Journal articles on the topic 'Fiji Social policy'

The Fiji government perceived mining as a means to accelerate economic growth because of its potential to generate great wealth for the Fijian economy. However, the environmental and social impacts associated with mining is of great concern. Mining activities have caused immense environmental degradations that affect livelihoods. One way to recompense these mining impacts is to provide a source of income to the landowners that can substitute the providence of natural resources that were damaged or completely taken away by mining activities. From the current revenue earned from mining, only land leases have been paid out to landowners and no royalty payments as yet, because there are no specific guidelines to determine the distributions. These have brought about the great need to determine the fair share of mineral royalties between the Fiji Government and the landowners in Fiji. This paper will therefore explicate the formation of coalitions based on similarities in policy beliefs, the various strategies undertaken to interact and network with each coalition in efforts to advocate core policy beliefs to obtain government’s attention for the formulation of Fiji’s Mineral Royalty Policy, based on the analytical lenses of Advocacy Coalition Framework and Issue Network Theory, at both the problem definition and agenda setting stages. Moreover, this paper also investigates the impacts of political instability in formulating Fiji’s first ever Mineral Royalty Policy.

COVID-19 has triggered deep economic damage and devastated livelihoods to an extent never before experienced. It has revealed socio-economic vulnerabilities and so can be used as a learning platform in preparing for future shocks. In particular, it has exposed the vulnerability of households to sudden, severe, and prolonged income shock, the significance of social security as a shock response tool, and the importance of household resilience for macroeconomic stability. This study uses the pandemic as an opportunity to understand the resilience of Fijian households to profound and prolonged income shocks, given these households' social, cultural, and economic setting. It evaluates national response strategies, household coping mechanisms, and gaps in the current social security measures in Fiji. This evaluation reveals several key lessons for a systematic response to any future shocks. The lessons may prove beneficial not only for Fiji, but also for other similar economies in the region. Policy makers can build on the operational learning and capacity developed during the pandemic, reinforce existing social security systems, and be better prepared for future income shocks. Fiji and other Pacific Island economies are highly vulnerable to climate-related risks and have endured the adverse economic effects of some extremely intense natural disasters. It is important for these economies to strengthen household resilience and develop sustainable and broad-based programs for social protection.

Summary In many nations, women’s labour market presence is significant though it tends to lag that of men on most indices, including pay and seniority. The ramifications of such are huge for women’s experience of employment, their circumstances in other spheres, and thus societal progress. Employment relations (ER) regulation seeks to structure equitable access to and progress within the labour market. However, despite on-going, work-related gender inequities, there is a relative dearth of cross-national (particularly South Pacific), gender-focused analyses. This constrains the development of theory and policy geared towards gender equality in the labour market. This paper thus compares how recent collective ER regulatory initiatives have been applied in New Zealand (NZ) and Fiji, amid shared and unique national and international conditions. Martin and Bamber’s (2004, 2005) ER system model frames an analysis of qualitative survey responses and documentary evidence to more particularly assess the meaning of ER regulation for working women. It emerges that the achievement of gender equality via regulatory instruments has proven elusive, particularly in Fiji. A withering of formal employment regulation and its decentralisation in NZ; weakly implemented regulation in Fiji’s politically tumultuous setting; and the space left by a shift away from collective bargaining in both contexts has not been replaced by social dialogue, fundamental social rights, and in Fiji, regulatory enforcement. This has contributed to deteriorating circumstances for some working women in NZ and comparatively more in Fiji. However, informants showed a preference for certain regulatory measures for improving working women’s situation, concurring that stronger formal regulation of ER, tripartism and effective enforcement are needed in both nations, and that particular issues for working women require tailored responses. The paper discusses how ER regulatory measures might be theorised in terms of improving working women’s context-bound circumstances in Fiji and NZ, and with regard to the infusion of gender-related and socio-cultural values in wider economic and political approaches. It also examines how regulatory initiatives might operate and impact in a more gender-sensitive way by being re-couched in ‘win-win’, inter-connected terms for different ER stakeholders. For Fiji, much hope also rests on its return to democratic rule, and for both countries, on strengthened union activity.

INTRODUCTION: This paper explores various issues pertinent to international social work practice, including its definition, how Western epistemologies affect international placements, barriers to effective placements and student motivations for undertaking practicum away from home. METHOD: Reviewed literature will be coupled with Australian student-participants’ evaluations of their experience in completing social work placements in Fiji and Samoa. FINDINGS: A new model of approaching Pacific social work across Oceania emerges from the study. Entitled Tanoa Ni Veiqaravi(Serving Bowl of Serving Others), this culturally nuanced framework integrates both Western and Pacific social work perspectives to support professional practice, policy development and research across the region.CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for the improvement of international field practice are offered.

Purpose This is a study of the social consequences of accounting controls over labour. This paper aims to examine the system of tasking used to control Indian indentured workers in the historical context of Fijian sugar plantations during the British colonial period from 1879 to 1920. Design/methodology/approach Archival data consisting of documents from the Colonial Secretary’s Office, reports and related literature on Indian indentured labour were accessed from the National Archives of Fiji. In addition, documented accounts of the experiences of indentured labourers over the period of the study gave voice to the social costs of the indenture system, highlighting the social impact of accounting control systems. Findings Accounting and management controls were developed to extract surplus value from Indian labour. The practice of tasking was implemented in a plantation structure where indentured labourers were controlled hierarchically. This resulted in their exploitation and consequent economic, social and racial marginalisation. Research limitations/implications Like all historical research, our interpretation is limited by the availability of archival documents and the theoretical framework chosen to examine these documents. Practical implications The study promotes a better understanding of the practice and impact of accounting controls within a particular institutional setting, in this case the British colony of Fiji. Social implications By highlighting the social implications of accounting controls in their historical context, we alert corporations, government policy makers, accountants and workers to the socially damaging effects of exploitive management control systems. Originality/value The paper contributes to the growing body of literature highlighting the social effects of accounting control systems. It exposes the social costs borne by indentured workers employed on Fijian sugar plantations.

As scarce water supplies in urban environments come under increasing pressure, water managers are forced to widen technical analyses to incorporate issues related to water governance. The concept of integrated water management has been developed to highlight that social, institutional and economic issues, in addition to technical and ecological considerations, need to be considered concurrently. In this paper, the integrated water management framework is used to highlight some of the social and institutional issues of concern to water management in the South Pacific. A case study of Suva, the rapidly growing capital of Fiji, is used to illustrate the complexity of the management issues facing Pacific Island countries. It is argued that the trend toward more systemic management of water resources is a positive one, but in the case of the Pacific Island countries much better accounts of inter-agency communication, community education, public engagement, institutional coordination, water pricing and water monitoring are needed.

This study takes an in-depth look at how traditional healing practices (THPs) are perceived by the iTaukei people living in villages and periurban areas in Fiji Islands. The research used both qualitative and quantitative knowledge/data gathered from six villages in Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, to determine, first, the perception(s) of THPs among the iTaukei; second, what THPs successfully survive and are still important to the iTaukei way of life; and third, what factors influence the iTaukei’s health-seeking behavior or choices between Western and traditional medical systems in their villages. Results confirm that the knowledge healers used to hold to cure common illnesses is now more dispersed and shared with community members; healers/elders’ roles in iTaukei villages are important for cultural–spiritual–social causes of illnesses, and for more complex cases, there are specialized iTaukei healers. Recommendations in the form of categories of practices are offered for practitioners to work more effectively and affectively with the iTaukei.

AbstractPacific island countries (PICs), ever since their independence during the second half of the last century, have been among the world's top ten recipients of official development assistance (ODA) on a per capita basis. Until the mid 1990s, most of them were receiving aid from their erstwhile colonial masters for budgetary support. With the introduction of reforms in ODA delivery in the late 1990s with focus on program and project-tied aid, it was expected that aid would directly facilitate creation of much-needed growth enhancing infrastructures, physical as well as social, since domestic savings were found to be insufficient to finance them. However, continued stagnation in some PICs and deterioration in some others have been causing concerns. This paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of aid by undertaking a case study of Fiji, which has a longer time series data needed for econometric investigation. Based on the study's findings, the paper lists some policy conclusions relevant to the region.

The remediation of contaminated sites impacts on stakeholders in potentially beneficial ways, yet stakeholder dialogue has historically been focussed on costs, risk, liability, stigma, and other negatives. Shedding light on stakeholders’ remediation values can help reform remediation policy towards more positive outcomes of site clean-up. We adopt institutional theory to elicit plural motivations and cognitive assumptions as embedded in stakeholders’ expressions of remediation values, objectives, and outcomes. We explore in four case studies with varying size, complexity, cultural diversity, and geographical location (three in Australia, one in Fiji) how remediation values operate within remediation decisions. Our findings suggest that more than economic costs, liability, and risks are at play in decision-making on contaminated land. Our research confirmed that different socio-ethical, environmental and sustainability values are evaluated differently by different types of actors (site owners, regulators, auditors, residents, local government, consultants). We found that remediation values often shift in the course of a remediation decision-making process, suggesting learning and improved understanding. Remediation policy that better facilitates and aligns stakeholders’ articulations of initial and emergent outcomes sought from site clean-up is likely to enhance both economic and social value outcomes of remediation. Further research is needed on how remediation policy could better incorporate remediation value dynamics in stakeholder consultation and engagement.

This research investigates employee voice behavior (EVB) as a behavioral consequence of perceived insider status (PIS) through felt obligation behavior. Based on social identity theory, this research postulates that when employees realize that they are an insider, they tend to see themselves as a citizen of an organization and proactively engage in voice behavior. In order to evaluate this relationship, we collected 983 self-completed surveys from participants of public organizations in Fiji. The findings show that as insiders, employees unbegrudgingly engage in voice behavior when trying to provide corrective changes. This relationship was also partially mediated by felt obligation behavior (FOB). Interestingly, this study is the first one to use social identity theory to explain how employees form close attachment to the organizations they work for, driving greater feelings of belongingness and altering their behavior to engage in voice behavior. Therefore, we find social identity theory to be very relevant in explaining the relationship between PIS and EVB through FOB. This makes a significant contribution to the social identity theory. Finally, the current study offers practical implications, limitations, and further research directions.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the determinants of profitability of the Fijian banks for the 2001-2019 periods. Using several bank-specific and external variables, and covering nineteen years, researchers measure the impact of each variable on Return on Average Assets, Return on Average Equity, and Net Interest Margin. Methodology: The sample of this study comprises five commercial banks and two credit financiers. Purposive sampling is employed resulting in 133 audited financial statements. Stata version 16 is used for multivariate econometric analysis and hypothesis testing. Main Findings: The results of this research show that bank size, risk, and exchange rate positively impacts bank profitability while management efficiency, broad money supply, and quality of regulation negatively affect profitability. On the other hand, the level of liquidity, economic growth, and inflation do not have any impact on profitability. Application of this study: The findings of this study can be of significance for regulators as well as financial institutions in policy development and market oversight to ensure the sustainability of financial institutions. Novelty/Originality of this study: Few studies have so far been carried out on the banking sector in Fiji with only one focusing on profitability determinants. This study, using accounting financial ratios and several macroeconomic variables is unique in the sense that it uses several external variables not considered previously.

The study aims to explore the relationship between the pandemic and the tourism industry. The emergence of infectious diseases is one of the consequences of tourism and mobility of citizens. The article examines the scientific research of foreign authors on the impact of epidemiological diseases on the tourism industry. The pricing strategies of travel companies caused by the policy of curbing the spread of coronavirus infection are analyzed. The authors cite some forms of adaptation of the tourism industry to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic (in such countries as Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Republic of Fiji, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Japan, the UAE, China). A statistical analysis of the tourism development in the Russian Federation (the number of incoming and outgoing tourists, the number of hotels and similar accommodation facilities) was carried out. The COVID-19 pandemic has reoriented the outbound tourist flow to domestic destinations. The advantages of developing domestic trips in comparison with international ones regarding their role in the economic development of regions are presented. The pandemic has led to an inevitable surge in the use of digital technologies due to the norms of social distancing and nationwide restrictions. One of the most popular forms of technological applications in the tourism industry is virtual reality. The use of virtual reality can contribute to the creation of a new, more sustainable model of tourism. The article presents four scenarios for the recovery of world tourism, developed by the McKinsey Global Institute and the Oxford Institute of Economic Policy (Oxford Economics). The authors identified priority areas of transformation of the tourism industry in the post-pandemic period, including at the technological level.

Purpose Drawing on qualitative fieldwork on a remote outer island in Fiji, this paper aims to address a shortcoming in the literature on climate adaptation in the Pacific. Internationally community-based adaptation (CBA) is recognised as a promising approach to help vulnerable populations adjust to climate change. However, with pilot projects in their infancy documented experience for Pacific Islands remains scarce. This limits the ability of the region – faced with persisting development challenges and predicted significant climate impacts – to learn from and build on previous experiences and develop robust responses to climate change. Design/methodology/approach By using a community-based initiative in response to environmental challenges and unsustainable development as a proxy, the paper interrogates the potential usefulness of the CBA framework for the Pacific and identifies potential strengths and weaknesses. Sketching out the process and its outcomes, it shows how the initiative has resulted in a diversity of strategies, ranging from pollution control measures, to improved governance of resources and community participation in decision making, to livelihood and income diversification. Findings Findings indicate that CBA could have a lot of potential for building more resilient communities in the face of climate change and other pressures associated with modernising Pacific societies. However, to be effective, interventions should pay attention to people’s development aspirations; immediate economic, social and environmental benefits; dynamics of village governance, social rules and protocols; and traditional forms of knowledge that can inform sustainable solutions. Originality/value The conclusions provide a reflection on the CBA framework in general and make concrete suggestions for practitioners on how the framework could be usefully implemented in the Pacific context.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of the visual arts for communicating climate change in the context of the Pacific islands, through the perspectives of artists and climate change practitioners. Design/methodology/approach As part of an “Eco Arts” project carried out in Fiji, semi-structured research interviews were undertaken with artists and climate change practitioners. Findings Participants’ motivations to produce art reflected their personal concerns about, and experiences of, climate change. There was an intention to use art-based approaches to raise awareness and promote action on climate change. The artwork produced drew on metaphors and storytelling to convey future climate impacts and aspects of climate change relevant to Fijian and Pacific communities. Research limitations/implications The study reports the perspectives of participants and discusses the potential uses of arts communication. Conclusions cannot be drawn from the findings regarding the effectiveness of specific artwork or of arts communication as a general approach. Practical implications The research offers suggestions for the inclusion of creative approaches to climate change communication within education and vocational training. A consideration of the perspectives of artist–practitioners has implications for the design and conduct of climate change communication. Social implications The involvement of artist–practitioners in the communication of climate change offers the potential for novel discussions and interpretations of climate change with individuals and within communities, which complement more formal or scientific communication. Originality/value The present study identifies the motivations and objectives of artist–practitioners involved in climate change communication. The authors highlight the role of personal experience and their use of artistic concepts and creative considerations pertinent to the geography and culture of the Pacific region.

Abstract Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health issue to humans and livestock (1). To mitigate AMR risks, responsible use of antimicrobials in livestock production systems have been advocated (1). Studies have demonstrated the patterns of antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock production systems; however, there is limited information on the drivers of AMU. For successful antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), identifying the psychological (knowledge and attitude) and contextual drivers (environmental factors, economic status, and resource accessibility) for intervention is a crucial first step in the agri-food value chain. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) has been used to understand behaviour influenced by a person’s intention, attitude, and knowledge; therefore, evaluating behaviour allows understanding of drivers that affect and shape the farmers’ intention and decisions (2). Aim To explore and understand the attitude and knowledge of Fijian livestock farmers on AMU and AMR. Methods Face to face one-to-one semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted between September and November 2019 with Fijian livestock farmers and managers located in the Central and Western divisions of Viti Levu, Fiji. A sample of at least 20 participants from the cattle and poultry production systems was targeted and recruited using purposive and snowball sampling methods. TPB informed the development of the semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were audio-recorded and analysed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis and deductively using the TPB framework (results reported elsewhere). An interpretative approach underpinned the design and conduct of this study. Results Nineteen livestock farmers and managers took part in interviews. Our analysis generated four themes: 1) Uninformed use of antimicrobials and unaware of AMR, 2) Safeguarding livestock and generating income source as primary motivators for using medicine, 3) Medicine shortage resulting in hoarding and self-prescribing, and 4) Foreign farmers and veterinarians trusted over Fijian veterinarian and para-veterinarian knowledge. Livestock farmers did not differentiate amongst different types of medicine, including antimicrobials. Therefore, antimicrobials were unwittingly used and without an awareness of the risks of AMR. Medicines, including antimicrobials, were used to protect livestock and promote production for food and financial security. Farmers hoarded medicines and self-prescribed them on the farms. Farmers lacked confidence in the advice on livestock management, and medicine use, provided by Fijian veterinarians and para-veterinarians. They sought help online and from foreign farmers and veterinarians. No participant sought advice from pharmacists who are experts in medicine. Conclusion This study uncovered the first documented accounts of Fijian livestock farmers’ attitude and knowledge on AMU and AMR. AMS programmes promoting awareness and rational use of antimicrobials and resistance in Fijian livestock production is recommended. These programmes need to consider the social, economic, and environmental factors driving irrational medicine use by farmers. We acknowledge the views shared by participants may not be representative of all farmers in Fiji; however, we believe all participants provided in-depth insight into the current drivers of AMU. Future studies exploring the attitude and knowledge of Fijian veterinarians, para-veterinarians and pharmacists on AMU and AMR in livestock production can inform the design of AMS programmes that currently do not exist. References (1) WHO. Antimicrobial Resistance Geneva Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2021 [cited 2021 1 September]. Available from: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance. (2) Ajzen I. The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes. 1991;50(2):179-211.

Background: Participation in sport and physical activity (PA) leads to better overall health, increased life expectancy, and decreased mortality rates across the lifespan; however, there may be a range of individual, family, and community factors that influence PA participation among ONENA children and adolescents residing in the 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICT) and Australia. This review aimed to synthesise existing quantitative and qualitative literature regarding barriers to and facilitators of PA and sport among ONENA youth. Methods: The literature was systematically searched to include studies reporting barriers to and facilitators of PA and sports participation among ONENA children and adolescents aged 0–18 years residing in the 22 PICT and Australia. Using a pre-established taxonomy based on the social-ecological model, a deductive analysis was performed. Quality appraisal was performed using the mixed methods appraisal tool. Results: Of 1388 articles, 14 studies were included, with 128 ONENA children and adolescent participants across the four qualitative studies; 156,581 ONENA children and adolescents across the seven quantitative studies; 801 parents, children, and adolescents in one quantitative study; and 642 parents in two quantitative studies. Of the 14 included studies, none were based in Australia and only 10 of the 22 PICT were reported as the participants’ residence: Palau, New Zealand, Tonga, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Fiji. Four studies reported barriers, and another four studies reported facilitators of PA and sport, with the remaining studies reporting both barriers and facilitators. Overall, there were more barriers reported (30 in total) than facilitators (27 in total). Conclusions: Research in this area is lacking, with ONENA youth living in Australia and 12 PICT not represented. Overall, there were a larger number of facilitators experienced at individual and interpersonal levels, while barriers were highest at the community level, with the policy level having facilitators and barriers equally represented. Programs that offer PA and sport participation options with embedded SDT-informed strategies for all family members; that are accessible through existing transport and related social, cultural, and physical infrastructure; and that are committed to communities through formal co-design partnerships are needed, to enhance the PA and sport participation of ONENA youth residing in PICT.

AbstractThe incidence of suicides and attempted suicides is one indicator of mental health and life satisfaction within the population. The trends in suicidal behaviour vary with sex and ethnicity within the population, and underscore the impact of culture on people's lives and wellbeing. Although incidence of suicide provides important information, there has been no systematic reporting of data within the country. The only source of national data is the statistics unit of Fiji's police force, who record all deaths that were not caused by disease, along with such data as the sex and ethnicity of the deceased. The police are willing to provide information on suicide to researchers and government bodies, within the constraints of having the staff and other resources needed to provide such information. The present article explores what we know about this important social issue, and investigates some potential ways forward for dealing with it at individual and group levels.

The era 90‘s saw very significant policy changes introduced in the sphere of financial sector, foreign trade, public sector and social sector. The year 1991 witnessed the process of liberalization and globalization that hit the Indian economy and pushed our country to break open the ―Inward Looking‖ policy when the emphasis was accorded to protectionism and import substitution. Since 1991, India has proved to be a key player in the world. Ours country interaction has increased with many economies ties, political harmony, tourism trade and services more significantly in the area of investment. The present study was conducted by me with the aim to understand the impact of FDI and FII on Indian Stock Market (BSE and Nifty) during the recession period. It was found from the study that FDI had a significant influence on the Indian Stock market during recession while FII negatively influenced the Indian Stock Market.

For a long time, the Venezuelan democracy was an exception in South America due to a party system that was based on what was known as the ‘Punto Fijo Pact’. At the start of the 1980s a series of economic, social and political events began to occur, which caused this ‘exceptionalism’ to stagger and disrupt the institutionality of the traditional Venezuelan democratic State. The events led to a deep national crisis and the birth of a new political era. By the end of the 1990s, there had been a significant shift towards left-wing governance. Hugo Chávez Frías subsequently won the presidential elections in 1998. This paper analyzes some aspects of the criminal policies that were implemented during the reign of left-wing leader Chávez till his death in 2013 and thereafter by Chavist party president elect, Nicolás Maduro during 2013-2014. Four stages can be identified in the behavior of incarceration rates. The first stage, from 1999 to 2000, was characterized by the lowest recordings of incarceration rates and the lowest measured percentage of preventive detention in Venezuela in thirty years. The second stage, from 2001 to 2005, saw a slight increase in the incarceration rate which then remained stable. The third stage, from 2006 to 2012, and the fourth stage, from 2013 to 2014, are characterized by sustained increases in preventive detention, incarceration and murder rates.

English Vulnerability is a policy and practice concept which is often ascribed a fixed meaning with universal connotations. In this article, different conceptualizations of vulnerability are examined. It is argued that this exploration militates against the erosion of self-determination and autonomy and revitalizes working relationships between service users and professionals. French Vulnérabilité est un concept de politique et de pratique auquel est souvent attribuée une signification fixe aux connotations universelles. Dans cet article, les conceptualisations différentes de la vulnérabilité sont examinées. Il y est discuté que cette exploration milite contre l’érosion de l’autodétermination et de l’autonomie et revitalise des rapports de travail entre les usagers des services et les professionnels. Spanish La vulnerabilidad es un concepto de política y práctica social al que se adscribe un significado fijo, con connotaciones universales. Se examinan diferentes conceptualizaciones de vulnerabilidad. Se arguye que este examen milita en contra de la erosión de la autodeterminación y la autonomía, y revitaliza las relaciones de trabajo entre los usuarios de servicios y los profesionales.

