The master's thesis deals with the role civil society plays in the process of introducing more women into politics. Women are significantly underrepresented in the Czech politics. This situation can be changed by adopting measures to support women in politics. These measures must either be voluntarily adopted by political parties or regulated by law. In order for political parties to recognize the necessity of such measures, they must be pressured by the voters. That is why nongovernmental organizations' activity is needed, as they are able to push interests through and they can inform public as well as cooperate with other subjects in order to achieve their goals. An example of such an organization is the organization Fórum 50 %, whose activities are subject to an analysis in this thesis. The master's thesis is divided into four chapters. The first part of the thesis covers the civil society and interest representation in theory. The second chapter is concerned with the concept of women's political representation, presents statistics of the number of women in Czech politics, identifies the main barriers that prevent women from political participation and introduces the instruments that can help regulate the amount of women in politics. The third chapter depicts female-oriented nongovernmental organizations in the Czech Republic after 1989 and the women's movement development. The last chapter focuses on the analysis of activities of the organization Fórum 50 %.

My thesis titled "Microeconomic Impact of Structural Funds in the Nonprofit Sector" focuses on the analysis of the impact of EU funds on the capacities of Czech NGOs. I dealt with the situation of public benefit companies. I have measured the impact on capacity through economic indicators derived from financial statements of organizations which are the total revenues, total staff costs, profit and total debt. Results of the analysis has been achieved by comparison of supported and unsupported organizations for the period 2006-2011 using selected methods of counterfactual impact evaluation as the difference-in-difference method and matching method. Using these methods I have been able to find a positive effect of EU Structural funds on the capacities of Czech non-profit organizations.

The purpose of this study was to identify the role of nongovernmental organizations in Nicaragua and their impact on the status of women. The study analyzed the status of women at the beginning of the revolution, starting in 1980. The study then examined the evolution of non-governmental organizations deriving from the original group named the Luisa Amanda Espinosa Association of Nicaraguan Women (AMNLAE). It then described the impact of non-governmental organizations on policy making and building civic societies. Ultimately, this study analyzed the status of women thirty years after the revolution and demonstrates through institutionalism that because of the effect of non-governmental organizations on society, the status of women has improved. It then concluded that nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations are necessary for building civic societies wherein gender equality is accepted.

O objetivo desta tese é analisar como e por que a normatividade do sistema interamericano de direitos humanos sobre o tema da justiça de transição pôde exercer impacto sobre questões de direitos humanos no Brasil, Colômbia, México e Peru. Partindo da abordagem emergente na literatura de que os efeitos dos regimes internacionais de direitos humanos são condicionados por fatores domésticos dos países aos quais se dirigem suas normas e pressões, a pesquisa buscou delinear como a política doméstica influencia e medeia o impacto potencial dessas normas internacionais que compõem a cascata de justiça, salientando o papel de organizações não governamentais (ONGs) de direitos humanos e da cúpula do Judiciário local, já que tais atores são centrais tanto para o processo de justiça de transição quanto para a ativação e aplicação da normatividade do sistema interamericano. Nesse sentido, a partir de um desenho de pesquisa qualitativo que se baseou na realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores da sociedade civil e magistrados envolvidos com a temática, além da consulta a fontes secundárias e sentenças judiciais, testamos a hipótese segundo a qual o sistema interamericano adquirirá aderência doméstica se e quando esses atores forem capazes de entendê-lo e instrumentalizá-lo como um mecanismo efetivo para o seu empoderamento. Assim, contrariamente à maioria dos estudos que privilegiam a ação do Executivo para explicar o impacto de normas e pressões internacionais de direitos humanos, nossas conclusões apontam para a necessidade de que as agendas de pesquisa sobre o regime internacional de direitos humanos e justiça de transição atentem mais para o papel e perfil dos atores judiciais e organizações litigantes de direitos humanos, pois os avanços em termos de direitos humanos passam muitas vezes pela mobilização de uma normatividade internacional que não pode ser entendida de maneira divorciada da agência de ONGs e magistrados. / The aim of this dissertation is to analyze how and why the norms of the Inter-American Human Rights System on transitional justice exerted an impact on human rights issues in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Based on the emerging theoretical approach according to which the effects of international human rights regimes are conditioned by domestic factors of the target-countries, our research seeks to unravel how domestic politics influences and mediates the potential impact of these international norms that comprise the justice cascade, highlighting the role of human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the local higher courts, since these actors are central both to the process of transitional justice and for the activation and enforcement of the Inter-American systems rules. In this sense, a qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews with civil society actors and judges involved with the theme was adopted, in addition to the consultation of secondary sources and courts rulings. Then, from the analysis of this material, we tested the hypothesis that the Inter-American system will have a domestic impact if and when NGOs and local judges are able to understand and use it as an effective mechanism for their own \"empowerment\". Therefore, contrary to most studies that focus on Executives actions to explain the impact of international human rights norms, our conclusions urge the research agendas on the human rights international regime and transitional justice to pay more attention to the role and profile of judicial actors and domestic litigants, since human rights advacements are anchored on the mobilization of international norms that cannot be understood separately from the agency of NGOs and magistrates

