Renewing Criminalized and Hegemonic Cultural Landscapes

The Mafia's long historical pedigree in Mezzogiorno, Southern Italy, has empowered the Mafioso as a notorious, uncontested, and hegemonic figure. The counter-cultural resistance against the mafiosi culture began to be institutionalized in the early 1990s. Today, Libera Terra is the largest civil society organization in the country that uses the lands confiscated from the Mafia as a space of cultural repertoire to realize its ideals. Deploying labor force through volunteer participation, producing biological fruits and vegetables, and providing information to the students on the fields are the principal cultural practices of this struggle. The confiscated lands make the Italian experience of anti-Mafia resistance a unique example by connecting the land with the ideals of cultural change. The sociocultural resistance of Libera Terra conveys a political message through these practices and utters that the Mafia is not invincible. This study draws the complex panorama of the Mafia and anti-Mafia movement that uses the ‘confiscated lands’ as cultural and public spaces for resistance and socio-cultural change. In doing so, this article sheds new light on the relationship between rural criminology and crime prevention policies in Southern Italy by demonstrating how community development practice of Libera Terra changes the meaning of landscape through iconographic symbolism and ethnographic performance

Conflict transformation in indigenous' peoples territories: doing environmental justice with a 'decolonial turn'

One of the distinctive features of environmental justice theory in Latin America is its influence by decolonial thought, which explains social and environmental injustices as arising from the project of modernity and the ongoing expansion of a European cultural imaginary. The decolonization of knowledge and social relations is highlighted as one of the key challenges for overcoming the history of violent oppression and marginalization in development and conservation practice in the region. In this paper we discuss how conflict transformation theory and practice has a role to play in this process. In doing so, we draw on the Socio-environmental Conflict Transformation (SCT) framework elaborated by Grupo Confluencias, which puts a focus on building community capacity to impact different spheres of power: people and networks, structures and cultural power. We discuss this framework and its practical use in the light of ongoing experiences with indigenous peoples in Latin America. We propose that by strengthening the power of agency of indigenous peoples to impact each of these spheres it is possible to build constructive intra and intercultural relations that can help increase social and environmental justice in their territories and thus contribute to decolonizing structures, relations and ways of being

Die bestuur van didaktiese steunstelsels aan ‘n verplegingskollege

The learning accompanists (nurse educator), in the didactic situation within the context of a nursing college, is midst a process of transformation. This transformation has a direct influence on the learning accompanists didactic role fulfilment. Didactic support systems enables the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. These didactic support systems should be managed during the process of transformation, in such a way that it enables the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. A new creative approach to the management of the didactic situation is necessary. The goal of this study was to describe guidelines for the management of didactic support systems, at a nursing college, to enable the learning accompanist to fulfil her/his didactic role. An inductive, qualitative, contextual, exploring, descriptive strategy was used to reach the goal of the study. No explicit conceptual framework was used as point of departure. Because the participants are midst a process of transformation, their knowledge and experience was used as source of data, as they can express their needs and views the best. The goal of this study was reached by setting four objectives. The uniqueness of the study lies in the relevance within the current time frame context and that it expresses the needs of the learner accompanists and the views of the managers at a nursing college. An abundance of possibilities for further research was created

Outdoor living wall systems in a developing economy : a prospect for supplementary urban food production?

Green wall systems have greatly advanced over the past few decades and hold important potential for the future in light of predicted urban population growth, densification, and climate change. This article provides a brief background to living walls, followed by a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the four types of systems that are currently available in South Africa. It makes use of a case study review of three recently implemented edible living walls in Gauteng to reflect on the challenges currently experienced and the future potential benefits, with specific focus on system resilience, economic feasibility, and edible plant possibilities. Interviews were conducted with clients and client representatives, contractors and/or designers on each project. The findings suggest that living walls have indirect commercial value through customer experience and satisfaction, as well as educational value. Should the scale, economic feasibility and resilience of living wall systems be enhanced, they can improve urban food production. The article concludes that this could be achieved in the Global South by using simplistic technologies with lower cost living wall infrastructure systems. When deployed on a large scale, with climate-tolerant indigenous and edible plants in exterior systems, productivity will be improved.Groen muur sisteme het in die laaste paar dekades aansienlik ontwikkel, en toon potensiaal om impakte van geprojekteerde populasiegroei, verdigting en klimaatsverandering te versag. Hierdie artikel gee ’n oorsig van groen mure, gevolg deur ’n opsomming van die voor- en nadele van die vier sisteme wat tans in Suid- Afrika beskikbaar is. Drie gevallestudies van onlangs voltooide stedelike projekte met groen mure, gefokus op eetbare plante in Gauteng, word vergelyk deur oor elke projek se voordele en uitdagings te besin, met spesifieke fokus op die sisteem se veerkragtigheid, ekonomiese vatbaarheid en oorlewingsukses van eetbare plantspesies wat gebruik is. Onderhoude is met kliënte, kontrakteurs en ontwerpers van elke projek gevoer. Die bevinding is dat groen mure indirekte kommersiële waarde het, gebaseer op die gebruiker se ervaring en waardering, asook opvoedkundige waarde. Indien geïmplementeer op ’n skaal waar ekonomiese vatbaarheid en omgewingsveerkragtigheid van die sisteme verbeter kan word, kan dit geskik wees vir stedelike voedselproduksie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat verhoogde voedselproduksie in Suid-Afrika gebaseer moet wees op die gebruik van ongekompliseerde tegnologie met meer bekostigbare infrastruktuursisteme. Wanneer eetbare, lokaal-aangepaste plantspesies op ’n groot skaal in ope-lug groen mure geïmplementeer word, kan produktiwiteit verhoog word.https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/ashj2022Architectur

