8,143 research outputs found

    Impacted Communities Leading Authentic Legal Mobilization: A Refugee-Led Access-To-Justice Story

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    (Excerpt) I have a modest proposal to begin addressing the civil access-to-justice problem in the United States: eliminate the barriers for refugees to provide legal representation. In discussions of access to civil justice, immigration and immigrant rights compel our attention—images of children as young as three facing deportation without representation and non-citizens detained because of civil immigration infractions come to mind. But we hear less about the access-to-justice challenges of immigrants fighting for their rights to safe housing, public benefits, education for their children, or often-contingent or under-the-table jobs. The cries of immigrant communities about informal and formal threats from immigration enforcement—and harassment and exploitation beyond the formal legal system—are rarely treated as civil access-to-justice problems. All of us who work with immigrants are forced to turn down most very needy potential immigration clients, despite knowing that there is nowhere else for them to go. To fill in the gaps, many hold meetings, conduct know-your-rights or organizing sessions, or try to write about complex immigration law issues in ways that people can understand—all of which make us feel better because we think it might do some good or narrow the breach in our unkept promise of fairness, due process of law, or the dignity of human possibility. All of us who do this work also meet people every day who have been refugees, are seeking asylum, or have otherwise encountered the immigration system—and who, given the chance and a little training, could do at least as well as immigration and human rights attorneys. In my more honest moments, I admit that they likely would do my job much better than I can. They might find ways to do that work differently, and my generation of immigration advocates must admit that, however much we tried to change the immigration system for the better, we failed. We were not prepared nor fit for the challenges of the Trump and Biden administrations. And even if we had, there will never be enough lawyers to satisfy immigrant communities’ needs, even if every lawyer had the knowledge, attitude, and commitment to do so—and fat chance of that

    Learn, Teach, Heal: Articulations of Indigeneity and Spirituality in Indigenous Tourism in British Columbia, Canada

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    ‘Learn, Teach, Heal’ encapsulates what seems to be occurring in Indigenous Tourism on Vancouver Island and the Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. Operating as a ‘Tourist-researcher’ in 2017 and 2018, I was there at a time when Indigenous Tourism was booming, partly facilitated by the political movement of Truth & Reconciliation. Tourism is often seen as a shallow, commercial and artificial activity, yet such a view risks speaking over the various reasons why hosts choose to engage in the industry. This dissertation offers a case study based on tours, performances and interviews with six people. The research foregrounds the voices and experiences of: Andy Everson, Tana Thomas, Roy Henry Vickers, Tsimka Martin, K’odi Nelson and Alix Goetzinger. In listening to how they present their work, I study how indigeneity and spirituality were being articulated in ways that relate to processes of decolonisation. Whilst they were all engaged in tourism for their own different reasons, a common theme that emerged was the goal to use tourism to learn, teach and heal, both for themselves and for their guests. Learning how to be guides and performers, their languages, traditional practices, histories and politics, they were able to explore with tourists aspects of their indigeneity and spirituality, illustrate diversity of peoples and practices, and teach about their values and hopes for the future. Healing is gained through having a space to learn and to teach, and to restore pride to the communities by taking control of the narratives. It is my contention that Indigenous Tourism is offering these six people sites of ‘becoming’ and ‘reclaiming’ in a way that puts decolonisation into practice

    Constructing a Theological Framework That Revitalizes the Missional Nature of Churches of Christ in South Australia

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    This thesis addresses the need for a theological framework that revitalizes the missional nature of Churches of Christ in South Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of clear theological principles that informed a common understanding of identity for missional engagement. The purpose of the project was to create a study guide that informs common theological commitments and grounds congregations for missional vitality. A research and development team made up of seven Church of Christ ministers from different backgrounds was assembled to design a curriculum that addressed the problem. Through eight two-hour sessions over four months in the first half of 2022, the team discussed a theological framework that could revitalize mission. This was informed by a Trinitarian theological rationale introduced as perichoresis. The conceptual framework for discussions included (1) the historical and theological foundations of Churches of Christ, (2) a Trinitarian doctrine of God presented as perichoresis, (3) contemporary congregational practices, and (4) a theological proposal for re-imagining mission. The team developed a study guide that promotes a dynamic theological framework for practicing theology and revitalizing the missional nature of the church. The artifact, Movement & Identity: Participating in the Life of God’s Mission, was evaluated by the team and members of Church of Christ congregations in South Australia. The curriculum is designed to assist participants with practical theological interpretation through (1) discovering new ideas about God in the context of Churches of Christ traditions, (2) engaging with contextual theology in community, (3) participating in God’s mission, and (4) reflecting on how God’s agency transforms the church. The development of the study guide will stimulate a practical theological framework that promotes dynamic theological dialogue and missional vitality for Churches of Christ in South Australia

    INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTION OF EXPATRIATES TOWARDS IMMIGRATION SERVICE QUALITY IN SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES THROUGH MIXED METHOD APPROACH

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    The public sectors in UAE are under immense pressure to demonstrate that their services are customer-focused and that continuous performance improvement is being delivered. The United Arab Emirates is a favoured destination for expatriates due to its own citizens form a minority of the population and are barely represented in the private sector workforce. These highly unusual demographics confer high importance on the national immigration services. Recently, increased interest in international migration, specifically within the United Arab Emirates, has been shown both by government agencies and by the governments of industrialised countries. Given the importance of the expatriate labour force to economic stability and growth in the Emirates, this research investigates how immigration services are perceived, with the aim of contributing to their improvement, thus ultimately supporting economic growth. It proposes a service quality perception framework to improve understanding within SID of how to raise levels of service delivered to migrants and other persons directly or indirectly affected by SID services. Qualitative data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and quantitative data by means of a questionnaire survey based on the abovementioned framework. The survey data, on the variables influencing participants’ experiences and perceptions of SID services, were subjected to statistical analysis. The framework was then used to evaluate quality of service in terms of general impressions, delivery, location, response, SID culture and behaviour. Numerical data were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. It was found that service quality positively influenced service behaviour and that this relationship was mediated by SID culture. This research makes an original contribution to knowledge as one of the few studies of immigration to the United Arab Emirates. By examining the workings of one immigration department, it adds to the literature on immigration departments and organisational development in developing countries. It illuminates the mechanics of immigration services and demonstrates their increasing importance to the world economy

    The Future of Work and Digital Skills

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    The theme for the events was "The Future of Work and Digital Skills". The 4IR caused a hollowing out of middle-income jobs (Frey & Osborne, 2017) but COVID-19 exposed the digital gap as survival depended mainly on digital infrastructure and connectivity. Almost overnight, organizations that had not invested in a digital strategy suddenly realized the need for such a strategy and the associated digital skills. The effects have been profound for those who struggled to adapt, while those who stepped up have reaped quite the reward.Therefore, there are no longer certainties about what the world will look like in a few years from now. However, there are certain ways to anticipate the changes that are occurring and plan on how to continually adapt to an increasingly changing world. Certain jobs will soon be lost and will not come back; other new jobs will however be created. Using data science and other predictive sciences, it is possible to anticipate, to the extent possible, the rate at which certain jobs will be replaced and new jobs created in different industries. Accordingly, the collocated events sought to bring together government, international organizations, academia, industry, organized labour and civil society to deliberate on how these changes are occurring in South Africa, how fast they are occurring and what needs to change in order to prepare society for the changes.Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) British High Commission (BHC)School of Computin

    A framework to enhance ethical practice within the nursing profession in South Africa

