8411 research outputs found
Sort by
Adaptive Social Protection: A justification for enhancing social protection effectiveness in Lesotho
No full textThe purpose of this Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) is to generate evidence that scaling up social protection systems in response to humanitarian emergencies minimizes negative shock impacts on affected populations and reduces the need for separate humanitarian responses. The study used case comparison of food security and livelihoods outcomes for households in three categories (i.) households receiving separate emergency assistance, (ii.) with those receiving emergency and social protection programs, and (iii.) a model case of targeted and early scaled up social services. The research hypothesis is that well-targeted social protection interventions that are easily scalable during crisis periods are a more efficient and effective form of response to emergencies compared to separate humanitarian action. The research used secondary data methods through a review of academic and professional literature on social protection in general and on Adaptive Social Protection. The literature review was also done on the social protection policy and strategy implementation in Lesotho. The additional secondary method was a re-analysis of vulnerability data collected by the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee as a way of generating quantitative evidence on the case comparisons to demonstrate the research hypothesis. Additionally, interviews with key informants from organizations in Lesotho were done to gather further insights into the research. The research revealed several key findings; (i) there is need for targeting of social protection activities based on vulnerability, (ii.) targeting will allow multiple transfers of resources to the poorest, (iii.) in the event of disasters, top-up of existing well-targeted social protection is a cheaper and effective way of responding to the disasters, and (iv.) reforming social protection will enhance efficient use of resources and enable households to build adaptive capacity in non-emergency years and facilitate quick recovery post disasters. In Lesotho, this reform is possible for child grants program, public assistance and public works programs which are more flexible and fit in the design of Adaptive Social Protection. In using Adaptive Social Protection designs, this research provides evidence that the emergency response that took place in Lesotho in 2016 could have adequately addressed the needs of the population at $12 million dollars cheaper than the separate emergency
¡El agua es nuestra! Pensar desde afuera del discurso de ‘público vs privado’ / The water is ours! Thinking from outside the \u27public vs. private\u27 speech
Get PDFCualquier persona que haya vivido en Cochabamba por más de unos pocos años puede decir que la ciudad tiene una larga historia de problemas de agua. La respuesta del Estado a estos problemas ha sido variada y, a veces, problemática. En el año 1999, el gobierno de Bolivia firmó un contrato con una empresa transnacional llamada Aguas del Tunari en una tentativa de privatizar el suministro municipal del agua de Cochabamba. Después de un drástico aumento en los precios del agua, protestas y manifestaciones estallaron por toda la ciudad de Cochabamba. La gente de Cochabamba finalmente logró presionar al gobierno para que retrocediera y cancelara el contrato con Aguas del Tunari, pero un inesperado resultado adicional de la Guerra fue el que reveló sistemas alternativos de manejo de agua que habían existido incluso antes de esta pelea. En este ensayo, exploro el valor de estos sistemas comunitarios - cómo funcionan, su valor y la relación que tienen con el Estado. En última instancia, mi objetivo es considerar lo que podemos aprender de estos sistemas alternativos tanto a nivel práctico como teórico.
\
Anyone who has lived in Cochabamba for more than a few years can tell you that the city has a long history of water problems. The State\u27s response to these problems has been varied and, at times, troublesome. In the year 1999, Bolivia\u27s government signed a contract with an independent company named Aguas del Tunari (a joint venture involving the US transnational corporation Bechtel) in an attempt to privatize Cochabamba\u27s municipal water supply. Following a drastic increase in water prices, protests and demonstrations broke out all over the city of Cochabamba. The people of Cochabamba eventually succeeded in pressuring the government to back down and cancel the contract with Tunari, but an unexpected additional outcome of the Water War was that it revealed alternative water management systems that had existed even before this fight. In this essay, I explore the value of these community systems -- how they work, their value, and the relation they have with the state. Ultimately, it is my goal to consider what we can learn from these alternative systems both on a practical and on a theoretical level
¿Trabajando juntos? La dinámica de la relación entre movimiento estudiantil y movimiento docente de 2014-2015 / Working together? The dynamics of the relationship between student movement and teacher movement 2014-2015
No full textEsta investigación explora la relación entre movimiento estudiantil y movimiento docente en período de movilizaciones por demandas educativas. Para investigar esta relación, este proyecto se centra en los años 2014-2015 como un estudio de caso, porque durante esos años, hubo una movilización docente grande, y casi al mismo tiempo hubo una movilización estudiantil. Por eso, es viable la pregunta acerca de si existía una relación y si existió, cómo fue a través de estos movimientos, porque estaban sucediendo simultáneamente. Este proyecto se realizó a través de entrevistas con personas que estaban involucradas con los movimientos. Después de recopilar toda la información para esta investigación, es posible concluir que al parecer sí existió una relación entre los dos movimientos, pero existía en un nivel informal e interpersonal, no en un nivel más alto o generalizado.
\
This research explores the relationship between student movement and teacher movement in the period of mobilization for educational demands. To investigate this relationship, this project focuses on the years 2014-2015 as a case study, because during those years, there was a large teacher mobilization, and almost at the same time there was a student mobilization. So the question is questionable about whether there was a relationship and if it existed, how it was through these movements, because they were happening simultaneously. This project was conducted through interviews with people who were involved with the movements. After gathering all the information for this research, it is possible to conclude that there apparently was a relationship between the two movements, but it existed at an informal and interpersonal level, not at a higher or generalized level
Factors that determine civil action in opposition to hydroelectric development along the Chiriquí Viejo River in the Chiriquí province of Panamá
Get PDFHydroelectric development has increased rapidly throughout Latin America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). In 2014, Latin America represented 20 percent of the world’s hydropower (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). It is also the main source of power generation throughout Latin America, accounting for roughly 65 percent of all electricity generated (Wheeler 2012). Within Panamá, significant hydroelectric development has been happening in the Chiriquí province. Local peoples’ dissatisfaction with the actions of the hydropower companies has increased with time, resulting in civilians and organizations taking action in opposition to these companies and hydroelectric development (Hofstede and Ojeda 2013) . However, several dams have been constructed in last decade (Bigda-Peyton et al. 2012). In Chiriquí province, there is a growing environmental movement related to the protection of community water sources (Hofstede and Ojeda 2013 In order to provide a sample perspective of the regional anti-dam movement residents living near to the uppermost dam sites of the Chiriquí Viejo River and local environmental activists were interviewed. In total, 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted over a period of 14 days. Using qualitative analysis and quantitative methods perspectives were compared between activists and residents to look for convergences and inconsistencies. This investigation provides a cultural perspective on the regional environmental movement and its ties to hydroelectric development
Tierra en Revuelta: La Presencia de la Cosmovisión Indígena en las Luchas de Resistencia en la Región de Qoyllurit’i \ Earth in Revolt: The Presence of the Indigenous Worldview in the Struggles of Resistance in The Region of Qoyllurit\u27i
No full textEl Santuario del Señor de Qoyllurit’i ha sido un lugar sagrado desde la época pre-inca y hasta ahora es el sitio de una peregrinación grandísima cada año. En 2011 recibió el título de Patrimonio Inmaterial Cultural de UNESCO en reconocimiento de su importancia para el Perú. Es un ejemplo fuerte de la mezcla de catolicismo con la cosmovisión indígena—la peregrinación es para honorar este sitio de un milagro católico, pero la peregrinación también incorpora danzas tradicionales, la creencia indígena en la nieve sagrada y en los apus, y pagos a la tierra. Entonces las propuestas de concesiones mineras recientes han chocado con la necesidad de preservar este espacio sagrado. En este informe, trato de responder a la pregunta ¿cuál y cómo es la presencia de la cosmovisión indígena en la lucha contra las concesiones mineras en la región de Qoyllurit’i? Mi método de investigación está basado primeramente en entrevistas con personas relacionadas con la peregrinación y la lucha para proteger este lugar. Esas personas tienen conocimiento sobre la historia y la importancia del lugar y/o han estado parte de los procesos de hacer decisiones sobre su protección. En esta obra, propongo que la narrativa fuerte de presentar el lugar como primeramente católica en el discurso público es una forma de cruzar la división entre la estructura de pensamiento dominante y la estructura de pensamiento indígena. Pero a la misma vez es indicativa de los esfuerzos por parte de la iglesia católica borrar la cosmovisión indígena en esta peregrinación. También discuto que la inclusión de símbolos indígenas en la lucha y la peregrinación sirve para afirmar la parte indígena de la peregrinación mientras dando fuerza y energía a la lucha para proteger el Santuario.
