Kauno žydų atminties vietos ir jų reikšmė vietos žydų bendruomenei

The article examines the places of memory of Kaunas City Jews, their forms, the commemorated events and people. The significance of the sites under analysis, the functions they implement and the stories they tell are also being considered. Moreover, the article presents the views of the current Jewish community in Kaunas towards those sites, both the commemoration process itself and the meaning the places of memory represent. The places are divided into several groups: commemorative plaques, monuments/memorials, street names, and street art. The groups fall into two broader categories: pre- and post-Holocaust. This allows the research to reveal what kind of memory of Kaunas Jews is created through the creation of memory places in the city.Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos Kauno žydų atminties vietos, jų formos, prisimenami įvykiai ir žmonės. Svarstoma, kokios reikšmės turi ir kokias funkcijas mieste atlieka tyrinėtos vietos, kokias istorijas pasakoja. Taip pat siekiama ištirti, kaip į Kauno žydų atminties ir ją įprasminančių materialių vietų kūrimą žvelgia vietos žydų bendruomenė. Straipsnyje išskiriamos skirtingos atminties vietų grupės: atminimo lentos, paminklai / memorialai, gatvių pavadinimai, gatvės menas. Šios grupės suskirstytos į iki Holokausto ir po Holokausto laikotarpio tematikos vietas. Tai tyrime leidžia atskleisti, kokia Kauno žydų atmintis yra formuojama pasitelkiant atminties vietų kūrimą mieste

Exploring the Religious Identity of Dalits through the Lens of Religious Conversion

The paper examines the role of religion among Dalits in India, especially focusing on Dalit religious conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism. It is based on a case study of Dalit conversion in Shabbirpur village in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In line with the existing research on Dalit conversions, this paper shows that Dalit conversion in Shabbirpur serves not merely as a religious but also as a political and social strategy of Dalits through which they try to negotiate their caste identity. For Dalits, conversion means a resistance to caste oppression as well as assertion of divergent religious identity from the majoritarian Hindu identity. While exploring the Dalit religious identity following their conversion in Shabbirpur, the paper challenges the prevailing notion that religious conversion simply denotes a transfer of religious affiliation. Instead, it elucidates that Dalit religious conversion is a social process wherein Dalits’ transition from one religion to another devoid of a fundamental spiritual transformation. Through this case study, I argue that there exists a continuation of the past and present spiritual affiliation which involves hybridization of religious practice, fusing worship of Ravidas with a new Buddhist identity. Interestingly, this syncretization is not unintentional. It is a conscious attempt to keep both pre-and post-converted religious traits as part of their re-invented socio-religious identity

Pilietinis pasipriešinimas Lietuvoje: kaip reklamos kampanijų strategiją įgyvendina Krašto apsaugos ministerija?

The rapidly changing global security environment necessitates a reassessment of the concept of total defense, in which, the society plays a key role alongside the Lithuanian Armed Forces and allied forces in collective defense. Many modern threats to state security, such as information warfare, target the public’s will to resist. As a response, civil resistance has emerged as a critical tool to address these challenges. Its essential components include resilience, civic will, and knowledge with practical skills. Recognizing the growing importance of civil resistance, the Republic of Lithuania’s Strategy for Preparing Citizens for Civil Resistance was approved in September 2023. Coordinated by the Ministry of National Defense, this strategy aims to equip the public with the necessary information and tools to foster societal readiness. Lithuania’s historical examples of successful civil resistance serve as valuable references for shaping communication strategies to engage the public. In the field of security studies, civil resistance is a prominent research topic, analyzed as a vital element of the security policy. A key issue arises how the Ministry of National Defense, as the primary coordinator of civil resistance efforts, leverages the advertising campaign strategies to effectively implement the strategy’s goals and how it engages society in collective defense.Saugumo situacija pasaulyje sparčiai kinta, todėl kinta ir poreikis iš naujo peržvelgti visuotinės gynybos sampratą. Vienas iš pagrindinių gynybos elementų yra visuomenė, kuri kolektyvinės gynybos atveju veiktų drauge su Lietuvos kariuomene bei sąjungininkų pajėgomis. Dauguma valstybės saugumui keliančių pavojų šiuolaikinių grėsmių, tokių kaip informacinis karas, pirmiausia orientuotos į visuomenės valios priešintis menkinimą, nes pilietinis pasipriešinimas – viena iš priemonių šiuolaikinėms grėsmėms atremti. Pagrindiniai pilietinio pasipriešinimo elementai yra atsparumas, pilietinė valia bei žinios ir įgūdžiai.Išaugus pilietinio pasipriešinimo svarbai, 2023 m. rugsėjo mėn. patvirtina LR „Piliečių rengimo pilietiniam pasipriešinimui strategija“, kurios įgyvendinimą koordinuoja Krašto apsaugos ministerija. Ši institucija perduoda svarbią informaciją plačiajai visuomenės daliai. Žvelgiant iš Lietuvos istorinės perspektyvos, turime sėkmingų pilietinio pasipriešinimo pavyzdžių, galinčių pasitarnauti formuojant komunikacines žinutes visuomenei. Mokslinių darbų ir tyrimų kontekste pilietinio pasipriešinimo temai daug dėmesio skiriama saugumo studijų tyrimuose, kuriuose pilietinis pasipriešinimas nagrinėjamas kaip vienas iš saugumo politikos elementų. Taigi kyla probleminis klausimas – kokią reklamos kampanijų strategiją taiko Krašto apsaugos ministerija, kuri yra pagrindinė šios temos koordinatorė pilietinio pasipriešinimo strateginiams uždaviniams įgyvendinti

Išorinės komunikacijos svarba stiprinant sporto organizacijos ir jos suinteresuotųjų grupių ryšius: Kauno tinklinio mėgėjų lygos atvejis

In order to get closer to the fans, to gain more public attention, and to increase the popularity of the sport, sports organisations inevitably have to focus on external communication. Increased visibility often leads to a wider range of financial supporters, while increased funding also allows the sport organisation itself to grow. Kaunas Amateur Volleyball League (KAVL), as an active sports organisation, faces challenges in reaching its audience – both participants and spectators – therefore it is necessary to identify the existing problems in the organisation’s external communication and to identify ways to improve it.The effectiveness of KAVL’s external communication on the League’s Facebook account and website was analysed by means of quantitative and qualitative content analysis and a questionnaire survey. The analysis showed that KAVL provides a lot of detailed information about the upcoming events as well as results, publishes a high amount of news, keeps the information up-to-date, but the posts are irregular, with numerous errors and low user engagement. The website was found to be rich in information, but its design is outdated and unattractive.The article concludes that KAVL needs to pay more attention to the quality of the presentation of information and the interaction on social networks with the followers and fans. Also, the lack of a content calendar results in inconsistent communication within KAVL. A posting schedule would allow for a systematic planning of when and which posts to publish, and an update of the website would also contribute to improving the overall image of the League and would help to attract a larger audience of fans.Siekdamos priartėti prie gerbėjų, gauti daugiau visuomenės dėmesio ir didinti sporto šakos masiškumą, sporto organizacijos neišvengiamai turi skirti daug dėmesio išorinei komunikacijai. Didesnis matomumas neretai lemia platesnį finansinių rėmėjų ratą, o didesnis finansavimas sporto organizacijai leidžia stiprėti. Kauno tinklinio mėgėjų lyga (KTML), kaip aktyvi sporto organizacija, susiduria su iššūkiais pasiekti savo auditoriją – tiek dalyvius, tiek žiūrovus, todėl būtina nustatyti organizacijos išorinės komunikacijos problemas ir šios komunikacijos tobulinimo būdus.Pasitelkus komunikacijos kanalų turinio kiekybinės ir kokybinės analizės metodus ir atlikus anketinę apklausą, analizuotas KTML išorinės komunikacijos veiksmingumas lygos paskyroje socialiniame tinkle „Facebook“ ir interneto svetainėje. Analizė atskleidė, kad KTML pateikia daug išsamios informacijos apie būsimus renginius, rezultatus, skelbia daug naujienų, informacija nuolat atnaujinama, tačiau įrašai keliami nereguliariai, juose daroma nemažai klaidų, vartotojų įsitraukimas mažas. Svetainėje daug informacijos, tačiau jos dizainas pasenęs ir nepatrauklus.Straipsnyje konstatuojama, kad KTML būtina skirti daugiau dėmesio informacijos pateikimo kokybei, bendravimui socialiniuose tinkluose su žiūrovais ir gerbėjais. KTML komunikacija nenuosekli, nes nėra turinio kalendoriaus. Įrašų grafikas leistų sistemingai planuoti, kada ir kokius įrašus publikuoti, o svetainės atnaujinimas prisidėtų ir prie bendrojo lygos įvaizdžio gerinimo, leistų pritraukti gausesnę gerbėjų auditoriją

