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Background: Mental disorders afect employment and the ability to work, and mental healthcare providers are important in the promotion of health and employment for afected individuals. The objective of this study is to explore the perspectives of mental healthcare providers on pathways to improved employment for persons with mental disorders in two lower middle-income countries. Methods: Our study participants included mental healthcare providers (psychiatrists, occupational physicians, psychologists, and social care workers) from Kenya and Nigeria. Qualitative interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted with 15 professionals in Kenya and online questionnaires were completed by 80 professionals from Nigeria. Results: The study participants suggested that work is important for the recovery and wellbeing of persons with mental disorders. A complex interplay of factors related to the health of persons with mental disorders and the socioeconomic system in their setting were identifed as barriers to their work ability and employment. Participants proposed four pathways to improved employment: including information on reducing stigma, better healthcare, policy advocacy in employment, and government commitment to healthcare and social welfare. Public education to reduce stigma and better healthcare were the highest reported facilitators of employment. Conclusions: Persons with mental disorders require multilevel support and care in obtaining and retaining employ‑ ment. A better mental healthcare system is essential for the employment of persons with mental disorders.

The EU Think Tank (as part of the FIT4FOOD2030 Coordination andSupport Action) strongly supports the development of the Farm toFork Strategy as a key component of the European Green Deal,recognising the need to transform the food system as a whole.

Introduction: Globally, mental illness affects social and occupational functioning. We aimed to highlight the barriers to employment experienced by persons with mental disabilities in Kenya and how they manage to find work against all the odds. Materials and Methods: Using a mixed-method study design, we purposely sampled persons with mental illness through networks of persons with psychosocial disabilities (Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and Africa Mental Health Foundation, Kenya). Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews (n = 14) and four focus group discussions (n = 30), while a researcher-designed questionnaire was used to obtain quantitative data (n = 72). Results: We identified five major clusters of barriers to employment: mental illness factors, social exclusion and stigma, work identity crisis, non-accommodative environment, and socioeconomic status. Factors that facilitated employment include self-awareness and acceptance, self-employment, provision of reasonable accommodation, improved health services, addressing discriminatory laws and practices, and social development programs and support. Participants considered psychiatric illness the highest barrier to employment (63.2%), while supportive family/friends were considered the highest facilitator of employment (54.5%). Conclusion: The employment experiences of persons with mental disabilities are influenced by various interrelated factors in their social environment. Proactive social support and affirmative action by government may improve their employment opportunities and quality of life.

Introduction: Persons with mental illness experience social life restriction and stigma that may have implications for their work ability. The aims of this study are (i) to report experienced and anticipated discrimination and social functioning in persons with mental disabilities in Kenya and (ii) to investigate the association between experienced and anticipated discrimination, social functioning, and employment in this population. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study design where we randomly recruited 72 persons with mental illness through two networks of persons with psychosocial disabilities in Kenya. Experienced and anticipated discrimination were measured using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale version 12 (DISC 12) while social functioning was measured using the Social Functioning questionnaire (SFQ). Results: Experienced discrimination was reported by 81.9% in making or keeping friends, 69.7 and 56.3% in finding or keeping job, respectively, and 63.3% in dating or having an intimate relationship. Anticipated discrimination stopped 59.2% from applying for work, 40.8% from applying for education or training courses, and 63.4% from having a close personal relationship. Females reported an overall higher experienced discrimination than males. Unemployed participants had slightly increased rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination (9.5 vs. 9.1 and 2.5 vs. 2.3, respectively) (p > 0.05), while there was a significant association between impaired social functioning and unemployment [14.0 vs. 11.2 (p = 0.037)]. Conclusion: The rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination faced by persons with mental disabilities in Kenya is high and with significant gender disparity. Although no strong associations were observed between experienced and anticipated discrimination and employment, impaired social functioning of persons with mental disabilities seems to have implications for employment. Further research is essential to understand the predictors

Food system transformation requires major changes in food consumption practices. Consumers could play central roles to stimulate these changes, which needs to be fully recognized. Multi-stakeholder R&I efforts should focus more on the interactions between individual, contextual and policy factors influencing consumption patterns, with specific attention to the dynamic character of food environments. Consumers should be empowered and engaged in decision making, through co-design, co-creation, co-implementation and co-assessment.

