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Through the case of the rural-urban continuum model in China, this study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of local government's policy intervention in promoting equitable quality of early childhood education in rural and urban areas through multi-stakeholders' voices. With simultaneous mixed method approach and self-developed instruments, the authors collected 891 valid parent questionnaires, 184 teacher questionnaires, 52 observational evaluation scales, and conducted interviews with 13 kindergarten principals and 6 administrators. The data were analysed by SPSS and NVIVO Plus. The findings show that a) rural and urban parents' satisfaction levels had significant difference in terms of kindergartens' cost and environment conditions; b) rural and urban teachers exhibited significant difference only when evaluating their professional attitudes and access to material support; c) researchers found no significant difference in quality of play activities and group teaching between rural and urban kindergarten classes, while significant difference was found in child care activities; d) principals perceived positively the effectiveness of the RUC model, yet had big concerns about teachers' quality, and e) government intervention was proved to be a key factor enhancing equitable quality in rural and urban areas. ; Cilj ove studije je, putem slučaja trajnog modela ruralno-urbanog razvoja u Kini, glasovima više dionika provesti evaluaciju učinkovitosti intervencija lokalnih vlada na razini politika u promoviranje pravedne kvalitete predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja u ruralnim i urbanim područjima. Primjenom pristupa istodobno kombiniranih metoda i instrumenata koje su istraživači sami razvili, autori su izradili 891 upitnik za roditelje, 184 upitnika za učitelje, 52 evaluacijska upitnika, te su proveli intervjue s 13 ravnatelja dječjih vrtića i 6 administratora. Podatke su analizirali s pomoću SPSS i NVIVO Plus. Rezultati pokazuju: a) da se razina zadovoljstva cijenom vrtića i uvjetima uvelike razlikuje između ruralnih i urbanih roditelja, b) da se ruralni i urbani učitelji uvelike razlikuju samo u evaluaciji svojih profesionalnih stavova i pristupa materijalnoj podršci, c) da istraživači nisu našli značajne razlike u kvaliteti aktivnosti igara i grupnom podučavanju između sati u ruralnim i urbanim vrtićima; značajne razlike su ustanovljene u aktivnostima skrbi za djecu, d) da ravnatelji učinkovitost modela RUC ocjenjuju pozitivno, no dosta ih se brine o kvaliteti učitelja, e) da su se vladine intervencije pokazale ključnim čimbenikom u povećanju pravedne kvalitete obrazovanja u ruralnim i urbanim područjima.

Afirmacija razumijevanja i prihvaćanja između pripadnika različitih kultura predstavlja jedan od temeljnih zadataka odgojno-obrazovnih sustava u suvremenim demokratskim društvima. Kako bi se taj zadatak što uspješnije realizirao, ističe se važnost uvođenja interkulturalizma kao dimenzije cjelokupne odgojno-obrazovne djelatnosti. Polazeći od shvaćanja prema kojem odgojno-obrazovne ustanove imaju važnu ulogu u formiranju interkulturalnog razumijevanja, vrijednosti, stavova i ponašanja njenih članova, u radu se razmatra problematika promicanja interkulturalizma u školskom okruženju. Na temelju pregleda dosadašnjih istraživanja, razmatraju se različita područja i obilježja odgojnoobrazovnog djelovanja te s njima povezane pretpostavke za izgradnju škole kao mjesta interkulturalnog učenja. ; The affirmation of understanding and acceptance among members of different cultures represents one of the major tasks of the educational systems in modern democratic societies. Successful realization of that task implies the importance of promoting interculturalism as an important dimension of the entire educational activity.Drawing on the assumption according to which educational institutions play important role in the formation of the intercultural understanding, values, attitudes and behaviours of its members, this paper discusses the issue of promoting interculturalism in the school environment. Based on a review of previous findings, different areas and features of educational activity are discussed as well as related assumptions for building a school as a place for intercultural learning.

The author looks at documents regarding the protection of minorities, designed by the Council of Europe as the oldest organization promoting the idea of European unity. He also analyzes the steps that the Republic of Croatia has made in its desire to join the Euro-Atlantic integration. Croatian politics, in line with the will of the Croatian citizens expressed in the elections of Jan 2000, has tried to reach that goal by satisfying the requirements for integration. Adapted from the source document.

