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Touristic security – the practice of securing tourists to sustain tourism – has become a highly pertinent and powerful global security practice. Many organisations, governments, industry stakeholders, consultants, and scholars claim touristic security to be a 'win-win' security practice supportive of global sustainable development for all. But is this true? This paper interrogates this claim in two steps. First, it sets out an international political sociology inspired approach to theorising security as a global practice shaped by and shaping of the continued coloniality of power, and, second, it uses this approach to select, connect, and analyse diverse critical studies of tourism for the emergence, enactment, and consequences of touristic security in the Global South. Put together, the critical studies of tourism analysed suggest that touristic security is a neoliberal security practice that centres international – often white Western – tourists' fears and vulnerabilities, and, following, that it is (re)producing the coloniality of inequalities, insecurities, and immobilities. Far from a 'win-win' security practice, then, critical studies of tourism imply that touristic security is feeding into an endless process of (in)securitisation that is antithetical to global sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty continuously lays a breeding ground for capitalist orientations and perceptions of the concept in itself and "justifies" the adoption of foreign-based solutions with little or no affiliation to local and socio-cultural contexts. Meanwhile, the contextualizations surrounding the poverty debate in development aid and intervention seemingly underpin the assertion that development aid is problematic in itself given binary tensions surrounding indigenous knowledge and western science as post-modern development discourse. This paper succinctly explores the orientations of poverty within the development aid conundrum and discusses dichotomies between indigenous knowledge and western science in defining development processes in developing countries and Sub Saharan Africa. It seeks to underscore the socio economic, cultural and politically constructed "representations" of poverty by discussing theoretical standpoints to question development aid agencies interventions in the Global South, and the impending changes in local and community relationships as a result. The paper concludes that while anthropologists role within this development and knowledge debate is pivotal, it is imperative for development aid to go beyond mere economic and measurement led framings of poverty, to affix a more salient perspective of culture and local knowledge systems that will shape the understanding of poverty and guide concurrent interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level of safety in a country is a yardstick for it potential growth and sustainable development. If the environment is not safe, there will be no viable economic activity going on and thus the level of poverty and inequality in such environment will be high. Amidst of the unsafe environment, there is usually some group of people benefiting from such political economy scenario. Such group will therefore wish to continue to benefit from such environment at the expense of the larger society thereby creating deeper poverty gaps. The question this paper seeks answer is; to what extent is Nigeria’s environment safe for sustainable development to take place as a recipe for developing countries? The relative deprivation theory is used to establish the fact that deprivation of the people in an environment leads to inequality and poverty. This deprivation hinders rapid socioeconomic and political activities to take place by creating an unsafe political economy environment which as well affects sustainable development. Data from Afrobarometer database on Nigeria were examined, analysed and interpreted. The paper concludes that making the environment more secure for economic activities reduces poverty and inequality. The study recommends that an equitable distribution of income should be enforced first to the immediate environment whose land was usurp and then to the other federating units also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is twofold: first, it assesses the current state of collaboration between institutionalist economics and the academic degrowth discourse on the topic of global inequalities. Since a systematic literature review of the current degrowth discourse shows that the level of such collaboration is limited, the second goal of the article is to outline avenues through which institutionalist scholars could contribute to the current academic degrowth discourse. These include the provision of theories of institutional change, a methodological reflection of selected formal models, and substantive insights on the co-evolution of institutions and technological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is almost unanimously perceived to be one of the greatest environmental and developmental challenges of this century. Implementing climate change response requires not just huge and prudent utilization of financial resources, but also highly efficient financing institutions and systems especially in developing countries where underlying development issues such as poverty, health, etc. exist. This paper attempts to evaluate the operationalization of the Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) as a climate financing prototype in terms of fund mobilization, nature of projects, equity and inclusion, alignment and mainstreaming. This study was conducted through review of relevant and recent literature on climate change governance and financing, supported with information retrieved from relevant official documents as well as interviews of key persons. Our study found the ICCTF most effective in alignment with national development plans and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has implemented climate change adaptation programmes with the principles of equity and inclusion of various stakeholders. The