A meta-ethical approach to single-player gamespace: introducing constructive ecumenical expressivism as a means of explaining why moral consensus is not forthcoming

The morality of virtual representations and the enactment of prohibited activities within single - player gamespace (e.g., murder, rape, paedophilia) continues to be debated and, to date, a consensus is not forthcoming. Various moral arguments have been presented (e.g., virtue theory and utilitarianism) to support the moral prohibition of virtual enactments, but their applicability to gamespace is questioned. In this paper, I adopt a meta-ethical approach to moral utterances about virtual representations, and ask what it means when one declares that a virtual interaction ‘ is morally wrong ’. In response, I present constructive ecumenical expressivism to (i) explain what moral utterances should be taken to mean , (ii) argue that they mean the same when referring to virtual and non-virtual interactions and ( iii) , given (ii), explain why consensus with regard to virtual murder, rape and paedophilia is not forthcoming even though such consensus is readily found with regard to their non-virtual equivalents

Conflict, violence and development in the Southwest Pacific: Taking the indigenous context seriously.

This article addresses two main issues. The first of these issues is the ongoing conflation of conflict with violence, and the lack of recognition of conflict as a potentially positive force. The second of these issues is the continued push by donors in the region towards the reconstruction of the state in a stronger form, despite recognition that the structures of the state have played a critical role in the emergence of the recent and ongoing violence in the region. In addressing these issues the article first explores the differentiation between the concepts of conflict and violence, before then engaging in a discussion of the ways in which conflict can not only be a positive force but may actually be constitutive of society itself. The article then looks at ways in which the state has acted to both catalyse and intensify destructive forms of conflict. Once these two issues have been addressed the article then moves on to explore the ways in which an awareness of these issues can be harnessed, by both donors and local communities working together in a form of constructive engagement, in the creation of more durable and effective forms of governance in the region

PSRO update

Newsletter for Massachusetts physicians, providing updates on the development of Professional Standards Review Organizations (PSROs) as Medicare and Medicaid standards were established

Improving Water and Sanitation Governance Through Citizens' Action

Describes Nepali citizens' action projects to ensure water and sanitation service providers' responsiveness and accountability for sustainability and equity via constructive engagement and bridging gaps among the government, NGOs, donors, and communities