International Non-Governmental Organisations and Peacebuilding - Perspectives from Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

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Case Study: Oxfam in Sri Lanka

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Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project (BNLWRP). Research Report 1.

yesThe NLW database illustrates the extensive and eclectic literature regarding NLWs which covers the last few decades. It currently contains over 250 entries. It is important to have access not only to the more recent material, but also to earlier sources since many of the general debates and controversies have already been rehearsed, and lessons learnt from them are still relevant today. Yet, it is also vital to follow new developments of NLWs closely because rapidly changing technology is producing weapons whose implications for integration into military and civil police forces have yet to be clearly defined and understood. Of particular interest are not only NLW applications for war fighting, but opportunities for deployment in peace enforcement and peace keeping missions. These technologies span many bases including: psycho-chemicals; unmanned weapons platforms and delivery systems; biogenetics; acoustic and microwave weapons; biological and chemical weapons; laser systems; kinetic energy ballistics; dual purpose (lethal/non-lethal) weapons; and, sprays and foams which inhibit movement. The database will keep up to date on these developments and future reports will highlight new issues and debates surrounding them. With these rapid technological advances come a series of associated dangers and concerns including: the ethics of use; implications for weapons control and disarmament treaties; military doctrine; public accountability and guidelines; dangers of misuse and proliferation; and, research and development strategies. Using the database, and drawing from military and non-military sources, this report will select the main current issues and debates within the non-lethal community. Bearing in mind that many operations undertaken by military forces are now more akin to policing actions (such as peace support operations) there are lessons to be learnt by military units from civil police experience. There still remains a tension between perceived benign and malign intent both in NLW operational use and non-lethal research and development

'Wonder vs. therapy' in art and Christianity

No abstract available

Do Non-Economic Quality of Life Factors Drive Immigration?

This paper contributes to the immigration literature by generating two unique non-economic quality of life (QOL) indices and testing their role on recent migration patterns. Applying the generated quality of life indices in conjunction with other independent welfare measures to an extended gravity model of immigration for 16 OECD destination countries from 1991 to 2000 suggests an insignificant role for QOL in the immigration process. The panel results suggest that other economic variables such as the stock of immigrants from the source country already living in the OECD destination country, population size, relative incomes, and geographic factors all significantly drive the flow of immigration for the sample.immigration, quality of life, gravity model

Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project (BNLWRP). Research Report 2

yesDrawing from the Non-Lethal Weapons Database this report summarises and reviews: non-lethal technology research and development issues, themes and trends developments in non-lethal military organisation and co-ordination capacity recent developments in selected non-lethal technologies commercial opportunities and applications of non-lethal technology ethical and social implications of non-lethal technolgy non-lethal human bioeffect researc

Differences between Merino strains and studs

When commercial wool growers select Merino rams they often use the following pattern: the buyers first consider the main strains of Merinos in Western Australia - Bungaree, Collinsville and Peppin. They then study the 550 studs and numerous non-stud ram breeders in this State. Having chosen a breeder, they examine the rams on offer and buy their annual requirements from among these. Until recently, no objective information has been available on the differences between studs and strains in Western Australia\u27s agricultural areas. However, as part of a major study at the Department of Agriculture\u27s Great Southern Agricultural Research Institute, these differences were measured for the Bungaree, Collinsville and Peppin strains, and for four studs within each strain

Art, faith and fear

Deborah Lewer looks back at RosemarieTrockel’s 1993 installation, ICH HABE ANGST, a work which takes on new significance in this age of pandemic

How do the Life Histories of Women who have Experience Domestic Violence Impact the ways they Decide on and Engage with Higher Education?

My doctoral inquiry focused on understanding the experiences of mature aged female higher education students who had experienced domestic violence. Guided by the concepts of Bourdieu’s (1977) capital, field, and habitus this feminist narrative inquiry analysed the life histories of nine women from across the Australian state of New South Wales in relation to their resources and engagement within higher education. The findings presented in this paper point to the women’s success through sheer determination and perseverance, the choosing to limit engagement outside of the classroom, and frustrations over a lack of understanding

Improving physical healthcare for people who use heroin and crack cocaine

BACKGROUND: People who use heroin and crack cocaine today are older than in the past. The main causes of illness and death are shifting from infections and drug poisoning (the main health issues in this population in the 1980s and 1990s) to respiratory, cardiovascular, and other non-communicable diseases. Qualitative research has identified barriers to treatment of these conditions. However, research remains focused on preventing crime, drug overdoses, and transmission of blood-borne viruses. This thesis aims to understand the physical health needs of this population, with a focus on people using heroin and crack cocaine in England, and provide recommendations for more accessible healthcare. METHODS: The thesis includes: (a) literature reviews relating to frequency of healthcare utilisation, access to healthcare for physical health problems, and interventions that aim to improve physical healthcare; (b) a qualitative study of clinicians working in community drug and alcohol services to understand how they perceive their role in physical healthcare; (c) a study of causes of death among people who use illicit opioids; (d) a case study of the burden and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among people who use illicit opioids. RESULTS: The literature reviews found limited research into access to physical healthcare for people who use illicit drugs, or the effectiveness of interventions that aim to improve healthcare for this population. Existing studies focused on cancer screening participation in the United States, finding that illicit drug use was associated with lower uptake. The qualitative study found that clinicians working in community drug and alcohol services in the UK often take a ‘health advocate’ approach to help their clients get appointments with GPs and other health services. However, participants reported limited success, and many referrals end in non-attendance. Although participants said they were often the first point of contact for a wide range of health problems, they did not have the resources to respond to these needs and felt isolated from other health services. The study of mortality found that illicit opioid use was associated with greater risk of all causes of death, including respiratory diseases, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, infections, liver disease, and accidents. While the highest relative mortality risks were associated with drug poisoning and viral hepatitis, more excess deaths were caused by physical non-communicable diseases. At a population level, the increasing average age of people using drugs explains an increase in deaths due to non-communicable diseases, but not the recent increase in drug-related deaths. The case study of COPD found that a history of illicit opioids was associated with more severe disease at diagnosis, approximately double the risk of adverse outcomes such as acute exacerbations, but similar probability of treatments such as COPD-specific medications, immunisation against respiratory infections, and smoking cessation support. CONCLUSION: The health needs of people who use heroin and crack cocaine are shifting toward physical non-communicable diseases. Services that support people who use heroin and crack cocaine are not equipped for this. The case study of COPD suggests that COPD-related inequalities are likely to be driven by exposures before diagnosis and later diagnosis, rather than access to care after diagnosis. This shows the need for more accessible primary care for this population and investment in primary prevention such as smoking cessation. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Researc