Political Science Commons^™

How Civil Society Organizations Build Resilience In The Face Of Financial And Political Pressures: Lessons From Czechia, Hungary, And Bulgaria, Merrill Sovner

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

How are some civil society organizations (CSOs) able to pivot and innovate in the face of political hostility and funding withdrawal, while others shrink or become inactive? It posits that it’s not just the external environment, funding, or degree of political pressure, but attributes intrinsic to each CSO that narrows the range of possible responses. It is based on sample of CSOs in Czechia, Hungary and Bulgaria that faced political pressures and funding withdrawal between 2010 and 2019. CSOs responded in three ways: reduced staff and expenditures, replaced lost funding while operating in a similar way, or reframed their work, …

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability (Hindi Version), Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

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Property Rights In The Face Of Historic Injustice, Bas Van Der Vossen, Fabian Wendt

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

It seems natural to adopt a historical approach when it comes to property titles: When property titles have a clean history, they are to be respected as a matter of justice; when they do not have a clean history, for example, in cases of prior theft, they must be returned to the original owners or their descendants. But the historical approach has serious drawbacks. This paper presents an alternative. Starting from the idea that property rights must be stable, we offer an account of why historic injustices sometimes do, but sometimes do not, undermine current titles. This account offers a …

The Inaccessibility Of Nonprofit Organizations Data In Sub-Saharan Africa, Barnabas Suva, Robert Bhero

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article presents initial findings from a research study on nonprofit data across countries, focusing on the accessibility of nonprofit organizations in 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, following thorough research of accessibility data from nonprofit organizations, regulatory bodies, and nonprofit websites. Only 12% of countries maintain a functional public nonprofit organization database, and even fewer provide detailed, searchable registries. While 94% of countries legally grant nonprofit organizations tax exemption, mandatory reporting obligations are often not paired with public access, thereby weakening accountability. These findings situate data inaccessibility as an agency problem where principals (donors, policymakers, communities) lack sufficient information to …

Special Edition: Full Issue - Research For Practice, September 2025, Angie Holzer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability, Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This paper explores how transparency influences trust and strengthens partnerships within nonprofit and international development organizations. Drawing from a structured literature review of peer-reviewed articles, doctoral dissertations, and global initiatives such as the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), this article highlights the critical role of transparent communication in building stakeholder confidence. The findings indicate that while many NGOs collect performance and financial data, few use it consistently to inform external reporting or internal learning. Trust is found to be highly context-specific, shaped not only by data sharing but also by leadership humility, community engagement, and ethical governance. The study …

Mapeo De La Accesibilidad De Datos De Organizaciones No Lucrativas En Países De América Latina: Primeras Perspectivas De Un Estudio Comparativo Exploratorio, Angie Holzer, Tania Hernandez, Ted Gray Barnes Jr, Noah Ellis, Sumasri Jasti, Hannah Chu, Evan Campione, Louis Ye, Nithin Kumar, Quoc Thai Dinh

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Este artículo presenta los hallazgos de un estudio global sobre la accesibilidad de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas, centrado en México y en otros países de América Latina. El análisis explora si existen bases de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas, quién las opera, qué barreras de accesibilidad están presentes, qué requisitos deben cumplir las organizaciones no lucrativas para registrarse, y qué costos de registro enfrentan. Utilizando un diseño comparativo exploratorio, el estudio destaca tanto las similitudes como las diferencias entre países, situando los sistemas de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas dentro de teorías más amplias de transparencia, rendición de cuentas …

Bridging Theory And Practice: The Vision And Action Plan Of The Istr Research For Practice Affinity Group, Angie Holzer, Christopher Dayson, Dana Doan, Patricia Quinn, Tayyeb Hadi, Michele Fugiel Gartner, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark, Ana María Sánchez, Farouq Aliyu Muhammad, Romina Farías, Christopher Einolf

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article presents the strategic vision and comprehensive action plan of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) Research for Practice (R4P) Affinity Group, established to address the persistent gap between academic research and nonprofit practice in the third sector. Recognizing that practitioners are primarily focused on action and problem-solving while academics concentrate on knowledge accumulation and theory building, the R4P initiative creates a systematic framework for enhanced collaboration to maximize societal impact and advance evidence-informed practice. The R4P model employs a multi-dimensional approach through seven specialized sub-committees—Advocacy, Education & Training, Practitioner Engagement & Matchmaking, Research Accessibility and Sharing, …

Protecting Children's Rights In The National Climate Policies In Greece, Elpis Rerra

