Street Arts Festival Mostar: Curatorial agency, spatial transformation and artpeace formation

Artpeace represents a conceptual framing of the synergy between the arts and peacemaking, as well as a methodological strategy for addressing war and political conflict through the arts. Developing the concept of artpeace , this book investigates how local art projects in seven locations across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America have played a role in broader national peace projects.These essays bring together peace and conflict scholarship and arts-based studies of social movements in conflict-affected societies to examine the how the arts could offer an opportunity to shape peace processes in emancipatory ways. And it examines the blockages that, at times, prevent them from making a tangible difference to the variations of peace being designed.</p

How participation can contribute to stronger democracies and sustainable development

There are increasing global challenges to existing systems of representative democracy including from growing authoritarianism, closing of civic space and erosion of democratic systems and structures, leading to an upsurge of initiatives in the UK calling for 'more democracy' with greater and deeper citizen participation. At the same time, environmental and social crises have worsened, despite earlier commitments to integrated sustainable development, with further challenges to democracy.My thesis reflects on the findings of six of my published works on the intersections of citizen participation, democracy and sustainable development in the UK. My particular contribution to knowledge lies in the breadth of my work identifying the synergies in initiatives responding to these three major global challenges, and in the breadth of participatory action in a range of different spaces, levels and places of power analysed in my publications, particularly collective community action; deliberative public dialogue; and the role of voluntary and community organisations. The thesis places my research and publications within wider contemporary thinking and social theory, critically engaging with concepts of community, place and locality in participation in democracy and sustainable development, and the challenges of conflict, consensus and legitimacy within that participation. It also reflects on the interrelationships between theory and practice throughout the development of my work and in this field.The thesis concludes that, rather than what are sometimes seen as inherent contradictions between participation, democracy and sustainable development, they can be mutually reinforcing, with deeper participation strengthening democracy and sustainable development. It also concludes that, rather than a linear progression over time involving Kuhnian paradigm shifts, the contribution of participation to democracy and sustainable development is better understood as a continually evolving 'ecosystem of participation' which includes earlier forms of participation in many places and levels which are still developing, alongside new forms and processes which continue to emerge.</p

The impacts of reforming agricultural policy support on cereal prices: a CGE modeling approach

PurposeThis paper investigates the effects of the total abolition of all forms of agricultural subsidies to producers and border tariffs on the prices of staple cereals.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the GTAP global economy-wide model and focus on 27 countries and 8 regions. The GTAP database that is used contains information on budgetary transfers to producers and market price support such as domestic price support, tariffs, export subsidies, quotas on exports or imports and other border measures.FindingsThe removal of subsidies is estimated to significantly increase the prices of wheat and other cereal grains in Japan, paddy rice in Malaysia and Indonesia, processed rice in Malaysia and Indonesia and wheat in Brazil and India. When border tariffs are removed, cereal prices are projected to fall in several countries, but the decline is more pronounced for wheat in Kenya and Japan, other cereal grains in South Korea and all staples in Nepal.Research limitations/implicationsThe alternative scenarios on the removal of agricultural subsidies in all agricultural sectors and the elimination of border tariffs are purely speculative as the analysis ignores important political economy considerations of agricultural and food policy reforms.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study point to the importance of implementing additional policy measures to mitigate the possible negative effect of repurposing the support to agriculture and ensure the food security and welfare of those categories of buyers who heavily depend on the price of staple food for their livelihoods.Social implicationsThis study’s findings confirm that the elimination of agricultural subsidies would impact global food security directly by making staple food less affordable to the poorest and indirectly by decreasing the available household budget for other presumably more nutritious food groups. Consequently, it is expected that these price increases could make segments of the world population poorer, particularly the net-food buyers due to a decline in their real income.Originality/valueThe authors assess the impact of removing the subsidies on the economy in a comprehensive way, particularly given the recent policy focus on net zero emissions and Sustainable Development Goals that include healthy foods. The authors also consider the counter effects of tariff reduction on this, which is price-reducing.</p

The “stiff-necked parson” and the “stiff-necked” state: religious freedom and the protection of State power and authority

