What Is Next for Mali? The Roots of Conflict and Challenges to Stability

View the Executive SummaryIn March 2012, the government of Mali, one of the most touted symbols of Africa’s democratic potential, fell in a military-executed coup. At the same time, a 4-decades old rebellion among Tuaregs seeking autonomy or independence reached new heights fueled by weapons from Libya and the belief that the Arab Spring could extend to northern Mali. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their allies were quick to capitalize on the increasing chaos in a territory characterized by lack of government control and poverty and seized the major cities in the north. While French-led military intervention restored security to cities in the north, the underlying social, economic and political issues of the crisis remain.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1513/thumbnail.jp

Climate Change and Nigeria’s Sustainable Development of Vision 20-2020

Nigeria’s current development vision is to become one of the fastest developing economies in the world by the year 2020. Unfortunately, Nigeria flares an estimated 2.5 million cubic feet of gas each day which amounts to almost 40 percent of the total gas consumed in Africa. Thus, the country is one of the leading emitters of carbon dioxide, a veritable source of climate change. This paper will argue that the negative consequences of climate change are inimical to Nigeria’s sustainable development. Further, the paper will fault the sincerity of the vision and assert that the leadership of the country owes a duty to both the present and future generations to develop the country sustainably. Cite as: 20 Annl. Survey Int\u27l. Comp. L. 17 (2014)

Climate Change and Nigeria’s Sustainable Development of Vision 20-2020

Nigeria’s current development vision is to become one of the fastest developing economies in the world by the year 2020. Unfortunately, Nigeria flares an estimated 2.5 million cubic feet of gas each day which amounts to almost 40 percent of the total gas consumed in Africa. Thus, the country is one of the leading emitters of carbon dioxide, a veritable source of climate change. This paper will argue that the negative consequences of climate change are inimical to Nigeria’s sustainable development. Further, the paper will fault the sincerity of the vision and assert that the leadership of the country owes a duty to both the present and future generations to develop the country sustainably. Cite as: 20 Annl. Survey Int\u27l. Comp. L. 17 (2014)

Emerging Mental Health Diagnoses and School Disruption: An Examination Among Clinically Referred Children and youth

Previous research linking school disruption with mental health problems has largely relied on assessments of academic achievement to measure school disruption. Early disruptive classroom behaviour (e.g., conflict with school staff, negative attitudes toward school), however, may precipitate poor academic performance and may stem from emerging mental health concerns, particularly among young children. To address this gap in the literature, 912 clinically referred children and youth (ages 4–18 years old) were assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health (ChYMH) assessment utilizing a cross-sectional study design. The ChYMH assessment evaluates school disruption independently of academic achievement, and includes a comprehensive assessment of the child’s mental health functioning, needs, and preferences. A logistic regression analysis revealed that various provisional mental health diagnoses (i.e., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disruptive behaviour, mood disorders, and, to a lesser extent, anxiety) were associated with disruption in the classroom. Implications for school-based care planning are discussed

The Capstone Journey: Exploring Design, Delivery and Evaluation in an Undergraduate Management Discipline Context

The focus of this paper is the development of a capstone management course and the application of educational action research through continual learning. In this article, we use the continual learning frame of plan, do, study, and act to underpin an educational action research design on the development of a capstone management course. As part of an Active Learning Trial, the development of the capstone experience has been captured in the embodiment of that experience. Our aim is to guide other academics in developing their own capstone course, particularly, within management with extension into other disciplines. Through continual improvement, we stress the importance of integrating the primary voice of the students, to emphasize the active learning and to optimize a meaningful experience in connecting theory to practice – the key to the capstone experience. Examples of how to gain feedback and integrate classroom improvements are given. To do this we present two cycles where we applied and practiced continual learning and educational action research to understand and evoke improvements within the course. These changes are evidenced through aggregated student feedback

Exposure to Childhood Interpersonal Trauma and Mental Health Service Urgency

Background: Children and youth with a history of maltreatment experience different developmental, psychiatric and health problems. Ensuring there is streamlined access to services is imperative to their recovery. Yet, few reports of standardized methods for direction and prioritizing risk for children seeking services exist. Objective: The current study aims to address this gap and explore how mental health personnel triage highly vulnerable cases. Specifically, the goal of the current study is to examine whether experiencing childhood interpersonal trauma predicts service urgency. Participants and Setting: Participants were 19,645 children and youth, ages 4-18 (M = 11.1 SD = 3.4) who completed the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener (ChYMH-S) at various community-based and residential children’s mental health facilities across Ontario. Methods: Retrospective data collected from the ChYMH-S was used to explore differences in maltreatment history, gender, and legal guardianship and their impact on service prioritization. Results: Children and youth who are exposed to some form of interpersonal trauma were more likely to have mental health issues requiring urgent follow-up service. Findings also suggested that gender and legal guardianship impact service urgency. Conclusions: Children and youth who have experienced maltreatment are significantly more likely to score high on mental health service urgency than those who have not. This provides valuable insight that can support the development of appropriate system-level changes to policy and practice when servicing children and youth with mental health needs in Canad

A Study of Risk Factors Predicting School Disruption in Children and Youth Living in Ontario

School disruption (SD) places students at risk of early school departure and other negative psychological outcomes. Based on the data derived from a sample of Ontario children and youth, this study aims to identify risk factors associated with SD among 1,241 school-aged students. A logistic regression model revealed that substance use, family functioning, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and experiencing bullying, significantly predicted SD. Substance use and family functioning resulted in the largest contributions to SD when holding other variables constant. This study provides supporting evidence of risk factors predicting SD and suggests that mental health and school personnel should consider family functioning and substance use in particular, when creating interventions to decrease premature school termination

Interpersonal Polyvictimization: Addressing the Care Planning Needs of Traumatized Children and Youth

Background: Exposure to maltreatment has a detrimental impact on both physical and mental health. However, research on the relationship between polyvictimization and care planning needs is scarce. Objectives: This study investigated the associations between interpersonal polyvictimization and care planning needs for children and youth, controlling for sex and age differences. Participants and Settings: The sample included 18,701 children and youth (Mage = 12.33, SDage = 3.53) between 4 and 18 years. Participants were recruited from over 58 mental health agencies, facilities, and schools in Ontario, Canada between November 2012 and February 2020. Methods: Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to investigate polyvictimization, sex and age groups, as predictors on care planning outcomes. Significant interaction effects were further examined using simple effects analyses. Results: Children and youth experiencing polyvictimization, compared to those who did not, were more likely to report attachment difficulties, lack of informal support, interpersonal conflict, substance use and harm to self or others. In addition, sex had a significant impact on attachment and interpersonal conflict. Conclusions: Findings emphasize the importance of focusing on interpersonal polyvictimization and sex differences when developing treatment plans for a variety of care planning needs. Mental health practitioners could utilize the study findings to guide their clinical practices and ensure effective services are provided to those seeking mental health care