University And Sustainable Development, George Middendorf

George Middendorf

Maritime Security Issues In An Arc Of Instability And Opportunity. Security Challenges, Quentin Hanich, Sam Bateman

Quentin Hanich

The Pacific Arc of islands and archipelagos to the north and east of Australia has been characterised both as an ‘arc of instability’ and as an ‘arc of opportunity’. It is the region from or through which a threat to Australia could most easily be posed, as well as an area providing opportunities for Australia to work on common interests with the ultimate objective of a more secure and stable region. Maritime issues are prominent among these common interests. This article identifies these issues and their relevance to Australia’s maritime strategy. It suggests measures Australia might take to exploit the …

Bridging Vs. Bonding Social Capital And The Management Of Common Pool Resources, Kathy Baylis, Yazhen Gong, Shun Wang

Kathy Baylis

Social capital can facilitate community governance, but not all social capital is alike. We distinguish bonding social capital (within a village) from bridging social capital (between villages), and we compare their effects on the management of a common pool resource. We develop a theoretical model and show that bonding social capital can improve common pool resource management, while the effect of bridging social capital is mixed. We test these findings using primary data from Yunnan, China on social capital and firewood collection on communal lands. We find that bonding social capital decreases the consumption of the common pool resource, and …