The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) includes 57 states across Europe a... more The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) includes 57 states across Europe and beyond, encompassing three continents: Europe, Asia, and North America. The OSCE is an interesting security organization because it is the world's largest organization, intending to work for stability, peace, and democracy for about 1 billion people. The OSCE is a recent international organization, developed during the "détente" in the early 1970s when the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) was created to provide a forum for "dialogue and negotiation between East and West" (OSCE History, 2022). The CSCE emerged from years of negotiation originating with the Helsinki process and was established on 1 August 1975 with the signing of the Helsinki Final Act. Over the years from 1975 to 1994, participating states met at summits and conferences to discuss their progress toward establishing the so-called "Decalogue," i.e., ten principles understood to guide the behavior of States at the end of the Cold War.
Polarization, Shifting Borders and Liquid Governance , 2024
Despite the general decline in territorial conquest and disputes over traditional land borders, 1... more Despite the general decline in territorial conquest and disputes over traditional land borders, 150 disputes world-wide continue to contribute to security instability. Given the scope and reach of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a security organization, this study aims to examine whether the patterns of border disputes in the OSCE region are significantly different from those in other regions and in what ways the OSCE patterns follow those in the rest of the world. With the help of the Borders in Globalization Dyads Database (BiG Dyads Database), the study shows that, while patterns of border disputes in the OSCE region follow those in the rest of the world, there is also regional specificity as most dyads are very young and many dyads still remain contested, which raises significant questions regarding the overall stability and governance in the OSCE region and the effectiveness and limitations of regional international organizations such as the OSCE.
This report examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and labrador and a... more This report examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and labrador and analyzes factors that can potentially enhance refugee integration and factors that can negatively impact their settlement experiences and retention in the province. The potential demographic and economic benefits of refugee settlement in the province cannot be realized if refugees come but then choose to leave.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is a vital part of integrating refugees who do not... more English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is a vital part of integrating refugees who do not speak the language into their new home in Newfoundland and Labrador. Given the importance of communicating in an official language in Canada, learning English is integral to finding a job, expanding social networks, and accessing social services. Yet, learning English can be a challenge for this diverse group which includes people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The Canadian government supports refugees through the one-year Refugee Assistance Program and within this timeframe, refugees are expected to learn English and be able to support themselves financially.
Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) represent an important resource for employers across Canada and ... more Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) represent an important resource for employers across Canada and particularly in rural areas, where labour supply is often unpredictable. This is true both for highly-skilled occupations in mining and extractive industries as well as low-skilled occupations in the service industry in small towns. The expansion and encouragement of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) by the federal government over the last 15 years has increased employers’ reliance on TFWs. Labrador reflects this trend, as the region has experienced a boom or bust cycle of economic activity and a subsequent rise in the number of TFWs employed in high and low skilled positions.
The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their init... more The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their initial destination. The insight into such factors could help develop policy measures to deal with potential out-migration, especially from the regions that view international migration as a solution to their demographic and economic difficulties. The study uses multinomial logistic regression to estimate the strength of association between migrants' intention to move and immigration category, human capital, economic and social factors. The data come from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia. The findings show that different groups of migrants have different propensities to move or stay in their initial destination. Employer-sponsored migrants are even less likely to intend to relocate than family class. Highly educated and skilled migrants tend to be more likely to express the intention to move or have doubts. Satisfactory employment has a positive impact on retention.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2019
This research note discusses opportunities and challenges of using online survey engines for soci... more This research note discusses opportunities and challenges of using online survey engines for social network analysis (SNA) data collection and assessing sample size and representativeness. The discussion is based on a case study of SNA data collection for a pilot research on health-relevant policy networks in Canada. Our approach demonstrates how to use generic online survey tools in long-term snowball sampling campaigns and how to compute population size estimates through capture–mark–recapture formulas, thus solving a significant methodological challenge of collecting snowball data for unbounded networks.
There have been calls for more diffused policy advisory systems where a plurality of actors, part... more There have been calls for more diffused policy advisory systems where a plurality of actors, particularly actors from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), engage with government in deliberating policy interventions to address collective problems. Previous research has found that government-based policy workers tend to have low levels of interaction with outside actors. However, very little is understood about the nature of these interactions. To shed light on this important relationship, a multi-regression structural equation model examines the nature of government-based policy work across three Canadian provinces. From an online survey of 603 Canadian provincial government policy workers, we develop six hypotheses that focus on the drivers of policy capacity and their degree of interaction with non-governmental organizations. The results revealed that increased interaction by the respondents with stakeholders was an important determinant for inviting stakeholders to policy discussions and led to increased perceptions of policy capacity. However, the ongoing trend of politicization in policy work had a dampening impact on overall policy capacity. More importantly, it appears that undertaking more evidence-based policy work did not lead to a greater policy capacity perception or interaction with stakeholder groups. The survey design and model development have the potential to be replicated in other jurisdictions.
Our study examines settlement experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labra... more Our study examines settlement experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and analyzes factors that influence refugee integration and retention in the province. Atlantic provinces tend to struggle more than the rest of Canada to attract and retain newcomers. Canada’s regionalized refugee resettlement program offers an opportunity for the Atlantic provinces to increase their immigrant population but this is hindered by the unwillingness of refugees to remain in their first destination. Our research found that while many respondents enjoyed living in St. John’s and had positive experiences with local people and service providers, they shared concerns about their employment prospects, which was a major factor in their consideration or intention of relocating.
While advanced economies attempt to pursue a regionalized immigration policy, which aims at shift... more While advanced economies attempt to pursue a regionalized immigration policy, which aims at shifting migration flows away from the most popular urban centre destinations to smaller communities, the experiences of immigrants settling in such locations remains underexplored. This research provides timely knowledge of refugee labour market integration in smaller communities, using Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial capital, St. John's, as an example of such communities. The article examines the resettlement and labour market integration of refugees in a medium‐sized city with particular attention to factors that enhance refugee labour market integration and factors that negatively impact refugee integration and their retention in the receiving community. The study finds that the negative perception of employment opportunities is a significant factor in refugee's decision to move. Securing employment of refugees is facilitated by strong English language skills, social connections and is hampered by discrimination in the labour market.
International Journal of Public Administration, 2018
The nature of policy work in nongovernment organizations (NGOs) is important consideration when u... more The nature of policy work in nongovernment organizations (NGOs) is important consideration when understanding policy co-construction. Based on the results from a Canadian web-based survey of policy workers across five fields across three provinces, a multi-regression structural equation model suggests how NGO policy work can contribute to a greater collaboration on key policy issues and greater policy interaction between societal organizations and government agencies. The frequency of formal and informal invitations by governments played an important role in terms of the overall levels of interaction and stakeholder input. Networking activity was found to be important when addressing consultative-related issues, but only with NGO networks or their clients. Involvement in the early stages of policy development by the NGO policy workers did not lead to greater engagement with government officials, which may be a potential problem when their advice is sought after.
The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their init... more The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their initial destination. The insight into such factors could help develop policy measures to deal with potential out-migration, especially from the regions that view international migration as a solution to their demographic and economic difficulties. The study uses multinomial logistic regression to estimate the strength of association between migrants' intention to move and immigration category, human capital, economic and social factors. The data come from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia. The findings show that different groups of migrants have different propensities to move or stay in their initial destination. Employer-sponsored migrants are even less likely to intend to relocate than family class. Highly educated and skilled migrants tend to be more likely to express the intention to move or have doubts. Satisfactory employment has a positive impact on retention.
Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2015
The study seeks to determine the extent to which economic integration factors, social integration... more The study seeks to determine the extent to which economic integration factors, social integration factors, human capital and area-level factors are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement experience in Canada. The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (Wave 1) and the 2001 Census Profiles are used for multilevel modelling. The study confirmed that factors from all broad groupings are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement. Skilled class and highly educated migrants report lower levels of satisfaction, highlighting the contradiction in the Canadian immigration system which targets these migrants at the selection stage but lacks mechanisms that could help unlock their potential at the settlement stage. The study also demonstrates that migrants who have an ethnically diverse circle of friends are more satisfied with their settlement. At the contextual level, immigrant concentration was negatively associated with satisfaction. These findings speak in favour of settlement policies encouraging integration of newcomers into the receiving society.
This article is based on select results taken from a survey of NGO and
provincial government poli... more This article is based on select results taken from a survey of NGO and provincial government policy workers. The purpose is to provide an empirically based assessment of how government and non-government policy workers engage with one another in the policy process. The data suggest that policy co-construction and co-production are a significant feature of the process but there is some need for nuance. The data presented here indicate that the extent of policy engagement may not be as broadly inclusive as the proponents of New Governance suggest.
This study examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and an... more This study examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and analyzes factors that can potentially enhance refugee integration and factors that can negatively impact their settlement experiences and retention in the province.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) includes 57 states across Europe a... more The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) includes 57 states across Europe and beyond, encompassing three continents: Europe, Asia, and North America. The OSCE is an interesting security organization because it is the world's largest organization, intending to work for stability, peace, and democracy for about 1 billion people. The OSCE is a recent international organization, developed during the "détente" in the early 1970s when the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) was created to provide a forum for "dialogue and negotiation between East and West" (OSCE History, 2022). The CSCE emerged from years of negotiation originating with the Helsinki process and was established on 1 August 1975 with the signing of the Helsinki Final Act. Over the years from 1975 to 1994, participating states met at summits and conferences to discuss their progress toward establishing the so-called "Decalogue," i.e., ten principles understood to guide the behavior of States at the end of the Cold War.
Polarization, Shifting Borders and Liquid Governance , 2024
Despite the general decline in territorial conquest and disputes over traditional land borders, 1... more Despite the general decline in territorial conquest and disputes over traditional land borders, 150 disputes world-wide continue to contribute to security instability. Given the scope and reach of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a security organization, this study aims to examine whether the patterns of border disputes in the OSCE region are significantly different from those in other regions and in what ways the OSCE patterns follow those in the rest of the world. With the help of the Borders in Globalization Dyads Database (BiG Dyads Database), the study shows that, while patterns of border disputes in the OSCE region follow those in the rest of the world, there is also regional specificity as most dyads are very young and many dyads still remain contested, which raises significant questions regarding the overall stability and governance in the OSCE region and the effectiveness and limitations of regional international organizations such as the OSCE.
This report examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and labrador and a... more This report examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and labrador and analyzes factors that can potentially enhance refugee integration and factors that can negatively impact their settlement experiences and retention in the province. The potential demographic and economic benefits of refugee settlement in the province cannot be realized if refugees come but then choose to leave.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is a vital part of integrating refugees who do not... more English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is a vital part of integrating refugees who do not speak the language into their new home in Newfoundland and Labrador. Given the importance of communicating in an official language in Canada, learning English is integral to finding a job, expanding social networks, and accessing social services. Yet, learning English can be a challenge for this diverse group which includes people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. The Canadian government supports refugees through the one-year Refugee Assistance Program and within this timeframe, refugees are expected to learn English and be able to support themselves financially.
Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) represent an important resource for employers across Canada and ... more Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) represent an important resource for employers across Canada and particularly in rural areas, where labour supply is often unpredictable. This is true both for highly-skilled occupations in mining and extractive industries as well as low-skilled occupations in the service industry in small towns. The expansion and encouragement of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) by the federal government over the last 15 years has increased employers’ reliance on TFWs. Labrador reflects this trend, as the region has experienced a boom or bust cycle of economic activity and a subsequent rise in the number of TFWs employed in high and low skilled positions.
The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their init... more The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their initial destination. The insight into such factors could help develop policy measures to deal with potential out-migration, especially from the regions that view international migration as a solution to their demographic and economic difficulties. The study uses multinomial logistic regression to estimate the strength of association between migrants' intention to move and immigration category, human capital, economic and social factors. The data come from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia. The findings show that different groups of migrants have different propensities to move or stay in their initial destination. Employer-sponsored migrants are even less likely to intend to relocate than family class. Highly educated and skilled migrants tend to be more likely to express the intention to move or have doubts. Satisfactory employment has a positive impact on retention.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2019
This research note discusses opportunities and challenges of using online survey engines for soci... more This research note discusses opportunities and challenges of using online survey engines for social network analysis (SNA) data collection and assessing sample size and representativeness. The discussion is based on a case study of SNA data collection for a pilot research on health-relevant policy networks in Canada. Our approach demonstrates how to use generic online survey tools in long-term snowball sampling campaigns and how to compute population size estimates through capture–mark–recapture formulas, thus solving a significant methodological challenge of collecting snowball data for unbounded networks.
