Suchergebnisse

The contentious status of the Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a symbol of both the problems of state and nation-building and their conflict-prone relationship. First, the unresolved border of the Durand Line was a tool in the process of nation building by Afghan governments, whose demand until the 1970s for a "Greater Pashtunistan" challenged the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Second-ly, in the 1990s, the Durand Line acquired a regional dimension when the Pakistani military linked Afghanistan to its conflict with India over Kashmir. Finally, after 9/11 the Durand Line suddenly acquired a global dimension in the War on Terror. The solution for contested borders like the Durand Line does not lie in the continu-ation of confrontational policies as in the past, but in new strategies in order to foster cooperation. The pooling of sovereignty along the Durand Line was already being discussed in the 1930s and 1940s. Such concepts, which could include joint management of common cross-border issues, would be helpful in transforming the contested line into an area of cooperation rather than confrontation.

In response to a request from a local community health centre, an inquiry was undertaken into the service needs and day-to-day lives of residents in five social housing complexes in the inner suburbs of Etobicoke, Toronto. Unlike other low-income communities embedded within larger wealthier communities, these complexes have little in the way of health care, social service, or recreational facilities. Focus groups revealed that anticipated issues of difficulty in accessing primary health care services, limited access to support services, and lack of recreational opportunities for youth were intensified by gentrification of neighbourhoods, ongoing experiences of racism and discrimination, a dearth of occupational opportunities for youth and political invisibility of these residents. These experiences of social exclusion are especially troubling when contrasted with the opportunities for health and well-being offered to many others in one of Canada's wealthiest urban communities. ; En réponse à une demande d'un centre de santé communautaire local, une enquête a été entreprise sur les besoins en services et la vie quotidienne de résidents de cinq complexes de logements sociaux dans la banlieue intérieure d'Etobicoke, à Toronto. Contrairement à d'autres communautés à faible revenu intégrées dans des communautés plus grandes et plus riches, ces complexes ont peu de soins de santé, services sociaux ou d'installations récréatives. Les groupes de discussion ont révélés que les problèmes anticipés de difficultés d'accès aux services de soin de santé primaires, d'accès limité aux services de soutien et de manque d'opportunités récréatives pour les jeunes étaient intensifiés par l'embourgeoisement des quartiers, les expériences continues de racisme et de discriminations, le maque d'opportunités professionnelles pour les jeunes et l'invisibilité politique de ces résidents. Ces expériences d'exclusion sociale sont particulièrement troublantes lorsqu'elles sont mises en contraste avec les opportunités de santés et de bien-être offertes à beaucoup d'autres dans l'une des communautés urbaines les plus riches au Canada.

Background Public attitude is a political driver in successful implementation of tobacco control policies. We assessed support for a range of tobacco control policies among smokers in Pakistan. Methods We conducted a household survey among adult smokers in 10 cities of Pakistan, using a two-stage random sampling strategy to select households and Kish grid method to select one smoker per household. Attitudes were measured using a five-point ordinal scale on four policy statements: a complete ban on tobacco sale within 10 years; raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21; increasing tobacco taxes to fund healthcare and a ban on smoking in cars with minors. Results 6014 participants were interviewed between September 2019 and March 2020. Most participants demonstrated strong support for all policy statements: a ban on smoking in cars with minors (86.5%); a complete ban on tobacco sale within 10 years (82.1%); raising the legal age to buy tobacco (77.9%) and increasing tobacco taxes (68.1%). Smokers' support for tobacco control policies increased with age but decreased with higher educational attainment and heaviness of smoking. Conclusions There is strong support among smokers in Pakistan to strengthen tobacco control. Given this, policy-makers should strongly consider strengthening existing national policies on tobacco control.

Research cooperation between Somalia and Sweden began in 1982, but was interrupted in the early 1990s due to the civil war. As Somalia gradually starts the process of institution-building and shifting towards a federal system, the Swedish government is considering whether and in what form to re-establish its support for domestic research capabilities. This report for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and in partnership with the Somali Institute for Development Research and Analysis (SIDRA) investigates opportunities for research cooperation in Somalia. The study was organised around three guiding questions: What are the key enabling factors and barriers to research performance and academic freedom at universities in Somalia today? What are the current ongoing initiatives termed, defined or categorised as "research" support or cooperation to and in Somalia? What are the different opportunities and modalities for support to and organisation of research cooperation in Somalia?