The author explores the genesis & ranges of interstate cooperation within the scope of the Adriatic Charter of Partnership, signed in Tirana on May 2, 2003 by Republic of Albania, Republic of Croatia & FYR of Macedonia, & the United States of America. First three member states of the Adriatic Charter Group have been united in their common objective to become an integral part of the NATO. USA gives strong impetus to member states of the Group to implement all the criteria for the membership in NATO promoting the "Open Door" policy. The author analyses Charter of Partnership & evaluates results of the meetings of the Partnership Commission & other mechanisms for interstate co-operation. References. Adapted from the source document.

Contemporary Western politologists consider opposition a civilizational achievement & a singular value of democratic pluralist systems, but have not managed to come up with an unambiguous definition of the concept of "opposition." This paradox is a consequence of the fact that the opposition, in order to exist, must renounce radical antagonism & use of violence in promoting its interests & political goals. The existence of the opposition establishes the position (government) as a party of the totality of the system, which must recognize the equality of the opposition & renounce the use of violence against the opposition. The consensus on the necessity of renouncing the use of force enables the establishment of the totality of a system in freedom. Thus, the opposition's role is not solely to control the government & provide alternatives; by its contraposition, it stabilizes & legitimizes democratic systems. 5 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author describes the basic features of work in the Journalistic Workshop as a specific format of promoting journalistic knowledge & skills. After the two-year collaboration of three generations of young journalists with a group of Croatian & foreign media experts, a survey was conducted about the usefulness of this Workshop. The central conclusion is that a large majority of the participating journalists highly appreciated the knowledge gained through it. Particularly encouraging is the fact that most respondents have been able to use this knowledge regardless of the type of media they are working for (whether state-controlled or opposition-controlled). The participants think that responsibility for not following professional standards in journalism lies with "editors afraid of any changes" or "owners weary of any changes." After the three-month journalistic training, eight of the participants enrolled at the Faculty of Political Science, Dept of Journalism. 4 References. Adapted from the source document.

This opening address at a scientific symposium on the future of the state, held in Zagreb, May 10-11, 2002, discusses the activities of the "Konrad Adenauer" Instit in promoting democratic states all over the world. The Instit has offices in over 60 countries & carries out projects in over 120 countries. Its three objectives are: (1) the support of the development & solidification of democratic regimes, (2) the promotion of socially fair market economies, & (3) the provision of regional assistance during transitions to democratic & free market states. The Instit's stand on issues of civil society, free market, & solidarity is clarified, explaining how it attempts to promote liberal, competition-based economy in welfare states. The formation of the European Union does not cancel the need for the state as a political unit, but rather, makes its functioning more effective & secure for its citizens. The similarities & differences between Croatia & Germany as national states are briefly considered from the perspective of the symposium's leading theme. Z. Dubiel

This article is a part of an extensive research project called the "CIVICUS index of Croatia's civic society." The sample included the contents from six dailies. The civic society is most often mentioned in the context of news & brief reports. The analyzed dailies cover the activities of the civic society mostly if they are linked to the events they organize. The organizations of the civic society are predominantly shown in positive light. Negative coverage is almost marginal. Charity events are covered by these dailies, but the coverage is more extensive if the events are linked with marketing. The role of the dailies in promoting the civic society's organizations as the key actors in the anticorruption campaign & in raising the awareness of family violence is particularly significant. The value foundation of the reported information may be a food for thought & inspire action. The civic society in Croatia has been trying to keep the state accountable & helping the public to gain a more revealing insight into the major issues & questions. Tables, Graphs, References. Adapted from the source document.

This article is a part of an extensive research project called the "CIVICUS index of Croatia's civic society." The sample included the contents from six dailies. The civic society is most often mentioned in the context of news & brief reports. The analyzed dailies cover the activities of the civic society mostly if they are linked to the events they organize. The organizations of the civic society are predominantly shown in positive light. Negative coverage is almost marginal. Charity events are covered by these dailies, but the coverage is more extensive if the events are linked with marketing. The role of the dailies in promoting the civic society's organizations as the key actors in the anticorruption campaign & in raising the awareness of family violence is particularly significant. The value foundation of the reported information may be a food for thought & inspire action. The civic society in Croatia has been trying to keep the state accountable & helping the public to gain a more revealing insight into the major issues & questions. Tables, Graphs, References. Adapted from the source document.

