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The papers presented at the conference cut across five thematic areas, including Democracy and Dialogue Engagements in Africa, Historical Perspectives of Democracy and Dialogue in Africa, Biblical Hermeneutics of Dialogue in Africa, Youth Participation in Dialogue and Democracy in Africa, and Indigenous Perspectives on Dialogue and Peace in Africa. The nexus between religion and democracy has hardly been adequately explored. This conference was one of the high points of Dr. Effiong Udo's sabbatical research initiative with the Dialogue Institute (D.I.). [Extracted from the article]

This article explores historians' role in shaping public policy amid crises through the programs of the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS). ISHS navigated the post-2008 recession, aligning with the History Relevance Campaign to redefine history's societal value and develop a legislative outreach program. This article encapsulates the ISHS's journey and history's power--through the agency's new briefing paper program--to inform, unite, guide policy, and promote informed governance. The article describes the author's workflow, which features traditional research methodology and adaptable projectmanagement philosophies and stresses the value of searchable research libraries as a framework for historians to manage multiple projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to this date very few empirical studies that address the civil society sector in Jiu Valley have been conducted. If they touch upon this topic, they discuss only the associational life of the miners. However, this does constitute their main objective. Thus, civil society actors beyond the miners' unions are neglected. Recognizing the scarcity of research on this topic, the paper seeks to address this gap, by taking the case of the coalition of Valea Jiului Implicată/Jiu Valley Involved. In order to find out more about this coalition and its members, I used a mixed method approach consisting of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results show that the coalition was formed by educated individuals with an experience of migration, that managed to bring together volunteers and NGOs so that they can address different problems affecting the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTIMATE GEOPOLITICS: Love, Territory, and the Future on India's Northern Threshold: By SARA SMITH. In a vivid ethnographic study of the Ladakh region in northern India, Smith provides an intricate examination of how community tensions are shaped by ethnic identities, family planning, and majoritarian politics - and one incendiary moment on a public street. Though I Intimate Geopolitics i is overtly a study of Ladakhi territorial politics as related to family dynamics, the commentary on sectarianism is relevant beyond the confines of the distant province. [Extracted from the article]

The book "British India, White Australia: Overseas Indians, Intercolonial Relations and the Empire" by Kama Maclean explores the historical relationship between Australia, India, and Britain in the post-Federation era. The author examines how the White Australia Policy influenced and was influenced by racial constructs, Australian self-interest, and British pragmatism. Drawing on archival resources from India, Australia, and the UK, the book provides a pre-history of the current bilateral relationship between Australia and India. It also highlights alternative viewpoints and counter-narratives of agency and equality, shedding light on the experiences of the Indian diaspora in Australia. [Extracted from the article]

After a 14-year gap, Australia's 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper advanced a 'comprehensive framework to advance Australia's security and prosperity in a contested and competitive world' (Australian Government 2017a, "2017 Foreign Policy White Paper." ., v). Focused on regional stability, partnerships and global cooperation, it identifies 'risks and opportunities' in an altered external environment. In this article, we argue that the neglect of gender and conflict prevention in the White Paper has implications for its stated aspirations with regard to peace and security. This is striking considering the attention that gender—particularly in the context of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda—has received in other policy areas and documents. Building on feminist security scholarship, conflict prevention approaches, and bringing in civil society voices, we argue that the White Paper contains a gendered, masculinist logic, separating domestic and international issues and paying insufficient attention to the structural and systemic causes of conflict. This article pursues a gender analysis in order to illuminate the gaps present in the White Paper and its limited vision of security and makes the case that conflict prevention from a gender perspective is key to sustainable peace, security and national interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five years ago, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists revealed the ventures of Mossack Fonseca and their partners in different jurisdictions through the Panama Papers. This scandal unveiled the suspicious, unlawful, and unethical activities of multiple members of civil society and the political sphere. The Panama Papers intensified the debate about the use of offshore companies as facades to disguise financial and other crimes, and raised questions about the effectiveness of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations. The scandal proved that illegalities were still being committed despite these international standards. After the leak, several nations tightened their Anti Money Laundering laws to curb the misuse of corporations by requiring the disclosure of the ultimate owner and by incentivizing the transnational collaboration.. This essay questions the adequacy of policies adopted by different jurisdictions after the media disclosure that are aimed at creating a more transparent corporate business model and toward preventing corporations from concealing illegalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the evolution of the European Union's development policy in relation to civil society. Based on a review of overall policy trends, strategies and practices in Central Asia, it demonstrates how the EU's development policy has gradually moved from a focus on European NGOs towards civil society organisations, broadly defined and increasingly associated with the private sector and local authorities. While the EU's policy recognises the intrinsic value of civil society in all its diversity and promotes partnership, its operational practices show a pragmatic preference for working with professionalised organisations in service delivery roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using the Kobe earthquake of 1995 and the Mid-Java earthquake of 2006 as case studies, this paper discusses the process of providing cultural recovery assistance; it also analyses the term ‘civil society’, a term that reflects efforts to make assistance activities sustainable. The Kobe earthquake should be seen as a point of departure for citizen activism by volunteers; because of it, cultural recovery support was vigorously provided. Since people influenced by those support efforts later became involved in providing Mid-Java earthquake recovery assistance, both earthquake recovery support initiatives can be seen as part of an ongoing chain of events. In analysing the Kobe earthquake, it becomes clear that while there are many semantic meanings for and usages of the term ‘civil society’, it was incorporated into policy guidelines for recovery during a period of low economic growth, and a new civil society was envisioned in this period of social transformation. Organisations participating in assistance efforts following the Mid-Java earthquake sought to make ‘civil society’ a reality; this continued after the earthquake recovery was complete, and it comprised an attempt to build the connections within a civil society by looking to overcome many persistent social problems. The power of communication that ‘culture’ holds plays a large role in this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]