№134. Democratisation and Human Rights in Central Asia: Problems, Development Prospects and the Role of the International Community

Author(s): Eugheniy Zhovtis / Language(s): English

To understand the reasons for the relative failures of the transition to democracy, the formation of a law-based state and the establishment of respect for human rights in the independent states of Central Asia today, as well as the role of the international community, one has to assess, first of all, the dynamics of the political process in this region of the world. In large part, the origins of the current weakness of democratic processes are the result of developments during the final decades of Soviet power. By the early 1990s, there arose a situation in which the ruling authorities Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), ruling authorities, realising the necessity of reform but at the same time wishing to retain power, initiated a set of reforms that employed democratic phraseology but which aimed first of all at protecting the interests of the ruling group.

Čekajući ravnopravnost 2: Analiza izvještavanja štampanih medija o LGBT temama u Bosni i Hercegovini u 2013. godini

Author(s): Kristina Ljevak,Jasmina Čaušević,Lejla Huremović / Language(s): Bosnian

Analiza koja je pred vama nastavak je praćenja izvještavanja o LGBT temama u bosanskohercegovačkim štampanim medijima, koju treću godinu zaredom objavljuje Sarajevski otvoreni centar. Autorice su uradile ovu analizu koristeći svoja prethodna znanja i iskustva rada na analizama sadržaja medijskog izvještavanja iz 2011. i 2012. godine, i zahvalne su što su dobile priliku da i treću godinu zaredom prate nivo doprinosa štampanih medija u borbi protiv diskriminacije lezbejki, gejeva, biseksualnih, interspolnih, trans* i svih ostalih queer osoba2 u medijskom prostoru Bosne i Hercegovine. Kako u svojoj knjizi pišu Marko i Dardić, potrebno je kontinuirano pratiti i analizirati medije, jer pojedini mediji prepoznaju realne probleme sa kojima se pripadnici_e marginalizovanih grupa suočavaju i aktivno o tome izvještavaju, doprinoseći tako ne samo većoj vidljivosti ovih grupa nego i njihovom pozicioniranju u javnom i političkom životu. U vremenu komercijalizacije i tabloidizacije medijskog prostora, od velike je važnosti promovisati etičke i profesionalne standarde izvještavanja i koncept društveno odgovornog novinarstva, i ne dozvoliti da politički i ekonomski centri moći presudno utiču na kreiranje medijskih sadržaja. Mediji, odnosno novinari i novinarke, često su jedina spona između predstavnika_ca različitih marginalizovanih i ranjivih grupa. Profesionalnost novinarskog pisanja, etičnost i odgovornost pomjeraju društvo u kojem živimo ka prostoru veće tolerancije. Imajući u vidu rasprostranjenost i uticaj medija, bilo bi višestruko korisno za LGBT osobe u BiH da se u što više štampanih medija, kao i u svim ostalim medijima, pojave smišljene uređivačke politike koje prepoznaju značaj neselektivne borbe za ljudska prava i koje insistiranje na toj važnosti perpetuiraju kroz svoj prostor u skladu sa etikom i vrijednostima novinarske struke.

UNDP - HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2010 – KOSOVA.

Author(s): Mytaher Haskuka,Levent Koro,Lulzim Cela,Denis Nushi,Iris Duri / Language(s): English

Instead of an Abstract/Summary here, please refer to the Introduction PDF-file, which includes the Executive Summary

Regulatory Impact Assessment – Macedonia in Focus

Author(s): Agim Selami / Language(s): English

In this day and age, when governments are faced with huge quantity of regulation, it is beyond question that regulation should imperatively be given a special treatment and consideration. The role of political actors should consist of making sure that the regulation in place meets the criteria of an effective and efficient regulation, and guarantee that it produces positive impact toward concerned parties or more broadly – towards citizens. In other words, mechanisms for anticipating policy impacts, such as Regulatory Impact assessment (RIA), must be put in practice. The world’s more developed countries (OECD countries, US, Australia), have been regularly applying RIA to new and existing policies for decades. Since 1974, when it was first introduced, RIA has consistently recorded indisputable popularity, becoming a constituent element in the policymaking processes of the countries mentioned above. In addition, although there’s no blueprint for successful RIA introduction, these countries’ experience has effectively served as practical guide for less developed countries for successful RIA introduction and implementation. Hence, it can be easily concluded that RIA’s impact on improving public policy has never been as high as it is at present.

