International Society for the Systems Sciences: Journals ISSS
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The potential of eco-facturing to re-generate rural-urban balance through eco-villages and city hubs: promoting social and environmental justice through vocational education and training hubs
No full textThe paper proposes an alternative cyclical economy based on eco-villages supporting urban hubs to re-generate rural-urban balance based on eco-facturing, to use Gunter Pauli’s concept. Africa and Asia are two of the fastest urbanising areas globally.The development of eco-villages supporting the ‘one village many enterprises’ concept currently applied in Indonesia relies on responsive design.The development of eco-facturing using local products such as cassava for bioplastics, bamboo for biochar and fair trade, free range luwark coffee are discussed as three examples of ecofacturing that are currently being developed in Indonesia. The potential for eco-facturing to be applied in Southern Africa and Ghana is currently being explored using bamboo and cassava in appropriate areas and exploring a suitable cash crop. Coffee is one option, but many others such as red bush tea, aloes as well as a host of local herbs could be explored with Indigenous holders of wisdom. Some core design principles are suggested outlined by Christakis and members of Global Agoras community of practice and affiliates. Salience, trust and engagement to protect living systems and the people who are affected need to be involved in the decision-making processThese principles are discussed in the paper together with the importance of ‘being the change’ through expanding pragmatism to consider the social, economic and environmental implications of choices. Systemic Ethical decisions honour ‘freedom and diversity’ to the extent that freedom and diversity are not undermined by power imbalances. The paper reflects on the content of two forthcoming volumes, namely:Mixed Methods and Cross Disciplinary Research: Towards Cultivating Ecosystemic Living. Springer, New York.Democracy and Governance for Resourcing the Commons: Theory and Practice on Rural-Urban Balance. Springer, New York. The policy approach could be said to be informed by the principle of subsidiarity and Ashby’s rule , namely that policy decisions need to be made at the lowest level possible and the complexity of design decisions need to match the complexity of the local residents. The papers in the two volumes make the case for residents to act as caretakers for local living systems. The paper maps out design principles and makes the case that all living systems are in constant motion and design needs to respond in ways that generate energy, rather than extracting energy at the expense of this generation and the next.Profit is nothing less than energy extracted at the expense of people and the planet. Alternative forms of organisation are possible to support ‘wellbeing stocks’ to cite Joseph Stiglitz
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA ARRAY WITH LMS ADAPTIVE ALGORITHM FOR 2.4 GHZ WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
No full textThe design and simulation of microstrip patch antenna array with Least Mean Square (LMS) adaptive algorithm is presented. The antenna design is oriented for 2.4 GHz wireless communication system. LMS is a gradient based algorithm that was studied recently to adaptively track incident signals from satellites and its application on wireless communication systems. This adaptive technique is based on minimization of mean-square error of the LMS algorithm. The calculated variable weights are introduced in order to automatically steer the main beam to a desired direction and reject interfering signals from specific directions. The LMS algorithm is used to obtain the corresponding weights for the element planar microstrip array designed for the operation frequency of 2.4 GHz. The desired signal direction is set to 30° with an interfering signal at -20°, both on H-Plane radiation
From Systems to Patterns: Toward curated web-networks of shareable knowledge in the age of clickbait and fake news
No full textOne of the most urgent issues today is the need — too often unmet — to develop and apply useful shareable knowledge to work effectively to meet our growing challenges. This issue is especially urgent in light of the rise of social media, information “bubbles”, clickbait, and other disturbing trends on the World Wide Web. Yet Wikipedia and related resources offer intriguing counter-examples. They begin to show ways that knowledge can be gathered, curated and shared effectively within a larger community, in much the same way that scientific knowledge is curated through an open-source process of peer review. Wiki was actually a direct outgrowth of the work of the architect Christopher Alexander, who developed “pattern languages” to capture actionable knowledge in relational, flexible, language-like forms. This talk will explore the close relationship between systems science and pattern languages, and the remarkably fruitful output that is now converging in interesting and hopeful ways. The presenter is a long-time colleague of Alexander, and a scholar on his work and its implications.
A VIABLE SYSTEM MODEL FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC GROWTH
No full textIn this paper we present a Viable System Model (VSM) approach in the field of economics with the purpose of bettering the understanding of this macroeconomic phenomenon. This paper contributes with the design of an VSM in economic science. Economic growth has been modelled to test main inputs that explain it, and to understand its behaviour. Most countries seek to increase economic growth because other economic variables improve, for example, the number of jobs increases, wages increase, or poverty decreases. The investigation first reviews the state-of-the-art, secondly it explains the methodology and the process followed, and finally it presents results. An alternative model to manage and understand economic growth is obtained. The results contribute to the economic growth theory
System Risk visualization and mitigation methodology and its application to ICT system failures
No full textA method is presented for mitigating system failures. Current state-of-the-art methodologies and frameworks have strength as a common language to understand system failures holistically with various stakeholders. On the other hand there is a shortcoming in quantitative aspects. This is major obstacle to assess effectiveness of various measures to mitigate system risk. In order to overcome this shortcoming, this paper express system risk numerically through a coupling and an interaction factors between system configuration elements as well as system failures frequency rate, this three numerical number (i.e. coupling, interaction and frequency) create three dimensional space, and measuring its trajectory through time visualize system risk trends which are the targets to create an effective preventative measures to system failures. A root cause of a system failure is discovered by using a System Dynamics technique to a trajectory of a system risk location, then based upon the root cause, the effective counter measures are extracted. Lastly this methodology is applied to the system failures cases with various ICT systems and counter measures are extracted. An application example of ICT system failures exhibits the effectiveness of this methodology.
Sustainability Sublime: A networked approach
No full textSeveral major cities in the world will face major issues, such as a shortage of clean water, due to unsustainable development, poor planning and political decision making. As a society supporting the United Nation’s sustainable development goals we need to act to promote both environmental and societal sustainability that can help to address these crises. However, we cannot do this alone due to our limited capacity and resources. We need to work with like-minded societies who are also supporting the UN’s SDG’s. But working together as a network is not easy even if we have good intentions. To do this effectively we need to find a way to govern the activities of the network to work towards a common goal. Work being done in network governance by organizational and project management scholars can guide us to manage a network-based approach to sustainable development. This plenary will discuss some of these issues and then introduce the theme proposed for the 64th ISSS meeting. If we start collaborating with other organizations now with an aim to achieve some progress by the time we meet in 2020 we can carry this forward to contribute meaningfully to the society we live in.
Progressing Towards Developed Country Status: The Sustainability of Ghana’s Cocoa Supply Chain in Focus
No full textThere is mixed feeling and mixed reaction from various quarters in recent times towards the perception that Ghana is progressively crawling into a developed country status. Generally, one would expect the change in status to rain in foreign companies to build factories and to provide essential services commensurate with economic growth and development. However, industrialisation (particularly of an unplanned economy) could aggravate rural-urban migration, urban congestion, and inevitably escalate disputes relative to labour, society, and environment. We anticipate that the agriculture sector in general, and the cocoa supply chain in particular would be the most hit by the change to a developed country status. Already in recent times, the cocoa industry is threatened with farm abandonment, migration, crop replacement perhaps due to the perceived unsustainability of the cocoa industry, and land capture by mining concessionaires. This research proposes the use of complex interdependent, multidisciplinary investigative approach, or decision-making tools to investigate how downstream chain partners (manufacturers - local, foreign, and multinational companies) could work with their upstream members (suppliers and farmers) to achieve sustainability in the cocoa supply chain. Thus a longitudinal study is proposed as we adopt an embedded case study approach by employing a combination of research designs (interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, and ethnography research). Data will be sourced from both the upstream and downstream key cocoa industry players and stakeholders, including: the Cocoa Board, Produce Buying Companies, Farmers, Research Institutes, Extension Officers, Port Operators, Cocoa product Haulage Companies, Cocoa Product Manufacturing Companies and any others. A preliminary result suggests that cocoa yield and the health of its supply chain could grow weaker in the years to come, even though government records shows increase in yield by tonnage in recent years. Cocoa farming appears to becoming a disincentive to farmers. The farmers feel excluded from decisions that bothered on their own welfare and do not get a fair-share from their toil. Our findings could therefore awaken the various stakeholders and thus result in designing pragmatic policies that will improve lives of the upstream cocoa supply chain partners, as a departure from the current situation where arguably, the downstream arm-chaired air-conditioned officers and politicians become the sole beneficiaries of cocoa proceeds. Our contribution could encourage rehabilitation of the cocoa landscapes, the conservation and expansion of cocoa forest, and the creation of forest buffer zones and corridors. Cocoa farmers would be incentivised enough to adopt and own the environmentally friendly best practices. Improve cocoa production is also expected to increase research into forest plant medicine, result in better ecosystem management and possibly pave way for ecotourism. Furthermore, improve cocoa production can reduce employment pressure on the state, reduce rural-urban migration, city congestion, urban waste management and inorganic waste pollution. As the quality of rural life improves through policies that can lead to poverty alleviation, revenue generation, income redistribution, and availability of amenities (good roads, schools, health facilities and electricity), the tendency to migrate to urban cities and subsequently to abroad would reduce
Social engagement to redress the banality of evil and the limitations of the social contract to protect habitat
No full text‘Existential risk’ continues to escalate and the crime of ‘ecocide’ is not yet recognised as part of international law even though it poses a new form of ‘genocide’. Politically fragmentation and populism have become the new order driven by capitalism, anthropocentrism, speciesism, nationalism and racism. The case is made that liberalism has progressed too far in undermining collective (cosmopolitan) responsibility. The result is a form of state control and governance that is more closely linked with the nation state and the market than with protecting habitat or the needs of all those who fall outside the mantel of the social contract, such as young people, asylum seekers, the disabled and other sentient beings. The frontiers of justice need to be extended to protect living systems. The concept ‘species’ is a central concern in relation to the issue of categorization, membership, displacement and decision-making (in terms of state sovereignty, territory, colonization and its implications for human, animal and plant life). As urbanisation encroaches on the wild spaces and displaces other forms of life, relationships that are Anthropocentric need to be re-framed to enable re-generation and sustainable living that is non-Anthropocentric. Key considerations are whether new forms of engagement could encourage people to think carefully through their options, rather than making rash decisions:Does discursive democracy and more engagement inevitably lead to populist decisions, polarization or narcissism? The need for democracy to re-engage with critical thinking is vital.Is it possible for groups to be held responsible in the same way that an individual can be held responsible? Arendt argues that collective responsibility is upheld when each individual engages critically with their everyday decisions. Could balancing individual and collective needs be achieved through new processes and structures to help transform values and to address ‘the banality of evil’? Some researchers argue it is indeed possible to engage in large groups that foster collective decision making for the common good. This paper makes the case that critical engagement could be assisted through enabling people to think through the implications of their everyday choices and that this could help to foster an ‘ecological mindset’ to protect living systems. Balancing individual rights and collective responsibility for this generation of life and the next requires governance to protect the common good. This requires considering the consequences of decisions by considering the multispecies rights of living beings (Kirksey and Helmreich 2010, Raikhel, 2010, Rose, 2015). The minimum requirement is re-balancing society to ensure that rights of the minority do not override the interests of the majority of living systems in this generation and the next. This requires a collective effort to re-create social and economic processes and structures to protect habitat. The three patterns of engagement that could foster the human stewardship of habitat are: 1. Recognition of the interdependency of living systems, 2. Making (ongoing) policy adjustments in context. In policy terms this requires new forms of organizational relationships that redress power imbalances that result in social, economic and environmental injustice and ‘existential risk’. 3. Appreciation of cycles for re-generation in designs that sustain living systems are needed. This requires rural-urban balance to protect habitat for domestic, farm and wild life,based on the requisite variety for multiple species and their diverse habitats. The barriers to achieving these three pattern goals include power imbalances within and across species which requires an intersectional understanding of the way in which species membership, gender, race, culture and abilities shape the power dynamics that underpin social and environmental injustice. A way forward is perhaps to focus on what matters within and across many species, namely a safe, inclusive environment, water to drink, food to eat, being able to keep cool or warm enough to sustain life and a sense of fulfilled purpose. This is upheld by the proposed new law on ecocide that ‘protects all inhabitants of a territory’
Our GSTS Founders' Goal: a single grand encompassing theory embracing all systems. The First Proposal on the Table: James N Rose 'Integrity Paradigm'
No full textAbstract "Our universe harbors nothing 'alien' to its own existence." (J N Rose, 1996)The sentiment of this sentence embodies the ultimate validating quality of our universe, as proposed by the founders of a "(Single) General Theory of Systems". The universe is an existentially holistically related entity .. all of it. By necessity, there are qualities and relations shared by 'all possible behaviors and activities' in the universe. This implies that we should be capable of explicitly describing the underscoring shared properties of all events and instantiations of being.Even in the most extreme conditions/qualia of existence possible, the universe has to be comprised in such a way that even the 'seemingly most antithetical' mutually exclusive incompatible properties .. actually can and do co-reside naturally within a larger perspective domain. Such as: "complete disorder" concurrently co-resident with "perfect ordering". At first, the properties of one of those sub-domains would seem to have no interaction~relational properties for correlating and accessing information, or data, from -or- to, the other. Yet, in a wholly consistent and coherent universe, we have to posit their essential familial connectability and reconcilability of attributes. And be able to enunciate them accurately - architectures, dynamics, behaviors - the instantiations -and- the extant descriptive models/languages.This is a first-in effort to identify and enunciate those universal qualia, properties, relations, mechanisms and action drivers – the primal non-volitional and the volitional - together
MICROSTRIP PATCH ANTENNA FOR WIDEBAND WIRELESS WEARABLE SYSTEMS
No full textA microstrip patch antenna for 5.6 GHz wireless wireless wearable systems is presented. Cotton substrate with 3 mm of high and 1.5 of relative permittivity has been considered for the patch antenna. The available band reached by the patch antenna is 1.12 GHz, from 5.24 GHz to 6.36 GHz. The antenna has an omnidirectional radiation pattern