Background. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic, many countries have been involved in fighting the disease. The outbreak of this disease has caused irrecoverable damages to countries in various aspects such as human resources, economic situation, and social welfare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of world countries in the face of covid-19 in respect of the role of vaccination and to propose applicable approaches for countries with lower performance. Methods. In this research, a three-phase method was developed to evaluate the performance of 88 countries in the face of Covid-19. In the first phase, the countries were clustered, using the k-means algorithm. In the second phase, the data envelopment analysis model was implemented once on the clusters and then on all the countries without considering the clusters. In the third phase, after presentation of the concept of resilience in the Covid-19 era, an Analytic Hierarchy Process was implemented with three criteria, including the results of data envelopment analysis model without considering the clusters, the results of data envelopment analysis model considering the clusters and resilience, and then the ranking of the countries' performance in the face of Covid-19 was provided. Results. Based on the results, 15 performance scores were obtained for the countries in the face of Covid-19, among which China, Fiji, Seychelles, Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania had the highest rankings and Bangladesh, Nepal, Georgia and Pakistan had the lowest performance levels. Iran is in the sixth place and in the average performance position of the countries. Conclusion. Based on the findings of this study, the countries with low performance level in the face of Covid-19 need to apply various strategies in different areas in order to improve their performance level. These strategies include planning and approval of joint programs to control and prevent the spread of disease, applying quarantine policy and restrictions on communities, planning and implementation of appropriate strategies regarding the export and import of drugs and medical equipment, allocating appropriate funds to research projects on Covid-19, banning the export of drugs effective in the treatment of Covid-19, and providing accurate and up-to-date information for raising people’s awareness. Background Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries have been involved in fighting the disease. The disease was so rapidly transmitted that in just four months since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, about 120 million people worldwide had been infected and about 2.7 million had died. The outbreak of this disease has caused a lot of damage to the society and the economy of the countries, which can be examined at different levels such as social, economic, environmental and psychological damages. The illness not only causes a person to temporarily leave the society, but also imposes a lot of costs on the country, such as the costs of treatment, lost labor, spreading the disease caused by the sick person, and so on. Therefore, there is a need to review and evaluate the performance of the countries in dealing with this disease. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of countries in the face of Covid-19 by considering the role of vaccination, so that applicable strategies and suggestions can be provided to help the countries with lower performance to improve their performance. MethodsIn this research, a three-phase method was developed to evaluate the performance of the countries in the face of Covid-19. In the first phase, the countries were clustered using the k-means algorithm, in the second phase, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was implemented once on the clusters and then on all the countries without considering the clusters, and in the third phase, after presentation of the concept of resilience in the Covid-19 era, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model was implemented with three criteria, including the results of data envelopment analysis model without considering the clusters, the results of data envelopment analysis model considering the clusters and the resilience, and then the ranking of the countries' performance in the face of Covid-19 was provided.Based on the studies and analyses, the total number of corona deaths, the percentage of extreme poverty in the community, the CVD death rate, the percentage of the diabetes prevalence, the percentage of female smokers, the percentage of male smokers, stringency index, and the total number of patients with Covid-19 were selected as input parameters, while the total number of vaccinations, the total number of corona tests, population, the number of hospital beds, and GDP were selected as output parameters.After removing the countries with missing data, 88 countries remained which were analyzed in the three-phase method. Results In the phase 1 of the proposed three-phase method, considering 3 clusters and applying the k-means algorithm, 31 countries are in the first cluster, 37 countries are in the second cluster and 20 countries are in the third cluster. In the second phased, the DEA model was implemented once on the clusters and again on all the countries without considering the clusters and the efficiency of the countries was obtained, based on the results of which a number of countries were recognized as efficient. Therefore, the pandemic resilience index was introduced for improving and obtaining a better ranking of the countries. In the third phase, the AHP model was implemented in which, the importance of the "result of the data envelopment analysis model implemented on clusters" was three times the "result of the data envelopment analysis model implemented on countries", because it was expected that if similar countries are considered together and the DEA model is implemented on them, it would lead to more accurate results. In this matrix, the importance of "resilience" was twice as high as the "result of data envelopment analysis model implemented on countries" and finally, the importance of "result of data envelopment analysis model on clusters" and "resilience" were considered as the same. Based on the results, 15 performance scores were obtained for the countries, among which China, Fiji, Seychelles, Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania had the highest rankings and Bangladesh, Nepal, Georgia and Pakistan had the lowest performance levels. Conclusion Based on the results, 15 performance rankings were obtained for the countries, where Iran along with 11 other countries were in the sixth place, which indicated the average performance of Iran. In general, 26 countries performed below the average AHP rate of all countries. In this regard, the strategies of the countries with better performance can be used as a benchmark in order to improve the performance of the lower-ranking countries. Accordingly, the countries with lower performance should improve their performances by emulating the policies of higher performance countries, in terms of general strategies, economic strategies, resource management strategies, training programs in the coronavirus era, and case reporting and monitoring. Practical Implications of Research Considering various factors such as efficiency and resilience, countries have different performance in the face of Covid-19, and lower efficiency and resilience has led to poorer performance of the countries. Accordingly, the countries with lower performance should follow the policies of the higher performance ranking countries in terms of general strategies, economic strategies, resource management strategies, training programs in the coronavirus era, and case reporting and monitoring, in order to improve their performance status. Ethical Considerations This paper is taken from the dissertation of M.Sc. of Industrial Engineering at Sharif University of Technology and all the ethical principles related to scientific research have been met in all stages of design, implementation, analysis and compilation of the results. Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in publishing this paper. Acknowledgments This paper is taken from the dissertation of M.Sc. of Industrial Engineering of Sharif University of Technology, approved on September 25, 2020, and in this regard, the authors express their gratitude and appreciation to all those who participated in completing this research.

Le malattie, soprattutto se infettive, hanno da sempre accompagnato la storia dell’umanità, modificando profondamente gli assetti economici e condizionando le strutture sociali e l’evoluzione culturale di intere popolazioni. Tutto questo è ancora vero per un miliardo e mezzo di persone colpite da malattie che l’occidente ha oramai dimenticato e che sono endemiche nelle aree tropicali del pianeta (Neglected Tropical Diseases – NTDs). Enormemente favorite dalla povertà, esse sono a loro volta una delle principali cause di povertà e uno dei più insidiosi ostacoli allo sviluppo di estese aree geografiche dell’Asia, dell’Africa e dell’America Latina. Occorre combattere la povertà per ridurre le malattie, ma occorre anche eliminare le malattie per sollevare dalla povertà e favorire lo sviluppo. Contrastare le NTDs significa tuttavia affrontare contesti caratterizzati oltre che dalla povertà, da equilibri sociali precari, da drammatiche condizioni igienico-sanitarie, dall’assenza o inadeguatezza delle infrastrutture e dei sistemi sanitari, da varie forme di discriminazione ed esclusione sociale dei malati: fattori questi che ostacolano qualsiasi azione a partire dalla stessa raccolta e verifica dei dati epidemiologici. Sono qui esaminate alcune strategie di intervento ispirate all’approccio community-driven, diretto al coinvolgimento delle comunità locali nell’integrazione e gestione delle misure di contrasto. È analizzato inoltre il ruolo degli operatori sanitari informali (Community Health Workers) nella diffusione di comportamenti, informazioni e strumenti di profilassi e nella valorizzazione di pratiche locali marginali che tuttavia si siano dimostrate efficaci nel contrasto o prevenzione di una o più NTDs (devianza positiva). Una riflessione conclusiva è dedicata alla formazione dei CHWs ai fini dell’educazione sanitaria di comunità. * Questa pubblicazione si inserisce nell’ambito delle attività del progetto “Centro per la ricerca sulle malattie rare neglette e della povertà”, finanziato dal Consorzio CNCCS.

La legge italiana n. 10 febbraio 2020 “Norme in materia di disposizione del proprio corpo e dei tessuti post mortem a fini di studio, di formazione e di ricerca scientifica” mira a valorizzare la volontarietà della donazione del corpo (DC). In questo contesto assume rilievo il dibattito etico sul tema della donazione e sul suo significato profondo che pone in relazione la beneficialità con una visione relazionale dell’autonomia. Allo stesso tempo, non si possono trascurare le forti valenze simboliche che vengono attribuite al corpo. L’attuazione pratica della DC richiede, quindi, una strategia formativa ampia, capace di sviluppare l’assunzione di responsabilità rispetto al presente e alle generazioni future. In considerazione dell’importante ruolo che i medici, le professioni sanitarie e quelle sociali possono assumere nel promuovere tale pratica, è stata condotta un’indagine diretta a fare emergere le conoscenze e le convinzioni, presenti in tale ambito, tra gli studenti appartenenti alla Scuola Scienze Mediche e Farmaceutiche (SMF) e quelli frequentanti la Scuola di Scienze Sociali (SSS), nonché ad analizzare eventuali fattori che possono influenzare la DC. L’indagine ha evidenziato importanti carenze informative e formative su temi inerenti la cura, la donazione e il rispetto delle persone. Tali carenze risultano particolarmente significative per gli studenti appartenenti alla SMF che, quali futuri medici, potranno costituire un riferimento fondamentale per la diffusione della DC. Investire risorse economiche e intellettuali sulla competenza etica degli studenti può risultare un fattore di grande rilievo affinché la DC si configuri come una scelta responsabile, consapevole ed effettivamente praticata.

Resumo O Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) é uma política de transferência de renda que tem como objetivo reduzir os índices de pobreza ao transferir um valor monetário mensal para famílias em situação de pobreza e extrema pobreza. A introdução no cotidiano das famílias beneficiárias de uma renda monetária regular gerida por mulheres insere novos elementos no cerne das relações sociais vivenciadas dentro da própria família e entre ela e a comunidade local. Considerando a gestão da renda familiar como uma prática social promotora de processos educativos, este artigo busca compreender como a gestão da renda do PBF pode contribuir para criar maior autonomia a estas mulheres. Com a contribuição dos estudos sobre Práticas Sociais e Processos Educativos, e de estudos sobre o PBF, pode-se considerar que a presença de uma renda monetária fixa mensal e o processo de gestão desta renda, trouxe segurança, maior respeitabilidade, como também apontou relações complexas e muitas contradições.Palavras-chave: Processos Educativos. Gestão da Renda. Programa Bolsa Família. “Bolsa Família” management as a social practice that promotes educative processes Abstract The “Bolsa Família” Program (PBF) is an income transfer policy that aims to reduce poverty rates by transferring a monthly monetary value to families living in poverty and extreme poverty. The introduction of a regular monetary income, managed by women, into everyday life of the beneficiary families inserts new elements at the core of the social relations experienced within the family and between them and the local community. Considering family income management as a social practice that promotes educative processes, this essay seeks to understand how the PBF income management can contribute to create greater autonomy for these women. With the contribution of Social Practices and Educative Processes studies and those on the PBF, one can consider that the presence of a monthly fixed monetary income and the process of managing it, brought security and greater respectability to them, as well as complex relations and many contradictions.Keywords: Educative Processes. Income Management. “Bolsa Família” Program. Administración del “Bolsa Família” como práctica social promotora de procesos educativos Resumen El Programa “Bolsa Familia” (PBF) es una política de transferencia de renta que tiene como objetivo reducir los índices de pobreza al transferir un valor monetario mensual para las familias en situación de pobreza y de extrema pobreza. La introducción en el cotidiano de las familias que reciben el beneficio de una renta monetaria regular administrada por las mujeres, coloca nuevos elementos en el núcleo de las relaciones sociales vivenciadas dentro de la propia familia y entre ella y la comunidad local. Considerando la administración de la renta familiar como una práctica social promotora de procesos educativos, este ensayo busca comprender, como la administración de la renta del PBF puede contribuir para dar mayor autonomía a estas mujeres. Con la contribución de los estudios sobre Prácticas Sociales y Procesos Educativos, y de los estudios sobre el PBF, se puede considerar que la presencia de una renta monetaria fija mensual y el proceso de administrar esta renta, trajo seguridad, más respeto, como también apuntó relaciones complejas y muchas contradicciones.Palabras clave: Procesos Educativos. Administración de la Renta. Programa “Bolsa Família”.

ResumoO Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) é uma política de transferência de renda que tem como objetivo reduzir os índices de pobreza ao transferir um valor monetário mensal para famílias em situação de pobreza e extrema pobreza. A introdução no cotidiano das famílias beneficiárias de uma renda monetária regular gerida por mulheres insere novos elementos no cerne das relações sociais vivenciadas dentro da própria família e entre ela e a comunidade local. Considerando a gestão da renda familiar como uma prática social promotora de processos educativos, este artigo busca compreender como a gestão da renda do PBF pode contribuir para criar maior autonomia a estas mulheres. Com a contribuição dos estudos sobre Práticas Sociais e Processos Educativos, e de estudos sobre o PBF, pode-se considerar que a presença de uma renda monetária fixa mensal e o processo de gestão desta renda, trouxe segurança, maior respeitabilidade, como também apontou relações complexas e muitas contradições.Palavras-chave: Processos Educativos. Gestão da Renda. Programa Bolsa Família.“Bolsa Família” management as a social practice that promotes educative processesAbstractThe “Bolsa Família” Program (PBF) is an income transfer policy that aims to reduce poverty rates by transferring a monthly monetary value to families living in poverty and extreme poverty. The introduction of a regular monetary income, managed by women, into everyday life of the beneficiary families inserts new elements at the core of the social relations experienced within the family and between them and the local community. Considering family income management as a social practice that promotes educative processes, this essay seeks to understand how the PBF income management can contribute to create greater autonomy for these women. With the contribution of Social Practices and Educative Processes studies and those on the PBF, one can consider that the presence of a monthly fixed monetary income and the process of managing it, brought security and greater respectability to them, as well as complex relations and many contradictions.Keywords: Educative Processes. Income Management. “Bolsa Família” Program.Administración del “Bolsa Família” como práctica social promotora de procesos educativosResumenEl Programa “Bolsa Familia” (PBF) es una política de transferencia de renta que tiene como objetivo reducir los índices de pobreza al transferir un valor monetario mensual para las familias en situación de pobreza y de extrema pobreza. La introducción en el cotidiano de las familias que reciben el beneficio de una renta monetaria regular administrada por las mujeres, coloca nuevos elementos en el núcleo de las relaciones sociales vivenciadas dentro de la propia familia y entre ella y la comunidad local. Considerando la administración de la renta familiar como una práctica social promotora de procesos educativos, este ensayo busca comprender, como la administración de la renta del PBF puede contribuir para dar mayor autonomía a estas mujeres. Con la contribución de los estudios sobre Prácticas Sociales y Procesos Educativos, y de los estudios sobre el PBF, se puede considerar que la presencia de una renta monetaria fija mensual y el proceso de administrar esta renta, trajo seguridad, más respeto, como también apuntó relaciones complejas y muchas contradicciones.Palabras clave: Procesos Educativos. Administración de la Renta. Programa “Bolsa Família”.

L'articolo esamina i riflessi giuridici in campo civile e penale del fenomeno della "maternità su commissione" affrontando il problema della frontiera etica del progresso scientifico. L'Autrice individua i rischi connessi all'insorgere di tali pratiche "sostitutive"descrivendo una molteplicità di situazioni limite: la frammentazione delle funzioni della maternità (ovulazione, gestazione, educazione) che tecnicamente possono essere ricondotte a soggetti diversi; il conseguente smarrimento dell'identità materna; l'enfatizzazione di un presunto diritto del singolo alla procreazione; il sacrificio-distruzione di embrioni superflui; i danni psico-sociali connessi alla frantumazione delle strutture parentali e dei modelli di genitorialità socialmente consolidati; la destrutturazione deii'ordine giuridico che compromette l'identità certa del soggetto. Molte le questioni poste all'attenzione del giurista: dalla definizione di uno statuto per l'embrione, alla tutela di beni essenziali quali l'unità familiare, alla salvaguardia del valore della procreazione, alla liceità dei mezzi e dei fini che caratterizzano le applicazioni in campo scientifico. Le considerazioni svolte trovano un sostegno culturale e giuridico in numerose leggi, Convenzioni e Dichiarazioni sia nazionali che sovranazionali. L'Autrice analizza poi brevemente le soluzioni legislative offerte dai diversi Paesi alla luce di principi internazionali. Emerge l'esigenza della formulazione di una disciplina globale del diritto alla vita prenatale, di una regolamentazione organica di tipo penalistico di beni essenziali e la predisposizione di adeguate garanzie al fine di tutelare un'ampia serie di beni complementari, con specificazioni rispetto a particolari questioni tecniche.

Viene presentata un'analisi dei costi di generazione dell'energia elettrica da fonte nucleare e da fonti fossili (carbone e gas naturale) effettuata sui dati tecnici pubblicati nell'ultimo rapporto IEA-NEA "Projected Costs of Generating Electricity" (Edizione 2010). Lo studio č finalizzato a determinare il "Levelised Cost of Electricity" in un contesto di libero mercato e secondo logiche privatistiche. A fini comparativi e per completare il quadro di riferimento, il lavoro include anche una valutazione dei costi di generazione basata sui dati tecnici ed economici statunitensi riportati in "Update on the Cost of Nuclear Power" (2009) del Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Le valutazioni del MIT sembrano infatti sottostimare i costi di generazione specie se confrontati con i valori riportati nel precedente rapporto "The Future of Nuclear Power" (2003). I risultati mostrano che in un contesto di politica energetica caratterizzata da incertezza nei programmi di sviluppo e nelle modalitŕ di attuazione, l'energia da fonte nucleare non sembra possedere quei requisiti di competitivitŕ economica necessari a prevederne un utilizzo significativo nel prossimo futuro. Nel lavoro, inoltre, viene sviluppata un'analisi di sensitivitŕ rispetto alle grandezze finanziarie più rilevanti, quali il livello di rischiositŕ percepita dagli investitori e catturata dai valori del costo opportunitŕ del capitale, e il rapporto di indebitamento iniziale, nel tentativo di individuare le principali criticitŕ e l'incidenza dei singoli fattori di rischio che, in un contesto di libero mercato, influenzano la competitivitŕ della fonte nucleare. Una sezione dedicata alla valutazione dei costi "sociali" di generazione conclude il lavoro.

I policy maker sono costantemente alla ricerca delle forme e degli strumenti per contribuire ad aumentare la prosperitŕ economica e sociale del proprio territorio. Gli studi a livello internazionale ci dicono che la prosperitŕ di un territorio č direttamente riconducibile alla sua competitivitŕ, e quindi in primis al livello di produttivitŕ e innovazione del sistema delle imprese. Come verrŕ ampiamente illustrato in questo articolo, le reti inter-organizzative - nella varietŕ di forme che l'evidenza empirica ci suggerisce - attraverso una flessibilitŕ senza precedenti, una piů veloce circolazione delle informazioni, la condivisione di visioni, saperi e conoscenza, l'efficiente e rapido scambio di risorse e competenze per competere, assicurano al tempo stesso specializzazione, efficienza e alti livelli di produttivitŕ. La configurazione e la natura di tali reti č in via di continua ridefinizione ed espansione e l'uso del termine rete č spesso generico o inappropriato. Anche i confini delle reti vanno continuamente ridefiniti, in un continuum che va dalle imprese tradizionali che esternalizzano e delocalizzano parte della loro produzione fino al puro networking di varia natura. Noi ci concentreremo solo su quelle reti interorganizzative che rappresentano forme nuove di impresa, di quasi impresa, di sistemi di imprese che consentono una gestione competitiva e innovativa della catena del valore e dei processi fondamentali, conseguendo risultati economici e sociali, in una parola prosperitŕ. Ci occuperemo in particolare del fenomeno piů nuovo che caratterizza l'Italian way of doing industry, ossia lo sviluppo e i successi delle medie imprese, nodi di reti inter-organizzative che coinvolgono non solo imprese piccole, ma anche imprese grandi, in una proiezione spesso globale. Su queste nuove forme di reti inter-organizzative, si apre uno spazio di intervento straordinario per i policy maker in azioni di attivazione, incentivazione e supporto, capaci di condurre a superiori livelli di competitivitŕ le imprese componenti le reti, le reti stesse e i territori da cui esse muovono, ovvero capaci di favorire una maggiore prosperitŕ. Tali spazi di governo delle reti inter-organizzative possono avere natura infrastrutturale (trasporti, edilizia, tecnologie, credito, servizi, ecc.), relazionale (governo della catena del valore, dei processi, dei flussi, delle architetture d'impresa, dei sistemi informativi e di comunicazione, dei sistemi professionali ecc.) e cognitiva (capitale umano, capitale intellettuale, sistema di valori e norme, ecc.). Tutte e tre queste dimensioni sono importantissime e vanno gestite congiuntamente in nuove forme di management assicurate dalle imprese "pivotali" e nell'ambito di quello che nell'articolo č definito come meta-management, ovvero quelle posizioni di attori pubblici e privati - spesso in raccordo fra loro - che assicurano supporto e guida strategica alle reti. Nuovi modelli di management e di meta-management implicano una conoscenza profonda della rete e, di conseguenza, una visione d'insieme attuale e futura sicura e convincente e una capacitŕ di execution che sappia consolidare o riorientare la rete; valorizzare le risorse, materiali e personali, lě racchiuse e soprattutto perseguire obiettivi e misurare risultati. Meta-management non significa favorire il mero networking tra imprese, ma attivarsi come agenzie strategiche e provvedimenti concreti capaci di disegnare politiche di accompagnamento e sostegno alla creazione e alla valorizzazione di robusti network tra imprese e tra imprese e istituzioni, che trascendano le consuete filiere e agglomerazioni locali. Una economia e una societŕ fatta di reti inter-organizzative non č uguale a quella fatta prevalentemente di singole imprese "castello". Sulle reti di impresa e sull'impresa rete incombono alcune rilevanti questioni a cui il nostro lavoro tenta di dare alcune risposte Vediamole qui di seguito. 1. Diagnosi. L'organizzazione a rete č oggi scarsamente riconoscibile. Come diagnosticarla, come identificarne le caratteristiche strutturali e comprenderne i problemi critici? 2. Sviluppo e progettazione. L'organizzazione a rete si puň supportare con adeguati servizi, sviluppare intenzionalmente o addirittura progettare, come qui si sostiene? E se sě, in che modo? I metodi da adoperare per gestire questo sviluppo sono certo diversi da quelli adottati da strutture accentrate, sono meno top-down e meno razionalistici: ma quali possono essere? 3. Stabilitŕ e mutamento. Ogni nodo o soggetto della rete fa parte di reti diverse, in alcuni casi abbandona in rapida successione le une per legarsi ad altre. Come combinare l'estrema mutevolezza di queste multiple appartenenze con l'esigenza di stabilitŕ e crescita di ogni singolo nodo, come far sě che l'intera rete si comporti come un "attore collettivo" capace di un governo? 4. Risultati. Se e come definire obiettivi o ri-articolarli velocemente nel tempo? Come valutare i risultati delle diverse dimensioni economiche e sociali? 5. Decisioni e misura. L'organizzazione a rete - come e piů dell'impresa tradizionale - cambia per repentine innovazioni, per adattamento, per micro-decisioni, per miglioramento continuo, č il risultato di scelte su cosa fare dentro e cosa comprare, su quali funzioni accentrare e quali decentrare, su quando acquisire o vendere unitŕ aziendali e su quando fare accordi, dove allocare geograficamente le attivitŕ. Vi sono criteri e metodi da adottare, per operare in questi contesti di agilitŕ, velocitŕ e rapiditŕ di processi decisionali? 6. Sistemi. Quali tecniche o sistemi operativi adatti all'impresa rete dovranno essere sviluppati? Quali sistemi di pianificazione e controllo di gestione dell'impresa rete, if any? Č possibile stabilire standard di qualitŕ per la rete? Come sviluppare dimensioni quali linguaggi, culture, politiche di marchio e di visibilitŕ, come potenziare le comunitŕ, come promuovere formazione e apprendimenti? 7. Strutture. Le reti di impresa includono una grande varietŕ di forme, come vedremo. La rete di imprese puň includere una parte di gerarchia: quali modelli di organigrammi sono compatibili? Quali sistemi informativi, di telecomunicazioni, di social network sono adatti per la rete di imprese? Quali sistemi logistici? Quali regole e contratti formali? Quali flussi finanziari? Le risorse umane si possono gestire e sviluppare lungo la rete? E in che modo? E che dire dei sistemi di controllo della qualitŕ? 8. Nascita e morte. La rete di imprese e soprattutto i suoi "nodi" hanno un tasso di natalitŕ/ mortalitŕ piů elevato dell'impresa tradizionale. Gestire la nascita e la morte delle imprese diventerŕ ancora piů importante che gestire le imprese. Chi lo farŕ e come? 9. Vincoli e opportunitŕ. La legislazione, le relazioni industriali, la cultura manageriale sono oggi vincoli e opportunitŕ allo sviluppo di forme di rete di imprese. La globalizzazione dell'economia, lo sviluppo dei servizi, le nuove tecnologie, la cultura dei giovani, invece, sembrano operare piů come fattori facilitanti quando addirittura non cogenti. Come gestire (e non subire) vincoli e opportunitŕ? Cosa puň fare l'impresa, e cosa possono fare le istituzioni pubbliche? Vi sono nuovi programmi e regole nazionali e regionali per la costituzione delle reti di impresa: quale č la loro efficacia e impatto? In tale quadro, un'Agenzia Strategica (una grande impresa, una media impresa, un ente governativo, una Camera di commercio, un'associazione imprenditoriale, un istituto di credito) puň esercitare un ruolo centrale nella promozione e governo delle reti inter-organizzative per la competitivitŕ dei territori, mettendo a fuoco i propri interventi di policy avendo come oggetto prioritario queste nuove forme di impresa, quasi-impresa, sistemi di impresa usando diverse leve: - innanzitutto, fornendo o favorendo l'accesso a risorse chiave, come credito, finanziamenti, sgravi fiscali, servizi per l'internazionalizzazione, conoscenze, marketing ecc.; - agendo da fluidificatore delle reti tra imprese, che sappia rimuovere ostacoli nelle strutture relazionali e irrobustire nodi, processi, strutture di governance laddove necessario; inserendosi direttamente nelle strutture relazionali come ponte per connettere nodi disconnessi; - esercitando a pieno il ruolo di meta-manager di reti inter-organizzative ossia imprimendo al sistema un indirizzo strategico di fondo, governando i processi "politici" interni alla rete ossia la distribuzione di potere e risorse e creando le condizioni culturali, strategiche organizzative e tecnologiche; - facendo leva sull'essere un policy maker cross-settoriale e multi-territoriale. Le reti di impresa hanno successo se si integrano entro "piattaforme industriali" (ad es. IT, Green economy, portualitŕ e logistica), entro cluster territoriali (es. distretti, economie regionali, etc.), sistemi eterogenei interistituzionali (che includono imprese pubbliche, amministrazioni, istituzioni e associazioni). La nostra tesi č che azioni di governo della rete attraverso nuove forme di management e di meta-management sono tanto piů efficaci quanto piů contribuiscono a supportare e strutturare reti organizzative robuste o che tendono a diventare tali, ossia imprese reti e reti di impresa governate; sono tanto meno efficaci o quanto meno misurabili quanto piů supportano solo processi di networking poco definiti destinati a rimanere tali. Nei termini di Axelsson, policy e management hanno effetto su reti che esprimono a) modelli di relazione fra diverse organizzazioni per raggiungere fini comuni. Hanno un effetto minore o nullo quando le reti di cui si parla sono solo b) "connessioni lasche fra organizzazioni legate da relazioni sociali" o c) un insieme di due o piů relazioni di scambio.

