Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Evaluating Frameworks For Multilateral Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Danielle Rosenthal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Utilizing both empirical studies of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) regimes and the accounts of both public and private practitioners of these processes, this study aims to inform public policymakers, multinational corporation leadership, and academic researchers on some of the key issues to consider when developing a multilateral friendly ISDS regime. By analyzing the procedural and functional details of both traditional arbitration (via the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) and investment dispute courts (via those proposed in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the EU Canada Comprehensive Economic and …

Rehabilitation And Reintegration Of Genocide Ex-Prisoners: Understanding The Correctional Role Of Prisons In Rwanda, Lulu Abdun

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After the Genocide Against the Tutsi in 1994, over 120,000 people were imprisoned in Rwanda for the perpetration of genocide. Twenty-three years after the Genocide, numerous genocide ex-prisoners have been released. Throughout their prison time and after their release, rehabilitation and reintegration programming has been available. This paper looks at the rehabilitation and reintegration programming available to genocide ex-prisoners, the success and challenges they currently face or have previously faced, and recommendations for reforms for the future prison/rehabilitation/reintegration process. This paper also examines the correctional role of prisons in Rwanda and how that contributes to successful reintegration. From interviewing genocide …

#Nowareyoustartingtogetit?: A Case Study Of 'Stop Charters In Ky' Advocacy Campaign, Rachel Trontz

Capstone Collection

The United States is experiencing a sweeping neoliberal education reform agenda. The marketization of education is the latest trend in this neoliberal education agenda, and it finally took in hold in Kentucky. Charter schools are understood as being part of the marketization of education, which comes with lower accountability standards and a siphoning of public funds away from traditional public schools. Kentucky has a history of education reform policies that have resulted in an improvement in the quality of public education. However, public education has seen a decline in the allocation of state resources over the past decade. This steady …

Mental Illness Stigma, Socially Acceptable Treatment, And Barriers To Health, Frances Renee Gellert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper discusses the topic of mental illness stigma and treatment in Uganda as explored through internship in the Social Work Department at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital. The objectives of this project were to complete a meaningful internship while exploring causes of mental illness in Uganda, contradictions between traditional and modern approaches to treatment, and the affect of stigma on mental well-being. The internship included a total of 120 hours at Butabika Hospital. Individual research using documentary and literature review methods accompanied the internship. Butabika Hospital did not consent to the completion of formal research at, so any conclusions …

Health Budget Tracking At Local Levels: A Training Manual For Uganda’S Youth Leaders And Advocates, Rehema Z. Namukose Ms.

Capstone Collection

Uganda’s decentralization policy was introduced in 1997 under the Local Government Act to transfer power from central government to local government levels. The main purpose was to promote participation of all citizens in decision making processes to enhance responsibility and accountable monitoring of services delivered to citizens at all levels. The policy “aimed to achieve efficiency and effectiveness” in services delivered and managed at lower levels (Kebba & Ntanda, 2005). But how were citizens at local levels going to participate in accountability processes? How would they monitor the quality of services delivered under this policy framework? In what ways were …

More Women In Parliament: Advocacy Lessons Learned From The Georgian Women’S Task Force On Political Participation, Emma Shattuck

Capstone Collection

Emma Shattuck – PIM 75

MORE WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: ADVOCACY LESSONS LEARNED

FROM THE GEORGIAN WOMEN’S TASK FORCE ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

May 2017

This Policy Advocacy Course-Linked Capstone is a case study of an on-going advocacy campaign to increase women’s political participation in the Republic of Georgia’s Parliament. It tells the story of a dedicated group of advocates who are determined to help Georgian women’s voices be heard in a primarily male-dominated political context. Drawing on my personal experience living and working in Tbilisi, Georgia, and based on comprehensive key informant interviews with leaders of the campaign, I analyze the …

The Power Of Prayer, Victoria Dawn Thompson

Capstone Collection

If words are arbitrary, how does prayer have power?” is the question of inquiry in this paper. An unobtrusive Content Analysis inquiry methodology was used to answer this question. The answer lies in the finding that words and thoughts are not the same thing, and our thoughts expand beyond the audible and visible. The implication for professional practice these findings present is that a deeper awareness of “Self” is needed to understand people’s miraculous way of resolving conflict via prayer.

The Roles Of Activism And Citizen Science In The Area Covered By The East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement, Ian Corbet

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For this Independent Study Project, I have examined the roles of activism and citizen science under the East Gippsland Regional Forestry Act. I conducted the study in the hopes of understanding better how activists have contributed to the overall conservation of the forests of East Gippsland. As the government has recently extended the twenty year agreement for another year, I wanted to determine if the real stakeholders of the conservation movement were taken into account. I sought the perspectives of people involved in the either the administration, implementation or opposition to the RFA. This ended up being eight people in …

An Analysis Of Positive Coping Mechanisms Utilized To Overcome Trauma In Post-Genocidal Rwanda, Danielle Marvin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

From April 7th to July 1st of 1994, one million Rwandan people were brutally murdered by their friends and neighbors in the meticulously planned and government-sponsored Genocide against the Tutsi. Survivors witnessed killings and sexual assault, had their lives threatened, lost multiple family members, and hid under dead bodies to evade the killers. To make matters worse, trust within communities and even within families was destroyed as Hutu perpetrators turned against Tutsis they had, days earlier, been inviting to family events. After the genocide, PTSD rates among adults in Rwanda were estimated at 20.5% for men and 30% for women …

Water, Sanitation And Hygiene In Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Katelyn Bergl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Tourism In Raja Ampat: New Chances And Challenges, Chloe King

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on the ways in which the tourism industry in Raja Ampat has contributed to local livelihoods and encouraged the preservation of marine resources, looking specifically at the case of a dive operator and a volunteer tourism operation. The study illuminates the challenges that these operators face when engaging with the local community to protect the environment, and recommends more effective strategies for improving relations between tourism operators and the communities in which they reside. The study ultimately makes the case that the legacy of colonial rule in Western Papua must be a consideration in tourism planning, as …

Agrarian Reform In Sumber Klampok, Emma Trainor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agrarian reform in Indonesia is part of a movement beginning after independence was gained in 1945. Farmers have been fighting to obtain rights to their land from a government that has a history of violence, repression, and corruption for decades. Environmental, indigenous peoples’, peasant, and agrarian movements were given a legitimate, legal framework to work within after 1960 when the Basic Agrarian Law was passed, protecting the rights of the people to their land. However, during both the Old Order and especially New Order regimes, the law was often ignored by the government, and many grassroots organizations had to work …

Pluralism And Religious Education In Bali: How Lack Of Implementation Of Educational Reform Threatens Indonesian Identity In The System Used To Construct It, Nikolai O. Birch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indonesia’s education system was developed with the construction of the Indonesian as a cohesive people in mind. In doing so, the system adopted the practice of mandatory religious education as a means of developing the character of the Indonesian student through religion, a component imperative to the nation’s statehood. In the years and decades following, the education system, and subsequently its program of religious education, has been reformed and changed many times. This research attempts to look at how and why this changed system has struggled to implement these changes in the classroom, and why pluralism has been included in …

Quality Of Water In Relation To Diarrheal Disease Incidence In Obunga, Tianna Herman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Kenyan cities are experiencing a serious dilemma in dealing with the large influx of people from rural parts of the country to the cities. Most people come to the city in pursuit of better opportunities and jobs. Rapid urban growth with little planning and preparation by the national and county governments has led to the development of informal settlements. These informal settlements are characterized by poor environmental conditions that predispose their residents for poor health conditions. Because of their illegal status, most residents of informal settlements in Kenya do not receive government services such as water, drainage, sewerage, and rubbish …

Solid Waste Management In The Developing World: The Role Of Local Government In Kisumu, Kenya, Rachel Schlueter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the world becomes more urbanized, more waste is being produced. According to United Nations projections in 2014, 66% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050 with the majority of growth occurring in African cities. Managing urban waste in lower-middle income countries, such as Kenya, poses a particular challenge as income levels rise, municipal capacities are stretched, and foreign loans complicate accountability. This project sought to assess the practical role of local government when managing solid waste in the context of long-term development strategies. The objectives of this study are to first establish the current role …

