Vol. 3 No. 1 (2022): (April 2022)

This issue has been available online since 30th April 2022 as part of the regular April 2022 edition. It features five articles authored by ten scholars from the United Kingdom, Zambia, Malaysia, and Indonesia—offering critical insights into foreign policy, rehabilitation, disaster recovery, and sustainable development across the Global South.

The issue opens with a study that reinterprets the domestic political drivers behind Zambia’s foreign policy, with particular attention to the role of ruling parties and presidential leadership (SDG 16, Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions; SDG 17, Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development). Another contribution examines correctional rehabilitation programmes in Nigerian prisons aimed at empowering inmates and facilitating reintegration (SDG 16, Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all; SDG 4, Target 4.4: Increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship).

Further articles explore emerging concerns surrounding the terrorism industry and data coloniality in Southeast Asia (SDG 16, Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime; SDG 17, Target 17.8: Enhance the use of enabling technology, particularly information and communications technology), and assess post-disaster financial governance strategies for enhancing community economic resilience in Majene, Indonesia (SDG 11, Target 11.5: Reduce the adverse effects of disasters; SDG 8, Target 8.1: Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances).

The issue concludes with an analysis of how village funds can be optimally utilised to promote sustainable rural development (SDG 1, Target 1.a: Ensure significant mobilisation of resources to end poverty; SDG 11, Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas), reinforcing the importance of local fiscal instruments for inclusive growth.

By addressing the intersections of governance, security, rehabilitation, and local development, this issue contributes to policy dialogues and academic debates on resilience, empowerment, and equity in the Global South.