Education in Oceania continues to reflect the embedded implicit and explicit colonial practices and processes from the past. This paper conceptualises a cultural approach to education and leadership appropriate and relevant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As elementary school leaders, we highlight Kanne Lobal, a traditional Marshallese navigation practice based on indigenous language, values and practices. We conceptualise and develop Kanne Lobal in this paper as a framework for understanding the usefulness of our indigenous knowledge in leadership and educational practices within formal education. Through bwebwenato, a method of talk story, our key learnings and reflexivities were captured. We argue that realising the value of Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices for school leaders requires purposeful training of the ways in which our knowledge can be made useful in our professional educational responsibilities. Drawing from our Marshallese knowledge is an intentional effort to inspire, empower and express what education and leadership partnership means for Marshallese people, as articulated by Marshallese themselves. Introduction As noted in the call for papers within the Waikato Journal of Education (WJE) for this special issue, bodies of knowledge and histories in Oceania have long sustained generations across geographic boundaries to ensure cultural survival. For Marshallese people, we cannot really know ourselves “until we know how we came to be where we are today” (Walsh, Heine, Bigler & Stege, 2012). Jitdam Kapeel is a popular Marshallese concept and ideal associated with inquiring into relationships within the family and community. In a similar way, the practice of relating is about connecting the present and future to the past. Education and leadership partnerships are linked and we look back to the past, our history, to make sense and feel inspired to transform practices that will benefit our people. In this paper and in light of our next generation, we reconnect with our navigation stories to inspire and empower education and leadership. Kanne lobal is part of our navigation stories, a conceptual framework centred on cultural practices, values, and concepts that embrace collective partnerships. Our link to this talanoa vā with others in the special issue is to attempt to make sense of connections given the global COVID-19 context by providing a Marshallese approach to address the physical and relational “distance” between education and leadership partnerships in Oceania. Like the majority of developing small island nations in Oceania, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has had its share of educational challenges through colonial legacies of the past which continues to drive education systems in the region (Heine, 2002). The historical administration and education in the RMI is one of colonisation. Successive administrations by the Spanish, German, Japanese, and now the US, has resulted in education and learning that privileges western knowledge and forms of learning. This paper foregrounds understandings of education and learning as told by the voices of elementary school leaders from the RMI. The move to re-think education and leadership from Marshallese perspectives is an act of shifting the focus of bwebwenato or conversations that centres on Marshallese language and worldviews. The concept of jelalokjen was conceptualised as traditional education framed mainly within the community context. In the past, jelalokjen was practiced and transmitted to the younger generation for cultural continuity. During the arrival of colonial administrations into the RMI, jelalokjen was likened to the western notions of education and schooling (Kupferman, 2004). Today, the primary function of jelalokjen, as traditional and formal education, it is for “survival in a hostile [and challenging] environment” (Kupferman, 2004, p. 43). Because western approaches to learning in the RMI have not always resulted in positive outcomes for those engaged within the education system, as school leaders who value our cultural knowledge and practices, and aspire to maintain our language with the next generation, we turn to Kanne Lobal, a practice embedded in our navigation stories, collective aspirations, and leadership. The significance in the development of Kanne Lobal, as an appropriate framework for education and leadership, resulted in us coming together and working together. Not only were we able to share our leadership concerns, however, the engagement strengthened our connections with each other as school leaders, our communities, and the Public Schooling System (PSS). Prior to that, many of us were in competition for resources. Educational Leadership: IQBE and GCSL Leadership is a valued practice in the RMI. Before the IQBE programme started in 2018, the majority of the school leaders on the main island of Majuro had not engaged in collaborative partnerships with each other before. Our main educational purpose was to achieve accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an accreditation commission for schools in the United States. The WASC accreditation dictated our work and relationships and many school leaders on Majuro felt the pressure of competition against each other. We, the authors in this paper, share our collective bwebwenato, highlighting our school leadership experiences and how we gained strength from our own ancestral knowledge to empower “us”, to collaborate with each other, our teachers, communities, as well as with PSS; a collaborative partnership we had not realised in the past. The paucity of literature that captures Kajin Majol (Marshallese language) and education in general in the RMI is what we intend to fill by sharing our reflections and experiences. To move our educational practices forward we highlight Kanne Lobal, a cultural approach that focuses on our strengths, collective social responsibilities and wellbeing. For a long time, there was no formal training in place for elementary school leaders. School principals and vice principals were appointed primarily on their academic merit through having an undergraduate qualification. As part of the first cohort of fifteen school leaders, we engaged in the professional training programme, the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL), refitted to our context after its initial development in the Solomon Islands. GCSL was coordinated by the Institute of Education (IOE) at the University of the South Pacific (USP). GCSL was seen as a relevant and appropriate training programme for school leaders in the RMI as part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded programme which aimed at “Improving Quality Basic Education” (IQBE) in parts of the northern Pacific. GCSL was managed on Majuro, RMI’s main island, by the director at the time Dr Irene Taafaki, coordinator Yolanda McKay, and administrators at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) RMI campus. Through the provision of GCSL, as school leaders we were encouraged to re-think and draw-from our own cultural repository and connect to our ancestral knowledge that have always provided strength for us. This kind of thinking and practice was encouraged by our educational leaders (Heine, 2002). We argue that a culturally-affirming and culturally-contextual framework that reflects the lived experiences of Marshallese people is much needed and enables the disruption of inherent colonial processes left behind by Western and Eastern administrations which have influenced our education system in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Kanne Lobal, an approach utilising a traditional navigation has warranted its need to provide solutions for today’s educational challenges for us in the RMI. Education in the Pacific Education in the Pacific cannot be understood without contextualising it in its history and culture. It is the same for us in the RMI (Heine, 2002; Walsh et al., 2012). The RMI is located in the Pacific Ocean and is part of Micronesia. It was named after a British captain, John Marshall in the 1700s. The atolls in the RMI were explored by the Spanish in the 16th century. Germany unsuccessfully attempted to colonize the islands in 1885. Japan took control in 1914, but after several battles during World War II, the US seized the RMI from them. In 1947, the United Nations made the island group, along with the Mariana and Caroline archipelagos, a U.S. trust territory (Walsh et al, 2012). Education in the RMI reflects the colonial administrations of Germany, Japan, and now the US. Before the turn of the century, formal education in the Pacific reflected western values, practices, and standards. Prior to that, education was informal and not binded to formal learning institutions (Thaman, 1997) and oral traditions was used as the medium for transmitting learning about customs and practices living with parents, grandparents, great grandparents. As alluded to by Jiba B. Kabua (2004), any “discussion about education is necessarily a discussion of culture, and any policy on education is also a policy of culture” (p. 181). It is impossible to promote one without the other, and it is not logical to understand one without the other. Re-thinking how education should look like, the pedagogical strategies that are relevant in our classrooms, the ways to engage with our parents and communities - such re-thinking sits within our cultural approaches and frameworks. Our collective attempts to provide a cultural framework that is relevant and appropriate for education in our context, sits within the political endeavour to decolonize. This means that what we are providing will not only be useful, but it can be used as a tool to question and identify whether things in place restrict and prevent our culture or whether they promote and foreground cultural ideas and concepts, a significant discussion of culture linked to education (Kabua, 2004). Donor funded development aid programmes were provided to support the challenges within education systems. Concerned with the persistent low educational outcomes of Pacific students, despite the prevalence of aid programmes in the region, in 2000 Pacific educators and leaders with support from New Zealand Aid (NZ Aid) decided to intervene (Heine, 2002; Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). In April 2001, a group of Pacific educators and leaders across the region were invited to a colloquium funded by the New Zealand Overseas Development Agency held in Suva Fiji at the University of the South Pacific. The main purpose of the colloquium was to enable “Pacific educators to re-think the values, assumptions and beliefs underlying [formal] schooling in Oceania” (Benson, 2002). Leadership, in general, is a valued practice in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Despite education leadership being identified as a significant factor in school improvement (Sanga & Chu, 2009), the limited formal training opportunities of school principals in the region was a persistent concern. As part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded project, the Improve Quality Basic Education (IQBE) intervention was developed and implemented in the RMI in 2017. Mentoring is a process associated with the continuity and sustainability of leadership knowledge and practices (Sanga & Chu, 2009). It is a key aspect of building capacity and capabilities within human resources in education (ibid). Indigenous knowledges and education research According to Hilda Heine, the relationship between education and leadership is about understanding Marshallese history and culture (cited in Walsh et al., 2012). It is about sharing indigenous knowledge and histories that “details for future generations a story of survival and resilience and the pride we possess as a people” (Heine, cited in Walsh et al., 2012, p. v). This paper is fuelled by postcolonial aspirations yet is grounded in Pacific indigenous research. This means that our intentions are driven by postcolonial pursuits and discourses linked to challenging the colonial systems and schooling in the Pacific region that privileges western knowledge and learning and marginalises the education practices and processes of local people (Thiong’o, 1986). A point of difference and orientation from postcolonialism is a desire to foreground indigenous Pacific language, specifically Majin Majol, through Marshallese concepts. Our collective bwebwenato and conversation honours and values kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness) (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Pacific leaders developed the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative for and by Pacific People (RPEIPP) in 2002 to take control of the ways in which education research was conducted by donor funded organisations (Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). Our former president, Dr Hilda Heine was part of the group of leaders who sought to counter the ways in which our educational and leadership stories were controlled and told by non-Marshallese (Heine, 2002). As a former minister of education in the RMI, Hilda Heine continues to inspire and encourage the next generation of educators, school leaders, and researchers to re-think and de-construct the way learning and education is conceptualised for Marshallese people. The conceptualisation of Kanne Lobal acknowledges its origin, grounded in Marshallese navigation knowledge and practice. Our decision to unpack and deconstruct Kanne Lobal within the context of formal education and leadership responds to the need to not only draw from indigenous Marshallese ideas and practice but to consider that the next generation will continue to be educated using western processes and initiatives particularly from the US where we get a lot of our funding from. According to indigenous researchers Dawn Bessarab and Bridget Ng’andu (2010), doing research that considers “culturally appropriate processes to engage with indigenous groups and individuals is particularly pertinent in today’s research environment” (p. 37). Pacific indigenous educators and researchers have turned to their own ancestral knowledge and practices for inspiration and empowerment. Within western research contexts, the often stringent ideals and processes are not always encouraging of indigenous methods and practices. However, many were able to ground and articulate their use of indigenous methods as being relevant and appropriate to capturing the realities of their communities (Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Fulu-Aiolupotea, 2014; Thaman, 1997). At the same time, utilising Pacific indigenous methods and approaches enabled research engagement with their communities that honoured and respected them and their communities. For example, Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian researchers used the talanoa method as a way to capture the stories, lived realities, and worldviews of their communities within education in the diaspora (Fa’avae, Jones, & Manu’atu, 2016; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014; Vaioleti, 2005). Tok stori was used by Solomon Islander educators and school leaders to highlight the unique circles of conversational practice and storytelling that leads to more positive engagement with their community members, capturing rich and meaningful narratives as a result (Sanga & Houma, 2004). The Indigenous Aborigine in Australia utilise yarning as a “relaxed discussion through which both the researcher and participant journey together visiting places and topics of interest relevant” (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010, p. 38). Despite the diverse forms of discussions and storytelling by indigenous peoples, of significance are the cultural protocols, ethics, and language for conducting and guiding the engagement (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014). Through the ethics, values, protocols, and language, these are what makes indigenous methods or frameworks unique compared to western methods like in-depth interviews or semi-structured interviews. This is why it is important for us as Marshallese educators to frame, ground, and articulate how our own methods and frameworks of learning could be realised in western education (Heine, 2002; Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). In this paper, we utilise bwebwenato as an appropriate method linked to “talk story”, capturing our collective stories and experiences during GCSL and how we sought to build partnerships and collaboration with each other, our communities, and the PSS. Bwebwenato and drawing from Kajin Majel Legends and stories that reflect Marshallese society and its cultural values have survived through our oral traditions. The practice of weaving also holds knowledge about our “valuable and earliest sources of knowledge” (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019, p. 2). The skilful navigation of Marshallese wayfarers on the walap (large canoes) in the ocean is testament of their leadership and the value they place on ensuring the survival and continuity of Marshallese people (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019; Walsh et al., 2012). During her graduate study in 2014, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner conceptualised bwebwenato as being the most “well-known form of Marshallese orality” (p. 38). The Marshallese-English dictionary defined bwebwenato as talk, conversation, story, history, article, episode, lore, myth, or tale (cited in Jetnil Kijiner, 2014). Three years later in 2017, bwebwenato was utilised in a doctoral project by Natalie Nimmer as a research method to gather “talk stories” about the experiences of 10 Marshallese experts in knowledge and skills ranging from sewing to linguistics, canoe-making and business. Our collective bwebwenato in this paper centres on Marshallese ideas and language. The philosophy of Marshallese knowledge is rooted in our “Kajin Majel”, or Marshallese language and is shared and transmitted through our oral traditions. For instance, through our historical stories and myths. Marshallese philosophy, that is, the knowledge systems inherent in our beliefs, values, customs, and practices are shared. They are inherently relational, meaning that knowledge systems and philosophies within our world are connected, in mind, body, and spirit (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Nimmer, 2017). Although some Marshallese believe that our knowledge is disappearing as more and more elders pass away, it is therefore important work together, and learn from each other about the knowledges shared not only by the living but through their lamentations and stories of those who are no longer with us (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). As a Marshallese practice, weaving has been passed-down from generation to generation. Although the art of weaving is no longer as common as it used to be, the artefacts such as the “jaki-ed” (clothing mats) continue to embody significant Marshallese values and traditions. For our weavers, the jouj (check spelling) is the centre of the mat and it is where the weaving starts. When the jouj is correct and weaved well, the remainder and every other part of the mat will be right. The jouj is symbolic of the “heart” and if the heart is prepared well, trained well, then life or all other parts of the body will be well (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). In that light, we have applied the same to this paper. Conceptualising and drawing from cultural practices that are close and dear to our hearts embodies a significant ontological attempt to prioritize our own knowledge and language, a sense of endearment to who we are and what we believe education to be like for us and the next generation. The application of the phrase “Majolizing '' was used by the Ministry of Education when Hilda Heine was minister, to weave cultural ideas and language into the way that teachers understand the curriculum, develop lesson plans and execute them in the classroom. Despite this, there were still concerns with the embedded colonized practices where teachers defaulted to eurocentric methods of doing things, like the strategies provided in the textbooks given to us. In some ways, our education was slow to adjust to the “Majolizing '' intention by our former minister. In this paper, we provide Kanne Lobal as a way to contribute to the “Majolizing intention” and perhaps speed up yet still be collectively responsible to all involved in education. Kajin Wa and Kanne Lobal “Wa” is the Marshallese concept for canoe. Kajin wa, as in canoe language, has a lot of symbolic meaning linked to deeply-held Marshallese values and practices. The canoe was the foundational practice that supported the livelihood of harsh atoll island living which reflects the Marshallese social world. The experts of Kajin wa often refer to “wa” as being the vessel of life, a means and source of sustaining life (Kelen, 2009, cited in Miller, 2010). “Jouj” means kindness and is the lower part of the main hull of the canoe. It is often referred to by some canoe