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Title: Amplifying voices of development: Insights from Indigenous Maya leaders of El Quiche, Guatemala.
Contributors: Alexandra Pedersen (author), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The concept of development is under immense scrutiny. By questioning what is development and development for whom?' a re-thinking of these practices is underway throughout the world. Critical development practitioners are seriously evaluating development' to better understand the divided views between the North and South from a richly interdisciplinary perspective. In my thesis, I present findings of a recent research project in which I sought the perspectives of eight Indigenous Maya leaders of El Quiché, Guatemala. Based on interviews conducted in September 2010 in the Guatemalan highland city of Santa Cruz del Quiché and surrounding area, I attempt to better understand the meaning(s) of the word development from an Indigenous perspective, and how a self-determined vision of life best suits local communities. Based on their lived experiences, the Indigenous Maya interviewees asserted that development' practices prescribed by the local government and country's elites, as well as outside non-government organizations and multinational corporations, are not in the best interests of the Indigenous population. I attempt to highlight how the imposition of the development' itself has become, to these leaders, synonymous with forms of racism, inequality, exclusion, oppression and a loss of Indigenous identity and culture. Rather, Maya leaders in El Quiché stress the right to self-determined development, cultural preservation and a more holistic vision of life for individuals and communities. --P. ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:09:05.829Z

Title: Economic restructuring gender and grassroots development in Mexico
Contributors: Amy Melissa Schell (author), Fiona MacPhail (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Since 1980s, Mexico has undergone extensive economic restructuring symbolic of broader' globalization' trends. Substantial changes to Mexican economic, political and social structures have been informed by neo-liberal principles of development. Structural adjustment policies (SAPs) and the more recent phase of economic restructuring, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), are two neo-liberal economic strategies implemented in Mexico to achieve trade liberalization and deregulation. The impacts of economic restructuring on Mexicans vary depending on gender, class and geographical location (whether urban or rural). Guided by the gender and development (GAD) theoretical framework, I explore answers to the question ' what are the gendered impacts of Mexican economic restructuring and how have disadvantaged Mexican women responded to these impacts?' By using secondary research methodologies to explore feminist development literature pertaining to the gendered impacts of economic restructuring in conjunction with literature specific to Mexico, this project analyzes structural changes on a macro level while drawing out contextual examples of gender specific survival strategies. This study suggests that urban and rural disadvantaged women in Mexico have responded to negative impacts of economic restructuring in similar ways by mobilizing into grassroots organizations (GROs). Membership in a grassroots organization serves the dual purpose of meeting immediate perceived needs while containing the potential for empowering women to challenge gender ideologies confining their activities in broader contexts. Overall, this project concludes that gender must be a central element in all development efforts. The concerns of women's grassroots organizations and women's struggles against gender subordination must be fully recognized and represented in policy formation and implementation processes in order to foster greater equality in development.--Page i.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:16:05.418Z

Title: The meaning of reconciliation and development in post-genocide Rwanda.
Contributors: Hyae-Rim Roncin (author), Fiona MacPhail (Thesis advisor), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: When the characteristic of mass violence is primarily intrastate rather than interstate in nature, as was the case during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, geographical separation among conflicting groups is not always a viable solution. In such cases, reconciliation can present a way to recuperate and rebuild broken relationships amongst former adversaries. Reconciliation itself, however, is not a general concept or set of rules to be equally applied towards different groups or countries. This thesis is centered on a key question: what are the meanings of reconciliation and development in post-genocide Rwanda, and how are they related? To examine this relationship, three possible connections are conceptualized: social healing and community development, reparations and economic development, and shared views on history and political development. This research contends that in a post-conflict setting, development without reconciliation is an incomplete process. --P. i.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:11:34.26Z

Title: Grassroots development in El Salvador
Contributors: George A. Harding (author), Paul Bowles (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: In this paper I discuss grassroots development as portrayed in the development literature and use my findings to evaluate three local rural programmes in a poor, remote area of El Salvador, Central America. I set the context by briefly examining and comparing two approaches to development, namely, the paradigm of things and that of people. I also provide moral justifications for the latter paradigm and trace its history as an idea. I then discuss in detail the tree central tenets of grassroots development, participation/collective action, social organization and empowerment. Throughout this process local people are the main actors they are the ones who participate together to form a grassroots organization in order to empower themselves and take more control over their lives. Indicators for the three pillars of grassroots development are used to evaluate the three case studies. The cases are all in a poor department in northeastern El Salvador the participants are subsistence cultivators or artisans. In all three areas local people worked together with varying results. The local development association scored better overall when rated subjectively than did the two coffee co-operatives but the co-op members' well-being were enhanced more through group activities. All participants appeared to be taking more control of their lives.--Page i.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:17:41.262Z

