Cordaid – The Effects of Climate Change on Farmer/Herder conflict in Mali and South Sudan

This policy advice will address the effects of climate change on farmer/herder conflict in Mali and South Sudan and provide Cordaid with the necessary recommendations. The recommendations are based on the findings from the background research and interviews. Our recommendation for Cordaid is to concentrate on the underlying conflicts in the countries to create more opportunities for the implementation of sustainable developments. While doing this, Cordaid should focus on the local communities, integration of herders in their projects, and ante-disaster activities. This can be improved by early warning systems, sustainable farming, increasing funds and spending them on sustainable activities on education of agriculturalists in order to protect the nature of Africa.

This policy advice will proceed as follows. Firstly, the key findings that are based on the background research will be provided. Secondly, this policy advice will address the ongoing activities of Cordaid in the regions, and where there is still room for improvement. Finally, our main policy advice will be discussed in the last section.

Ethnicity and Culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Any cultural research implies a dive deep into a society’s norms, symbols, and, primarily, essence. It involves taking every corner of identity and thoroughly analysing it, in order to get a full and truthful picture of the entire array of cultural specificities that pertain to that society. In the current study, the topic of the cultural examination was Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country with multiple, rich layers of culture and tradition, which stem from its long history and turbulent past. We thus commence this research with the following question: how does the political expression of the culture and identity of Bosnian-Muslims, Bosnian-Serbs, and Bosnian-Croats manifest in the street scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina, given the historical context of the region and the more recent socio-political developments?

It is important to first define what we entail when we point out the concepts “culture” and cultural manifestations in the street scene. In the current research we understand culture as an accumulation of elements representative of a population, such as religious beliefs, values and norms that define how a community functions and that distinguish that community from others. In this study we focused on the manifestations of the cultures of the three main ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian-Muslims, Bosnian-Serbs and Bosnian-Croats. Such manifestations include visual displays that pertain to a certain identity such as flags, monuments, the depiction of symbols in the form of street art. We also analysed displays of identity in the form of religious customs and rituals.

First, religious beliefs are important in Bosnia and Herzegovina because they differ greatly among ethnic groups. Such a disparity becomes even greater as religion is still a fundamental component of identity for these groups. What is more, a great deal of physical, visual symbols that we will discuss are directly or indirectly related to religion, such as monuments (e.g. Mostar Bridge) or emblematic buildings (e.g. St. James Church in Međugorje). Then, we chose to examine how the political expression of culture and identity of the various ethnic groups manifested in the streets scene through symbols such as flags, demonstrations, hand signs, warning signs, slogans, art, monuments, symbols with a historical connotation. We consider these important for the purpose of this research, which is to inform and to serve as a useful document for the Dutch military in view of the unavoidable encounter of deployed personnel with such displays of culture and identity.

The choice of methodology for this research paper on the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina was guided by the desire to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the cultures of Bosnian-Muslims, Bosnian-Serbs, and Bosnian-Croats. The literature review was an essential component of the research design, as it allowed us to gain a broad understanding of the existing academic literature on the cultures of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This helped us to identify key themes and issues that have been explored in previous research, and to develop a framework for our own analysis. In addition to the literature review, we conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals from each of the three ethnic groups. We interviewed two people from each group, one from a younger age group (18-35) and one from an older age group (over 50). The interviews provided us with firsthand accounts of the experiences, beliefs, and values of individuals from each community, and helped us to gain a deeper understanding of the culture of each group. It is important to note that the interviews were not intended to be representative of the wider population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we did not draw any conclusions from the data collected. Rather, the interviews were used as a reference point to provide context and depth to our analysis.