How to Achieve Quality Higher Education in Macedonia. Screening of the Reforms in the Higher Education Sector in Republic of Macedonia

Author(s): Katarina Kreceva / Language(s): English

The Higher Education (HE) system is created to enhance the production and dissemination of knowledge, and nowadays above all, to get a hold on the new consumer good - information. Hence, latest transformations made the role of education in the overall development of societies explicitly applicable, changing the goal of knowledge from search for the truth to search for ways of augmenting power, becoming increasingly adjusted to national requirements. Contesting globalization, no country is excluded from the politico-economic trends currently transforming higher educational institutions. On the European continent this trend is unequivocally defined by aiming to establish a common European Higher Education Area, development depicted by the Bologna process and most recently by the Lisbon objectives. Republic of Macedonia as a candidate EU country is adjunct to this international agenda, additionally having national interests in implementing such objectives in context of fitting the European socio-cultural milieu.

Impact of Migration on Child Growth in Albania and Macedonia

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Albania and Macedonia are two Western Balkan countries that are characterised by high emigration and remittance dependency rates that appear to have affected the development of these countries across different socio-economic and cultural dimensions. Child growth in particular is one of these important outcomes. This paper uses a survey administered to mothers in Albania and Macedonia to investigate whether migration and remittances have had any impact on child growth in these countries. Child growth indicators, such as body mass index, weight, height, stunting and obesity dummies, together with child health inputs, such as the frequency of visiting the doctor, chronic diseases and reasons for not going to the doctor, are used as left-hand side variables. The paper finds that while migration has led to less stunting and increased height in Albania, in Macedonia, it seems to have led to increased weight and body mass index values and more obesity. These findings imply that exposure to international migration can have different consequences for these countries as Albania appears to have realised improvements in height and stature, while Macedonia has suffered from increased weight associated with increases in obesity.

Strengthening the Role of RIA in the Policy-Making Process in Macedonia

Author(s): Agim Selami / Language(s): English

Governments of different countries throughout the world are encountering a trend of increasing quantities of regulation. This trend, understandably, is more visible in countries with unconsolidated democracies, where beside the problem of the large quantity of existing regulation, an additional concern is its quality, its synchronization with current circumstances in society, and the effects it produces. Approving new regulations, or analyzing existing ones, should have a single goal: solving problems within a certain field for the direct stakeholders as well as for the whole of society. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to carry out a detailed analysis of the problem that is being addressed, to identify regulatory or non-regulatory solutions, and, most importantly, to determine the most appropriate solution in terms of budget so that it does not cause additional fiscal implications. Addressing these questions can most precisely be achieved through the preparation of a document on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA).

Věková diverzita a věková diskriminace v České republice: přehledová informace

Author(s): Klára Cozlová / Language(s): Czech

Zkušenosti s kyberobtěžováním v Norsku

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Czech

The EU Education Initiative for Central Asia Five Years On: Lessons Learnt?

Author(s): Vera Axyonova / Language(s): English

Over the past 20 years, developments in Central Asia’s education system have been mixed. The private education sector has been growing, especially in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with fully-equipped classrooms and the application of best teaching practices. In the public sector, however, the general trend continues to point to a lack of financial and human resources, insufficient access to up-to-date materials and modern infrastructure, the politicisation of education, and everincreasing corruption. The sporadic reforms initiated by Central Asian governments have sometimes even worsened the situation – Turkmenbashi’s regressive educational policies are the clearest example of this. Half of the region’s population is under 30 years of age, which means that about 25 million people are directly affected by the drastically degrading quality of education. If the European Union (EU) is serious about supporting educational reform in Central Asia, it needs to take local conditions into account when dealing with the challenges outlined above.

Central Asia 2030...

Author(s): Jos Boonstra,Alain Délétroz,Marlène Laruelle,Nargis Kassenova,Shairbek Juraev / Language(s): English

Novels, academic literature and cinema all tend to take a bleak view in forecasting the future. Futuristic novels from the 1920s and 1930s, such as We by Yevgeny Zamyatin and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, paint a grim picture of a unified, all-encompassing state that controls people’s lives and thoughts: the perfect authoritarian state. In the 1990s, in the less fantastic, more realistic field of academic international policy, Samuel Huntington predicted a clash of civilisations and Francis Fukuyama’s more upbeat The End of History? prophesied that liberal democracy would become the main form of government in the world, ending ideological competition. This would bring an end to history, leaving only events rather than indepth developments. Meanwhile, Hollywood cinema during the last decade has further developed the disaster genre. More movies have as their central theme devastating climate change, the global spread of deadly viruses or nuclear catastrophe. With the possible exception of Fukuyama, who later toned down his hopes for the triumph of democracy, few of these works have presented positive outlooks on the future.

On a positive note...

Author(s): Jos Boonstra,Peter Burian,Nargis Kassenova,Shairbek Juraev,Alisher Ilkhamov / Language(s): English

Central Asia receives rather limited attention when compared to other parts of the world, and when it does, it is often not good news: authoritarian regimes, human rights offenses, radical Islam, and poverty. Indeed, the region does face a series of security, economic, environmental, and humanitarian challenges. The implication of Kyrgyz and Uzbek citizens in the recent St. Petersburg and Stockholm terrorist attacks has further deteriorated the region’s image within European circles as a far-away, dark, and underdeveloped place that exports radicalism. However, this is a misconception. In Central Asia, moderate Islam is the rule and radicalism the rare exception. Beyond a hospitable population and stunning landscapes, in Central Asia two opportunities stand out.

Rewolucja na raty. Dokąd zmierza Armenia Paszyniana?

Author(s): Wojciech Górecki,Jan Strzelecki / Language(s): Polish

In mid-August, a hundred days passed since Nikol Pashinyan took office as Armenia’s Prime Minister, which is an office of key importance for the Armenian political system. Formerly an opposition MP, Pashinyan rose to power as a result of a bloodless revolution. He replaced Serzh Sargsyan, whose camp had ruled Armenia for the last two decades. The country’s domestic situation is stable and its economy is growing. However, the parliamentary majority and significant business assets remain in the hands of the old elite, which considerably reduces the present leadership’s room for manoeuvre. || Pashinyan started his work by forming a government in which key political posts were taken by his close collaborators. Next, he appointed new heads of central-level offices, local administration institutions and law enforcement agencies. The prime minister also initiated the process of settling accounts with the old elite, although this has met with resistance on the part of Robert Kocharyan (Armenia’s president in 1998–2008) and his supporters. Due to the absence of the relevant legal instruments, the new government has failed to launch political and economic reforms (aside from its ostentatious fight against bribery and corruption), even though in his political promises Pashinyan mentioned his intention to thoroughly reconstruct the state, including the political scene, which is in line with what the public expects him to do. The prime minister’s main goal is to organise early parliamentary elections in the upcoming months and to win a stable majority in the new term of the National Assembly. In the present public mood, Pashinyan’s group could win by a landslide. However, it is not known whether its approval rating will remain stable in time. The plan to hold early elections is opposed by the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) led by Serzh Sargsyan, which holds the largest number of seats in parliament.

To serve the people – total power in Zelensky’s hands

Author(s): Tadeusz Iwański / Language(s): English

The key slogans of the campaign of Volodymyr Zelensky and his party Servant of the People ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections were: to bring fresh blood into the political class and to introduce honest professionals to politics who have not been discredited. The new president had no political experience whatsoever and, as a result of the parliamentary election, over three quarters of the seats in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) will be taken by individuals who have never served as members of parliament. The new parliament will have the lowest average age of its deputies since 1991 and the largest proportion of women (around 20%). The largest number of new and young politicians has been introduced to the Verkhovna Rada by the Servant of the People party and the Voice party. The sweeping victory attained by Zelensky’s party will allow it to form a government by itself. The president has announced that a new prime minister will be an economist “without political experience”, and it can be assumed that this principle will also apply during the selection of most of the new ministers. Thus Ukraine, being at war with Russia and struggling with low economic growth, will be governed by individuals who are new to politics. This situation, being an effect of the high hopes and expectations of the Ukrainian public for a fundamental change of the system, is giving rise to the significant potential for positive changes but also might put the political stability and further development of the Ukrainian state at risk.

Służyć narodowi – cała władza w rękach Zełenskiego

Author(s): Tadeusz Iwański / Language(s): Polish

Odnowienie klasy politycznej i wprowadzenie do polityki nieskompromitowanych i uczciwych fachowców było głównym hasłem Wołodymyra Zełenskiego i jego partii Sługa Narodu podczas kampanii wyborczych przed wyborami prezydenckimi i parlamentarnymi. Nowy prezydent nie miał żadnego doświadczenia politycznego, z kolei w wyniku wyborów do Rady Najwyższej około trzech czwartych jej składu stanowić będą osoby, które wcześniej nie zasiadały w parlamencie. Nowy parlament będzie charakteryzował się najniższą od 1991 r. średnią wieku deputowanych i największym odsetkiem kobiet (ok. 20%). Najwięcej nowych i młodych polityków wprowadziły do Rady Najwyższej partie Sługa Narodu i Głos. Wysoka wygrana partii Zełenskiego pozwala na samodzielne stworzenie rządu. Według słów prezydenta nowym premierem zostanie ekonomista „bez doświadczenia politycznego” i można przypuszczać, że zasada ta będzie dotyczyć także doboru większości nowych ministrów. Tym samym Ukraina, prowadząc wojnę z Rosją i zmagając się z niskim wzrostem gospodarczym, będzie rządzona przez osoby, które politykami dopiero się stają. Sytuacja ta, będąca wynikiem wielkich nadziei i oczekiwań społecznych na fundamentalną zmianę systemu, rodzi zarówno znaczący potencjał dla pozytywnych zmian, jak też ryzyka dla stabilności politycznej i dalszego rozwoju państwa ukraińskiego.

