Healthy community-based organisations (CBOs) at the grassroots level are essential to civic engagement and the creation of social capital, and consequently are considered critical elements in building localised democracy (Maloney, Smith & Stoker 2000; Skocpol 2003; Weisinger & Salipante 2005). Nevertheless, such organisations, many of which provide critical services to their communities, are at...

Natural disasters, particularly hydro-meteorological (climate-related) disasters such as droughts, tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons and floods, have increased in prevalence and severity in recent decades. During these disasters, the most pressing relief needs are food, water, sanitation and shelter. While relief organizations are increasingly utilizing the power of social media for informational ...

Emerging research suggests that commercial, off-the-shelf video games have potential applications in preventive and therapeutic medicine. Despite these promising findings, systematic efforts to characterize and better understand this potential have not been undertaken. Serious academic study of the therapeutic potential of commercial video games faces several challenges, including a lack of sta...

The study explores learning processes and outcomes inside grassroots innovations that are emerging in post-Euromaidan times in Ukraine. The study analyses the assumption that this non-traditional education space can be adequate for sustainability transition learning and critical consciousness development. First, the study describes, connects, and operationalizes the concepts of critical conscio...

This article focuses on the role of community leadership in the development of grassroots innovations. It asks: When community leaders initiate energy projects, what types of skills and knowledge practices do they utilise to nurture grassroots innovations? Grassroots innovations are usually driven by social and sustainability motives, and developed by civil society groups. Based on a mixed meth...

Networking is currently recommended as particularly suitable for NGOs to improve performance and enhance impact. Since many NGOs are small and dispersed, networking is commonly seen as a coat-effective means to share information and spread knowledge about grassroots’ needs, solutions and best practices. Also, networking is believed to strengthen NGO’s ability to speak with one voice and to sign...

Bill J. Releford, DPM; Stanley K. Frencher, Jr., MD, MPH; Antronette K. Yancey, MD, MPH Promoting health and preventing illness among African American men, who die disproportionately from preventable diseases, is a challenging health disparity that has seen limited progress. However, focusing our efforts in places outside of traditional clinical and community settings such as the barbershop has...