On grounds of accessibility for our readers, we have decided to divide the paper as follows. The first section deals with the historical/ political context of BiH, and in its chronology it goes through the periods of the Ottoman occupation, the Second World War, Yugoslavia under Tito, and the 1990s war. There are two additional subsections dealing with the topics of political developments after the Dayton Peace Agreements and the Western presence in BiH after the war. These sections have the purpose to bring the chronology line up to the present, by offering insight into more recent developments. The first main cultural section addresses the cultural legacy of Bosnian-Muslims. It takes into account their religion, folk tradition, customs and values, and monuments. The focus of this section is the distinct identity of Bosnian-Muslims and with that, their different religious practices and history that distinguished them from the other two ethnic groups. The second main section shines light on the culture of the Bosnian-Serbs. In this section, in a similar fashion to the previous one, topics such as religion, and characteristic symbols are tackled and described. What is particular about this part is once again related to religion, but also to customs and values. In this sense, all three ethnic groups seem to have one or two topics where they stand out from the other two in terms of perspective or stance, which is particularly interesting for the current research. Finally, a section is dedicated to the Bosnian-Croats. In this third section, matters such as the Catholic confession are discussed, as well as the historical underpinnings of certain traits of the population, such as literacy or political involvement.

Moreover, there is an account of the main media channels in BiH, comprising radio and television channels, social media and physical newspapers. Again, a division here is seen in the choice for the source of information, as there are specific media channels for the Federation of BiH and specific ones for Republika Srpska. Lastly, there is a brief account of the perception of Bosnians of the military operation EUFOR Althea, another image for divisions within BiH.

Een journalistieke leergemeenschap

A news outlet learning community
In sjoernalistyke learmienskiep

Altijd al geïnteresseerd in innovatieve journalistieke concepten? Ben jij gek van media? Of word jij warm van vernieuwende onderwijsvormen? Dan is deze unieke opdracht bij Omrop Fryslân voor jou.

Over Omrop Fryslân

Omrop Fryslân is een regionale omroep in Friesland, diep verankerd in de Friese samenleving. Sommige mensen kennen Omrop Fryslân van het legendarische FK Fierljeppen , anderen luisteren de Sportcast , schakelen nog ouderwets in voor de Hea!-rubriek , of kijken op NPO2 wel eens naar een documentaire van FryslânDOK . Het aanbod is gevarieerd en vernieuwend, maar tegelijkertijd ook vertrouwd.

Omrop Fryslân heeft als missie om in alle media-uitingen iedereen, die zich met Fryslân verbonden voelt, stimuleren om (actief) deel te nemen aan het Friese samenleven. Dat doet ze door via verschillende platforms alle groepen in de Friese samenleving te informeren, te activeren en te verbinden. Omrop Fryslân is qua marktaandeel de grootste regionale omroep van Nederland. Ze maakt radio, TV, schrijft nieuws en zit op social media. De algemene voertaal is Fries, hoewel er ook in het Nederlands wordt gecommuniceerd.

Leergemeenschap voor talentbehoud

Omrop Fryslân zou graag willen inventariseren of een ‘leergemeenschap regionale journalistiek’ een haalbaar concept is. Ze wil graag meer belangstelling voor de regionale omroep genereren bij studenten en starters. Zo is er al een speciaal traineeprogramma ontwikkeld, samen met de Leeuwarder Courant en het Friesch Dagblad. Ze wil graag een plek zijn waar studenten meer kunnen leren van wat de omroep te bieden heeft: van redacteuren tot technici - en vice versa.

In een leergemeenschap trekken studenten samen met professionals op in werkleertrajecten, stages of onderzoeksprojecten. Het doel van een leergemeenschap is wederkerig leren: studenten leren hoe journalistiek op de werkvloer eraan toe gaat, redacteuren leren meer over vernieuwende journalistieke concepten en theorieën over mediagebruik. Deze samenwerking leidt idealiter tot verdere professionalisering van beide partijen en draagt impliciet ook bij aan talentbehoud in de regio.

Wat ga je doen?

Aan de hand van het literatuuronderzoek en interviews schrijf je een adviesrapport met een aantal concrete aanbevelingen voor de totstandkoming van een leergemeenschap. Je leest je in door beleidsdocumenten van Omrop Fryslân te lezen, houdt informele gesprekken en inventariseert hoe de omroep zich verhoudt tot de rest van het medialandschap en haar publiek. Daarna doe je literatuuronderzoek naar zogenaamde learning communities en andere onderwijsvormen waar wederkerig leren centraal staat. Ook lees je je in op het gebied van nieuwe innovaties in de journalistiek.