Nearing the End of the Ebola Epidemic in DR Congo: Lessons Learnt for the Fight against the Coronavirus

Author(s): Jędrzej Czerep / Language(s): English

The emergence of the first COVID-19 cases in Sub-Saharan Africa coincided with the discharge of the last patient cured of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To overcome the second largest epidemic of this disease in history, it was crucial to change the daily habits of the inhabitants of the affected areas. Experience in the fight against Ebola may affect the WHO's actions on coronavirus, for example, in the field of emergency use of non-approved vaccinations.

Bliski koniec epidemii eboli w DR Konga – wnioski dla walki z koronawirusem

Author(s): Jędrzej Czerep / Language(s): Polish

Pojawienie się pierwszych przypadków COVID-19 w Afryce Subsaharyjskiej zbiegło się w czasie z wypisaniem do domu ostatniego pacjenta wyleczonego z gorączki krwotocznej ebola w Demokratycznej Republice Konga. Dla pokonania drugiej największej w historii epidemii tej choroby kluczowa była zmiana codziennych nawyków mieszkańców zagrożonych terenów. Doświadczenie walki z ebolą może wpłynąć na działania WHO względem koronawirusa, np. w zakresie doraźnego stosowania nieatestowanych szczepień.

Zdrowie i polityka – Tajwan w walce z koronawirusem

Author(s): Justyna Szczudlik / Language(s): Polish

Skuteczna reakcja Tajwanu na pandemię choroby COVID-19 jest efektem wyciągnięcia wniosków z epidemii SARS z 2003 r. Skutkuje wzmocnieniem pozycji międzynarodowej Tajwanu jako dobrze funkcjonującej demokracji i nowoczesnego państwa. Współgra to z celami drugiej kadencji prezydent Tsai Ing-wen, której zależy na podkreślaniu odrębności wyspy od ChRL. Doświadczenia Tajwanu mogą pomóc UE w wypracowaniu lepszych procedur szybkiego reagowania na epidemię i dać impuls do pogłębienia współpracy dwustronnej.

Women’s Political Participation in North Macedonia: Study and Scientific Research Papers

Author(s): Katerina Kolozova,Marija Savovska / Language(s): English

National Security & Defence, № 144+145 (2014 - 01+02)

Author(s): Ella Libanova,Liudmyla Cherenko,Oleksandr Vasylyev,Anna Reut / Language(s): English

SOCIAL FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS FORMATION IN UKRAINE: IDENTIFICATION CRITERIA, STRUCTURE, KEY FEATURES // MIDDLE CLASS IN UKRAINE: LIFE VALUES, READINESS FOR ASSOCIATION AND PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC NORMS AND STANDARDS // SECTION 1. MIDDLE CLASS: IDENTIFICATION CRITERIA AND DEFINITION OF STRUCTURE // SECTION 2. MIDDLE CLASS IN SOCIAL CLASS STRUCTURE OF UKRAINIAN SOCIETY: MAIN FEATURES // 2.1. SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES // 2.2. SOCIAL BACKGROUND // 2.3. SOCIAL COMPOSITION // 2.4. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (REGIONAL PROFILE)AND REGIONAL DIFFERENCES // 2.5. FINANCIAL STANDING, POSSESSION OF PROPERTY // 2.6. WORK AND LEISURE TIME // 2.7. SOCIAL WELL-BEING // SECTION 3. MIDDLE CLASS: LIFE VALUES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR // 3.1. LIFE VALUES // 3.2. SOCIO-POLITICAL VALUES // 3.3. SOCIAL BEHAVIOR // SECTION 4. MIDDLE CLASS: CIVIC ACTIVISM, READINESS FOR ASSOCIATION AND PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS // 4.1. TRUST IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY // 4.2. TOLERANCE TO REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER SOCIAL AND SOCIAL CLASS GROUPS // 4.3. PERCEPTION OF COMMON INTERESTS WITH OTHER SOCIAL GROUPS // 4.4. CIVIC ACTIVISM // 4.5. PROTEST ACTIVITY POTENTIAL // SECTION 5. CONCLUSIONS // POPULATION WITH MEDIUM INCOME AS THE BASIS FOR MIDDLE CLASS FORMATION IN UKRAINE // 1. POPULATION WITH MEDIUM INCOME // 2. SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT OF A HOUSEHOLD WITH MEDIUM INCOME // 3. INCOME: LEVEL, SOURCES, FEATURES OF FORMATION // 4. POSSESSION OF PROPERTY IN MEDIUM INCOME HOUSEHOLDS // 5. CONSUMPTION IN HOUSEHOLDS // 6. EXPENSES OF HOUSEHOLDS FOR NON-FOOD GOODS AND SERVICES // 7. CERTAIN SUBJECTIVE EVALUATIONS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF MEDIUM INCOME POPULATION // 8. MOST IMPORTANT VALUES OF POPULATION WITH MEDIUM INCOME