/
The Sanctuary of the Lord of Qoyllurit’i has been a sacred place since pre-Incan times, and is now the site of a massive pilgrimage that takes place every year. In 2011 it received the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage from UNESCO in recognition of its importance for Peru. It is a strong example of the mix of Catholicism and indigenous cosmovision—the pilgrimage honors the site of a Catholic miracle, but it also incorporates traditional dances, a belief in the sacred snow and apus (sacred mountain beings), and offerings to the earth. Consequently, the recent mining proposals have clashed with the need to preserve this sacred space. In this paper I try to respond to the question: how does indigenous cosmovision appear in the fight against the proposed mining projects in the Qoyllurit’i region? My method of investigation is based primarily in interviews with people related to the pilgrimage or the fight to protect this place. The people I interviewed were either knowledgeable about the history and importance of this place and/or were part of the decision-making processes regarding its protection. In the paper I argue that the strong public narrative that presents this place as primarily catholic is a form of bridging the divide between the dominant thought structure and the indigenous thought structure. At the same time, however, it is indicative of the efforts of the Catholic Church to erase the presence of indigenous cosmovision in the pilgrimage. I also argue that the inclusion of indigenous symbols in the fight for protection and in the pilgrimage reaffirm the indigenous aspects of the pilgrimage, while strengthening and energizing the fight to protect the Sanctuary
Small-Scale Farming of Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) at Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar
Get PDFThe biological and social components of sandfish farming were studied at Unguja Ukuu, Zanzibar. Measurement of temperature and depth, along with quadrat sampling of substrate and sea cucumbers, led to recommendations for future management of depth, biomass per area, disease and crabs, and substrate. Interviews revealed the role and potential benefits of sea cucumber farming for communities. Several barriers to, and complications with, the expansion of sea cucumber farming were also identified. This study provided information for improvement of this farm and hoped to spread knowledge of sandfish farming to Zanzibaris, who may benefit economically from the practice
Chagas, enfermedad olvidada: Una perspectiva histórica de la prevención y control del Chagas en la provincia de Salta, Argentina (1909 – 2017) \ Chagas, A Forgotten Disease: A Historical Perspective on the Prevention and Control of Chagas in Salta Province, Argentina (1909 – 2017)
No full textEl Chagas es una enfermedad vectorial más conocida en zonas rurales de América Latina y en Argentina es endémica en la región noroeste del país (MSAL, 2017). Designada una enfermedad tropical desatendida (Neglected Tropical Disease, NTD) por la OMS, la crónica del Chagas desde su “hallazgo casual” en 1909 siempre se trató de abandono (INP, 2017; MSF, 2012; OMS, 2017; Reyes López, 2009; Stamboulian, 2015; Zabala, 2009). En toda la Argentina se identifican 1.600.000 casos y 7.300.000 personas expuestas al Chagas, dando el país una de las tasas chagásicas más altas del mundo (Bär, 2015; MSAL, 2017).1
El modo de transmisión más común del Chagas es por el vector, la vinchuca, cuya proliferación, al igual que el Chagas, está fundamentalmente vinculado a la pobreza, viviendas precarias, y falta de recursos (OMS, 2017; MSF, 2012). La enfermedad se manifiesta en dos etapas - la fase aguda y la fase crónica y es durante la fase crónica que surgen problemas cardíacos en el 30% de las personas infectadas y un 10% desarrolla problemas de los sistemas digestivo y/o nervioso. También es en la fase crónica donde no hay tratamiento contra el patógeno parasitario, Trypanosoma cruzi, y por eso en regiones endémicas la prevención y control vectorial es crucial (OMS, 2017; MSF, 2012).