COP30

This paper aims to address the question, “How can we ensure that children’s rights are protected in national climate policies?” Ιn the broader field of climate justice, ecocide, and security, the theme of this study is children’s rights in the context of climate change and how the government can truly include them in the climate policies. This paper begins by highlighting the importance of addressing the issue of protecting children's rights from the impact of climate change. Moreover, it underlines the critical and urgent nature of children’s vulnerability to climate change. The paper also examines Greek climate policies and whether …

Cross-Border Climate Adaptation – Transboundary Agreement For Climate Justice & Security, Andre Ferreira

COP30

This policy paper shall highlight the need for COP30 negotiators to adopt a Transboundary Adaptation Compact (TAA), a rights-based framework meant to coordinate climate adaptation across shared resources, mobilize finance, and manage the growing challenges of ecocide risks/cross-border migration. While shared bodies of water provide crucial resources for billions of people globally, their international governance is often fragmented. The climate crisis is compounding already existing tensions over water allocations that emerge from lack of cooperation between nation-states, threatening ecocide in river deltas, wetlands, and mangroves. Therefore, this paper aims to draw from existing case studies of successful regional cooperation, such …

Justice In Transition : Emphasizing Indigenous Leadership, Rights And Fair Access To Finance, Mariam Medhat Adel Ghazy

COP30

As the international climate crisis amplifies, solving it through only decreasing emissions is no longer efficient. Climate justice acknowledges that environmental change unequally impacts low income groups - despite these communities being the least contributors to the issue (What Is Climate Justice? - UC Center for Climate Justice, 2022). This paper aims to explore the challenges that must be confronted to make climate justice applicable : including indigenous people into climate finance and governance ; and holding transnational corporations responsible for climate – interconnected human right violations and ecocide. Drawing on case studies from Canada and Indonesia, the paper will …

Conflict Emissions And Environmental Destruction: Exacerbating Insecurity And Exclusion Among Vulnerable And Indigenous Communities In The Absence Of Inclusive Climate Governance, Mariem Yasser

COP30

This policy paper highlights that Indigenous and marginalized communities who manage an estimated 80 % of world biodiversity have access to less than 1 % of climate funding and are sidelined in national level decision-making (Rights and Resources Initiative, 2021). At the same time, armed conflict contributes an estimated 5.5 % of global CO₂-equivalent emissions that affects Indigenous peoples in fragile rural areas. (IPCC, 2022). Unlike failure of REDD +program in the Amazon region of Colombia, which excluded Indigenous governance and permitted deforestation to increase exponentially, DRC has developed community forest concessions integrating Indigenous and community management into climate governance …

Deep-Sea Mining In The Pacific: Climate Justice, Ecocide, And Security In Nauru And Kiribati, Zeyad El-Sayed

COP30

This policy paper explores how the growing international controversy over deep-sea mining (DSM) can be addressed under the considerations of climate justice, through analyzing two case studies, Nauru and Kiribati, of Pacific islands. Both states are highly vulnerable to climate change and economic instability, yet have adopted different strategies. Nauru has improved and enhanced its DSM plans in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone to ensure its sovereign development rights and economic needs. On the other hand, Kiribati has taken more mechanisms that are cautious measures to temporary pause the DSM negotiations in response to public pressure and environmental concerns. These cases show …

Climate Justice And Global Accountability: The Case Of Sudan And Pakistan, Mohamed Hatem

COP30

The impact of climate change is disproportionately distributed over developing and developed countries. Developing countries are the most vulnerable since they suffer from socio-economic disparities and the dominance of agricultural sectors. Floods, droughts, and extreme weather result in casualties, displacement, and economic devastation. Developing countries have utilized COPS to address this climate injustice through global institutional frameworks. Setting the USD 100 billion annual aid for developing countries and establishing the loss and damage fund are two important achievements. However, the implementation challenge remains present. Sudan and Pakistan are two clear cases of how climate injustice can increase the vulnerability of …

Indigenous Leadership In The Fight Against Environmental Racism And Ecocide: Advancing Climate Justice And Human Rights, Carlos Matheus Matos Santos Dos Santos

COP30

Climate change intensifies social, economic, racial, and gender inequalities, disproportionately affecting historically marginalized communities, such as indigenous peoples, black populations, and riverine communities. In Brazil, practices of environmental racism and actions that constitute ecocide (such as the installation of large enterprises, illegal mining, and predatory exploitation of natural resources) compromise ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Cases such as the Belo Monte Power Plant and the expansion of mining on indigenous lands illustrate the inadequacy of socio-environmental protection mechanisms and the implementation of necropolitical policies that remove or expose communities to environmental degradation. The analysis highlights the need to integrate …

Toward A More-Than-Human Climate Diplomacy: Reclaiming Justice Beyond The Western Gaze, Leandro Gabriel Caporale