Food system transformation requires major changes in food consumption practices. Consumers could play central roles to stimulate these changes, which needs to be fully recognized. Multi-stakeholder R&I efforts should focus more on the interactions between individual, contextual and policy factors influencing consumption patterns, with specific attention to the dynamic character of food environments. Consumers should be empowered and engaged in decision making, through co-design, co-creation, co-implementation and co-assessment.

A better understanding of key interactions between a multitude of actors, government levels and processes (production, consumption, distribution) and involving stakeholders is crucial to delivery of transformation. Our food systems face severe, urgent and persistent challenges, and so do we as humanity. Therefore, we need to strengthen the systems approach to Research and Innovation (R&I) in order to inform policy and decision makers to foster the transformation of EU food systems, in line with societies’ needs.

Het werkveld van jeugdhulp en jeugdbescherming is een innovatief werkveld, waar sprake is van veel veranderingen: nieuwe wijzen van financiering, nieuwe doelgroepen, nieuwe kennis over effectieve methoden, nieuwe instrumenten. Voor organisaties roept dat de vraag op: hoe passen we de organisatie daarop aan? Dit rapport van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam (Lectoraat Kwaliteit & Effectiviteit in de zorg voor jeugd) en de VU (Athena Instituut) geeft handvatten en voorbeelden van implementatie-strategieën.

A better understanding of key interactions between a multitude of actors, government levels and processes (production, consumption, distribution) and involving stakeholders is crucial to delivery of transformation. Our food systems face severe, urgent and persistent challenges, and so do we as humanity. Therefore, we need to strengthen the systems approach to Research and Innovation (R&I) in order to inform policy and decision makers to foster the transformation of EU food systems, in line with societies’ needs.

Het werkveld van jeugdhulp en jeugdbescherming is een innovatief werkveld, waar sprake is van veel veranderingen: nieuwe wijzen van financiering, nieuwe doelgroepen, nieuwe kennis over effectieve methoden, nieuwe instrumenten. Voor organisaties roept dat de vraag op: hoe passen we de organisatie daarop aan? Dit rapport van de Hogeschool van Amsterdam (Lectoraat Kwaliteit & Effectiviteit in de zorg voor jeugd) en de VU (Athena Instituut) geeft handvatten en voorbeelden van implementatie-strategieën.

For a long time one has been convinced that the goal of science communication is to inform the general public. Democratic motives formed the basis of this conviction and the deficiency model acted as the theoretical framework. However, big surveys like the Eurobarometer have shown that it is difficult to reach the 'layperson'. Consequently, the course was changed to smaller, homogeneous target groups like school pupils, cardiac patients and environmentalists. After the paradigm shift in the late nineties and with the rise of constructivism and the idea of interactivity, the concept of the 'small public' became dominant, especially after Einsiedel et al. showed that nearly every scientific and technological dilemma creates its own public, often with a different composition. But probably more interesting than the size of the public is its new role. From the perspective of an increasing interaction between science and society, publics are acting more and more as stakeholders and experts by experience. The 'science and technology' public is no longer only a receiver of information, but also a participant in the communication process. Science and technology communication as an interface between science and society is broadened from a (top down) media-activity to an interactive activity, in which meaning is co-created. The participants are no longer representatives of an idea or group, but individuals with their own views, experiences and beliefs, who contribute to the creation of new ideas.

For a long time one has been convinced that the goal of science communication is to inform the general public. Democratic motives formed the basis of this conviction and the deficiency model acted as the theoretical framework. However, big surveys like the Eurobarometer have shown that it is difficult to reach the 'layperson'. Consequently, the course was changed to smaller, homogeneous target groups like school pupils, cardiac patients and environmentalists. After the paradigm shift in the late nineties and with the rise of constructivism and the idea of interactivity, the concept of the 'small public' became dominant, especially after Einsiedel et al. showed that nearly every scientific and technological dilemma creates its own public, often with a different composition. But probably more interesting than the size of the public is its new role. From the perspective of an increasing interaction between science and society, publics are acting more and more as stakeholders and experts by experience. The 'science and technology' public is no longer only a receiver of information, but also a participant in the communication process. Science and technology communication as an interface between science and society is broadened from a (top down) media-activity to an interactive activity, in which meaning is co-created. The participants are no longer representatives of an idea or group, but individuals with their own views, experiences and beliefs, who contribute to the creation of new ideas.