En la provincia norteña de Salta, Argentina, 78.000 personas (6,5% de la población) padecen Chagas y según el Programa Nacional de Chagas (PNCh) Salta tiene un riesgo mediano de transmisión vectorial (Ferrer, 2015; MSAL, 2017). Esta investigación enfocará en Salta por su posición históricamente única con respecto a la lucha contra el Chagas. Mientras que Salta siempre ha sido una región endémica a causa del Chagas, también la provincia ha sido pionera de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS), que es fundamental en la prevención y control de la enfermedad (Chuit, 1992; MSAL, 2017; MSAL 2006; Sartor, 2017; Zabala, 2009).
El objetivo general de la investigación es entender esta situación distinta de la prevención y control del Chagas en Salta. Este se presentará un contexto científico e histórico relevantes a la investigación y citará a profesionales entrevistados en el capital provincial -entre ellos investigadores, médicos y profesionales de la APS que trabajan en el campo del Chagas- acerca de las perspectivas históricas del Chagas y la APS en Salta, sus métodos de prevención y control vectorial y las barreras que enfrentan. Finalmente, se llegará a la conclusión de que lo que faltan en la provincia para erradicar el Chagas no son estrategias organizadas ni correcta implementación de controles. Más bien, lo que la provincia necesita son intervenciones a lo largo plazo para abordar las condiciones socioeconómicos donde se encuentra el Chagas. Estas intervenciones tienen que ser acabado con el apoyo del Estado provincial y de manera de preservar la dignidad de la gente afectada.
\
Chagas is a vector-borne disease known to rural areas of Latin America, and in Argentina it is endemic in the country’s northwest region (MSAL, 2017). Chagas is classified by the WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), and since its hallazgo casual (“casual discovery”) in 1909 the history of Chagas has been one of abandon (INP, 2017; MSF, 2012; OMS, 2017; Reyes López, 2009; Stamboulian, 2015; Zabala, 2009). In Argentina over 1,600,000 people are currently diagnosed with the disease and 7,300,000 are at risk of exposure, giving the country one of the highest rates of Chagas worldwide (Bär, 2015; MSAL, 2017).2
The most common mode of transmission for Chagas is through its vector, la vinchuca, whose proliferation like the disease itself is closely linked to poverty, precarious infrastructure and lack of resources (OMS, 2017; MSF, 2012). The disease manifests itself in two stages, acute and chronic, and it is during the latter stage that about 30% of those infected develop cardiac problems and about 10% develop complications of the digestive and/or nervous systems. It is also the chronic stage of Chagas for which there is no treatment against the disease’s parasitic pathogen, Trypanosoma cruzi, and therefore in endemic regions disease prevention and vector control are crucial (OMS, 2017; MSF, 2012).
In the province of Salta, Argentina, 78,000 people (6.5% of the population) suffer from Chagas, and according to the National Chagas Program (PNCh) Salta has a medium-level risk of vector-borne transmission. The heart of this investigation will be centered around Chagas in Salta for the province’s historically unique position in the fight against the disease. While Salta has always been a Chagas-endemic region, it has also been a pioneer in the primary care system, which is fundamental for the prevention and control of disease (Chuit, 1992; MSAL, 2017; MSAL 2006; Sartor, 2017; Zabala, 2009).
