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The Path to Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies and Interest-Free Lending
Get PDFThis paper explores elements of alternative finance including complementary currencies, credit clearing systems, and Islamic Banking practices. I begin first by outlining the issues created by the mainstream western banking model, including wealth inequality, socioeconomic discrimination, environmental degradation, and the collapse of small businesses and local economies. I go on to introduce and define the concepts of complementary currencies, Local Exchange Trading Systems, and credit clearing systems; I argue that these systems challenge the popularly held perceptions that currencies and mainstream banking practices in general are immutable, given, or ideal. To support this assertion, I transition into my research findings first by describing the research methods and experiences that have led me to hold these beliefs. I recount the details of a 5-week internship with Geneva-based complementary currency association Monnaie Léman, where I gained valuable exposure to concepts and structures associated with this field. Finally, I discuss my research findings as related to both complementary currencies and interest-free lending in credit clearing systems. I argue that among the greatest barriers in the way of success for such systems is publicity and public trust. I go on to argue that interest-free lending has proven to succeed through credit clearing systems as well as in Islamic Banking and should therefore be explored further. This paper as a whole serves to inform on the subject and encourage the inclusion of alternative financial systems, primarily complementary currencies and interest-free lending
Land Rights of African Indigenous Groups: International Instruments and Main Issues
Get PDFFor indigenous peoples, land is more than an economic commodity, it has guided their way of life for generations. This notion is particularly prevalent in Africa, where many diverse indigenous communities exist, from desert regions to vast forests. However, without the recognition of international laws and standards that seek to preserve and uphold their land rights, the indigenous peoples of Africa continue to face socio-environmental and political issues. This research paper seeks to understand what actors, documents, and mechanisms exist to protect and promote the land rights of indigenous peoples in Africa and assess their effectiveness. This research question was answered by collecting information about the instruments within the African Commission, International Labor Organization (ILO), and United Nations (UN) and by reading reports, press releases, and documents from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and news outlets that have published information on the current issues indigenous peoples in Africa are enduring. This research has found an apparent discrepancy between the land rights of African indigenous peoples guaranteed and monitored by the international instruments and the alarming reality of the situations these peoples are facing, including food and water insecurity, environmental pressures, limited national recognition, and conflict. These results illustrate a need for more effective implementation of international law, monitoring and enforcement by international bodies, and creation of national policies that address the needs of indigenous African populations
The Aftermath of War: Improving Psychosocial Measures to Address Trauma in Child Refugees in the Schengen Zone
Get PDFWith the large number of refugee children currently displaced due to war and conflict, there is a necessity to look into alleviating any resulting trauma so that these children don’t face further social or health effects later in life. The study focuses on how to improve psychosocial care for child refugees in the Schengen zone suffering from war trauma. Through a combination of research done using existing literature and interviews with experts, there were three main findings on improving psychosocial support for this population. These include improving consolidation of psychosocial programs and focusing on education, having greater cultural awareness when working with children, and acknowledging the resilience of children when addressing trauma. These results call for changes in approaches to psychosocial care and the study encourages greater awareness in host populations. Further research on specific populations within this group would be beneficial
Binding Ideologies: An Investigation of Language Attitudes and Ideologies in the Moroccan Publishing and Book Sector
Get PDFThe interaction between author and reader is not as simple nor as direct as may at times be assumed. There are “gatekeepers” and middle men who mediate the transmission of ideas from writer to reader; these institutions and their ideologies determine the final product that will (or will not) be presented to readers. In Morocco, this author-reader interaction is further complicated by the language ideologies which pervade the realm of Moroccan literature. As Moroccan publishers and booksellers are the “gatekeepers” who arguably engage the most in language politics, this study examines their role in facilitating or inhibiting the Moroccan author-reader interaction. Also explored is how Moroccan authors’ language(s) of writing impact their experiences in the publishing industry. This research thus constitutes an exploratory study aimed at mapping the dynamics of language ideologies in Morocco’s publishing and book industry
PLANT POETICS AND POLITICS OF THE WEST USAMBARAS: Power and Memory of Narrative Botanical Science in Kizanda, Sagara, and the Mazumbai Forest Reserve