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    Nursing ethics is the basis of nursing practices, and is aimed at improving the well-being of patients and their families, society, and the nursing profession. However, nursing ethics education and practice have always been under scrutiny globally, due to prevailing unethical practices perpetrated by some nurses. In South Africa, some of the investigations into these practices have resulted in disciplinary hearings by the South African Nursing Council (SANC). It is against this background that the aim of the study is to describe the status of nursing ethics and consequently develop a framework for enhancing ethics education and practice within the nursing profession in South Africa. Higher education institutions and the public health care services sector in Free State Province provided the study's context and reference point. A convergence mixed-methods approach was used, in terms of which relevant literature and pertinent documents were reviewed, a survey was undertaken for exploring the ethics knowledge of the Com-serves; while unstructured interviews were also conducted with ethics educators and Com-serves. Inferences from these diverse data sources portrayed the status of nursing ethics and gave insight into the trajectories that may be pursued to enhance ethics in nursing and, therefore, ethical patient care. The study results revealed that nursing ethics is constrained by factors such as misinterpretation of broad SANC directives, resulting in discordant nursing ethics and professional practice, as well as limited ethics content in education. The results further reveal poor ethical reflection amongst healthcare professionals. For instance, while the Com-serves reported unethical practices and attitudes by senior nurses and medical practitioners, they lacked the courage to report similar unethical behaviour towards iii patients. It was further revealed that there exists a narrow understanding of ethical and legal frameworks among the Com-serves. As pronounced in the conceptualisation of nursing ethics, the use of personal values was also prevalent. Therefore, the study recommends an ethical framework that considers internal and external guidance of morality as the basis for preparations in nursing ethics education to enhance the nurses’ encounter with their clients. Such a framework should recognise nursing ethics from the philosophical view of ethics as a binding responsibility focusing primarily on a patient as the vulnerable and suffering ‘other’. The framework should also integrate the application of ethical and legal frameworks in nursing activities for achieving human dignity as a normative standard described by the patient.Health StudiesD. Phil. (Nursing Science) Health Studies)

    A Model for Ongoing Leadership Development in Evangelical Generation Z Ministry Leaders

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    The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the leadership preparedness and biblical worldview of Generation Z (Gen Z) Christian ministry leaders to inform the formation of a theoretical model for ongoing leadership development. Participants (N=7) were paid senior ministry leaders of Assembly of God churches in the Midwest region who were involved in the hiring process and ongoing development of paid Gen Z ministry leaders. Additional participants included ministry leaders who fell within the defined years of the Generation Z cohort (1995-2010) and who had been employed by the church for a minimum of six months (N=10). Data were collected through observations and both structured and unstructured interviews. Data analysis was conducted by using the Strauss and Corbin (2015) data analysis protocol. The model generated from this study utilized the Hrivnak, Jr. et al. (2009) theoretical framework for leadership development as a starting point for targeting key development needs specific to Gen Z ministry leaders. The model reflects the important components of ongoing leadership development that were expressed by participants as needing additional growth. These areas included spiritual formation, leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills. Research showed that Gen Z leaders primarily manifested unpreparedness for leadership through spiritual stagnation, struggles in navigating the human aspects of the job, and failure to capture the big picture of the church as an interconnected and living organism. This new model for ongoing Gen Z leadership development suggests important implications and applications for stakeholders committed to investing in their ongoing development

    A Phenomenological Study of Scripture-Based Ethical Principles Embedded Within Corporate Leadership Practices

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    The ethical treatment of others within the corporate working environment is essential for that corporation\u27s success. Ethical treatment of others applies to business transactions with customers and clients and engages the policies designed to formulate the ethical treatment of company employees. Although most major corporation documentation includes corporate code of conduct policies, the ethical principles used to define those policies and enact leadership based upon those policies are not always consistent. Four research questions defined the structure of this qualitative phenomenological study. The study’s purpose was to define the nature of Scripture-based ethics within the corporate environment. The theory guiding this study is Servant Leadership Theory as defined by Greenleaf (1977) and supported by Northouse (2019) as it identifies the critical nature of leaders acting as servants for their followers. The study utilized a purposeful sampling strategy to recruit 15 participants. The researcher collected data through recorded online video interviews and transcribed the data using the NVIVO software package. The research identified six main themes: (1) Corporate Foundations, (2) Beliefs, (3) Ethical Foundations, (4) Scriptural Foundations, (5) Life Experience, and (6) Doing the Right Thing. Theme analysis revealed that an ingrained sense of right and wrong resides within humanity, and that sense derives its nature from God’s moral character written on the hearts of humanity. Data analysis also revealed a lack of formal professional ethics training at the leadership level. Future research should deploy a research design that expands this study to additional leadership levels, other industries, and internationally
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