The main objective of this investigation is to understand Salta’s unique situation with regards to the prevention and control of Chagas. It begins by providing scientific as well as historic contexts relevant to the information presented in the paper’s development and analysis (desarrollo). The information for this investigation was gathered primarily through interviews of professionals -- among them researchers, doctors, and professionals in the primary care system -- conducted in the province’s capital city (Salta). The interviews centered on historical perspectives of Chagas, the primary care system in Salta, current methods of prevention and control, and the barriers they face. Finally, this investigation will arrive at the conclusion that efforts to eradicate Chagas have not fallen short in Salta due to a lack of organized strategies or properly implemented controls. Rather, the province is in need of long-term solutions to confront the socio-economic conditions of areas where Chagas is found. These interventions need to be State-supported and conducted in a way that preserves the dignity of those affected
Decadal vegetation succession along a chronosequence within Eucalyptus obliqua wet forest, southern Tasmania
Get PDFSouthern Tasmania is home to fire dependent mixed forests, which, if not maintained, will eventually be replaced by the rainforest understorey. Wet eucalypt forest succession after disturbance events was investigated through floristic and vertical measurements of four north facing chronosequence plots with labels describing the age class of each, from regrowth to mature sites. This study was possible due to the establishment of permanent 50m x 50m plots in 2007 for longitudinal monitoring and subsequent illustration of forest dynamics following disturbance, including clearfell burns and wildfire. The contents of this report are the comparative analyses of the findings from the first two installments of the methods, which were employed ten years apart.
The implications of this research include evidence for the protection of carbon dense old growth forests and the production of an empirical successional model by which human-induced landscape treatments can be fashioned after. This project is one of the first of its kind in the country of Australia, as it will ultimately produce experiential data of wet eucalypt succession in real time.
The collected data described no significant floristic change over one decade. More time must be allocated to the decadal interval studies before such change will be evident as forest succession occurs on the scale of centuries. In the same time span, substantial structural change was described by the findings for individual species within each plot. These variations over time were consistent with Clement’s classical successional theory and Gilbert’s climax vegetation progression
A Review of 57 Zone: A social media network for TB consultation and communication in Kunming, China
Get PDFYunnan, a predominantly agricultural province in southwest China, is a province with a high rate of both tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), with nearly 25,000 cases of pulmonary TB reported each year. Former TB/MDR TB patients in Yunnan, with the support of Family Health International 360 NGO (FHI) are trying to combat this problem. They have created a social media network for TB consultation and communication, 57 Zone, where TB patients can talk about their medication, adverse drug effects, and nutrition and psychosocial concerns. The goal of this study was the look at what aspects of the program help patients adhere to their TB treatment, as well as what participants feel are the greatest benefits of the program, and what they feel could be improved or changed. Then 57 Zone was compared to other TB support programs around the world in order to provide further suggestions for improvement. To collect information, four interviews were conducted with participants who all hold different roles in the program, including an employee of FHI, a nurse, and two peer-counselors. Participant observations at 57 Zone group meetings as well as informal conversations with online participants were also used to collect information. Results showed that the aspects of 57 Zone with the greatest benefit to participants are the in-person counseling opportunities, as well as the accessibility of the online QQ groups for peer-support. Suggested improvements or additions included better management of the QQ group, even more counseling opportunities, more counselors in hospitals, more financial aid opportunities, and expanding the program to other provinces. Overall this study has found that while there are some suggestions for improvements, this program has shown great success and has contributed to the lower rates of TB in Yunnan by helping patients truly understand their disease, as well as by making them more confident to finish their treatment. With more research and continued improvement, this program could become a model for future patient-support programs around the world
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS: AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGN IN PUBLICH HEALTH
Get PDFCultural Perspectives in Public Health: An International Education Program for Medical Students proposes a six-week international mobility course for medical students at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The course design was inspired by a request from the UCSC medical student cohort to expand credit-bearing international program opportunities. The program will introduce participants to Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle in an effort to provide students with a framework to use when evaluating common practices in the medical field. The course aims to increase academic collaboration between Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, an Italian based Higher Education Institution, and the Higher Education are in the United States. The program proposes a design that unites Università Cattolica with a U.S. Higher Education Institution (HE) through a program that will be co-hosted by two institutions and team-taught.
The research performed for this program design included a literature review of global trends in international programming for medical students and a needs assessment designed to assess gaps in programs at Unviersità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The findings shed light on two reoccurring themes that prevent medical students from participating in international education program which, when combined could be summarized as a lack of short-term credit-bearing opportunities in an international context. These themes, along with other needs identified during the research, have established the foundations for Cultural Perspectives in Public Health program design