ICCTF has however struggled to efficiently mobilize funds owing largely to technical ambiguities especially in its legal and institutional frameworks, it therefore yet to be utilized to its maximum potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UNESCO increasingly points to the value of culture for sustainable development. However, if we review UNESCO policies on the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, developing countries do not seem to find access or implement them. Consequently, this paper analyses UNESCO initiatives related to the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict from a developmental perspective and explores whether they are adequate and inclusive for developing countries. Data for this paper were gathered from document analyses and additional expert interviews obtained via email questionnaires. The paper finds that UNESCO tends to be willing to improve the situation. However, the ratification rates of the relevant UNESCO Conventions in developing countries remain low, the implementation of these instruments is almost non-existent and the commitment to UNESCO protection policies is insufficient. This is mainly due to a lack of awareness and to the fact that the initiative has to come from the state concerned; the possibilities for international cooperation are still quite limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global urban development is increasingly becoming an aspect of focus as nations fight sustainability challenges. A review of the current literature on urban sustainability suggests that research on development of cities, in both developed and developing countries, is growing fast, with an emphasis on sustainable development. However, very little of this research contains an integrated framework to systematically identify and examine the various dimensions of urban sustainability and to measure and evaluate them appropriately. Cities are more than the sum of their sectors, and are complex and interdependent systems on whose dynamics the quality of life of millions of human beings and a good part of the economy depend. Environmental, economic, social and governance problems can create formidable barriers to urban sustainability. Governance remains a critically important dimension of urban sustainability, especially when discussing urbanization in developing countries, given rapid population movements and imbalances in socio-economic development. Understanding how cities function is fundamental to resolving these imbalances. The aim of this paper is to provide a review and analysis of the concept of urban sustainability and to propose the development of a holistic framework through integration of environmental, economic, social, and governance dimensions of sustainability. Such a review would make it possible to understand the complex dynamics of the four dimensions and to assess the progress and challenges in moving towards urban sustainability, taking the case of Nairobi, Kenya, as an example. The paper argues that, for urban sustainability in developing countries, more emphasis should be placed on the governance dimension, because this is where the biggest challenge exists, with increasing needs for immediate management of rapid urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Argumenta Oeconomica Cracoviensia is the property of Cracow University of Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Developing countries are often most impacted by climate change. While the work of international environmental organizations has received considerable public and academic attention, local environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) also play a key role in assisting local populations adapt to the changing environment and develop in a sustainable manner. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with rural Malians, and using a local ENGO [the Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa (MFC)] as a case study, this paper begins by describing how rural Malians perceive climate change is impacting their lives, and how the MFC attempts to address these impacts with their programs in the communities. The paper then illustrates the unique advantages of local ENGOs, both in their holistic approach and their integration in the communities, to working with the local population, relative to the approach taken by larger NGOs in this field. It concludes by proposing that a key new avenue for the international community to meet its developmental and environmental goals could be to support the work of local ENGOs through, for example, existing carbon markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World social development has arrived at a critical turning point. Economically advanced nations have made significant progress toward meeting the basic needs of their populations; however, the majority of developing countries have not. Problems of rapid population growth, failing economies, famine, environmental devastation, majority-minority group conflicts, increasing militarization, among others, are pushing many developing nations toward the brink of social chaos. This paper focuses on worldwide development trends for the 40-year period 1970–2009. Particular attention is given to the disparities in development that exist between the world’s “rich” and “poor” countries as well as the global forces that sustain these disparities. The paper also discusses more recent positive trends occurring within the world’s “socially least developed countries” (SLDCs), especially those located in Africa and Asia, in reducing poverty and in promoting improved quality of life for increasing numbers of their populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article questions the assumption that increasing competition among higher education institutions is the best method of achieving a strong higher education sector in developing countries. It notes that there has been increasing emphasis on the importance of higher education institutions for sustainable development, particularly because of their importance to the global knowledge economy. For the same reason, the appropriate