Social Challenges and Policy Innovations by Social Workers in Australia

By summarizing the social challenges in the contemporary Australian context, this article aims to discuss policy innovations by Australian social workers. Acknowledging that the concept of policy innovation is broad and sometimes ambiguous, it looks at four examples by social workers. Drawing on secondary data analysis, it discusses how social workers played an important role in introducing legislative changes/amendments to protect children in difficult circumstances, resisted a refugee policy that incarcerates innocent children, challenged and changed procedures and policies within an organization, and influenced policymakers to revert budgetary decisions to enhance access to services. These examples show the social workers’ commitment, passion, and vision and their experiences with policy innovation. Given the nature and extent of social challenges, this paper raises questions about the limited policy innovation by social workers. The analysis has significant implications for social workers’ obligation to contribute to policy innovation in their chosen area of practice

Post-disaster social reconstruction and social development

The Asia-Pacific region has experienced major disasters, both natural and man-made, in the recent past. Hundreds of families and communities, and several governments, non-government organisations, international organisations and aid agencies have been engaged in relief, rebuilding and rehabilitation activities with varying degrees of effectiveness and success. This article aims to reflect on some of these post-disaster reconstruction experiences; exploring how a social development approach can be employed for the post-disaster social reconstruction; and suggest regional social policies and strategies for multi-stakeholder cooperation to effectively address post-disaster issues at the local level. Although efforts made by several agencies in very challenging contexts are commendable, there are few examples to show the application of the social development approach. By discussing the social development approach, the paper argues that the conscious use of such an approach facilitates a better planning and preparation for anticipated disasters, rehabilitation processes and the comprehensive development of disaster affected areas, including environmental and psycho-social issues. Towards this end, it underscores the role of regional social policies and multi-stake-holder cooperation. The discussion has implications for local and international communities, which are engaged in pre-planning and preparation for disasters and post-disaster reconstruction

Moving Object Detection and Tracking for Video Surveillance: A Review

This paper presents a review and systematic study on the moving object detection and surveillance of the video as it is an important and challenging task in many computer vision applications, such as human detection, vehicles detection, threat, and security. Video surveillance is a dynamic environment, especially for human and vehicles and for specific object in case of security is one of the current challenging research topics in computer vision. It is a key technology to fight against terrorism, crime, public safety and for efficient management of accidents and crime scene going on now days. The paper also presents the concept of real time implementation computing task in video surveillances system. In this review paper various methods are discussed were evaluation of order to access how well they can detect moving object in an outdoor/indoor section in real time situation

Advanced Moving Object Detection and Tracking for Video Surveillance

Moving object detection is a very crucial and challenging task in computer vision applications such as surveillance, vehicle and human tracking. Background subtraction is a preliminary technique widely used for the moving object detection. In this paper, an advanced automated moving object detection technique using background subtraction is proposed. The method uses running average wavelet transform (RAWT) for accurate registration of background from the video sequence. Furthermore, the moving objects are detected by comparing current and background frame. In order to produce higher accuracy for the object detection, the proposed method also further includes post-processing filter operation after which the binary object detection mask can be obtained. After moving object detection, tracking is performed. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is faster and efficient as compared to the other state-of-the-art existing methods

Issues in Historic Child Sponsorship

Arguing that children serve the international humanitarian community as ‘embodiments of a basic goodness’ and ‘symbols of world harmony’, the authors of Chapter 4 note that child sponsorship positions children in ‘explosive moral terrain.’ The authors explore the emergence of concern within and without historic Child Sponsorship organizations over traditional forms of child sponsorship as they relate to beneficiaries, donors and the sponsorship organizations themselves. In doing so the authors argue that programs staff in leading Child Sponsorship INGOs have been instrumental in moving Child Sponsorship interventions from orphan care, to family helper programs and beyond to pooled funding for service provision, holistic child development, community development activities and advocacy

Water and Communities in South Asia: A Case for Regional Cooperation

Increased use of water for hydropower and agriculture, due to population growth accounts for future water shortages that will affect a quarter of South Asia’s population by 2050. Water crises affect all member-nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAARC nations water needs exacerbate the water crisis on the one hand and lack of mechanisms for good governance and cooperation required for addressing issues related to food and water security within the region. This paper attempts to draw attention to the big picture regarding water resources management and the impacts of water scarcity on South Asian nations. The paper begins with a review of the water crises in each of the SAARC nations and follows on with consideration of perceptions towards transboundary river infrastructures and the political stances each nation takes about solutions for the continuing water crisis. Undoubtedly, the only mechanism that these nations can adapt to address the geopolitical challenges of a thirsty world, for which SAARC association provides the platform is a deliberate constructive solution centred dialogue. A range of recommendations for SAARC nations are reviewed with a view to assist the water thirst in these nations

Korean responses to environmental challenges

행사명 : The 5th Seoul ODA International Conferenc

In vitro studies of antistress and antiallergic effects of semecarpus anacardium fruit in asthma

Semicarpus anacardium Linn. (Anacardiaceae) is a deciduous moderate sized tree. The plant is commonly known as Ballataka (Sanskrit), Bhela (Hindi) and marking nut in English. Fruits are acrid and sweet and used traditionally in the treatment of asthma. Allergy and stress are important contributing factors in asthma; hence, our objective was to study the effect of plant extracts on milk-induced leucocytosis (antistress) and milk-induced eosinophilia (antiallergic) as no work is done in this direction and to check a possible antiasthmatic role of the plant. Extracts were given at the dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o., to mice. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts showed significant decrease in leukocytes and eosinophils count. These results confirm the use of S. anacardium fruits as antistress and antiallergic agents in the treatment asthma.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire