African Wars and Ethnic Conflicts – Rebuilding Failed States

human development, culture

A Performance Evaluation and Assessment of Mineral Silicate Coatings for the Restoration of the Exterior Concrete at Jackson Lake Lodge

This thesis focuses on the evaluation of the durability of potassium silicate coating on concrete surfaces, in particular the exterior concrete walls at Jackson Lake Lodge located in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The main building on the site, the Central Lodge, is a large 61 year old structure that is in need of a new architectural coating to prolong its service. This structure, once dubbed the ugliest building in America, is now cherished and appreciated for its significance in ushering in a new era of Modernist-style buildings constructed within National Parks. Because the pH of the concrete walls has fallen to 7, the original architectural coating—acid stains—is not a viable option to recoat the structure. New coatings must be explored such as mineral silicates. Comprised of a waterglass solution and inorganic pigments, mineral silicate coatings impart a durable colored finish to cementitious and silica-rich substrates. Developed in Europe, mineral silicate paints and stains have been around for over 150 years. Recently this coating system has gained traction in the United States for its durability and performance enhancing properties. This testing program used a variety of analytical methods (such as accelerated weathering, spectrophotometry, water vapor transmission rate tests, water immersion tests, RILEM tube tests, contact angle measurements, and pH readings) to evaluate the color durability, water vapor permeability, and liquid water repellency characteristics of potassium mineral silicate coatings. This evaluation was conducted to determine if potassium silicate coatings can be viable alternative architectural finish to restore the original appearance of the Central Lodge, while improving the performance of the concrete

Some remarks on aid agencies and dependency in the southern Sudan

The main objective of this paper is to show the general character of the impact of aid, and the activities of aid agency workers, on Southern Sudanese society, since the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972. The author attempts to show, that the peculiarities of extreme underdevelopment and the relatively intensive aid activity have in this respect been relatively unique in Africa. The results have often tended to reinforce the structure of dependency in the Southern Sudan. Further, the growing civil war appears to be forcibly bringing to a close, aid activity in this region of the Sudan

Children on the move : experiences of children living in a temporary relocation camp in Cape Town, South Africa.

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.This thesis focuses on six children’s experiences from various backgrounds who lived in temporary relocation areas in Cape Town, South Africa. The research was conducted over a three-year period from February 2010 to February 2013, with a one-year field-research period from October 2010 to October 2011. Themes identified examined the effects of forced removals, displacement, marginality and the prevalence of violence in Bluewaters Refugee Camp Site C and Symphony Way Temporary Relocation Area. Exploring pathways and patterns of identity, embodiment and experiences of health and illness, and the expressive, revealing quality of theatre, delivered rich data that produced an ethnographic account of children’s experiences in these sites

Health, Technical Efficiency And Agricultural Production In Indian Districts

In this study, we attempt to quantify the effect of improved population health on technical efficiency in agricultural production. Using data for over 260 districts in 15 Indian states, we employ the random-coefficients technique to estimate a Cobb-Douglas production function, computing overall and input specific technical efficiencies for each district. We then model health (the district infant mortality rate) as a determinant of (in) efficiency in a second stage, controlling for a range of other socioeconomic variables. We find that decreases in the infant mortality rate, as well as increases in the literacy rate and level of irrigation, are associated with significant increases in overall technical efficiency, and that a good portion of healths effect is probably due to improvements in the efficiency of labor use. While efficiency increases from improvements in irrigation and literacy are larger, the potential gains from health are still fairly substantial.technical efficiency, Random coefficients model, the frontier production function

The Intellectualisation of African Languages for Higher Education

This article was originally presented as a keynote Address at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Language Planning and Development Office (ULPDO) language symposium from 19-20 October 2015 at the Unite Building, Howard College, Durban, on the theme: Advancing the Intellectualization of African Languages in Higher Education. The position paper examines the challenge of how to intellectualise African languages and bring them up to speed with the linguistic techniques of modernity and advanced contemporary thought