Civil society organisations supporting accountability in cash transfer programmes

This five day rapid review looks at the experiences globally of civil society organisations providing or supporting accountability mechanisms in cash transfer programmes. Bhargava and Raha’s (2015: 12) review of civil society engagement with cash transfer programme accountability found only few studies, suggesting to them that there is a significant knowledge gap. A mixture of academic and grey literature was available

Disability Stigma in Developing Countries

Across the world stereotypes, prejudice, and stigma contribute to the discrimination and exclusion experienced by people with disabilities and their families in all aspects of their lives. This rapid review looks at available evidence on the drivers of disability stigma in developing countries, and promising strategies for addressing these

Potential control under thin aqueous layers using a Kelvin Probe

Kelvin Probes can be modified to control as well as monitor potential. The design and operation of two different Kelvin Probe Potentiostats (KPPs) are described in this paper. One approach uses a permanent magnet and double coil to oscillate the needle at a fixed frequency, an AC backing potential, and software analysis and control schemes. This technique can also control the distance between the tip and sample, thereby tracking the topography of the sample. Both KPPs were used to make measurements on Type 304L stainless steel under thin layers of electrolyte. Cathodic polarization curves exhibited a limiting current density associated with oxygen reduction. The limiting current density varied with solution layer thickness over a finite range of thickness. Anodic polarization curves on 304L in a thin layer of chloride solution resulted in pitting corrosion. The breakdown potential did not vary with solution layer thickness. However, the thin layer was observed to increase in volume remarkably during pit growth owing to the absorption of water from the high humidity environment into the layer with ionic strength increased by the pit dissolution. The open circuit potential (OCP) and solution layer thickness were monitored during drying out of a thin electrolyte layer. Pitting corrosion initiated, as indicated by a sharp drop in the OCP, as the solution thinned and increased in concentration.This work was supported in part by the Office of Science and Technology and International (OST&I), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), US Department of Energy (DOE). The work is carried out as part of the DOE Multi-University Corrosion Cooperative under Cooperative Agreement DE-FC28-04RW12252

Supporting Sustainable Refugee Return in Protracted Situations

Every refugee statistic represents a life uprooted and on hold. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates that by the end of 2016, a total of 22.5 million refugees had been forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. Only 3 per cent of the global refugee population returned home in 2015, often in less than ideal conditions, with concerns that many of these returns may not be sustainable. Significant factors in the low rates of return were insecurity and conflict in countries of origin, an absence of socioeconomic support in areas of return, and a lack of political will to resolve the root causes of displacement. Many of these refugees have been in exile for years. Based on UNHCR’s definition (see box), 11.6 million refugees were in protracted refugee situations at the end of 2016, with 4.1 million of them in a situation lasting 20 years or more. The number of refugees in protracted situations increased in 2016 as many Syrian refugees have now been displaced for five years. Refugees need sustainable solutions so that they can live in dignity and peace

Solid waste and faecal sludge management in situations of rapid, mass displacement

Solid waste and faecal sludge management in situations of rapid mass displacement are important to public health and providing for a better environment. Despite this, both have been neglected in WASH programmes, which tend to have a focus on water. However increasing efforts are being made to find solutions to challenges in solid waste and faecal sludge management in difficult circumstances in humanitarian emergencies

Women and Girls with Disabilities in Conflict and Crises

People with disabilities have been found to ‘form one of the most socially excluded groups in any displaced or conflict-affected community’ (Pearce et al, 2016: 119). They may have difficulty accessing humanitarian assistance programmes, due to a variety of societal, attitudinal, environmental and communication barriers, and are at greater risk of violence than their non-disabled peers (Pearce, 2014: 4). Women and girls with disabilities are ‘particularly vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and violence, including gender-based violence (GBV), but they may have difficulty accessing support and services that could reduce their risk and vulnerability (Pearce, 2014: 4). This rapid review looks at the available evidence on the risks and vulnerabilities faces by women and girls with disabilities in conflict and crises and interventions to support them

Disability in North Africa

While there is not a clear picture of disability in North Africa, the available evidence suggests that people with disabilities are doing less well in comparison to people without disabilities as a result of factors including marginalisation, stigma, lack of awareness of disability prevalence, lack of comprehensive protection and enforcement of the rights of people with disabilities, and inaccessible environments, services and workplaces. Such exclusion has costs for wider society and the lives of people with disabilities. This rapid review provides an overview the experiences of people with disabilities in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Given the time limitations and the state of the evidence it cannot be said to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation but does highlight the major issues arising from recent English language1 literature published on the topic

Reintegration of Children Born of Wartime Rape

Children born of wartime rape, and their mothers, are often stigmatised by their own communities, due to their associations with political, ethnic or religious enemies. Their identity and sense of belonging are contested, which creates dangers for their physical security and emotional wellbeing. Children born of wartime rape are at risk of violence, abuse, abandonment, discrimination and marginalisation, at the hands of both families and communities. They often have less access to community resources, family protection and education or livelihood activities, and are likely to grow up in poverty. They can face challenges in registering their birth and their right to citizenship. The experiences of children born of wartime rape can result in a lifetime of detrimental consequences, and the stigmatisation they experience has continued long into the post war period. Their experiences differ as a result of gender, perceived ethnicity, social and economic status, as well as structural gender discrimination, especially in patriarchal and patrilineal societies. This rapid literature review looks at some of the available evidence on the experiences of children born of wartime rape in several different countries (Bosnia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Iraq) and lessons learned from efforts to support and reintegrate them into communities. However, specific efforts to support and reintegrate children born of wartime rape have been scarce. Such efforts suggest the importance of supporting mothers; the need for supported disclosure; the importance of strategies for constructing a positive identity; the importance of being with others in similar situations; the need for access to education; the possibility of tracing paternal relatives; the need for community sensitisation and stigma reduction; the need to clarify the legal status of children born of wartime rape; the need to have programmes which don’t single them out to detrimental effect; and the need for their involvement in post-conflict transitional justice mechanisms