builders in the RMI as the heart of the canoe and is linked to love. The jouj is one of the first parts of the canoe that is built and is “used to do all other measurements, and then the rest of the canoe is built on top of it” (Miller, 2010, p. 67). The significance of the jouj is that when the canoe is in the water, the jouj is the part of the hull that is underwater and ensures that all the cargo and passengers are safe. For Marshallese, jouj or kindness is what living is about and is associated with selflessly carrying the responsibility of keeping the family and community safe. The parts of the canoe reflect Marshallese culture, legend, family, lineage, and kinship. They embody social responsibilities that guide, direct, and sustain Marshallese families’ wellbeing, from atoll to atoll. For example, the rojak (boom), rojak maan (upper boom), rojak kōrā (lower boom), and they support the edges of the ujelā/ujele (sail) (see figure 1). The literal meaning of rojak maan is male boom and rojak kōrā means female boom which together strengthens the sail and ensures the canoe propels forward in a strong yet safe way. Figuratively, the rojak maan and rojak kōrā symbolise the mother and father relationship which when strong, through the jouj (kindness and love), it can strengthen families and sustain them into the future. Figure 1. Parts of the canoe Source: https://www.canoesmarshallislands.com/2014/09/names-of-canoe-parts/ From a socio-cultural, communal, and leadership view, the canoe (wa) provides understanding of the relationships required to inspire and sustain Marshallese peoples’ education and learning. We draw from Kajin wa because they provide cultural ideas and practices that enable understanding of education and leadership necessary for sustaining Marshallese people and realities in Oceania. When building a canoe, the women are tasked with the weaving of the ujelā/ujele (sail) and to ensure that it is strong enough to withstand long journeys and the fierce winds and waters of the ocean. The Kanne Lobal relates to the front part of the ujelā/ujele (sail) where the rojak maan and rojak kōrā meet and connect (see the red lines in figure 1). Kanne Lobal is linked to the strategic use of the ujelā/ujele by navigators, when there is no wind north wind to propel them forward, to find ways to capture the winds so that their journey can continue. As a proverbial saying, Kanne Lobal is used to ignite thinking and inspire and transform practice particularly when the journey is rough and tough. In this paper we draw from Kanne Lobal to ignite, inspire, and transform our educational and leadership practices, a move to explore what has always been meaningful to Marshallese people when we are faced with challenges. The Kanne Lobal utilises our language, and cultural practices and values by sourcing from the concepts of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). A key Marshallese proverb, “Enra bwe jen lale rara”, is the cultural practice where families enact compassion through the sharing of food in all occurrences. The term “enra” is a small basket weaved from the coconut leaves, and often used by Marshallese as a plate to share and distribute food amongst each other. Bwe-jen-lale-rara is about noticing and providing for the needs of others, and “enra” the basket will help support and provide for all that are in need. “Enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara” is symbolic of cultural exchange and reciprocity and the cultural values associated with building and maintaining relationships, and constantly honouring each other. As a Marshallese practice, in this article we share our understanding and knowledge about the challenges as well as possible solutions for education concerns in our nation. In addition, we highlight another proverb, “wa kuk wa jimor”, which relates to having one canoe, and despite its capacity to feed and provide for the individual, but within the canoe all people can benefit from what it can provide. In the same way, we provide in this paper a cultural framework that will enable all educators to benefit from. It is a framework that is far-reaching and relevant to the lived realities of Marshallese people today. Kumit relates to people united to build strength, all co-operating and working together, living in peace, harmony, and good health. Kanne Lobal: conceptual framework for education and leadership An education framework is a conceptual structure that can be used to capture ideas and thinking related to aspects of learning. Kanne Lobal is conceptualised and framed in this paper as an educational framework. Kanne Lobal highlights the significance of education as a collective partnership whereby leadership is an important aspect. Kanne Lobal draws-from indigenous Marshallese concepts like kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness, heart). The role of a leader, including an education leader, is to prioritise collective learning and partnerships that benefits Marshallese people and the continuity and survival of the next generation (Heine, 2002; Thaman, 1995). As described by Ejnar Aerōk, an expert canoe builder in the RMI, he stated: “jerbal ippān doon bwe en maron maan wa e” (cited in Miller, 2010, p. 69). His description emphasises the significance of partnerships and working together when navigating and journeying together in order to move the canoe forward. The kubaak, the outrigger of the wa (canoe) is about “partnerships”. For us as elementary school leaders on Majuro, kubaak encourages us to value collaborative partnerships with each other as well as our communities, PSS, and other stakeholders. Partnerships is an important part of the Kanne Lobal education and leadership framework. It requires ongoing bwebwenato – the inspiring as well as confronting and challenging conversations that should be mediated and negotiated if we and our education stakeholders are to journey together to ensure that the educational services we provide benefits our next generation of young people in the RMI. Navigating ahead the partnerships, mediation, and negotiation are the core values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). As an organic conceptual framework grounded in indigenous values, inspired through our lived experiences, Kanne Lobal provides ideas and concepts for re-thinking education and leadership practices that are conducive to learning and teaching in the schooling context in the RMI. By no means does it provide the solution to the education ills in our nation. However, we argue that Kanne Lobal is a more relevant approach which is much needed for the negatively stigmatised system as a consequence of the various colonial administrations that have and continue to shape and reframe our ideas about what education should be like for us in the RMI. Moreover, Kannel Lobal is our attempt to decolonize the framing of education and leadership, moving our bwebwenato to re-framing conversations of teaching and learning so that our cultural knowledge and values are foregrounded, appreciated, and realised within our education system. Bwebwenato: sharing our stories In this section, we use bwebwenato as a method of gathering and capturing our stories as data. Below we capture our stories and ongoing conversations about the richness in Marshallese cultural knowledge in the outer islands and on Majuro and the potentialities in Kanne Lobal. Danny Jim When I was in third grade (9-10 years of age), during my grandfather’s speech in Arno, an atoll near Majuro, during a time when a wa (canoe) was being blessed and ready to put the canoe into the ocean. My grandfather told me the canoe was a blessing for the family. “Without a canoe, a family cannot provide for them”, he said. The canoe allows for travelling between places to gather food and other sources to provide for the family. My grandfather’s stories about people’s roles within the canoe reminded me that everyone within the family has a responsibility to each other. Our women, mothers and daughters too have a significant responsibility in the journey, in fact, they hold us, care for us, and given strength to their husbands, brothers, and sons. The wise man or elder sits in the middle of the canoe, directing the young man who help to steer. The young man, he does all the work, directed by the older man. They take advice and seek the wisdom of the elder. In front of the canoe, a young boy is placed there and because of his strong and youthful vision, he is able to help the elder as well as the young man on the canoe. The story can be linked to the roles that school leaders, teachers, and students have in schooling. Without each person knowing intricately their role and responsibility, the sight and vision ahead for the collective aspirations of the school and the community is difficult to comprehend. For me, the canoe is symbolic of our educational journey within our education system. As the school leader, a central, trusted, and respected figure in the school, they provide support for teachers who are at the helm, pedagogically striving to provide for their students. For without strong direction from the school leaders and teachers at the helm, the students, like the young boy, cannot foresee their futures, or envisage how education can benefit them. This is why Kanne Lobal is a significant framework for us in the Marshall Islands because within the practice we are able to take heed and empower each other so that all benefit from the process. Kanne Lobal is linked to our culture, an essential part of who we are. We must rely on our own local approaches, rather than relying on others that are not relevant to what we know and how we live in today’s society. One of the things I can tell is that in Majuro, compared to the outer islands, it’s different. In the outer islands, parents bring children together and tell them legends and stories. The elders tell them about the legends and stories – the bwebwenato. Children from outer islands know a lot more about Marshallese legends compared to children from the Majuro atoll. They usually stay close to their parents, observe how to prepare food and all types of Marshallese skills. Loretta Joseph Case There is little Western influence in the outer islands. They grow up learning their own culture with their parents, not having tv. They are closely knit, making their own food, learning to weave. They use fire for cooking food. They are more connected because there are few of them, doing their own culture. For example, if they’re building a house, the ladies will come together and make food to take to the males that are building the house, encouraging them to keep on working - “jemjem maal” (sharpening tools i.e. axe, like encouraging workers to empower them). It’s when they bring food and entertainment. Rubon Rubon Togetherness, work together, sharing of food, these are important practices as a school leader. Jemjem maal – the whole village works together, men working and the women encourage them with food and entertainment. All the young children are involved in all of the cultural practices, cultural transmission is consistently part of their everyday life. These are stronger in the outer islands. Kanne Lobal has the potential to provide solutions using our own knowledge and practices. Connie Joel When new teachers become a teacher, they learn more about their culture in teaching. Teaching raises the question, who are we? A popular saying amongst our people, “Aelon kein ad ej aelon in manit”, means that “Our islands are cultural islands”. Therefore, when we are teaching, and managing the school, we must do this culturally. When we live and breathe, we must do this culturally. There is more socialising with family and extended family. Respect the elderly. When they’re doing things the ladies all get together, in groups and do it. Cut the breadfruit, and preserve the breadfruit and pandanus. They come together and do it. Same as fishing, building houses, building canoes. They use and speak the language often spoken by the older people. There are words that people in the outer islands use and understand language regularly applied by the elderly. Respect elderly and leaders more i.e., chiefs (iroj), commoners (alap), and the workers on the land (ri-jerbal) (social layer under the commoners). All the kids, they gather with their families, and go and visit the chiefs and alap, and take gifts from their land, first produce/food from the plantation (eojōk). Tommy Almet The people are more connected to the culture in the outer islands because they help one another. They don’t have to always buy things by themselves, everyone contributes to the occasion. For instance, for birthdays, boys go fishing, others contribute and all share with everyone. Kanne Lobal is a practice that can bring people together – leaders, teachers, stakeholders. We want our colleagues to keep strong and work together to fix problems like students and teachers’ absenteeism which is a big problem for us in schools. Demetria Malachi The culture in the outer islands are more accessible and exposed to children. In Majuro, there is a mixedness of cultures and knowledges, influenced by Western thinking and practices. Kanne Lobal is an idea that can enhance quality educational purposes for the RMI. We, the school leaders who did GCSL, we want to merge and use this idea because it will help benefit students’ learning and teachers’ teaching. Kanne Lobal will help students to learn and teachers to teach though traditional skills and knowledge. We want to revitalize our ways of life through teaching because it is slowly fading away. Also, we want to have our own Marshallese learning process because it is in our own language making it easier to use and understand. Essentially, we want to proudly use our own ways of teaching from our ancestors showing the appreciation and blessings given to us. Way Forward To think of ways forward is about reflecting on the past and current learnings. Instead of a traditional discussion within a research publication, we have opted to continue our bwebwenato by sharing what we have learnt through the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL) programme. Our bwebwenato does not end in this article and this opportunity to collaborate and partner together in this piece of writing has been a meaningful experience to conceptualise and unpack the Kanne Lobal framework. Our collaborative bwebwenato has enabled us to dig deep into our own wise knowledges for guidance through mediating and negotiating the challenges in education and leadership (Sanga & Houma, 2004). For example, bwe-jen-lale-rara reminds us to inquire, pay attention, and focus on supporting the needs of others. Through enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara, it reminds us to value cultural exchange and reciprocity which will strengthen the development and maintaining of relationships based on ways we continue to honour each other (Nimmer, 2017). We not only continue to support each other, but also help mentor the next generation of school leaders within our education system (Heine, 2002). Education and leadership are all about collaborative partnerships (Sanga & Chu, 2009; Thaman, 1997). Developing partnerships through the GCSL was useful learning for us. It encouraged us to work together, share knowledge, respect each other, and be kind. The values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity) are meaningful in being and becoming and educational leader in the RMI (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Miller, 2010; Nimmer, 2017). These values are meaningful for us practice particularly given the drive by PSS for schools to become accredited. The workshops and meetings delivered during the GCSL in the RMI from 2018 to 2019 about Kanne Lobal has given us strength to share our stories and experiences from the meeting with the stakeholders. But before we met with the stakeholders, we were encouraged to share and speak in our language within our courses: EDP05 (Professional Development and Learning), EDP06 (School Leadership), EDP07 (School Management), EDP08 (Teaching and Learning), and EDP09 (Community Partnerships). In groups, we shared our presentations with our peers, the 15 school leaders in the GCSL programme. We also invited USP RMI staff. They liked the way we presented Kannel Lobal. They provided us with feedback, for example: how the use of the sail on the canoe, the parts and their functions can be conceptualised in education and how they are related to the way that we teach our own young people. Engaging stakeholders in the conceptualisation and design stages of Kanne Lobal strengthened our understanding of leadership and collaborative partnerships. Based on various meetings with the RMI Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) team, PSS general assembly, teachers from the outer islands, and the PSS executive committee, we were able to share and receive feedback on the Kanne Lobal framework. The coordinators of the PREL programme in the RMI were excited by the possibilities around using Kanne Lobal, as a way to teach culture in an inspirational way to Marshallese students. Our Marshallese knowledge, particularly through the proverbial meaning of Kanne Lobal provided so much inspiration and insight for the groups during the presentation which gave us hope and confidence to develop the framework. Kanne Lobal is an organic and indigenous approach, grounded in Marshallese ways of doing things (Heine, 2002; Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Given the persistent presence of colonial processes within the education system and the constant reference to practices and initiatives from the US, Kanne Lobal for us provides a refreshing yet fulfilling experience and makes us feel warm inside because it is something that belongs to all Marshallese people. Conclusion Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices provide meaningful educational and leadership understanding and learnings. They ignite, inspire, and transform thinking and practice. The Kanne Lobal conceptual framework emphasises key concepts and values necessary for collaborative partnerships within education and leadership practices in the RMI. The bwebwenato or talk stories have been insightful and have highlighted the strengths and benefits that our Marshallese ideas and practices possess when looking for appropriate and relevant ways to understand education and leadership. Acknowledgements We want to acknowledge our GCSL cohort of school leaders who have supported us in the development of Kanne Lobal as a conceptual framework. A huge kommol tata to our friends: Joana, Rosana, Loretta, Jellan, Alvin, Ellice, Rolando, Stephen, and Alan. References Benson, C. (2002). Preface. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. Benson (Eds.), Tree of Opportunity: re-thinking Pacific Education (p. iv). Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Education. Bessarab, D., Ng’andu, B. (2010). Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), 37-50. Fa’avae, D., Jones, A., & Manu’atu, L. (2016). Talanoa’i ‘a e talanoa - talking about talanoa: Some dilemmas of a novice researcher. AlterNative: An Indigenous Journal of Indigenous Peoples,12(2),138-150. Heine, H. C. (2002). A Marshall Islands perspective. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. Benson (Eds.), Tree of Opportunity: re-thinking Pacific Education (pp. 84 – 90). Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Education. Infoplease Staff (2017, February 28). Marshall Islands, retrieved from https://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/marshall-islands Jetnil-Kijiner, K. (2014). Iep Jaltok: A history of Marshallese literature. (Unpublished masters’ thesis). Honolulu, HW: University of Hawaii. Kabua, J. B. (2004). We are the land, the land is us: The moral responsibility of our education and sustainability. In A.L. Loeak, V.C. Kiluwe and L. Crowl (Eds.), Life in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, pp. 180 – 191. Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific. Kupferman, D. (2004). Jelalokjen in flux: Pitfalls and prospects of contextualising teacher training programmes in the Marshall Islands. Directions: Journal of Educational Studies, 26(1), 42 – 54. http://directions.usp.ac.fj/collect/direct/index/assoc/D1175062.dir/doc.pdf Miller, R. L. (2010). 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The paper will examine on the roles of Social Welfare Pension Scheme to the elderly citizens of Sigatoka, Fiji. The study will discuss on the issues encountered by the elderly citizens. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the government of Fiji through its constitution formulate a policy called National Policy on Ageing. The ultimate aim of the government is a protective, healthy and enabling environment for elder persons. A qualitative data collection is employ in this paper to answer all the research questions. The study is conducted to 20 elderly citizens of Sigatoka district; province of Nadroga The study found out that there is a need for social improvement for an effective delivery of the Social Welfare Pension Scheme in Fiji.