There have been calls for more diffused policy advisory systems where a plurality of actors, part... more There have been calls for more diffused policy advisory systems where a plurality of actors, particularly actors from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), engage with government in deliberating policy interventions to address collective problems. Previous research has found that government-based policy workers tend to have low levels of interaction with outside actors. However, very little is understood about the nature of these interactions. To shed light on this important relationship, a multi-regression structural equation model examines the nature of government-based policy work across three Canadian provinces. From an online survey of 603 Canadian provincial government policy workers, we develop six hypotheses that focus on the drivers of policy capacity and their degree of interaction with non-governmental organizations. The results revealed that increased interaction by the respondents with stakeholders was an important determinant for inviting stakeholders to policy discussions and led to increased perceptions of policy capacity. However, the ongoing trend of politicization in policy work had a dampening impact on overall policy capacity. More importantly, it appears that undertaking more evidence-based policy work did not lead to a greater policy capacity perception or interaction with stakeholder groups. The survey design and model development have the potential to be replicated in other jurisdictions.
Our study examines settlement experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labra... more Our study examines settlement experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and analyzes factors that influence refugee integration and retention in the province. Atlantic provinces tend to struggle more than the rest of Canada to attract and retain newcomers. Canada’s regionalized refugee resettlement program offers an opportunity for the Atlantic provinces to increase their immigrant population but this is hindered by the unwillingness of refugees to remain in their first destination. Our research found that while many respondents enjoyed living in St. John’s and had positive experiences with local people and service providers, they shared concerns about their employment prospects, which was a major factor in their consideration or intention of relocating.
While advanced economies attempt to pursue a regionalized immigration policy, which aims at shift... more While advanced economies attempt to pursue a regionalized immigration policy, which aims at shifting migration flows away from the most popular urban centre destinations to smaller communities, the experiences of immigrants settling in such locations remains underexplored. This research provides timely knowledge of refugee labour market integration in smaller communities, using Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial capital, St. John's, as an example of such communities. The article examines the resettlement and labour market integration of refugees in a medium‐sized city with particular attention to factors that enhance refugee labour market integration and factors that negatively impact refugee integration and their retention in the receiving community. The study finds that the negative perception of employment opportunities is a significant factor in refugee's decision to move. Securing employment of refugees is facilitated by strong English language skills, social connections and is hampered by discrimination in the labour market.
International Journal of Public Administration, 2018
The nature of policy work in nongovernment organizations (NGOs) is important consideration when u... more The nature of policy work in nongovernment organizations (NGOs) is important consideration when understanding policy co-construction. Based on the results from a Canadian web-based survey of policy workers across five fields across three provinces, a multi-regression structural equation model suggests how NGO policy work can contribute to a greater collaboration on key policy issues and greater policy interaction between societal organizations and government agencies. The frequency of formal and informal invitations by governments played an important role in terms of the overall levels of interaction and stakeholder input. Networking activity was found to be important when addressing consultative-related issues, but only with NGO networks or their clients. Involvement in the early stages of policy development by the NGO policy workers did not lead to greater engagement with government officials, which may be a potential problem when their advice is sought after.
The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their init... more The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their initial destination. The insight into such factors could help develop policy measures to deal with potential out-migration, especially from the regions that view international migration as a solution to their demographic and economic difficulties. The study uses multinomial logistic regression to estimate the strength of association between migrants' intention to move and immigration category, human capital, economic and social factors. The data come from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia. The findings show that different groups of migrants have different propensities to move or stay in their initial destination. Employer-sponsored migrants are even less likely to intend to relocate than family class. Highly educated and skilled migrants tend to be more likely to express the intention to move or have doubts. Satisfactory employment has a positive impact on retention.
Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2015
The study seeks to determine the extent to which economic integration factors, social integration... more The study seeks to determine the extent to which economic integration factors, social integration factors, human capital and area-level factors are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement experience in Canada. The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (Wave 1) and the 2001 Census Profiles are used for multilevel modelling. The study confirmed that factors from all broad groupings are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement. Skilled class and highly educated migrants report lower levels of satisfaction, highlighting the contradiction in the Canadian immigration system which targets these migrants at the selection stage but lacks mechanisms that could help unlock their potential at the settlement stage. The study also demonstrates that migrants who have an ethnically diverse circle of friends are more satisfied with their settlement. At the contextual level, immigrant concentration was negatively associated with satisfaction. These findings speak in favour of settlement policies encouraging integration of newcomers into the receiving society.
