The Importance Of Community: Investing In Effective Community-Based Crime Prevention Strategies

After more than a year of listening to our community, researching evidence-based practices, and evaluating our own efforts, 'The Importance of Community' inaugural report unequivocally asserts that our greatest potential of reducing homicides and incarceration as a result of committing a crime is deeply rooted in collective community action and targeted interventions aimed at serving narrowly defined populations. In this report, The Indianapolis Foundation will summarize years of community-based recommendations and provides a specific community investment plan based on multiple community convenings, crime prevention related reports, and listening to our community

Examination of the impact and effectiveness of herd health and welfare assessment in im-proving animal welfare on organic dairy farms, using qualitative interviews.

During winter 2002-03, 15 organic dairy farms in SW England participated in a herd health and welfare assessment and benchmarking study. A second assessment was carried out on 14 of the original 15 farms and on 14 new farms during winter 2003-04. The effectiveness of the herd health and welfare as-sessments and benchmarking in delivering animal health and welfare improvements was investigated by means of qualitative research interviews. The inter-views were conducted between August and November 2004. The average length of interview was one hour and fifteen minutes. Five common themes were iden-tified and headed ‘Sensitivities and misgivings’; ‘Ac-ceptability of scoring methodology and indicators assessed’; ‘Raised awareness and motivation to im-prove’; ‘Veterinary support and herd health planning’ and ‘Value of assessment and benchmarking’. It was apparent that farmers, who took part voluntarily in the study, took the results of the herd health and welfare assessments very seriously and were clearly motivated by the process. The main focus for change was related to housing issues. The main constraints to welfare improvement were a shortage of finance to affect change beyond relatively simple alterations and a lack of information on the identification of changes likely to improve animal welfare in given situations

Combining Ethological Thinking and Epidemiological Knowledge to Enhance the Naturalness of Organic Livestock Systems

Organic livestock farming places strong emphasis on conditions that allow animals to exhibit behavioural needs. This involves the provision of a natural environment and, in particular, outdoor conditions and a reliance on natural forages. Such environments also allow animals to be effectively integrated into crop production. However, there are potential disease risks associated with these conditions, with control options being partly limited by restrictions on chemoprophylactic measures. Examples from dairy and poultry production demonstrate how a basic understanding of ethology and a knowledge of disease epidemiology can enhance the welfare of animals whilst satisfying the ecological objectives of organic farming. Existing epidemiological models and published data can be used to examine the potential ensuing health hazards and control possibilities and to suggest alternatives

Back to basics: use of popular theatre in the AIDS awareness campaign

A conference paper on AIDS awareness campaign through the use of popular theater (drama)Zimbabwe, like many other countries has been hard hit by the scourge of . the killer disease, Aids. Over the next few years more and more people will be affected both directly and indirectly by the Aids epidemic. MaCgarry (1989) in a highly informative article titled "Aids and Development Planning" has done some projections based on simple calculations of mortality in five-year age cohorts at five year intervals, and the result of his exercise are most chilling to say the least. Aids was first recognized as a problem in Zimbabwe in 1984 when the first few cases of Aids related diseases were discovered

The role of community work in urban development in Third World countries

A public lecture paper on the importance of the participation of Community in urban development

The role of youth in society

A lecture paper on problems confronting young people in Zimbabwe.According to a UNESCO, 1978 document, there are many complex problems confronting young people today. The role of the youth in society, in my view, can best be understood in the context of these various problems facing the youth. The problems can be viewed in the context of operating structures (eg economic, political, social and cultural)* and their interrelationships with each other. In order to put the discussion in its proper perspective therefore, it is necessary to commence by providing a brief overview of some of the major problems faced by the youth in society today