Local Government, Taxes, and Guns: Successful Policy Innovation in Three Colombian Cities

This paper evaluates transformative policy innovations with respect to security and taxation in the three main Colombian cities: Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. In the first two, such policies were associated with huge success. Elsewhere we (Gutiérrez et al. 2009) have tagged these transformation processes as ‘urban/metropolitan miracles’. The term comes from the fact that both common citizens and pundits considered these to be extremely unlikely, that they were fast, and that they were large-scale. We argue, that the success of Bogotá and Medellín was the result of a set of institutional underpinnings basically related to the 1991 constitution; the opening of a window of opportunity for new political actors; and, as a result, the formation of a new government coalition and ‘governance formula’. Anti-particularism was a language related to political demands— linked organically with the pro-1991 constitution movement—which became effective .../urban security, state building, public policies

Striving to overcome the economic crisis: Progress and diversification of Mexican multinationals’ export of capital

The Institute for Economic Research (IIEc) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment (VCC), a joint initiative of the Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, are releasing the results of their third survey of Mexican multinationals today. The survey is part of a long-term study of the rapid global expansion of multinational enterprises (MNEs) from emerging markets. The present report focuses on data for the year 2010. Highlights In 2010, the top 20 Mexican MNEs had foreign assets of USDD 123 billion (table 1 below), foreign sales of USDD 71 billion, and employed 255,340 people abroad (see annex table 1 in annex I). The top two firms, America Movil and CEMEX, together controlled USDD 85 billion in foreign assets, accounting for nearly 70% of the assets on the list. The top four firms (including FEMSA and Grupo Mexico) jointly held USDD 104 billion, which represents almost 85% of the list’s foreign assets. Leading industries in this ranking, by numbers of MNEs, are non-metallic minerals (four companies) and food and beverages (another four companies). All but two of the 20 are firms whose shares are traded on a stock exchange. The exceptions are PEMEX, Mexico’s fully state-owned oil and gas firm, and Xignux, a diversified family-owned enterprise. The top 20 MNEs had 223 foreign affiliates (branches, subsidiaries, et al). As with their counterparts elsewhere in Latin America, Mexican MNEs show a very strong regional orientation. As annex table 2 makes clear, the top 20 overwhelmingly prefer to invest in Latin America. The next region of choice, with a substantial presence of Mexican affiliates, is North America. Europe (mainly the European Union) is a somewhat distant third. The presence of Mexican MNEs in Asia seems to be growing, if slow. In 2008, four of them had affiliates in Asia; in 2010, seven did

Impact of global crisis on Mexican multinationals varies by industry, survey finds

The Institute for Economic Research (IIEc) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment (VCC), a joint initiative of the Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, are releasing the results of their second annual survey of Mexican multinationals today.1 The survey is part of a long-term study of the rapid global expansion of the multinational enterprises of emerging markets. The present report focuses on data for the year 2009. Highlights In 2009, the 20 companies listed in table 1 below posted about USD 117 billion in foreign assets, 63 billion in foreign sales, and had 227,484 employees in their overseas operations. The top three companies on the list are CEMEX, America Movil, and Carso Global Telecom, which together controlled USD 86 billion in foreign assets, which was 73% of the total on the list. The leading sectors on the list are food and beverages (4 firms), non-metallic minerals (4 firms), and telecommunications (2 firms). In keeping with the tradition in Mexican outward foreign direct investment (FDI), most of the investments were undertaken in Latin America and the Caribbean and in North America −specifically the United States-. These regions were followed in importance by Western Europe. Mexican outward FDI has now also begun to appear in China, India, and Australia. The shares of all companies ranked in table 1 are publicly traded, with the exception of PEMEX, which is 100% state-owned, and Xignux, which is a privately held family-owned firm

Partial extinction did not diminish spontaneous recovery after 24-hour retention interval

Fear extinction is not permanent but it may suffer from different forms of relapse. One strategy potentially useful to diminish relapse is the partial extinction treatment, according to which, extinction may be potentiated if a gradual and sparse number of CS-US pairings are introduced within the extinction treatment. The present study, using a differential fear conditioning paradigm, tries to evaluate the efficacy of partial extinction to reduce a specific form of relapse, spontaneous recovery, after a 24 h. retention interval. The results showed that partial extinction did not diminish spontaneous recovery when compared with standard extinction. From a theoretical point of view, the pattern of results found was more consistent with the idea that extinction entails the acquisition of new knowledge than with the idea that there are conditions in which extinction entails the erasure of the original acquisitionUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

