Member Profile for ISS, The Hague/Rotterdam

Does attending preschool benefit Indian children at a later stage? by Saikat Ghosh
Despite having one of the world’s largest early childhood education and care program named ‘Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)’ in operation since 1975, the impact of such provisions on children’s later development is still largely unknown in India. Empirical evidence from India suggests that attending preschool makes children more sociable but does not improve their cognitive ability. The post Does attending preschool benefit Indian children at a later stage? by Saikat Ghosh appeared first on The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice.

Sri Lankan President Sirisena’s political war on drugs by Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s answer to drug-related crimes is bringing back the death penalty. According to recent reports, international drug smugglers are increasingly turning to Sri Lanka as a transit hub in Asia, while drug-related arrests are on the rise. The question is whether the war on drugs is winnable and whether the death penalty will help. Framing the anti-narcotics efforts as a war has been a selling point for the public who are getting weary of everyday drug abusers and dealers. The post Sri Lankan President Sirisena’s political war on drugs by Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits appeared first on The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice.

Revolution and music: women singing out in Sudan by Katarzyna Grabska and Azza Ahmed A. Aziz
With the attention to Sudanese women musicians actively participating in the current upraising in Sudan, this article reflects on the history of women’s involvement in music and how their performances have acquired political claims over time. Music has always occupied a significant role in the multiple cultural expressions of the Sudanese nation. In the current uprising, it created a space to enact resistance and  narratives of belonging. The post Revolution and music: women singing out in Sudan by Katarzyna Grabska and Azza Ahmed A. Aziz appeared first on The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice.

Creative Development | Sudan protests: artistic acts of citizenship by Azza Ahmed A. Aziz and Katarzyna Grabska
Although mainstream media have not engaged  much with the main political events in Khartoum and in Sudan, since December 2018, Sudan’s ‘revolution’ has been changing  local and diasporic dynamics of what ‘citizenship’ and belonging mean (see ISS research project). These acts of citizenship (see Isin and Nielsen 2008) have been most visibly associated with artistic creativity that spread across Sudan and in diaspora. The post Creative Development | Sudan protests: artistic acts of citizenship by Azza Ahmed A. Aziz and Katarzyna Grabska appeared first on The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice.