Gum arabic production and marketing in Senegal: interlocked transactions and supply chain implications

Interlocked relationships are characterised by traders’ supply of inputs and cash to producers on credit, to be reimbursed at sale time based on pre-defined prices which are often lower than the prevailing market price. The study analyses determinants of choice for interlocking in the gum arabic sector in Senegal and the effect of interlocking on gum production and market participation; gum arabic is a natural exudates of Acacia Senegal trees that grow in the semi-arid lands of Africa. Data from 422 gum producers in Northern and Eastern regions of Senegal are used. About 45percent of respondents are involved into interlocking with village shop-owners or mobile traders. Interlocking has a negative effect on prices received by gum collectors. However, in the absence of effective credit markets, interlocking positively influences market participation and production as found through a two-step Heckman selection model by the provision of market assurance and safety for emergencies.interlocking, contracts, semi-arid lands, market participation, gum arabic, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries,

La diversité ethnoculturelle dans le curriculum de sciences de l’Ontario, de la 1ère à la 12ème année

Dans sa politique antiraciste et d’équité ethnoculturelle de 1993, le gouvernement ontarien se propose de développer ou de modifier les programmes d’études afin qu’ils reflètent de façon équitable la diversité raciale et culturelle de la société. À l’instar du gouvernement, l’Ordre des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’Ontario appelle les enseignants à veiller à ce que les expériences d’apprentissage à l’école tiennent compte, de façon appropriée et équitable, de l’identité culturelle et raciale de tous les élèves. Notre étude cherche à mettre en lumière la place réservée à la diversité ethnoculturelle dans les programmes français de sciences et technologie de l’Ontario de la 1ère à la 12ème année grâce à une analyse qualitative des écrits sur l’éducation scientifique multiculturelle. Cette analyse tend à montrer que les programmes de sciences de l’Ontario, mis en vigueur respectivement en 1998, 1999 et 2000, laissent une place quasi négligeable à la diversité ethnoculturelle que ce soit dans leurs fondements, dans les attentes et les contenus d’apprentissage ainsi que dans les stratégies pédagogiques suggérées.In its 1993 antiracist and ethnocultural equity policy, the government of Ontario undertook to develop or modify school curriculums in order to reflect racial and cultural diversity in an equitable manner. The Ontario College of Teachers urged its members to keep in mind the cultural and racial identity of all students in an appropriate and equitable manner during all learning experiences in the school. This study addresses the place given to ethnocultural diversity in French science and technology programs in Ontario grades 1 to 12 through a literature review of official documents on multicultural science education. This qualitative analysis tends to show that in the science programs in Ontario implemented in 1998, 1999 and 2000 there is an almost negligible place given to ethnocultural diversity in their underpinnings, overall expectations, specific expectations and suggested instructional strategies

Influence of interlocked transactions on gum arabic production and marketing in Senegal

Interlocked relationships are characterised by traders’ supply of inputs and cash to producers on credit, to be reimbursed at sale time based on a pre-defined price which is often lower than the prevailing market price. The study analyses determinants of choice of interlocking in the gum sector in Senegal and the effect of interlocking on market participation and gum production. Data from 422 gum producers in Northern and Eastern regions of Senegal are used. About 41% of respondents are involved into interlocking with village shop-owners or mobile traders. Interlocking positively influences market participation and production as found through a Heckman selection model.Marketing,

Multicultural Education in Canadian Preservice Programs: Teacher Candidates' Perspectives

This report examines Canadian teacher candidates' perspectives on the multicultural education component of the preservice teacher education program they attend. The data analyze were collected through a questionnaire that set out to explore whether teacher candidates were satisfied with the multicultural education preparation they received and their ideas on how it might be improved. We present the findings in two parts. First we consider the teacher candidates' critiques and suggestions on multicultural education to reveal that the majority of respondents did not feel adequately prepared to the challenge teaching in ethno-racially diverse classrooms. Their responses point to specific programmatic and structural shortcomings of current multicultural curricula in Canadian teacher education programs. They suggest ways to improve the multicultural education curriculum including compulsory courses, more diversity among faculty and teacher candidates in the program, and an integrative approach across the teacher education curriculum. We then analyze the discourses embedded in their responses to examine how multicultural education is being understood by teacher candidates. Here we show that common understandings are often articulated through the paradigm of difference, through which the problems and the solutions are believed to be about the Other. We argue that these understandings promote rather than disrupt practices that sustain white hegemony. The article concludes with a discussion of the practical implications.Cet article porte sur les points de vue de stagiaires canadiennes sur la composante "éducation multiculturelle" de leur formation. Les données que nous analysons ont été recueillies par le biais d'un questionnaire cherchant à connaître dans quelle mesure les stagiaires étaient satisfaits de la formation qu'ils avaient reçue en éducation multiculturelle et leurs avis sur des façons de l'améliorer. La présentation des résultats se fait en deux parties. D'abord, nous nous penchons sur les critiques et les suggestions des stagiaires quant à l'éducation multiculturelle ; celles-ci indiquent que les stagiaires ne se sentaient pas suffisamment bien préparés pour enseigner dans des contextes où les élèves avaient diverses origines ethno-raciales. Les réponses des stagiaires font ressortir des lacunes relatives aux programmes et aux structures portant sur la formation en multiculturalisme au sein des études en pédagogie au Canada. Les stagiaires proposent des façons d'améliorer la composante "éducation multiculturelle" y compris des cours obligatoires, davantage de diversité au sein du personnel enseignant et des stagiaires dans les programmes de pédagogie, et une approche intégrative appliquée aux programmes d'études. Dans un deuxième temps, nous analysons les discours intégrés dans leurs réponses d'étudier I'interprétation que font les stagiaires de l'éducation multiculturelle. Nous révélons que leurs connaissances communes s'articu1ent souvent en relation avec Ie paradigme de la différence et selon lequel les problèmes et les solutions sont tenus porter sur l'Autre. Nous maintenons que, plutôt que d'aller à I'encontre des pratiques qui soutiennent I'hégémonie des Blancs, ces attitudes la promeuvent. Une discussion des implications pratiques de notre recherche vient conclure l'article