COP30

This policy paper interrogates the structural injustices embedded in the COP negotiation system, arguing that global climate governance remains constrained by colonial legacies, epistemic hierarchies, and an anthropocentric diplomatic model. Despite its stated goals of inclusivity, the UNFCCC process continues to marginalise Indigenous, Global South, and alternative voices, reinforcing power asymmetries that shape both participation and outcomes. Based in case studies from Ecuador and Bolivia—where rights of nature and Indigenous governance have been integrated into legal frameworks—this paper examines how alternative systems of environmental stewardship and political subjectivity can inform a more just diplomatic architecture. It proposes pragmatic, system-oriented reforms …

Indigenous People Integration Into National Climate Decision Making Process, Omnia Ahmed Ayoub Ahmed

COP30

Our policy paper here is going to explore the urgent need to recognise and enhance the participation and integration of indigenous communities in global climate cases and discussions in decision making processes , despite their contribution now….we are focusing on their case now because they are the most Affected by its impacts , due to their strong connection to natural eco systems , their traditional knowledge and their practices are essential for the biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management but , unfortunately there was a systemic exclusion due to some factors and limiting and representation in in climate conferences such …

Ecocide In The War On Gaza: An Environmental Crime That Affects The Whole World, Yazan A. Albatta

COP30

Environmental destruction in conflict zones is an escalating global crisis that directly undermines climate justice and ecological stability. This policy paper examines the concept of ecocide through the lens of the war on Gaza, where the deliberate or reckless targeting of natural resources has caused severe and lasting damage to water, soil, air, and biodiversity. The Gaza case reveals how warfare can accelerate climate change, destroy carbon-absorbing ecosystems, and leave communities with uninhabitable land and poisoned water supplies. Using Gaza as the primary case study, and drawing comparisons to environmental impacts observed during the Iraq war, the paper analyzes the …

The Formalisation Of The Judiciary In The International Climate Governance Vis-À-Vis A Solution For The Accountability Gap In Political Institutions, Shristi Gautam

COP30

The international governance of climate change has historically been led by political institutions operating under multilateral frameworks, such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Under these frameworks, the mitigation ambition and implementation of NDCs remain subject to state discretion, with no binding consequences for non-compliance, creating an enduring enforcement deficit. The paper examines the increasing judicialization of climate governance as a means of addressing this deficit, positioning the judiciary as an active enforcer rather than a passive adjudicator. Drawing on Urgenda v. The Netherlands, Leghari v. Pakistan, Milieudefensie v. Royal Dutch Shell, and the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion, the …

Tackling Gaps In Action For Climate Empowerment Through Subnational Ace Hubs, Kim Jessica Wahnke

COP30

Key notes

Context: Climate scepticism and misinformation have become more rampant than ever, political will and popular support is eroding

Problem: National efforts on ACE remain under-resourced, disorganised and fragmented

Precedent: The NRW ACE Hub pilot builds on the strength of subnational governments but has work to do with regards to accessibility and past activity integration

Solution: Subnational ACE Hubs are regional platforms for the coordination of local actors and the co-design and integration of past ACE activities

Impact: Reduce divisions between stakeholders, close education gaps, advance community-driven climate ACE action

Call to Action: Implementation of ACE hubs through coordinated …

The Usability And Implementation Of Flood Prevention Strategies In Response To An Evolving Climate With Insights From Hurricane Harvey And The Kerala Floods., Morgan Greenleigh

COP30

This literature review combines literature on global flood prevention, hard engineering, Nature-Based Solutions, IFRM and policy to examine current strategies and case studies. It begins by examining the key role that hard engineering plays in the current main forms of flood prevention and then analyses its weakness when it comes to the increasing frequency and severity of weather events. The review then explores the growing importance of NBS and how its development can significantly reduce flooding whilst also having a plethora of other benefits. A portion of the review is dedicated to emerging technologies such as EWS and IFRM. The …

The Role Of The Private Sector In Climate Change Adaptation For Agriculture And Water Management, Esperanza Hughes-Salinas

COP30

This report investigates how small to large agricultural enterprises can be encouraged to promote adaptive practices in agriculture to align with the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA). Without global food and agricultural systems adapting to climate change, the risk of malnutrition, hunger and death increases dramatically, Two main issues account for the slow scale-up of adaptive practices in this sector: the astronomical gap in financing, and the education gap in farmers with small to medium-sized holdings. The SAA highlights that the private sector has a significant role to play in adaptation, and the World Bank has identified that the agricultural …

A Global Mutirão In The Classroom: A National Curriculum Policy For Bangladesh To Build Youth Capacity For Green Jobs In Alignment With The Saa And Ace, Shariful Islam

COP30

As one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh faces a serious threat that widely impacts its large youth population. This policy paper points out a main gap: the country's national curriculum does not properly teach students about climate change. This makes young people unprepared for the future and for new jobs in the green economy. This paper looks at successful climate education programs in other developing countries, like Kenya and the Philippines, and suggests a new policy for Bangladesh based on those examples. The paper recommends a strategy that combines a national law with local, hands-on learning. The main …

Moving Toward Net Zero: Transforming Global Transport With Clean Technologies, Kareem Abdullah

COP30

The transportation sector is one of the main and indispensable causes of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 23% of them. It is one of the fastest-growing sectors, and action must be taken quickly [1]. In this paper, we will discuss the current challenges in this sector and propose some solutions to reduce emissions in the context of sustainable development and climate action. First, we will discuss the reliance on biofuels, particularly successful policies in the European Union and Brazil. Second, we will discuss the use of renewable energy and EU legislation. Finally, this paper will present a core recommendation: using …

The Mediterreanean We Share: Enhancing The Eu-Mediterranean Cooperation In Education And Capacity Building For A Resilient Climate Action, Achref Ininou

COP30

The Euro-Mediterranean region is facing growing inequalities, and regional resilience is being put to the test as we deal with escalating climate challenges. Although the significance of education and capacity building is emphasized by frameworks like SDG 4 and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, regional efforts are still dispersed, short-term, and frequently not monitored and evaluated. Through inclusive education, the development of green skills, and regional cross-border collaboration, this policy paper highlights that people, especially youth, must be at the center of climate strategies. Strong monitoring and evaluation systems are necessary, though, to guarantee the long-term viability of these …

Young Indigenous Women And The Low-Carbon Future: Female Political Representation And Knowledge In The Energy Sector In Brazil, Fernando Da Gama

COP30

The transition to a low-carbon economy is an ethical imperative in the face of the climate crisis, demanding actions that encompass social justice, gender equity, and Indigenous leadership. It is therefore urgent to include young Indigenous women in the design and implementation of sustainable energy solutions, as demonstrated by case studies in the Brazilian Amazon. Despite the central role of Indigenous peoples in environmental protection, international climate finance still overlooks community-based initiatives, allocating less than 1% of global resources directly to these populations. Indigenous women face additional challenges due to gender and technical access barriers. There is a clear need …

"From Global Stocktake To Global Delivery: A Policy Roadmap For Cop30 Implementation" How Can We Hold Stakeholders Accountable And Foster Global Collaboration?, Joshua Underhill

COP30

The Earth is facing a climate catastrophe. According to NASA (2024), the Earth's average surface temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record. The same article outlines that the Earth is about 1.47 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period1. A core mechanism designed to address this challenge, and other key concerns, is the Global Stocktake GST, which is a process within the Paris Agreement assessing collective progress towards key goals.

This policy paper will primarily focus on the history of the global stocktake, before delving into the future of the GST, the NDC, and global mutirao, all with the …

Accountability Systems For Post-Gst Implementation: Strengthening Global And National Governance To Ensure Transparency, Compliance, And Equity In Delivering The Paris Agreement, Binama Nyacyesa

COP30

This policy paper, developed by the Rwandan delegation in the COP30 Simulation, proposes the establishment of a comprehensive accountability architecture in order to translate the outcomes of the Global Stocktake (GST) into transparent, equitable, and enforceable climate action. Building on this year's COP Presidency's emphasis on mutirão, which is inclusive collective action, this paper outlines different governance mechanisms that could strengthen compliance, both at global and national levels, integrate Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) into their monitoring frameworks, and embed adaptation tracking in line with the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA). Using Rwanda's track record in governance and regional leadership …

Strengthening Climate Empowerment In Pharmacy Education And Practice: A Literature Review, Hend Ahmed

COP30

Pharmacists are increasingly acknowledged as essential contributors to climate resilience as climate change poses ever-increasing challenges to global health. Within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) provides a framework that is focused on capacity building, public engagement, and education. The application of ACE principles to pharmacy practice and education to advance sustainability is examined in this article. It looks at national projects that support ACE objectives like Kerala's pharmacy-led waste management campaign and the Greener-NHS programme. The review finds gaps and opportunities for incorporating climate action into pharmacy through …

The Climate League: A Competitive Governance Model To Enhance Ndc 3.0 Ambition And Delivery, Mohamed Noby

COP30

The first Global Stocktake (GST) has confirmed that the world is off-track; where current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are far from sufficient to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target. Despite decades of climate negotiations, an ambition gap, implementation deficit, and climate finance shortfall continue to hinder meaningful progress; driven largely by a focus on securing commitments rather than ensuring their implementation and real-world impact. This policy paper identifies the governance gap at the heart of these failures and proposes a new framework: The Climate League. which aims to transform climate action into a dynamic competitive process by ranking countries based …