The Regulation of Conflict Resources: Diamonds in Sierra Leone. Paper for the Transformation of War Economies Seminar, University of Plymouth 16-19 June 2005.

yesThe last few years have seen the emergence of a series of regulatory initiatives that have been developed, partly in response to the twin agendas of human security and strong states, but which represent a specific reaction to the political economies deemed to underpin contemporary civil conflicts ¿ most notably the way in which local and global markets in everything from diamonds to drugs have been exploited to fund often vicious civil conflicts, particularly in environments characterised by endemic corruption. This new body of local and global regulation, what might loosely be characterised as new laws and new codes to address the political economies of the new wars, include: UN embargoes on diamonds and timber being used to fund conflicts, the development of regimes such as the Kimberley certification system, and initiatives to ensure the transparent and effective use of natural resource revenues. Generally represented as a progressive response to the political economies that drive contemporary civil conflicts, these new initiatives have produced a set of formal and informal regulatory frameworks that are, in fact, profoundly asymmetric in their scope and application. Indeed, one of the defining features of these initiatives is not so much the impartial application of regulations to firms and corrupt elites but either their selective application or, alternatively, their selective relegation in favour of an emphasis on far weaker norms and voluntary codes. The aim of this paper then, is first, to examine the operation of the new codes and regulations in general and to demonstrate the problems in their implementation. Second, the paper will then go onto examine one specific innovation ¿ the Kimberley Certification Scheme designed to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds in order to demonstrate the asymmetries that exist in current regulatory mechanisms designed to introduce ethical markets. It will do this in particular by focussing on the impact of certification for the diamond sector in Sierra Leone. A key argument in this section will be that whilst this new regime for conflict diamonds aims to transform behaviour through transparency and policing, and whilst it appears to have had some success, it has not in fact transformed the conditions that gave rise to the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone prior to conflict. Along with the problems inherent in broader development policy on Sierra Leone this raises serious questions. In particular, whilst there may be little short-term risk of conflict, the planned departure of UNAMSIL, continued regional instability, persistent corruption and the failure to fundamentally transform the nature of the diamond market in Sierra Leone, all raise question marks regarding the nature (and indeed sustainability) of the peace that is being created

COMMUNITY BANDS: CREATING A MORE ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY BAND EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE USE OF MULTI-LEVEL REPERTOIRE

This thesis hypothesizes that the use of multi-level repertoire in community bands will allow ensembles to more directly cater to their community member’s musical expectations while respecting the issue of time commitment for others. In this way, a community ensemble can become more accessible and, ideally, lead to a more diverse and representative group. Creating a volunteer community ensemble that accounts for musician’s available time, skill level, and desire for appropriate level of challenge is what this document seeks to address

Architectural visualisation toolkit for 3D Studio Max users

Architectural Visualisation has become a vital part of the design process for architects and engineers. The process of modelling and rendering an architectural visualisation can be complex and time consuming with only a few tools available to assist novice modellers. This paper looks at available solutions for visualisation specialists including AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max and Google SketchUp as well as available solutions which attempt to automate the process including Batzal Roof Designer. This thesis details a new program which has been developed to automate the modelling and rendering of the architectural visualisation process. The tool created for this thesis is written in MAXScript and runs along side 3D Studio Max. N.B.: Audio files were attached to this thesis at the time of its submission. Please refer to the author for further details

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI\u27S MUNICIPAL IMPACT ON HOUSING SEGREGATION

Throughout Kansas City Missouri’s history, the parks and boulevards system, restrictive covenants, real estate and lending practices, urban redevelopment, public housing, and racial steering have contributed to the establishment and continuance of housing segregation. Although historians have studied these main types of housing segregation and the federal government’s actions thoroughly, little work exists to show how Kansas City, Missouri’s municipal government has influenced housing segregation. By examining Kansas City’s municipal response to the aforementioned types of segregation, it is clear that city officials have taken steps to both aid and discourage segregationist housing practices. Although municipal agencies, like the Commission on Human Relations, have discouraged segregation through their support of FOCUS and educational programs, other agencies, such as the City Plan Commission, have encouraged it through urban renewal and public housing policies. Kansas City’s municipal response to segregated housing demonstrates that municipal agencies have contributed to the continuation of housing segregation by displacing residents through urban renewal projects and by fostering racial stereotypes. In addition, Kansas City’s municipal government has allowed private segregationist efforts to persist through the reactive nature of its discriminatory law and human rights agencies

Podwalking: A framework for assimilating mobile methods into action research

This article brings together action research and mobile methods to demonstrate how the processes and assumptions that underpin participatory inquiry may be open to critical consideration. The concept of the podwalk, a phased mobile method, is introduced within a project oriented around the development of digital life story work with adolescents living in state care. Adopting an interactive researcher stance in relation to the discursive analysis of material gathered as the research unfolded, we demonstrate that a phased method can frame the entry and exit from the field and that mobile methods can provide a basis for illuminating the research process, especially the way in which power and participation are negotiated