The relationship between foreign development assistance and human rights peerformance : a case study of the United States of America, Canada, The Netherlands and Indonesia : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University

This dissertation examines the degree to which donor countries have attempted to suspend or discontinue foreign aid to the recipients on human rights ground. Contemporary approaches to human rights in development are represented by both the theory of "Natural Rights" and the theory of "Cultural Relativism". Donors and most of the Western countries, advocate the former and give emphasis to civil and political rights. Whereas most of the recipient countries uphold the theory of "Cultural Relativism" and put emphasis on economic, social and cultural rights. One of the common facets of cultural relativism is the postponement of civil and political rights for the sake of economic development. The basic tenet of this position is that, if economic development has been achieved then civil and political rights will be exercised naturally. Indeed, this is the common conviction in some Third World nations where stability is regarded as the key to successful economic development. Poor treatment of human rights are therefore often a consequence of this conviction in these countries. The advocacy of prevention of abuses of these rights, through the suspension of foreign aid, emerges from this consequence. Another consequence is that, opposition to the "link between aid and human rights" grows largely in the recipient nations. This thesis, acknowledging the complexity of the issue, sets out to assess the case study of three donor countries; the USA. Canada and the Netherlands. All were, and still are, strong advocates of "giving aid on human rights grounds". The foreign aid flow of these donor countries, each dealing independently with Indonesia as the recipient, is assessed. The results suggest that, despite the fact that the legitimacy of cutting aid on human rights grounds is emphasized, practical moves in this direction by the USA, Canada and the Netherlands from 1980 until 1995, remain the exception rather than the rule. Though Indonesia's record on human rights has remained deplorable. Foreign Development Assistance (ODA) has continued on the ground. This thesis, finally, suggests possibilities for future improvements of human rights in the recipient countries, particularly in Indonesia, in its recommendations

The event and its publics

From the intricate relationship between production and reception, I analyze the constitution of the media publics and others, by posing the question of how the arising of public events and corresponding news are not simply directed to the publics but also create them. To this end,I propose a reflection on the notion of public(s) and on the treatment of this notion by different authors. It is considered that publics are diverse and can organize themselves around objects, events, situations, actions, or around various experiences (a literary work, a newspaper report, the experience of a significant event, a catastrophe, a collective problem, a public cause, or an inquiry process). To lead this reflection, I discuss a hermeneutics of the publics to look at their activities in terms of their modalities and reception, interpretation and appropriation devices. I follow John Dewey’s pragmatic orientation, who, in The Public and its Problems (1927), sustains that a group of people only becomes a public if certain conditions occur: that the public “becomes aware of itself” and identifies the specific circumstances at the basis of its origi

From critical zones to the terrestrial

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020The oeuvre Critical Zones. The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth addresses the climate crisis mainly through the few-kilometers thick layer of critical zones that surrounds planet Earth, within the scope of New Climate Regimes. It proposes the redefinition of concepts such as Gaia, and suggests new ones, namely Terrestrial. The book is the product of a collective endeavor from scientists, artists, philosophers, historians, and activists, arguing that areas, disciplines and all living beings are connected. While associated with the ongoing scientific project Critical Zone Observatories, it was developed and launched during the exhibition Critical Zones-Observatories for Earthly Politics, in May 2020 at ZKM Karlsruhe, and edited by its two main curators, Bruno Latour and Peter Weibel. This review will introduce an impressively complete work, whose reading is as stimulating as necessary, and which contributes remarkably to what will be the most important debate of our century.publishersversionpublishe

Faillite de l’Etat et administration de l’espace public politique par les « jeunes patriotes » en Côte d’Ivoire

En Côte d’Ivoire, depuis le déclenchement de la guerre en 2002, des mouvements de jeunes regroupés dans ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler« jeunes patriotes » sont apparus. Ils ont joué et continuent de jouer un rôle de premier plan dans l’espace public politique. Il apparait que leur irruption dans cet espace découle de plusieurs facteurs dont l’un des principaux est la conjugaison de la défaillance de l’Etat – gagné par unecrise structurelle et institutionnelle profonde – et de l’activisme audacieux de ces jeunes qui visent à la fois à répondre aux appels de la puissance publique, mais en même temps à constituer une alternative aux limites de l’Etat. Dans cette étude qui revisite les rapports Etatsociété, nous mettons en exergue l’intérêt de la relativisation théorique de l’approche habermasienne de l’espace public, mais aussi du concept de « mouvement sociaux » perçus comme généralement indépendants, sinon contestataires de l’Etat. L’étude montre que les « jeunes patriotes » non seulement évoluent comme des mouvements sociaux, mais en plus interviennent dans l’administration de l’espace public sous la forme, non pas de contestation ou de protestation, mais plutôt de soutien à l’Etat.AbstractSince the war started in 2002 in Côte d’Ivoire, youth movements which are federated in what is now known as ‘The Young Patriots’ have emerged, played and continue to play a leading role in the political public sphere. Their interference appears to be linked to many factors, the most important being a combination of the failure of the State – hit by a deep structural and institutional crisis – and a upfront style of activism by these  youth whose desire is to respond to the government’s calls but also to provide an alternative to State limitations. State/society relationship is revisited in this paper which emphasises the importance of theoretically putting the Habermasian approach to public space into perspective, but also the concept of ‘social movements’ which is generally perceived as independent or even contesting the State. The paper shows that ‘Young Patriots’ not only behave like social movements but they further intervene in the administration of public space not by contesting or protesting it, but by supporting the State

Programa de exercício físico em contexto escolar: efeitos na flexibilidade, na força e no alinhamento postural

Este estudo investigou os efeitos de um programa de exercício físico em adolescentes do 12.º ano, em contexto escolar, na flexibilidade, na força e no alinhamento postural. A amostra do estudo foi composta por 19 participantes de uma escola secundária, de ambos os sexos, distribuídos por um grupo experimental submetido ao programa de exercício (n=11) e por um grupo controlo (n=8), que não desfrutou de qualquer tipo de programa de intervenção. O programa de exercício teve a duração de 24 semanas, contemplando as pausas letivas, com uma frequência de 2 vezes por semana, 15 minuto por sessão no final das aulas de Educação Física. A avaliação da flexibilidade e da força foram realizadas através da bateria de testes do Fitnessgram, antes, ao fim de 15 e 24 semanas de intervenção. Foi, também, realizado a avaliação do alinhamento postural num plano frontal e sagital, antes e após o término da intervenção. O programa de intervenção melhorou a Força e resistência da região superior do corpo, a Força e da flexibilidade do tronco e a Flexibilidade dos músculos posteriores da coxa e não se observaram diferenças no alinhamento postural do grupo experimental. No entanto, o grupo controlo piorou o seu alinhamento da Coluna cervical, no plano frontal. Esta dissertação veio contribuir para um melhor entendimento da especificidade de um programa de exercícios de flexibilidade, força e alinhamento postural, sugerindo que o Método de Pilates poderá ter um papel benéfico na manutenção do alinhamento postural, num âmbito letivo, combatendo o sedentarismo em adolescentes; ABSTRACT: Exercise program in schools: effects on flexibility, strength and posture alignment. This study investigated the effects of an exercise program in adolescents in the school context on flexibility, strength, and postural alignment. The study sample consisted of 19 participants from a high school, of both sexes, allocated to an experimental group, submitted to the exercise program (n = 11); and a control group (n = 8), which did not enrolled any type of intervention program. The exercise program lasted 24 weeks with the semester breaks, twice per week, 15-minutes per session at the end of the physical education classes. The assessment of flexibility and strength were measured by the test battery Fitnessgram before, after 15 and 24 weeks of intervention. Before and after the intervention, it was also carried out the postural assessment (frontal and sagittal plane). The intervention program improved Strength and upper body strength, the Strength and flexibility of the trunk and the Flexibility of the hamstrings and there were no differences in postural alignment of the experimental group. However, the control group decreased the alignment of the Cervical spine in the frontal plane. This study has contributed to a better understanding of the specificity of a flexibility, strength, and postural alignment exercise program, suggesting that Pilates method may have a beneficial role in maintaining postural alignment, in a school context, preventing physical inactivity in adolescents

Learning management systems usage on higher education institutions

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are used all over Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and the need to know and understand its adoption and usage arises. However, there is a lack of information about how LMSs are being used, which are the most adopted, whether there is a country adoption standard and which countries use more LMSs. A research team is developing a project that tries to fill this lack of information and provide the needed answers. With this purpose, on a first phase, it a survey was taken place. The results of this survey are presented in this paper. Another purpose of this paper is to disseminate the ongoing project

Effect of Enclosure and Open Grazing on Diet Selection, Relative Preference Index and Voluntary Intake by Sheep at El-Khuwei Locality North Kordofan State Sudan

The nutritive value of a pasture depends mainly on its in-take and the selection animals exert in consuming the different species or the various parts of a determined plant (Mayes and Dove 2000). Animal production in North Kordofan State is mainly traditional depending on natural rangeland (Cook and Fadlalla 1987; DHP 1998). The State is rich in animal and range resources. It contains more than 13 million head of sheep, goats, camels and cattle (IFAD 2011). The study aims to provide information that contributes to a better understanding of the plant-animal inter-actions through knowledge of diet botanical composition, forage biomass production and voluntary intake

From industry to artworks by Lourdes Castro and Ângelo de Sousa: conservation studies on cast acrylic sheet

Acrylic sheet, a plastic based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), became popular within artists during the 1960s, when it was also used by two major Portuguese artists, Lourdes Castro (*1930) and Ângelo de Sousa (1938–2011). Taking as a starting point their work with this material, this thesis seeks to expand knowledge about the use of PMMA in art, its stability, and preservation. Therefore, a survey on artworks containing PMMA in Portuguese collections, as well as research on the history of production of this material in Portugal, was conducted in parallel with a material study of acrylic sheets used by those artists, and sheets produced by two Portuguese companies from which production processes were investigated and compared. This study included an artificial ageing experiment conducted in a solarbox (λ > 300 nm) for 8000 h, besides the characterization of the samples combining optical microscopy, colorimetry, gravimetry, micro-indentation, Raman, infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies, size exclusion chromatography, thermogravimetry, and thermo-desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For the survey, 137 artworks from 8 Portuguese art collections were considered, providing an overview of the use of this material by artists and of its condition. Artworks surveyed included paintings, sculptures, objects/reliefs, photography, installations and artist books. From the 69 authors, 48 were Portuguese and have used PMMA from the 1960s to nowadays. Most of the artworks were in good or fair condition, and the main problems observed were dust and dirt deposits, abrasion, and scratches. This research showed that PMMA sheet was produced in Portugal between 1955 and 2009. At least four companies operated during the 1960s and all except one, produced nacreous PMMA sheets from recovered monomer obtained by depolymerization of acrylic residues. The material used by Ângelo de Sousa falls within this category. Concerns about the quality of these sheets led to a comparative study between PMMA samples of different typologies and origins. Results revealed a connection between particular aspects of the production technique (polymerization conditions, organic additives, and origin of monomer) with the properties (molecular weight, hardness, thermal stability) and long-term behaviour of acrylic sheets. The pigment responsible for the nacreous effect in Ângelo de Sousa‘s acrylic sheets showed signs of instability during the photodegradation experience, and was identified as plumbonacrite, Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2, by Raman microspectroscopy. Cleaning and polishing treatments (as the ones used by Lourdes Castro for finishing her artworks) were also investigated in terms of immediate and long-term effects in the samples that had presented higher and lower photostability in the artificial ageing experiment. Treatments‘ impact seems to be dependent of the particularities of the acrylic sheet under testing. This research highlights that not all acrylic sheets present the same stability, which may be relevant for establishing new monitoring plans and preventive conservation measures, as well as to consider when testing interventive treatments in this material.A chapa acrílica, um plástico à base de poli(metacrilato de metilo) (PMMA), tornou-se popular entre os artistas durante a década de 1960, período em que foi também utilizada por dois grandes artistas portugueses, Lourdes Castro (*1930) e Ângelo de Sousa (1938-2011). Tendo como ponto de partida o seu trabalho com este material, esta tese procura contribuir para o conhecimento sobre a utilização do PMMA na arte, sobre a sua estabilidade e sobre a sua preservação. Assim, em paralelo com um levantamento de obras de arte contendo PMMA em colecções portuguesas, bem como uma investigação sobre a história da produção deste material em Portugal, foi realizado um estudo material comparativo, que abrangeu tanto chapas acrílicas utilizadas pelos dois artistas em estudo, como chapas produzidas por duas empresas portuguesas das quais os processos de produção foram investigados. Este estudo incluiu uma experiência de envelhecimento artificial realizada numa solarbox (λ > 300 nm) durante 8000 h, e a caracterização das amostras combinando microscopia óptica, colorimetria, gravimetria, microindentação, espectroscopias Raman, de infravermelho e de ultravioleta-visível, cromatografia de exclusão molecular, termogravimetria, e espectrometria de massa por cromatografia em fase gasosa. Para o levantamento, foram consideradas 137 obras de arte de 8 colecções nacionais, permitindo obter uma visão geral acerca da forma como os artistas utilizaram este material, mas também do seu estado de conservação. As obras de arte consideradas incluem pinturas, esculturas, objectos/relevos, fotografia, instalações e livros de artista. Dos 69 autores, 48 são portugueses e utilizaram PMMA desde os anos 60 até aos dias de hoje. A maioria das obras de arte estava em boas condições ou razoáveis; os principais problemas observados foram depósitos de pó e sujidade, abrasão e riscos. Esta investigação mostrou que chapa de PMMA foi produzida em Portugal entre 1955 e 2009. Pelo menos quatro empresas operaram durante a década de 1960 e todas, excepto uma, produziram chapas de PMMA nacaradas a partir de monómero recuperado obtido por despolimerização de resíduos acrílicos. O material utilizado por Ângelo de Sousa enquadra-se nesta categoria. Preocupações sobre a qualidade destas chapas levaram a um estudo comparativo entre amostras de PMMA de diferentes tipologias e origens. Os resultados revelaram uma relação entre aspectos particulares da técnica de produção (condições de polimerização, aditivos orgânicos, e origem do monómero) com as propriedades (ex. peso molecular, dureza, estabilidade térmica) e comportamento a longo prazo das chapas acrílicas. O pigmento responsável pelo efeito nacarado nas chapas acrílicas de Ângelo de Sousa mostrou sinais de instabilidade durante a experiência da fotodegradação, e foi identificado como plumbonacrite, Pb5(CO3)3O(OH)2, através de microespectroscopia Raman. Tratamentos de limpeza e polimento (como os utilizados por Lourdes Castro para acabamento das suas obras) foram também investigados em termos de efeitos imediatos e a longo prazo nas amostras que tinham apresentado maior e menor foto-estabilidade na experiência de envelhecimento artificial. O impacto dos tratamentos parece estar dependente das particularidades da chapa acrílica em teste. Esta investigação salienta que nem todas as chapas de acrílico apresentam a mesma estabilidade, o que pode ser relevante para estabelecer novos planos de monitorização e medidas de conservação preventiva, bem como para intervenções de conservação e restauro neste material