Market participation by smallholder rice farmers in Tanzania: a double hurdle analysis

Smallholder farmers account for over 90 per cent of domestic rice production in Tanzania. Their participation in markets provides opportunities for growth through income and employment. However, their ability to participate is hampered by personal, household and institutional constraints. We adopt the double hurdle model to explore determinants of market participation by rice farmers using data collected from selected rice growing regions in Tanzania. The decision to participate in the market is affected by the cropped area, yield, distance to the market and type of variety grown. Besides these factors, the quantity marketed is affected by the existence of a market within the village. There is need for labour-saving technologies for area expansion and yield improvement

Appropriately Diverse? The Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum Tested Against the Banks Model

The growing diversity of Ontario’s population is increasing pressure on the education system to ensure that all students receive equal opportunities to excel academically and develop personally. Students are more likely to succeed if their own racial, ethnic, and cultural identity is reflected in the classroom. This observation applies no less to science than it does to the humanities and social sciences. While science has a universal quality, flowing from its ability to transcend geographic and cultural frontiers, it is also diverse in origin. Science is a global story of achievement in which nearly every racial, ethnic, and cultural group has played a vital role. This diversity is not adequately appreciated in Ontario, Canada, or the Western world because the default assumption of most Europeans and European descendants is that science is fundamentally Western. Science curricula must therefore direct, convince and equip teachers to rebut this assumptionand thereby engage the interest of students of all backgrounds. This paper uses classical content analysis to test the 1998 and 2007 versions of the Ontario science curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 against James Banks’s four approaches for ensuring racial, ethnic and cultural diversity in school programs. Our findings show that neither the 1998 nor the 2007 curricula, despite the latter’s claim to implement the principles of an anti-discriminatory education, challenge the perception of science as fundamentally Western in origin.Keywords: Multiculturalism, science education, anti-discrimination, history of science

Phytosociological Study of Nyungwe Montane Savannahs

It is uncommon to find savannahs encompassed into tropical montane rainforests. The case of Nyungwe savannahs is one of these particularities and until now no explanation on their origin, structure and dynamics was given. This unprecedented research documented special floristic diversity of montane savannahs of Nyungwe, described the structure of their plant communities to provide data for their sustainable conservation. In this paper origin of these savannahs was discussed. The study was conducted in three sites harbouring five savannahs:Karamba, Nyabitimbo and Muzimu. Eight plant communities (4 in savannah-forest contact zone and other 4 in savannah) were identified with 198 species. Vascular species were distributed in 71 families. Phytogeographic distribution analysis of species showed the predominance of afromontane species (Mo) in sampled savannahs (31%), followed by East African montane species (Mo, EA) with 22% of all species. Montane endemism proved the predominance of ‘relatively restricted endemic species’ identified in 2or3 montane systems (among Kivu-Ruwenzori, ImatongsUsambara, UluguruMlanje, and Ethiopia with 41.1%) followed by ‘afromontane endemic wades’ identified in 4to7 systems representing 39.9%). ‘Local endemic montane species’ represented 31% of all species. Thus, these savannahs are favourable to species coming from almost seven African montane systems. Keywords: Nyungwe, Plant communities, montane savannahs

Why Maasai Parents Enroll their Children in Primary School: The Case of Makuyuni in Northern Tanzania

This study analyzes the reasons why the Makuyuni parents of Northern Tanzania do or do not enroll their children in school. Ten Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and several key informant (KI) interviews were conducted in the Mswakini Juu and Makuyuni villages. The parents who participated in the FGDs all had children in primary school at the time of interview. The findings revealed that reasons for enrolling these children in school included future economic stability for the family, government policies enforcing parents to enroll their children in primary school, partnership with World Vision, increased physical accessibility to education, and the World Food Program (WFP) which supplies food for all primary schools in the district. The findings also exposed hindrances to primary school enrollment including protection of tradition and culture, females marrying at a young age, and inability to afford extra scholastic expenses. This study suggests that increased commitment to education would benefit the Maasai people by better equipping them to secure and maintain employment. Other suggestions presented include better preparing children for primary school and sensitizing Maasai leaders to the benefits and realities of education. [PUBLISHER ABSTRACT