A Review Of 57 Zone: A Social Media Network For Tb Consultation And Communication In Kunming, China, India Medaris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Yunnan, a predominantly agricultural province in southwest China, is a province with a high rate of both tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), with nearly 25,000 cases of pulmonary TB reported each year. Former TB/MDR TB patients in Yunnan, with the support of Family Health International 360 NGO (FHI) are trying to combat this problem. They have created a social media network for TB consultation and communication, 57 Zone, where TB patients can talk about their medication, adverse drug effects, and nutrition and psychosocial concerns. The goal of this study was the look at what aspects of the …

The Disappearance Of Nyoman And Ketut, Laura Michelle Garvie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Freedom And Unity: Examining The Individualized, Community-Based Process Of Restorative Justice In Vermont And What It Can Teach Other States, Through A Trainer's Lens, Megan Grove

Capstone Collection

How can communities and law enforcement embrace a cultural shift to address conflict in a way that restores relationships and makes amends instead of one that punishes and criminalizes certain behaviors and individuals? How can we create spaces where those who commit harm, those who are impacted by harm, and other affected parties can come together with equal voice, have their needs met, and communicate in healthy ways? This Course-Linked Capstone in Training, situated in Brattleboro, Vermont, looks at the power of restorative justice and restorative processes to heal relationships and empower communities to care for one another and address …

Identificando Los Limites Del Acceso A La Salud Reproductiva: Un Análisis Sobre Las Experiencias Vividas Por Las Mujeres Guaraníes Con Los Servicios De La Salud Reproductiva En La Villa 31 De Buenos Aires, Amelia Mitchell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to serve the ‘public’, public health services must be accessible to everyone, without discrimination based on race, gender, social class, or geographic location, among other facets of identity. Reproductive health services, in particular, are a key service that must be adequately supplied in order to guarantee the health and wellbeing of a population. Reproductive healthcare not only allows individuals to decide if and when they wish to have a child, it also contributes to cancer prevention and the detrimental effects of sexually transmitted diseases. This investigation examines the experiences of Guaraní women that live within “Villa 31” of …

Reframing Homelessness In Vermont: A Systemic Approach To Homelessness Policy Advocacy In Windham County Vermont, Scott Sharland

Capstone Collection

The Changeworks Committee of the Groundworks Collaborative was created in 2014 to implement advocacy that would build public support for long-term policy changes addressing the root causes of homelessness in Windham County Vermont. This research focused on the work of this committee, and posed the question: How does reframing homelessness as a systemic issue instead of an individual issue impact the public perception of the problem in Windham County, Vermont? I argue that reframing perceptions of homelessness as the result of systemic failure and not as a problem of individual choice is key to building public support for solutions. Additionally, …

The Role Of Ngos As Intermediaries: Negotiating The Space Between Donors And Community Members, Mara Horn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

South Africa is considered one of the most unequal countries in the world, even after the fall of the apartheid government in 1994. In order to address the disparities present within the country and the inability of the government to meet the needs of the disadvantaged, NGOs emerged as a possible solution and development alternative. This study aims to understand how NGOs currently operating in Durban, South Africa negotiate their role as intermediaries between donors and community members. Focusing on the perspectives of experts who work for justice-oriented NGOs, each participant’s understanding of their organization’s intermediary position is explored: what …

Solar Urban Planning: Addressing Barriers And Conflicts Specific To Renewable Energy Policy And The Current Field And Practice Of Urban Planning Within The Context Of A Changing Climate, Toryl P. Hanna

Capstone Collection

The world is in a period of rapid urbanization while experiencing unprecedented rise in global temperature as a result of climate change. Questions have been raised as to how strategies for urbanization will be able to address the fetish for energy, while halting carbon emissions produced by traditional energy sources for urban inhabitants around the world. First, this paper seeks to look to cities, at the intersection of solar energy and the field of urban planning, looking into the opportunities and challenges that are currently surfacing. Conflicts and barriers in traditional urban land use patterns emerge as a topic of …

Integrating Evaluative Thinking Into Organisational Practice: A Case Study Of Lutino Adunu In Uganda, Shilla Adyero