management of the relationship between the state and higher education institutions is vital to a strong and dynamic future for these institutions. This paper proposes a menu of options for higher education governance, grouped around ‘state-centric’ and ‘neo-liberal’ models of development. The ‘state-centric’ model proposed is based on a variety of examples of high performing Asian economies, in particular, while the ‘neo-liberal’ model is based on emerging trends in higher education management in countries such as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The paper suggests that despite pressure across the globe to encourage a market among universities, this may not always be the most efficient use of resources, or the best way to integrate universities in a country’s drive for economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The private sector now has a lead role in innovative sanitation in the Global South. • The Peepoo bag is a biodegradable toilet bag for use in informal settlements. • End users liked the innovation, but it failed to integrate into the regime. • Aid organizations and private sector form different epistemic communities. • The company failed to gain legitimacy for its product among donors. What is needed for the private sector to successfully establish itself as a key player in delivering sustainable sanitation in the Global South? The present paper aims to offer some answers to this through the case of Peepoople AB, a company delivering a single-use biodegradable toilet bag in informal settlements. The company aimed to but failed in combining sustainable development of sanitation and financial gain for investors. We suggest that explanations for the failure can be found in the interaction between the company and the development– and aid organisations already involved in sanitation development. Through Strategic Niche Management, we look at whether the company managed to create relevant social networks, expectation dynamics and learning processes. The company gained legitimacy with end users, but failed to gain legitimacy in the development sector as it did not prioritise the kind of learning and competence considered relevant in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD) was formulated by UNCTAD, among others, as a response to the challenges that leastdeveloped and developing countries face today – because of their obligations under international investment agreements (IIAs) – when trying to implement development or poverty alleviation policies. By looking at selected investor-state dispute settlement cases brought against Argentina, Bolivia and South Africa in response to poverty-related regulatory measures, this paper analyses the interpretation of IIA clauses by arbitral tribunals, and familiarizes the reader with the policy options provided by the IPFSD. The IPFSD recommends a "new generation" of investment policies that places inclusive growth and sustainable development at the heart of efforts to attract and benefit from foreign direct investment. The IPFSD does not explicitly focus on poverty eradication; however, its comprehensive approach to sustainable development makes of it a policy tool-kit with great potential for policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to formulate hypothesis about interrelation of countries' developmental level and foreign direct investments performance with reference to relevant scientific literature. Reviewed ample relevant scientific literature made a presumption to arise that the impact of FDI differs in developed, developing and underdeveloped countries, i.e. depends on level of development: developed countries benefit most, developing less and underdeveloped least. Countries to respective groups have been attributed according to their level of development and indicators chosen for the formulation of following hypotheses. The following indicators capable of reflecting FDI impact on enhancing wellbeing in unevenly developed countries (GDP, exports, inflation, population, life expectancy at birth, primary school pupils, infant mortality, total health expenditure per capita, total tax rate, Internet users, residential consumption of electricity) and differences between developed and underdeveloped countries in the fields of: economic, social and business environment. In the paper a series of hypotheses has been formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as the principle focus for debate on development, has shaped the discussion of rural development in recent years. Rural development has tended to be discussed in terms of linking the dual goals of conservation and development, with this in turn often regarded as 'sustainable development'. Ecotourism has often been associated with sustainable rural development, especially in the developing world. This is the case in both the academic literature and in the practice of rural development and conservation non-governmental organisations. The principal argument behind this association is the potential for ecotourism to establish, to a greater or lesser degree, a 'symbiosis' between conservation and development. This is well rehearsed in the literature. Put simply, ecotourism can generate revenue, and development, based upon the conservation of the environment, rather than through its transformation. However, this formulation, and its association with sustainable development (with all this implies vis-a-vis the development debate), resides on certain assumptions and premises. This paper uses case studies to examine this argument. It seeks to establish and question the assumptions implicit in this view, and through this assesses the potential for ecotourism development projects to contribute to achieving the MDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section presents abstracts of papers on city planning published from 2007 to 2008, including "Streets, Sounds and Identity in Inter-war Harlem," by Clare Corbould, "(Re)making the Other, Heterosexualising Everyday Space," by Kath Browne, and "Rankings and Reactivity: How Public Measures Recreate Social Worlds," by Wendy Nelson Espeland and Michael Sauder.