Get PDFThis is a story about people and plants. About the power of relationships between floral organisms and human lives. Using narrative botanical science as a methodological framework, this study highlights the power of local people’s ecological knowledge from the villages of Kizanda and Sagara in the West Usambara Mountains. Building from semi-structured interviews and personal conservations with thirty residents of these villages—voices of local healers, farmers, and forest guides—this work unfolds through a series of vignettes. Its aim is to identify both the precise yet diverse ways in which these people have developed botanical knowledge of their local environment. From these individual voices emerges a cultural botany in which plants are the substance of ecosystems, of local knowledge, and of life. This study also traces the historical roots of plants—both generational botanical knowledge and patterns of plant regulations. The cultural botany of the present is a product neither apolitical nor detached from past human-plant relations. Thus, this study also incorporates archival material from a Swiss family of tea plantation owners who helped produce the Mazumbai Forest Reserve that exists today between Kizanda and Sagara. In short, this study is a human-plant geography that is simultaneously poetic and political
Selection Perception: Views on the Theory of Evolution Among Residents of Moshi, Tanzania
Get PDFThe theory of evolution is a major tenet of biological science and has many practical applications, particularly in agriculture, medicine, and conservation. Nevertheless, there is significant opposition to the theory and its incorporation into school curricula, largely on religious grounds. This disconnect between public opinion and scientific opinion has been studied at length in the US and to some extent in other industrialized nations, but little is known about the issue in other communities around the world. This paper will use the town of Moshi, Tanzania as a case study in community views and knowledge about the theory of evolution. Information will be primarily gathered from questionnaires and interviews with participants from a range of age groups and education levels. The analysis will look for overall trends and correlations between demographic info and responses to questions on evolutionary topics
Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome in India: A Socio-cultural Perspective
Get PDFThis study examines the ways in which cultural determinants affect the health-seeking, diagnosis and treatment process of women with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) as well as the underlying socio-cultural causes of the illness. Often coined as a “lifestyle disease”, PCOS is becoming a growing concern of physicians and women alike as its prevalence is on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Lifestyle, stigmas/taboos, PCOS’s effect on identity, and quality of life are all areas that are examined throughout this paper. A mixture of patients’ and doctors’ perspectives on PCOS were gathered throughout a three-week time period in Jaipur, India. Questions were tailored to extract information that could further the understanding of the sociocultural aspect of PCOS and its etiology. Furthermore, this study seeks to understand how India’s social and cultural climate affect the health-seeking, diagnosis, and treatment of women with PCOS and how these factors contribute to its increasing prevalence. The findings revealed that unhealthy lifestyle, diet, lack of exercise, stigmas, and insufficient awareness impact the health outcomes of women who suffer from PCOS
“If you seek, you know you will find and if you find you have cancer, why do you seek?” KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING CANCER SCREENING AND PREVENTION IN CATO MANOR
Get PDFThe incidence of cancer continues to increase in South Africa, creating a serious concern for public health. There are currently several cancer awareness programs operating in the Durban area, but little is known as to whether they are having a positive impact on communities. This project aimed to understand the knowledge and practices regarding cancer screening and prevention in Cato Manor, KwaZulu-Natal. In doing so, it assessed the effectiveness and knowledge of current programs which work to increase cancer awareness.
This study used a mixed methodology approach. Surveys were given to 30 residents of Cato Manor to gain a quantitative understanding of cancer knowledge and screening practices in the community. Focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews were then conducted with survey respondents to gain a deeper, more qualitative understanding of lived experiences and the relationship between cancer knowledge and practices.
In general, cancer awareness programs were not commonly recognized among respondents and screening exam use was not common. Many people still believe cancer is not a problem for the community, but the vast majority claimed they worry about cancer. Programs and policy must be created to increase use of screening exams and move cancer awareness programs into townships like Cato Manor
Think Outside: Exploring the Influence of Nature on the Individual and of the Individual on Society
Get PDFThis video project has an overarching goal to question the influence the natural environment has on the development of individual people and society as a whole. It begins by looking into the important role played by creativity in societal and economic development. From here a brief background is given on the requirements of maintaining and producing a creative environment. The piece alludes to the possibility that a relationship with nature has a deeper meaning than just being conducive to creativity. It also shows the effects pollution has had on the work of local artists and briefly the challenges faced by Moroccan artists. To conclude it offers a sense of hope for Moroccan artists by mentioning that challenge in an environment has been deemed a stimulant to creativity (Evans, McCoy, 2002). Regardless of challenges improvement can be made by becoming conscious of the influence of the natural environment. The video aims to be exploratory as well as thorough and factual. Material is drawn from analysis of scholarly literature, quotes from a developmental psychologist, and interviews of artists and artist hopefuls