SGER: Protecting Children from War and Ensuring their Prospects for the Future: Educating in the Context of Crisis and Transition

许多非政府组织(NGO)信奉平等主义价值观。他们的人道主义助理的目的是既向有需要的人提供支助，又使这些人适应民间社会的价值观。然而，区分语言和实践是很重要的。这位助手真的起到了预期的效果吗？在经验上区分话语和行动(特别是这种行动的后果)因管理人道主义方案所固有的选择过程而变得更加困难。在以社区为基础的教育背景下尤其如此，因为选择参加某个项目的家庭和村庄很可能是那些已经同意国际非政府组织通常信奉的普遍平等主义价值观的家庭和村庄。本研究使用实验方法来估计这种项目的因果效应，避免了社区班级内生形成所造成的经验问题。这项研究涉及天主教救济服务处从2007年2月开始在阿富汗实施的人道主义教育计划。利用在早期重建背景下实施严格研究设计的不同寻常的机会，哥伦比亚大学的研究人员与总部设在美国的非政府组织天主教救济服务组织建立了合作伙伴关系，对符合条件的村庄实施随机分配学校和项目干预。作为该项目分阶段实施的一部分，将初步确定80-100个村庄有资格接受社区学校。这些村庄中的一半将被选为在2007年4月入学。这项研究调查了以社区为基础的教育计划是否能够影响目标社区中儿童、教师和社区成员的活动。这项研究还将提供有关人道主义援助计划在摆脱冲突国家的影响的实用信息。随机设计将使研究人员能够确定教育项目对学生福祉和生活机会的影响，并评估教育项目关键功能的影响。阿富汗的政策制定者以及其他地方的政府官员和参与非政府组织的政策制定者也可以使用这些信息。

A large number of NGO's (non-governmental organizations) espouse egalitarian values. The purpose of their humanitarian aide is to both provide support for people in need as well as attune those individuals to the values of civic society. However, it is essential to distinguish between language and practice. Is the aide actually having the desired impact? Empirically distinguishing between discourse and action (and especially the consequences of such action) is made more difficult by the selection process inherent in administering humanitarian programs. This is particularly true in the context of community based education because families and villages that choose to participate in a given program are likely to be those that already agree with the universal egalitarian values normally espoused by international NGO's.This study employs experimental methods to estimate the causal effects of such a program, avoiding the empirical problems created by the endogenous formation of the community classes. This study involves a humanitarian education program implemented by Catholic Relief Services in Afghanistan beginning in February 2007. Taking advantage of an unusual opportunity to implement a rigorous research design in an early reconstruction context, researchers at Columbia University have formed a partnership with the US-based nongovernmental organization, Catholic Relief Services to implement random assignment of schools and program interventions to eligible villages. As part of the phase-in of this project, 80-100 villages will be initially identified as eligible to receive a community-based school. Half of these villages will be selected to receive a school in April 2007. The study investigates whether community-based education programs can shape the activities of children, teachers, and community members in targeted communities.This study will also provide practical information on the effects of humanitarian aid programs in countries emerging from conflict. The randomized design will allow researchers to identify the effects of educational programs on students' well-being and life chances, and to evaluate the impact of key features of educational programs. This information can be used by policy makers in Afghanistan as well are government officials elsewhere and policymakers involved with NGO's.