From Tradition to Transition: Understanding the Driving Factors of Declining Use of Ethnomedicine for Livestock and Crops among the Indigenous Khasi People in Bangladesh

For centuries, Indigenous communities have relied on plants, herbs, and shrubs as primary sources of medicine for treating illnesses in both humans and animals. Despite the development and commercialisation of modern medicine, many Indigenous groups—such as the Khasi—continue to depend on traditional healing practices. This study examined current ethnomedicinal practices and the factors associated with the decline in their use in livestock and crop production among the Indigenous Khasi community in Bangladesh. This qualitative observational study was conducted from January to December 2021 in two Khasi villages. A total of 48 informal conversational interviews were conducted initially to build rapport, gain community access, and identify potential participants. Subsequently, 15 in‑depth interviews (IDIs) and five key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted using a purposive sampling strategy. All interviews were conducted in Bangla. Transcribed and translated textual data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that the Khasi continue to use ethnomedicine for livestock and crops due to its accessibility, availability, affordability, and sustainability. The study documented a range of traditional preparation methods—including crushing, chewing, and decoction—each associated with specific livestock ailments and corresponding plant parts. However, several factors contribute to the declining use of ethnomedicine, including the extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, depletion of therapeutic plants, the widespread commercialisation of modern medication, the adoption of modern education, and a reduction in the number of traditional healers. The study demonstrates that the safe and effective use of therapeutic plants can reduce cultivation costs, preserve natural resources, enhance biodiversity, and protect beneficial organisms essential for cultivation. Although ethnomedicine remains a vital component of Khasi cultural heritage, its long-term sustainability is at heightened risk. Revitalising these practices requires scientific validation, conservation of therapeutic plant species, and inclusive policy-making that meaningfully involves Indigenous communities. A co‑design approach with active participation of Khasi knowledge holders is crucial to the development for conservation policies. Adopting a multidisciplinary and multi‑institutional One Health approach may further strengthen shared values around ethnomedicine and optimise the use of natural and human resources in disease management

Life Against Deathworlds: Bangladesh’s July Charter 2025 and the Reconfiguration of Power

The July–August 2024 mass uprising in Bangladesh marked a definitive rupture in the nation’s political trajectory, culminating in the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s fifteen-year tenure. In the aftermath, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus initiated a profound restructuring of the state. Throughout 2025, this transition materialised through three interconnected processes: the dismantling of the previous regime\u27s ‘necropolitical’ apparatus of state-sponsored violence; the drafting of the July National Charter 2025 to overhaul the constitution; and the preparation for a historic joint general election and constitutional referendum. This perspective outlines how Bangladesh has navigated the transition from an authoritarian system characterised by severe human rights abuses to a nascent, reform-bound democracy, analysing the legal, electoral, and human dimensions of this ongoing transformation

Co-Building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society

In response to the current conflict in the Middle East—marked by mass civilian suffering, displacement, and technologically mediated warfare—my message is to affirm social work’s sole allegiance to humanity and to reject ideological partisanship to which we may be drawn based on our state, allegiance, and nation.  I draw on the philosophy of Harambee (“all pull together”). I see strengths-based practice as moral action: centring lived experience, protecting the most vulnerable despite political inconvenience, and resisting ethical paralysis amid institutional failure. I urge social workers globally to practice solidarity across borders, sustain collective care to counter moral injury, invest in the ethical formation of future practitioners, and collaborate across disciplines, cultures, and faiths.  This is a global message to professional social workers, a call to act.  

International Security Institutions: Current Challenges and Prospects for Reform

This study aims to identify problems that undermine the effectiveness of international security institutions in maintaining global peace and security, and to propose possible approaches to updating their protocols for action. The secondary goal of the study is to determine if the functions and powers of international security institutions account for modern threats to global security. The study looks into the performance of the following international organisations: the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Council of Europe (CoE), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) focusing on legal documents that have been regulating their decisions during 2014-2025. The study showed that 2014 became a turning point for the collective security system. A full-scale war that broke out in Europe exposed the lack of adequate responses from security organisations. The fact that participation in these organisations and international security agreements is voluntary and can be terminated at any time makes the entire system vulnerable. The likelihood of a strong member withdrawing not only weakens the collective security system but also disrupts the balance in global security. The existing paradoxes in the decision-making protocols contribute to the collapse of the collective security system. This problem can only be solved by completely eliminating the parties to the conflict from the decision-making process. The present findings can serve as a basis for further research in the field of collective and global security

Exploring the Role of Community Participation in Sustainable Ecotourism: A Systematic Review

Systematic reviews are crucial for comprehending conceptual development within academic disciplines. This study analyses the role of community participation in ecotourism by reviewing publications from 2009 to 2024, adhering to the PRISMA protocol. The objectives include evaluating previous advancements, assessing current knowledge, and identifying future directions in the field. Seventy-one journal articles were reviewed through predefined selection criteria, systematic database searches, and content analysis. The findings indicate a geographically diverse literature base, predominantly centred on Southeast and South Asia. The analysis shows that active community participation is essential for sustainable ecotourism, leading to better conservation outcomes, greater economic benefits, and stronger social cohesion. Persistent challenges impede meaningful engagement, including power imbalances, economic disparities, and inadequate equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. Resolving these issues necessitates clear communication and the development of capabilities and frameworks for inclusive governance. The review highlights the complexities involved in evaluating the broader impact of ecotourism on sustainable development despite notable successes