Legal Opium Farming in India: Historical and Ethnographic Perspectives

This chapter explores legal opium farming in Madhya Pradesh, India, by focusing on legal opium farmers and the complexities of their profession. The chapter is divided into three parts. An historical overview of opium cultivation and consumption in India shows that, throughout centuries, the opium plant has been used in many different ways, including medicinal, recreational, and ritual purposes. The second part focuses on how the Indian government regulates opium cultivation and consumption. In 1985 a still valid bill was passed by the Indian government regulating contemporary opium cultivation, possession, sale, purchasing, transport, and storage. Regulation of this psychotropic substance is outdated and poorly functioning, while the number of illicit drug use or possession cases has only increased in recent years (Mehrotra 2021; Sharma et al. 2017). The third part of the chapter analyses ethnographic data (interviews, photographs and fieldwork observations) gathered in two villages in Madhya Pradesh in August 2021 and February 2022. Farmers not only explained the traditional processes of opium cultivation and the meaning they attribute to opium, but they also shared what problems they were facing in their work, most of which are related to unclear or burdensome Government policies on opium cultivation and the increasing attractiveness of the black market

Recognising the contents in digitised financial documents

The necessity of content recognition in digital documents is everincreasing in the financial sector. Extracted data is used for fundamental analysis, modelling and portfolio selection. In the most prominent markets, there is a wide array of available sources to obtain the data, such as SEC filings easily. However, it is not so in markets with less investor interest, such as the CEE region or Latin America. Often, the only sources containing the data are primary reports by the company itself. Scarce secondary sources may provide data of dubious reliability. This leads to an excessive workload for analysts, implying the necessity to adapt existing intelligent methods for processing financial data

Comparative Evaluation of Speech-to- Text Models for Lithuanian Transcription: Effects of Audio Formats and Recording Environments

This study evaluates the performance of various speech-to-text models for Lithuanian transcription, focusing on how audio formats and recording environments affect their accuracy. Among the models tested, Google’s Chirp-2 demonstrated the highest accuracy under optimal conditions. However, its performance declined with increased playback speeds and in environments with significant background noise, highlighting the importance of controlled recording conditions for effective deployment of STT systems in realworld applications

Revoliucinė dora: Maximilieno Robespierre’o išpažinta (anti)religija Prancūzijos revoliucijos metu

The aim of this paper is to gain insight into Maximilien Robespierre’s (1758–1794) religious consciousness. He, like his fellow and enemy revolutionaries, lived in a world where it was more understandable to be religious than to not to be. With the outbreak of the French Revolution, it can be seen that Robespierre used religious or religiously subtextual signs in his rhetoric. While scholars have noted that Robespierre established the Cult of Supreme Being, it is evident that his faith was prominently more multifaceted and nuanced. An analysis of his rhetoric reveals the presence of an authentic personal faith, which he leveraged to combat his political enemies, justify revolutionary violence, and advance the goals of the French Revolution.Pagrindinis šio teksto rūpestis – bandyti suprasti Maximilieno Robespierre’o (1758–1794) religinę sąmonę Prancūzijos revoliucijos metu. Jis, kaip ir jo bendražygiai bei priešai revoliucionieriai, gyveno pasaulyje, kuriame buvo suprantamiau būti religingam nei nebūti. Robespierre’o retorikoje nuo Prancūzijos revoliucijos pradžios galima aptikti religinius simbolius ar religines potekstes atspindinčių motyvų. Nors dauguma tyrėjų pažymi, kad Robespierre’as įsteigia Aukščiausiosios Būtybės tikėjimą, atliekant tyrimą tampa akivaizdu, kad Robespierre’o tikėjimas buvo daug įvairiapusiškesnis ir niuansuotesnis. Išanalizavus jo retoriką, galima identifikuoti autentišką asmens tikėjimą, kuriuo jis naudojosi kovodamas su politiniais priešais, legitimizuojant revoliucinį smurtą ir nurodant Prancūzijos revoliucijos tikslą

Neurotechnology and neural rights

Neurotechnology, which includes a range of devices and procedures that interact directly with the human nervous system, has become a pioneering field with the potential to revolutionize medicine, communication and human development. The rapid progress and constant development poses complex serious ethical and legal challenges. Especially, with regard to human rights such as mental privacy and cognitive freedom. The paper explores the definition and examples of neurotechnologies and its applications, their impact on cognitive behavior and emotions, the human rights they affect, and the emerging concept of neural rights. Existing systems are analyzed through a legal lens and the need to balance between innovation and ethical imperatives is sought