Vervolgens zul je door middel van interviews met diverse stakeholders achterhalen hoe zo’n leergemeenschap binnen de (bedrijfs)culturele context van Omrop Fryslân vorm kan krijgen. De interviews zijn zowel intern (met redacteuren, bestuurders), maar ook extern, bijvoorbeeld met opleidingen van de Faculteit der Letteren (zoals media studies), Campus Fryslân en Stenden Hogeschool. Op deze manier inventariseer je welke vragen er intern liggen, en hoe deze vragen door externe inzet kunnen worden aangepakt.

Ten slotte vertaal je deze informatie naar concrete adviezen voor de opdrachtgever: hoeveel inzet (en dus geld) kost het de omroep? Hierin houd je rekening met de rol die de omroep speelt in de Friese samenleving: als ambassadeur van de Friese taal en cultuur, en een omroep die het oude niet wil (of kan) loslaten, maar ook wil (en moet) innoveren. Het is uiteindelijk de bedoeling dat je het rapport aan directie en redactieleden presenteert.

Waarom deze opdracht doen?

·         Je leert een regionale omroep van binnenuit kennen; zowel haar krachten als uitdagingen, en wat jouw rol kan zijn binnen zo’n media-organisatie.

·         Je brengt academische kennis van media, geschiedenis, talen of journalistiek naar de context van de arbeidsmarkt.

·         Je spreekt met een grote variëteit aan stakeholders, en leert de unieke dynamiek tussen deze stakeholders kennen.

·         Je hebt de kans om een grote impact te maken en een bijdrage te leveren aan journalistieke innovaties.

·         Je doet ervaring op als adviesbureau.

·         Je hebt de kans jezelf te bewijzen als onmisbare kracht bij Omrop Fryslân en misschien wel doorstromen in een traineeship.

·         Speciaal voor internationals: je brengt een internationaal perspectief op regionale journalistiek mee; een waardevolle eigenschap.

NakedHearst Film: Strategizing a Startup for the Arts

Interested in the professional side of the arts? Always wanted to write a business model for a startup? Help professionalise NakedHearts Film, a production house in the North of the Netherlands focussed on creating films!

About NakedHearst Film

We are a cooperation of two self taught filmmakers; Ayan Egal (director and screenwriter) and Sander Roux (cinematographer and creative producer). At the moment we are working on creating three shorts: ‘Erfenis van de Rat’, ‘Koud water’ en ‘Bijltjesdag’. These shorts help us develop our technical skills and artistic vision and are a great way to introduce ourselves on the scene. But while we have developed our artistic and marketing vision, we still need a solid business to support further growth. This is the last step we need to take to be able to apply for larger funds that will enable us to create feature films.

What do we want to know?

Most entrepreneurs and small businesses in the arts start up like ours, just some people making beautiful things. But as we grow we need to formalise ourselves more, both for our own stability and to connect to more stakeholders. We want to ask the students of the career minor to become our business and financial advisors. You will spend the practical assignment creating a suitable business strategy (including a financial plan) for an actor in the (Northern) film industry. You will work closely with Sander and Ayan to match this model to their creative needs and style of entrepreneurship. You will learn what legal constructions are possible for such an organisation. You will also learn how to negotiate between the values of the arts and the values of the market.

Participation as a playground

Assignment from City Management - Municipality of Groningen

Are you interested in a career as a policy officer? And are you interested in new forms of democracy, making future-proof policies and how theories about participatory democracies translate themselves into local policies? Then this assignment at the Municipality of Groningen might be something for you.

Do you want to know how students found this client for you? Read more here!

About City Management

They sweep our streets after a night out, mow our sports fields and keep the Noorderplantsoen neat and tidy. The City Management Department of the municipality of Groningen plays a crucial role in keeping our public space liveable. This requires a diverse team, from mowers to maintenance technicians, and from foremen to strategic policy advisors. An unique organisation, where policy and practice are close to each other.