"¿Quién oyó lo que yo?" : el discurso subversivo de autoafirmación en Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (lectura actualizada de una identidad imposible)

Toda obra literaria es inconsciente o conscientemente concebida como herramienta de poder con una ideología subyacente al servicio de unos intereses concretos. Leer a Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz es adentrarse en un modelo discursivo que busca subvertir una realidad del siglo XVII: aquella que impide a la mujer tomar conciencia de sí misma como ser humano pensante. La autoafirmación en Sor Juana, genera una recurrencia en el uso del "yo" con carácter unidireccional y metadiscursivo en tanto que no es otra cosa que un autoseñalamiento constant,e que genera la producción de un discurso identitario dentro de la literatura.Any literary work is unconscious or consciously conceived as tool of power with an underlying ideology to the service of a few concrete interests. To read to Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz means to enter a discursive model which seeks to subvert a reality of the 17th century: that one that prevents the woman from being aware of herself as a thinker human being. The self-affirmation in Sor Juana generates a recurrence in the use of the 'I' with unidirectional metadiscursive character as that is nothing more than a constant self-signalling which generates the production of an identity within the literature discourse

A discriminação por idade: um estudo comparativo entre estudantes universitários

Diversos estudios sobre estereotipos con estudiantes universitarios muestran que las personas mayores son percibidas más desde una imagen negativa que con estereotipos positivos. Teniendo en cuenta el creciente aumento de la población mayor en la actualidad, y con el fin de trabajar con personas mayores desde una visión positiva de sí mismos, es necesario que estos estereotipos desaparezcan. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar si existen estereotipos negativos hacia la vejez en estudiantes de carreras universitarias relacionadas y no relacionadas con el campo de la salud. En total, se evaluó a 262 estudiantes con el cuestionario CENVE, y, para saber si existían diferencias de estereotipos negativos entre los estudiantes según su titulación, se realizó un análisis ANOVA, además de comparaciones post hoc. Los resultados fueron significativos al nivel del 5 % y evidenciaron la existencia de estereotipos negativos hacia la vejez en estudiantes de títulos universitarios relacionados y no relacionados con el campo de la salud. Los ANOVA mostraron diferencias para el CENVE total (F3259 = 3.574; p = .015; η 2 = .040), para la dimensión de motivación social (F3259 = 3.697; p = .012; η2 = .042) y para la dimensión de personalidad (F3259 = 5.157; p = .002; η 2 = .057). Las pruebas post hoc mostraron la existencia de diferencias en el grado de estereotipos negativos según las titulaciones en curso, donde las titulaciones sanitarias mostraron menor grado en comparación con las demás.Different studies with university students show the presence of a negative image about the elderly and an absence of positive stereotypes regarding this age group. With the increase of the older population, these stereotypes must disappear in order to work with aged people without a negative view of them. The aim of this paper was to identify the existence of negative stereotypes towards old age in students who are pursuing health-related and not related university degree courses. A total of 262 students were assessed with the CENVE questionnaire. In order to find out whether there were differences between students with respect to negative stereotypes, an ANOVA and a post-hoc comparison test were carried out. Results were significant at the 5% level. These show evidence of the existence of negative stereotypes about old age in students pursuing university degrees related and not related to the field of health. ANOVAs showed differences in total CENVE (F3 259 = 3.574; p = 0.015; r2 = 0.040), Social Motivation dimension (F3259 = 3.697; p = 0.012; rf = 0.042), and Personality dimension (F3259 = 5.157; p = 0.002; r2 = 0.057). The post-hoc tests show the existence of differences in stereotypes depending on the course that is being studied, where the health related courses show the lower level of negative stereotypes.Diversos estudos sobre estereótipos com estudantes universitários mostram que as pessoas idosas são percebidas mais frequentemente a partir de uma imagem negativa do que com estereótipos positivos. Levando em consideração o crescente aumento da população idosa na atualidade e como o fim de trabalhar com pessoas mais velhas a partir de uma visão positiva de si mesmos, é preciso que esses estereótipos desapareçam. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar se existem estereótipos negativos com respeito à velhice em estudantes de cursos universitários relacionados e não relacionados com o campo da saúde. No total, 262 estudantes foram avaliados com o questionário CENVE e, para saber se existiam diferenças de estereótipos negativos entre os estudantes de acordo com sua habilitação, foi realizada uma análise ANOVA, além de comparações post hoc. Os resultados foram significativos com um nível de 5% e evidenciaram a existência de estereótipos negativos com respeito à velhice em estudantes de habilitações universitárias relacionadas e não relacionadas com o campo da saúde. Os ANOVA mostraram diferenças para o CENVE total (F3259 = 3.574; p = .015; n2 = .040), para a dimensão de motivação social (F3259 = 3.697; p = .012; n2 = .042) e para a dimensão de personalidade (F3259 = 5.157; p = .002; n2 = .057). As provas post hoc mostraram a existência de diferenças no grau de estereótipos negativos de acordo com as habilitações em curso, sendo que as habilitações de saúde mostraram menor grau em comparação com as demais

