While economics and politics often dominate discussions about minority and indigenous communities’ rights, culture is no less important. A right to culture is central to the enjoyment of a range of rights, from education and health to language and livelihoods. However, even in contexts where cultural rights are well established, they rely on a constant reaffirmation of ...» more
Library
This e-library contains more than 4500 external publications on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. It includes academic and grey literature selected for its basis in good quality research and coverage of a range of perspectives. Policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text.
The implications of land issues for climate resilient informal settlements in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Future climate change is considered to be one of the most pressing challenges for Pacific Island Countries (PICs) given their already high levels of exposure to natural hazards, limited response capacity and significant geographical challenges. While resettlement of hazard-prone people is a potential option, land disputes are frequent in the PICs and the findings in this report ...» more
Voices of refugees: Information and communication needs of refugees in Greece and Germany
How do refugees access and use information? The millions of people using unofficial migration routes to reach northern European countries often cannot get the reliable information they need to make decisions and survive. This report examines the communication behaviours and priority information needs of refugees. It finds that a lack of online or mobile connectivity and limited ...» more
Disasters, conflict and fragility: A joint agenda
How can the international community better understand the multi-dimensional nature of risk and crises? How can international partners integrate the implications of this analysis for their own strategies and approaches? How can strategic partnerships be strengthened in future engagements in fragile and conflict-affected countries? This paper provides an analysis on current ...» more
The making of a riskier future: How our decisions are shaping future disaster risk
Disaster risks are rapidly increasing around the world. Most disaster risk assessments are focused on current risks, rather than drivers of risks or their dynamics. Drivers are in the control of policymakers, society and individuals but accurate assessment and continuous re-evaluation of risk are required to enable effective risk reduction and prevent drastic increases in ...» more
Exit as entry in antipoverty programmes
When conditional cash transfer programmes (CCTs) use entry conditions to establish exit criteria, is this consistent with their protection and promotion objectives? This paper explores why this practice it not supported analytically, nor empirically - through an analysis of outcomes for families excluded from Colombia's Familias en Accion. It finds that this practice can be ...» more
“Working to improve our own future”: Inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian action
While humanitarian organisations are increasingly recognising people with disabilities, women and girls with disabilities are often under-represented in gender, protection and disability forums. This report documents positive practices, gaps and opportunities for the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in humanitarian programming, as well the role of women's DPOs in ...» more
Stability and instability in the Gulf region in 2016: A strategic net assessment
The Gulf region is a complex and constantly evolving region that involves very different levels of uncertainty and risk. This net assessment attempts to address the underlying problems and pressures shaping the risks in the region and each Gulf country using official data and data from key international institutions like the UN, World Bank and the IMF. It identifies overarching ...» more
Citizens’ perceptions of urban public services
This research report summarises how urban citizens in Pakistan rate and perceive six public services: water, sewerage, public hospitals, public transport, and law and order sectors. It explores access, quality and reliability of service provision; problems encountered; and responsiveness of service providers in addressing these problems. The information gathered in this report ...» more
Justice mechanisms and conflict dynamics in Nepal: Local perceptions and impacts
Nepal is an ethnically and geographically diverse nation, where people rely on a wide range of formal and informal justice systems to resolve their disputes. This report explores community-level perceptions of these mechanisms, the current situation of access to justice among different community/ethnic groups, and the linkage between access to justice issues and local conflict ...» more
Climate change, conflict and children
This paper reviews the evidence linking climate variability to conflict, and the subsequent short and long-term implications of children’s exposure to conflict. Evidence generally supports strong links between hotter temperatures, reduced rainfall and more conflict. Individuals exposed to conflicts while in utero or during early childhood suffer negative health and education ...» more
Violent extremism in Africa
This paper analyses data from three regional “hotspots” of violent extremism in sub-Saharan Africa: Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region; Ansar Dine, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and al Mourabitoun (among others) in the Sahel; and Al Shabaab in the Horn of Africa. It suggests that security-related issues are a priority for citizens of countries that have experienced ...» more
Making politics work for development: Harnessing transparency and citizen engagement
The majority of development work is done in imperfect governance environments where things need to be done - and quickly. This report looks at making politics work for development, rather than against it, to address government failures. It discusses trends and the context of government failures, political engagement and transparency, and finds that citizen political engagement ...» more
Religion, women’s health and rights: Points of contention and paths of opportunities
This document reviews and highlights some of the diverse narratives, teachings and experiences linking religious discourses to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and reproductive rights (RR). Taking culture and religion into consideration when designing and implementing public health policy and programmes is essential; cultural traditions and religious beliefs and practices ...» more
The challenge of creating inclusive cities
Cities across the globe are becoming increasingly unequal; poor design coupled with overcrowding has resulted in an increasing number of people pushed out to living in slums and environmentally-degraded neighbourhoods. The paper argues that as economic growth does not always translate to the common good, cities need to be inclusive in order to build social cohesion. ...» more
The political economy of cash transfers: A comparative analysis of Latin American and Sub-Saharan African experiences
Conditional cash transfer (CCTs) programmes became popular throughout Latin America during the 1990s and have since been launched in several other emerging and developing countries, generally without conditions. This paper compares the consolidated experience of CCTs in Latin America (LA) with a variety of models of cash transfers (CTs) in middle- and low- income countries in ...» more
Strengthening urban resilience in African cities: Understanding and addressing urban risk
As part of its programme on strengthening urban resilience in African cities, ActionAid commissioned research to better understand the risks faced by urban poor people on the African continent. This exploratory research comprised a desktop review of the literature on urban risk in Africa, and fieldwork in three cities in Senegal, The Gambia and Zimbabwe. It examined hazards, ...» more
Essays on humanitarian effectiveness
The five essays that form this collection are the result of extensive desk and field research carried out in nine countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal; Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey; Liberia; Niger; and the Philippines. The essays are part of a project by Save The Children’s Humanitarian Affairs Team, in partnership with the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute at the ...» more
The echo chamber: Results, management and the humanitarian effectiveness agenda
This critical analysis of the bureaucratisation and professionalisation of humanitarian action proposes that, in spite of bringing order and focus to efforts to improve humanitarian action, the development of the effectiveness agenda has reinforced an echo chamber within the humanitarian sector that is depoliticising humanitarian agencies, distancing them from the humanitarian ...» more
In their words: perceptions of armed non-state actors on humanitarian action
What do armed non-state actors (ANSAs) think of humanitarian action? This paper finds that while they are willing to engage positively with humanitarian actors, they feel left out of the processes which determine humanitarian principles and international law. Understanding of rules around humantarian access is relatively limited and needs to be addressed. It calls for a more ...» more