Considering the rise of euroscepticism in France, especially in the eve of key events for the EU integration process, the article identifies the key actors promoting euroscepticism & the motivation behind their political action. The article tries to show that the main eurosceptical actors are opposition & marginal political parties with either left or right political orientation, & that the main motives for their political behavior are not to be found in their ideology, nor in a rational political competition, & not even in the French political tradition (and that is the reason why euroscepticism is considered only as a phenomenon). The motives for euroscepticism are found in the actors' drive towards short-term political goals with a help of populist rhetoric in order to discredit the EU project, but without an intention to offer counter proposals & long term political projects. The article analyses the results of the EU Parliament elections, the referendum for the EU Constitutional contract & discusses the electoral attitudes of certain political parties regarding their ideological orientation. The concluding remarks offer & explanation of the political parties motives for euroscepticism, an explanation of the social context where euroscepticism is accepted & a general analysis of the phenomenon. Adapted from the source document.

Each election year in Croatia is an occasion for comparing the social guidelines & the practice. To what extent is the policy of gender equality applied to the participation of women in political decision-making at the parliamentary level in Croatia? Modest results are not an exception: almost in all countries there is the gap between the two. Nevertheless, the extent of the participation in older democratic countries is on the average somewhat higher, which can be attributed to the influence of the egalitarian concept of gender roles & the proportional electoral system. In younger democratic countries, including Croatia, the average is somewhat lower due to the significance of socio-economic factors. In some countries a higher level of participation can for the time being be achieved only via the mechanisms of affirmative action i.e. quotas. Therefore, for Croatia it is essential to achieve the "critical mass" of women in its parliament, which can be brought about by introducing quotas at the party level, by democratic selective procedures of nominating candidates, & by putting up candidates of both genders on the party lists, which means that the highest percentages of women in the parliament can be expected from modern parties promoting the deliberate regulation of the above processes. References. Adapted from the source document.

U ovom se članku istražuje kako birači i političari putem društvenih medija komuniciraju o važnim temama u situacijama koje mobiliziraju veći broj ljudi, kao što su izbori i prosvjedi. U radu se analizira slučaj predsjedničkih izbora u Rumunjskoj 2014. godine, kada su birači imali aktivnu ulogu u promoviranju tema koje kandidati u početku nisu spominjali u svojim kampanjama. Dvije su teme proizišle kao osobito važne iz perspektive birača: sustavna korupcija i optužbe da vlada namjerno ometa proces glasovanja u zajednicama rumunjske dijaspore. Automatska i ručna analiza sadržaja korisničkih komentara i materijala iz kampanje u društvenim medijima otkriva, iako je teško precizno dokazati kauzalnu povezanost, da su zahtjevi birača koji se tiču spomenutih tema imali aktivnu ulogu u promjeni strategija kampanja kandidata. ; This article examines how voters and politicians interact through social media to communicate salient issues in highly mobilising contexts, such as elections and protests. It analyses the case of Romania's 2014 presidential elections, where voters played an active role in promoting themes that candidates had not initially addressed in their campaigns. Two topics emerged as particularly important from the voters' perspective: systemic corruption and accusations of the government deliberately hindering the voting process in Romanian diaspora communities. A mixed approach of automated and manual content analysis of user comments and campaign materials on social media reveals that, while it is difficult to make precise causal claims, voter demands with regards to these topics had an active role in influencing changes in candidates' campaign strategies.

A major role of political parties in a multiparty democratic system is to encourage equal opportunities of men & women with the aim of realizing full democracy. Among the parliamentary parties in Croatia, we can distinguish between those who can see no reason whatsoever to pay special attention to this issue, considering it settled, & those who advocate the need for & continuity of promoting women's rights. In an analysis of party attitudes on that issue, the following model was used: a dimension whose extremes are state intervention & self-regulation. It was linked with the dimension of the continuum modernism-traditionalism. Thus we get a four-field chart. The first field includes the traditionalist political parties (HDZ, HSS, & HSP) who view the social position of women as a result of a spontaneous development of the society in general; ie, they accept the rule of self-regulation. In the second, for the time being empty, there would be parties that strive for social regulation in the realization of traditional social values. The next field is complementarily shared by modern political parties inclined to self-regulation (HNS, HSLS, HND, SNS, IDS, DA) & those who advocate state regulation of the mentioned issue (SDP & ASH). The analysis of the attitude toward women in party organization shows the following: (1) low percentage of women among party rank-&-file, regardless of a party's nature; & (2) "the rule" that the higher the level of political decision making, the lower the number of women. 3 Tables, 27 References. Adapted from the source document.

