Environment Degradation and Nature’s Reclamation: A Study of Yiro Abari’s in the Absence of Man

The sermon of eco-activists for long has been about conservation of the flora and fauna, particularly the threatened and endangered species in order to sustain the steady cycle of the ecosystem. However, industrial and economic activities by humans have resulted in the obstruction of the ecosystemic chain. Many Western writers have imposed upon themselves the responsibility of promoting biological and environmental conservation through their art. However, the call for global environmental preservation has been answered weakly by black African writers and critics. This is so because the African writer has been preoccupied with issues of colonialism and corruption. YiroAbari’s In the Absence of Man is set in Jos, the capital of Plateau State of Nigeria. A city that has witnessed massive tin mining activities from the dawn of the 20th century which left vast ponds and infertile lands in the wake of mining. This paper explores the details of the wasted lands due to mining activities. It has become evident in this article that nature has the capacity to re-invent itself through Darwin’s theory of natural selection. The paper therefore posits that nature will always reclaim its lost territories of the earth even after human beings have gone into extinction. It is therefore in man’s interest to protect nature for himself

Games, Gambling and Generation Z: Disruptive approaches to awareness of gambling harms - A practical guide to implementation

Game On was a project that aimed to increase awareness and evaluate the impacts of gambling for communities in Salford, specifically for 16-21-year-olds who are identified as being at risk. The normalisation of gambling is leading to an increasing frequency of young people gambling weekly, particularly among young men. The rationale for targeting this age range is associated with the vulnerability of young people to mismanage their first independent income/grant/loan, an area of rising concern.This project used research-based interventions to disrupt the normalisation of gambling for young people, and this culminated in an event in July 2022 to test our learning and interventions with young people.We recognise that the gambling industry has resources and access to commission a significant range of multidisciplinary methodologies to make their products attractive to individuals .As such, we have built a group of researchers from diverse backgrounds to research, understand and analyse gambling harms and anti-gambling resources available to our young people. These researchers use interdisciplinary methods to carry out research with the aim to have a clear understanding of the gambling harms in Greater Manchester. Many of the methodologies used in this research have foundations in academic research, so this is why we have worked with the University of Salford to utilise these multidisciplinary approaches to create disruptive tools and approaches to challenge the gambling industry’s narratives and counter normalisation of gambling. This is especially needed as Salford experiences extreme levels of deprivation, which has been compounded by COVID-19 and the impact of the cost of living crisis

SPARC 2019 Fake news & home truths : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2019 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also our first ever Doctoral School Best Supervisor awards, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 90 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant, innovative and collaborative PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the inspiring, relevant and impactful research in progress, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. Find an abstract that interests you, and say “Hello” to the author. Who knows what might result from your conversation? With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research needs interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised and rewarded by all major research funders. Engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers. Even better, our free ice cream van means that you can have those conversations while enjoying a refreshing ice lolly