Capstone Collection

Northern Uganda is still recovering from over two decades of civil war between the Government of Uganda and the Lord Resistance Army (LRA). The conflict created over 1.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who sought refuge in camps for 23 years. Around 80% of the affected population are mainly women and children. The displacement in the region caused large-scale loss of social and economic infrastructure, together with the productive resources. This contributed to the erosion of the social and financial capital of the affected areas population, forcing the population to depend on non-sustainable aid and relief services provided by international …

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

Continuous Care In Complex Contexts: Access To Health Services For Noncommunicable Diseases Among Syrian Refugee Women In Jordanian Host Communities, Jennifer Ostrowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how, when and where Syrian refugee women living in a host community in central Jordan access health services related to noncommunicable diseases. Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but can be effectively managed through timely treatment. Examining access to care for these diseases in the context of humanitarian emergencies, such as war and displacement, is particularly important because they require continuous care, which may be interrupted during emergencies, and because they can cause acute complications, which may be exacerbated by emergencies (WHO, 2016).

Previous studies indicate a high burden of NCDs among …

Is Faith Truly The Reason For Our Security? A Study On The Extent To Which Islam Influences Jordanian National Security, Shynelle Kissi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After witnessing years of coups, war, and overall civil unrest in the Middle East, it comes as no surprise that there are many competing explanations for why this is. Much to the disbelief of the researcher, the average American’s theory for this was that the heavy influence of Islamic teachings in lawmaking prevented the successful implementation of democratic processes and overall peace in the region. However, Jordan appears to have evaded all forms of chaos, and remain peaceful despite also being a Muslim country. Why? Has Jordan escaped turmoil because unlike its neighbors it does not use Islam in its …

The Transgender Community In Bangalore: Health Issues And Factors Negatively Affecting Outcomes, Zayahary Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite their long history in India, transgenders continue being pushed aside depriving them of their basic needs, human rights, and their right to health. The present study aims to discuss the current health issues and factors affecting the health outcomes of the transgender community. This was accomplished through an investigation of social, economical, and political exclusions and behavioral patterns impacting and affecting health outcomes in the transgender (TG) community. The study was completed in Bangalore, Karnataka under the guidance of Swatantra, a rights-based organization seeking to empower the transgender working-class through the access to rights, education, employment, family acceptance, and …

Powerful Words: An Exploration Of Linguistic Hierarchy In Moroccan Hospitals, Ellelan Degife

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco is a country of distinct diversity, which exists as a result of the settling of multiple peoples and European colonization. As a result of this diversity, many languages are employed in different settings and spaces, and of these languages, French represents remnants of colonialism and continual elitism in the country. One of the spheres that French commands in Moroccan society is medicine, which creates a dichotomy between the educated health care providers and the underprivileged patients in public hospitals. The aim of this paper is to explore the effect of French on the doctor-patient relationship in urban, public Moroccan …

Tomando En Cuenta: Perspectivas Sobre Las Tomas Del Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno / Taking Into Consideration: Perspectives On The Tomas Of The Chilean Student Movement, María Navarro-Gutiérrez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hoy día, actores en el movimiento estudiantil de Chile utilizan varias formas de protesta para comunicar sus deseos e ideas. Entre ellos, la toma de la escuela chilena, durante la cual los estudiantes “ocupan” a su escuela por un periodo de tiempo, se ha convertido en una de las formas de protesta más comunes y emblemáticas del movimiento. Muchas tomas ofrecen un espacio seguro, fuera de las calles, donde los estudiantes pueden instigar un dialogo entre ellos y la administración sobre sus preocupaciones. Sin embargo, aunque las tomas seguidas producen resultados positivos para ambos lados, acusaciones de la pérdida de …

Multi-Sector Analysis Of The Progress And Challenges Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication In Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is home to 240 million children currently at risk of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, which is spread via unclean water, soil, and food, and causes acute pain and malnutrition. While acknowledging the research debates over WASH and mass drug administration, this study seeks to identify the systemic multidisciplinary issues affecting STH elimination efforts in rural Udaipur. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in villages, government departments, NGOs, and medical sectors to identify the challenges within each approach to deworming, and their experiences with multi-sectoral collaboration. The most recurring issues across disciplines were need for invested local leadership, increase in health literacy of adults, …