This article is based on select results taken from a survey of NGO and
provincial government poli... more This article is based on select results taken from a survey of NGO and provincial government policy workers. The purpose is to provide an empirically based assessment of how government and non-government policy workers engage with one another in the policy process. The data suggest that policy co-construction and co-production are a significant feature of the process but there is some need for nuance. The data presented here indicate that the extent of policy engagement may not be as broadly inclusive as the proponents of New Governance suggest.
This study examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and an... more This study examines experiences of refugees that have settled in Newfoundland and Labrador and analyzes factors that can potentially enhance refugee integration and factors that can negatively impact their settlement experiences and retention in the province.
This report offers an analysis of municipal-level service provision in Labrador. Communities in L... more This report offers an analysis of municipal-level service provision in Labrador. Communities in Labrador face a number of significant constraints in terms of municipal public service delivery, including scarce and scattered population distributions that preclude economies of scale; great distances that make it hard for both service users and service providers to receive and offer services; a limited range and depth of services; a challenge to provide services for diverse populations such as the elderly and the youth; and extreme weather conditions. As the report notes, these conditions may contribute to and aggravate the high levels of net out-migration from many Labrador regions, which in turn adversely affects the funds available to meet community needs. This report reviews current municipal service provision issues, specifically those relating to water services, waste collection and disposal, fire and emergency services, road maintenance and snow clearing, and recreation, and offers policy recommendations that could benefit Labrador communities.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Vital Signs report is a comprehensive, reader-friendly look at how th... more Newfoundland and Labrador's Vital Signs report is a comprehensive, reader-friendly look at how the communities of the province are faring in key quality-of-life areas. The goal of the report is to provide critical information that can help community members set priorities and identify opportunities for action. Leading up to Canada’s 150th anniversary, the national Vital Signs reports produced by Community Foundations of Canada have focused on our sense of belonging. In light of this, NL’s 2017 Vital Signs explores the idea of “belonging” by asking how we fit into a place, how that place welcomes and includes us, and how we build community. In this edition we also explore how issues like financial security, safety, and mental health impact our sense of belonging, and how our neighbourhoods, heritage, and even the food we eat can support our ties to our communities. NL's Vital Signs is produced in partnership between the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Leslie Harris Centre for Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Vital Signs report is a comprehensive, reader-friendly look at how th... more Newfoundland and Labrador's Vital Signs report is a comprehensive, reader-friendly look at how the communities of the province are faring in key quality-of-life areas. The goal of the report is to provide critical information that can help community members set priorities and identify opportunities for action.
When we look at topics like the economy, health, and housing on a provincial level, we can miss some of the important ways those issues differ if you’re living in Cartwright instead of Corner Brook, Parson’s Pond instead of Paradise. NL's 2016 Vital Signs report considers the differences between the rural and urban communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.
NL's Vital Signs is produced in partnership between the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Leslie Harris Centre for Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University. The Vital Signs program is coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada.
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Papers by Halina Sapeha
provincial government policy workers. The purpose is to provide an empirically based assessment of how government and non-government policy workers engage with one another in the policy process. The data suggest that policy co-construction and co-production are a significant feature of the process but there is some need for nuance. The data presented here indicate that the extent of policy engagement may not be as broadly inclusive as the proponents of New Governance suggest.
Reports by Halina Sapeha
provincial government policy workers. The purpose is to provide an empirically based assessment of how government and non-government policy workers engage with one another in the policy process. The data suggest that policy co-construction and co-production are a significant feature of the process but there is some need for nuance. The data presented here indicate that the extent of policy engagement may not be as broadly inclusive as the proponents of New Governance suggest.
of Canada have focused on our sense of belonging. In light of this,
NL’s 2017 Vital Signs explores the idea of “belonging” by asking
how we fit into a place, how that place welcomes and includes us, and how we build community. In this edition we also explore how issues like financial security, safety, and mental health impact our sense of belonging, and how our neighbourhoods, heritage, and even the food we eat can support our ties to our communities. NL's Vital Signs is produced in partnership between the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Leslie Harris Centre for Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University.
When we look at topics like the economy, health, and housing on a provincial level, we can miss some of the important ways those issues differ if you’re living in Cartwright instead of Corner Brook, Parson’s Pond instead of Paradise. NL's 2016 Vital Signs report considers the differences between the rural and urban communities of Newfoundland and Labrador.
NL's Vital Signs is produced in partnership between the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Leslie Harris Centre for Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University. The Vital Signs program is coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada.