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Sembrando el cambio: agroecología cuencana y paradigmas del desarrollo
No full textDurante mi tiempo en Cuenca, tuve la oportunidad de observar varios modelos de producción agroecológica: primero con el Proyecto de Agricultura Urbana (PAU) donde tienen dos granjas que producen comida para poblaciones vulnerables de Cuenca, y segundo con una familia perteneciente a la Asociación de Productores Agroecológicos del Austro (APAAUSTRO), que cultiva para la subsistencia y vende los alimentos extras. Analizo la historia y la estructura de estos tipos de producción, contextualizándolas en el proyecto y la política del desarrollo “convencional” y la Revolución Verde. Exploro cómo difieren de lo que tradicionalmente se considera el desarrollo, por virtud de varios elementos, y la posibilidad de un camino diferente del “desarrollo” que ahora se encuentra en esta región. Este modelo incluye varios avances y retos en cuanto a la soberanía alimentaria y las economías tanto locales como nacionales. Las iniciativas de agroecología citadas aquí siguen cambiándose y expandiéndose, y sus trayectorias dependen de varios factores. Juntas, representan una cara de la agroecología y el desarrollo ecológico que tiene el potencial de revolucionar (socialmente y logísticamente) el paradigma tradicional de la “sustentabilidad.
La búsqueda de una agenda en común: Una mirada feminista a las organizaciones LGBTI en Nicaragua
No full textIn the global context, we are amidst a rapidly changing rights landscape for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) as more and more governments begin to recognize same-gender partnerships. This gain in LGBT rights worldwide is in no small part to the political organizing and lobbying done by LGBT-rights organizations. Nicaragua’s history with gaining LGBT rights is relatively new, as the government did not repeal the anti-sodomy law here until 2008, thus stagnating the fight for acceptance in the country. As it stands, Nicaragua has a few legal protections for LGBT people, but they continue to face discrimination in almost every facet of their lives: at health centers, police stations, schools, in the workplace and on the streets. In an effort to understand Nicaragua’s place within this changing world, I look at the country’s political sexual diversity movement to understand which challenges have prevented Nicaragua from securing more rights for LGBT people. Findings show that the number of LGBT rights organizations in Nicaragua is growing steadily, but the movement as a whole remains disunited and fractured. This division is fractured along gender lines as many autonomous groups, namely lesbian groups and trans groups, feel larger groups are controlled by gay men. In failing to address problems of machismo within LGBT organizing spaces, the movement remains fractured and limited in terms of its ability to organize effectively on a national level.
Es difícil ser gay; es difícil ser lesbiana; es difícil ser transgénero. Para personas de la diversidad sexual, odio por su identidad es parte de la vida. Ellos han enfrentando un montón de discriminación que impide su participación en la sociedad. “La sociedad rechaza lo que no conoce,” diga una mujer lesbiana. Esto es la carga 1 de la vida LGBT no solo aquí, pero en todo el mundo. La historia del maltrato y la violencia contra personas de la diversidad sexual es larga y universal. Pero, en años recientes, hemos visto un rápido crecimiento en el movimiento mundial de los derechos humanos para personas LGBT (lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, y personas transgénero)2. Antes de 2001 cuando Holanda permitió el matrimonio entre personas del mismo género, no había ningún país en el mundo donde las personas LGBT recibían este derecho. Sin embargo, ahora el matrimonio igualitario es un derecho para las personas en 21 países, y tres países más ya están en el proceso de legalizar el matrimonio entre personas del mismo género.3 No obstante, no significa que estos cambios hayan llegado a todo el mundo. Es un movimiento con un crecimiento desigual. Hay 5 países donde la homosexualidad todavía está condenada con la pena de muerte y otros 70 donde es ilegal ser gay, lesbiana o transgénero.4 En general, los sociológicos dicen que América Latina ha incrementado su reconocimiento de derechos para personas de la diversidad sexual a un ritmo igual, o a veces más rápido, que los países de Europa Occidental y de América Norte, regiones donde usualmente se ven a sí mismos como más abiertos y más progresivos que otras regiones del mundo. De hecho, en 2014 el New York Times declaró que América Latina se adelantó a los Estados Unidos y Europa Occidental en 1 Zúniga, Silvia. Coordinadora de la División de Mujeres para la IDSDH. Entrevista Grupa. 10 de Noviembre, 2015. Hotel Mozonte, Managua. 2 Refiere a Apéndice 1 para las definiciones de “lesbiana, gay, bisexual, transgénero y intersex” 3 “The Freedom to Marry Internationally.” Freedom to Marry. 26 junio, 2015. 4 Buchanan, Rose Troup. “Where are the most dangerous places to be gay?” The Independent. 30 de junio, 2015. !2 el terreno de derechos humanos de personas en la diversidad sexual, y tenía razón.5 En 2008, Ecuador aprobó la segunda constitución en el mundo que prohíbe explícitamente la discriminación de la identidad de género6, la orientación sexual, y la condición de tener VIH. Un año después, Uruguay legalizó uniones civiles, y en 2010 Argentina se legalizó el matrimonio igualitario y la adopción para parejas del mismo género.7
Assessment of Coral Health and Fish diversity in the Fringing Reefs of Porvenir Island and Korbisky Island, Guna Yala, Panama
Get PDFCoral reefs are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, serving as important habitats to millions of organisms; however, they are disappearing at alarming rates. The major influences causing their decline are the combined effects of global climate change and increased industrialization, urbanization, and agriculture. Previous studies have correlated high coral coverage with high fish diversity; therefore, as coral reefs disappear, so too does fish diversity. This study assesses the health of the fringe reefs of Porvenir Island and Korbisky Island in Guna Yala, Panama by recording the live coral, bleached coral, diseased coral, and algae cover of each reef and recording all fish species seen within 1m to the right of the transect. Ten 15x1m belt transects were taken at the Porvenir fringe reef and set 5m apart and parallel to the shoreline, and five 15x1m belt transects were taken at the Korbisky fringe reef. There is significantly more live coral coverage in the Porvenir reef than the Korbisky reef (p=0.0213, df=223, t=-2.04); however, the Korbisky reef is more diverse (Korbisky reef: H=2.212; Porvenir reef: H=2.060). Additionally, there is no difference in the diseased coral coverage and bleached coral coverage between the two reefs (Bleached: p=0.398, df=223, t=+0.26; Diseased: p=0.0924, df=223, t=+1.33). Based on these results, we can conclude that live coral cover, diseased coral cover, and bleached coral cover do not play a role in fish diversity because the Porvenir fringe reef has more live coral coverage, but less fish diversity than the Korbisky fringe reef
GLOW: Planning An Azerbaijani Girls\u27 Leadership Camp
No full textGLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camp was first established by a group of Peace Corps Volunteers in Romania in 1995. Since then GLOW has grown to over 60 countries, where Peace Corps Volunteers serve, to promote the empowerment of women. In Azerbaijan, GLOW Camp is a week-long summer camp for 48 girls, ages 14-16 years old, who come from all across the country. The camp’s goals include promoting gender equality, empowering young women in setting goals, developing leadership capacity, and building self-esteem and confidence.
This CLC Capstone is a reflection of the researcher’s time as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer serving as co-director of GLOW Camp in 2014. It asks the question of how can the camp’s nine-month planning process be strengthened while improving host country national participation. To build on the researcher’s personal reflections the paper includes data from camp surveys conducted the prior year, observations made of Peace Corps Volunteers and host country national committee members, and article findings on similar youth leadership camps. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Peace Corps Youth Development program in Azerbaijan was closed (as of December 2014, Peace Corps is no longer operating in Azerbaijan) and camp was cancelled. In conclusion, this paper summarizes what the next possible steps for GLOW will be while operating without the presence of Peace Corps
Faculty Knowledge of the Purposes and Processes of Short-Term Faculty Led Study Abroad
Get PDFAre the faculty leaders of short-term international study abroad programs aware of what is necessary to facilitate the best outcomes for their students? Are faculty members aware of established purpose and processes for international education and specifically short-term programs? Open Doors reported in 2014 that the percentage of undergraduate students in the United States participating in an international experience has more than doubled since 2000 but this is still less than 10 percent of the total number of undergraduates in the United States. In 2014, 60.3 percent of students participating in an international experience did so in a short-term faculty led course. Recently, the Institute of International Education announced its commitment to a new five-year initiative, “Generation Study Abroad”, with the goal of having 600,000 students studying abroad by the 2017-2018 academic year. With the majority of students choosing short-term programs and the expectation of continued growth of these programs, faculty leaders need to be aware of smart practices in the field of international education. Faculty members around the United States participated in an online survey with questions designed to determine their knowledge of the purpose of international education, as well as knowledge of suggested smart practices. The results show that faculty leaders are aware of some aspects of international education but overall awareness of the need to use experiential learning as a cornerstone for curriculum for these programs is lacking. To assure the best possible outcomes for students participating in short-term faculty led programs, training for faculty leaders on smart practices will facilitate the creations of graduates ready to participate as global citizens.
Keywords: experiential learning, study abroad, smart practices, purpos
“I’ve Taken My Own Power”: Insights into women’s empowerment and its effectiveness in different NGOs in Cape Town
Get PDFThe research outlined in this study examines different views on women’s empowerment in Cape Town, South Africa. Although a new Constitution and a new democracy promises equal opportunities for men and women, vast inequalities can still be seen throughout most of the country, with the city of Cape Town being no exception. There are numerous non-government organizations in Cape Town, most working towards what they call “the empowerment of South African women.” But what does empowerment mean for the workers and volunteers within these NGOs? The three participants in this study all belong to different organizations in the Cape Town area, therefore offering a variety of perspectives of women’s empowerment. Interviews were used to gather the information needed for this study, and sampled were women from different walks of life as well as belonging to different organizations. From these interviews, I was able to understand what exactly women’s empowerment means in South Africa and why a need for it exists as well. My findings and conclusions of my study suggest that while the Constitution of the new South Africa demands equality for all genders, South Africa actually falls short of this goal. The NGOs sampled in this study find that there exists now more than ever a need for empowerment due to rising numbers of sexual violence and vast economic inequalities. Also, it was found that the government does need seem to be providing the adequate resources for the funding of women’s empowerment. The legislation exists, but the implementation is not there. The findings of this study also show that women need various types of empowerment, as well as men need to be educated in the field of women’s empowerment in order to effect real change. This research hopes to provide insight into the complexities of women’s empowerment and how it functions in Cape Town today
Perceptions of Potable Water in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur and Barmer Districts
Get PDFThis paper looks at differences and similarities in various populations’ perceptions of safe drinking water (SDW) within Rajasthan (RJ), India, developing suggestions for future initiatives addressing the movement for safe drinking water for all. For this study, surveys were used; the survey was conducted in RJ, India, both in urban Jodhpur and in surrounding rural villages. To analyze the data, all the responses were entered into Excel format to discover patterns, themes and trends within four subtopics: access, storage, quality and cultural significance. The responses indicate that while a distinct water culture spans the geographic area, each different population retains perspectives and reports experiences unique to their specific socio-economic and geographic groupings. Greatest variance was seen in access between groups. Many reported being unsatisfied with their current water situation. Suggestions for addressing these inequities are discussed in the last section of the paper; Further action is needed on a larger scale to support target populations (TPs) and prevent further degradation of the environment, which is exacerbating issues surrounding SDW. It is necessary for governments to empower grass-roots intervention involving SDW as well as better address macro environmental concerns in order to be successful in this endeavor
The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities: An analysis of the effectiveness of advocacy methods for achieving policy goals
No full textThis paper assesses the advocacy campaign to oppose proposed House Bill 5193 in the Connecticut State Legislative Session. This campaign was organized by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the state governmental agency with the statutory responsibility to end discrimination in the state through education, advocacy, and enforcement strategies.
This paper follows the campaign against the proposed bill that would allow insurance companies to deny critical treatment for gender dysphoria to transgender individuals in Connecticut. This paper analyzes how the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities strategized to block the proposed bill from becoming state law. Because of the success of the campaign, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities can move forward in its mission to end discrimination and move on to its next objectives for the 2016 Legislative Session.
Keywords: Civil Rights, LGBT, Transgender, Law, Advocacy, Governmen
Culture and Cognition: The role culture plays in cognitive development in rural Tanzania
Get PDFThis capstone paper examines the perceived difference of cognition in a Tanzanian classroom. It also examines the effects culture has on cognition. It aims to answer the questions: What role does Tanzanian culture play in shaping the cognitive skills of its children? And, from an American trainers perspective, within an experiential learning environment, what cognitive differences are perceived in abstract thinking, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving? Nine American trainers, one Tanzanian trainer, and one Tanzanian student participated in my study. Each participant filled out a questionnaire geared toward understanding their training methods and perceptions of participant\u27s skills and abilities. After receiving all questionnaires, four in-depth interviews were conducted to further understand themes that emerged. Once the interviews were coded and combined with the data from the questionnaire seven principal themes were pulled from the material. These themes were then used to explore and gain a deeper understanding of how the Tanzanian culture shapes perceived cognitive differences between their culture and a Western one. The data found that gender roles and age within a training session affect the participation of students in an experiential learning environment. They also uncovered other interesting aspects of the Tanzanian culture that play roles in shaping the cognitive development of its people, such as, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the nature of a collectivistic cultures, and the formal Tanzanian school system
STEP RIGHT UP! : Using Circus Arts in Youth Peacebuilding Programs
No full textThis paper is the culmination of my work with children as part of a traveling circus, and lays out a potential youth peacebuilding program using circus arts. After a brief introduction to the circus and its history, it examines why circus themes are positive options and examples, due to their iconic presence that is deeply rooted in our culture. Next, this piece examines current youth programs that use the circus as a theme. Subsequently, it characterizes various circus arts and how use in youth programs can be beneficial, especially pertaining to a youth peacebuilding program. The various circus arts that are described are: trapeze, aerials (lyra and silks), tumbling, trampoline, clowning, cycling, tightrope high wire walking, hand balancing, rhythmic gymnastics, dance, and animal training. This paper also outlines the integration of non-circus arts activities that can be adapted to assist a circus theme. It discusses how post-conflict zone youth can gain enrichment and empowerment through these circus arts. Finally, it concludes with a potential schedule for a youth peacebuilding program and how it could be adapted for various organizations