The research question

The way in which we want to give meaning to our public space is subject to major changes. We used to want our parks and roads to be neat and tidy, but now we prefer not to mow in the spring because it is better for biodiversity. At the same time, we are thinking about new forms of local democracy, in which residents can have an active say in the municipality’s policies. This gives a new dynamic to the division of roles between government and residents.

The municipality’s board (College van Burgermeester en Wethouders) considers participation to be very important. In the coalition agreement 2022-2026 they state that citizen participation is more than voting once every 4 years. Involving residents in the design and maintenance of public space is no exception. But how do you do that in a valuable way as a city management department? What are best practices; do's and don'ts? How do you involve residents in a good way? You can advise the municipality on that!

What are you going to do?

• You start the research with a number of informal conversations and some reading. What does the municipality's coalition agreement say about citizen participation? What does City Management’s strategic policy look like and how does it fit within the framework of the coalition agreement? What does the city council mean by the Groningen model when they talk about participation? You can analyze which tools are already available at the municipality , such as Stem van Groningen (voice of Groningen) , and how participation processes in large projects such as Ring Zuid and the Groninger Forum were designed. In this way you and your group get an idea of ​​what is being said about participation, and what is already being done.
• You then conduct a literature study: what has been written about participatory democracy from an academic perspective? What forms of participatory democracy do you have, what works well and what doesn't? You try to connect information to the context of Groningen, based on your own education. If you are an international, you can also look at best practices from cities within your own country.
• Finally, based on a case in Haren, you provide an advice to City Management: the design of a new playground. You participate in a brainstorming session with residents and you speak with various stakeholders in the neighborhood. You bundle bottlenecks, stakeholder’s needs and best practices from these interviews and link the findings to the literature search and analysis. This results in concrete policy advice for City Management on do's and don'ts with regard to participation processes in public space.

Products

In addition to the research report, you submit a short memo with a number of concrete policy recommendations on participation for the City Management department. You also think about a product that civil servants can use in their daily work (a checklist, a presentation, etc.). This can be further explored based on the team’s strengths.

Why this assignment?

• You have the opportunity to translate global developments into local action
• You will experience up close how our municipality is maintained and the unique dynamics between the civil servants and the workplace
• You give advice on an important transition within our municipality
• City management is highly practical: once established policy can be quickly applied in the work field
• You contribute to active citizenship and the role of the municipality in this
• The possibility to work at the community center in Haren

Station Noord: Balancing economic and artistic values in the Cultural Sector

Want to design a marketing plan that will actually be used? Want to get on the ground experience in the cultural sector? Know how to balance economic and artistic values? Apply now!

About Station Noord

Station Noord is a network organization for the development of performing arts talent in the Northern Netherlands. Seventeen partner organizations are joining forces and qualities to expand the possibilities for budding makers. Together we cover the breadth of the performing arts: from text theater and performance, via location, visual and youth theater, to dance and many forms of music. Station Noord offers talents opportunities to shape their artistic dreams. In addition to developing a maker's artistic goals, we believe it is important to build business, production and personal capacities and skills.

The network of Station Noord consists of: Club Guy & Roni, De Noorderlingen, Explore the North, Garage TDI, Grand Theatre, Het Houten Huis, Jonge Harten Festival, Loods13, Meeuw Jonge Theatermakers, Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival Groningen, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Noord Nederlands Toneel, Oerol, Oranjewoud Festival, PeerGrouP, Tryater and Welcome to the Village. Station Noord is supported by the northern authorities via We the North, by all participating partners and by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

In practice Station Noord connects a starting performing artist to three of the large organizations named above. Together they start a three year process where they develop themselves and their work. New to Station Noord is the producer track, where the business side of artistic production is central. What is missing in this equation is the marketing side, but that is where you come in!

What do we want to know?

Selling art is quite difficult, because the production of art does not come naturally to a society focussed on economic gain. The young producer track helps with that, but sometimes they lack insight into marketing and communication. We want to ask the students of the career minor to become a marketing team for one of our makers. You will spend the practical assignment developing a strategic marketing plan for an artist and helping them set up their social media and other communication channels. You will help them identify their audience and relate to them. You will also learn how to negotiate between the values of the arts and the values of the market.