Title: Winds of change: The international response to persistent organic pollutants in the Canadian Arctic.
Contributors: Stephanie Powell (author), Heather Myers (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:00:25.096Z

Title: Food security in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of food aid and trade liberalization
Contributors: Michael Odur (author), Fiona MacPhail (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:15:28.111Z

Title: The demise of the corporatist experiment in South Africa.
Contributors: Siobian Patricia Smith (author), Paul Bowles (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:57:37.292Z

Title: Global to local: International conferences and environmental education in the People's Republic of China.
Contributors: Marie-Claude Roch (author), Kenneth Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis explores the relationship between international recommendations for environmental education developed at United Nations Conferences and non-formal environmental education initiatives undertaken by Chinese civil organizations. Data were collected and analysed through an interpretivist window and involved: (1) a historical and content analysis of recommendations from United Nations-sponsored conferences related to environmental education; (2) interviews with academics, Chinese officials, and Chinese civil organisations representatives; and (3) document analysis of academic literature as well as governmental and non-governmental publications related to environmental recommendations. Findings were compared, contrasted and interpreted in order to assess patterns of influence and consistency. Briefly, results showed that international recommendations for environmental education did not directly influence non-formal environmental education efforts in China; nevertheless, some non-formal environmental education efforts in China were consistent with the international recommendations, suggesting the existence of indirect communication pathways between international conferences and local agents.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:59:29.898Z

Title: Environment, salmon and politics: British Columbia's role in domestic and international fisheries policy, 1996--1999.
Contributors: Robert Leigh Ferrier (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:33:34.945Z

Title: Do protected areas support cultural survival?: examining the characteristics of modern protected areas
Contributors: Yumi Kanaoka (author), Heather Myers (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis addresses the question of whether or not today's protected areas, as widespread formal means for nature conservation, are compatible with indigenous cultures. By reviewing case studies of various protected areas on indigenous lands, the thesis examines the degree to which protected areas are influenced by dominant Western culture and discusses the connections between protected area policies and European colonial practices. The study suggests that protected area policies are highly infused with Western-influenced values and norms, and are often imposed upon indigenous societies in the same manner as colonial policies. Today, protected areas on indigenous lands are in greater demand due to increasing public concern over the loss of biological diversity and the growing political significance of environmental issues. However, there is a definite possibility that the expansion of protected areas will further weaken indigenous cultures, thereby posing threats to the world's diverse approaches to conservation that are still found in surviving indigenous communities.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:11:24.115Z

Title: The first ten years of economic reform in post-Soviet Russia: outcomes and policy alternatives
Contributors: Dmitri Stanislav Chepelev (author), Paul Bowles (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:17:16.883Z

Title: Microfinance and micro-enterprises: A study of the Kudumbashree Program in Kerala, India.
Contributors: Louis-Olivier Gervais (author), Ajit Dayanandan (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The poverty eradication mission called Kudumbashree is a women-centered anti-poverty program initiated in 1998 by the Government of Kerala, in India. Based on a primary survey of neighborhood groups in two communities, the study examines the dynamics of high repayment rates and the social impact of this micro-enterprise program. The study found that repayment rates are relatively lower in non-agricultural activities because of the marketing problems (resulting from the creation of non-tradables), while it is relatively successful in the agricultural sector. High repayment rates are found to be propelled by dynamic incentives like subsidies and the prospect of loan renewal. Finally, the study found that borrowers did considerable double-dipping (borrowing from other microfinance programs) and borrowed from non-institutional sources. This raises questions about their real indebtedness. Kudumbashree's real impact could be found in its social capital impact. It creates considerable social interactions among the poor and facilitates women's empowerment. Peer monitoring and peer mentoring interactions among the members of the group create positive externalities - a common knowledge pool and social safety nets. It is able to leverage these externalities with local governments, which enables women to exert influence in their communities' political power structures.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:06:03.04Z

