Organizational Capacity Building for Sexual Health Promotion

We present an organizational capacity building program that is a systemic approach to training professionals, creating organizational policies and practices, and enhancing the physical environment with materials about sexual and reproductive health. The evaluation of four different organizations showed increases over six months in: staff reports of administrative support for providing materials and referrals to clients, as well as having sexual health conversations with clients; positive staff attitudes about, and preparedness for, providing sexual health information; and knowledge about sexual health. All were sustained at twelve months. Environmental enhancement with educational materials and condom distribution also increased.     

Vocational Education and Training for women and youth in Palestine: Poverty reduction and gender equality under occupation

This article explores the possibilities and limitations of attempts to improve economic and human development of marginalised groups Women and Youth, within the overall political and economic context of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt). This is carried through the particular cases of two successful models of Vocational Education and Training (VET) provided by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), both of which come from explicitly Christian traditions of thinking about social justice and the role of a holistic approach to VET placing human well-being at its heart. The article draws on human development approaches, from a rights based approach and a capability approach. This article draws attention to the challenges related to the overall economic and political context, and its limitations at overcoming marginalisation, reducing poverty and enhancing wellbeing. It illustrates the effect of the human development approach on expanding the effects of VET within such context, increasing labour force participation rates, employment and income generation of youth and women. It highlights the programmes’ efforts to enable marginalised youth to develop their capabilities in order to achieve their choices, illustrating that VET and the efforts of NGOs provide an important mechanism to respond to the overall challenge. Finally, the article draws attention to gender-related challenges and suggests employment-enabling policies.     

Called into crucible: Vocation and moral injury in U.S. public school teachers

This article reports some of the results of interviews with 120 Israeli Druze, 60 middle-aged adults and 60 young adults, regarding values, views of the Druze community, and personal identity. All participants expressed commitment to and love for traditional Druze values of familial respect, respect for others, modesty in dress and behavior, and commitment to Druze beliefs about one, all-powerful God and the reincarnation of Druze souls within the Druze community. Because the Druze religion is secret, open for study only to those Druze who live according to the letter of the religious law, most Druze today are not religious, defining themselves as traditional. Education in Druze values, mostly in the family, is the extent of their religious education. Most participants expressed a need for there to be some religious concessions made by the sheiks who set and enforce religious policy, in order that more people may pursue higher education and work outside the village and also study the inner secrets of their religion. Without this the Druze religion may be in danger. Connection is drawn between the Druze and other traditional religious societies.