Search results for: community based development

Authors: Verónica Muñoz-Rivero

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The historically marginalized indigenous communities in the Atacama Desert continue to experience and struggle curricular hegemony in a prevalent monocultural educational context that denies heritage, culture and epistemologies in a documented attempted knowledge negation by the educational policies, the national curriculum and educational culture. The ancestral indigenous community of Toconce demands a territorial-based intercultural education and a school in their ancestral land to prevent the progressive cultural loss as they reclaim their memory and identity negated. This case study makes use of the intercultural theoretical framework and open qualitative methodology to analyze local socio-educational reality integrating aspects related to the educational experience, education demands for future generations and importance given to formal education. The interlocutors: elders, parents, caretakers and former teachers raised the educational experience for the indigenous childhood as an intergenerational voice that experienced discrimination, exclusion and racism on their K-12 trajectories. By center, the indigenous epistemologies, geography and memory, this research proposes a project-based learning approach anchored to the Limpia de Canales ceremony to develop a situated territorial intercultural curriculum unpacking from the local epistemology and structure thinking. The work on terraces gives students the opportunity to co-create a real-life application with practical purpose and present the importance of reinforcing notions related to the relevance of a situated intercultural curriculum for social justice in the formative development of prospective teachers.

Keywords: cultural studies, decolonial education, epistemic symmetry, intercultural curriculum, multidimensional curriculum

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Authors: Nazia Khan

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The paper explores the cultural rights accommodation by the state which has left many unresolved problems. The cultural rights sometimes violate the basic individual rights of the members inside the community like women. The paper further explicates certain cultural norms and practices which violates the rights of women inside the community in the name of culture.

Keywords: women, culture, communities, rights, vulnerable, accomadation

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Authors: R. Bernaoui, P. Ohly

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Our research shows the use of the mobile phone that consolidates the relationship between veterinarians, and that between breeders and veterinarians. On the other hand it asserts that the tool in question is a means of economic development. The results of our survey reveal a positive return to the veterinary community, which shows that the mobile phone has become an effective means of sustainable development through the transfer of a rapid and punctual information inheritance via social networks; including many Internet applications. Our results show that almost all veterinarians use the mobile phone for interprofessional communication. We therefore believe that the use of the mobile phone by livestock operators has greatly improved the working conditions, just as the use of this tool contributes to a better management of the exploitation as long as it allows limit travel but also save time. These results show that we are witnessing a growth in the use of mobile telephony technologies that impact is as much in terms of sustainable development. Allowing access to information, especially technical information, the mobile phone, and Information and Communication of Technology (ICT) in general, give livestock sector players not only security, by limiting losses, but also an efficiency that allows them a better production and productivity.

Keywords: algeria, breeder-veterinarian, digital heritage, networking

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Authors: Baba Mbaye

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In collaborative filtering recommendation systems, a user receives suggested items based on the opinions and evaluations of a community of users. This type of recommendation system uses only the information (notes in numerical values) contained in a usage matrix as input data. This matrix can be constructed based on users' behaviors or by offering users to declare their opinions on the items they know. The cold start problem leads to very poor performance for new users. It is a phenomenon that occurs at the beginning of use, in the situation where the system lacks data to make recommendations. There are three types of cold start problems: cold start for a new item, a new system, and a new user. We are interested in this article at the cold start for a new user. When the system welcomes a new user, the profile exists but does not have enough data, and its communities with other users profiles are still unknown. This leads to recommendations not adapted to the profile of the new user. In this paper, we propose an approach that improves cold start by using the notions of similarity and semantic proximity between users profiles during cold start. We will use the cold-metadata available (metadata extracted from the new user's data) useful in positioning the new user within a community. The aim is to look for similarities and semantic proximities with the old and current user profiles of the system. Proximity is represented by close concepts considered to belong to the same group, while similarity groups together elements that appear similar. Similarity and proximity are two close but not similar concepts. This similarity leads us to the construction of similarity which is based on: a) the concepts (properties, terms, instances) independent of ontology structure and, b) the simultaneous representation of the two concepts (relations, presence of terms in a document, simultaneous presence of the authorities). We propose an ontology, OIVCSRS (Ontology of Improvement Visitor Cold Start in Recommender Systems), in order to structure the terms and concepts representing the meaning of an information field, whether by the metadata of a namespace, or the elements of a knowledge domain. This approach allows us to automatically attach the new user to a user community, partially compensate for the data that was not initially provided and ultimately to associate a better first profile with the cold start. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose an approach to improving cold start using semantic technologies.

Keywords: visitor cold start, recommender systems, collaborative filtering, semantic filtering

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Authors: Sofia Horjales, Florencia Palma

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Our society is currently experiencing a profound transformation, demanding a proactive response from governmental bodies and higher education institutions to empower the next generation as catalysts for change. Environmental sustainability is rooted in the critical need to maintain the equilibrium and integrity of natural ecosystems, ensuring the preservation of precious natural resources and biodiversity for the benefit of both present and future generations. It is an essential cornerstone of sustainable development, complementing social and economic sustainability. In this evolving landscape, active methodologies take a central role, aligning perfectly with the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and emerging as a pivotal element of teacher education. The emphasis on active learning methods has been driven by the urgent need to nurture sustainability and instill social responsibility in our future leaders. The Universidad Tecnológica of Uruguay (UTEC) is a public, technologically-oriented institution established in 2012. UTEC is dedicated to decentralization, expanding access to higher education throughout Uruguay, and promoting inclusive social development. Operating through Regional Technological Institutes (ITRs) and associated centers spread across the country, UTEC faces the challenge of remote student populations. To address this, UTEC utilizes e-learning for equal opportunities, self-regulated learning, and digital skills development, enhancing communication among students, teachers, and peers through virtual classrooms. The Interdisciplinary Continuing Education Program is part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department of UTEC. The main goal is to strengthen innovation skills through a transversal and multidisciplinary approach. Within this Program, we have developed a Case of Study and Project-Based Learning Virtual Course designed for university students and open to the broader UTEC community. The primary aim of this course is to establish a strong foundation for comprehending and addressing environmental sustainability issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Upon completing the course, we expect students not only to understand the intricate interactions between social and ecosystem environments but also to utilize their knowledge and innovation skills to develop projects that offer enhancements or solutions to real-world challenges. Our course design centers on innovative learning experiences, rooted in active methodologies. We explore the intersection of these methods with sustainability and social responsibility in the education of university students. A paramount focus lies in gathering student feedback, empowering them to autonomously generate ideas with guidance from instructors, and even defining their own project topics. This approach underscores that when students are genuinely engaged in subjects of their choice, they not only acquire the necessary knowledge and skills but also develop essential attributes like effective communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. These qualities will benefit them throughout their lifelong learning journey. We are convinced that education serves as the conduit to merge knowledge and cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration, igniting awareness and instigating action for environmental sustainability. While systemic changes are undoubtedly essential for society and the economy, we are making significant progress by shaping perspectives and sparking small, everyday actions within the UTEC community. This approach empowers our students to become engaged global citizens, actively contributing to the creation of a more sustainable future.

Keywords: active learning, environmental education, project-based learning, soft skills development

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Authors: Claire Baudry, Jessica Pearson, Laura-Emilie Savage, George Tarbulsy

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Introduction: Over the last decade, researchers have implemented attachment-based interventions to promote parental interactive sensitivity and child development among vulnerable families. In the context of the present study, these interventions have been shown to be effective to enhance cognitive development when child outcome was measured shortly after the intervention. Objectives: The goal of the study was to investigate the effects of an attachment-based intervention on child cognitive development one year post-intervention. Methods: Thirty-five mother-child dyads referred by Child Protective Services in the province of Québec, Canada, were included in this study: 21 dyads who received 6 to 8 intervention sessions and 14 dyads not exposed to the intervention and matched for the following variables: duration of child protective services, reason for involvement with child protection, age, sex and family status. Child cognitive development was measured using the WPPSI-IV, 12 months after the end of the intervention when the average age of children was 54 months old. Findings: An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the scores obtained on the WPPSI-IV for the two groups. In general, no differences were observed between the two groups. There was a significant difference on the fluid reasoning scale between children exposed to the intervention (M = 95,13, SD = 16,67) and children not exposed (M = 81, SD = 9,90). T (23) = -2,657; p= .014 (IC :-25.13;3.12). This difference was found only for children aged between 48 and 92 months old. Other results did not show any significant difference between the two groups (Global IQ or subscales). Conclusions: This first set of analyses suggest that relatively little effects of attachment-based intervention remain on the level of cognitive functioning 12-months post-intervention. It is possible that the significant findings concerning fluid reasoning may be pertinent in that fluid reasoning is linked to the capacity to analyse, to solve problems, and remember information, which may be important for promoting school readiness. As the study is completed and as more information is gained from other assessments of cognitive and socioemotional outcome, a clearer picture of the potential moderate-term impact of attachment-based intervention will emerge.

Keywords: attachment-based intervention, child development, child protective services, cognitive development

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Authors: Melanie Grier, Adam Murry

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Objective: Worldwide, Indigenous Peoples experience underemployment and poverty at disproportionately higher rates than non-Indigenous people, despite similar rates of employment seeking. Euro-colonial conquest and genocidal assimilation policies are implicated as perpetuating poverty, which research consistently links to health and wellbeing disparities. Many of the contributors to poverty, such as inadequate income and lack of access to medical care, can be directly or indirectly linked to underemployment. Calls have been made to prioritize Indigenous perspectives in Industrial-Organizational (I/O) psychology research, yet the literature on Indigenous employment remains scarce. What does exist is disciplinarily diverse, topically scattered, and lacking evidence of community-based participatory research (CBPR) practices, a research project approach which prioritizes community leadership, partnership, and betterment and reduces the potential for harm. Due to the harmful colonial legacy of extractive scientific inquiry "on" rather than "with" Indigenous groups, Indigenous leaders and research funding agencies advocate for academic researchers to adopt reparative research methodologies such as CBPR to be used when studying issues pertaining to Indigenous Peoples or individuals. However, the frequency and consistency of CBPR implementation within scholarly discourse are unknown. Therefore, this project’s goal is two-fold: (1) to understand what comprises CBPR in Indigenous research and (2) to determine if CBPR has been historically used in Indigenous employment research. Method: Using a systematic literature review process, sixteen articles about CBPR use with Indigenous groups were selected, and content was analyzed to identify key components comprising CBPR usage. An Indigenous CBPR components framework was constructed and subsequently utilized to analyze the Indigenous employment empirical literature. A similar systematic literature review process was followed to search for relevant empirical articles on Indigenous employment. A total of 120 articles were identified in six global regions: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America, the Pacific Islands, and Greenland/Norway. Each empirical study was procedurally examined and coded for criteria inclusion using content analysis directives. Results: Analysis revealed that, in total, CBPR elements were used 14% of the time in Indigenous employment research. Most studies (n=69; 58%) neglected to mention using any CBPR components, while just two studies discussed implementing all sixteen (2%). The most significant determinant of overall CBPR use was community member partnership (CP) in the research process. Studies from New Zealand were most likely to use CBPR components, followed by Canada, Australia, and America. While CBPR use did increase slowly over time, meaningful temporal trends were not found. Further, CBPR use did not directly correspond with the total number of topical articles published that year. Conclusions: Community-initiated and engaged research approaches must be better utilized in employment studies involving Indigenous Peoples. Future research efforts must be particularly attentive to community-driven objectives and research protocols, emphasizing specific areas of concern relevant to the field of I/O psychology, such as organizational support, recruitment, and selection.

Keywords: community-based participatory research, content analysis, employment, indigenous research, international, reconciliation, recruitment, reparative research, selection, systematic literature review

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Authors: Burova Anna

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The current reality, changes in the world system, and the accelerating process of internationalization of the economies of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa dictate new challenges and opportunities. As cultural identity comes to the fore, understanding and developing cross-cultural competencies for effective collaboration becomes essential. Today, we are experiencing both -the integration of the world's economies and cultural disintegration, as each country feels the need for its own cultural, political, and economic sovereignty. Global and effective economic ties are critically needed at this stage of our common historical development. The role of intercultural aspects and sociocultural characteristics of our partners and colleagues cannot be exaggerated. This article presents an analysis of the most common intercultural conflicts in the general corporate environment and current ways of preventing as well as resolving them. A comparative analysis of business communications has revealed certain features of interaction. Based on contextual “landmarks” and points of fundamental disagreement in the perception of verbal and non-verbal messages of representatives of different national cultures, practical conclusions were drawn, and specific recommendations were formed to overcome weaknesses and develop strengths to establish closer and more effective economic and business ties in the international community.

Keywords: cross-cultural business communications, management of cross-cultural teams, intercultural conflicts prevention, intercultural competencies development, management, cross-culture

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Authors: Aikaterini Tavoulari, Michael Proulx, Karin Petrini

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Objective: This study aims to explore the unique challenges faced by young individuals with vision impairment (VI) during key life transitions, utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to identify limitations and positive aspects of existing support systems, with a focus on accessibility and diversity. Design: The study employs a qualitative CBPR design, engaging young participants with VI through online and in-person working groups over six months, prioritizing their active involvement and diverse perspectives. Methods: Twenty-one young individuals with VI from across the UK and with different VI conditions were recruited to participate in the study via a climbing and virtual reality event and stakeholders’ support. Data collection methods included open discussions, forum exchanges, and qualitative questionnaires. The data were analyzed with NVivo using inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes and patterns related to the challenges and experiences of life transitions for this diverse population. Results: The analysis revealed barriers to accessibility, such as assumptions about what a person with VI can do, inaccessibility to material, noisy environments, and insufficient training with assistive technologies. Enablers included guidance from diverse professionals and peers, multisensory approaches (beyond tactile), and peer collaborations. This study underscores the need for developing accessible and tailored strategies together with these young people to address the specific needs of this diverse population during critical life transitions (e.g., to independent living, employment and higher education). Conclusion: Engaging and co-designing effective approaches and tools with young people with VI is key to tackling the specific accessibility barriers they encounter. These approaches should be targeted at different transitional periods of their life journey, promoting diversity and inclusion.

Keywords: vision impairement, life transitions, qualitative research, community-based participatory design, accessibility

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Authors: Daniel Gidey, Kunwar Siddarth Dadhwal

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By evaluating India's aid systems and ongoing development initiatives, this conference paper offers light on India's role as a source of developmental assistance in Africa. This research attempts to provide insights into the developing landscape of foreign aid and development cooperation by focusing on understanding India's motivations and strategy. In recent years, India's connection with Africa has grown significantly, driven by economic, political, and strategic reasons. This conference paper covers India's many forms of aid, including financial, capacity building efforts, technical assistance, and infrastructure development projects, via a thorough investigation. The article seeks to establish India's priorities and highlight the possible impacts of its development assistance in Africa by examining the industries and locations of concentration. Using secondary data sources, the investigation delves into the underlying goals of India's aid policy in Africa. It investigates whether India's development assistance is consistent with its broader geopolitical aims, such as access to resources, competing with regional rivals, or strengthening diplomatic ties. Furthermore, the article investigates how India's aid policy combines the ideals of South-South cooperation and mutual development, as well as the ramifications for recipient countries. Furthermore, the paper assesses the efficacy and sustainability of India's aid operations in Africa. It takes into account the elements that influence their success, the problems they face, and the amount to which they contribute to local development goals, community empowerment, and poverty alleviation. The study also focuses on the accountability systems, transparency, and knowledge transfer aspects of India's development assistance. By providing a detailed examination of India's aid endeavors in Africa, the paper adds to the current literature on international development cooperation. By offering fresh insights into the motives, strategies, and impacts of India's assistance programs, it seeks to enhance understanding of the emerging patterns in South-South cooperation and the complex dynamics of contemporary international aid architecture.

Keywords: India, Africa, developmental assistance, aid projects and South-South cooperation

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Authors: Bryana Woodard, Monica Mitchell, Kasey Harry, Ebony Washington, Megan Harris, Marcia Boyd, Regina Lynch, Daphene Baines, Surbi Bankar

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Introduction: African Americans experience mental health illnesses (i.e., depression, anxiety, etc.) at higher rates than their white counterparts. Despite this, they utilize mental health resources less and have lower mental health literacy, perhaps due to cultural barriers- including but not limited to mistrust. Research acknowledges African Americans’ close ties to community networks, identifying these linkages as key to establishing comfort and trust. Similarly, the church has historically been a space that creates unity and community among African Americans. Studies show that longstanding academic-community partnerships with organizations, such as churches and faith-based entities, have the capability to effectively address health and mental health barriers and needs in African Americans. The importance of implementing faith-based approaches is supported in the literature, however few empirical studies exist. This project describes the First Ladies for Health and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) Partnership (FLFH-CCHMC Partnership) and the implementation and assessment of an annual Mental Health Symposium, the overall aim of which was to increase mental health awareness and decrease stigma in African American communities. Methods: The specific goals of the FLFH Mental Health Symposium were to (1) Collaborate with trusted partners to build trust with community participants; (2) Increase mental health literacy and decrease mental health stigma; (3) Understand the barriers to improving mental health and improving trust; (4) Assess the short-term outcomes two months following the symposium. Data were collected through post-event and follow-up surveys using a mixed methods approach. Results: More than 100 participants attended each year with over 350 total participants over three years. 98.7% of participants were African American, 86.67% female, 11.6% male, and 11.6% LGBTQ+/non-binary; 10.5% of participants were teens, with the remainder aged 20 to 80 plus. The event was successful in achieving its goals: (1a) Eleven different speakers from 8 community and church organizations presented; (1b) 93% of participants rated the overall symposium as very good or excellent (2a) Mental health literacy significantly increased each year with over 90% of participants reporting improvement in their “understanding” and “awareness of mental health (2b) Participants 'personal stigma surrounding mental health illness decreased each year with 92.3% of participants reporting changes in their “willingness to talk about and share” mental health challenges; (3) Barriers to mental health care were identified and included social stigma, lack of trust, and the cost of care. Data were used to develop priorities and an action plan for the FLFH-CCHMC Mental Health Partnership; (4) Follow-up data showed that participants sustained benefits of the FLFH Symposium and took actionable steps (e.g., meditation, referrals, etc.). Additional quantitative and qualitative data will be shared. Conclusions: Lower rates of mental health literacy and higher rates of stigma among participants in this initiative demonstrate the importance of mental health providers building trust and partnerships in communities. Working with faith-based entities provides an opportunity to mitigate and address mental health equity in African American communities.

Keywords: community psychology, faith-based, african-american, culturally competent care, mental health equity

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Authors: O. Nthoi-Molefe, V. Makwinja

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In the North West district of Botswana, Heritage tourism has the potential to offer tremendous economic and social opportunities for local communities in terms of supporting Tourism product development and entrepreneurship. This paper Identifies that Cultural Heritage Entrepreneur brings to the market goods and services, organizes and runs cultural heritage in a commercial or non-profit manner depending on characteristics of cultural resources identified. Data was collected through a series of focus group discussions that included sixteen village community members within the region. Data collected was transcribed and then further analyzed thematically to bring forward results to be analysed. Using Tsodilo Hills World Heritage Site as a case study, the researchers acknowledged that Cultural Heritage Entrepreneurs in that area should use a creative approach in order toidentify suitable solutions for financing different tourism activities starting with sponsored events, grant funds, donations, including the benefits of financial opportunities brough be foreign visitors and domestic tourists alike. The researchers also identified a need for specialized training for the identified entrepreneurs in order to maintain quality services of tourism products and sites (interpretation), information for tourists, visitation services, diversification, and upgrading of the heritage experience. The research reveals that the identified Cultural Heritage Entrepreneurs prefer economic motivation, exploitation over the cultural value of their resources, further calling for recommendations of the research that emphasize on the need for detailed training on how to valorize their cultural resources for the growth of Tourism in the area.

Keywords: education, community development, entrepreneurship, cultural tourism

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Authors: Wan You Ning

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Addressing the rising prevalence of mental health issues among youths, the Multi-dimensional Approach to Resilience and Support in Advanced School-based Mental Health Service Delivery (MARS-ASMHSD) framework proposes the implementation of advanced mental health services in low-resource areas to further instil mental health resilience among students in a school-based setting. Recognizing the unsustainability of direct service delivery due to rapidly growing demands and costs, the MARS-ASMHSD framework endorses the deinstitutionalization of mental healthcare and explores a tiered, multi-dimensional approach in mental healthcare provision, establishing advanced school-based mental health service delivery. The framework is developed based on sustainable and credible evidence-based practices and modifications of existing mental health service deliveries in Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan. Dissemination of the framework model for implementation will enable a more progressive and advanced school-based mental health service delivery in low-resource areas. Through the evaluation of the mental health landscape and the role of stakeholders in the respective countries, the paper concludes with a multi-dimensional framework model for implementation in low-resource areas. A mixed-method independent research study is conducted to facilitate the framework's development.

Keywords: mental health, youths, school-based services, framework development

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Authors: Mapule Maema

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The paper aims to highlight the role that community activism has played in promoting social justice around housing issues in the Western Cape. The Western Cape is one of the largest spatially segregated provinces in South Africa which continues to exhibit grave inequalities between cities, townships and farms. These inequalities cut across intersectional issues such as, race, class, gender, and politics. The main challenges facing marginalized communities in the Western Cape include access to housing, land and basic services. This is not peculiar to only the Western Cape, the entire country is facing similar challenges however the Western Cape is seen as a fasted urbanizing province in the country due to tourism. Various social movements have been formed across the country to counter these challenges, however, this paper focuses on the resilience communities have fostered despite the myriad housing and spatial crisis they are faced with. The paper focuses on the Legal Resource’s Centre’s clients from an informal settlement called Imizamo Yethu based in Hout Bay Valley area. The 18 hectare settlement houses approximately 33600 people. On the 21st July 2017, Hout Bay experienced violent protests following an eviction order passed by the City of Cape Town. The protest was characterized by tensions within the community regarding the super-blocking initiative which aims to establish roads in informal settlements to ensure basic services. Residents against the process argued that there were no proper consultations done to educate them on what this process entailed. Public participation is one of the objectives the municipalities aim to promote however it remains a great challenge. In order to highlight the experiences of the LRC clients in relation to what motivated their involvement in the movement, how it felt their participation, and aspirations, the paper will employ qualitative research methods. Qualitative research methods enable the researcher to get a deeper and nuanced understanding of the social world in the eyes of those who experienced it. It is a flexible methodology that enables one to also understand social processes and the significance they generate. Data will be collected through the use of the World Cafe as a focus group method. The World Café is a simple, effective and flexible format for hosting group dialogue. The steps taken when setting up a World Café includes the following: setting the context (why you are bringing people together and what you want to achieve), create hospitality space (make participants feel at home and free to discuss issues), explore questions that matter, connect diverse perspectives (the opportunity to actively contribute your thinking), listen together for patterns and insights, share collective discoveries and learnings. Secondary data will be used to augment the data collected. Stories of impact will be drawn from the exercises. This paper will contribute to the discourse of sustainable housing and urban development and the research outputs will be disseminated to the public for learning.

Keywords: community activism, influence, social justice, development

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Authors: Eke Balla Sophie Michelle

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Forest provides a wide range of environmental goods and services among which, biodiversity or consumption goods and constitute public goods. Despite the importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in sustaining livelihood and poverty smoothening in rural communities, they are highly depleted and poorly conserved. Yokadouma is a town where NTFPs is a renewable resource in active exploitation. It has been found that such exploitation is done in the same conditions as other localities that have experienced a rapid depletion of their NTFPs in destination to cities across Cameroon, Central Africa, and overseas. Given these realities, it is necessary to access the consequences of this overexploitation through negative effects on both the population and the environment. Therefore, to enhance participatory conservation initiatives, this study determines the household’s willingness to pay in community forest (CF) of Morikouali-ye, eastern region of Cameroon, for sustainable exploitation of NTFPs using contingent valuation method (CVM) through two approaches, one parametric (Logit model) and the other non-parametric (estimator of the Turnbull lower bound). The results indicate that five species are the most collected in the study area: Irvingia gabonensis, the Ricinodendron heudelotii, Gnetum, the Jujube and bark, their sale contributes significantly to 41 % of total household income. The average willingness to pay through the Logit model and the Turnbull estimator is 6845.2861 FCFA and 4940 FCFA respectively per household per year with a social cost of degradation estimated at 3237820.3253 FCFA years. The probability to pay increases with income, gender, number of women in the household, age, the commercial activity of NTFPs and decreases with the concept of sustainable development.

Keywords: non timber forest product, contingent valuation method, willingness to pay, sustainable development

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Authors: Wang Zhenzhen, Wang Xu, Hong Liangping

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The construction of thematic commercial streets has been on the hotspot with the rapid development of cities. In order to improve the image and competitiveness of cities, many cities are building or rebuilding thematic commercial streets. However, many contradictions and problems have emerged during this process. Therefore, it is significant, for both the practice and the research, to analyse the development of thematic commercial streets and provide some useful suggestions. Through the deep research and comparative study of the eight typical thematic commercial streets in Harbin, this paper summarize the current situations, laws and influencing factors of the development of these streets, and then put forward some suggestions about the plan, constructions and developments of the thematic commercial streets.

Keywords: thematic commercial streets, laws of the development, influence factors, the constructions and developments, degrees of aggregation

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Authors: D. Hammad, D. P. Tonge

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disabling and common autoimmune disease during which the body's immune system attacks healthy tissues. This results in complicated and long-lasting actions being carried out by the immune system, which typically only occurs when the immune system encounters a foreign object. In the case of RA, the disease affects millions of people and causes joint inflammation, ultimately leading to the destruction of cartilage and bone. Interestingly, the disease mechanism still remains unclear. It is likely that RA occurs as a result of a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors including an imbalance in the microorganism population inside our body. The human microbiome or microbiota is an extensive community of microorganisms in and on the bodies of animals, which comprises bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Recently, the development of molecular techniques to characterize entire bacterial communities has renewed interest in the involvement of the microbiome in the development and progression of RA. We believe that an imbalance in some of the specific bacterial species in the gut, mouth and other sites may lead to atopobiosis; the translocation of these organisms into the blood, and that this may lead to changes in immune system status. The aim of this study was, therefore, to characterize the microbiome of RA serum samples in comparison to healthy control subjects using 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Serum samples were obtained from healthy control volunteers and from patients with RA both prior to, and following treatment. The bacterial community present in each sample was identified utilizing V4 region 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing. Bacterial identification, to the lowest taxonomic rank, was performed using a range of bioinformatics tools. Significantly, the proportions of the Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Halmonadaceae families were significantly increased in the serum of RA patients compared with healthy control serum. Furthermore, the abundance of Bacteroides and Lachnospiraceae nk4a136_group, Lachnospiraceae_UGC-001, RuminococcaceaeUCG-014, Rumnococcus-1, and Shewanella was also raised in the serum of RA patients relative to healthy control serum. These data support the notion of a blood microbiome and reveal RA-associated changes that may have significant implications for biomarker development and may present much-needed opportunities for novel therapeutic development.

Keywords: blood microbiome, gut and oral bacteria, Rheumatoid arthritis, 16S rRNA gene sequencing

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Authors: Pilly Kagosi, Cherestino Balama

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Beekeeping plays major role in improving biodiversity, increasing household income, and crop production through pollination. Tobacco farming is also the main source of household income for smallholder farmers. In Kigoma, production of Tobacco has increased and is perceived to threaten honey quality. The study explored the perception of the community on quality of honey in tobacco and non tobacco growing areas. The study was conducted in Kigoma Region, Tanzania. District and Villages were purposively sampled based on large numbers of people dealing with beekeeping activities and tobacco farming. Socioeconomic data were collected and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and content analysis. The perception of stakeholders on honey quality was analysed using Likert scale. Majority of the respondents agreed that tobacco farming greatly affects honey quality because honey from beehives near tobacco farms test bitter and sometimes irritating, which was associated with nicotine content and agrochemicals applied to tobacco crops. Though they cannot differentiate honey bitterness from agrochemicals and bee fodders. Furthermore, it was revealed that chemicals applied to tobacco and vegetables have negative effect on the bees and honey quality. Respondents believe that setting bee hives near tobacco farms might contaminate honey and therefore affect its quality. Beekeepers are not aware of the nicotine content from other bee fodders like miombo of which do not have any effect on human beings. Actually, tobacco farming does not affect beekeeping activities in issue of quality when farmers follow proper management of tobacco flowers and proper handling of honey. Though, big challenge in tobacco farming is chemically applied to the crops and harvest bee fodders for curing tobacco. The study recommends training to community on proper management of tobacco and proper handling of bee products.

Keywords: community, honey, perceptions, tobacco

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Authors: Hannah Rosenqvist, Fanny Guay

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Critical infrastructure protection has been an important topic for several years. Programmes such as the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP), Critical Infrastructure Warning Information Network (CIWIN) and the European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (ENR-CIP) have been the pillars to the work done since 2006. However, measuring critical infrastructure resilience has not been an easy task. This has to do with the fact that the concept of resilience has several definitions and is applied in different domains such as engineering and social sciences. Since June 2015, the EU project IMPROVER has been focusing on developing a methodology for implementing a combination of societal, organizational and technological resilience concepts, in the hope to increase critical infrastructure resilience. For this paper, we performed research on how to include societal resilience as a form of measurement of the context of critical infrastructure resilience. Because one of the main purposes of critical infrastructure (CI) is to deliver services to the society, we believe that societal resilience is an important factor that should be considered when assessing the overall CI resilience. We found that existing methods for CI resilience assessment focus mainly on technical aspects and therefore that is was necessary to develop a resilience model that take social factors into account. The model developed within the project IMPROVER aims to include the community’s expectations of infrastructure operators as well as information sharing with the public and planning processes. By considering such aspects, the IMPROVER framework not only helps operators to increase the resilience of their infrastructures on the technical or organizational side, but aims to strengthen community resilience as a whole. This will further be achieved by taking interdependencies between critical infrastructures into consideration. The knowledge gained during this project will enrich current European policies and practices for improved disaster risk management. The framework for societal resilience analysis is based on three dimensions for societal resilience; coping capacity, adaptive capacity and transformative capacity which are capacities that have been recognized throughout a widespread literature review in the field. A set of indicators have been defined that describe a community’s maturity within these resilience dimensions. Further, the indicators are categorized into six community assets that need to be accessible and utilized in such a way that they allow responding to changes and unforeseen circumstances. We conclude that the societal resilience model developed within the project IMPROVER can give a good indication of the level of societal resilience to critical infrastructure operators.

Keywords: community resilience, critical infrastructure protection, critical infrastructure resilience, societal resilience

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Authors: Ayesha Selwyn, Annapoorni Chandrashekar, Kumar Ashwarya, Nishant Baghel

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Project-based learning (PBL) activities are typically implemented in technology-enabled schools by highly trained teachers. In rural India, students have limited access to technology and quality education. Implementing typical PBL activities is challenging. This study details how Pratham Education Foundation’s Hybrid Learning model was used to implement two PBL activities related to music in 900 remote Indian villages with 46,000 students aged 10-14. The activities were completed by 69% of groups that submitted a total of 15,000 videos (completed projects). Pratham’s H-Learning model reaches 100,000 students aged 3-14 in 900 Indian villages. The community-driven model engages students in 20,000 self-organized groups outside of school. The students are guided by 6,000 youth volunteers and 100 facilitators. The students partake in learning activities across subjects with the support of community stakeholders and offline digital content on shared Android tablets. A training and implementation toolkit for PBL activities is designed by subject experts. This toolkit is essential in ensuring efficient implementation of activities as facilitators aren’t highly skilled and have limited access to training resources. The toolkit details the activity at three levels of student engagement - enrollment, participation, and completion. The subject experts train project leaders and facilitators who train youth volunteers. Volunteers need to be trained on how to execute the activity and guide students. The training is focused on building the volunteers’ capacity to enable students to solve problems, rather than developing the volunteers’ subject-related knowledge. This structure ensures that continuous intervention of subject matter experts isn’t required, and the onus of judging creativity skills is put on community members. 46,000 students in the H-Learning program were engaged in two PBL activities related to Music from April-June 2019. For one activity, students had to conduct a “musical survey” in their village by designing a survey and shooting and editing a video. This activity aimed to develop students’ information retrieval, data gathering, teamwork, communication, project management, and creativity skills. It also aimed to identify talent and document local folk music. The second activity, “Pratham Idol”, was a singing competition. Students participated in performing, producing, and editing videos. This activity aimed to develop students’ teamwork and creative skills and give students a creative outlet. Students showcased their completed projects at village fairs wherein a panel of community members evaluated the videos. The shortlisted videos from all villages were further evaluated by experts who identified students and adults to participate in advanced music workshops. The H-Learning framework enables students in low resource settings to engage in PBL and develop relevant skills by leveraging community support and using video creation as a tool. In rural India, students do not have access to high-quality education or infrastructure. Therefore designing activities that can be implemented by community members after limited training is essential. The subject experts have minimal intervention once the activity is initiated, which significantly reduces the cost of implementation and allows the activity to be implemented at a massive scale.

Keywords: community supported learning, project-based learning, self-organized learning, education technology

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Authors: Constâncio Augusto Machanguana

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The world over, resettling communities, for whatever purpose (mining, dams, forestry and wildlife management, roads, or facilitating services delivery), often leads to tensions between those resettled, the investors, and the local and national governments involved in the process. Causes include unclear government legislation and regulations, confusing Corporate Social Responsibility policies and guidelines, and other social-economic policies leading to unrealistic expectations among those being resettled, causing frustrations within the community, shifting them to any imminent conflict against the investors (company). The exploitation of heavy mineral sands along Mozambique’s long coastline and hinterland has not been providing a benefit for the affected communities. A case in point is the exploration, since 2018, of heavy sands in Chibuto District in the Southern Province of Gaza. A likely contributing factor is the standard type of socio-economic surveys and community involvement processes that could smooth the relationship among the parties. This research aims to investigate alternative processes to plan, initiate and guide resettlement processes in such a way that tensions and conflicts are avoided. Based on the process already finished, compared to similar cases along with the country, mixed methods to collect primary data were adopted: three focus groups of 125 people, representing 324 resettled householders; five semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders such as the local government, NGO’s and local leaders to understand their role in all stages of the process. The preliminary results show that the community has limited or no understanding of the potential impacts of these large-scale explorations, and the apparent harmony between the parties (community and company) may hide the dissatisfaction of those resettled. So, rather than focusing on negative mining impacts, the research contributes to science by identifying the best resettlement approach that can be replicated in other contexts along with the country in the actual context of the new discovery of mineral resources.

Keywords: conflict mitigation, resettlement, mining, Mozambique

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Authors: Libena Cernohorska, Jan Cernohorsky

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This article aims to evaluate the impact of loans provided within the Czech banking sector on the growth of the Czech economy. The article is based on research of current scientific findings in respect to bank loans and economic development. The paper is based on data taken from the Czech Statistical Office on the development of the gross domestic product and data from the Czech National Bank on the development of loans from the period 2004-2015. Links between selected variables are tested using Granger causality tests. The results calculated confirm the hypothesis of the impact of the loans on economic growth, with a six-month delay. The results thus correspond to the standard economic findings and results of most previous studies.

Keywords: bank, business cycle, economic growth, loans

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Authors: Hualter Barbosa, Bruno Bonifacio

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The process of globalization and new business has transformed the dynamics of software development. To meet the new demands, the software industry has adapted new methodologies that can shorten development cycles to ensure greater competitiveness. Given this scenario, Global Software Development (GSD) has become a strategic element for new products' success. However, the reliability, opportunity, and perceived value can be influenced substantially with the automation of steps in the development process activities. In this sense, the development of new technologies can help developers and managers to improve the quality of development. This paper presents a report on improving one of the release process activities of Sidia's mobile product area using software technology. The objective is to present the improvement of the CLCATCH tool developed based on experimental studies and qualitative analysis on the points of improvement for the release process in Android update projects for Samsung mobile devices. The results show improvement for the new version and approach of the tool, with points that can facilitate new features of the proposed technology.

Keywords: Android updated, empirical studies, GSD, process improvement

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Authors: Kwizera Mireille, Kharesh Ahmed Al-Khadher

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This paper explores the critical issue of girls' and women's right to education, exploring the challenges they face in accessing and benefiting from quality education. Gender disparities in education have persisted globally, hindering social progress and sustainable development. The fundamental importance of education in empowering individuals and promoting gender equality is acknowledged, making it imperative to address the disparities that hinder girls' and women's educational opportunities. The paper discusses various factors contributing to these disparities, including cultural norms(common in third-world countries), socio-economic constraints, and systemic biases. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly sources, empirical studies, and reports from international organizations, this paper highlights the broader societal benefits of educating girls and women, ranging from improved health outcomes to enhanced economic development and greater social and political participation. The paper further outlines strategies and initiatives aimed at overcoming these challenges. These include policy interventions, community-based programs, and international collaborations that work towards eliminating gender-based discrimination in educational settings. The paper emphasizes the significance of not only ensuring access but also fostering an inclusive and safe learning environment that encourages girls and women to thrive academically and personally. By analyzing successful case studies and best practices from around the world, the paper offers insights into effective approaches that can be adopted to enhance girls' and women's right to education globally. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of raising awareness of girl's and women's education. In conclusion, this paper underscores the urgency of prioritizing and protecting the educational rights of girls and women's right to education as a fundamental human right and catalyst for gender equality. It calls for a concerted effort from governments, NGOs, educational institutions, and society as a whole to create an equitable and empowering educational landscape that contributes to gender equality and sustainable development.

Keywords: empowerment, gender equality, inclusive education, right to education

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Authors: E. Xavier, B. Nandita

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Rohingyas are an ethnic and religious minority that resides in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. Post the military coup in 1962, Rohingyas have not been recognized as one of the ethnic tribes of Burma under the legislation. They have lost citizenship, education, health care rights, and instantly became illegal immigrants. While the historicization of this conflict is crucial, this paper wants to humanize the Rohingya population’s embodiment of violence on three different levels – individual, social, and political. In addition, the study focuses on their liminal existence in refugee camps in Bangladesh and in other parts of the world, such as Malaysia and the United States of America. A multi-medium study, it includes first-hand interviews with the Rohingya community in Wisconsin and Chicago, second-hand interviews from documentaries and past ethnographies from scholars to draw meaningful conclusions about their experience as a community. In the end, it focuses on the group of Rohingyas who have managed to resettle in another country and their transitioning experience. Rohingyas embody violence on their individual, social, and political bodies in different ways. Along with rape, murder, and physical harm, the community also encounters sexually transmitted infections, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and poor mental health. On a social level, they encounter heightened gender discrimination, work industry shifting, and immense, shared emotional pain. As for their political body, the news media and journalism industry uses their bodies for purposes that benefit both parties and flirts with a tone of sensationalism in their reporting. In addition, the Rohingya community fluctuates with the concept of nationality, patriotism, citizenship, and refugee when they think about the future. This study provides a framework that future aid or health programs can use to determine the type of community need and its significance in the Rohingya community.

Keywords: embodiment, liminal, refugee, Rohingya

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Authors: K. Y. Chen, Y. N. Jia, H. Chua, C. W. Kan

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As the largest developing country in the world, China is now facing the problem arising from the environment. Thus, China government increases the environmental investment yearly. In this study, we will analyse the effect of the public environmental investment on the sustainable development in China. Firstly, we will review the current situation of China's environmental issue. Secondly, we will collect the yearly environmental data as well as the information of public environmental investment. Finally, we will use the collected data to analyse and project the SWOT of public environmental investment in China. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to provide the relationship between public environmental investment and sustainable development in China. Based on the data collected, it was revealed that the public environmental investment had a positive impact on the sustainable development in China as well as the GDP growth. Acknowledgment: Authors would like to thank the financial support from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for this work.

Keywords: China, public environmental investment, sustainable development, analysis

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Authors: Russell Rosen

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American Sign Language (ASL) has been developed and used by signing deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals in the American Deaf community since early nineteenth century. In the last two decades, secondary schools in the US offered ASL for foreign language credit to secondary school learners. The learners who learn ASL as a foreign language are largely American native speakers of English. They not only learn ASL in US schools but also create spaces under certain interactional and social conditions in their home communities outside of classrooms and use ASL with each other instead of their native English. This phenomenon is a transmigration of language from a native social group to a non-native, non-kin social group. This study looks at the transmigration of ASL from signing Deaf community to the general speaking and hearing American society. Theoretical implications of this study are discussed.

Keywords: American Sign Language, Foreign Language, Language transmission, United States

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Authors: H. E. Amolo

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The concepts of pollution or contamination and purification or ritual cleansing are very important concepts among traditional Africans. This is because in relation to human behaviors and attitudes, they constitute on the one hand what could be referred to as moral demands and on the other, what results in the default of such demands. The many taboos which a man has to observe are not to be regarded as things mechanical which do not touch the heart, but that the avoidance is a sacred law respected by the community. In breaking it, you offend the divine power’. Researches have shown that, Africans tenaciously hold the belief that, moral values are based upon the recognition of the divine will and that sin in the community must be expelled if perfect peace is to be enjoyed. Sadly enough, these moral values are gradually eroding in contemporary times. Thus, this study proposal calls for a survey of the passage from an African cultural context; how it can enhance the understanding of the text, as well as how it can complement its scholarly interpretation with the view of institutionalizing the concept of holiness as a means of bringing the people closer to God, and also instilling ethical purity and righteousness.

Keywords: cultural practices, Igbo ideology, purification, rituals

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Authors: Nazia Jabeen, Denis Hyams-Ssekasi

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The study focuses on the determinants of food waste management (FWM) in one of the urban areas of Pakistan. One hundred and two households from the urban areas of Pakistan took part in the study via self-completed questionnaires, and data were analyzed. The research findings indicate that food waste management is a recurring issue, and households must do more to minimize or create business opportunities. Most households agree that food waste has significant implications for the community if not utilized and managed correctly. The value creation deriving from this zero-value resource provides a platform where householders see the benefit of food waste management. Based on the findings, this study acknowledges that food waste has significant economic and social impacts on the community. It concludes that minimization and optimum utilization of food waste create a pathway to business opportunities in urban areas.

Keywords: economic, social, food waste management, business opportunities, value creation

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Authors: Catherine Begin, Jeanne Berthod, Manon Truchon

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In Quebec, there are more than 8,000 community organizations throughout the province, representing more than 72,000 jobs. Working in a community setting involves several particularities (e.g., contact with the suffering of users, feelings of powerlessness, institutional pressure, unstable funding, etc.), which can put workers at risk of fatigue, burnout, and psychological distress. A 2007 study shows that 52% of community workers surveyed have a high psychological distress index. The Ricochet project, founded in 2019, is an initiative aimed at providing various care and services to community workers in the Quebec City region, with a global health approach. Within this program, mindful self-compassion training (MSC) is offered at a low cost. MSC is one of the effective strategies proposed in the literature to help prevent and reduce burnout. Self-compassion is the recognition that suffering, failure, and inadequacies are inherent in the human experience and that everyone, including oneself, deserves compassion. MSC training targets several behavioral, cognitive, and emotional learnings (e.g., motivating oneself with caring, better managing difficult emotions, promoting resilience, etc.). A mixed-method evaluation was conducted with the participants in order to explore the effects of the training on community workers in the Quebec City region. The participants were community workers (management or caregiver). 15 participants completed satisfaction and perceived impact surveys, and 30 participated in structured interviews. Quantitative results showed that participants were generally completely satisfied or satisfied with the training (94%) and perceived that the training allowed them to develop new strategies for dealing with stress (87%). Participants perceived effects on their mood (93%), their contact with others (80%), and their stress level (67%). Some of the barriers raised were scheduling constraints, length of training, and guilt about taking time for oneself. The qualitative results show that individuals experienced long-term benefits, as they were able to apply the tools they received during the training in their daily lives. Some barriers were noted, such as difficulty in getting away from work or problems with the employer, which prevented enrollment. Overall, the results of this evaluation support the use of MSC (mindful self-compassion) training among community workers. Future research could support this evaluation by using a rigorous design and developing innovative ways to overcome the barriers raised.

Keywords: mindful self-compassion, community workers, work stres, burnout, wellbeing at work

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