Title: Assessing Pro-Poor Tourism principles in practice: Ethnic tourism in northern Thailand and Lao PDR.
Contributors: Pearl Wierenga (author), Kenneth Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) is promoted by certain international organizations as an approach to tourism that benefits poor people and contributes to the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals for global poverty eradication. It is premised on a set of principles that have yet to be adequately tested on the ground for their attainability. Emerging critiques suggest that PPT is based more on rhetoric than reality. In a case study of ethnic tourism in northern Thailand and Lao PDR, I assessed the feasibility of putting PPT principles into practice. Assessment was defined as identifying, primarily through interviews, challenges to achieving the principles in the study region. I documented 13 major challenges and extrapolated implications for PPT as a global strategy. My results indicate that PPT is more of a livelihood supplement than a poverty solution, and that significant hurdles must be overcome before large-scale poverty elimination through ethnic tourism can be realized.--P.ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:04:35.732Z

Title: Samuel Huntington's clash of civilizations hypothesis: challenges from Amartya Sen and the Western South Asian post-immigrant experience
Contributors: Purnima Sharma (author), Kenneth Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Samuel Huntington ... contends that civilization identities in our modern world are fundamentally based on major divisions of cultural identity. According to Huntington, a resurgence in cultural identities is reinforcing cultural differences leading to a world characterized by culturally-based civilizational divisions, and a clash of civilization . As a counterpoint, Amartya Sen ..., a Nobel Laureate in Economics, also recognizes the pervasive nature of cultural divisions that are instigating violence and clashes but analyzes and advocates remedies to future, culturally-based clashes. In this project, I explore Huntington and Sen's ideas related to cultural transformation as they pertain to the clash of civilizations hypothesis. Their ideas are compared to three case studies derived from the existing social science literature related to Western South Asian post-immigrant experiences. I offer answers to the following questions: What are Samuel Huntington's and Amartya Sen's conceptualizations of cultural transformation? How well do these conceptualizations apply to the experience of post-immigrants? And does their ability to explain (or not explain) the post-immigrant experience reinforce or weaken the case for a clash of civilizations? In the end, I found that Sen's work best characterizes and explains the post-immigrant experience, and that this calls into doubt the validity of the clash of civilizations hypothesis.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:10:27.342Z

Title: Diasporas, remittances and economic development: A case study of the Bardejov region in Slovakia.
Contributors: Andrea Pavlickova (author), Ajit Dayanandan (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The principal aim of this study is to analyse the migratory patterns in the Bardejov district in Slovakia, with a special emphasis on the job search mechanism of emigrants. The study also examines the impact of migrant workers' remittances on economic development. The study is primarily based on data obtained during the survey conducted in the Bardejov district in Slovakia in February - March 2009. The study found out that social networks with its beneficial externalities turn out to be the most effective job search mechanism of emigrants from the Bardejov district. The study also reveals that the emigrants' choices of particular job search mechanisms are preconditioned by their socio-economic characteristics, especially by level of their education. Secondly, the study also found that worker remittances in the Bardejov district are used for investment in human capital rather than in physical capital and this indirectly enhances economic development of the region. --P.ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:08:50.434Z

Title: The Canada-United States softwood lumber dispute: A look at the state of certain economic and political indicators and their relationship to the outcome of disputes.
Contributors: Brad Ryan Etlin (author), Paul Bowles (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The interests of Canadian softwood lumber exporters were best served when Commerce found no subsidies in the first countervailing duty case (CVD 1). This is the case, given that Canadian softwood producers were not subject to any restrictions, taxes or duties. With countervailing duty 2 (CVD 2), Canada and the U.S. negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which resulted in a 15% export tax on Canadian softwood lumber exports. Certainly, this was less advantageous to Canadian softwood producers than the outcome of CVD 1. In theory, the relative ad/disadvantageousness of countervailing duty 3 (CVD 3) was on par with that of CVD 2. That is, Canadian lumber was subject to conditional access to the U.S. market. Given that countervailing duty 4 (CVD 4) is ongoing, it is impossible to compare the outcome in terms of relative benefit to Canadian softwood exporters. This analysis discerns how the conditions at the launch of CVD 1 differed from those when each of the other disputes was launched. One fixed set of indicators is used to analyze how certain political and economic indicators relate to the outcome of disputes: Market Share, State of U.S. Economy. Uncertainty in Trade Negotiations/Other Bilateral Sectors of Trade and Level of Protectionist Sentiment in U.S. The analysis has shown that, contrary to the initial hypothesis, the indicators do not necessarily contribute a logical explanation for predicting the outcome of disputes.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:59:32.215Z

Title: The impact of China's WTO membership on its trade via Hong Kong
Contributors: Yong Wang (author), Baotai Wang (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:17:13.97Z

Title: Japan, Canada, and the U.S. ballistic missile defense program: A comparative analysis of middle-power relations with a superpower.
Contributors: Mika Kamei (author), Kenn Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Ballistic missile defense (BMD) is a significant and controversial security issue in the world today. The United States (U.S.) is the leader in BMD development and deployment. This thesis analyzes the differing orientations to BMD of two key U.S. allies, Japan and Canada. The central questions asked in the thesis are: Why did Japan choose to join the U.S.-led BMD program as an active cooperative country in 2003, while Canada chose not to formally join in 2005? What inferences can we draw about BMD politics from these decisions? These questions were answered in three steps. First, I developed an analytic approach inspired by Putnam's two-level game theory. Second, I applied this approach to my two case studies. Japan-U.S. and Canada-U.S. BMD relations between 1983 and 2008 were analyzed at two levels, domestic and international, which resulted in identifying six international-related factors and two domestic-related factors influencing Japan's and Canada's BMD decision-making process. And third, the two case studies were compared and analyzed. I conclude that the basis for the two countries' foreign policy decisions was significantly different. Japanese foreign policy decision-making was rooted in realist thinking, while Canadian foreign policy decision-making was rooted in a combination of liberal internationalist and realist thinking. --P. ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:08:20.152Z

Title: Turkey's membership in the European Union?: past, present & future
Contributors: Umut Certel (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Turkey's interest to be part of the political and economic union of Europe dates back to the 1950s, when the idea of European Union (EU) was born. Almost forty years after the first agreement between the two parties, Turkey is still knocking on the EU' s door to become a full member. The EU has stepped into the twenty-first century with the most comprehensive enlargement of its history in process. The process of enlargement of the EU constitutes the most important step in Turkey's relations with the European Union. In order to become a full member in the European Union, the applicant state has to fulfill the EU's Copenhagen Criteria, which in the case of Turkey requires major improvements in its economic and political conditions. However, even if Turkey could meet the Copenhagen Criteria, its full membership would probably not be granted due to Turkey's significant cultural and religious differences from the rest of the member states. Turkey's full membership in the European Union would offer enormous advantages for both parties. Turkey's strategic position, which is at the crossroads of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, has great significance for the European Union. EU membership for Turkey, on the other hand, would mean an end to its identity problem of where it belongs - in Europe or Asia. Turkey's official candidacy status constitutes a turning point for Turkey's historic dream of being part of Europe economically, politically and socially. Turkey's EU candidacy leaves Turkey important domestic and external challenges. The ability of Turkey to overcome these challenges will determine the prospects for full membership of Turkey in the European Union. Given the changes required for Turkey to meet the Copenhagen Criteria, and the length of time accession negotiations would take once these criteria were met, it IS unlikely Turkey will be admitted to the European Union before 2020.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:16:10.211Z

Title: The impact of parental death and socioeconomic factors on children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Contributors: Jennifer Crain (author), Jalil Safaei Boroojeny (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Mass orphanhood in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) results from conflict, poverty, and disease. In the absence of resilient fostering systems, orphans may be more vulnerable to health hazards after losing one or both parents, depending on each parent's care roles. Using multiple logistic regression on national household survey data for four SSA countries, this thesis explores: 1) which socioeconomic and demographic factors are risk factors for child undernutrition and 2) whether different types of orphans confer varied degrees of vulnerability to undernutrition. Child age, household wealth, and mother's education are significant and reliable predictors of undernutrition. The child's sex, and maternal and paternal orphanhood also have some impact, but the results are not as reliable. These findings add to limited scholarship about health outcomes of maternal versus paternal orphans. More investigations into individual countries' orphan crisis are needed. --P.ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:07:46.005Z