Institutional Gravity and the Limits of Crisis Leadership in Bangladesh

The political transition in Bangladesh between 2024 and 2026 provides an important case for examining the limits of crisis leadership within deeply embedded political systems. This editorial argues that the trajectory of the transition cannot be adequately understood through the actions or perceived shortcomings of individual leaders alone. Instead, it reflects the enduring influence of institutional embeddedness and party dominance within Bangladesh’s political structure. Drawing on the theoretical framework of democratic legitimacy—particularly the distinction between input, throughput, and output legitimacy—the analysis explores why the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus struggled to consolidate durable authority despite initial public trust. While the transitional leadership entered office with moral credibility among segments of the protest movement, it lacked an electoral mandate and encountered structural constraints that made establishing procedural and performance legitimacy difficult. The editorial further examines the role of Bangladesh’s deeply embedded party system, including the Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and the re-emergence of Islamist political actors such as Jamaat-e-Islami, to demonstrate how political institutions retain resilience even during periods of upheaval. The fate of the July Charter of 2025 illustrates the broader gap between civic aspiration and institutional capacity. Comparative references to recent political crises in Pakistan and Sri Lanka suggest that such patterns are characteristic of transitional politics in South Asia more broadly. Ultimately, the transition reveals the gravitational pull of entrenched political structures: despite widespread public disillusionment with party politics, democratic legitimacy in Bangladesh continues to flow primarily through its institutionalised party system

Types, Patterns of Romantic Relationships and Dating Delays among Urban Indian Emerging Adults

Emerging adulthood is a subject of interest with changing socio-economic conditions in different sociocultural contexts. The peculiar familial arrangement and open markets in India are so intermingled that young adults’ identities seem to be a confluence of collectivist Indian and liberal Western cultures. This confluence results in the emergence of adult-like tendencies among Indian youth in late adolescence and early adulthood.  This quantitative study examines the implications of emerging adulthood for the romantic relationships of urban Indian emerging adults. The participants were university students from several Indian states. The total sample size is N=510 (221 males and 289 females), unmarried individuals aged 18-25. The selection criteria include \u27no romantic relationship experience\u27 to have had \u27one in the past two years of study participation.\u27 The data are collected to study the association between socio-demographic profiles and types of romantic relationships having peculiar patterns. The typification of romantic connection by identifying underlying patterns is the most significant contribution. The study identified two categories of romantic relationship patterns: The First Romantic Relationship and the Last or Latest Romantic Relationship Pattern (whichever coincided with the time of data collection). Overall, the findings shed light on the lives of Indian emerging adults and their preoccupations beyond romantic relationships. The descriptive research design highlights areas for future research to examine the causes and effects of these relationships.  

Time\u27s Illusion in Balinese Thought: The Role of Sad Ripu and Time Management in Financial Decision-Making

In today’s fast-paced world, individuals increasingly experience time as slipping away, creating a sense of urgency that profoundly shapes financial decisions. Yet, research rarely examines how this subjective temporal perception interacts with emotional regulation and time management to influence behaviour, leaving a critical gap in understanding the psychological and cultural mechanisms underlying financial decision-making. This study investigates how time perception, Sad Ripu control—a culturally rooted framework of emotional regulation in Balinese Hindu thought—and time management jointly affect financial decision-making. Using a purposive sample of 300 financially experienced individuals in Denpasar, Bali, data were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings reveal that faster perceived time significantly enhances financial decision-making both directly and indirectly. Surprisingly, heightened temporal urgency improved Sad Ripu control, suggesting that cultural context can convert perceived pressure into greater self-regulation. Effective time management further amplified rational financial choices, demonstrating the synergistic role of cognitive and emotional strategies in high-pressure settings. Practically, these results offer actionable insights for individuals, organisations, and policymakers globally. Cultivating temporal awareness, strengthening emotional regulation, and promoting disciplined time management can reduce impulsivity, enhance financial resilience, and improve adaptive decision-making in volatile economic environments. Integrating cultural constructs such as Sad Ripu into financial literacy programmes offers a globally relevant strategy for fostering rational, sustainable, and context-sensitive financial behaviour

Navigating the Security Nexus: Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict in Assam

Climate change poses a significant challenge to human civilisation, and human activities continue in accelerate it. Yet, the traditionalist view of security is not ready to reformulate its military and state-centric approaches, which are confined mainly to the sovereignty, integrity, and cohesion of the nation. However, climate change can lead to multi-dimensional security threats ranging from mass migration, poverty, sectarian conflicts, xenophobia and collateral damage across nations and boundaries. This issue can affect a nation’s welfare and ecology, and even its existence. It is high time for researchers and policymakers to examine a deeper, more comprehensive theory that can comprehend contemporary security challenges beyond the traditional security outlook in International Relations. So, the study seeks to apply the Non-Traditional Security framework to critically analyse the extent to which Bangladeshi migrants and their impacts on climate change and security concerns in India, particularly in the state of Assam

Elderly Men at Tapgol Park: Psychological Motives, Cultural Influences, and Spatial Exclusion/Segregation in South Korea

Tapgol Park and its nearby downtown area in Seoul, South Korea, have attracted a large number of elderly visitors over the past several decades despite a series of urban redevelopment projects that aimed at relocating them to so-called more elder-friendly recreational spaces. In this article, I analysed the sociocultural phenomena and issues surrounding Tapgol Park and its elderly visitors, which have long attracted national attention and debate. I introduced basic information about Tapgol Park, including its history, geography, and current condition. Then I analysed the psychological motivations of elderly visitors to find out why they visit the park so frequently. In conclusion, it appears that these elders visit the park and its surrounding areas to alleviate the psychological distress common in old age. The sacralisation project, however, has driven many elders away from the park, and this can be seen as spatial discrimination against the elderly seeking psychological well-being in public spaces. Although the urban elderly community centred around the park has some positive aspects, it is also an example of the age-segregation in South Korea reinforced by Confucian values. Referring to one local park in Incheon as an example, I suggest that the problem of age-segregation may also be addressed through the way architectural spaces are structured