Discussion Paper – asadkhone

SDG-aligned futures and the governance of transformation to sustainability: reconsidering governance perspectives on the futures we aspire to

Hernandez, Ariel (2021)
Discussion Paper 30/2021

This paper draws concepts from economics, sociology and political science and identifies the four different types of resources represented in three different scenarios of a sustainable future – the SDG-aligned scenarios – that can help governance be conducive to transformation to sustainability.

Social cohesion: a new definition and a proposal for its measurement in Africa

Leininger, Julia / Francesco Burchi / Charlotte Fiedler / Karina Mross / Daniel Nowack / Armin von Schiller / Christoph Sommer / Christoph Strupat / Sebastian Ziaja (2021)
Discussion Paper 31/2021

The paper offers a definition of social cohesion that is broad enough to cover the essentials holding societies together while keeping it lean enough to analyse the causes and consequences of social cohesion. Methodologically, we provide an application of our concept to the African context.

How the political participation of refugees is shaped on the local level: self-organisation and political opportunities in Cologne

Jacobi, Milan (2021)
Discussion Paper 34/2021

This paper discusses the meaning of self-organisations for refugees political participation in local contexts. It examines on the one hand the organisation’s own resources, and on the other hand at the political opportunity structures provided by local contexts, using the case of Cologne, Germany.

Localising the SDGs in India: the role of government and private training institutes

Sengupta, Sreerupa / Avik Sinha (2022)
Discussion Paper 1/2022

Capacity development in the public sector is essential for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study explores the SDG training landscape for government officials in India by mapping the role of government and private players, the resources required and current shortcomings.

What role do local elections play for societal peace in Nepal? Evidence from post-conflict Nepal

Fiedler, Charlotte / Karina Mross / Anna Berg / Prakash Bhattarai / Dorothea Drees / Tim Kornprobst / Alexandra Leibbrandt / Philipp Liegmann / Maleen Riebsamen (2022)
Discussion Paper 4/2022

Can local elections introduced in a post-conflict context help to foster societal peace? Findings from Nepal indicate that the local elections increased participation and responsiveness, which has positively affected political trust and reduced (the potential for) political violence.

Mexico’s “catch-22”: the implications of being a trade and climate partner of the United States and the European Union

Lucatello, Simone (2022)
Discussion Paper 11/2022

Are Mexico’s trade agreements suitable to tackle climate change? This paper looks at the interplay of treaties with the US/Canada and the EU, and the potential impact of the EU Green Deal. Caught between trade arrangements with giant partners, Mexico may be trapped in a “catch-22” situation.

The effects of a private-sector driven smallholder support programme on productivity, market participation and food and nutrition security: evidence of a Nucleus-Outgrower Scheme from Zambia

Sakketa, Tekalign Gutu / Raoul Herrmann / Chewe Nkonde / Mwelwa Lukonde / Michael Brüntrup (2022)
Discussion Paper 19/2022

This study uses panel household survey data collected in two rounds in Zambia to analyse some agro-ecological and socio-economic impacts of the outgrower programme of one of the largest agricultural investment in Zambia, Amatheon Agri Zambia Limited (AAZ).

Iraq’s quest for a social contract: an approach to promoting social cohesion and state resilience

Mühlberger, Wolfgang (2023)
Discussion Paper 1/2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between state and society in Iraq. The analysis situates the social contract concept in the Iraqi context and explores ist implications for state-society relations.

Towards a seat at the table: how an initiative of cities got their voices heard during Germany’s 2022 G7 presidency

Gronen, Maria Elisabeth / Yannick Sudermann (2023)
Discussion Paper 4/2023

In the past, urban issues were largely absent from the G7 agenda. Yet, in 2022, the Urban 7, a recently founded group of city associations managed to influence the first ever G7 ministerial meeting on sustainable urban development, even without being mandated as an official engagement group.

Political participation patterns of the emerging middle classes in Peru and the Philippines

Never, Babette / Chiara Anselmetti (2023)
Discussion Paper 11/2023

The growing middle classes in middle-income countries may play a key role in current trends of democratic backsliding, online activism and lifestyle politics. This contribution uncovers which modes of political participation are prevalent among the middle classes in Peru and the Philippines.

Learning from KfW’s ex-post evaluations? How conflicting objectives can limit their usefulness

Dörrbecker, Nicola M. (2023)
Discussion Paper 14/2023

How can German development cooperation learn from evaluations that are primarily used to monitor success and are also rarely read? Nicola Dörrbecker analyses such conflicts of interest with a focus on ex-post evaluations (EPE) by the development bank of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).

Urbanisation and social cohesion: theory and empirical evidence from Africa

Sakketa, Tekalign Gutu (2023)
Discussion Paper 16/2023

Combining a national panel data set on social cohesion from Afrobarometer with urbanisation and other socioeconomic data from world development indicators, the study shows that urbanisation is negatively correlated with the social cohesion.

Are global value chains for sale? On business-state relations in the MENA region

Aboushady, Nora / Chahir Zaki (2023)
Discussion Paper 17/2023

How do business-state relations in the MENA region affect firms’ participation in global value chains? To answer this question, this paper explores the complex relations between lobbying, political connections, and corruption in the region.

Chinese firms and adherence to global ESG standards in developing countries: is there potential to create common ground?

Morris, Mike (2023)
Discussion Paper 18/2023

This paper focuses on analysing how Chinese firms operate in Latin America, Asia and Africa in regard to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards and sustainability issues.

Contextualising social cohesion I: an overview of concepts in Africa

Wortmann-Kolundžija, Eli (2023)
Discussion Paper 20/2023

Explore the rich tapestry of social cohesion in African societies in our paper. Merging traditional wisdom with modern theories, we offer fresh insights into African understandings of social cohesion. Join us to redefine the narrative and deepen the study of social dynamics.

Green hydrogen in Namibia: opportunities and risks

Altenburg, Tilmann / Anne Kantel (2024)
Discussion Paper 6/2024

Namibia hopes to benefit from green hydrogen markets. We assess the related opportunities and risks. If offtake agreements materialise, export revenues may be substantial. Job and industrial development effects will remain limited. How public revenues are used will determine development outcomes.

Operationalising social contracts: towards an index of government deliverables

Loewe, Markus / Amirah El-Haddad / Tina Zintl (2024)
Discussion Paper 8/2024

We introduce, describe and test three indices to measure government deliverables in social contracts (protection, provision and participation) and to compare social contracts over time and space.

The New South: breaking with the past: West-South engagement in a changing world

Ishmael, Len (2024)
Discussion Paper 9/2024

As the world continues to fracture into different blocs, a new world order is in the making. Some even argue that a new Cold War has commenced. Countries of the South are adding more muscle to the G20, and an array of non-western groupings are gaining momentum, forging a new identity: The New South

Challenges for food subsidy reform: lessons learnt from the Just Distribution of Subsidies Scheme in Iran

Tajmazinani, Ali Akbar (2024)
Discussion Paper 12/2024

This paper analyses the recent reform of food subsidies in Iran. It finds that the design, timing and implementation of the reform undermined its success: The framework was ignored, the impact of inflation was not considered, there were shortcomings in implementation and transparency was poor.