Constitutions are meant to endure, providing both stability and adaptability. Their public legitimacy depends on the ability of the courts and other interpreters to get this balance right. Why, then, has Canada’s constitution – only four decades old – produced so many surprises?Canada’s Surprising Constitution investigates unexpected interpretations of the Constitution Act, 1982 by the courts. In this illuminating collection of essays, leading scholars reflect on these surprising interpretations, focusing on fundamental freedoms; equality, Aboriginal, and language rights; structural features of the Charter; as well as the courts’ approach to the interpretation of the Constitution.The public legitimacy of the Constitution requires that it be seen as both relevant, as circumstances change, but also true to the values it embodies. The responsibility for getting this balance right lies not only with judges but also with legislatures, executives, scholars, advocates, and public interest organizations. The thoughtful work of this volume is crucial in identifying, accounting for, and – looking ahead – anticipating potential surprises. Its thorough analysis also offers a view of the Constitution in action.This wide-ranging collection will appeal to legal scholars and is essential reading for constituional experts. It will also find an audience amoung academics in political science and Canadian history.</p

The territorial scope of Australia's unfair contract terms provisions

Section 23 of the Australian Consumer Law, which is Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), invalidates unfair terms in particular types of contract. Section 5(1) of the Act extends the application of the Australian Consumer Law to conduct outside Australia by (among others) corporations carrying on business within Australia. In Carnival plc v Karpik (Ruby Princess), the High Court of Australia held that section 5(1) applies to the unfair contract terms provisions without any further territorial limitation. The Court applied the provisions to a contract made in North America between a Canadian resident and a foreign company which was carrying on business in Australia through other transactions. This article investigates the territorial scope of the unfair contract terms provisions.</p

In the shadows of UNHCR'S data-fiction: an inconsistency framework and platform for humanitarian counter-narratives

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) often plays a state substitution role when national governments pass their responsibility to the organisation to administer the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. This means that UNHCR, rather than supervising the implementation of international refugee law by governments, becomes responsible for every aspect of refugees' lives, from refugee status determination to the realisation of the three durable solutions (local integration, repatriation, resettlement) within the governing framework of different rights and freedoms enlisted in the law. UNHCR's accountability towards refugees is primarily assessed through a fiscal lens. Local data are globally harnessed to present financial needs to donors to close the gap between the intent of the law and the experiences of those being quantified in data. Carefully refined and selected data are then disseminated across multiple digital media platforms to communicate whether the organisation's humanitarian response is worthwhile for external audiences (governments, donors, scholars, and the broader public) to evaluate. The impact of these efforts is measured as multi-billion-dollar funds spent every year. UNHCR's mediation of refugees' experiences through data has a broader impact than merely shaping how it produces and presents its content to audiences. It also influences algorithmic visibility, fostering a dominant digital narrative that is primarily shaped by the content produced and widely disseminated by UNHCR. My practice-led doctoral research project explores how digital media technologies, guided by the principles of digital humanities scholarship, can be utilised to identify and address instances of rights violations committed through UNHCR's direct and indirect actions or acts of omission. I reveal an overarching role of the humanitarian worker in today's digital age, the 'digital humanitarian', with a focus on their unique witnessing position that mediates and creates the link between first-hand experiences and the processed data. This, in turn, influences the narrative surrounding forcibly displaced persons in offline and online politics of UNHCR's humanitarian work. Taking an autoethnographic account as an ex-employee of UNHCR specialised in system design and data interpretation as my departure point, the written component of my research lays out systemic biases in UNHCR's data, with a genealogy of affiliations in the organisation's data production processes and structures (law, people, systems). For the practice component I propose a set of design criteria and a digital archival prototype that indexes errors, erasures, and simplifications as patterns of inconsistency between phenomena and their representation. I draw on the narratives of UNHCR staff as data creators, and on evidence provided in scholarship and by advocacy collectives. The prototype, functioning as an intermediate artifact akin to a minimum viable product, aims to establish a foundation to critically frame and address shortcomings and gaps in UNHCR's humanitarian actions and communication, and to strive towards a more accountable humanitarian system in the future.</p

Heatwave-like events affect drone production and brood-care behaviour in bumblebees

Climate change is currently considered one of the major threats to biodiversity and is associated with an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. Heatwaves create acutely stressful conditions that may lead to disruption in the performance and survival of ecologically and economically important organisms, such as insect pollinators. In this study, we investigated the impact of simulated heatwaves on the performance of queenless microcolonies of Bombus terrestris audax under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that heatwaves can have significant impacts on bumblebee performance. However, contrary to our expectations, exposure to heatwaves did not affect survival. Exposure to a mild 5-day heatwave (30–32 °C) resulted in increased offspring production compared to those exposed to an extreme heatwave (34–36 °C) and to the control group (24 °C). We also found that brood-care behaviours were impacted by the magnitude of the heatwave. Wing fanning occurred occasionally at temperatures of 30–32 °C, whereas at 34–36 °C the proportion of workers engaged in this thermoregulatory behaviour increased significantly. Our results provide insights into the effects of heatwaves on bumblebee colony performance and underscore the use of microcolonies as a valuable tool for studying the effects of extreme weather events. Future research, especially field-based studies replicating natural foraging conditions, is crucial to complement laboratory-based studies to comprehend how heatwaves compromise the performance of pollinators. Such studies may potentially help to identify those species more resilient to climate change, as well as those that are most vulnerable.</p

Developing a relational approach to energy demand: a methodological and conceptual guide

In a recent review of research on the role of social relations in shaping energy demand, authors documented increasing interest in relational approaches to energy [1]. Relational approaches to energy conceive of human behaviour as produced and reproduced by social relations and interactions, placing relationships at the centre of inquiry, as well as understanding these relationships in the context of infrastructure and the built environment. In this paper, we build on a relational approach in new economic sociology, and on our research project about the social relations of energy retrofit, to offer a methodological and conceptual guide to those working on energy demand topics. We detail the ontological and epistemological starting points of our relational approach, and articulate how research can be designed to capture the role of social relations in shaping decision-making on energy, as well as to offer innovative insights for policy-makers and practitioners. We use our experience in a research project on energy retrofit as a case study, reflecting on the practical aspects of this research approach to provide suggestions for research design for those interested in doing similar work. This includes defining key concepts and the way they interact in a conceptual framework for a relational approach to energy. We also offer some conceptually driven research questions as a starting point for energy research projects. We finish by discussing the potential for further application of these ideas in research, policy and practice.</p

Primate-canine comparisons on the Object Choice Task

Comparative assays of social cognition almost never match sampling, testing protocols, or task preparation across species. We conducted a meta-analysis of 71 studies with nonhuman primates and dogs which employed the Object Choice Task, a frequently used assay of the ability to comprehend deictic gestures, the results of which are widely used as the basis for theories positing human-unique socio-cognitive adaptations. Fully 91% of dogs had pre-experimental histories rich in human interaction, compared with 6% of nonhuman primates (N = 2534, p </p

Nectar and floral morphology differ in evolutionary potential in novel pollination environments

Plants can evolve rapidly after pollinator changes, but the response of different floral traits to novel selection can vary. Floral morphology is often expected to show high integration to maintain pollination accuracy, while nectar traits can be more environmentally sensitive. The relative role of genetic correlations and phenotypic plasticity (PP) in floral evolution remains unclear, particularly for nectar traits, and can be studied in the context of recent pollinator changes.Digitalis purpurea shows rapid recent evolution of corolla morphology but not nectar traits following a range expansion with hummingbirds added as pollinators. We use this species to compare PP, heritability, evolvability and integration of floral morphology and nectar in a common garden.Morphological traits showed higher heritability than nectar traits, and the proximal section of the corolla, which regulates access to nectar and underwent rapid change in introduced populations, presented lower integration than the rest of the floral phenotype. Nectar was more plastic than morphology, driven by highly plastic sugar concentration. Nectar production rate showed high potential to respond to selection.These results explain the differential rapid evolution of floral traits previously observed in this species and show how intrafloral modularity determines variable evolutionary potential in morphological and nectar traits.</p