Copyright of Persona y Bioética is the property of Universidad de la Sabana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This research presents a method proposal to analyse the viability of entrepreneurial projects in critical contexts of developing countries. Design/methodology: The method proposal is applied to a case study on the integral viability analysis of a shea mill in Kumbungu (Ghana). Based on a qualitative design, different ad hoc participatory tools are implemented, such as a daily routine schedule, combined with other research techniques (focus groups, interviews, etc.). Findings: The proposal includes ten specific steps to analyse the viability of entrepreneurial projects. It involves, on the one hand, the active participation of the members of the community in order to be able to make a real analysis of their needs; and, on the other hand, an integrating analysis that allows evaluating the sustainability of the project from an economic, social and technological perspective. The method is applied to the start-up and management of a shea butter mill in Ghana. Some core aspects are highlighted: 1) people are considered key when making decisions, thus participatory tools (such as the daily routines workshop) can be essential in ensuring the sustainability of the enterprise; 2) the need to adapt the tools to the context. This is crucial in contexts such as Ghana, where language may be a barrier or because the illiteracy rate is high. And 3) from the method, it is concluded that it is necessary to prioritise the sustainability of the enterprise in general, not just efficiency. Originality/value: The research combines the classic tools of business viability analysis with those of development cooperation. In this sense, it is proposed to carry out an integral viability analysis that includes not only the economic sustainability of the project, but also the social and technological aspects and, more important, where the active participation of all the stakeholders is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on topics related to history and planning including attitudes towards menstruation in Elizabethan England, sexual fantasy in modern America, and feminism.

The Philippines, as an archipelago and a developing country, is very vulnerable to climate change. Current efforts to address the impacts of climate change exist but may not be sufficient. The first part of this paper reviews current knowledge on mainstreaming climate change adaptation into development. It then assesses how far climate change has been mainstreamed into key development plans and programmes in the Philippines. Interviews with key informants were also conducted. The results show that there is no mainstreaming in the Philippines. All the major development plans and policies reviewed did not contain any reference to climate change adaptation. Interviews with key stakeholders reveal a similar trend. The main reason preventing mainstreaming are that national priorities are biased towards concerns deemed more pressing, and that there is a pervasive lack of awareness about the impacts of climate change on sustainable development. However, there are massive investments in infrastructure projects designed to adapt to weather-related hazards. Projects such as these could provide an entry point for integrating climate change adaptation into development plans and policy in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently passed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass a variety of explicit and implicit goals that address inequality. Although formulations remain vague and targets abstract, the SDGs go much further than previous development goals in addressing inequality as a central issue. Against the background of insights from inequality research, the article assesses their potential to become discursive resources for fundamental reforms of established development ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article aims to improve the understanding of how micro-level subsistence activities might be related to higher-level phenomena to increase the well-being of individuals and communities in contexts characterized by institutional gaps. Using coffee as illustrative case, it explores the link between local entrepreneurial activities in developing countries and global marketing systems, with specific attention to the role of institutions. In this way, the article also sheds some light on broader research challenges identified in the marketing and society area on the role of marketing in addressing sustainability and poverty, especially institution-building and failure in development. Insights from coffee projects to help small farmers, undertaken in different settings all characterized by institutional gaps, exemplify the emergence of “compensatory structures” – new/different networks, intermediary entities, and partnerships. They further knowledge transfer, market access, and capacity building; combine forces through producer groups and cooperatives; and create links with trading/exporting companies, sector organizations, and government agencies. While positive outcomes are found, the article also discusses limitations related to certification, access to finance, and extension in time and scale, as well as implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While the impact of global warming and climate change has been crucial in the question of sustainable tourism development, village tourism has drawn the attention of the world. Sustainability considerations have been making ways in each and every development initiative in the last few decades. In line of this trend, the concept of the 'new tourism' has emerged. The economic globalization of the world has initiated this type of tourism trade and as such the countries possessing attractive bio-diversification empirical and historical heritage have the opportunity to develop the 'new tourism' sector to reap benefit out of this ever-expanding industry. In view of such reality, this article attempts to investigate on the conceptual dynamics and benefits of village tourism and explores reflective state of these theoretical underpinnings, on the basis of an in-depth analysis of a case study drawn from a successful village tourist destination. Finally, there has been a great deal of study focused to the role of village tourism on how it enhances the economic status of host and local communities in developing countries like Bangladesh and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a hybrid, bottom-up approach to field research, namely Rapid Situation Analysis, and implements it in Ghana. It draws on elements from two existing participatory methodological approaches: Rapid Rural Appraisal and Participatory Rural Appraisal. The approach was developed to suit the particular needs of investigating corporate social responsibility practices, sustainable development and poverty reduction through tourism, a fragmented sector which tends to be ambiguous and unstructured and lack cohesion (unlike, for example, agriculture or primary health care, both of which are familiar territory for Rapid Rural Appraisal and Participatory Rural Appraisal). The Rapid Situation Analysis bottom-up approach to data gathering was underpinned by supporting methods, including participant and direct observation, in-depth interviews, stakeholder focus groups and informal conversations. Moreover, the multiple methods were further enriched by the collection of visual data in the form of moving and still images. These research findings were fed back to the communities at the centre of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstract on planning including a micro-level analysis of the Black voting during the civil rights movement, the influence of land-use planners on flood hazard mitigation and the use on public transport timetable data into health care accessibility modelling.

