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Publication Addressing Complex Humanitarian Crises: Towards a People-Centred Approach in ASEAN(2024-04-22)Complex humanitarian crises, particularly those driven by political factors or human activity, pose significant challenges to regional stability and human security. Emerging threats, such as climate change, further complicate these challenges, making it difficult to address humanitarian needs effectively. ASEAN, with its state-centric framework and focus on natural disasters, struggles to provide adequate relief in these complex situations, as seen in the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. The absence of a political resolution in Myanmar limits ASEAN's ability to meet humanitarian needs, undermining its commitment to being a "people-oriented, people-centered" community. This paper advocates for a parallel, people-centered approach to humanitarian relief that operates independently of political efforts. Using documentary analysis and key interviews, and focusing on Myanmar as a case study, the paper highlights the strengths of civil society organizations (CSOs) in delivering aid and the limitations of ASEANs' engagement with them. Recommendations include strengthening CSO networks, developing a legal framework for complex crises, and enhancing cross-sectoral coordination, aiming to create a more inclusive and effective humanitarian system within ASEAN.Publication INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND CLIMATE CHANGE GOVERNANCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON THE ORIGINS, DRIVERS, IMPLICATIONS, AND POTENTIAL OF THE JUST ENERGY TRANSITION PARTNERSHIP AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN SOUTH AFRICA AND INDONESIA(2023-04-21)Human-caused climate change is arguably the most significant threat and long term challenge of our time. Past attempts at global governance to address the problem are insufficient. While the initial adverse effects of a rapidly changing climate emerge, new methods and mechanisms are urgently needed to make progress toward Paris Agreement temperature goals by decarbonizing the global economy and dramatically reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) model seeks to achieve these crucial reductions by accelerating transition away from coal to clean renewables. This thesis examines the nascent JETP model as a new form of climate governance by reviewing its origins, drivers, implications, and potential. It reviews the growing emissions divergence between developed and developing countries which contributed to the need for a JETP-like solution. And it examines various embedded notions of justice which are at the heart of the model. The paper argues that the JETP is a qualitatively different form of climate governance due to its ‘intermediate level’ approach to a climate solution and its ‘country platform’ implementation characteristics. The study suggests that the relatively fast take-up of JETPs by developing countries is a function of avoiding much of the contentiousness of large international climate negotiations and agreements and putting recipient countries at the center of transition planning. Finally, the model as it has emerged to date resembles a ‘climate club’ allowing climate coalitions of the willing to assemble quickly in a flexible framework. This allows each JETP to be fit for purpose to address varying country contexts greatly improving its likelihood to succeed in its goal to decarbonize the global economy.Publication VOICES UNHEARD: HOW WOMEN’S VIEWS SHAPE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY POLICIES OUTCOMES IN CHINA AND JAPAN(2024-04-22)This study investigates the persistent issue of declining fertility rates in China and Japan, analyzing the efficacy of family and marriage policies in addressing demographic challenges. Both nations are struggling with low fertility, with China's rate dropping below 1.2 and Japan stabilizing around 1.3. Despite various policy interventions, neither country has seen significant improvements in fertility rates. Therefore, the core aim of this research is to pinpoint the disconnect between policy intentions and women's perceptions, which is often overlooked in policy design. By conducting semi-structured interviews with ten women from each country, this study gathers qualitative data to understand the broader socio-economic and cultural factors influencing women's decisions about marriage and childbearing. The analysis reveals that in China, stringent marriage and family policies have exacerbated fears of domestic violence and financial insecurity, reducing women's willingness to marry. In contrast, Japanese women show a higher inclination toward marriage, but stringent gender roles and economic pressures complicate their decisions regarding childbearing. On the other hand, the reasons for the ineffectiveness of childcare policies in both countries are similar, as financial subsidies are unattractive and expose working women to greater discrimination in the workplace. Furthermore, the research highlights the ineffectiveness of current policies that fail to address the underlying causes of low fertility, such as economic insecurity and gender-specific expectations. By integrating a gender-focused perspective, the study suggests more inclusive and equitable policy reforms. These include enhancing legal protections for women, reforming financial incentives that currently deter women from re-entering the workforce, and addressing societal norms that restrict women's roles to domestic spheres.Publication THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING IN MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA(2024-04-22)The purpose of this thesis is to understand the power dynamics between political and religious institutions in the Muslim-majority democracies of Malaysia and Indonesia, and how these dynamics affect public policy. Specifically, the question is whether these dynamics and their ensuing policies perpetuate or challenge societal practices. In order to explain how the religion-politics nexus influences policies and thus societal norms, the case study I conducted is on the social phenomenon of female genital mutilation/cutting in the democratic Muslim-majority countries Indonesia and Malaysia. My overall findings based on a comparison of the Malaysian and Indonesian case are that both states have successfully integrated religious authorities into state institutions, effectively intertwining religious authorities with political power in an attempt to neutralize the influence of religious authorities. Where both countries differ, however, is that the Islamic resurgence movement that swept across Southeast Asia in the 1970s gained momentum in Malaysia, allowing the religious authorities to strategically leverage their positions within state institutions to reinforce their authority and dominate religious discourse. Ultimately, this has given Malaysian religious authorities significant influence over the practice of FGM/C. In contrast, the Islamic resurgence movement has not taken hold in Indonesia, with the country even observing a decline in the power granted to religious authorities. So far, the political discourses in Indonesia are mostly focused on Pancasila pluralism (including religious freedom) and, accordingly, Indonesia (contrarily to Malaysia) lacks a national consensus on FGM/C.The crucial distinction in how politics and religion shape public policies in Malaysia and Indonesia lies in their implementation: in Malaysia, religious authorities wield the greatest influence over social practices, whereas in Indonesia, the discourse surrounding social practices involves various stakeholders, including the government, religious authorities, and civil society organizations, each exerting influence in their own unique ways.Publication