Kulturna diplomacija jedno je od posebnih područja unutar šire kategorije diplomacije i dio javne diplomacije koju određuje sadržaj diplomatskog djelovanja. Vlade nacionalnih država i drugi tipovi aktera provode kulturnu diplomaciju kroz razne oblike kulturnog predstavljanja i razmjene koji su usmjereni prema stranim javnostima radi ostvarivanja međusobnog razumijevanja i suradnje, ali u skladu sa svojim vanjskopolitičkim ciljevima koji obuhvaćaju promociju vlastite kulture i izgradnju pozitivnog imidža. Primjenjujući navedeni teorijski okvir, u radu predstavljamo studiju slučaja aktualne kulturne diplomacije Republike Hrvatske razlikujući strukturni i konceptualni aspekt kulturne diplomacije, s fokusom na izgradnju meke moći. Promatrajući strukturni aspekt, predstavljamo institucije koje sudjeluju u hrvatskom kulturno-diplomatskom djelovanju, dok u sklopu konceptualnog aspekta analiziramo kulturne sadržaje kojima se oblikuje vanjski nacionalni imidž Hrvatske. ; Cultural diplomacy is one of the specific fields within the broad category of diplomacy and is a component of public diplomacy which is determined by the content of diplomatic activity. National state governments and other types of actors conduct cultural diplomacy through different forms of cultural representation and exchange that are directed towards foreign public in order to achieve mutual understanding and cooperation – all in accordance with their foreign policy goals which include promoting their own culture and building a positive national image. Using this theoretical framework, the paper presents a case study of the current cultural diplomacy of the Republic of Croatia by differentiating structural and conceptual aspect of cultural diplomacy and focusing on building its soft power. By examining the structural aspect, the paper introduces the institutions that participate in the Croatian cultural diplomatic activity, while within the conceptual aspect, this paper analyzes the cultural activities which form the foreign national image of Croatia.

Reforma sustava visokog obrazovanja potaknuta je potrebom stvaranja jedinstvenog europskog prostora visokog obrazovanja s ciljem razvoja nove dimenzije europskoga društva i Europe znanja. Kao dio reforme, poduzete su mjere i uvedeni mehanizmi za osiguravanje i unapređenje kvalitete visokog obrazovanja. Temelj za uspostavu i provođenje osiguravanja kvalitete u Republici Hrvatskoj je Bolonjska deklaracija, a temeljni dokument u tom kontekstu Standardi i smjernice za osiguravanje kvalitete u Europskom prostoru visokog obrazovanja. Svrha je ovog rada ukazati na važnost Bolonjskog procesa u funkciji osiguravanja kvalitete visokog obrazovanja u Republici Hrvatskoj, kao temeljne misije u izgradnji društva znanja i gospodarstva u cjelini. U skladu s navedenim, cilj ovog rada je prikazati napredak u provedbi Bolonjskog procesa kroz promicanje mobilnosti studenata i nastavnika, uspostavu sustava praćenja kvalitete te promicanje europske suradnje. ; Reform of the higher education system has been induced by the requisite creation of a unique European area of higher education, aimed at the development of a new dimension of the European society and knowledge. As a part of the reform, adequate measures were undertaken and new quality assurance and development mechanisms were implemented. The basis for consolidation and implementation of quality assurance in the Republic of Croatia is the Bologna Declaration, with Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area being the fundamental document concerning quality assurance within the context. The objective of this work is to show the importance of the Bologna process in the function of higher education quality assurance in the Republic of Croatia as the fundamental mission in the development of knowledge society and economy as a whole. In this accordance, the aim of this work is to show the progress followed in the implementation of the Bologna process through promoting students' and educators' mobility, setting up the quality monitoring system and pursuing European cooperation.