Vanuit het regionaal economisch perspectief is voor het Rijk een beperkt aantal locaties van belang waar de primaire productie, de handel en de distributie van tuinbouw zich ruimtelijk gebundeld hebben. Deze locaties zijn Greenports genaamd. Wat betreft Greenport Venlo, wordt aangetoond hoe nieuwe samenwerkingsverbanden een volstrekt nieuwe methode hanteren om innovatie en duurzame doelen na te streven bij regionale ontwikkeling. Dit wordt in een kader van veranderende inzichten over overheidssturing, nieuwe werkwijzen en nieuwe perspectieven geplaatst die deze veranderingen met zich meebrengen in termen van creativiteit, kennis en betekenis.

For a long time one has been convinced that the goal of science communication is to inform the general public. Democratic motives formed the basis of this conviction and the deficiency model acted as the theoretical framework. However, big surveys like the Eurobarometer have shown that it is difficult to reach the 'layperson'. Consequently, the course was changed to smaller, homogeneous target groups like school pupils, cardiac patients and environmentalists. After the paradigm shift in the late nineties and with the rise of constructivism and the idea of interactivity, the concept of the 'small public' became dominant, especially after Einsiedel et al. showed that nearly every scientific and technological dilemma creates its own public, often with a different composition. But probably more interesting than the size of the public is its new role. From the perspective of an increasing interaction between science and society, publics are acting more and more as stakeholders and experts by experience. The 'science and technology' public is no longer only a receiver of information, but also a participant in the communication process. Science and technology communication as an interface between science and society is broadened from a (top down) media-activity to an interactive activity, in which meaning is co-created. The participants are no longer representatives of an idea or group, but individuals with their own views, experiences and beliefs, who contribute to the creation of new ideas.

Vanuit het regionaal economisch perspectief is voor het Rijk een beperkt aantal locaties van belang waar de primaire productie, de handel en de distributie van tuinbouw zich ruimtelijk gebundeld hebben. Deze locaties zijn Greenports genaamd. Wat betreft Greenport Venlo, wordt aangetoond hoe nieuwe samenwerkingsverbanden een volstrekt nieuwe methode hanteren om innovatie en duurzame doelen na te streven bij regionale ontwikkeling. Dit wordt in een kader van veranderende inzichten over overheidssturing, nieuwe werkwijzen en nieuwe perspectieven geplaatst die deze veranderingen met zich meebrengen in termen van creativiteit, kennis en betekenis.

This paper addresses the changing of organisations, the emergence of new partnerships, new ways of working and the new perspectives, creativeness, knowledge and meaning these changes generate. The authors use the case of the project Greenport Venlo in the Netherlands to illustrate the occurrence of a totally different way to develop innovative and sustainable goals in regional development by new partnerships.

In de ‘Nota Ruimte’ (Ministeries van VROM, LNV, VenW en EZ, 2006) is de regio Venlo aangewezen als Greenport. Het Rijk vindt het van belang dat het internationale tuinbouwcluster behouden blijft en versterkt wordt. Sindsdien, en voortbouwend op eerdere ontwikkelingen, heeft zich in de regio een innovatief proces voltrokken van betekenis en uitvoering geven aan Greenport. Hiermee is het Greenport begrip in de regio rondom Venlo opgerekt van implementatie van een glastuinbouwopgave naar een regionale ontwikkelingsopgave, waarin kwaliteit van leven, kennis en innovatie, duurzaamheid en samenwerken tussen verschillende actoren centraal staat. De verschillende actoren worden in de regio inmiddels aangeduid met de 5O’s: ondernemers, onderzoekers, overheden, onderwijs en omgeving. In het Greenport netwerk geven deze actoren samen vorm en inhoud aan het regionale ontwikkelingsproces.

This paper addresses the changing of organisations, the emergence of new partnerships, new ways of working and the new perspectives, creativeness, knowledge and meaning these changes generate. The authors use the case of the project Greenport Venlo in the Netherlands to illustrate the occurrence of a totally different way to develop innovative and sustainable goals in regional development by new partnerships.