This work discusses the role of non-government non-profit organisations in implementation of the integration policy in relation to migrants within the territory of the Capital City of Prague. The integration policy means both the integration policy of the Czech Republic and also the actual integration policy of the Capital City of Prague expressed in the Prague integration concept. The purpose of this work is to find out what role non-government non-profit organisations play during the process of implementation of this policy, their standing among other parties involved in the integration policy, and it also primarily focuses on the phenomenon of the implementation deficit arising during implementation of policies. The theoretical section describes Czech migration and integration policies, the Prague integration policy and the theoretical starting points on which this work is based. The work is based on data acquired directly from interviews with selected representatives of non-profit organisations and also on secondary sources about formation and realisation of integration policies. The work is created in the form of a case study and initially investigates which suitable model can be used to describe the process of implementation of integration policies by means of non-government non-profit...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is one of many nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that work to defend press freedom and the safety of journalists in Latin America. Based on qualitative interviews with employees at the CPJ, open surveys with journalists who have been helped by the CPJ, historical archive research, and informal participant observation, this study shows that organized domestic and international nongovernmental groups can and do make improvements on behalf of journalists and press freedom in Latin America. The CPJ's activities raise issues and place them on the agenda, and they influence discourse, policy, institutional procedures, and state behavior. Effectiveness at these levels is conditioned upon the involvement of local press groups, target audiences, the issues addressed, the credibility and authority of the CPJ, and the organization's connections within the worldwide press freedom network. This case study helps fill a significant gap in the research on transnational advocacy and its influence, and provides a foundation upon which to further explore the roles of advocacy networks in the international community.

This dissertation examines the impacts of the tsunami of 2004 on economic development priorities in Nagapattinam, South India. By focusing on the manner in which the disaster was cast as an opportunity by the state and multilateral agencies, the unprecedented scale and ambiguous character of involvement by NGOs in reconstruction, and the distinction drawn between economic development and humanitarian aid in the constitution of a reconstruction agenda predicated on the relocation of artisanal fisher communities from the coast, this study demonstrates how post-disaster outcomes are increasingly being shaped by priorities tied to neoliberal globalization. At the same time the processes that unfold are also characterized by significant complexities particularly on account of efforts by affected populations to deploy various strategies to defend their interests, and substantive differences in the approach of NGOs. / text

The thesis deals with the provision of social services on the example of the integration of foreigners in the Czech Republic. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the role played by nongovernmental organizations in providing social services in the integration of foreigners and the problems they face. The theoretical part of the work focuses on the characteristics of social services, their legislative basis and the area for financing social services. The thesis then examines the development of migration policy in the Czech Republic, the concept of state in the integration of foreigners and the role of different actors of social integration of foreigners. Analytical part examines the role of nongovernmental organizations that provide services for foreigners in their integration into society. Analysis was performed on the example of the Centre for Integration of Foreigners in Prague. On the basis of the findings was defined the role of nongovernmental organizations and the problems associated with providing services in the integration of foreigners.

This Master's thesis focuses on the possibilities of a global civil society to reduce the negative consequences of economic globalization. In the opening general part, special attention is given to problems caused by corporate strategies in production in developing countries. The current official mechanisms of corporate accountability are also discussed and considered as insufficient. Some new tendencies to promote the corporate social and environmental responsibility have emerged in recent decades. The agencies of a global civil society have been playing a very important role in these processes. The formation of a global civil society, its ambitions and risks are also studied in the general part of the thesis. The global civil society roles and possibilities of influencing the globalization processes are discussed also from the perspective of relevant theoretical concepts in the theoretical part. The empirical part of the thesis is based on a qualitative analysis of the campaign Business and Human Rights carried out by Czech global civil society organizations. The objective of this campaign is to prevent the corporations from human rights violation. Within the empirical research, the different spatial relations among the global civil society participants are studied, along with the evaluation of the...

This paper uses the current organizational ecology theory to clearly define organizational population ecology constructs of non-governmental development organizations, and offers specific terminology and understanding of main organizational forms and relational dynamics that define the population ecology of these organizations. The paper examines closely the significance of such interaction and interdependence through transactional relationship of obtaining and distributing of resources and forces of competition. Original organizational theory frameworks are offered for future NGDO organizational research.