Traditional African vegetables in modular living walls : a novel approach towards smart cities

In terms of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), combined with good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), are vital. The world is not making adequate progress in meeting the UN's targets to address food security (SDG 2). In South Africa, the growing population, rapid urbanization, poverty, and unemployment exacerbate the issue of food security; even more so considering climate change (SDG 13). The built environment needs to respond to these demands and incorporate green initiatives that can provide ecosystem services. Novel approaches are required to optimize land use and promote sustainable built environments through food production. This paper consolidates literature on local vertical urban food production with vegetable crops to enhance ecosystem services and lower the carbon footprint of buildings in the Global South. The literature review points to the potential of small-scale edible living walls that utilize local materials and traditional African vegetable (TAV) species to enhance system sustainability and resilience. TAV species offer advantages as opposed to exotic food crops as they are tolerant to extreme heat and drought, have a high nutritional value, and have low irrigation and agrochemical maintenance requirements.http://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1757-899Xam2023Architectur

Outdoor living wall systems in a developing economy : a prospect for supplementary urban food production?

Green wall systems have greatly advanced over the past few decades and hold important potential for the future in light of predicted urban population growth, densification, and climate change. This article provides a brief background to living walls, followed by a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the four types of systems that are currently available in South Africa. It makes use of a case study review of three recently implemented edible living walls in Gauteng to reflect on the challenges currently experienced and the future potential benefits, with specific focus on system resilience, economic feasibility, and edible plant possibilities. Interviews were conducted with clients and client representatives, contractors and/or designers on each project. The findings suggest that living walls have indirect commercial value through customer experience and satisfaction, as well as educational value. Should the scale, economic feasibility and resilience of living wall systems be enhanced, they can improve urban food production. The article concludes that this could be achieved in the Global South by using simplistic technologies with lower cost living wall infrastructure systems. When deployed on a large scale, with climate-tolerant indigenous and edible plants in exterior systems, productivity will be improved.Groen muur sisteme het in die laaste paar dekades aansienlik ontwikkel, en toon potensiaal om impakte van geprojekteerde populasiegroei, verdigting en klimaatsverandering te versag. Hierdie artikel gee ’n oorsig van groen mure, gevolg deur ’n opsomming van die voor- en nadele van die vier sisteme wat tans in Suid- Afrika beskikbaar is. Drie gevallestudies van onlangs voltooide stedelike projekte met groen mure, gefokus op eetbare plante in Gauteng, word vergelyk deur oor elke projek se voordele en uitdagings te besin, met spesifieke fokus op die sisteem se veerkragtigheid, ekonomiese vatbaarheid en oorlewingsukses van eetbare plantspesies wat gebruik is. Onderhoude is met kliënte, kontrakteurs en ontwerpers van elke projek gevoer. Die bevinding is dat groen mure indirekte kommersiële waarde het, gebaseer op die gebruiker se ervaring en waardering, asook opvoedkundige waarde. Indien geïmplementeer op ’n skaal waar ekonomiese vatbaarheid en omgewingsveerkragtigheid van die sisteme verbeter kan word, kan dit geskik wees vir stedelike voedselproduksie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat verhoogde voedselproduksie in Suid-Afrika gebaseer moet wees op die gebruik van ongekompliseerde tegnologie met meer bekostigbare infrastruktuursisteme. Wanneer eetbare, lokaal-aangepaste plantspesies op ’n groot skaal in ope-lug groen mure geïmplementeer word, kan produktiwiteit verhoog word.https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/ashj2022Architectur

Community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science

As community-based health care delivery is now a prominent feature of the health care system in South Africa, nursing curricula are being challenged to prepare student nurses for community based nursing roles and responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to describe guidelines for a community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science for a nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative, quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was employed. To reach the purpose of the study, a situational analysis was done in three phases to identify the principles for a community-based curriculum for psychiatric nursing science. Phase I: A document analysis of relevant government policies and legislation. Phase II: Statistics from psychiatric hospitals and community psychiatric clinics. Phase III: Focus group interviews with nurse educators and literature control and conceptual framework The principles obtained from the three phases were used to formulate the guidelines for a community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science (Phase IV). Eight guidelines with practical implications are described for the implementation of a Community-based curriculum in Psychiatric Nursing Science

An inferential comparison between the capabilities and achievements of 1st-year medical and nursing students at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Background. Research indicates that academic stressors, living circumstances, working conditions and where students undertake leisure activities affectacademic performance, capabilities and achievements (functionings).Objective. To investigate how 1st-year medical and nursing students perceived their own capabilities compared with their actual achievements (functionings). The article focuses on the achievements (functionings), as these students were admitted through a selection process, indicating their potential capability to succeed.Methods. In this descriptive, comparative study, all 1st-year medical and nursing students at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africawere invited to complete a validated questionnaire to reflect their capabilities (scope) and achievements (outcomes). The questionnaire incorporated seven domains: happiness, achievements, health, intellect, social relations, environment and integrity. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics(frequencies, medians, means, standard deviations and standard errors).Results. All respondents valued the domains positively with regard to the outcomes (functionings). On average, nursing students valued the domains17.4% lower than the medical students. Integrity was valued the highest by all. Health scored the lowest in the medical group, and environment (wherestudents study and undertake leisure activities) the lowest in the nursing group.Conclusions. Medical schools should include wellness in their curricula, limit the degree of physical and emotional exhaustion associated with training, and have realistic expectations of students. Programmes should allocate enough time for students to manage their time well to take part in physical activity and eat healthy foods. Nursing students’ work environment should improve. More time should be made available for leisure activities andimprovement to students’ study environment