El juego de las caras comestibles

Resumen: Con esta propuesta se quieren utilizar las Nuevas Tecnologías, para implicar a los  alumnos participantes de esta actividad en la búsqueda de nuevos medios de expresión que puedan incidir en su propio aprendizaje del arte, usando materiales creativos relacionados con su vida cotidiana, como son la comida y las nuevas tecnologías con las que cada día los estudiantes se encuentran más familiarizados. Para ello se propuso realizar un juego plástico con los alimentos, tomando como partida la obra de artistas que trabajan con la comida, construyendo unas obras que posteriormente servirían para hacer una reflexión educativa, tanto en el terreno de la educación artística como en otros temas transversales que tienen que ver con la comida y la alimentación. Palabras clave: Educación artística, arte-comida, juego Abstract: With this proposal, we aim to use ICT (information and communication technologies) in order to involve the students in the activity of searching new ways of expression that could affect their own ways of learning art, by using creative materials related to their everyday life, such as food and new technologies. With this objective, the students took part in a plastic activity consisting in a game, using food as an artistic material, taking artists who work with food as a starting point, and creating pieces that will later help to promote educational reflection, both in the field of artistic education and in other interconnected topics that have to do with food and eating. Key words: Art education, art-food, gam

Las relaciones México-Estados Unidos: Hacia un replanteamiento de fondo

Se analiza la problemática de las relación entre México y Estados Unidos sumida en un marco de desequilibrio de política exterior a partir de mayo de 1986. De acuerdo a la autora, esta reformulación de pólitica no puede ser el resultado de ataques y contraataques mutuos; si algo resulta urgente en este momento, es el diseño de una estrategia diplomática, por parte de México, que supere el inmediatismo imperante que ha caracterizado sus recientes relaciones con los Estados Unidos en contraposición con su tradicional actitud. Frente a un vecino ocupado en la recuperación de la grandeza y el orgullo nacional ¿qué concepto de seguridad y soberanía posee México

Del bloqueo cubano al embargo nicaraguense

El daño económico que el bloqueo comercial provocará a Nicaragua es serio: éste ha sido estimado en 50 mdd anuales considerando que en 1984 las exportaciones hacia los Estados Unidos se elevaron a 57 millones mientras que las importaciones alcanzaron la suma de 17 millones. El bloqueo comercial a puesto a la revolución sandinista frente a un predicamento que para ser resuelto requiere de altos costos económico y políticos

La olla resentida. Dolor e indignación en México por los normalistas de Ayotzinapa

En el estado de Guanajuato, México, se utiliza una técnica para comprobar si una olla está o no dañada y, en caso de ser así, se dice que está resentida. Una olla resentida es una olla con una fisura casi imperceptible a primera vista que requiere una agudización de los sentidos para identificarla. Una olla así, de no ser reparada a tiempo, será inservible. Propongo la metáfora de la olla resentida para analizar hasta qué punto la desaparición de 43 estudiantes de la Escuela Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa, en Guerrero, nos ha dañado. Al mismo tiempo, analizo algunas prácticas artísticas y culturales que han surgido como una acción de resistencia ante el panorama desolador que se vive en mi país