Evolving global governance structures: division of labour and co-operation between regional and global security arrangements

'Globalisation führt zu weitreichende Strukturen gegenseitiger Abhängigkeiten im internationalen System. In vielen Bereichen sind lokale nationale Lösungen nicht mehr realisierbar. Dies gilt für divergierende Bereiche wie dem internationalen Frieden und der internationalen Sicherheit, dem Umweltschutz sowie für die internationale Wirtschaft und dem Schutz der Menschenrechte. Ohne Global Governance können weder die allgemeinen Menschheitsprobleme noch viele nationale Probleme gelöst werden. Erste Anstrengungen, einen Institutionen- und Gesetzesrahmen zu entwickeln, um Globalisierung in ihren unterschiedlichen Formen bewältigen zu können, haben begonnen worden. Die Strukturen der Global Governance sind jedoch noch unterentwickelt. Ein gemeinsames nachhaltiges Engagement von staatlichen und nichtstaatlichen Akteuren ist dringend erforderlich. Ein Nord-Süd Dialog zu Global Governance, gemeinsam organisiert durch die Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) und der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), soll diese Anstrengungen unterstützen. Diese beiden Stiftungen haben eine Reihe internationaler Konferenzen organisiert, die die wichtigsten Forschungseinrichtungen auf dem Gebiet der internationalen Politik aus den Ländern des Südens sowie des Nordens miteinbeziehen. Ziel des Dialogs ist es, konkrete Maße und Probleme von Global Governance zu erforschen. Was muß getan werden, um wirksame Normen für Global Governance, politische Systeme und Organisationen aufzubauen? Wie wirken sich vorhandene Richtlinien und Einrichtungen in diesen unterschiedlichen Bereichen hinsichtlich Global Governance aus? Wie können sie verbessert werden? Die erste Konferenz, am 6-8 April 2000 in Ebenhausen, Deutschland, thematisierte vor allem die Sicherheitslage der Weltzentren sowie die Frage, wie Universalorganisationen wie die UNO und regionale Organisationen zusammen arbeiten können, um Global Governance hinsichtlich des Friedens und der Sicherheit zu verbessern.' (Autorenreferat)'Globalisation is leading to far-reaching structures of mutual dependency in the international system. In many areas, isolated national solutions are no longer feasible. This is true for such diverse fields as international peace and security, the protection of the environment as well as the international economy and the protection of human rights. Without global governance neither the common problems of mankind, nor a large number of national problems can be solved. Endeavours to build an institutional and legal framework to manage globalisation in its different dimensions have begun. However, structures of global governance are still weak. Better global governance will not come about by itself. A sustained commitment of states as well as of non-state actors is needed. A North-South Dialogue on global governance, jointly organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FEF) and the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), is meant to support this effort. The two institutions have initiated a series of international conferences which will involve major research institutions in the field of international politics from countries of the South as well as the North. The aim of the dialogue is to scrutinise concrete dimensions and problems of global governance. What has to be done to create workable global governance rules, regimes and organisations? How do existing rules and institutions in these different fields perform with regard to global governance? How can they be improved? The first conference, on April 6.8, 2000 in Ebenhausen, Germany, addressed the security situation in the major regions of the world as well as the question how universal organisations, such as the UN, and regional organisations can work together to improve global governance in the field of peace and security.' (author's abstract)

Main motivations for CRM adoption by large portuguese companies: a principal component analysis

The motivations for an organization to adopt Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can be very varied, which brings an additional complexity to the adoption decision. It is important to understand the main drivers of CRM adoption so that companies can better target their investment efforts. This paper presents and discusses the main findings of a study undertaken among a sample of large Portuguese companies, identifying and discussing the main motivations for CRM systems adoption. A survey was carried out for data collection, and a Principal Component Analysis was made to identify the main motivations. The study concludes that the main motivations for adopting CRM systems are related to cost reduction, improving overall customer satisfaction, improving processes, achieving competitive advantages and improving information quality. The findings of this study can help the academic and professional community to better understand the main motivations of companies for adopting CRM systems, and also for CRM systems vendors and consultants to better address the needs of their potential clients

Observation of topological Hall effect in Mn₂RhSn films

Recently non-collinear magnetic structures have attracted renewed attention due to the novel Hall effects that they display. In earlier work evidence for a non-collinear magnetic structure has been reported for the ferromagnetic Heusler compound Mn₂RhSn. Using sputtering techniques we have prepared high quality epitaxial thin films of Mn₂RhSn by high temperature growth on MgO (001) substrates. The films are tetragonally distorted with an easy magnetization axis along the c-axis. Moreover, we find evidence for an anomalous Hall effect whose magnitude increases strongly below the Curie temperature that is near room temperature. Consistent with theoretical calculations of the anomalous Hall conductivity that we have carried out by deriving the Berry curvature from the electronic structure of perfectly ordered Mn₂RhSn, the sign of the anomalous Hall conductivity is negative, although the measured value is considerably smaller than the calculated value. We attribute this difference to small deviations in stoichiometry and chemical ordering. We also find evidence for a topological Hall resistivity of about 50 nΩ cm, which is ∼5% of the anomalous Hall effect, for temperatures below 100 K. The topological Hall effect signifies the presence of a chiral magnetic structure that evolves from the non-collinear magnetic structure that Mn₂RhSn is known to exhibit

Does logging and forest conversion to oil palm agriculture alter functional diversity in a biodiversity hotspot?

Forests in Southeast Asia are rapidly being logged and converted to oil palm. These changes in land-use are known to affect species diversity but consequences for the functional diversity of species assemblages are poorly understood. Environmental filtering of species with similar traits could lead to disproportionate reductions in trait diversity in degraded habitats. Here, we focus on dung beetles, which play a key role in ecosystem processes such as nutrient recycling and seed dispersal. We use morphological and behavioural traits to calculate a variety of functional diversity measures across a gradient of disturbance from primary forest through intensively logged forest to oil palm. Logging caused significant shifts in community composition but had very little effect on functional diversity, even after a repeated timber harvest. These data provide evidence for functional redundancy of dung beetles within primary forest and emphasize the high value of logged forests as refugia for biodiversity. In contrast, conversion of forest to oil palm greatly reduced taxonomic and functional diversity, with a marked decrease in the abundance of nocturnal foragers, a higher proportion of species with small body sizes and the complete loss of telecoprid species (dung-rollers), all indicating a decrease in the functional capacity of dung beetles within plantations. These changes also highlight the vulnerability of community functioning within logged forests in the event of further environmental degradation

User Experiences of Development of Dependence on the Synthetic Cannabinoids, 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22, and Subsequent Withdrawal Syndromes

Emergence of synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) in herbal smoking mixtures is a public health concern. New SCB’s such as 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22 have been detected in French seizures and in sudden death post mortems in the US. The aim was to describe development of dependence on herbal smoking mixtures containing the SCB’s, 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22 and subsequent withdrawal syndromes. Dependent users of herbal smoking mixtures known to contain the SCB’s 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22 with an average Severity of Dependence Score (SDS) of 13 were interviewed using a structured guide (three males/three females). Narratives were analysed using the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological (EPP) five step method. Six themes with 68 categories emerged from the analysis. Themes are illustrated as 1) Networks and Product Availability; 2) Drivers and Motives for Use; 3) Effect and Pathways toward Dependence; 4) Poly Substance Use and Comparisons to Natural Cannabis; 5) Dependence and Withdrawal and 6) Self-detoxification Attempts. Two higher levels of abstraction above these theme-levels emerged from the data, with sole use of herbal smoking mixtures containing 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22 centering on the interplay between intense cravings, compulsive all-consuming seeking, use and re-dose behaviours, and fear of the psychiatric and self-harms caused when in withdrawal. This is the first study describing dependence and withdrawal experiences in users dependent on 5f-AKB48 and 5F-PB-22. Given the potential for adverse psychiatric and physical consequences of dependent use, further development of specific clinical responses and clinical research around toxicity and withdrawal severity are warranted

Trust, contract and relationship development

Contains fulltext : 45386.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)28 p

Sowjetische Theorie - afrikanische Praxis: zu den sowjetischen Konzepten einer sozialistischen Agrarpolitik in Afrika

Muenchen, Univ., Diss.Available from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel A 184788 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman