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Closing Time: EU Border Crossings During COVID-19
No full textThere are more than 40 border crossings between the Federal State of Saarland, Lorraine and Luxembourg. In fact, Saarbrücken is the only one of the 16 state capitals of the Federal Republic of Germany on whose territory a state border runs. The urban area of Saarbrücken borders directly on France over a distance of more than 10 km. I was born in 1971 and grew up in a small village, pretty close to the French border. The border points were always easy to pass, even before the Schengen Agreement came into force. Like anybody, I accepted the rare controls. It was perhaps like accepting an annual cold. “After Schengen” the border disappeared more and more from my (and also the collective) consciousness over the years, a state that I still appreciate very much today. All the more it hit me to be confronted with closure of this border for the first time in my life. The obvious consequence for me was the creation of the photo series with which I wanted to document this unpleasant and hopefully unique state. All photos were taken between March 27 and April 10, 2020. For the compelte series, see my website.
» © Marco Kany | marcokany.de
Review of Christian Wille’s and Birte Nienaber’s Edited Volume Border Experiences in Europe
No full textBook revie
Riparian restoration of 32E Greenbelt, along Quibble Creek, to enhance canopy cover and limit urban impacts within the wildlife corridor
No full textA wildlife corridor, composed of a series of connected greenways, connects Bear Creek Park and Green Timbers Urban Forest. The restoration site is situated within 32E Greenbelt adjacent to Quibble Creek (North Surrey, B.C.) which, together, act as a wildlife corridor between the two biodiversity hubs, allowing for increased movement of local species. Quibble Creek and 32E Greenbelt have been degraded by anthropogenic activities and invasive species, specifically a monoculture of Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus). This riparian restoration project, in partnership with the City of Surrey, aimed to enhance the wildlife habitat within the corridor by removing Himalayan blackberry and planting native tree and shrub canopy. A native plant prescription was created based on the biogeoclimatic site series, site assessments and local characteristics. Planting events were organized through the City of Surrey’s ReLeaf program which included engaging local grade four students from Cindrich Elementary and Creekside Elementary schools. Additional maintenance and monitoring of the restoration site, and the greater 32E Greenbelt area was recommended to ensure increased biodiversity and abundance of native shrub and tree species
CHEMICAL REMOVAL OF HIMALAYAN BLACKBERRY (RUBUS ARMENIACUS) IN DERBY REACH REGIONAL PARK, LANGLEY, BC
No full textInvasive species are recognized globally as the second greatest threat to biodiversity after direct habitatloss (British Columbia Ministry of Environment, 2018). Throughout Metro Vancouver, many restorationprojects are being implemented to control invasive species and restoring the natural vegetation that wereonce there. Sierra Harvey and I partnered with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks to providerecommendations regarding the removal of Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) at Derby ReachRegional Park in Langley, British Columbia. The goal is to remove the Himalayan blackberry and plantnative species to encourage the return of overwintering birds and pollinators. Sierra and I conductedmultiple field visits to create a biophysical inventory of the site. This project, we outlined two types ofremoval techniques for Himalayan blackberry and have divided the work in such a way. I will be focusingon the chemical removal method and will provide recommendations for this method as well as on timingand methods of application to minimize environmental impacts. Sierra Harvey’s project will focus on themechanical techniques and provide recommendations for this technique at the site. As well, follow uprestoration activities such as a list of native species to be planted, a monitoring and maintenance plan, isprovided
AN EVALUATION METHODOLOGY FOR MEASURING THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF FAMILY STRENGTHENING AND ALTERNATIVE CHILD CARE SERVICES: THE CASE OF SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES
No full textUntil recently, SOS Children’s Villages International, like many organisations in the social sector, lacked a rigorous and systematic approach to gauging the long-term impact of their services. With this in mind, SOS Children’s Villages International developed a social impact evaluation methodology in 2014 to measure the long-term effects of its services on children and their families and communities, as well as the social return on investment. This evaluation methodology has been tested and applied to similar service types across 15 low-, middle-, and high-income countries worldwide. The findings are regularly consolidated, in order to derive trends and learnings for the global organisation and to inform strategy and policy. The present article will discuss the evaluation methodology and the related limitations. Conclusions regarding the validity of the methodology will be offered in terms of the measurement of social service impact and the way forward
