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An assessment of the needs of Palestinian Elderly in the West Bank: A Snap Shot of Service Delivery Provision to Older Palestine Refugees in Four Camps
No full textThe lengthy and (ongoing) occupation and blockade of the Palestinian West Bank by Israeli forces has had devastating consequences for the Palestinian population. Not only have thousands been forcibly displaced from their homes, the Occupation and Blockade inhibits them from accessing basic resources of health, education and food security while denying them viable opportunities of employment, income generation and self-sufficiency. While it is true that women, children and men suffer both in common and distinct ways as a result of conflict and life under occupation, elderly populations remain one of the most vulnerable groups: “the collective punishment which the Palestinian people have suffered had negatively affected the entire population, but the highest price has been paid by the elderly”. The purpose of this research is to ascertain key concerns and vulnerabilities for ageing Palestine refugees with an aim of improving UNRWAs programmes and services. Refugee and frontline staff participation were key in affording a unique insight into issues facing elderly refugee communities that is both contextual and representative
Inspiring Public Trust in the Domestic Legal System: The Impact of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Get PDFHuman impacts on water systems: Biological assessment of water quality in the Bosque Protector Río Guajalito (BPRG) using aquatic macroinvertebrates
Get PDFBenthic macroinvertebrates have been extensively used as bioindicators for water quality due to their varying sensitivity to a diverse range of impacts on hydrographic sources. In this study a sampling of macroinvertebrates was carried out in the Guajalito and Brincador rivers and a small creek that runs through the private reserve Bosque Protector Rio Guajalito in order to analyze if the health of the rivers has changed in relation to previous studies. The sampling stations were located upstream and downstream of potential sources of disturbance in each of the three streams sampled in order to determine what level of impact the disturbance had on the stream. Additionally basic physiochemical parameters were characterized at each sampling station to validate the biological data. Significant differences were observed in the water quality biotic indexes of BMWP and IBMWP between the three streams sampled. There were no significant differences, however, in the abundance, richness, biological index scores, and diversity measures between the upstream and downstream stations. According to the biological index scores of BMWP and IBMWP, the three streams sampled have fair and good water quality. According to the BMWP/Col, Sensibilidad, FBI and %EPT indexes, however, the streams rank as good, very good, and excellent. These results are consistent with the previous study conducted by Arroyo (2007) and indicate that the water quality conditions have not significantly changed in the time since that study
La vida es un conflicto, pero hay que llevar soluciones: La resolución de conflicto en comunidades rurales de San Ramón Nicaragua a través de facilitadores judiciales rurales y mediación
Get PDFIn rural parts of Nicaragua historically there has not been a lot of access to the justice system. Conflicts have been going unresolved for years leading to a high amount of violence as people take justice into their own hands. The recent implementation of the Rural Judicial Facilitators Program (RJFP) is an effort to provide access to justice directly in rural communities. These facilitators are trained to use mediation as their principal method to resolve conflict.
This study exposes perceptions of mediation and the RJFP from community members, facilitators, and judiciaries. It discusses the key role of the facilitator in bridging the gap between the justice system and the people and uncovers ways in which mediation is both successful and can fall short. Ultimately, this investigation reveals some of the potential causes of why mediation is presently so effective in these communities
TOWARDS A COHESIVE CIVIL RESISTANCE-ORIENTED PROGRAMS IN PALESTINE
No full textSince 1834, the Palestinian people have used civil resistance against the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and in recent decades the Israeli occupation. This ongoing occupation, the apartheid wall in the West Bank, and the crippling siege on the Gaza strip have fueled both civil resistance theorists and practitioners. This situation has been inflamed by religious and nationalistic ideologies, and made more complex due to the geopolitical division of Palestine. With all that complexity, this study asked the core question “How can the Palestinian people strengthen civil resistance-oriented programs in Palestine?” This was to determine programmatic and strategic considerations for the unique situation of Palestinian civil resistance, which can be utilized by civil resisters in Palestine, Israel, and among international activists.
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with four experts in civil resistance in Israel-Palestine along with rigorous research into the perceptions of the Israeli and the Palestinian people about civil resistance. Most of the participants interviewed believed that civil resistance was the only way to end the Israeli occupation. Many strategic components including the Inside-out approach, conflict transformation, religious peacebuilding, Israeli and Palestinian youth engagement, Palestinian unity, and the replicability of civil resistance actions were endorsed by all participants; all of whom also had little support for current Palestinian and Israeli leadership.
It was also often difficult for participants to envision anything except the current paradigm under occupation. Civil resistance actions and leadership, both within and outside of the region, should emerge, but this should not be dictated from the outside. Developing a Palestinian grand strategy should be an integrative, centralized and decentralized process that is genuine to Palestinian needs and aspirations
Mandated Literacy Curricula: Teachers’ Perceptions of Fundations in the K-3 Classroom
No full textThis research explores Kindergarten through third grade teachers’ perceptions of a district-mandated, phonics-based literacy program called Fundations. The researcher’s experience with Fundations, her practice as a classroom teacher, and her theoretical study led her to her research question: How do teachers perceive the Fundations curriculum to improve students’ reading ability? The researcher used informal interviews of a sampling of nine classroom teachers familiar with Fundations to gather her data. Teachers spoke to Fundations’ overall structure, how they believe children learn to read, their philosophies on children’s capacity to learn, their feelings about the teacher’s role and power, and the changing tides in education, such as Common Core and standardization, and how they have affected their teaching practice. Teachers’ responses illustrated their belief that Fundations is an individualized, ‘regurgitate-knowledge’ program. They spoke to its denial of critical thinking, collaborative or group work, and enthusiasm for learning. The researcher concludes that many teachers perceive Fundations to be somewhat effective as a spelling and decoding program. Additionally, teachers believe the power of the education designer to have shifted from the hands of the teacher to the hands of the so-called scientist. One could argue that this power shift perpetuates curricular uniformity, teachers as script-readers, ability-grouped students, and the continued development of an uncritical, individualized, and competitive working class. Further research could analyze the demography of schools in which Fundations is taught, which children of these schools benefit from the program, and in what ways they benefit
Learning How to Support Diversity in Study Abroad: Building Interdepartmental Relationships at the University of San Diego to Effectively Support Students of Diversity through the Study Abroad Experience
No full textThe objective of Capstone inquiry was to prepare University of San Diego Office of International Studies Abroad Advisors to better support students of diversity through the study abroad experience. Defined within this research as students with non-academic barriers to study abroad, diversity includes ethnically diverse, LGBTQ, veteran, low-income, first-generation, and differently-abled students. Three aspects of literature were explored to set a foundation for inquiry: current conversations surrounding identity, privilege, and microaggressions within the context of the United States; overseas experiences from minoritized students and recommendations within the education abroad community for supporting students of diversity; and Marcia B. Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship and the learning partnership model as a method of identity-inclusive learning. Building from this literature, the inquiry focused on establishing connections with professionals actively supporting students of diversity at the University of San Diego. Interviews with these professionals highlighted the primary barriers to study abroad, best practices for communication, and ways the Office of International Studies Abroad may improve practices to support their student population. The Capstone concludes with several practical recommendations for adjustments to advising within the Office of International Studies Abroad
Internationalizing Housing The internationalization plan for housing international students within the ten residential colleges at the University of California, Santa Cruz
No full textAbstract The objective of this capstone is to review the work being done at College Nine, one of the residential colleges within the University of California, Santa Cruz, in regards to integrating the international first-year students within the residential college housing system. The results of this review will be used to prepare the other residential colleges for an anticipated increase in international students which will take campus numbers beyond the capacity of College Nine. In doing this review, the author first explored current literature as it relates to both internationalization efforts and the experience of international students outside of the academic environment, which situated the work of internationalizing the holistic student experience within both bodies of research. From there, the author conducted focus groups with key individuals at College Nine about the work already occurring in their area. The interview was able to identify three key models of housing used at College Nine, and by reviewing surveys, applications, demographics, and research done on international students who had lived in those different models over the last three-years, was able to draw key links as to how each of those models impacted the experience of international students who lived there. The author also conducted focus groups with key staff at other colleges to identify their current plans, thoughts, intentions, and hesitations in preparing their colleges for the student increase, which allowed the author to identify both where the other colleges currently were within their internationalization efforts as well as to identify a plan for them to move forward. The author concludes with several practical recommendations for the other colleges to in terms of their own internationalization efforts, as well as ways that College Nine could continue their work
Environmental Law in Madagascar: The Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resource Use, Access and Benefit Sharing
Get PDFThe rapid expansion of the biosciences has led many to turn to nature in search of genetic resources of commercial value. Bioprospecting, or the search for plants and animals from which commercially valuable compounds can be obtained, is often a transnational activity. Four-fifths of the world’s biodiversity is found in developing countries, and those searching to exploit the biodiversity of these nations overwhelmingly tend to come from developed, wealthy countries. This asymmetry, when coupled with the lack of institutional legislative frameworks and regulation, creates a plethora of user/host conflicts. This paper seeks to examine the current state of affairs regarding environmental law in Madagascar as it relates to management of bioprospecting and genetic resource use conflicts. Firstly, it will examine international and domestic environmental law – with an emphasis on the recently ratified Convention on Biodiversity and the Nagoya Protocol. Secondly, non-governmental contractual agreements between local and foreign entities will be examined, with an emphasis on the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group as a case study. The study will conclude with suggestions, warnings, and potential future research opportunities
Sense of Place and The Australian Landscape in Poems and Photographs
No full textThis paper discusses the process, finished product and conceptual findings of my creative exploration of sense of place within landscapes in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. The creative piece yielded by this exploration takes the form of an ebook, titled “The Land that Made Us Human”. The book compiles photographs and original poems that are meant to reflect the natural environment’s intrinsic value. This book is intended to promote sustainability by demonstrating the ways in which the human condition is integrally tied to and shaped by landscape. By highlighting these aspects and capacities of the natural environment through images and poetry, the creative piece expresses an importance for the protection of landscapes.
I engaged with the local landscapes by immersing myself in them and keenly observing natural forms, processes and wildlife. I also observed the interactions of others with the local landscapes. In addition to observation, the works of Australian writers and photographers also informed my creative piece. I used my observations to draft original poems that reference the local ecology and culture to convey sense of place. The other portion of the creative piece is composed of original photographs that I took with a digital SLR Canon Rebel Xsi camera. I used Adobe Photoshop CS6 to edit these images. The finished poems and images were compiled in a software Bookwright that allowed me to upload and publish the book to a website called Blurb. The completed ebook will be available to download from Blurb’s online bookstore.
The images and poems in the book are meant to be collaborative in visually and verbally representing a variety of experiences in a wide range of landscapes. Many of the poems in the book are supported by the images immediately surrounding them in order to demonstrate the desired tone and feeling for the particular landscape. The book addresses both Aboriginal and colonial cultures through the use of allusions and references. The sustainability message of this piece is stated in blatant terms in an introduction preceding the creative work, making it more accessible to readers. Through the process of creating this book, I found the mediums of photography and poetry to be effective communication tools for promoting sustainability, that appeal to subjective and emotional human responses. I also found these mediums offer many further opportunities to promote sustainability. These projects may take the form of more specifically themed electronic or print photography and poetry books, a blog or exhibition