Category Archives: Social Issues

Methodology as a Methodology

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

As exhausting as all-day meetings with stakeholders can be (with a bit of jetlag, multiple languages and instant coffee thrown into the mix), I am always fascinated by how individuals present themselves, what they are looking for, and how questions … Continue reading →

Posted in CIRDI, Countryside, Curios, Social Issues, Society and Culture | Tagged | Leave a comment

EITI in Mongolia at the Tipping Point

Posted on November 26, 2015 by mendee

The EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) is no longer a stranger in the Mongolian resource governance discourses as witnessed at the First National Forum and 5th National Corporate Social Responsibility Forum, both organized in November, 2015.  The debate now focuses … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, EITI, Mining, Mining Governance, Politics, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Concrete Information on Corruption Paints Depressing Picture

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

I have written about corruption in various contexts in the past, most recently comparing the context of anti-corruption movements in India and Mongolia. In that post, I wrote that, “Petty corruption, systemic corruption, as well as grand corruption appear to … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Governance, Ikh Khural 2016, Politics, Public Opinion, Social Issues | Tagged | 2 Comments

FOC Comes to Mongolia

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Julian Dierkes

Thanks to support from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, I was able to participate in the Freedom Online Coalition conference in Ulaanbaatar. Below, I want to highlight some of the discussions and presentations that were of particular relevance … Continue reading →

Posted in International Relations, Media and Press, Mongolia and ..., Protest, Social Change, Social Issues, Social Media | Tagged | 2 Comments

A Personal Wishlist for the Saikhanbileg Government

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Julian Dierkes

As we’re anticipating a cabinet to be formed under PM Saikhabileg and it now seems likely that a grand coalition (DP + MPP) or a super coalition (DP + MPP + Justice Coalition + CWGP) or some other configuration is … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Corruption, Democracy, Foreign Policy, Higher Education, Oyu Tolgoi, Party Politics, Politics, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Results from the Corruption Perception Index 2013

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

On Dec 3, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perception Index. Previous Posts Last year, I wrote two blog posts that specifically focused on the CPI score for Mongolia: http://blogs.ubc.ca/mongolia/2012/corruption-transparency-international/ http://blogs.ubc.ca/mongolia/2012/more-on-corruption-in-mongolia-according-to-transparency-international-further-comparisons/ Last weekend, I wrote a post that looked ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Governance, Media and Press, Policy, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Corruption in 2013

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

The imminent release of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (Dec 3) is as good an occasion to think/write about corruption in Mongolia as any. Of course, it is especially important in the context of the CPI to emphasize that this … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Governance, Media and Press, Politics, Public Service, Social Issues | Tagged | 1 Comment

Failed States Index

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

The Fund for Peace released its 2013 Failed States Index (FSI) earlier in July 2013 and I’ve included the ranking in our Mongolia Scorecard. Methodology The Failed States Index aims to identify ” pressures [that] are pushing a state towards the brink of … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Development, Governance, Inequality, Politics, Population, Security Apparatus, Social Issues, Social Movements | Leave a comment

Presidential Q&A

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

The general view in Ulaanbaatar was that Bat-Erdene was trailing Elbegdorj significantly in voter support in some part because of his lack of political experience, and profile and the fact that he doesn’t “look presidential”. This latter judgement is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Democratic Party, Education, Elections, Foreign Policy, Judiciary, Mining, Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, Party Politics, Presidential 2013, Security Apparatus, Social Issues | Tagged | 2 Comments

Book Chapter: Democracy and Risk

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

Democracy and Risk: Mongolians’ Perspective Paula Sabloff in J. Dierkes, ed. Change in Democratic Mongolia – Social Relations, Health, Mobile Pastoralism, and Mining Leiden: Brill. “Democracy and Risk” uses statistical analysis to suggest correlation between Mongolians’ evaluation of democracy and their concerns … Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Change in Democratic Mongolia, Democracy, Governance, Public Opinion, Research on Mongolia, Social Issues | Tagged | 1 Comment

Christianity in Mongolia since 1990

Posted on May 1, 2013 by D.Byambajav

Like mining, we witness a religious boom in Mongolia. Like many post-socialist countries where religion experienced state repression, Mongolia has seen the revival and diversity of religion since 1990. The expansion of Buddhism and Shamanism, Mongolian “traditional” religions, has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Byambajav Dalaibuyan, Religion, Research on Mongolia, Social Issues, Social Movements, Society and Culture, Ulaanbaatar | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mongolian Bling

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Julian Dierkes

On April 27, the Projecting Change Film Festival screened Mongolian Bling, an award-winning documentary about Mongolian hip hop. Benj Binks, the Australian director of the film, happens to be in town for a couple more days, so I’ve invited him … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Pop Culture, Social Issues, Society and Culture, Ulaanbaatar, Youth | Tagged | Leave a comment

Book: Change in Democratic Mongolia – Social Relations, Health, Mobile Pastoralism, and Mining

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Julian Dierkes

A new edited volume of social science research on contemporary Mongolia. Continue reading →

Posted in Book: Change in Democratic Mongolia, Canada, Civil Society, Corruption, Democracy, Development, Environment, Environment, Gender, Grassland, Health, Law, Mining, Mining, Nomadism, Oyu Tolgoi, Policy, Politics, Population, Regulation, Religion, Research on Mongolia, Social Issues, Social Movements, Society and Culture | Tagged | 3 Comments

Guest Post: Herders’ Protest in Umnigovi

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Julian Dierkes

Recently, some herders have been protesting unpaved mining roads in the Gobi Desert. Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Environmental Movements, Gobi, Protest, Sara Jackson, Social Issues, Social Movements | Tagged | 1 Comment

Guest Post: Voter Turn-Out

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Julian Dierkes

Brian White examines the extent to which migration may be having an impact on voter turnout in Mongolian elections. Continue reading →

Posted in Brian White, Democracy, Elections, Ikh Khural 2012, Party Politics, Politics, Social Issues | Tagged | 8 Comments