ONLINE AT RISK! ONLINE ACTIVITIES OF CHILDREN IN DORMITORIES: EXPERIENCES IN A CROATIAN COUNTY
No full textThe virtual environment available through the internet is an important domain of children’s subjective well-being. Widespread usage of information technology brings risks as well as benefits, a topic now under intensive study by professionals in multiple fields. To date there has been a lack of research about the experiences of children from group accommodation settings when navigating the virtual environment. The main goal of the present study, which involved 510 high school students living in dormitories in Split-Dalmatia County, was to determine and document patterns of internet usage and internet addiction, and to examine another internet behavior, cyberbullying. Our results show that 3.73% of the children we studied manifested a severe level of internet addiction, while about one third took part in cyberbullying as victim, perpetrator, or both. An important finding is that children involved with cyberbullying have significantly higher levels of internet addiction, suggesting a relationship between these phenomena. In the second, qualitative, phase of the study, the quantitative research findings were discussed with children, parents, teachers, and staff. Our results enable a better understanding of young people`s behaviors in the online world, and could contribute to the development of educational programs for children and young people and the promotion of evidence-based practice in dormitory settings
USING PARTICIPATORY METHODS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT RESEARCH ON HISTORICAL COMPULSORY SOCIAL MEASURES AND PLACEMENTS IN SWITZERLAND
No full textMany of the child welfare policies and practices in Switzerland before the law reform of 1981 were rather invasive and were exercised under a legal context that sometimes threatened basic human rights. The inclusion of survivors of such measures in the research process has been vigorously requested in Switzerland. Therefore, four individuals who had been placed in institutions as children have been included in the process of preparing a recently initiated, 60-year follow-up study of individuals placed in infant care institutions in Switzerland in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Using focus interviews and “think-aloud” methods, the interviewees commented on two parts of the planned research process: (a) how to contact the cohort, and (b) finalising the assessment instruments. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Interviewees felt their participation was a sign of recognition of their experience and expertise. Their input contributed to the research in a host of ways. For example, they helped to make documents more understandable, identified errors and redundancies, and pointed out wording that might cause insecurities or negative reactions. They also pointed to shortcomings in some of the items used in the assessment instruments. In addition, they made significant contributions regarding how best to approach and work with the cohort. This study shows that, when researching historical compulsory social measures, the inclusion of formerly institutionalised individuals in development and implementation is not only feasible, but is of significant benefit to the quality of the research
IDENTIFYING BEST-PRACTICE STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING RESIDENTIAL CAREGIVERS WORKING WITH CHILDREN AT RISK
No full textResidential caregivers are the central figures responsible for the children in their charge. Their work is physically and emotionally taxing, and carried out under pressure: they are prone to burnout. In addition, their status is lower than that of other staff. This study aimed to identify the strategies to improve caregiver functioning that have been adopted in Israel’s residential social-service facilities, and to examine the extent of their implementation. A two-stage, mixed-methods study design was employed. In the qualitative stage, six successful care facilities were identified; their directors were interviewed in depth using the Learning from Success method. In the quantitative stage, a survey was administered to 95 directors, using open and closed questions. Six best-practice strategies for working with caregivers were identified: careful screening, training, ongoing supervision, personal and professional support mechanisms, flexible schedules, and a clear work plan and procedures. While these strategies were applied to some extent in most facilities, they varied in scope and implementation. Using a regression model, we found a connection between the implementation of these strategies and the directors’ satisfaction with the caregivers’ work. We discuss recommendations that can help directors incorporate the six strategies in residential homes and meet the challenges directors face in their work with caregivers