Abstract Background According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 80% or more deaths in Pacific island countries, including Fiji, were related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Although competency-based approaches have been effective for developing healthcare workers’ capabilities, there are only a few reports on competency scales of healthcare workers for NCD prevention. We aimed to develop a self-reported measurement scale on a potential component of competency in the healthcare staff engaged in the prevention and control of NCDs in Fiji. Methods There were 378 Ministry of Health and Medical Services staff members working on NCD prevention and control in Fiji included in this study, which was a cross-sectional survey of social factors, working situation factors, and competency. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to assess potential competency components, whereas Cronbach’s α coefficient and analysis of variance were used to assess the validity and reliability of the scale items, respectively. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to analyze the respondents’ factor scores relative to social status and work situations. Results The factor analysis revealed 16 items that identified competency in four work types: 1) work management, 2) monitoring and evaluation, 3) community partnership, and 4) community diagnosis. The monitoring and evaluation roles were related to ethnic background, community partnership was related to religion, and community diagnosis was related to academic qualifications. Conclusions Based on the results, we developed a competency scale for the four work types. This scale can help healthcare workers engage in better management of residents with NCDs in Fiji.

Abstract Pacific Island countries have among the lowest access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation services in the world. Due to geography, climate, the high frequency, and severity of disasters, transportation difficulties and resource constraints, government and private sector support to rural populations are limited and likely to remain so. However, the unique demographic characteristics of the region see considerable support flowing to rural areas from village kin in urban centres and overseas, hinged on strong socio-cultural norms of reciprocity, self-help, and obligation. Focusing on Fiji, this paper examines how select social networks are being used to support improved rural water and sanitation outcomes. Results demonstrate that kinship-orientated urban–rural linkages, select customary norms, relations and practices, common interest associations (such as village development committees), and select social media groups, all constitute critical components of the WaSH enabling environment in Fiji. Given the unique character of the Pacific Islands region, leveraging existing social networks to support improved rural water and sanitation outcomes may constitute a fruitful community water management ‘plus’ strategy for both governments and non-government organisations seeking to strengthen rural water and sanitation service outcomes.

People, communities, and regions around the world are being pushed to adapt as climate-related risks increase. Within both policy and academic literature, the planned relocation of communities is often viewed as an adaptation option of last resort, given that it can lead to losses including attachment to place, place-based cultural practices, and identity. To date, however, few empirical studies have investigated the diverse and context-specific reasons for community reluctance to relocate. This study aimed to examine the motivations behind people's decisions to remain in locations at risk from climate change. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork undertaken in 2021 in Serua Island, Fiji, this study shows how the concept of Vanua, a Fijian term that refers to the natural environment, social bonds and kinship ties, ways of being, spirituality, and stewardship, is used by Indigenous people to resist climate-driven relocation. Through exploring local decision-making, this study contributes to the small body of research on voluntary immobility in the context of climate change. This research also contributes to academic discussions on “decolonizing climate change” from a Pacific perspective while offering a strong empirical basis for critically addressing climate mobility scholarship through Indigenous narratives, values, and worldviews. We highlight that policy and practice must better integrate local understandings of voluntary immobility to avoid potential maladaptation and loss and damage to culture, livelihoods, and social networks. This can help develop more appropriate adaptation strategies for communities in Fiji and beyond as people move, but also resist mobility, in a warming world.

PurposeThe study aims to identify different consumer groups to better understand changes in urban Fijian food shopping behaviour and the implications for the local food industry.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a Latent class (LC) cluster analysis of survey data from 1,000 urban Fijian households to identify unique consumer segments based on household food shopping behaviour.FindingsFive distinct urban household clusters were identified based on food shopping behaviour. The cluster with the highest income level spent significantly lower amounts on fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) at the main traditional market, preferring to buy their FFV from modern supermarket outlets. Considering the vast majority of local smallholder farmers rely on traditional market channels to sell their produce, the growth and dominance of Fijian supermarkets are of some concern.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should consider repeating these types of detailed consumer surveys to better understand the implications of changes in shopping behaviour over time, and the role that key stakeholders can play in ensuring smallholder farmers is not excluded from the market.Social implicationsSmallholder-driven agriculture accounts for a significant share of Fiji's gross domestic product (GDP), so understanding how the retail food industry is transforming and how this is affecting smallholder farmers is critical to Fiji's social structure.Originality/valueResearch on food retailing and the role of the consumer is rare in small island developing states (SIDS), such as Fiji. Fiji has a somewhat unique set of circumstances. In the absence of significant foreign investment in food retailing, key factors such as urbanisation and rising urban income mean consumer preferences are important drivers of changes in shopping behaviour. The study provides insights into Fiji's changing food industry with implications for other SIDS, while contributing to the global literature in this field.

Non-technical summary The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an integrated and ambitious roadmap for sustainable development by 2030. National implementation will be crucial and there is an urgent need to understand the scale and pace of transformations to achieve the goals. There is also concern that achieving socio-economic objectives will undermine longer-term environmental sustainability. This study uses modelling to explore how different policy and investment settings can enable the necessary transformations, adopting Fiji as a use-case. Modest investment over the coming decade can deliver improved performance. However, far more ambitious actions are needed to accelerate progress while managing long-term trade-offs with environmental objectives. Technical summary This paper presents the results from a national scenario modelling study for Fiji with broader relevance for other countries seeking to achieve the SDGs. We develop and simulate a business-as-usual and six alternative future scenarios using the integrated (iSDG-Fiji) system dynamics model and evaluate their performance on the SDGs in 2030 and global planetary boundaries (PBs) and the ‘safe and just space’ (SJS) framework in 2050. Modest investment over the coming decade through a ‘sustainability transition’ scenario accelerates SDG progress from 40% to 70% by 2030 but fails to meet all SJS thresholds. Greatly scaling up investment and ambition through an SDG transformation scenario highlights possibilities for Fiji to accelerate progress to 83% by 2030 while improving SJS performance. The scale of investment is highly ambitious and could not be delivered without scaled-up international support, but despite this investment progress still falls short. The analysis highlights where key trade-offs remain as well as options to address these, however closing the gap to 100% achievement will prove very challenging. The approach and findings are relevant to other countries with similar characteristics to increase the understanding of the transformations needed to achieve the SDGs within PBs in different country contexts. Social media summary How can countries accelerate progress on the SDGs by 2030 while ensuring longer-term coherence with climate and sustainability thresholds?

ObjectiveSmall Island Developing States (SIDS) struggle with implementing multisectoral tobacco control measures, and health sector actors often lack capacity to forge multisectoral commitment. This study aims to explore the sources and dynamics of authority that can enable multisectoral collaboration despite the divergence of policy agendas in tobacco control.MethodsWe applied a qualitative, explorative case study design, with data collection and analysis guided by an analytical framework that identifies sources and dynamics of authority. Seventy interviews were conducted in Fiji and Vanuatu between 2018 and 2019.ResultsThe key features shaping multisectoral coordination for tobacco control in Fiji and Vanuatu are the expert, institutional, capacity-based and legal authority that state and non-state actors have in tobacco governance. The amount of authority actors can secure from these sources was shown to be influenced by their performance (perceived or real), the discourse around tobacco control, the existing legal tools and their strategic alliances. SIDS vulnerabilities, arising from small size, isolation and developing economies, facilitate an economic growth discourse that reduces health sector actors’ authority and empowers protobacco actors to drive tobacco governance.ConclusionsOur results highlight the need for terms of engagement with the tobacco industry to enable governments to implement multisectoral tobacco control measures. Expanding assistance on tobacco control among government and civil society actors and increasing messaging about the impact of economic, trade and agricultural practices on health are essential to help SIDS implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Abstract Western and Central Pacific (WCP) tuna fisheries form part of a broad and complex social and ecological system (SES). This consists of interconnected elements including people (social, cultural, economic) and the biophysical environment in which they live. One area that has received little attention by policy makers is gender. Gender is important because it deepens understandings of behaviours, roles, power relations, policies, programs, and services that may differentially impact on social, ecological, economic, cultural, and political realities of people. This paper contributes a “first step” to examining gender issues in WCP tuna SES. Women’s roles in WCP tuna SES in Fiji are explored and an evaluation of the impact fisheries development policy has on gender equality over the past two decades is revealed. Three key findings emerged from interviews, focus group discussions, and observations: 1) traditional gendered roles remain where women are marginalised in either invisible or low-paid and unskilled roles, and violence is sanctioned; 2) gender mainstreaming of policy and practice remain simplistic and narrow, but are transitioning towards more equitable outcomes for women; and 3) failure to consider gender within the context of WCP tuna SES leads to unintended outcomes that undermine potential benefits of the fishery to broader society, especially to women. A multifaceted approach is recommended to integrate substantive gender equality into SES-based approaches. This research argues educating and getting women opportunities to work on boats falls short of redressing inequality and injustice that is embedded in the social, political, and economic status quo.

Abstract Background Globally oral health care is unequally accessible or utilised within culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant communities. Yet much remains unknown about CALD mothers and their oral healthcare experiences in Australia. Hence, this paper explores the oral health care attitudes and experiences of CALD mothers within the Australian context with the broader objective to reduce oral health inequalities. Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted from a social constructivism paradigm. Participants were foreign country born, spoke language/s other than English and have a child. Purposive snowball sampling and recruitment was conducted through CALD organisations and social media. Participants were interviewed for their attitudes and experiences to dental care and frequency of utilisation in Australia and the home country. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and grounded analysis (Strauss and Corbin) performed. Researcher bias was reduced through reflexivity and triangulation. Results The participants (n = 33) included 20 CALD mothers born in India and 13 from either China, Fiji, Nepal, Macedonia and Israel. The theme, experiences with health workforce personnel revealed positive attitudes toward CALD providers from similar cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds. We coin these CALD providers as the ‘dental diaspora’. The dental diaspora facilitated CALD mothers through culture and/or language factors, alleviating cost barriers and flexibility in appointments. Dental travel to the home country was affirmed, however family visitation was the foremost reason for travel. Conclusion The findings suggest that the dental diaspora plays a significant role in promoting oral health care utilisation for first generation CALD mothers in Australia. This paper brings to light the phenomenon of the ‘dental diaspora’ as an essential health workforce that contributes to addressing inequities in oral healthcare utilisation within CALD migrant communities. Universal health coverage in oral health is further affirmed, as aligned to the WHO policy context.

Abstract Introduction Given health disparities and increased rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases seen in Indigenous populations worldwide and the evidence connecting sociocultural knowledge with physical activity, health, and wellbeing, this research was undertaken to understand the social and cultural components contributing to obesity in the Indigenous Fijian rural areas. Methods This research is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project, which engaged community members from a rural iTaukei village in the Fiji Islands. Data collection was carried out through community consultation and semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. Results Four major themes emerged associated with sociocultural, economic, political, and physical environmental factors. Males emphasised sports and working on farmlands as preferred types of physical activity, while females focused on family activities and daily activities and support for females’ separate playgrounds. There was a focus on previous health promotion programs that did not incorporate the cultural values, cultural competence beliefs, and traditional ways of the rural Indigenous Fijian community. Conclusion The healthcare providers and policymakers need to recognise the iTaukei community culture and appreciate traditional methods to promote equitable community participation in decision-making for health promotion. These findings should inform future research and community-based health programs to address the physical activity levels of the rural Indigenous community and may be relevant to other Indigenous peoples.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a great change in the world. One aspect of the pandemic is its effect on Educational systems. Educators have had to shift to a pure online based system. This shift has been sudden and without any prior warning. Despite this the Educational system has survived and exhibited resilience. The resilience of a system can be determined if the system continues to operate or function as effectively as before a change. Resilience in a system implies the ability to work and develop when the forces in the environment are unexpected, abrupt and sudden as well. The environment may change or evolve but the underlying system must keep functioning, developing and responding. Resilience is a trait in a system. It is a set of characteristics in the system that enables it to sustain itself in the face of change. A resilient system can cope and prosper in the face of change. For the domain of education, the Covid-19 pandemic served as a phenomenal change event and a wakeup call to the education fraternity. As a social system, resilience meant that the people in the educational environment continued to function albeit differently. The environment, meaning the processes, hierarchy and the intricate social ties in the system contributed to the resiliency of the system. Thus the measure of resilience in education has three major facets—people, the technology which facilitates the process and the process environment. This work aims to understand the resilience of the teachers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially how learning continued and what contributed to this continuity. Resilience research and understanding is as important as the pedagogical and technological aspects in an Educational system as it is a trait that encompasses the people, the socio-economic system and their relationships. In this work, we analyzed resilience as trait, its relevance in an Educational system, factors that make up resilience in an Educational system and finally the relevant research about resilience in Education during Covid-19. Based on the results of our literature review we formed a model for Educators. A survey was conducted among educators of three countries namely Malaysia, Fiji, and India to determine the essential elements of resilience that were relevant to the continuity of an educational system from the point of view of teachers. We arrived at a set of factors that are relevant to the teachers in the educational systems which can be an impetus for policy makers to focus on and develop. The major results from the study are the need for Educational systems to focus on three facets—internal, interpersonal and external aspects of teachers and strengthen factors such as support for teachers, strong academic leadership, trust of teachers, increase self-motivation, enhance communication with stakeholders and emphasize systems that enhance student-teacher communication. The future areas of research are also discussed in the work.

Access to bank account is only a part of the problem when we talk of financial inclusion because several people with a bank account are not necessarily using them to deposit their savings or carry out transactions. This article makes an attempt to examine the reasons for low utilisation of banking facilities. It employs financial inclusion insights (FII) data for Indian population to find out an outcome of financial inclusion (and thus social inclusion as well) based on the usage of banking services with covariates like financial literacy, the probability that any financial service is accessible to the respondent in terms distance, type of mobile phone and spatial density. We use truncated probit model to measure the incidence of under-banking. Our findings show that there is a negative association between supply-side constraints and usage of banking services, implying that low access to financial services in time and space stands as a hindrance to financial inclusion. Further, we find from the financial inclusion and exclusion map at the district level that even though economic agents intend to participate in the space in which he/she is living is not much inclusive.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the comparative link between mobile money (MoMo) and entrepreneurship in East Africa. Apart from analysing the data to examine locational, gender and age heterogeneities in the MoMo–entrepreneurship nexus, the authors explore the potential roles of digital savings and access to digital credit in serving as transmission channels in the link between MoMo adoption and entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses nationally representative samples from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda which were extracted from the fifth wave of the InterMedia Financial Inclusion Insights (FII) Program. The authors employ a suite of quasi-experimental microeconometric techniques—standard instrumental variable estimation, Lewbel two-stage least squares (2SLS) and propensity score matching.FindingsOverall, the authors’ preferred endogeneity-corrected result suggests that adopters of MoMo are 24.4 percentage points more likely to engage in entrepreneurship. This result is robust to alternative ways of conceptualising MoMo adoption and different methods used in resolving endogeneity. The association between MoMo and entrepreneurship is stronger in Kenya compared to Uganda and not significant in Tanzania. The significant positive association between MoMo and entrepreneurship is observed among women and rural residents and not for their male and urban-located counterparts. MoMo significantly enhances entrepreneurship among the youth and adults but not the elderly. Digital savings and access to digital credit serve as important channels through which FinTech adoption influences entrepreneurship.Practical implicationsThe entrepreneurship-enhancing effect of MoMo adoption can be extended to discuss the possibility of employing MoMo as a policy tool to contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) 8 which seeks to ensure full and productive employment and decent work for all. Incomes that accrue from entrepreneurial activities can also increase households' purchasing power to decrease poverty (SDG 1), reduce food insecurity (SDG 2) and provide resources needed to purchase clean and modern cooking and lighting fuels (SGD 7).Social implicationsThe growing rate of unemployment and vulnerable employment in Africa has been an issue of concern to policy makers. These problems have been caused by the inability of policy makers to create adequate jobs. The study’s findings show that policies geared towards enhancing the diffusion of MoMo can augment efforts being made by governments to decrease the unemployment rate in Africa through increased entrepreneurship. The employment effect of MoMo can also be realised through the emergence of digital entrepreneurship which has been identified as having the potential to transform African economies to knowledge-based economies for sustainable development.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the MoMo literature by deviating from the focus of existing studies which have emphasised more on the intermediate outcome (performance) and less on the immediate (i.e. entrepreneurship or small business venturing). This helps to highlight the entrepreneurship effect of MoMo which has evolved from a simple peer-to-peer payment system to a complex one that provides savings, credit, insurance and other products.