Persona Non Grata: The Obligation of Diplomats to Respect the Laws and Regulations of the Hosting State

The components of the international system after World War II are interacting in more complicated way. This complexity between some countries has accelerated the use of the term “Persona non grata” which accords hosting states the right to prevent diplomatic representatives of other states to enter into its territory or to expel them immediately from the country. In spite of the fact that the receiving state has no right to intervene in the nomination of the foreign diplomates of other countries, it still has the right to oppose their presence in its territory. Usually the states refer to this diplomatic declaration as a result of violation of articles 41 and 42 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, which require the need to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State, and not to interfere in its internal affairs. This study attempts to answer questions that relate to the existing remedies of hosting states in response to diplomatic intervention in their domestic affairs, measures that exist to restraint the issues of diplomatic abuses, the circumstances that give hosting states the possibility to refer to this sanction, the effectiveness of this remedy, and the position of international conventions in relation to this declaration. Keywords: Diplomatic law, Vienna Convention, diplomatic immunity, persona non grata, Sovereignty, sending State, hosting state, TIT for TAT, International Court of Justice, UN Charter

Functional Incapacity and Physical and Psychological Symptoms: How They Interconnect in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Background: It has been argued that perceived functional incapacity might be a primary characteristic of chronic fatigue syndrome ( CFS) and could be explained by physical symptoms. If so, it could be expected to be closely associated with physical, but not psychological symptoms. The study tests this hypothesis. Sampling and Methods: The sample consisted of 73 patients, with a diagnosis of CFS according to the Oxford criteria, randomly selected from clinics in the Departments of Immunology and Psychiatry at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. The degree of fatigue experienced by patients was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire and a visual analogue scale. Self-rated instruments were used to measure physical and social functioning, quality of life, and physical and psychological symptoms. Results: Principal-component analysis of all scale scores revealed 2 distinct components, explaining 53% of the total variance. One component was characterized by psychological symptoms and generic quality of life indicators, whilst the other component was made up of physical symptoms, social and physical functioning and indicators of fatigue. Conclusions: The findings suggest that perceived functional incapacity is a primary characteristic of CFS, which is manifested and/or explained by physical symptoms. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Base

The Right of Hot Pursuit at Sea: Clarity in International Law and Difficulties in its Application

This research examines the right of hot pursuit in the international Law of the Sea. In this research, I analyze critically the development of the right, its present status and position in the future. The doctrine of hot pursuit is placed within the framework of modern international law and examined in the light of recent developments. As stated in article 111 of the Law of the Sea, the hot pursuit of a foreign ship may be undertaken when the competent authorities of the coastal State have good reason to believe that the ship has violated the laws and regulations of that State. Such pursuit must be commenced when the foreign ship or one of its boats is within the internal waters, the archipelagic waters, the territorial sea or the contiguous zone of the pursuing State, and may only be continued outside the territorial sea or the contiguous zone if the pursuit has not been interrupted. The pursuit may only be undertaken if there has been a violation of the rights for the protection of which the zone was established. In the second section of this research, we studied the challenges that face the doctrine of hot pursuit and on top of these challenges; the bilateral, regional and international agreements that try to achieve the maximum protection to international waters. In contrast, we found that the United States, in the adoption of individual initiatives such as the Proliferation Security Initiative, has completely changed the concept of hot pursuit. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. I tried, in this research, to examine this Initiative and look into the consequences regarding the doctrine of hot pursuit

Academic achievement and attitudes of Arab-American immigrants

There is no single predictor of economic success in modern America more than one’s education level. There has been much empirical research examining immigrant students and academic achievement, in order to provide the necessary support to increase the likelihood of academic success. However, there has been little research to investigate the case of Arab-American immigrants. The influx of immigrants from Arab countries that have recently experienced much instability due to war and conflict, and the increased negative visibility of Arabs post-September 11, make it vital to examine the experiences of Arab immigrant students and how their experiences affect their academic achievement. This qualitative study consisted of 17 participants, ages 17-28, from the Detroit and Chicago metropolitan areas. One-on-one, face-to-face interviews lasting 20-45 minutes were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed in order to find recurring themes. Experiences with respect to discrimination and marginalization, parental involvement, and experiences in country of origin and their effects on academic achievement were examined. Results suggest that although discrimination and marginalization were often experienced, these did not affect students’ academic achievement. In fact, the findings suggest that it may have pushed the students to work harder at learning the language to ensure faster integration into mainstream culture. In addition, the challenges that parents may face vis-à-vis parental involvement, in particular, the financial struggles, may affect the students’ academic achievement. Finally, advanced math and science curriculum that the immigrant students had been v exposed to in their countries of origin may indeed play a major role in boosting the student’s academic confidence and academic achievement in the U.S

INTNSE

The project entitled “INTNSE” deriving from the word intensity. The grammar writing was changed for personal and esthetical reasons. “INTNSE” was Dana Fakhoury’s music production portfolio as Earlybird during her year spent at Berklee College of Music. It included a full branded show-reel portfolio that samples some of the producer’s best work in a creative and easily accessible manner through a website. The purpose was to feature her on the music market as an up and coming producer, artist, mix engineer, and a live programmer for Ableton. In the future the author would like to perform her own set as well as collaborative sets live and help artist reach their ultimate goal in production.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1150/thumbnail.jp

Does interpreter-mediated CBT with traumatized refugee people work? A comparison of patient outcomes in East London

Publisher version available from: http://journals.cambridge.org

Learning Through Collective Testimony: African American Motherwork, Womanism, and Praxis

Focus groups serve as a form of collective testimony empowering women, in this case black mothers, to share their lived experiences and connect with one another. This article discusses how collective testimony revealed black mothers’ gendered racial socialization work—or African American motherwork—done on the behalf of their young daughters attending predominantly white schools in suburban Detroit, Michigan. I use womanism as a guiding framework to reflect upon my own positionality and the significance of understanding, explicating, and employing these strategies. As an expression of black women’s consciousness, womanism advocates for the empowerment of black women and thus requires me to share, as demonstrable praxis, my own personal testimony of the gendered racial socialization of my daughters