The ‘Jasmine Revolution’: The Fall of the Arab Berlin Wall?

The dramatic and quick fall of the former president of Tunisia Ben Ali was a political Tsunami and a shock and awe. Could this unprecedented and unthinkable revolution have impacts-albeit in the long run- across the Arab Middle East?

The Digital Tipping Point

Is Web 2.0 really the only reason why youth digital activism is so successful in mobilizing public engagement? A look into the transformation of Blank Noise’s blog from a one-way communication medium into a site of public dialogue and collaboration reveals the crucial factors behind the success.

Dissident Voices: Dev-Blogs

Development workers and academics are usually quite vocal people who have opinions about their work field, regarding strategies, happenings, politics, policies and the lot. However they can not always be critical through official channels as their institutions have interests and ideologies to defend. Also, sometimes they just have things to say that do not necessarily feed into development work or thinking, but express their personal interests, dilemmas and insights. For them, the blogosphere offers a whole new world of opportunities.

Legal pluralism in Uganda: traditional and modern conflict resolution mechanisms

The paper ‘Culture in Governance. Does in work?’ comprises four case studies of communities in different parts of Uganda. All four examine how local communities deal with issues of human rights and justice, accountability, access to resources and conflict resolution. They illustrate how ‘community governance’, ‘culture’ and the State interplay when it comes to access to land, as in one of the examples.

18: The Political Implications of a Common Approach to Human Rights

The topics of human rights and civil society provoke a lively debate on both sides of the Mediterranean. It is important to underline the fact that in the political arena these two issues are particularly emotive. Working Paper 18 examines this synergy, looking at the role of external participants (in this case, Europeans) in promoting democratic values, and looking at the reception that has been given to this “interference” by official bodies of the societies in question. The debates and contradictions concerning the issue of human rights and the use to which it has been put – neutral or self-interested – explain the feelings of reticence and suspicion.

Open Access Publication: Participation for What?

Hereby we present you the digital version of the book: "Participation For What, Social Change or Social Control?". The publication is special, both content-wise and process-wise, as it is entirely produced by (alumni and present) ISS PhD students, and Open Acces available. The book contains seven articles that were carefully selected out of the contributions for the Development Dialogue, which was held at ISS in 2008. All the articles question participatory processes and practices in development: participation by whom, for what, and how? These remain vital questions for moving forward in building new narratives and generating appropriate development strategies.

Digital Natives with a Cause? Thinkathon: Position Papers

Digital Natives from Asia and Africa have provided us with their take on social change and political participation. They look at issues such as: what does it mean to be a Digital Native? What is the relationship of people growing up with new technologies and change? What are the processes by which change is produced? Can you institutionalize Digital Natives with a Cause Activities? How do you make it sustainable in each context?

Gender Mainstreaming 2.0 Dialogue

What can we learn from mainstreaming practices in different policy areas? What’s new and how can gender mainstreaming be made more future-proof? The Gender Mainstreaming 2.0 Dialogue seeks to re-energize gender mainstreaming and take it to the next level. We will look at practices from different policy areas, ranging from violence against women, to microfinance and value chain development, as well as the aid architecture. This event seeks to create synergy across these policy fields.

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