The article presents abstracts on various topics which include social life and civic education in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the political aspect of neighborhood football clubs in Santiago, Chile and the legacy of urban renewal in Southwest Washington, D.C.

The article presents abstracts on planning-related topics which include an examination of the popularity of dancing in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, an examination of how religious diversity in community affects church membership in a period of high growth and social change and an examination of child labor in urban industries in the Dutch Republic.

The article presents abstracts on land use planning topics, including "Historical Amnesia: New Urbanism and the City of Tomorrow," "More Than Sector Theory: Homer Hoyt's Contributions to Planning Knowledge" and "Methodology for the Survival Analysis of Urban Building Stocks."

The Millennium Village Project (MVP) has come to embody hope for a new development path that might succeed where previous efforts have failed. A closer consideration of this project, however, suggests that this hope might be misplaced. Because of a general dearth of critical thought in key areas of project conceptualization, the MVP risks reproducing the problems of previous topdown, expert-driven development efforts. This article examines the conceptual issues raised by this absence of critical thought, and the reasons why project supporters have generally overlooked these issues. It then presents a critical grassroots framework which, if incorporated into existing MVP practices, might allow for the creation of a realistic, sustainable development path in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores an alternative approach to future climate policies in developing countries. Although climate change seems marginal compared to the pressing issues of poverty alleviation and economic development, it is becoming clear that the realisation of development goals may be hampered by climate change. However, development can be shaped in such a way as to achieve its goals and at the same time reduce vulnerability to climate change, thereby facilitating sustainable development that realises economic, social, local and global environmental goals. This approach has been coined the ‘development first approach’, in which a future climate regime should focus on development strategies with ancillary climate benefits and increase the capability of developing countries to implement these. This is anticipated to offer a possible positive way out of the current deadlock between North and South in the climate negotiations. First, elements are presented for an integrated approach to development and climate; second, the approach is elaborated for food and energy security in sub-Saharan Africa; and third, possibilities are outlined for international mechanisms to support such integrated development and climate strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is no doubt that large-scale development in the built environment and its physical infrastructure is needed in the so-called 'developing countries'. However, these problems need to be addressed in a way that is socially and ecologically responsible. There is great urgency to make sustainable interventions now, while these built environments are being created, rather than try and change things after the fact. However, there are a number of challenges to the introduction of sustainable construction technologies and practices, and certain enablers need to be developed to help these countries adopt a more sustainable path. The Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction in Developing Countries suggested a strategy for addressing some of these challenges by developing a Research and Development Agenda, based on a matrix of immediate, medium-term and long-term technological, institutional and value enablers. This Agenda is supported by a Stakeholder Plan for Action. The challenge now is to find the means to implement these suggestions at a local level by developing regional and national action plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several abstracts featured in various journals as of August 2006. "Creating the Public Domain: Nineteenth-Century Local State Formation in Britain and the U.S.," by Alan Digaetano; "The Significance of Color Declines: A Re-Analysis of Skin Tone Differentials in Post-Civil Rights America," by Aaron Gullickson; "Deconstructing the City of Culture: The Long-Term Cultural Legacies of Glasgow 1990," by Beatriz García.

Presents abstracts of environmental planning research. They include "Integrating a performance-based approach into practice: A case study," "Local commitment to state-mandated planning in coastal North Carolina" and "Fiscal consequences of concentrated poverty in a metropolitan region."